Loamhedge (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Redwall (Pb)) [Library Binding]

Brian Jacques (Author), David Elliot (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Redwall (Pb)

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Young hare-maid Martha Braebuck, wheelchair-bound since birth, wonders about a mysterious old poem relating to the ancient abbey of Loamhedge--and whether it may hold the key to her cure.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Number sixteen in the esteemed Redwall animal fantasy series, young readers will find Loamhedge just as wild and woolly as its predecessors. In this chapter of the seemingly endless history of the woodland abbey, adventure is sparked by the sad plight of the haremaid, Martha Braebuck. Due to a terrible event that befell her when she was just an abbey Dibbun, Martha has lost the ability to walk. But when legendary mouse Martin the Warrior comes to her in a dream and explains that the secret to winning back her legs lies within the cursed walls of the ancient abbey Loamhedge, Martha hopes for a hero who will travel to the ruins on her behalf. Enter world-class adventurers Braggon the otter and Sarobando the squirrel. The best friends have come for a visit, and decide to undertake Martha’s quest. Yet, just as soon as the two tricksters leave, the peaceful abbey folk fervently wish them back, as Redwall is suddenly under siege from the dread searat Raga Bol and his motley crew of vermin. But even as he endeavors to force the Redwall folk from their cozy nest, Raga Bol is plagued by nightmares of the massive badger archer Lonna Bowstripe, who is coming to end his reign of terror. But will Lonna get to Redwall in time to save the forest folk? And will Martha ever walk again? The only thing that’s certain is that the fur will fly and numerous feasts will be noisily consumed in yet another fur-tastic tale from beloved British storyteller Brian Jacques. (Ages 10 and older) --Jennifer Hubert --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Fans of the Redwall series will be mightily pleased by Jacques' new action-packed adventure featuring the stalwart creatures of Mossflower country. The peace of the abbey is shattered when a trio of rebellious young Redwallers, lead by Horty Braebuck, an audacious hare, run off to join the seasoned adventurers Bragoon and Sarobando on a hazardous quest to the long-abandoned Loamhedge Abbey, seeking a cure for Horty's wheelchair-bound sister, Martha. The abbey comes under siege by the vicious searat Raga Bol, but in true Redwall fashion, heroes emerge: an immense badger seeking revenge against Raga Bol becomes a powerful ally, Martha helps save the abbey, and Bragoon and Sarobando ably guide Horty and his pals on their first adventures away from the abbey and toward adulthood. The action never lets up, the bad guys are satisfyingly evil, and the Abbeybeasts seem like old friends. The story is laced with humor, the feasts are mouth-watering, and the language is rich. Yep, it's another good yarn. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 424 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417705426
• ISBN-13: 978-1417705429
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,152,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A well-known radio personality in his native Liverpool--as well as an actor, stand-up comic, and playwright--Brian Jacques (1939-2011) was the host of "Jakestown" on BBC Radio Merseyside. Ever the performer, Jacques was well-known for applying his acting and entertainment background to his lively presentations to legions of young fans at schools across the United States and England. Brian Jacques was born in Liverpool, England on June 15th, 1939. Along with forty percent of the population of Liverpool, his ancestral roots are in Ireland, County Cork to be exact. He grew up in the area around the Liverpool docks. His interest in adventure stories began at an early age with reading the books of: Daniel Defoe, Sir Henry Rider Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Thomas Malory, Robert Michael Ballantyne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Kenneth Grahame. He attended St. John's School, an inner city school that had its playground on the roof. On his first day at St. John's, at the age of ten, he had an experience that marked his potential as a writer. When given an assignment of writing a story about animals, he wrote about the bird that cleaned a crocodile's teeth. The teacher could not, and would not, believe that a ten year old could write that well. When young Brian refused to falsely say that he had copied the story, he was caned as "a liar". He had always loved to write, but it was only then, that he realized that he had a talent for writing. "My favourite teacher was Mr. Austin Thomas. He looked like Lee Marvin. Big Man. A Captain in World War II. He came to school on a big bush bike with the haversack on back. He was a man's man. Always fair. I was fourteen at the time when Mr. Thomas introduced the class to poetry and Greek literature. (Because of him, I saved seven shillings and sixpence to buy The Iliad and The Odyssey at this dusty used book shop.)" This interest in poetry extended to Wordsworth, Tennyson, and Goldsmith. It was also at St. John's that Brian met a teacher, Alan Durband (who also taught two Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison), who, more than thirty years later would bring about a major change in his life. After Brian finished school at fifteen, he set out to find adventure as a merchant seaman. He travelled to many far away ports, including New York, Valparaiso, San Francisco, and Yokohama. Tiring of the lonely life of a sailor, he returned to Liverpool where he worked as a railway fireman, a longshoreman, a long-distance truck driver, a bus driver, a boxer, a bobby (Police Constable 216D), a postmaster, and a stand-up comic. Jacques passed away in February of 2011 at the age of 71.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Redwall Book Ever!, October 17, 2003

By 

J. S. Barber (Suwanee, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Loamhedge (Redwall, Book 16) (Hardcover)

I've read every Redwall book ever written, and I own almost all of them. And this is by FAR the best book Brian Jacques has written! It starts out with a young hare named Martha Braebuck, who has been wheel chair bound since infancy. Then one night she receives a dream from Martin the Warrior! Martin tells her to look for two creatures returning to the abbey after years of adventuring. When they show up, they set out questing to find the lost abbey of Loamhedge, where the cure to Martha's sickness can be found!
While our heroes are on their trip, Raga Bol and a crew of vermin lay siege to Redwall! Along with the help of the badger, Lonna Bowstripe, the good abbey creatures fight to take back their abbey!
This book is filled with songs, battles, riddles, new friends, and everything else Jacques is famous for! The BEST REDWALL BOOK YET!!!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Adventure Packed Tale, December 7, 2003

By 

"khoff136" (Napa, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Loamhedge (Redwall, Book 16) (Hardcover)

"Loamhedge" is another epic Redwall tale jam-packed with adventure and intrigue. The 16th book of the Redwall series is exciting from the very beginning. I have read all of the other Redwall books and every new book has been a little better than the last.

There are two main characters whose lives are portrayed in the story. Lonna Bowstripe is a badger who has always been a wandering warrior. The other main character is Martha Braebuck, who is a young haremaid always searching for knowledge. Both Martha and Lonna have friends that help them in their adventures. Horty Braebuck (Martha's brother), Abbot Carrul (head of Redwall Abbey), Bragoon and Saro (two of Redwall's best warriors), and Toran (the otter cook) all guide and advise Martha throughout her life at Redwall. Lonna's friends are the Abruc Sea Otter Clan (who healed him from a terrible vermin attack), Garfo Trok (a river otter who gave him passage up the Mossflower River), and Figalok Twigbenda (who hid Lonna from a horde of Sea Rats).

Brian Jacques incorporates two separate plot lines into his story. He begins his novel by introducing Lonna Bowstripe through a tragic experience. The Abruc Otter Clan find Lonna near the Sea Coast with a gashed face, lying on the ground next to a dead older badger. After being brought in and healed by the Clan, Lonna begins his adventures to avenge his close friend's death. The Clan tells Lonna that Raga Bol and his Sea Rat crew have come inland from the coast for the winter and he then vows to kill every last vermin including Raga Bol himself. Lonna sets off on his quest with the aid of the river otter, Garfo Trok.

The foundation of Brian Jacques' second plot line is the life of Martha, the young haremaid. The reader is informed that Redwall Abbey is a peaceful fortress in Mossflower County that houses and protects all sorts of working woodland creatures. This Abbey is where Martha leads her life, bound to a wheelchair. Handicapped from birth, Martha often finds free time for reading and gaining knowledge. When Martha discovers that another abbey beast from ancient times, who shared the same condition as Martha, had figured out how to walk, the plot line is revealed. Horty, Fenna, Bragoon, and Saro all set out to find the lost abbey of Loamhedge where the cure for Martha has been supposedly recorded. This begins the adventure to Loamhedge.

A main theme that appears often throughout the story is good triumphing over evil. Bragoon and Saro left Redwall as Dibbuns (young babes) to search for adventure. They become great warriors and fight vermin in Mossflower for a living. Whenever Bragoon and Saro fight they rarely shed blood. The reader sees them trick a fox and his filthy vermin crew out of their lunch and later save woodland creatures from ten score nasty vermin without a scratch. This theme is also evident in the actions of Lonna Bowstripe. Lonna saves Figalok and her squirrels from a terrible vermin threat that had been harassing the squirrel colony for their entire life. This theme is emphasized throughout the book.

I encourage any Redwall enthusiasts to read this book and if one has not read a Redwall book yet, do it! You will not be sorry.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost a 5, July 15, 2004

By 

WanderingStorm (Sycamore, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Loamhedge (Redwall, Book 16) (Hardcover)

I was really hoping when I had heard that this book was called "Loamhedge" that it was more about the long-lost abbey. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed that it was merely about a journey to the ruins and not a story about it. I had been hoping for some more history of the beginnings of Redwall. Still, the book, like all of Jacques works, is filled with adventure and intrigue, happiness and sadness, danger and more. I proudly add this book to my collection!