After following a mysterious map into the woods and then under the woods, eleven-year-old Albert Flynn learns he’s a Balance Keeper—someone with special physical and magical skills for fixing problems in three underground Realms at the Core of the earth. His new job is important: if the realms fall out of balance, the world above could be in great danger.   Albert and his Balance Keeper teammates Birdie and Leroy arrive in the Core not a moment too soon. There’s an Imbalance in the Calderon Realm and it’s threatening to bury Albert’s hometown of New York City in a mountain of ash.   With the situation in Calderon growing worse every day, can Albert, Leroy, and Birdie restore balance before New York is destroyed forever   Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, The Unwanteds, and the classic Journey to the Center of the Earth.