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Interviews | December 28, 2009

Megan: IMG Finding Lost Lore: The Powells.com Interview with Paul Jenner

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    Lost Lore: A Celebration of Traditional Wisdom from Foraging and Festivals to Seafaring and Smoke Signals

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Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew

by Ursula Vernon

Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Nurk is a quiet homebody of a shrew. But when a mysterious plea for help arrives in the mail, he invokes the spirit of his fearless warrior-shrew grandmother, Surka, and sets off to find the sender. It seems the prince of the dragonflies has been kidnapped, and Nurk is his last hope for rescue. Such a mission would be daunting for even the biggest, baddest, and bravest of shrews, and Nurk is neither big nor bad, and only a little brave. But he does his very best--and hopes his grandmother would be proud.       Nurk is a warm, wonderful, and hilarious illustrated adventure about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature.

Synopsis:

A sort-of brave shrew packs up a few pairs of clean socks and sails off on an accidental adventure, in this warm, hilariously illustrated tale about courage, family legacies, and friendships of a most unusual nature. Illustrations.
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About the Author

URSULA VERNON is a freelance illustrator, artist, and, in her words, a "creator of weird thingies." Nurk is her first book for young readers. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.#LINK<># 
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
crowyhead, December 8, 2008 (view all comments by crowyhead)
Nurk is a classic children's book hero: he has always longed for adventure, but he remains at home, contemplating the fact that adventures probably involve a lack of dry socks. Still, he feels slightly ashamed that he has not lived up to the example of his grandmother, who was an adventurer extraordinaire. When a letter arrives with a blurred address, Nurk opens it. It is a plea for help from downstream -- but it is meant for his missing grandmother, not to him.

After panicking for a day or so about the potential legal consequences of opening someone else's mail, Nurk decides that since his grandmother is missing, it is up to him to answer the call for help, or at the very least return the letter and apologize for opening it. And thus begins his strange and surprising adventures.

There are no real surprise twists or unexpected turns in the plot, but this is still a highly enjoyable adventure story for young readers. It is made even more enjoyable by Ursula Vernon's wonderful illustrations and quirky sense of humor, and while I don't know that it will become a classic, it will certainly make an impression on any kid who picks it up.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780152063757
Subtitle:
The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhat) Brave Shrew
Author:
Vernon, Ursula
Publisher:
Harcourt Children's Books
Subject:
Humorous Stories
Subject:
Animals - General
Subject:
Action & Adventure - General
Subject:
Adventure and adventurers
Subject:
Courage
Subject:
Diaries
Edition Description:
Trade Cloth
Publication Date:
June 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
Children/juvenile
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
131
Dimensions:
8.30x6.31x.67 in. .64 lbs.
Age Level:
08-12
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