An Evening with M.T. Anderson and Dayna Lorentz: Elf Dog and Owl Head

Phoenix Books is honored to present an evening with National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson to celebrate the release of her new novel, Elf Dog and Owl Head a magical adventure about a boy and his dog—or a dog and her boy—and a forest of wonders hidden in plain sight. M. T. Anderson will be in conversation with fellow author, Dayna Lorentz.

About Elf Dog and Owl Head: Clay has had his fill of home life. A global plague has brought the world to a screeching halt, and with little to look forward to but a summer of video-calling friends, vying with annoying sisters for the family computer, and tuning out his parents’ financial worries, he’s only too happy to retreat to the woods. From the moment the elegant little dog with the ornate collar appears like an apparition among the trees, Clay sees something uncanny in her. With this mysterious Elphinore as guide, he’ll glimpse ancient secrets folded all but invisibly into the forest. Each day the dog leads Clay down paths he never knew existed, deeper into the unknown. But they aren’t alone in their surreal adventures. There are traps and terrors in the woods, too, and if Clay isn’t careful, he might stray off the path and lose his way forever. Graced with evocative black-and-white illustrations by Junyi Wu, Elf Dog and Owl Head is heartfelt and exhilarating, wry and poignant, seamlessly merging the fantastic and the familiar in a tale both timely and timeless.

M. T. Anderson is the author of Feed, a National Book Award Finalist; the National Book Award winner The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party and Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves, which were both Michael L. Printz Honor Books; Symphony for the City of the Dead; Yvain: The Night of the Lion; Landscape with Invisible Hand; and many other books for children and young adults, including The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge, cocreated with Eugene Yelchin, which was a National Book Award Finalist.

Dayna Lorentz is the author of the middle grade novels Wayward Creatures, winner of the 2023 NCTE Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children; Of a Feather, which was a finalist for the New England Book Award; and the Dogs of the Drowned City trilogy; as well as the young adult trilogy No Safety in Numbers, which was an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College and is a staff attorney with the Vermont trial courts. Dayna lives in Vermont with her husband, two children, and two cats. Visit her at daynalorentz.com.

DATE: Thursday, April 20th, 7pm

LOCATION: Phoenix Books Essex, 2 Carmichael St, Essex, VT

ADMISSION: This event is free and open to all ages, but advance registration is appreciated. Please register below.

BOOKS: Copies of Elf Dog and Owl Head will be available for sale at the event. Can't make it to the event but still want to purchase a signed, personalized copy? Click HERE Signed copies will be available after the event on April 20th. If you ordered a book for store pick up, we will contact you as soon as it's ready. If you ordered a book with shipping, please allow an additional 7-10 days for delivery.

Host or Publisher Phoenix Books Essex & Burlington