Guest review: White Crow by Marcus Sedgwick

This is a guest post by my colleague, Carol Cisman:

SEDGWICK, Marcus. (2010). White Crow. London: Orion Children's Books.

This is an eerie and chilling tale exploring themes of good against evil and trust within relationships whilst also asking the question : is there life after death? The story begins with the main character, Rebecca, arriving in the sleepy village of Winterfold following a scandal in her father's career which has forced them to seek temporary refuge there. She soon befriends a strange girl, Ferelith, who is both mysterious and intriguing with much to hide and, although they form a friendship of sorts, Rebecca doesn't fully trust her domineering nature and intentions. It isn't long before Rebecca finds herself in a terrifying situation with everything to lose. There are flashbacks in the story to the 18th Century with dialogue from the Rector of Winterfold describing terrible, dark deeds which took place there - the conclusion of which is made apparent at the twisting climax of the present day tale involving Rebecca and Ferelith. Although this is a horror story full of foreboding - I found it utterly thrilling and couldn't put it down! The author succeeds in creating atmosphere and drama which I believe older teenagers will find totally captivating.

If you would like to read this, or other books by Marcus Sedgwick, you will find a selection of his work in our catalogue.

A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter - guest post by Carol Cisman

Mollie Hunter's books are perhaps not as popular as they used to be, but they are really good reads and have Scottish settings. Carol Cisman, one of my colleagues, is a big fan and has written this guest post on A stranger came ashore.

This classic children's tale is based on the folklore of the Shetland Isles and, although first published in 1975, its morals are as relevant today as they were then. I first read it as a youngster at school and enjoyed reading it again as an adult as much as I did then.

It tells the story of a stranger, Finn Learson, coming ashore during a storm to the village of Black Ness on Shetland, supposedly the only survivor of a shipwreck. He is taken in by the Henderson family: Robbie, the 12 year old hero of the story, his parents Peter and Janet, his older sister Elspeth, Tam the sheepdog and Old Da, Robbie's grandfather.

Old Da is full of tales of the Selkie Folk, seals who can take on human form to come ashore and charm unsuspecting villagers with captivating yarns of travel and treasure. Robbie has always been fascinated by these and it soon becomes clear that there is more to Finn Learson than meets the eye. He doesn't trust him and soon enough his fears are confirmed. Robbie realises that he is one of the few villagers not taken in by the charms of the stranger and he turns to his schoolmaster for help when he discovers that Elspeth is in grave danger.

Mollie Hunter uses traditional language which conveys a sense of history and the time in which the tale is set. A mysterious and gripping story of the forces of good and evil and of the magic of land and sea, it ends with a thrilling twist which will continue to capture the imaginations of older children and young adults alike.

If you are inspired by Carol's review to read this, or any other Mollie Hunter books, we have a good selection in the library. For other Scottish-set books, see our web page on Children's Literature in Scotland.