I, Coriander - Softcover

Gardner, Sally

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0142407631 ISBN 13: 9780142407639

Publisher: Puffin Books, 2007

Synopsis

In this exceptionally well-crafted tale, Coriander tells the story of her childhood in seventeenth-century London—and of her discovery that she has inherited magical powers from her mother, who was a fairy princess. But her mother’s sudden death brings on a dark time for Coriander. And after mourning her beloved mother and dealing with the disappearance of her father and the wrath of her evil stepmother, Coriander finds herself locked in a chest with no hope of escape and no will to survive. But when a bright light beckons to her, it is then that Coriander’s journey truly begins. Beautifully written, this magical and luminous story is destined to become a children’s classic.

About this title

About the Author:

Sally Gardner grew up and still lives in London. Being dyslexic, she did not learn to read or write until she was fourteen and had been thrown out of several schools, labeled unteachable, and sent to a school for maladjusted children. Despite this, she gained a degree with highest honors at a leading London art college, followed by a scholarship to a theater school, and then went on to become a very successful costume designer, working on some notable productions. After the births of twin daughters and a son, she started first to illustrate and then to write picture books and chapter books, usually with fairytale- or otherwise magical subject matter. She has been called 'an idiosyncratic genius' by London’sSunday Times. 

I, Coriander is her first book for older readers. Her stories for middle readers include Lucy Willow and the popular Magical Children series, The Strongest Girl in the World, The Invisible Boy, The Boy with Magic Numbers, The Smallest Girl in the World, The Boy with the Lightning Feet, and The Boy Who Could Fly. She has also written and illustrated picture books including The Fairy Catalogue, The Glass Heart, The book of Princesses and Playtime Rhymes.

From AudioFile:

Sally Gardner's novel (winner of the 2005 British Nestlé Children's Book Prize) is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Cromwellian England and a mirror-world of fairies, magic, and evil queens. Young Coriander must cope with her splintered family, the revelation that her mother was a fairy, and the sinister machinations of her Puritan stepmother and the preacher Arise Fell. With a dreamy narration that befits the fantastical nature of the story, Juliet Stevenson skillfully adjusts her British accent to depict different characters and classes--and even the scratchy, menacing voice of a talking raven. Listeners will also be interested in an interview at the end of the book in which the author discusses her writing process and her struggle with dyslexia. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0142407631
• ISBN 13: 9780142407639
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 280