The Vale

An instant New York Times Best Seller

Available now where books are sold!

Read about the short film prequel starring Lea Salonga in Deadline

See the first look inside at People Magazine

Check out the Roblox game adaptation here!

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Welcome to The Vale, a world that grows by the power of imagination

A magical new phenomenon from the New York Times Best Selling Author and Executive Producer of the Loveboat, Taipei series (now the movie Love in Taipei, on Netflix)

Thirteen-year-old Bran Joseph Lee has spent half his life building the Vale, an immersive, AI-generated, virtual-reality environment using technology created by his inventor parents. It’s a lush fantasy world complete with a Blue Forest, a Castle, and adventures with his mushroom-obsessed Elf named Gnomly – a much better place to spend his days compared to his real life, where his parents have suffered through the failed launches of one invention after another.

Bran wants nothing more than to see his Elves come fully to life, a hope that seems on the brink of reality when he enters the Vale in a multi-million dollar competition to fund its further development. But instead, things in the Vale begin to go wrong: The sunlight is fading. A beautiful girl appears from nowhere. A wizard is stealing from the Vale’s inhabitants. And the strangest part of all is that none of this is the young inventor’s doing.

Can he and Gnomly uncover the truth of what is happening before both their worlds are destroyed?

For Educators

Download the Teacher Discussion and Lesson Guide here.

Arrange for a visit from the author here.

Coloring sheets, crosswords, games here.

Topics:

STEAM meets Storytelling

Creating Books, Movies and Games

Author/Filmmaker Life

TESTIMONIALS

“We have been so fortunate to have Abigail Hing Wen visit our high school for the past few years as part of Writers Week. Few writers can command an auditorium of teens like Abigail. She is one of our most popular presenters thanks in part to her many accomplishments in tech, publishing and now filmmaking. What inspires students the most is how honest Abigail is about overcoming obstacles. She reminds us all of the importance of perseverance and to never give up on our dreams.”

– Gordon Jack, Librarian

Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA

“We loved having Abigail Hing Wen visit our middle school. Our students sat enraptured throughout Abigail’s presentation as she spoke to them about her process as both an author and a filmmaker. Abigail’s background in and extensive knowledge about tech made her presentation even more relevant and engaging for students: she showed us how she used AI to help her filmmaking team understand her vision, without using AI to replace any of the creative and filmmaking process. We hope to have Abigail back next year!”

– Jessica Nelson, Library Teacher

Ottoson Middle School, Arlington, MA

“We were honored to welcome author Abigail Hing Wen to our school. She captivated our students while sharing her journey as a writer and stories behind her latest novel, The Vale, as well as her popular Loveboat, Taipei series. Her visit inspired our students to believe in their dreams and to persevere through challenges. Abigail’s message — that success often comes after many drafts, rewrites, and setbacks — reminded everyone that persistence and passion can make anything possible.”

– Meran Rogers, Executive Director and Founder

Global Ambassadors Language Academy, Cleveland, OH

“Wow, what a FANTASTIC Assembly last week! I have had multiple conversations appreciating your beautiful film and the messages you shared about AI. We were all so impressed with you and what you had to share.

Thank you for making time to speak with our community.”

– Javaid Khan, Head of Middle Division

Horace Mann School, Bronx, NY

Look out for The Vale — Origins

the short film prequel to The Vale starring three-time Tony Award Winner Lea Salonga, coming to film festivals and screenings near you.