Maroo of the Winter Caves [Hardcover]

Ann Turnbull (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1984

Maroo, a girl of the late Ice Age, must take charge after her father is killed, and lead her little brother, mother, and aged grandmother to the safety of the winter camp before the first blizzards strike.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An Ice Age adventure that is well above average." School Library Journal

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Ann Turnbull has written nearly 30 books for children. She lives in Shropshire, England, with her husband.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (Juv); First Edition edition (October 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899193048
• ISBN-13: 978-0899193045
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,657,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Maroo of the Winter Caves, March 19, 2003

By 

Eunice Lee (Cerritos, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maroo of the Winter Caves (Paperback)

The book Maroo of the Winter Caves is a very interesting book. It is about a young girl who must save her family before they all die. It all started when a Maroo and her family must migrate to another area because they needed more food since winter is about to begin. While they go they go through many adventures such as, when Maroo and her younger brother Otak find a puppy. Then they asked their Old Mother if they are allowed to keep it so that it can help them on their hunting, and she said yes. Along the way Tikek (their mother) was pregnant so that slowed them down and also Areg (their father) was killed on a hunting journey. They found out that he died by falling off a cliff. Then Old Mother said that there wasn't enough time for them to get to the area where they migrated to, and they didn't have enough time before the blizzards would hit so she thought that they should build a snow house to keep them safe. Since, they didn't have enough food to last them throughout the whole winter, she thought that Maroo and Otak should go alone to find help, but Tikek didn't like the idea but had to go along with it. One day while they were going, Maroo couldn't find Otak so she thought of her Old Mother's words, which said that if one of them died or got lost the other one, must leave them and find help. First, she left her younger brother to find help; second, she and the others rescued the others in the snow house; and third her brother returned. They found out that his ankle was broken, but since the dog was with him they survived until his ankle got better.
I liked this book Maroo of the Winter Caves because it told things about the early people of life. In a way, they were like cave people to me. It tells about their environment: where they lived, what they ate, and what they did in life. Maroo of the Winter Caves kept me to keep reading the book. But in the beginning the book was kind of boring. Then later on, when it told about their life situation it kept me to keep reading the book. Reading this book made me feel that living in a world full of technology is great! After reading it, it made me feel thankful of my dad (since he isn't dead like Areg).
"Later, they heard what had happened: how Otak, lost in the blizzard, had fallen and sprained his ankle. Unable to walk, he had sheltered a small cave with only the dog to keep him warm, shouting occasionally for help and hoping that Maroo would find him." This part of the book made me feel sorry for this kid. "Rivo! Rivo!" sobbed Maroo, patting the rough fur. "Where is Otak? And then she saw him." This part of the story was my favorite. It was my favorite because after reading it, it taught me to never lose hope. Even in a situation of life or death.
My favorite part of the book was when Otak and Rivo (their dog) returned to them. It told me that people should never lose hope in anything. Another favorite part of mine in the book was when they went in search of help. This is another favorite of mine because it tells the reader that these kids are really brave. They are very young, and they are going on this journey to help save their Old Mother, Tikek, and their newborn baby. I think that people should read this book because it is very interesting. You should also read it because you will experience an exciting book called Maroo of the Winter Caves!

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maroo of the Winter Caves, October 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Maroo of the Winter Caves (Paperback)

This book was great. The title seems boring but don't let it decieve you. The begining may seem boring at first.
Do you think surviving in the wilderness is easy? Not as easy as you think. Maroo, a girl living in the Ice Age can prove it.
Maroo, Otak(brother), Nimai(the little sister), Old Mother(the grandmother),Tikek(the Mom),Areg(the Dad),and Vorka(the Uncle, are all setting off to the Autumn Camp right after winter. During the journey they find Rivo, a puppy(he will become a important part of this book). They also visit the sea, which Maroo has never seen before. Throughout this, Tikek, who had been pregnant slows them down a bit. At the sea, she has a baby boy. They also meet up with Sovi's group, another group traveling along. Tikek begins recovering but still makes them trail behind. Then a terrible thing happens that makes them trail back even slower behind Sovi's group, losing sight of them completely, and engulfing them in winter. They begin to starve. Then Old Mother decides they have no choice. Maroo and Otak (and Rivo) must journey up the mountain themselves to seek help, past the mountain spirits that Maroo fears and through the many dangers the mountain holds. *dun dun duh*
This is a great historical fiction and I totally recomend it. Ann Turnbull makes the story clear and exciting. The people are drawn out to be just like you and me but just in a different time. The details are great and the whole idea is realistic to what I imagine it would be like in the Ice Age. A good book for all ages.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars gripping and educational, January 3, 2009

By 

kalanamak (Pacific NW) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Maroo of the Winter Caves (Paperback)

Interesting story that is very believable, no gaffes or plot errors, covers many aspects of ice age life, such as illness, food, hunting, sleeping arrangements, burial, social structure, etc, and has enough characters to be interesting, but not so many a 1st grader can't follow it (although we did stop once or twice to reiterate how everyone was related).

I read it aloud to a 6 y/o and we had several discussions he initiated. One of our best read-alouds. Read this after The First Dog, You Wouldn't Want to be a Mammoth Hunter, some cave art samples, and consider viewing Walking with Cave Men. These were our favourite resources for an ice age intro for K5-1, with Maroo being the most advanced, so I'm glad we did it last.