Description
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER from the Newbery Medal winning author of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON
Stone-in-the-Glen, once a lovely town, has fallen on hard times. Fires, floods, and other calamities have caused the townsfolk to lose their library, their school, their park, and all sense of what it means to be generous, and kind. The people put their faith in the Mayor, a dazzling fellow who promises he alone can help. After all, he is a famous dragon slayer. (At least, no one has seen a dragon in his presence.) Only the clever orphans of the Orphan House and the kindly Ogress at the edge of town can see how dire the town's problems are.
When one of the orphans goes missing from the Orphan House, all eyes turn to the Ogress. The orphans, though, know this can't be: the Ogress, along with a flock of excellent crows, secretly delivers gifts to the people of Stone-in-the-Glen. But how can the orphans tell the story of the Ogress's goodness to people who refuse to listen? And how can they make their deluded neighbours see the real villain in their midst? The orphans have heard a whisper that they will 'save the day', but just how, they will have to find out ...
A new fantasy classic from the Newbery Medal winning and New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON
About the Author
Kelly Barnhill lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She is the author of four novels, including The Girl Who Drank the Moon, winner of the Newbery Medal. The Witch's Boy received four starred reviews and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Awards.
Reviews
Combines realistic empathy with fantastical elements; as exquisite as it is moving. * Kirkus, starred review *
We enjoyed The Girl Who Drank The Moon and thought perhaps this might be just as good. Actually we enjoyed this MORE. The story and the characters are a delight, the younger children enjoyed it , the older ones just as much and myself - I loved it. Kelly Barnhill just keeps delivering great stories. -- Karen Hammond * NetGalley *
What a truly delightful book this was! It was just so heartwarming and full of love and light and life...I couldn't put the book down, and read it pretty much in one sitting. I loved it from start to finish. Highly recommended! -- Erica Cochrane * NetGalley *
I absolutely loved this book, I loved the narrative and the narration of the book. I absolutely loved this opening sentence as it made me chuckle "She is not who you might think she is. (But really, is anyone?)"
A beautiful written book with themes of friendship and acceptance. This book is absolutely pure magic.
Generosity over greed, kindness over cruelty, unity over division, and the power of books, Kelly Barnhill's The Ogress and the Orphans is an exceptional allegorical adventure, with its guileful, all-knowing narrative voice (readers are instructed to "Listen") and sparkling characters casting a captivating spell.
...
Alongside the thrilling, enchanting quest and message of kindness, the author shares messages about the power of books: "The ideas and knowledge contained inside their pages have mass and velocity and gravity. They bend both space and time. They have minds of their own. There is a power in a book that surpasses even that of a dragon". What a wondrous, timely triumph - I adored every perfectly-placed word.
Barnhill's gift for storytelling immediately draws readers into this character-driven tale where dragons lurk, crows prove great friends, and an unusual narrator relays events with a unique perspective. These fairy-tale trappings cloak modern lessons and timeless ideals that readers will do well to take to heart, no matter their age. * Booklist, starred review *
I loved this book. This is a story where the library, the knowledge it contains and the stimulus it provides to the community is a reminder of how books enrich our lives. There is an element of fantasy with the ogre and the specialness of the books within the library and talk of dragons. But most of all, it is a special reminder of how people's actions form the quality of the world we live in, be it for good and for bad. In a world full of misinformation, uneasy relationships and clashes over beliefs, this is a reminder of how seeds of goodness and kindness can win through. Will appeal to fans of Kate DiCamilo. -- Julie Godfrey, Bookseller * NetGalley *
The reader is immediately tossed into this fantasy, relying on the narrator to explain how life used to be in the town to counter the grim description of how it is now. The Mayor is a fantastic (though loathsome) villain, oozing charisma and evil in equal measures, and in direct contrast is the ogress, who asks permission of the bees to take their honey and secretly shares her baking gifts with the town. While she and the orphans are perhaps just a bit too perfect, they are needed foils against the Mayor, and the good versus evil purity of the story is effective in highlighting key points about the value of generosity and the perils of division. In a thoughtful and vulnerable author's note, Barnhill mentions she was so disheartened by the past handful of years she was uncertain if she would ever publish a book again. It is fortunate that her tinkering with fairy tales and fables helped open a path to this novel that champions kindness in a very dark world. * BCCB, starred review *
Book Information
ISBN 9781800783027
Author Kelly Barnhill
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Piccadilly Press
Publisher Bonnier Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 303g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 23mm
