Aria Of The Sea (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

Dia Calhoun (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Set in the fantasy kingdom of Windward, this wondrous tale of competition, self-discovery, and forgiveness chronicles the life of Cerinthe Gale, a thirteen-year-old healer who dreams of being a dancer.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-Against great odds, 13-year-old Cerinthe Gale, a commoner from the outer regions of the kingdom, is chosen to study at the Royal School of Dance of Windward. She feels that she is on the way to fulfilling the dreams that her late mother had for her. This is important, for Cerinthe feels responsible for her death. As her mother lay desperately ill, the girl, a beginning folk healer, treated her with a dangerous drug, and the woman died. At the dance school, she meets Elliana, a wealthy and talented classmate who takes an immediate dislike to Cerinthe. As the rivalry between these two builds to its devastating climax, Cerinthe struggles to understand why she does not find fulfillment in dancing, and why she no longer hears the song of the Goddess Sea Maid. Ultimately, this is a story about recognizing and responding to one's calling. It is only when a reckless wager ends in a horrible accident that Cerinthe chooses to use her gifts as a healer and saves the life of her nemesis. She is then able to see that her real passion is for caring for the sick. This is a powerful message, which flows naturally out of the story line without ever being didactic. This fine story has elements of fantasy reminiscent of Monica Furlong's Wise Child (1989) and its sequel Juniper (1991, both Knopf; o.p.) as well as realistic descriptions of dance practice and performance.
Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"When most people hear 'large-print book,' they immediately think senior citizen. But large-print editions of popular children's books -- from the powerhouse Harry Potter series to timeless classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- are now making their way onto the shelves of the Children's Department at the Canton Library. . . . Although large-print editions are targeted to the visually-impaired or dyslexic child, they can also be used by standard-vision readers. So Kershner [Children's librarian at the Canton Public Library] has decided against creating a special section in the Children's Department (as exists in the Adult Department) opting instead to intersperse large-print books on the shelves with the regular print versions of the same titles."
-- The Observer and Eccentric (October 2000) (The Observer and Eccentric )

"Thorndike Press has helped me not only find books I want to read, but they also look like regular books. That's important when you're a kid and you can only read Large Print, you want your book to look like all the other books. I'm reading a lot more now that we have found Thorndike Press."
-- Jim Bernardin, Islamorada, FL

"Everyone loves to read, there's nothing like curling up with a good book. We're a reading family, so when our son was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease and only able to read Large Print, it was particularly difficult. Books on tape are wonderful but they don't fill the void of actually reading a good story. Large Print books have been around a long time for older people, but to find a good novel for a young person in Large Print began to feel nearly impossible. The books that Thorndike Press publishes have truly made a difference in my son's reading life. He can enjoy current novels as well as some of the classics that he missed reading when it became too difficult with regular print."
-- Sara Bernardin, Islamorada, FL

"This fine story has elements of fantasy . . . as well as realistic descriptions of dance practice and performance."
-- School Library Journal (School Library Journal ) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• School & Library Binding: 272 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613595726
• ISBN-13: 978-0613595728
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,873,304 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entirely Captivating!, August 5, 2003

By 

Gwen A Orel (Millburn, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aria of the Sea (Paperback)

Don't be put off by the poetic cover and alternate world setting-- this book is very straightforward and immediately engrossing. I began reading it at a highway reststop on a long drive and ended up staying until I finished it!

With elements of a great school story (like Harry Potter!), "Fame"-- competition and talent among young people, and coming-of-age-- young Cerinthe feels responsible for her mother's death so avoids using her intuition as a healer-- this book is rich in detail and strong in character. The atmosphere of Faranor, the capital of the country, and the sea religion-- the Sea Maid is the goddess, and those who are gifted like Cerinthe hear her singing in a very literal way-- add to the power of the story and its themes. The dance is clearly ballet, and uses the same terms as ballet in our world, but dancers are called "daina" and "daine" rather than ballerina. Any child (or any person) with a calling, and maybe a choice between two callings, will find this story close to their heart. What do we sacrifice when we dedicate ourselves to a skill? Is it worth it? Sometimes the answer is very complicated!

A must-read for any girl or woman with an interest in dance, or in the arts. Cerinthe's growing maturity, and her beginning to understand the humanity of even her opponents, is very touching. Surprising and delightful book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VERY TOUCHING. GREAT BOOK., June 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Aria of the Sea (Hardcover)

As I have said, this book is very touching. The main charactor, Cerinthe Gale, has given up healing after what happened to her mother. Now, Cerinthe must finish the dream her mother had once told her and this was to dace at a royal school. She had a lot of trouble by some selfish and jelous classmates, but she had forfill the dream. Yet something is missing. She must choose what to do because the song of the sea maid stopped singing to her and she is so unhappy. She must choose who she will be before she too gives her life away, just like a girl she had once looked up to. Join Cerinthe in her journey of choices. And also if you're looking for some new vocabulary, this is your book. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars aria of the sea, December 22, 2003

By 

kim (Galway,Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aria of the Sea (Paperback)

A thirteen year old girl named Cerinthe Gale lives on the island of Normost in the kingdom of windward .She has always dreamed of becoming a dancer ,and now her dream has come true. She has been accepted to the royal school of dance ,but will she regret the decision she has made? I'm talking about the book Aria Of The Sea .This book is good for just about any age ,but I suggest it mostly for the 10-15 age group .This is just because if your older it might be a little childish for you and if your younger you might have trouble understanding some things .Also because at times I found myself cringing at some rather unpleasant images,"the ragged edge of her shinbone thrust through the skin".I myself am 14 years old and I followed the book very clearly .
In my opinion I found that this book was marvelous. I think now its my new favorite book .I found it to be so great first of all because it has to do with dance and I'm obsessed with anything to do with dance .Also because it had a good plot ,filled with lots of surprises and there was a lot of things going on .It really kept my interest ,I found myself having to pull away from it many times ,because I had to go to bed or do my homework .So if anything I just said describes what you like in a book then this book is for you !and as Cerinthe would say "may fair winds be yours".