Wind Tamer - Hardcover

Morrison, P.R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582347816 ISBN 13: 9781582347813

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, 2006

Synopsis

Archie Stringweed is sure that the wind talks to him. It seems to creep up behind him and blow him along the pavement; to drape itself around his shoulders and screech in his ear. And things get even stranger as his tenth birthday approaches. A strange ball of green light hovers by his bed and a giant white bird appears at his window, carrying a mysterious gold coin. What does it all mean?

When Archie's long-lost Uncle Rufus unexpectedly returns, Archie finally learns the truth about why the wind seems to be coming for him. . . He is about to fall under a terrible family curse. Starring an eccentric cast of characters, this original tale of adventure and magic will enchant readers of all ages.

About this title

About the Author

P.R. Morrison was born and brought up in the Orkney Islands, off the tip of Scotland. The dramatic landscape and sea climate of Orkney strongly influenced the writing of Wind Tamer, her first book. P.R. Morrison now lives in London with her family.

Reviews

Grade 4-6–Archie's parents have always confiscated the birthday parcels from his Uncle Rufus, but on his 10th birthday, Archie Stringweed declares that he is entitled to open his own package and to keep the strange gold coin he finds inside. He is sure that his uncle's gifts have something to do with the eerie voices he has been hearing at night and the feeling that someone–or something–is watching him. When Rufus arrives unexpectedly, Archie's folks are angry. Later, he tells the boy why his parents have always been nervous about change and risk-taking. Archie's father is the victim of an ancient family curse that strikes the first-born son of each generation around his 10th birthday. The demonic Huigor appears in the form of a giant tornado, devouring their spirit and leaving them anxious and cowardly. Archie realizes that his uncle's birthday gifts are powerful relics that will help him face the monster and end the curse–if he can locate them all in time and if he has the courage to use them. The fantasy atmosphere is well defined, with intriguing characters and imaginative magical elements. Comparison to J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (Scholastic) is inevitable. Like Harry, Archie possesses hereditary magic and is threatened by a potent and malevolent enemy. Both stories have British settings, cultural details, and dialects. However, Morrison emphasizes the power of family bonds as well as individual bravery. An original and challenging fantasy.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Set in a small, remote Scottish fishing village, this first novel tells the story of the Stringweed family curse. Strange things begin happening to Archie Stringweed as he approaches his tenth birthday: the wind talks to him, a strange ball of green light circles his bed, and an enormous white bird brings him a mysterious gold coin. Also, his parents, Cecille and Jeffrey, seem to be hiding something from him. Then his uncle Rufus, who has been gone for nine years and whose yearly birthday presents have been whisked away unopened, shows up on the doorstep. From Rufus, Archie learns that for generations the first-born Stringweed sons are destined, from their tenth birthday, to grow up afraid of the world, and it is up to Archie to break the curse and free not only himself but also his father and grandfather. The characterizations are appealing, and Archie is thoroughly likable. Both his efforts to muster his courage and the exciting action that leads to a battle against the one who set the curse will delight fantasy fans. Sally Estes
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1582347816
• ISBN 13: 9781582347813
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336