Emily Rodda has written many books for children, including
Finders Keepers, which School Library journal dubbed "a lively adventure," and several novels about the likable hero Rowan. The first of these novels,
Rowan of Rin, won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for Younger Readers Award when it was first published. In fact, Emily Rodda has won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award an unprecedented five times. A former editor, Ms. Rodda is also the best-selling author of adult mysteries under the name Jennifer Rowe. She lives in Australia.
Gr. 3-6. In this sequel to Rowan of Rin [BKL My 1 01], the young bukshah herder once again finds himself at the center of village turmoil. This time the arrival of a nomadic tribe, the Travelers, has caused consternation among Rin's residents. In quick succession, the villagers decide not to discuss their new mountain berry crop; a medicine woman predicts that an enemy has arrived in town; and townsfolk begin dropping into a deep sleep. Only Rowan and half-Traveler Allun are left standing to find the mysterious enemy. Once again Rodda's fantasy world, a folkloric Anytime, becomes a vivid reality for readers, and it's filled with believable characters that deal with problems that seem very contemporary, right down to a thoughtful commentary on tampering with nature: when Rowan journeys through the Pit of Unrin, for example, he discovers that the carnivorous trees that killed life in the valley are actually a mature version of the sweet-smelling plant just introduced in his village. This worthy sequel succeeds on many levels: as adventure, as a tale of the weak triumphing over the mighty, and as an environmental alert. Kay Weisman
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