Synopses & Reviews
Ellen awakens one morning with a mysterious silver crown on the pillow beside her. What magic powers it possesses she has not yet discovered, but the sudden changes in her life are unmistakable: her house is burned down, her family has disappeared, and a man in a dark uniform is stalking her. Can Ellen ever find her family? Can she use the power of the silver crown to thwart the powers of darkness? What diabolical force hides inside the mysterious castle in the woods?
Synopsis
In this gripping and memorable middle grade fantasy from Newbery Medal-winning author Robert C. O'Brien, good and evil are locked in battle and the balance between the two can only be restored by one young girl's determination to set things right. "It lay beside her on the pillow, shinier than silver, glowing softly, with twinkling blue stones set all around....It did not occur to her to wonder from whom it had come; she was merely aware that it was hers by right."
Ellen awakens one morning with a mysterious silver crown on the pillow beside her. What magic powers it possesses she has not yet discovered, but the sudden changes in her life are unmistakable: her house is burned down, her family has disappeared, and a man in a dark uniform is stalking her. Can Ellen ever find her family? Can she use the power of the silver crown to thwart the powers of darkness? What diabolical force hides inside the mysterious castle in the woods?
About the Author
In real life, Robert C. O'Brien was Robert Leslie Conly. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, attended Williams College and graduated from the University of Rochester. He studied piano at the Eastman School of Music, and at one time considered becoming a musician. Instead, he became a writer and editor for such magazines as Newsweek and National Geographic. He lived in New York City and then in Washington, D.C., and he and his wife had one son and three daughters. His other books for young readers include the Newbery Medal winner Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, which was the basis for the animated film The Secret of NIMH, and Z for Zachariah, which was completed by his wife and daughter with the help of his notes after his death in 1973.