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UNICORNS ARE REAL.
AT LEAST, I AM PRETTY SURE THEY ARE.

This is why I, Professor Mito Fauna, founded The Unicorn Rescue Society! Our mission is to save mythical creatures from danger—creatures like dragons, sasquatches, the Loch Ness monster, chupacabras, sea serpents, and more. But our enemies are powerful, and ruthless, and we need YOUR help. Will you join the Unicorn Rescue Society?

Prof Mito Fauna

The Creature of the Pines by Adam Gidwitz

The Creature of the Pines

Book 1

By Adam Gidwitz
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

Elliot Eisner isn't exactly excited about starting at a brand-new school in a brand-new town; he'd much rather stay at home and read a book. But things take an unexpected turn when he finds out his weird new teacher, Professor Fauna, has planned a field trip for Elliot's very first day. Along with a new friend—brave, outspoken Uchenna Devereaux—Elliot gets caught up in a secret group of adventurers, The Unicorn Rescue Society, whose goal is to protect and defend the world's mythical creatures. Together with Professor Fauna, Elliot and Uchenna must help rescue a Jersey Devil from a duo of conniving, greedy billionaires, the Schmoke Brothers.

The Basque Dragon by Adam Gidwitz

The Basque Dragon

Book 2

By Adam Gidwitz and Jesse Casey
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

Across the vast, blue ocean, in the mountains of the Basque Country, a fearsome creature has gone missing. And the Unicorn Rescue Society are the only ones who can save it.

Elliot and Uchenna—and Jersey!—have barely recovered from their first adventure with Professor Fauna when he approaches them with an all-new quest. Except this time they’re going to have to cross an ocean. In the mountains of the Basque Country, the Unicorn Rescue Society must track down a missing dragon. But how could someone even kidnap a dragon? And for what evil purpose? And is their newest, fire-breathing rescue more than they can handle?

Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot by Adam Gidwitz and Joseph Bruchac

Sasquatch and the Muckleshoot

Book 3

By Adam Gidwitz and Joseph Bruchac
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

Among the towering fir trees of the Pacific Northwest, a famously elusive creature is in serious trouble. All Elliot wants is a nice, normal day at school. All Uchenna wants is an adventure. Guess whose wish comes true? Professor Fauna whisks the kids—and Jersey, of course—off to the Muckleshoot territory in Washington, where film crews have suddenly descended en masse to expose Bigfoot to the world, and the Schmoke logging company is bringing in some awfully large machinery. . . . Can the Unicorn Rescue Society escape the blades of the Schmokes’ chain saws? Outsmart a cable news team? And are those big, hairy creatures running through the forest really Bigfoot?

The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande by Adam Gidwitz and David Bowles

The Chupacabras of the Río Grande

Book 4

By Adam Gidwitz and David Bowles
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

Pura Belpré Honor-winning author David Bowles joins Newbery Honor-winning Adam Gidwitz as co-author of the newest Unicorn Rescue Society adventure, as the kids travel to the U.S.-Mexican border to help the legendary chupacabras.

Elliot and Uchenna have only just returned from their most recent Unicorn Rescue Society mission when Professor Fauna whisks them away (Jersey, too!), on their next exciting adventure. This time, they’re headed to Laredo, on the U.S.-Mexican border to help another mythical creature in need: the chupacabras.

Teaming up with local kids Lupita and Mateo Cervantes–plus their brilliant mother, Dr. Alejandra Cervantes and her curandero husband Israel–the kids struggle to not only keep the chupacabras safe, but also to bring a divided community together once more.

The Madre de Aguas of Cuba by Adam Gidwitz and Emma Otheguy

The Madre de Aguas of Cuba

Book 5

By Adam Gidwitz and Emma Otheguy
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

In Cuba, it is believed that a mysterious water serpent–the Madre de aguas–is responsible for providing and protecting the fresh water of the island. But the serpent is missing, and a drought has gripped the island. Uchenna, Elliot, and Professor Fauna fly to Cuba and endeavor to rescue the Madre de aguas. Unfortunately, it tries to kill them. Meanwhile, the Schmoke Brothers’ goons are driving around Havana, dumping pink sludge into the sewers. What is going on? Can Elliot and Uchenna end the drought? Stop the Schmokes? Or will the creature they are trying to save just eat them instead?

The Secret of the Himalayas by Adam Gidwitz, Hena Khan, Hatem Aly
The Secret of the Himalayas by Adam Gidwitz, Hena Khan, Hatem Aly

The Secret of the Himalayas

Book 6

By Adam Gidwitz and Hena Khan
Illustrated by Hatem Aly

When Uchenna and Elliot’s classmate publishes an article in the school newspaper about the Schmoke Brothers, Professor Fauna notices something alarming in a photo. Mounted on the wall of the Schmoke’s living room is a single spiral horn that he’s certain could have come from only one animal—a unicorn! To save these magical creatures—and to finally see a unicorn themselves—the Unicorn Rescue Society heads to the rugged mountains of Pakistan. 

Meet the Society

Welcome to the ranks of the Unicorn Rescue Society! Our mission is to protect the world's mythical creatures from all kinds of danger. Especially from the evil Schmoke Brothers.

Elliot

Elliot

One of the newest (and youngest) members of the Unicorn Rescue Society and new best friend to Uchenna Devereaux. Likes: maps, knowing exactly how to escape from any situation. Dislikes: throwing himself into certain danger, raisins.

Uchenna

Uchenna

One of the newest (and youngest) members of the Unicorn Rescue Society and new best friend to Elliot Eisner. Likes: meeting mythical creatures–the more dangerous the better, singing. Dislikes: being overly cautious, being told what to do.

Professor Fauna

Professor Fauna

An eccentric social studies teacher and founder of the Unicorn Rescue Society. Hailing from the mountains of Peru, he is the world's foremost expert on every mythical creature. Notable features: crazy eyebrows, a chaotic office, a lack of tolerance for fools with no imagination.

Jersey

Jersey

The blue-bodied, red-winged Jersey Devil. Likes: being pet, balloons. Dislikes: being left behind, pink ribbons.

The Unicorn Rescue Society classroom guide

Bring the Unicorn Rescue Society into Your Classroom with This Guide!

ABOUT OUR CREATORS

Adam Gidwitz

Adam Gidwitz

SERIES CO-CREATOR & CO-AUTHOR

Adam Gidwitz taught in Brooklyn for eight years. Now, he writes full-time—which means he writes a couple of hours a day, and lies on the couch staring at the ceiling the rest of the time. As is the case with all of his books, everything in them not only happened in the real fairy tales . . . it also happened to him. Really. Learn more at adamgidwitz.com, on Facebook, and follow him on Twitter.

Jesse Casey & Chris Lenox Smith

Jesse Casey & Chris Lenox Smith

SERIES CO-CREATORS

Jesse Casey and Chris Lenox Smith are filmmakers. They founded Mixtape Club, an award-winning production company in New York City, where they make videos and animations for all sorts of people. Find Jesse and Chris online at mixtapeclub.com or @mixtapeclub.

Hatem Aly

Hatem Aly

SERIES ILLUSTRATOR

Hatem Aly is an Egyptian-born illustrator whose work has been featured on television and in multiple publications worldwide. He currently lives in New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife, son, and more pets than people. Find him online at metahatem.com or @metahatem.

Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac

Joseph Bruchac is a highly acclaimed children’s book author, poet, novelist, and storyteller, as well as a scholar of Native American culture. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Keepers of the Earth series with Michael Caduto. Bruchac's poems, articles, and stories have appeared in hundreds of publications from Akwesasne Notes and American Poetry Review to National Geographic and Parabola. He has authored many books for adults and children including Code Talker: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two, Skeleton Man, and The Heart of a Chief.
Emma Otheguy

Emma Otheguy

Emma Otheguy is the author of the middle-grade novel Silver Meadows Summer and the award-winning picture books Martí's Song for Freedom and A Sled for Gabo. She coauthored The Unicorn Rescue Society: The Madre de Aguas of Cuba with Adam Gidwitz, and her most recent publication is her contribution to the new Carmen Sandiego universe, Secrets of the Silver Lion.

Emma holds a PhD in history from New York University, where she focused on colonial Latin America; graduated from Swarthmore College; sold books at an independent bookstore; and taught elementary-school Spanish. She lives in New York City with her family.

David Bowles

David Bowles

David Bowles grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, where he teaches at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. He’s the author of several award-winning titles, including They Call Me Güero, The Smoking Mirror, the 13th Street series, and Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico. His picture book debut, My Two Border Towns, is available in English and Spanish. In 2020, David co-founded #DignidadLiteraria, a grassroots activist hashtag and movement dedicated to promoting equity for Latinx people in publishing.

Hena Khan

Hena Khan

Hena Khan grew up devouring books, but never saw herself represented on the pages. That’s why she set out to write characters that share her Pakistani American Mulsim identity—in the hopes that other kids will feel seen in her work. Hena’s groundbreaking picture books include Night of the Moon, Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns, and Under My Hijab. Her debut middle grade novel Amina’s Voice launched Simon & Schuster’s Salaam Reads imprint and was named a Best Book of 2017 by the Washington Post, Kirkus, NPR, the Chicago Public Library, and others. Her subsequent novels include More to the Story, the Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream series, and Amina’s Song. A native of Maryland, Hena lives in Rockville with her family. But she loves to travel to exciting new places and once even flew in a plane about the size of the Phoenix.

Join Us

Would you dare explore a dragon's lair? Free a trapped sea serpent? Stand toe to toe with Big Foot? Then you belong in The Unicorn Rescue Society.

HURRY–THE CREATURES NEED YOU!

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