Wild Magic - Hardcover

Weatherill, Cat

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802797997 ISBN 13: 9780802797995

Publisher: Walker Childrens, 2008

Synopsis

The Pied Piper had his reasons for enchanting the children of Hamelin and stealing them away―ones rooted in a deep history of wild magic. Mari and her brother Jakob are among the children who followed the piper's song, and they are now trapped in a beautiful but cruel world inhabited by a horrid Beast. They must remain there until he finds the right child, the chosen one, who can lift his century old curse. But the price of breaking the curse is a terrible one. This fast-paced, richly fantastical continuation of a familiar tale is a powerful story of a family torn apart by tragedy, and the magical adventure that heals them.

About this title

About the Author

CAT WEATHERILL is a performance storyteller, appearing internationally at festivals, on British radio and television, and at schools throughout the United Kingdom. She lives in Wales. Visit her Web site at www.catweatherill.co.uk.

Reviews

Grade 4–6—Weatherill uses events and characters from Robert Browning's "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" in this novel that begins with the mesmerizing Piper leading the town's children away. They follow him through a magical door that opens to a place inside Hamelin Hill. Right away, their excited giddiness turns to panic and fear. They're trapped. "When the door closed, summer had been left behind. In here it was winter." For the first 50 or so pages, the main character is a girl named Marianna, whose disabled brother, Jakob, can't keep up with the others and becomes, at least briefly, the only Hamelin child not trapped inside the Hill. Then, the story shifts to tell the backstory of the Piper. Readers learn that he is half human, half elf, and has been cursed to turn into a beast whenever the moon is full. His salvation can only come from a child with special powers in a town overrun by rats. Classic fantasy themes like loyalty, transformation, and sacrifice are part of this interesting book. Especially intriguing are the scenes of Marianna changing into a fox and experiencing the world as a wild animal. But the plot suffers from multiple points of view—from Marianna to the Piper, and then on to Jakob and even Marianna and Jakob's father—that aren't done in an integrated way, giving an overall disjointed feel. Buy if you have an avid fantasy following and/or a large collection.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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This re-imagining of the Pied Piper tale gets off to a chilling start with the Piper leading every child in town to a watery grave. Or at least that’s what the sorrowful adults think is happening. Turns out, the Piper is an elf and he is leading the youths to the hidden world of Elvendale to find out which of the children has the ability to release him from his curse. A flashback fills in the details: long ago, the Piper (named Finn) was cursed to turn into a beast each full moon, and only a magical child can free him. Weatherill’s brother and sister protagonists—the plucky Mari and the hobbled Jakob—are inventive without ever coming off as too precocious. But the book’s greatest achievement is Finn; this irredeemable villain is fleshed out with such detail that readers will not be able to decide if he is good or evil. It’s a dark story, with subtle implications of child abuse, murder, alcoholism, and even cannibalism, but Weatherill gives everything a suitably light touch. Grades 4-7. --Daniel Kraus

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802797997
• ISBN 13: 9780802797995
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288