Amber on the Mountain [Hardcover]

Tony Johnston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1994 | Age Level: 4 and up

Amber lives on a beautiful but lonely mountain--until the day that Anna arrives, bringing both her friendship and the will to teach Amber how to read. Suddenly Amber's world is filled with magic princesses and Rumpelstiltskin. Then Anna returns to the city, and Amber must find a way to keep their friendship strong. Full-color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The theme of Johnston's heartwarming story is apparent--"You can do almost anything you fix your mind on"--but her deceptively simple telling boasts believable characters and deft construction. There's never been a school in Amber's mountain community, and not until the appearance of Anna, whose father is helping to build a mountain road, does Amber find someone who can teach her to read. Johnston ( Yonder ; Grandpa's Song ) knits this story together with recurring themes, lyrical images, and picturesque and convincing dialogue. The girls help Granny Cotton with her quilting, "poking little silver needles in and out, in and out" and later, Amber is so eager to read that "she hurries and tangles the words like quilting thread." When Anna gets a stubborn look in her eyes, Amber tells her she looks like a mule. "When old Rockhead looks balkity," she says, "he's up to something sure." By book's end, Anna has moved on, but Amber teaches herself to write--with no small measure of persistence. "If I can read 'em, I can copy 'em," she says, and in due time she sends her first letter to Anna. Newcomer Duncan's splendid oil paintings detail the beauty of mountain folk, misty clouds and glorious meadows dotted with wildflowers. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-A story about learning to read and write that doesn't quite work. Amber lives a solitary life high in the mountains. Then one day a man comes with a crew to build a road, bringing along his wife and daughter, Anna. She teaches Amber to read before the road is completed; Amber learns to write on her own so she can keep in touch after Anna's family leaves. The process of mastering these skills, while shown to be a slow one, seems to be one in which, as Anna says, you just, "Set your whole self to the task." Johnston, who has used poetic language to great effect in previous books, seems to be straining to be descriptive here. One brief page of text, for example, is crammed with figurative language, some of which is cliched. She uses expressions that seem to evoke an Appalachian setting, a place where "folks" might "roll clean off" of a road; where people say "hey" to one another. Duncan's large, lush oil paintings unfortunately confuse the issues of time and place. While the frontispiece painting and the details of housing have an Appalachian look, the mountains have the sharp ridges of the Rockies. (The cover painting of the girls on a grassy hillside in front of imposing peaks even evokes strong images of Heidi.) While the setting includes no modern touches, the two children's wardrobes seem to be directly out of the current L.L. Bean catalog. Eve Bunting's The Wednesday Surprise (Clarion, 1989) and Florence Heide's The Day of Ahmed's Secret (Lothrop, 1990) do a better job of telling the literacy story.
Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dial (June 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803712197
• ISBN-13: 978-0803712195
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,753,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book for Kindergarteners and First Graders, November 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Amber on the Mountain (Picture Puffin Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a really special book. It is all about learning to read and write and why someone might want to do so. The pictures are among the best I've seen in any children's book. The story is well told. It's also a lovely story about friendship and giving. For a kindergartener or first grader learning to read and write it is particularly appropriate.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A CHARMING STORY WITH LESSONS TO BE LEARNED, July 22, 2005

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amber on the Mountain (Picture Puffin Books) (Mass Market Paperback)

Enhanced with subtle rich oil paintings, "Amber on the Mountain" is the story of a girl who wants to learn. Amber is a mountain girl who has no one to teach her.

And then, Anna arrives - a girl her own age whose father is going to build a new road. Although Anna has to leave the mountain before she can teach Amber everything she wishes, Amber perseveres in her quest to learn.

This charming story teaches the value of education, friendship, and the importance of working for what you want.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent tale and artwork, July 19, 2001

By 

Michelle Johnson "Domestic Zen" (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Amber on the Mountain (Hardcover)

Amber on the Mountain is a beautifully written and illustrated childrens book.

The tale itself draws young readers into the high mountains where Amber lives.

Robert Duncan's nature paintings are realistic and breathtaking.

A simple, secluded mountain family with a darling young daughter who befriends a newcomer. A heartwarming story for the eyes and ears.

Amber on the Mountain would be a wonderful gift for a young reader. Pair this book with Tony Johnston and Lloyd Bloom's ' Yonder ' and you'll have an excellent gift.