“Then you’re not sorry for your actions?” Burdock asked.
Kendra stared hard at the angry old elder. “No,” she admitted in a firm voice.
At once, the elders broke into heated debate.
“Not sorry!”
“An Unger!”
“Should there be any further discussion?” Burdock demanded, his voice reigning over the others. “The girl helped an Unger, and she doesn’t even repent for her mistake. Cast her through the curtain, I say. Let’s be done with her!”
“Now wait a minute!” Uncle Griffinskitch cried, hobbling over to stand between Kendra and the elders. Up until that moment, he had been hanging back, and Kendra had worried that he wouldn’t speak in her defense because he was ashamed, too. “Did my niece not save all of Een? Will you praise her one action, only to punish her for the other?”
“According to Een laws, she did indeed commit a grave crime,” Elder Skarab Strom said.
“Humph!” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered. “You heard her. You weren’t there. None of us were. Who’s to say what any of us would have done in the same situation?”
“So you condone her helping the Unger?” Burdock demanded. “Pity, Gregor. You should be ashamed of her.”
“Ashamed?” Uncle Griffinskitch exclaimed in his deep, booming voice. “I am ashamed of many things in my life, but my niece is not one of them. Indeed, if anything, I . . . I . . . I am proud of Kendra!”
Burdock gasped.
“You heard me right!” the old wizard said, shaking angrily. “Proud. Because Kendra has shown the ability to think for herself, not of herself. She helped the Unger because she felt it was the right thing to do.”
“This is nonsense!” Burdock shouted. “I demand that Kendra Kandlestar be expelled!”
“If Kendra goes, then so do I,” Uncle Griffinskitch proclaimed loudly.
“Me too,” Ratchet said, stepping forward.
“And me,” Oki said in the bravest voice Kendra had ever heard from him.
“I won’t leave her,” Jinx said.
“My word, neither will I!” Professor Bumblebean declared, joining his companions by stepping forth.
“Fools!” Burdock growled venomously. “How can you talk such nonsense?”
“With all due respect, Elder Burdock,” Professor Bumblebean said, “you simply have not been through the adventures that we have experienced. I think I speak for us all when I say we shall stand together. If one goes, all go.”
“Well put, Professor,” Uncle Griffinskitch said.
“Then banish them all!” Burdock sneered. “Such fools should keep good company!”
Once again, the elders broke into argument, until at last Winter raised her hand to silence them.
“We will vote on this matter, for this is the way of Eens,” Winter declared. “Elders, make your choice. Shall we cast Kendra Kandlestar from Een?”
Kendra couldn’t bear to watch. With a gulp, she closed her eyes. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. If she were banished, would Uncle Griffinskitch and the rest of the company really come with her? Where would they live? How would they survive? Then she felt the tiny paw of Oki shaking her excitedly, and Kendra opened her eyes. The council sat gravely before her, but only Burdock and Skarab Strom had raised their hands.
“The council has spoken,” Winter announced. “Kendra, you shall stay in the land of Een. Indeed, may you go forth a hero!”
“A hero?” Burdock huffed.
“Indeed,” Winter declared, and with these words she dismissed the council.
The chamber emptied, and soon only Kendra and Uncle Griffinskitch remained.
“Did you really mean what you said?” Kendra asked the old wizard. “Are you really proud of me?”
“Well . . . I, that is to say . . . yes,” her uncle replied. “More than you can ever know, Kendra.”
She could no longer hold back her tears. Kendra threw her arms around the old Een and buried her head in his long white beard. She hugged him so tightly that he wheezed for air.
“And about your family,” Uncle Griffinskitch said after she released him. “I would be honored, Kendra, if you would let me look for them with you.”
“We’ll do it together,” she said happily.
Full size Map here
Readers Respond
to Kendra Kandlestar
Lee Edward Födi shares some of his favorite letters
I love your Kendra Kandlestar books. My favorite one was The Box of Whispers that I read when I was seven. I recommend the Kendra Kandlestar books to all my friends. When I start it I can’t put it down! I can’t wait for Kendra Kandlestar to return.
~ Jessica, age 8
I love your book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers! It is the best book I have ever read! My favorite characters are Jinx, Kendra, and Oki! Kendra because she is kind, think for herself and of other too! Jinx because she has courage, muscle and, best of all, power. I wish I was her. Oki is a very funny character, since he always thinks about onions. I will read this book a lot in my lifetime.
~ Carmen, age 10
Hi Mr. Födi, I read your book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers and it was amazing. I liked your book so much I made a rap about it.
~ Miguel, age 12
I really enjoyed your book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. My favorite characters are: Kendra, Jinx, and Professor Bumblebean. I Like Kendra because she overcomes her fears of the outside world. I like Jinx because she tells you that small can mean also fierce. I like Professor Bumblebean because of his knowledge of the outside world. I also like the book tree in his library. This is a really good book. I can’t stop reading it and I can’t put it down. Thanks for writing an awesome book.
~ Joelle, age 10
I love Kendra Kandlestar! The books are so great! I can’t wait till the next one comes out!
~ Marion, age 9
I completely LOVE the Kendra Kandlestar series! I didn’t know about it at first, but Mr. Lee Edward Födi came to our school, said his wonderful and funny life story, and inspired me to read his books!
~ Sarah, age 10
I really enjoyed Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. My favorite part of the story was the end where they were in danger in the dragon’s castle . . . I really enjoy your books!
~ Alannah, age 9
Kendra Kandlestar books are amazing to me because they are adventurous and mysterious and very exciting because you will never know what’s going to happen next.
~ Joshua, age 9
I’m in grade four, I’ve read all of the books that you wrote. Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers is one of the best books I’ve read in my whole entire life, in fact our whole whole school thinks it’s a great book. My whole entire class read it and chose it for our favorite book. I’m a big fan of yours, I’m waiting for the second book. I hope that you will write a third and fourth book about Kendra and the gang.
~ Kay Zhu, age 9
Kendra Kandlestar is a magnificent book. Nothing is expected except for monsters around every twist and turn. I love Kendra, Oki, Griffinskitch and Jinx. This is the best book ever made in the fantasy section. We all learn lessons from this book.
~ Matthew, age 11
Dear Wizard of Words, Why do you like making books? I read Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger and it’s one of my favorite book EVER! It’s so creative and has a lot of detail in it.
~ Riley, age 10
I really like your book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. It is the best! First, I thought when my teacher was going to read it, it was just a book because she said she had good news and I said what are the good news, I really want to know, but when she showed us the cover page I was just so surprised. I said to myself it’s not just a book it’s a magical book . . . I really like your book now I can’t stop reading your book.
~ Ysabel, age 10
I got sucked into the book. I just couldn’t put the book down!
~ Tom, age 12
I have read the book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers and Kendra Kandlestar the Door to Unger. It was really good. My favorite character is Oki. I like Oki because he is really funny. On the first book he was thinking about onions but on the second book he started thinking about turnips.
~ Shaira, age 11
This is the most awesome book ever! This book is amazing! I recommended this book to my class. My teacher said it sounds good! I love it!
~ May, age 9
Your books are extremely cool and awesome. My favorite character is Oki because of his “EEKS” and “Don’t think about onions” (Uncle Griffinskitch taught him that). My favorite parts are when Uncle Griffinskitch “humphs”. My favorite book was Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger.
~ Alex, age 7
I stayed up all night reading Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. I couldn’t stop reading. It was a great book. I love the detail. It definitely brought it to life. I found the idea interesting because everyone kind of has a box of whispers of their own. Some people choose to open it and some choose to keep it locked.
~ Willow, age 11
Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger is fantastic! It rocks! And the illustrations are really good; they’re fantastic! I want to draw like you!
~ Danny, age 10
I have just finished reading The Door to Unger. I have also read The Box of Whispers. Every night my mom and I would take turns reading a couple chapters. We both loved your books so much we looked up your web site. Mom and I both love Trooogul and Kendra, the way they teased each other just like brothers and sisters “wouldzum.”
~ Amanda, age 10
I like Kendra Kandlestar because she is adventurous, and she teaches us to be not afraid and she also has the courage to stand up for herself. I like Uncle Griffinskitch because in the book he tells us the right thing to do and even though he is grumpy in the book I believe he is only like that to protect Kendra. I like Honest Oki because he is honest, and at the end of the book even though he is scared he tried his best just to help Kendra. He is also a great friend to Kendra; he helps Kendra with a lot of things. I like professor Bumblebean because he is smart and I wish I was smart as him too. I like Jinx because she is strong and she is not afraid to try.
~ Mariel, age 11
My teacher finished your book, AND IT WAS AWESOME! My favorite part was when the orb chose Kendra and Oki to go on the adventure. I loved your book.
~ Kristyn, age 10
Jinx is my favorite character; at times I find she “connects to me.” I finished the book in two days.
~ Sophia, age 10
Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers was a really great mystery for the gang to get the Box of Whispers back from the Red Thief. I really liked it when Kendra and Oki worked to get the box . . . This is the BEST book I have ever read. EVER. And I read a lot of books. My momma says I have a mini library in my room. Hope there are more Kendra stories to come.
~ Haylee, age 11
I read Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers, it’s better then good . . . it’s AWESOME!
~ Andrea, age 11
This book is special, because it has unusual things like the Riddle Door and the Garden of Books. I like Jinx, because she calls Professor Bumblebean funny names. I like the pumpkins, because they make stupid remarks. The book was good, because it was really funny. My favorite character was Captain Jinx, because she was funny but stern.
~ Bethany, age 8
I loved your book! This is what I had to say about Uncle Griffinskitch: Uncle Griffinskitch is sometimes grumpy and says ‘Humph’ a lot and he is sometimes kind, because he forgave Kendra that she saved an Unger. He said if Kendra leaves Een so does he. I think Uncle Griffinskitch is great because he teaches us to forgive people for their mistakes.
~ Agnes, age 10
Dear Mr. Fodi, without you, there would be no Kendra, Oki, Jinx, Uncle Griffinskitch, Ratchet, Trooogul, and Professor Bumblebean or Bumblebrat (what Jinx would say). I love Kendra. Your number 1 fan.
~ Nomair, age 9
This book I could not put down! I think you should make a sequel, Mr. Fodi! And the drawings give them character too! I liked it when all the whispers came out of the box! It was enchanting! Please write another book! PLEASE write a sequel! THANKS FOR WRITING IT!
~ Dona, age 10
I loved your book Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers. Our class is doing a novel study on your fantastic book! My favorite characters are Rumor, Jinx and Kendra. I like Rumor because is a dragon that breathes fire and have cool red scales. I like Kendra because she thinks for herself but not of herself. I like Jinx because she is brave and never gives up fighting. I liked how you came up with the Land of Een. It is one of a kind I will read your book at least ten times in my lifetime!
~ Annie, age 9
Lee Edward Födi grew up on a farm, where he was subjected to various horrible chores such as cleaning up after chickens, pigs, geese, and younger siblings. He continually craved adventure and often found himself searching between the cracks of here and there in hopes of discovering an enchanted world populated with magical creatures, talking animals, and other creatures of faerie. Several years later, he had the stroke of good fortune to stumble upon the secret Land of Een and now he is most pleased to have the official title as chronicler of the adventures of Kendra Kandlestar. When he is not chronicling, “Mr. Wiz” (as he is so often called) spends his time speaking at schools or helping kids sculpt their own stories through creative writing workshops.
Find out more at www.leefodi.com and
www.kendrakandlestar.com.
Table of Contents
A Dark Shadow
The Strange Inventions of Ratchet Ringtail
A Secret Door
Into the Elder Stone
Winter Woodsong Calls the Orb
The Garden of Books
Dinner with Uncle Griffinskitch
Through the Magic Curtain
How Jinx Got Her Powers
An Uninvited Guest
Kendra and the Unger
A Night’s Shelter
The Shrieking Skarm
Into the Marshlands
They Meet Pugglemud
Oki Gets into Trouble
In the Footsteps of Giants
Professor Bumblebean and the Riddle Door
The Vault of Riches
Uncle Griffinskitch Fights the Beast
Prisoners of Rumor
The Trial of Whispers
Kendra Goes Next
The Power of Secrets
The Whispers Released
Kendra and the Council
Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers Page 15