Besides helping out the young 'uns with a PDX Pop Now! benefit tonight at the Cleaners, Colin Meloy will soon be filling their heads with visions of magic and wonder in an upcoming young-adult book series called Wildwood. Plus it'll be illustrated by artist Carson Ellis! The PR flacks are calling the series an American Narnia (does that mean no more Turkish Delight?!). I'm excited—Colin's stories with Carson's pictures seems like a match made in YA heaven.

Take it away press release from HarperCollins:

Wildwood is a classic tale of adventure, magic, and danger, set in an alternate version of modern-day Portland, Oregon. The first book is scheduled for publication in fall 2011.

"The germ of this series goes back a long way,” Meloy said. “For me, this is the culmination of a long-term collaboration with Carson, matching words and art. I grew up on a steady diet of Lloyd Alexander, Roald Dahl, and Tolkien; this is our humble paean to that grand tradition of epic adventure stories." Ellis says, “Wildwood is a project very close to my heart—the collaboration that Colin and I have been dreaming about for years.”