Thom Jones

The Giants of the Baroka Valley: the Guardians of Elestra Thom Jones

Derek and Deanna Hughes embark on their second adventure in the magical world of Elestra in search of another moonstone. This time, they have to go to the Baroka Valley where everything is huge, from the grains of sand to the wild chickens. With their friend Tobungus, the mushroom man, at their side, they face Green Thumb, a forest elf with a pair of magical thumbs, the Gong Beaters of the Floddan Lowlands, and the dark wizard Eldrack. The buzzing they hear is not just their heads ringing from the awful gong music, it's the sound of eagle-sized bees swarming around them in a magical orchard. The story heats up even more when they are forced to ride down the River of the Dragon's Breath on a boat that isn't really a boat. In the end, another mystery is added to their journeys as they try to figure out who is helping them behind the scenes. The twins find their journey slowed by an ornery monkey who doesn't believe that they are Mystical Guardians and a pair of twenty foot tall giant trees (or giants who are trees, or trees who are also giants, or well they're not sure how to describe them other than huge and wooden). Lava creatures, rocks that turn into milkshakes (shaken milk, according to Tobungus), a snail-drawn carriage, nut-throwing owl sprites, off key grazing animals, a goose flight over a boiling river, a zoo where the creatures are paid to tell visitors about themselves, and a spell that leaves Derek with a fashion statement that is skin deep round out the story and make the journey through Elestra engaging and magical.