- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Fantasy
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
A delightfully grim, deeply tender Newbery Honor tale of an undead fox who ushers animal souls to the afterlife, and the lost badger who upends everything he thinks he understands about his own purpose.
- Best for9–12
- FormatIllustrated
- Length313 pp
- Read aloud~9 hr25 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Lyrical
Tone
- Bittersweet
- Dark
- Heartwarming
- Thought provoking
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
In Deadwood Forest, where it is always autumn, Clare the undead fox works as an Usher: he guides the souls of dead animals to one of four afterlives. It is a solitary, quiet, oddly peaceful life, until the soul of a badger named Gingersnipes arrives and refuses to cross over into any of them. To find out why, Clare sets off through the forest to consult the visionary grouse Hesterfowl, and the answer he uncovers forces him to confront his own past and reconsider the fate he has accepted for himself. Told in warm, poetic prose by a storyteller who speaks directly to the reader, this is a book that holds the macabre and the gentle in the same hand, funny and eerie and finally uplifting. A morally complex, beautifully made fable about mortality, letting go and the meaning we build for ourselves, awarded a Newbery Honor.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A meaty middle-grade novel best for confident readers of about 9 to 12, or a strong shared read-aloud from 8. Its subject, death and the afterlife, means sensitive younger children may find it too much; older readers and adults will get the most from it.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–12
- Independent · 9–13
Prose load
Heavy
Visual support
Low
Reluctant-reader friendly
Tougher fit
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: death of character, grief.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Thoughtful readers
- Loves atmospheric fantasy
- Grief and big questions
Avoid if
- Sensitive to death
- Wants light and funny
- Dislikes sad themes
Particularly good for children who are…
- Bereavement
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Clare's autumn-forever world is spooky in the best way, and the mystery of why Gingersnipes cannot cross over pulls you straight through. Readers who like their fantasy strange and a little sad will find it funny, eerie and quietly hopeful.
- Secret world
- Being understood finally
- Having a wise mentor
Why parents love it
Beautiful, direct-to-the-reader prose handles death and letting go with real care and no false comfort, which makes it a rare thing: a genuinely moving conversation-starter for a thoughtful child. The Newbery Honor is deserved.
- Great writing
- Conversation starter
- Beautiful illustrations
About the creators
About the creators.
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