The Banshee [Hardcover]

Eve Bunting (Author), Emily Arnold McCully (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

“SCREE . . . SCREE . . .”

Terry is half asleep when he hears the wailing, rising and falling like the waves of the sea. He wishes it were a dream, but he knows it isn’t. It isn’t an owl screeching, either. Or the Flannerys’ old cat. Could it be the Banshee—the ghostly figure of Irish legend who wails outside a house when death is near?

Why would she come here?

In spite of his fears, Terry goes out to confront her. Is it really the Banshee, or . . . something else?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eve Bunting is a beloved children's author has written more than 200 books for young people. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; None edition (September 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618821627
• ISBN-13: 978-0618821624
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,449,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Best Thing, May 2, 2010

By 

B. Faulk "Fig" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Banshee (Hardcover)

I'll be honest: I checked out The Banshee purely because of the peacock feather on the cover. We still have a jar full of them on our mantle, leftovers from our wedding and matching its colors.

While my toddler son did not deign to read the book along with me, he did get into the, er, spirit of the story by running around me shrieking gleefully. The Banshee tells of a young boy who fears that a banshee might be crying outside his house. Acting bravely despite his fear, the boy takes his best thing as an offering in the hope that he might find the banshee and buy back the life of his loved one with the sacrifice of his treasure. The lovely illustrations by Emily Arnold McCully reminded me of how dark and terrifying our yard seemed at night when I was a kid. It was so easy to imagine all sorts of terrors lurking. I'm not sure if I'd have had the guts to go out there alone to meet a banshee or the heart to give up my best thing, but books give us a chance to be vicariously daring.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine scary story evolves, October 19, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Banshee (Hardcover)

Eve Bunting's THE BANSHEE receives fine appealing drawings by Caldecott medalist Emily Arnold McCully as it tells of Terry, who is half asleep when he hears the wailing and falling of the banshee. He wonders why the Irish legend would come to his house, and decides to confront her. A fine scary story evolves.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Banshee, October 5, 2009

By 

Book Tester - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Banshee (Hardcover)

Not exactly what I was expecting. Found it grade wise too young for my grandchildren. I donated the book to the nearby grade school library.