Beast Player, The

When Elin’s mother, a Royal Beast doctor, is sentenced to death for allowing beasts in her care to die, Elin escapes the kingdom and is found and raised by Joeun, a teacher turned beekeeper. When Joeun returns to teaching, Elin attends school to also become a Royal Beast doctor and she forms a special bond with a beast. When civil war breaks out, Elin, because of her talent with beasts, is summoned to help protect the Yojeh, the god-like figure. This novel can be used for independent reading, a literature circle, inquiry and project-based learning, and to launch discussion of the ethical treatment of animals, the role of class, and the significance of gender.