The Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root

Author

Christopher Pennell

Illustrator

Rebecca Bond

Publication Date

September 01, 2015

Genre / Grade Band

Fiction / 4^th − 5^th

Language

English

Paperback

Currently out of stock

Description

A little girl who can only sleep during the day grows from something of an isolated town oddity to the heiress of an ancient legacy of magic and music. Exquisitely illustrated, this gentle, satisfying young fantasy is filled with unforgettable, quirky characters and imagery. A perfect read-aloud, it shows how one can find friends in the unlikeliest of places--windowsills, rabbit burrows, the library.

Debut author Christopher Pennell casts a spell with his irresistible adventure while illustrator Rebecca Bond's pen-and-ink drawings perfectly capture this atmospheric world and contribute to the feel of a timeless classic. Step into the mysterious woods of Whistle Root and feel the magic.

Publication date

September 01, 2015

Genre

Fiction

ISBN-13

9780544540644

Lexile Measure

790

Publisher

Clarion Books

BISAC categories

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-This delightful first novel tells the tale of Carly Bean Bitters, an orphan who only sleeps during the day. Living with an uncaring aunt, the 11-year-old is lonely until a violin-playing rat named Lewis recruits her for his moonlit musical trio. She meets a number of his friends who are in danger from owls that are suddenly hostile. She also encounters the dangerous Griddlebeast, intent on destroying Whistle Root Woods. It's up to Carly; her new friend, Green; and his granny to save the precious forest. Charming black-and-white illustrations add to the overall effect of the story, which will remind readers of beloved works by Kate DiCamillo and E. B. White. Pennell offers marvelous characters, incorporates a mythical story within the story, gives readers a suspenseful plot, and creates a genuinely creepy and amoral villain. It's all rather old-fashioned and quite lovely.

Christopher Pennell

Christopher Pennell's first novel is The Mysterious Woods of Whistle Root, which he began writing after he and his wife moved into a house with a small woods behind it and their daughter was born. He lives in Rockwall, Texas.

Rebecca Bond grew up in the tiny village of Peacham in northeastern Vermont. When she is not painting and writing, Rebecca is busy fixing up her old house in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston and spending time with her two young children.

Library Media Connection, 03/01/14

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