Rowan and the Travelers - Softcover

Rodda, Emily

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060297751 ISBN 13: 9780060297756

Publisher: Greenwillow, 2001

Synopsis

"The secret enemy
is here. 
It hides in darkness, 
fools beware!..."

The wise woman seems terrified, and her cryptic message frightens Rowan. He is wondering who the enemy could be, when suddenly the people of Rin begin falling asleep--and not waking up.

What is the strange spell that has settled over Rin? If Rowan can only figure out the meaning hidden in the wise woman's words, he may be able to save his people from this mysterious sleep and from an even worse danger to come....

The Travelers offer to help, but Rowan doesn't know if he can trust them. They suggest that the answer lies in the legendary, noxious Pit of Unrin, and no living thing has ever entered Unrin and returned. If Rowan tackles its unknown hazards, will he find the knowledge he seeks? Will he even survive? Rowan needs wisdom to decide whom to trust, bravery to face the perils of his journey, and both to defeat Rin's deadly secret enemy.

About this title

About the Author

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.

Reviews

Emily Rodda's Rowan and the Travelers follows up on the magic begun in Rowan of Rin. Now, Rowan struggles to understand the mysterious sleeping sickness that takes over the town with the arrival of a nomadic tribe called the Travelers.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Greenwillow
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060297751
• ISBN 13: 9780060297756
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176