Author Polly Holyoke: The Neptune Project

Exciting News!

I'm thrilled to show off Brandon Dorman's fabulous cover for the first book in my new fantasy series. Skyriders is the story of brave young couriers on their flying horses fighting to save their world from a deadly chimerae invasion. Skyriders will be released by Viking Children's Books in March of 2023, and it's available for pre-order now!

Wings of Fire meets Pax in this epic fantasy adventure set in a world where human and skysteed share a deep bond of friendship and love.

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The Neptune Promise

Dive into perilous new adventures with Nere Hanson as she confronts Wasp, Whitey and Ran Kuron once again. Dai, Tobin and the dolphins and even Cam are all back as Nere and her friends race to save our planet from the devastating effects of climate change.

Learn more about the book

Read the first five chapters

View the trailer

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Paperback

eBook

My Neptune books will plunge readers into a world of undersea adventure. The Neptune Project, an award winning novel for middle grade readers, was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013, and its sequel, The Neptune Challenge, was published in 2015. If you love dolphins, the oceans and stories about friendship and loyalty, you should try diving into these books!

The Neptune Project has been placed on state reading lists in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Maryland and Hawaii. I was thrilled when kids in Florida chose it as their favorite book on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list last year. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) also endorsed the book as a strong science-based read for kids.

Educators, because my books include plenty of science and a strong environmental message, The Neptune Project and The Neptune Challenge lend themselves well to cross-curriculum teaching. Please check out the new Resources for Educators page on this website. There you will find teachers' guides packed with interesting lessons and STEM activities that Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science teachers can all use in their classrooms. An experienced teacher, I'm also available for school, Skype and Girl Scout visits.

Librarians, in the article "Under the Radar Books for Teen Read Week," School Library Journal recommended both Neptune books because in them, "the world-building is superb, the ocean life well-researched, and the characters appealing."

Readers, check out my cool links to dolphin sounds, shark sites, and what our coastlines will really look like if our oceans keep rising. In Nere's gallery you can also see some of the fascinating sea creatures that my Neptune kids encounter every day.

Buy The Neptune Project:

Buy The Neptune Challenge:

New trailer: The Neptune Promise

A little bit about Book #1: The Neptune Project

Texas Bluebonnet Award 2014-15 Master List

Sunshine State Young Readers' Award Winner

Nominated for Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book Award

Recommended Read for Children by the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

Bank Street's Best Children's Books of 2014

Finalist 2013 Green Earth Book Awards

Finalist 2014 Texas Book Awards for MG/YA Literature

Nominated for the Buckeye Children's Book Award

Nominated for the Hawaiian Nēnē List for Young Readers

Nere is one of a group of kids who have been genetically altered to survive in the ocean. These products of the "Neptune Project" are supposed to build a better future under the waves, safe from the terrible famines and wars and that rock the surface world. But there some big challenges ahead of her...