The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
#554.40 adjusted 4.28 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2025 Reading commitment Low Aubrey Hartman Last reviewed 2026-10-25
Overview
Aubrey Hartman's The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025) is an illustrated middle-grade animal fantasy set in a forest caught between life and death, where Clare, an undead fox, ushers wandering souls into the Afterlife. A Newbery Honor book with starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, BCCB and Booklist, it won the 2026 Mythopoeic Award for Children's Literature.
Mythic fantasy, Cozy fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest Aubrey Hartman
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest | 2025 | 1 | core | 4.40 (2,663 ratings) |
Aubrey Hartman's standalone.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest? The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest finished? Complete (2025).
- How much reading does The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest ranked? #55 in this site's official ranking, based on 2,663 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #55?
Ranked #55 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.40 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (2,663 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #54, Zamonia (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 1 book · Complete · 3k ratings · Ranks #55 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment mythic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Children's Literature), 2026: won: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
- Newbery Medal (Honor Book), 2026: honor: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.40 across 2,663 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest (Hartman), The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart (Bullington) accepted 2026-10-25
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Hachette Book Group: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest (publisher page, reviews) Tier 2
- Washoe County Library catalogue: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest (Little, Brown, 2025, first edition) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25
Rule: Core Canon = The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest (2025), a standalone novel.