Poppy and Ereth - Hardcover

Avi

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061119695 ISBN 13: 9780061119699

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009

Synopsis

The seventh book in the beloved Poppy series by Newbery Medal–winning author Avi, with illustrations from Caldecott Medal–winning artist Brian Floca

Has Ereth lost Poppy forever?

Poppy, a deer mouse, has spent the long winter curled up inside her tree snag home in Dimwood Forest. When the ground thaws and life returns to the woods, Poppy sets out in search of excitement.

Suddenly, swooped up by Luci the bat, Poppy is flying high over the forest. Meanwhile, Poppy’s best friend, Ereth the grumbling porcupine, who was with Poppy when she vanished, is convinced that she has died. He sets out to give her the best funeral ever.

Can Poppy find her way out of the bats’ cave to set Ereth straight and return home after the adventure of a lifetime?

About this title

About the Authors

Avi is the award-winning author of more than eighty-two books for young readers, ranging from animal fantasy to gripping historical fiction, picture books to young adult novels. Crispin: The Cross of Lead won the Newbery Medal, and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing but the Truth were awarded Newbery Honors. He is also the author of the popular Poppy series. Avi lives in Denver, Colorado. Visit him online at avi-writer.com.

Brian Floca, in addition to being the illustrator of the books in Avi's Poppy Stories series, is the author and illustrator of the acclaimed picture books Locomotive, winner of the Caldecott Medal; Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11; Lightship; The Racecar Alphabet; and Five Trucks. You can visit him online at www.brianfloca.com.

From the Back Cover

Poppy, a deer mouse, and Ereth, a grumbling porcupine, have been the best of friends for as long as the animals of Dimwood Forest can remember. An unstoppable pair ever since they defeated the tyrannical owl, Mr. Ocax, Poppy and Ereth have enjoyed many happy adventures together. But when a swirl of bitter winter storms buries Dimwood Forest in snow and Poppy's husband, Rye, dies suddenly, all Poppy wants is some privacy. "Dancing doorknobs," Ereth mutters to no one in particular, "how can she not want to see me?" As he waddles back to his log, Ereth fears he may have lost his dear friend forever.

But Ereth has not lost Poppy, at least not yet. As the ground begins to thaw, life returns to Dimwood Forest and Poppy ventures out in search of excitement. Suddenly, swooped up by Luci the bat, Poppy is flying high over the forest and unexpectedly embarks on her greatest adventure. Meanwhile, Ereth, left to his own devices, manages to convince himself that Poppy has died and, as only the old porcupine can do, sets about to give her the best memorial service the forest has ever known.

The last episode of the Poppy stories, poppy and ereth is a rousing adventure befitting one of the great heroines of children's literature as well as a final, heartwarming celebration of the life, love, and friendship of two most unlikely companions.

Reviews

Grade 3–5—In this lovely and fitting conclusion to a popular series, Poppy's husband, Rye, dies, and the grieving deer mouse refuses to see anyone. Then Ereth needs her help, and in the process of saving the porcupine, she is thrown into the air and flown to a cave by a young bat. Thinking she is dead, Ereth plans her funeral. Meanwhile, a fire breaks out in Dimwood Forest. Seen through animals' points of view, the story takes readers through Poppy's adventures, including being aided by her former enemy, Bounder the fox, as she tries to get home to warn the others of the danger. Ereth stays true to his character—pompous and curmudgeonly—yet devastated when he thinks he's lost Poppy, while she remains the eternal optimist and, in the end, is able to move on with her life. This heartwarming fantasy is filled with fast-moving action and danger, and has themes of friendship and loss. Fans of the series will be completely satisfied.—Kira Moody, Hunter Public Library, West Valley City, UT
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In this sixth and final adventure in the Poppy series, the dear mouse’s husband, Rye, succumbs to pneumonia, and Poppy is accidentally flung into the air and carried away by a young bat. Ereth the porcupine concludes that Poppy has perished, and begins planning her funeral. Poppy’s grandson Spruce, less convinced of her demise, sets off to search on his own. Series fans will enjoy spending time with these endearing characters, and the end leaves the door open just a crack for further adventures. With much series backstory woven into the narrative, this stands alone; but fans won’t want to miss any of these tales. Grades 3-5. --Kay Weisman

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Poppy and Ereth

By James Avi

HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Copyright © 2009 James Avi
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780061119699

Chapter One

The Hard Winter

It was a hard winter in Dimwood Forest. Tem-peratures were low, snows deep, nights long, and the winds sharp. Most forest animals remained tucked away in their underground homes, burrows, and caves, sleeping or eating the food they had stored the summer before. It was that way, too, with Poppy and Rye, who kept close and warm deep down among the roots of their old snag, a tall, broken tree stump.

Poppy, an elderly deer mouse, had curled herself up into a plump ball of tan fur, her tail wrapped about so that it touched the tip of her pink nose. She was chatting with her husband, Rye, about some of the events of the past year: their good life together; guiding and watching their children grow and begin families of their own; her visit to her old home, Gray House; renewing acquaintances with relatives; and happy times with Ereth the porcupine.

As she talked, Rye, a golden mouse, was lying on his back, eyes closed, paws beneath his head, tail occasionally twitching. He was listening to Poppy even as he was contemplating a new poem, something about the cold winter and the past summer.

"It's no good," Rye said quite suddenly while coming to his feet.

"What's no good?" asked Poppy, thinking he was referring to her talk about the family picnic last autumn.

"If I'm going to write anything decent about winter," Rye declared, "I need to get out there and experience it."

"It's awfully cold," Poppy reminded him, perfectly aware that such practical notions would make no difference to Rye, not when he was thinking about a poem. "I think there's a storm."

"Won't be a moment," said Rye, and he headed for the steps that led to ground level. When he reached the snag's open entryway, however, the storm's bitter cold struck with such force that it momentarily took his breath away. Not to be deterred, Rye pushed through the snow that had drifted in, and stepped outside.

It was difficult to see anything. The snow, bright and whirling, made the land indistinguishable from the sky. Even the forest trees appeared to be trembling shadows. As for sound, the only thing Rye could hear was the yowl of the wind.

"Wonderful . . . ," he murmured, even as he shivered and stepped forward, sinking deeply into a soft, powdery drift.

He brushed the flakes from his eyelashes, and they danced before his eyes like tiny, sparkling diamonds.

"Beautiful," he murmured.

Rye began to burrow forward with his front paws. As he tunneled into the snow, the sounds of the wind faded. The light turned a dull gray. The cold softened. It was as if he were in a cocoon made of winter.

Suddenly he halted. Embedded in the icy tunnel wall was a perfectly preserved green leaf.

"Oh my!" Rye whispered, gazing at the leaf with joy. "It's from last summer!"Rye remained looking at the leaf for a long while. Only when his toes started to become numb did he turn and scurry back down into the snag.

"I think I've got a good poem," he announced as he returned to Poppy. "I'm going to call it ?Ice Leaf.'" He threw himself down on his back and closed his eyes.

After a few moments he asked, "Do you have any more of your mix?"

"What mix?" said Poppy.

"That peppermint, elderberry, and honey mix. You know, for coughs."

Poppy's brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Slight tingle in the old throat," muttered Rye, as he concentrated on his poem.

That night a fierce new storm swept in. The wind roared. The temperature plummeted. The two mice snuggled together for warmth. From somewhere far-off they heard a fox baying and an owl hooting.

Next morning, when Rye woke, his throat was very sore. He was coughing, too, coughing badly.

Continues...

Excerpted from Poppy and Erethby James Avi Copyright © 2009 by James Avi. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061119695
• ISBN 13: 9780061119699
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Floca Brian
• Number of pages: 224