Robert Beatty never fails to deliver a suspenseful, well-written story where the pages fly by because it's so good you can't stop reading. Here we have a new hero, Sylvia, a foster girl with apparently no family and no recollection of what happened to her before age 4. All she knows is that she belongs at Highgrounds, the children's home that is the only true home she's ever known.

This eerily prophetic story of a flood of epic proportions in the mountains of North Carolina is truly one of the best I've read in ages. From the very beginning when Sylvia is making her way back to Highgrounds, to the heartstopping ending, the story of Sylvia Doe and the mysterious boy she rescues from a raging river will keep readers entertained and get them hooked on Beatty's writing. He joins Kate DiCamillo in my list of the best authors of children's fiction writing today.

Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood is part mystery and part adventure with some magical realism thrown in the mix.

Sylvia is a spunky protagonist who feels a connection with the natural world. (One of the highlights of the book comes in her notes and illustrations.) That connection means that she’s more observant, and when unusual animals start appearing, she’s determined to look closer.

With North Carolina still reeling from Hurricane Helene, Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood feels surreal. The settings, the feel of water rushing over you, the utter destruction. Robert Beatty captures it all. And it all feels a bit uncanny.

Beatty is a strong writer, and his characters and scenes get equal attention, making for a page-turning novel that sucks you in. Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood is a fast-moving novel that will appeal to a large cross-section of readers.

It’s been just over a century since The Great Flood of 1916 devasted western North Carolina. Hurricane Helene has given North Carolinians another such devastating event by which to measure the power of Mother Nature. These events gave me pause as I read Robert Beatty’s new release, Sylvia Doe and the 100 Year Flood. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Beatty knows a thing or two about floods.

Here’s the set up: Sylvia Doe, a 13 year old girl, grew up at Highground Home for Children in western North Carolina. It is the only home she’s ever known, but Highground can not be a permanent home. Each time Sylvia is placed in a foster home, she runs back to Highground. And who can blame her, as she is happiest when spending time with her horse Kitty Hawk, and with the caretaker, Mason, who is like a father to her. When a big storm threatens Highground, she can only think about Kitty Hawk’s safety, packs up her trusty field guides, and runs away again. Sylvia encounters strange things on her return, creatures that belong to another time, and strangest of all is the boy she saves from near drowning in the flooding river. Who is he? Where does he come from? Why does she feel so drawn to him? And so the adventure begins!

Beatty creates a fast paced, eco-fiction mystery adventure story, mixed with a bit of magical realism, about bravery, enduring friendship, and the precarious balance of the natural world. Readers will delight in the beautiful accompanying illustrations. Sylvia Doe is a middle grade read that adults will also enjoy.

** On a special note, the author is donating 100% of his royalties from the book to those impacted by the recent real-life flood in western NC caused by hurricane Helene.


Many thanks to the author @RobertBeattyBooks, @DisneyBooks and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this digital book in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️ mentions of foster placement, depictions of flooding, and characters in peril

Thank you to #NetGalley, Robert Beatty, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sylvia doesn't know where she was born or where she came from. The only thing she knows is she has grown up in a home for children and she loves her horse, Kitty Hawk and the other horses in the herd. When a hurricane moves in and causes massive flooding, Sylvia knows she has to save her horses. As she's saving her horses, she notices an unconscious boy floating in the river, she rescues him even though she doesn't know him or where he came from. Their adventures soon start and their connection is strong. Where does it come from?


A fast paced and enjoyable read! It would be a great read for any classroom!

Thank you to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Sylvia Doe, age 13, has lived at the Highground Home for Children in Western North Carolina since she was a little girl. She is very bright, does well in school, and loves taking care of the school’s horses. Her social worker has tried many placements, but Sylvia has never felt like she belonged. She is happiest when spending time with the stable caretaker, Mason, who is like a father to her, and her horse, Kitty Hawk. When a hurricane blasts through the mountains, the river floods badly. Not only that, the river brings things that don’t belong, like the Carolina parrot that had gone extinct. When she sees an unconscious boy nearly drowning in the flooded river, she rescues him. As they talk, Sylvia really starts to notice the odd things occurring since the storm began and feels a strangely strong connection to him.
I really loved Beatty’s Serafina series and was excited to get this e-ARC. It did not disappoint. As an adult, I was able to quickly figure out what was going on. That said, I think middle grade readers will enjoy the adventure. Unfortunately, life has imitated art in the form of Hurricane Helene and the devastation in Western North Carolina, which makes this book a bit more ominous. Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend to readers in grades 4 and up.
#SylvisDoeAndThe100YearFlood #NetGalley #RobertBeatty

An action packed story filled with life, death, and magic as a young girl rescues a mysterious boy and soon finds herself on an adventure. The story follows a girl named Sylvia Doe who has lived in the foster system all her life. She loves taking care of the animals and has a track record of running away from her foster families to go back to the Highground caretaker. When a powerful storm happens Sylvia rescues a mysterious boy and begins to encounter strange things in the river... from magical gemstones to wild animals. The story has nature and time travel magic and really focuses in on the care for horses and the environment. It's a interesting read and one I'd recommend for young middlegrade readers interested in fantasy books.

Release Date: October 8,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Sylvia Doe and the 100-Year Flood is action packed with life or death odds from the very start! The way that Beatty weaves the history of the area into the story using magical realism and the river in the Blue Ridge Mountain valley where Sylvia has grown up as vehicle is truly amazing. I was also intrigued by the mystery of who Sylvia is and where she belongs as she struggles to figure this out for herself while also helping the people and horses that are the only family she's ever known. Or the only family she remembers at least, since she showed up at Highground Home for Children as a four year-old with no memory beyond her first name. During the storms and floods, Sylvia also manages to save the life of a boy, Jorna, who has been swept away in the river's floodwaters. Not only does she become embroiled in a mystery about who Jorna is but where he belongs as well--or maybe more accurately--when. Sylvia Doe has action, adventure, a plethora of fun facts and history about the natural world, and is an engaging mystery. I highly recommend it to anyone with a middle grade reader who enjoys these sorts of stories and even for readers who are young at heart and love action-packed mysteries with magical realism set in Appalachia.

Robert Beatty has once again weaved together nature, history, and the supernatural to create a vivid middle grade world filled with adventure. This book is going to be a hit with adventure-loving Middle Grade readers. There is no slow start to this story - it begins at a fast pace and keeps that sense of urgency and intensity up throughout the entire book. I hated putting it down at night when I would get too tired to keep reading - I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.

I could have done without the romance personally, but I think it’ll be a hit with many young readers. I also had a really difficult time visualizing many scenes and settings (especially the Chutes) and just kept going even though I was often confused as to what was happening. I think I would have enjoyed the story a bit more if I could have pictured it in my imagination. However, that might just be my issue, as I have zero experience with a flooding river (and I’m ok with that, as it sounds terrifying!).

Read if: you love the Blue Ridge mountains as a backdrop, you’re passionate about the outdoors and the environment, you love a scrappy and fierce main character who feels deeply, you’re looking for an adventure that wraps everything up neatly at the end

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
Beatty again captures the beauty and power of the mountains. This time readers see the mountains in North Carolina. I appreciate the way the author weaves the real with the mystical. Sylvia is an orphan who simply appeared one evening and has been raised at Highground. Though she has been placed in several foster settings, she runs back here as it is where she feels at home. This time she returned as she sensed the hurricane would cause issues with river flooding. When she gets there, she learns how true her concerns were. The action begins immediately as she tackles the flooded river to rescue the horses. In the process, she also rescues a young man who seems out of place. Readers may figure out what is happening before Beatty reveals it as he provides hints throughout.
His characters are not as fully developed as the Serafina series but their needs and joys come through. By the end, Sylvia makes the decision to return to a different place and find her home. Middle grade readers will enjoy the story and the lovely illustrations from Sylvia's notebook. They may even feel called to do some research on their own to learn about various animals and time periods.

Robert Beatty captures history, fantasy, and youthful characters once more in this book. I know him to be a fan favorite with students and I would gladly add this book to my classroom shelf.

Loved this title as much as the first Serafina title. What a great read. Time travel, historical narrative, cultural exploration - excitement galore. I would recommend this to any upper elem/tween interested in adventure

I enjoyed this thoroughly. A very interesting sci-fi middle grade book. Sylvia is a likable character, and the resolution of the story is really lovely. The friendship that develops between her and the boy she pulls out of the water is a great example of accepting others without question, although it does seem to happen very quickly - probably my one criticism of the book. I loved the beautiful illustrations as well.

If you like "Magic Tree House" books and "Pictures of Hollis Woods" you would enjoy reading "Syliva Doe and the 100-Year Flood."

The plot unfolds at a brisk pace, filled with twists and turns that keep the reader engaged from start to finish. Beatty seamlessly weaves together elements of mystery and magic realism, creating a world that feels both familiar and fantastical. Sylvia is a protagonist that shows bravery and vulnerability as she navigates the challenges placed in front of her.

For sixth grade readers and above that like adventure, mystery, and serious topics, this is a great read! There is a kiss, so it would be appropriate for some 4th and 5th graders depending on their maturity level.

Sylvia knows this storm is a big one so despite her promise to the social worker she would do better she runs away back to the best place she ever lived, where her best friend Kitty Hawk is so she can help with the horses, at Highground Home for Children. Back to the only place she felt she belonged, but along her way to help the horses she rescues a boy from the river, a very strange boy. There are also many other weird things tied to the river flooding, things just wrong.
This is another wonderful book by Mr. Beatty, although I will tell you now this one isn’t set in the Smokies or around the Biltmore house, but this time in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is Sylvia’s story and it is a very interesting one at that. I can tell you to much more without messing it up for you, so follow the river through the Blue Ridge and find out what happens for yourself.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Sylvia has never really felt like she fits in. She loves taking care of the horses at the place she is at. She meets a new friend and realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. She learns that the impossible can become possible. She is determined to keep going.

I loved the unusual premise of the book, and really enjoyed the main character’s determination and grit. A great female role model for young students.