Carman, Patrick. Beyond the Valley of Thorns

Carman, Patrick. Beyond the Vally of Thorns [The Land of Elyon #2] Orchard Books, 2005 [0-439-70094-9] NOTE: this was an uncorrected, advanced reader's edition
Alexa thought she had solved the problems in her kingdom at the end of book 1 but at the opening of book two she is drawn out of Bridewell once again through the tunnel in the library. She finds out that he is the leader to help defeat the evil forces which are trying to take over her kingdom. Once again she joins up with her old friends (along with some new ones) to defeat evil giants, mad bats, and wild dogs on being controlled by an evil mastermind. Can she are her small band of follows defeat the terrible forces which threaten Bridewell? This 221 page book is a good continuation of this fantasy. Once again, I feel the cover is too cute and juvenile for the level of fantasy in this story.