Book excerpt: The second popular title in the word-of-mouth kids’ lit phenom known as The Serpent’s Egg Trilogy, The Burning Crown is another fast-paced fantasy adventure tale. The Elven Crown has fallen into the hands of the Demon’s crazed minions, who control the only known portal into a magical land. Now, a group of Ottawa kids must regain the Crown before its power can be used to unleash the Demon Hate from her dark prison. With her effortless skill at building a complete fantasy world—under the Ottawa Library of Parliament, no less—McCurdy packs The Burning Crown with epic battles, wondrous creatures and a life-or-death challenge that tests the bonds of friendship.