Artania: The Pharaoh's Cry (The Artania Chronicles Book 1) by Laurie Woodward

Can a kid who’s forced to bathe six times a day save a magical world? It’s not his fault his father drowned in a mud puddle just before he was born, turning Mother into a cleaning fanatic. Now eleven-year-old Bartholomew Borax III can’t go to school, play outside, or, worst of all, make art. But he has to. So he sketches in secret.

Then two amazing thing happen, he’s allowed to go to school and he meets skateboarding painter, Alexander Devinci. In Bartholomew’s book, Alex is wicked cool because he gets needing to create. But sharing glimpses of a freaky world every time they brush past each other makes for a tentative friendship. Meanwhile, Alex’s strained relationship with his mother takes an ominous turn when she has a heart attack, leading Bartholomew to reach out.

Later, during an art museum field trip, a rainbow inside a painting yanks the boys into another realm. Bartholomew’s living in an antiseptic mansion is nothing in comparison to how weird Artania is with living paintings, sculptures, and sketches. It shares some mystical connection with Earth, but is in grave danger. Twelve pharaohs have been captured and if they are not freed soon, an entire Artanian nation will be destroyed. But only Alex and Bartholomew’s powers can rescue them.

No way.

When he sees a struggling Artanian child pulled underground, Bartholomew finally agrees to help, not knowing if it will be enough. With Egyptian gods, goddesses, and warriors at their side, they brave a series of battles, duels, and skateboarding escapes. Bartholomew blunders again and again. Amidst dead and wounded comrades, his guilt grows. As his confidence begins to erode, he must work with Alex but it takes all of his talents and more to battle an evil race of shadowy creatures. For only the power of true creation will finally defeat Sickhert’s army and bring art back to the world.

                       About Author: Laurie Woodward

"I want children to see the magic inside them," says Laurie Woodward whose published works include The Artania Chronicles, Forest Secrets and co-writing The Dolphin Legacy. Laurie was also a collaborator on the Dean and JoJo anti-bullying DVD, Resolutions. Every book contains a message of hope showing the reader that when one is true to him/herself bullies can be defeated in both real and fantasy worlds. 

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www.artania.net

As a teacher, she loves getting goofy with her students as they create their own stories. A strong anti-bullying advocate, she promotes peace through art on her own website Artania.net and blogs regularly to share innovations, ideas, and inspirational stories of children working for peace.

Personalities, such as dolphin naturalist Dean Bernal, are now sharing this message across the globe as teachers from multiple cultures learn some of the tools in his Resolutions video.

And why does she write?

"Because when you write you get to be a 12-year-old skater girl battling ugly monsters. It's fun!"