The Secrets of Droon facts for kids

The Secrets of Droon is a fun fantasy book series written by Tony Abbott. It's perfect for kids around elementary school age. The first book, The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet, came out on June 1, 1999. The very last book, The Final Quest, was released on October 1, 2010, after eleven years of amazing stories. There are 44 books in total, including special editions, and they are still being published today! The American Booksellers Association even named the series one of the top ten books for fans of Harry Potter.

You can also listen to the stories! Audio versions of the series are available from Listening Library, which is part of the Random House Audio Publishing Group. Dawn Adelman designed the series.

The publisher, Scholastic Inc., worked hard to make the series popular. They created an official website with cool features like a Droon game, quizzes, a timeline, songs, an encyclopedia, and even a map of Droon!

The main story is about three friends: Eric, Julie, and Neal. They find a secret, magical staircase in Eric's basement. This staircase is actually a portal to a magical world called Droon. It's a wonderful place where exciting adventures are always waiting for them. The kids often get help from various grown-up characters they meet in Droon.

Droon Around the World

The Secrets of Droon books have been translated into many different languages. They are also sold in English in various countries. Here's a list of some of the countries and languages:

• United Kingdom - English
• Poland - Polish
• France - French
• Spain - Spanish
• Russia - Russian
• Turkey - Turkish
• Malaysia - Malaysian
• Korea - Korean
• Netherlands - Dutch
• Czech Republic - Czech
• China - Chinese
• Slovenia - Slovenian
• Bangladesh - Bengali
• Iran - Persian

The Story of Droon

Eric Hinkle, Neal Kroger, and Julie Rubin are three friends who discover a secret world called Droon. They usually get there by using a rainbow staircase that appears when Eric's basement closet is dark. In Droon, they meet Keeah, the princess of Droon, who is also a wizard. They also meet Galen Longbeard, the first wizard of Droon. Together, they try to protect Droon from Lord Sparr, an evil sorcerer. Lord Sparr constantly tries to destroy Keeah and the friends from the Upper World (our world) and take over Droon.

Time works differently in Droon. Even a whole year in Droon is not even a second in our world! This helps the kids a lot and makes their travels easier.

In the first twelve books, Keeah, Eric, Neal, and Julie try to find and free Keeah's mother, Queen Relna. She was cursed by Witch Demither, which made her change shapes. She turns into a bird, a dragon, a tiger, and a dolphin before becoming human again. Later books introduce Zara, the Queen of Light, and her three sons: Urik, Galen, and Sparr. Zara and Sparr were kidnapped by Ko, an evil emperor, and brought to Droon. Zara becomes a very important character throughout the series.

After Special Edition #1, The Magic Escapes, the series explores Droon's past and how it connects to the Upper World. The characters also grow and change. Eric's wizard powers (which he got in Book 12) get stronger. Julie gains the powers of a wingwolf (in the book "The Dream Thief"), which means she can fly and change shapes. Later, she gets a third power. In "The Chariot of Queen Zara," something happens that changes Neal's life forever. Salamandra, who becomes the Queen of Shadowthorn, also arrives in Droon. She starts as an enemy, but later her intentions seem mostly good, though her loyalty is often questioned.

In Book 22, The Isle of Mists, Sparr accidentally wakes up Ko. But in the process, Sparr and his pet, Kem (a two-headed dog), turn back into children. They then become friends with Keeah and the Upper World children. In Book 28, In the Shadow of Goll, Sparr turns back into his adult self, but he stays an ally to the children. He disappears into Droon's Underworld but reappears in Special Edition #5, Moon Magic. He is fifty years older in Droon's future. He comes back to Droon's present to give the children and Galen a piece of the Moon Medallion, a magical item.

Gethwing, a moon dragon who works for Ko, becomes the main villain, especially after Ko falls into a deep chasm. In Book 33, Flight of the Blue Serpent, Eric gets hurt by a poisoned ice dagger meant for Galen. Gethwing then tricks Eric into becoming Prince Ungast, his evil opposite. Ungast, along with Princess Neffu (Keeah's evil opposite) and Lord Sparr (who turns evil again), form Gethwing's powerful "Crown of Wizards." Eric finally becomes himself again in Special Edition #7, The Genie King. It's also revealed that Gethwing cannot die. Eric pretends to still be Ungast to find out a secret about Gethwing that could help defeat him.

The Books in the Series

The series has 44 books in total: 36 main books and 8 special editions. Here they are:

• The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet (1999)
• Journey to the Volcano Palace (1999)
• The Mysterious Island (1999)
• City in the Clouds (1999)
• The Great Ice Battle (1999)
• The Sleeping Giant of Goll (2000)
• Into the Land of the Lost (2000)
• The Golden Wasp (2000)
• The Tower of the Elf King (2000)
• Quest for the Queen (2000)
• The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom (2001)
• Under the Serpent Sea (2001)
• The Mask of Maliban (2001)
• Voyage of the Jaffa Wind (2002)
• The Moon Scroll (2002)
• The Knights of Silversnow (2002)
• Special Edition 1: The Magic Escapes (2001)
• Dream Thief (2003)
• Search for the Dragon Ship (2003)
• The Coiled Viper (2003)
• In the Ice Caves of Krog (2003)
• Flight of the Genie (2003)
• Special Edition 2: Wizard or Witch? (2004)
• The Isle of Mists (2004)
• The Fortress of the Treasure Queen (2004)
• The Race to Doobesh (2004)
• The Riddle of Zorfendorf Castle (2005)
• Special Edition 3: Voyagers of the Silver Sand (2005)
• The Moon Dragon (2006)
• The Chariot of Queen Zara (2006)
• In the Shadow of Goll (2006)
• Special Edition 4: Sorcerer (2006)
• Pirates of the Purple Dawn (2007)
• Escape from Jabar-Loo (2007)
• Queen of Shadowthorn (2007)
• Special Edition 5: Moon Magic (2008)
• Treasure of the Orkins (2008)
• Flight of the Blue Serpent (2008)
• In the City of Dreams (2009)
• Special Edition 6: Crown of Wizards (2009)
• The Lost Empire of Koomba (2009)
• Knights of the Ruby Wand (2010)
• Special Edition 7: The Genie King (2010)
• Special Edition 8: The Final Quest (2010; formerly titled The Endless Voyage)

Main Characters

Here are the most important characters in the series:

The Heroes

• Eric Hinkle - He is thoughtful, honest, and the leader of the three best friends. The Rainbow Stairs are found in his basement. Eric doesn't see himself as a hero, but he always acts when something needs to be done. He knows he and his friends have a big part to play in Droon's future. Eric often dreams of Droon and sometimes has nightmares about Lord Sparr. He makes mistakes but always protects his friends. Eric gains magical powers in Book 12 and slowly becomes a full wizard. In the last book, it's revealed that his great-great-great-grandfather is Urik.
• Neal Kroger - At first, Neal wasn't sure about going down those strange stairs. But now he loves Droon! Neal enjoys an easy life and is always looking for food, which sometimes makes him do silly things. He often gets caught in botched spells, like when he turned into a bug in Book 3. Neal can be a bit of a complainer, but he is very loyal and will always help his friends, even if it means putting himself in danger. Many small, cuddly creatures in Droon seem to like Neal. In Book 27, something happens that changes Neal into a genie!
• Julie Rubin - Julie was the first to discover Droon in the very first book. She felt the staircase and convinced her friends to turn off the lights in the closet, which showed the rainbow stairs. Julie met Neal and Eric in kindergarten, and they're been best friends ever since. Julie is always there when needed, but she likes to think things through before acting. She's a good analyzer and thinker. In Book 17, she learns to fly. In Book 19, it's revealed she can also change shapes. Julie is a key member of the Droon team.
• Princess Keeah - Keeah is one of the most important characters in Droon. She is the daughter of Queen Relna (a powerful wizard) and King Zello. Keeah is learning to become a wizard and take over from Galen, while still trying to be a normal kid. She quickly becomes close friends with Eric, Julie, and Neal. Keeah loves Droon, and the responsibility to protect it sometimes weighs heavily on her. Her journeys often shape the kids' adventures in Droon. In Special Edition 2, she fights her evil self, Princess Neffu, and becomes stronger and more confident.
• Galen Longbeard - He is the First Wizard of Droon, over 540 years old! Galen has amazing power, though he can sometimes be a bit absentminded. He usually wears blue robes and a tall hat, with long white hair and a beard. Galen looks very impressive as he moves around his vanishing tower and goes on adventures. Many years ago, Galen created and sealed the magical staircase that connects Droon to the Upper World. At the start of the stories, Galen's job was to protect Droon from Lord Sparr, who wanted to take over everything. To fight Sparr and other bad guys, Galen trains Keeah, knowing she will one day be more powerful than all of them. In Book 11, we learn that Galen wasn't always old and bearded; he used to be a dashing hero with a rainbow sword!
• Urik - He is Queen Zara's oldest son and brother to Galen and Sparr. Urik is lost for most of the Droon story, stuck in time loops. He is kind and capable. We first really see Urik in Special Edition 1, where he bravely saves Eric from goblins. He is very cool and a bit of a mystery.
• Zara - She is the Queen of Light and the mother of Galen, Sparr, and Urik. Zara is one of the most powerful beings in both Droon and the Upper World. The mysteries around Zara continue from the first books all the way to the end of the Droon story.
• Max - Max is one of the most important characters in the Droon story. He is Galen's assistant and loyal friend. Max is a large spider with the head of a troll. He has messy orange hair and often speaks with a high-pitched voice. Max doesn't have magic powers, but his ability to spin strong spider webs often saves the children from danger. He takes care of Galen as much as Galen takes care of him. We see his family and homeland in later books.

The Villains

• Lord Sparr - When we first meet this powerful sorcerer, with purple fins glowing behind his ears, he is trying to take over all of Droon. We see many sides of Lord Sparr throughout the series. He is an excellent sorcerer and a fascinating character. Sparr is often quietly angry but can also unleash thunderous and deadly power. His first goal was to rule Droon, but then he planned to go to the Upper World and claim it too. Sparr has thousands of Ninns under his command. He was almost killed by Keeah's magic but survived. Later, we learn about Sparr's sad past when Emperor Ko kidnapped him and his mother. This event begins to change Lord Sparr.
• Salamandra - She is the princess (and later queen) of an empire called Shadowthorn. She has a staff covered in thorns that she uses to steal and perform magic. She also has the 'Portal of Ages', which lets her travel through Droon's and the Upper World's pasts and futures. Salamandra is a teenager. She looks human, but her skin is deep purple, her eyes flash with a yellow, cat-like light, and she has thick black thorns down her back. She first appears in Special Edition 1: The Magic Escapes and is in most of the last 11 books. Her loyalty is often questioned, but she seems to have mostly good intentions.
• Gethwing - Gethwing is pure evil and very clever. He is a Moon Dragon, meaning he was born on Droon's moon. He becomes the main villain from his first appearance. He has two pairs of long, night-colored wings covered in scales. He has sharp jaws, a thick tail, and powerful front legs with long, black claws. Gethwing helped Emperor Ko raise Lord Sparr after Sparr's mother, Queen Zara, died.
• Ko - He is the Emperor of the beasts and ruler of ancient Goll. Ko was brought back to life in Book 22 by Sparr to continue his attacks on modern Droon. He is eight feet tall, has a bull's head, and four arms. His skin is gray, and his eyes are burning red. He also has two curved horns that shoot fire. Ko kidnapped Queen Zara and Sparr in the past, was defeated by Galen, and put himself to sleep until Sparr woke him. His heart is dark and determined: he wants to rule. Ko is a terrible, powerful force in Droon, dedicated to destroying it and turning all good places into Dark Lands.
• Ungast - Ungast is Eric Hinkle's evil self, the complete opposite of his normal good self. Gethwing calls Prince Ungast out of Eric's dreams in Book 34, and he becomes a major character until the end of the story.
• Neffu - Neffu is Keeah's evil opposite. She quickly joins the bad guys and grows more powerful throughout the Droon stories. She later becomes one of the important "jewels" in Gethwing's Crown of Wizards.

Supporting Characters

These characters help the heroes and villains in the series:

• Anusa - The beautiful Second Genie of the Dove and a special friend of Galen. Anusa helps Galen when he is very old. She helps the children a lot in the second part of the Droon story. She wears all white, and her hair has a thousand braids, each sparkling with tiny jewels.
• Batamogi - The fox-eared king of the Dust Hills of Panjibarrh. He rules with his nine brothers. Batamogi is a good person, a great friend to the children, and very clever.
• Demither - The Sea Witch, also called the Serpent Queen. Demither is very powerful and lives in water, often as a serpent or mermaid. She has white skin, black lips, and long, wet, green hair. Her shoulders are dark and scaly. Demither speaks softly and is subtle, unless she gets angry. She controls sea creatures and the waters themselves. She can even stand up to Sparr sometimes. Demither appears often throughout the series, revealing secrets and important information. Is she good or evil? Can she be trusted? Demither and Keeah also share a secret bond and some non-wizard powers.
• Friddle - A kind inventor who creates many useful things throughout the series. He made Keeah's magical harp, crazy desert vehicles, and hot air balloons. Friddle is also known for his piloting skills. He steers Keeah's ship, the Jaffa Wind, on its famous voyage in Book 14. In the past, he was mysteriously known as "The Maker."
• Genies of the Dove - An amazing group of time-traveling magical people. The Seventh Genie is Hoja, the Sixth is Jyme, the Fifth is Fefforello, the Fourth is Stream, the Third is River, and the Second is the famous Anusa. They are mentioned often from Book 15 onwards, with Hoja and Anusa being the busiest. The First Genie of the Dove is revealed later.
• Hob - A clever and mischievous maker of detailed masks. Hob is a furry imp with yellow and red spots and a face like a snarling badger. He learned evil symbols from old palaces that make his masks magical. He is an excellent craftsman. We see him in many episodes after his first appearance in Book 13.
• Hoja - The time-traveling Seventh Genie of the Dove. He is part of a group of super-powerful genies who control time and magic from the beginning of Droon far into the future. Hoja is a bearded man in flowing robes who wears a huge blue turban. This giant turban, which changes colors, has incredible magic. Hoja speaks in strange riddles because traveling through time makes him hide his words, but he is always helpful.
• Leep - Galen's pilka (a small, fast creature). It can disappear, which is very useful on Eric, Julie, and Neal's first adventure in Droon. Leep is the fastest pilka.
• Kem - This two-headed dog-like beast is the watchdog of Tarkoom and Lord Sparr's pet. Thought to be dead, Kem returns after an earthquake reveals his tomb. Later, he becomes a useful creature with a good sense of humor. Being reunited with Sparr makes Kem calmer, though he was quite nasty at first.
• Khan, King of the Purple Lumpies - Another important character in the Droon story. The Lumpies are pillow-shaped people who live in the Lumpland deserts. As their king, Khan has a family who loves him very much. Khan can sniff out danger and is a brave little hero, loved by his people. He is a key member of the crew on the famous voyage of the Jaffa Wind in Book 14.
• Nelag - The unwizard, who is the opposite of Galen. Nelag has no real magic power and constantly says and does the "wrong" thing, but it usually turns out to be exactly right.
• Ninns - Warriors forced to serve Lord Sparr. Ninns are large, red-skinned, pointy-chinned, and pointy-eared. They are also a bit clumsy and slow. There are hundreds of thousands of Ninns, and their huge numbers create a scary evil force. But not all of them are bad. Ninns are also related to Orkins in a strange way.
• Ortha, Queen of the Bangledorn Monkeys - Ortha is noble, powerful, and very tall. She lives in a huge forest where no magic is allowed, but she also helps when other parts of Droon are threatened by evil forces.
• Portentia - A funny, rhyming oracle who lives inside a big rock. Portentia is found in the Farne Woods. She understands the future but gives very confusing prophecies that take chapters to figure out. She is a good sport and very witty.
• Max - Max is one of the most important characters in the entire epic tale of Droon. Max is Galen's assistant and loyal friend, a large spider with the head of a troll. He has unkempt orange hair, and he often speaks with a high-pitched twitter. Max does not have magical powers, but his ability to spin webs of spider silk has come in handy, often saving the children from destruction. He takes care of Galen as much as the wizard takes care of him. We see his extended family and homeland in later books, but his first reference is in Book 1, The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet.
• Quill - A magical feather pen that writes the history of Droon as it happens. If Quill writes fast, he can even write the future! Under a special charm, Quill can speak. Quill also writes Galen's long history of Droon. Quill is a character in many stories, from Book 4 until the very end.
• Relna or Queen Relna - Keeah's long-lost mother, one of the greatest Droonian wizards. She was thought to be dead when the Droon story begins. But Relna is not dead, and her long journey through different shapes is first seen in Book 2. Relna is one of the most powerful users of good magic in all of Droon.
• Skorth, Warriors of the - These ancient bad guys are just skeletons, but they have deadly power. Lord Sparr brings them back to life from old bones. They reappear in many Droon adventures, all the way to Gethwing's final battle. They cause fear wherever they clatter. They also know a lot about ships, as they had a navy long ago.
• Zabilac - The first genie of the dove. It's also the name Neal chooses as a genie name, even before he becomes one. In Special Edition 3, Neal pretends to be a genie; when he actually gets genie powers, he uses the name for real. Zabilac is "Calibaz" spelled backward, and Neal has a special connection to Calibaz.
• Zello or King Zello - Princess Keeah's father and Queen Relna's husband. He rules Jaffa City and all of Free Droon. Zello is always dressed in armor, with a Viking-style horned helmet and two huge clubs as his weapons. He is always busy with royal duties and protecting his people. But when he's called to fight the Ninns or Sparr, he's the first to swing his clubs. Zello stands up to Sparr many times, but as a normal human (without magic), he is at the sorcerer's mercy. In Book 4, Zello leads a small army to free the flying city of Ro from Ninns. He is a kind, strong man who loves his daughter and her friends very much.

Places in Droon

The characters travel to many different places throughout the series. Here are some of the most important ones:

Outside Droon

• Upper World - This is our world, Earth.
• Pesh - Salamandra's city.
• Calibaz - A city behind a veil in the Upper World.

Inside Droon

• Vanishing Tower of Galen Longbeard - Galen's magical tower.
• Jaffa City - The capital city of Droon.
• Farne Woods - Home of the oracle Portentia.
• Ice Hills of Tarabat
• Castle of Silversnow
• Homeland of the Orkins
• Bangledorn Forest - Home of Ortha and the Bangledorn monkeys.
• Forest of Bells
• The Ring of Giants
• Saladian Plains
• Flying City of Ro
• Kalahar Valley - Also known as the Vale of Diamonds, where the flying city of Ro stays each year.
• Mountain of the Firefrogs
• Lumpland deserts - Home of Khan and the purple Lumpies.
• Iron Gate to Kano
• Forbidden City of Plud - One of Lord Sparr's palaces.
• Plud Lake - Always frozen.
• Land of Kano - In northern Goll.
• The Volcano Palace of Lord Sparr
• Grimpen Marsh
• Tortu - A magic city that moves.
• Thousand Mile Plains - Leads to the Pink Mountains of Saleef.
• Kubar Lake and Kubar River
• Zorfendorf Castle
• Island of Mikos
• Treasure Fortress of Queen Bazra
• Morka - Home of the hog elves and soarwings.
• Agrah-Voor - Home of the fallen heroes of Droon.
• Dust Hills of Panjibarrh - Homeland of the Oobja mole people, ruled by King Batamogi and his nine brothers.
• The Valley of Pits
• Tarkoom - The Hawk Bandits' Lair.
• The Stone Mills of Feshu - A prison for hog elves cursed by Sparr.
• Land of Mintar - In southeastern Goll.
• Sea Palace of Witch Demither
• The Serpent Sea
• Mountain of Kahfoo
• City of the Fog Pirates
• Num's Island
• Horns of Ko
• Doobesh City - In the land of Doobeshi, home of the Doobeshians.
• Underworld - Reached through the pit where Lord Sparr fell.
• Parthnoop - City of the Genies, located on the bright side of Droon's moon.
• City of Ut

Future of Droon

Tony Abbott has hinted on his blog that there might be a new series of seven books based on the Seven Cities of Gold. Also, Nickelodeon has shown interest in making a three to four season TV show based on the books!