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The automa Pinocchio has always been duty-bound to serve in the floating palace of Venice´s emperor. So when Pinocchio finds himself locked in a trunk and delivered to a new master-a wanted criminal and alchemist named Geppetto-he is curious about everything around him. But most curious is the way Pinocchio seems to be changing from a wooden servant into a living, human boy. Before Geppetto and Pinocchio can uncover the mystery surrounding the automa´s transformation, Pinocchio is stolen away. Determined to find Geppetto again, Pinocchio begins a harrowing journey across the Empire, where danger in the form of half-beast outlaws and winged airmen abounds for a lost automa.

Meanwhile, Princess Lazuli, the daughter of the ruler of a magical kingdom called Abaton, is also on a quest through the emperor´s territory. Her father, Prester John, has been captured by the Venetian Empire, and Lazuli is desperate to rescue him. With the emperor´s airmen closing in fast, Lazuli learns the only hope for saving her father-and her beloved home-lies in Pinocchio and Geppetto. In a masterful reimagining of Pinocchio, John Claude Bemis weaves an enchanting, thrilling adventure for middle-grade readers in the first installment in the Out of Abaton duology. Praise for The Wooden Prince "Wow! John Claude Bemis hides new magic in old stories."
-Tom Angleberger, New York Times best-selling author of the Origami Yoda series

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"Wow! John Claude Bemis hides new magic in old stories."
-Tom Angleberger, New York Times best-selling author of the Origami Yoda series

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John Claude Bemis is an award-winning author, musician, and educator. His novels include The Prince Who Fell from the Sky and the Clockwork Dark trilogy. John was chosen as North Carolina´s Piedmont Laureate for Children´s Literature. He lives with his wife and daughter in Hillsborough, NC. Visit him online at johnclaudebemis.com.

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