Into the Land of the Unicorns (The Unicorn Chronicles) [Library Binding]

Bruce Coville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: The Unicorn Chronicles

The first book of a new fantasy trilogy follows a young girl's quest to find the Unicorn Queen and save the threatened land of Luster from evil hunters. By the author of My Teacher is an Alien.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coville's (My Teacher Is an Alien) mild fantasy, the first in the projected Unicorn Chronicles, opens promisingly, with a suspenseful chase scene, but somewhat dissipates its force. A nameless hunter pursues Cara and her grandmother into an empty church, where the grandmother gives Cara her amulet-along with the bewildering instructions to jump from the church tower at the twelfth toll of the bell. The girl lands in Luster, the land of the unicorns, and tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the amulet even as she continues to elude the hunter. Aided by a young unicorn and an assortment of odd creatures, including Dimblethum ("He looked like a bear that had started to become a man but hadn't finished the process") and Squijum ("a cross between a monkey and a squirrel"), Cara embarks on a number of dangerous adventures. The plot jumps from one episode to the next, and can be confusing. But drama builds with the revelation that the hunter is none other than Cara's father (who long ago abandoned her); no stock villain, he is given plausible motives for his inimical deeds. Cara's loyalties are severely tested, leaving plenty of room for a sequel. Fantasy fans might be content with the headlong pacing, but most will hope that future installments will include more fluid writing and less convoluted plot lines. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-When Cara Hunter leaps from a church's bell tower clutching her grandmother's magic amulet, she falls into the land of Luster, home of the Dimblethum, delvers, dragons, the Squijum, and lots of unicorns. Since her grandmother told her to guard the amulet and to deliver an important message to the unicorn Queen, Cara embarks on a journey to her court. She is accompanied by her friends, chief among them Lightfoot, an adolescent unicorn who is having a difficult time with his family. The voyagers are attacked by delvers, Firethroat the Dragon, and Cara's father, who abandoned her when she was three. The loose ends will presumably be the starting point for the next entry in the series. The most striking aspect here is the story within a story. Coville combines all of the known myths about unicorns into one smooth retelling about a woman named Beloved whose life in ways mirrors Cara's own; this tale creates the foundation for the entire novel. The characters are well drawn and the dialogue flows nicely. The plot, particularly the twist involving Cara's father, will be predictable to seasoned fantasy aficionados, but as a whole, the book should find a favored and well-deserved place on most shelves.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 159 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Trade (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590459554
• ISBN-13: 978-0590459556
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (173 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,624,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bruce Coville was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1950. His family lived in farm territory, about twenty miles north of Syracuse. Bruce grew up around the corner from his grandparents' dairy farm, where he spent a great deal of time as a child, dodging cows and chores to the best of his ability. As a young reader he loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and still has fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!)

His first book, THE FOOLISH GIANT, was published in 1978. It was illustrated by his wife, Katherine, whom he had married in 1969. This was followed in 1979 by SARAH'S UNICORN, also illustrated by Katherine. After a long period of working separately, the Covilles began collaborating again with SPACE BRAT and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE, both published in 1992.

Before getting published Bruce earned his living as a toymaker, a gravedigger, a cookware salesman, an assembly line worker, and finally as an elementary school teacher (second and fourth grades). He left teaching in 1981 to devote himself to becoming a full time writer - though it took another five years to achieve that goal!)

Bruce has published nearly 100 books, which have appeared in over a dozen countries around the world and sold more than sixteen million copies. Among his most popular titles are MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, and THE MONSTER'S RING. In 2001 he founded Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company dedicated to creating unabridged, full cast recordings of the best in children's and young adult literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not what you'd think..., October 20, 2001

By 

"ellie-chan" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into The Land of the Unicorns (The Unicorn Chronicles: Book 1) (Paperback)

When I bought this book in third grade, I expected a girly story about Unicorns. I only bought it as all my friends did, too. When I got it, I read a page, got distracted, and left it to collect dust for ages. When I was in seventh grade, I finally had the sense to give the book a shot. I am sooooo glad I did. It is NOT a girly book about unicorns- it is a well written fantasy with deep characters and an intriguing plot. The story moves at a perfect pace, and it is a book I adore. I believe the title is very misleading. It is a great story, and it is right up there with Ella Enchanted, The Immortals Quartet, Harry Potter, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, and The Changling Sea. Those are books you'd probably also enjoy if you enjoyed this.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Enchanting Story, August 24, 2009

By 

D. Smith (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Unicorn Chronicles #1: Into the Land of the Unicorns (Paperback)

Since I was young, I've been enchanted by unicorns, so of course I had to get a copy of Into the Land of Unicorns when I saw it and after finishing it, I don't regret the decision one iota.

The story opens with a great bit of tension with Cara being chased up a church's bell tower by some unknown foe and once at the top, she follows her grandmother's instructions, thus taking a literal leap of faith and finding herself in the world of Luster.

During her journey through Luster--she must deliver a message to the unicorn Queen--she is chased and injured by creatures bent on stealing the amulet she's sworn to protect, and at first they succeed, but with the aid of some new friends Cara is able to recover it. She then finds herself in a battle with a dragon and, another twist, with her biological father.

Not only is the story itself enchanting, it's balanced and well-written. With a story such as this, especially for young readers, it would be entirely possible to paint it too rosy, leaving out all the bad things, but here the trials Cara faces are tastefully done. Her mission is not easy and rarely do magical solutions pop out of nowhere, though she does receive help from creatures and travelers she meets along the way.

While reading, I ran the gamut of emotions from tension to fear to sadness to happiness, and I was a bit disheartened when the book ended; I was anxious to see what happened to Cara, but I guess that means I'll need to grab the second installment.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic, August 4, 2005

By 

J. Hurst "alohamora" (C-Town, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Into The Land of the Unicorns (The Unicorn Chronicles: Book 1) (Paperback)

I read this book in the third grade and have reread it a dozen times since. I love the different creatures, the creative stories, and the possibilities that this first book provides. And as it is a children's book, the poor writing must be forgiven. A warning, though: I would not recommend this book for a child under the age of 10 or so; the opening scenes are scary for young children and the father-daughter relationship is rather disturbing.