George Hagen's Blog

The official tumblr for author GEORGE HAGEN, writer of GABRIEL FINLEY & THE RAVEN'S RIDDLE. More info at GABRIELFINLEY.COM

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Who says manholes can’t be beautiful? These beauties were sent to me by my good friend, Tom Goodman, from Barcelona.

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This very expressive raven picture came from a reader named Brie. I especially like the look in its eye. Fabulous drawing!

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Last week I had a great time with students at British International School of New York. We talked about Gabriel Finley, and riddles, and how to escape from mazes.

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Sometimes I get an idea for a sequel, and sometimes, well, it’s just a picture!

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#george washington

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Nice letter from a young reader!

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This sign greeted me in the lobby of Bungay Elementary School in Seymour, Connecticut. I spent a few hours with some fantastic 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, there. They were solving riddles left and right and they wrote me some terrific letters about my Gabriel Finley books!

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Big day, today! The release day for the sequel: Gabriel Finley & The Lord of Air and Darkness. Perfect for 9-12 year-olds!

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I love this manhole cover. It’s from Loveland, Colorado.

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Just a few more months before the new book comes out! More riddles, a dark tale explaining how Corax came to be, a dangerous adventure to a deadly Chamber of Runes. And, of course, Gabriel has the help of his friends, Abby, Somes and Pamela.

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This looked a bit like a valraven. Find it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week.

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Odin & a sparrow on the upper east side.

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Recently, somebody asked me, “Why put ravens in your story?”

Well, ravens are one of the cleverest bird species in the world. They can mimic people, or other birds; they are playful, crafty, and able to use tools. For example, ravens have been seen pulling up fishing line to retrieve fish, or bending wire to extract food from a tube. 

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Ancient Roman Voldemort?

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I noticed these sparrows making a lot of noise one morning. They had built nests in the crack between two buildings, just half a block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

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Here’s a Brooklyn manhole cover, just for comparison!

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My daughter is traveling in on the other side of the world from Brooklyn, NY. I asked her to send me pictures of manhole covers.

Can you guess where this one comes from?