AJ Vanderhorst is an author whose diverse life experiences, from journalist to paramedic to escape artist, infuse his writing with a unique perspective. His childhood ingenuity, exemplified by a week spent in a self-built tree fort, foreshadows his fascination with the wild and the imaginative. Vanderhorst excels at crafting narratives filled with fantastical creatures and thrilling scenarios, drawing from his self-proclaimed expertise on all things dangerous and intriguing. His creative spirit, paired with a love for community and grand ambitions like building a future tree castle, makes him a captivating storyteller.
Eleven-year-old Casey Grimes is stubbornly friendly, but the students at middle school look right through him-and they're not faking. Casey doesn't know why he's mostly-invisible, but when he scales a colossal oak, he discovers a fortress. The forgotten sentry tree marks the border between his safe, suburban life and a fierce frontier.