Rosie Frost & the Falcon Queen (Rosie Frost #1)

In an effervescent fantasy series launch with a conservation bent from musician Halliwell-Horner, also known as Ginger Spice, orphaned 13-year-old Rosie Frost is enrolled in a secret boarding school. Founded by Queen Elizabeth I to honor her mother, Anne Boleyn, Heverbridge School is an academy for exceptional students and Tudor descendants. It’s also located off England’s coast on Bloodstone Island, a hidden haven for some of the world’s “rarest and most impressive” plants and animals. Rosie arrives at Heverbridge seeking comfort and answers; instead, rich kids bully her, and imperious deputy administrator Mr. Hemlock belittles and gaslights her. To survive, Rosie keeps her head down, until she discovers that Mr. Hemlock is planning something harmful to the island’s endangered species. Hoping that the prestige of a win could provide her with the platform to incite change, she enters Heverbridge’s highly competitive Falcon Queen games, a tournament meant to test students’ courage. Though the plot follows a familiar path, smart twists rooted in real-life history add excitement, and Anne Boleyn’s indomitable spirit literally and figuratively haunts this lively debut, inspiring Rosie and propelling the tale’s feminist, eco-preservationist message. Rosie cues as white; the boldly drawn supporting cast is racially diverse. Ages 10–up. Agent: Anthony Mattero, CAA. (Oct.)