HONOLULU, Hawaii – October 10, 2022 – After a near-fatal experience with COVID in 2021, including forty-five days on a ventilator in the ICU, multiple blood transfusions, being in an induced coma and having several live-saving surgeries, James’s road to recovery was both mentally and physically challenging. He and his brother worked together to bring this story to life, using their home as a background to focus on something creative and inspiring. The goal was two-fold: to help James and his brother put the nightmare of COVID behind them and to bring the culture, mythology, adventure, and beauty of their native Hawaii to young readers everywhere with their debut middle-grade fantasy novel, Islanders, the first installment in The Pacific Chronicles series.
Taking place on the island of O’ahu, Islanders follows eleven-year-old Kilikina and her brother, fourteen-year-old Kaimana, who unknowingly are given access to a secret world, Humaia Awāwa, a legendary paradise within the Hawaiian Islands. Gifted with unexpected magical abilities, the siblings find themselves on an adventure, one in which they experience the interconnectedness of the world around them and learn firsthand about the islands’ vast history and traditions, including the spirit of “aloha,” the act of showing others kindness and hospitality.
Their journey has them meeting a variety of quirky personalities including the comical and affable Eleu and Molawa, two Menehune, a mythical race of dwarf people in Hawaiian tradition. This amusing duo, with their clever and farcical use of language, introduce the children—whom they call Tiny Giants, among other silly monikers—to other distinctive creatures of Ke Akua, or the Creator, including Ho’onani, an enormous spider, Huikau, a tiny shark, and Hau’oli, a feisty crab that takes them on an underwater escapade. They finally learn the reason for being brought to this very special place, to help defend this paradise against a great evil and bring unity—the biggest adventure of their lives.
The author/illustrator brothers were raised in Hawaii, with the humor, background, scenery and creatures of their book things that they grew up around or learned about as islanders themselves. Author James Eldridge explains, “There is a fascinating concept of duality in the animal world in Hawaii: there are native species and invasive species…My brother and I love the idea that they are secretly at war with each other for control of the island and no humans are aware of it except for a chosen few.” Islanders, book one of The Pacific Chronicles, is available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle, with the paperback available wherever books are sold Oct. 16th.
If you would like more information about author James Eldridge, illustrator Rick Eldridge and The Pacific Chronicles: Islanders, along with book merchandise, please contact thepacificchronicles@gmail.com or visit PacificChronicles.com
Media Contact
Company Name: The Pacific Chronicles
Contact Person: James Eldridge
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: www.PacificChronicles.com
