Nia, the middle girl in a large Welsh family, discovers her own special artistic talent as she uncovers the dark secret shared by the Llewelyn and Griffiths families. Sequel to "The Snow Spider."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Gwyn returns in this supple sequel to The Snow Spider , a fantasy that--like this one--was set in the Welsh countryside. But this time the apprentice magician's role is fairly minor. The tale concerns Nia, who is taunted by her family and classmates alike for her distinctive lack of talent. Nia discovers her uniqueness when she befriends Emlyn, a lonely boy who lives with his artist-father. Emlyn misses his mother, whom Nia believes is dead, but she is found living in a small cottage in the woods. Gwyn and Nia battle to save Emlyn from the lure of forces who appear as dancing, laughing children, and who similarly lured Bethan away in the first book. Despite the fantastic touches, Nimmo's story is once again rooted in the miseries of family misunderstandings and sorrows--of Nia's need to make something that is especially hers, and of Emlyn's simple, childish yearning to see his mother again. The book is elegantly structured, and the story simply told. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-- The characters that first appeared in Nimmo's The Snow Spider (Dutton, 1987) return in this sequel. This time the central character is Nia Lloyd, the middle child of a large Welsh family. Upset by the family's move from their farm to the nearby town where her father is to be a butcher, Nia is equally unhappy with her reputation as "Nia-can't-do-nothing." Once settled in the town, Nia rapidly becomes involved in the feud between the Llewelyn and Griffiths families. Along the way she discovers her own special artistic talent and finds that she can do something after all. While the narrative alludes to events in the first book, the sequel can be read independently. Nia is a believable protagonist , and readers will empathize with her problems. If the Llewelyn family troubles seem a bit melodramatic, fantasy lovers will nonetheless be caught up in Nia's desperate attempt to save her friend Emlyn from the spirit world that threatens to claim him. A cut below the fantasies of Susan Cooper or Patricia Wrightson, this should still find a ready audience where fantasy is popular. --Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"It's Not of this Earth, Child...It Doesn't Belong Here...",
By
This review is from: Orchard of the Crescent Moon (The Snow Spider) (Paperback)
`The Snow Spider' trilogy by Jenny Nimmo (made up of `The Snow Spider', 'The Orchard of the Crescent Moon'[also published as `Emlyn's Moon' ] and 'The Chestnut Soldier') are some of the best children's fantasy novels out there - and so inevitably they are virtually unknown. Set in the mountains of Wales, the books chronicle the experiences of Gwyn Griffith, a young boy magician dealing with the gift and burden of inheriting magical powers from his legendary ancestors. Before immediate comparisons are made with that other boy-wizard, rest assured that 'The Snow Spider' was published several years before Harry Potter hit the scene.
In the previous novel `The Snow Spider', Gwyn became aware of his abilities as a magician, using his gift to summon several magical artefacts from another world, including Arianwen, a tiny silver spider who helped him uncover the mystery of his sister Bethan's disappearance several years ago and save his best friend Alun from a malevolent force he mistakenly unleashed. Surprisingly, Nimmo chooses to take a step away from Gwyn in this sequel and tell the story from the point of view of Nia Lloyd, the little sister of Gwyn's best friend. She is the middle child in a very large family, and suffering from the belief that she's no good at anything, as well as sadness at the fact that the Lloyds are leaving the beauty of their mountainside cottage for a butchery in the town. But once there, she befriends the mysterious Llewelyn family who live in a renovated chapel; Emlyn and his artistic father. Feeling her worth for the first time when amongst them, Nia ignores the warnings from her family that are used to begin the book: "Don't go into Llewelyn's chapel!" they told Nia. 'No good will come of it. Something happened there!' But Nia disobeyed. If she hadn't, nothing would have changed. She's still be plain Nia, dull Nia, Nia who couldn't do anything!" From this meeting flows the rest of the novel; beautifully written to explore issues such as loneliness, self-worth, family and relationships, in a story filled with missing mothers, mysterious children and hidden orchards of icy-cold flowers. I can't help but compare it favourably Harry Potter; whilst the world of magic is central to the "Harry Potter" series, magical workings are on the periphery here and so appears more mysterious and unknown. Don't get me wrong, I love the "Harry Potter" books, but Nimmo's subtle treatment of magic and her concentration on the more human elements of the novel is wonderful (and somewhat ironic considering her latest novels "Children of the Red King" are obviously inspired by the success of Harry Potter and not nearly as good as this previous trilogy). The best thing about the trilogy is that although each one is a separate story, similar themes, storylines and character arcs are present throughout all three. Therefore, though the disappearance of Bethan was resolved in the first book, it is not completely forgotten here and her backstory and continuing influence plays a major part in `Emlyn's Moon'. Likewise, the malevolent force that was halted in `The Snow Spider' will not finally be put to rest until the third book `The Chestnut Soldier', though it does not impinge on the action here. The overriding theme throughout all books is one becoming increasingly rare in children's fiction; that of the family unit and its power. Therefore, as Gwyn managed to heal his immediate family in the previous book, it is now up to Nia to mend the rift between Gwyn and his cousin's families. The family is not presented as a difficult, cruel environment, nor as an overly comfortable, too-good-to-be-true unit, but realistically, with all the messy, busy, bickering, stable familial bonds you'd expect in real life. Since the books were first published in the eighties, perhaps some of the language and family roles may feel a little dated, but no one can fault them for their realism and familiarity. The families aren't perfect, but they are worth fighting for. The books can best be compared with Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander, both of whom instigated the use of Welsh legends as the basis for their books ('The Dark is Rising` sequence and `The Chronicle of Prydain`). `The Snow Spider' trilogy is sadly not as popular as either of these books, but they are well worth the effect of finding. Delicately written and with touching illustrations by Joanna Carey, `Orchard of the Crescent Moon' is a book that should be on every child's bookshelf, along with the rest of the trilogy.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
remember forever,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Orchard of the Crescent Moon (The Snow Spider) (Paperback)
This book is definately one of my favorite, and I know I will never forget it. Jenny Nimmo makes you get drawn into the book, and you feel like you are living it. it is a great adventure, has mystery, magic, and people you can relate to. you get so caught up in the book, you can't wait to see what will happen next. This is definataly one of the best books in the world, as far as I am concerned.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THIS BOOK SATISFIES THE NEED FOR MAGIC IN THIS WORLD!!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Orchard of the Crescent Moon (The Snow Spider) (Paperback)
I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK !!! I OFTEN FEEL LIKE NIA LIKE I ''CAN'T DO NOTHING'' BUT THIS BOOK SHOWS YOU THERE'S MAGIC IN EVERYONE. NO ONE MORE THAN GWYNN.(YOU'LL FIND OUT WHAT I MEAN IF YOU READ THIS BOOK)
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