Customer Reviews

The Silver Crown (Aladdin Fantasy)

5 star:		(99)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first read this book when I was 10 years old - the same age as the heroine, Ellen. I continued to check it out from my small town library over the years until I graduated and left home at 18.

The bits and pieces I retained in my memory were tantalising... an independent, strong-willed girl; a boy, rather wild and untamed; a CROWN, omigosh, it made her a princess, couldn't that happen to me?? And, of course, the all-controlling Hieronymus Machine, with its ebony streets and handsome, albeit evil king. But was the king truly evil, or just an unwitting pawn?

This book has some mature themes, of which parents should be aware. There is a fire that appears to have destroyed her entire family. There is a description of a murder to which Ellen is an eyewitness. She accepts a ride from a stranger who turns out to be the murderer. There is a journey on her own that exposes her to danger and hardship. I was, as were my children, mature for my age and gobbled it up like candy. It may be a little dark and unnerving for some kids. If you feel your child can separate fantasy from reality, then I highly recommend this book as an introduction to reading a more challenging book then the pablum that is typical for this age.

I swore that if I could find this book, I would retype it and post it on my website for everyone to read. When I finally did find it, I paid 150.00 for it. Two months later, it was re-issued!! Oh, well. My children, then ages 13 & 11, had also fallen in love with it, so I got them each a hardback. My son bought 6 paperbacks (out of his OWN money) and donated them to his Lit teacher's class so it would always be available. This is one of my all-time favourite books, which is saying a lot because I read books like most people eat lunch.

I remember reading a book called The Silver Crown in third grade, and it's one of the most vivid memories I have of any book that I read as a child. I thought I must have been the only person that remembers it, but judging from the comments here, it struck a chord with a great many of us. It was one of those books that you feel a bit of a letdown once you finish, since there's no more of it to read. I remember a girl (Julie?) in search of her family, whom she believes is dead. The ensuing adventure, in which she meets a boy, finds a castle-like building (I remember having to look up the word 'corrider' as a youngster), was a magical trip through the imagination that has helped fuel my passion for reading books to this day. If anybody can find a copy of this book, I highly recommend it for pre-teens. I'd love to find it for my children!

Good news for all us who loved this book as a kid and can't getour hands on it (Thanks to Amazon for trying): In trying to track itdown, I know someone who spoke with Simon & Schuster the publisher and was told it would be reprinted in hardcover next February. I would recommend that anyone who hasn't read this book, child or adult, snap it up when it becomes available. END

My mother gave me this book as something to help pass the time between the fifth and sixth Harry Potter books (my searches are almost always in vain, however) When I first saw the book, I expected nothing more than your average fantasy novel...villian that doesn't do much, hero that has serious problems, clueless sidekicks.

But I was surprised.

For one, by the third chapter into the book, I was intrigued. Despite what I thought to be a very abrupt jolt into the plot line (second page of the book, believe it or not) I was not disappointed; the plot, although mainly quite twistless, kept you wanting to read more. The main character is someone most girls, preteens and early teens can feel comfortable reading about...namely, she's anything but perfect. The research behind the villian(s) was very well done, and I can't give this book anything less than an A+. Well done!

I remembered clearly that I read this book in 3rd grade. All my information are 100% correct.

It was about a girl named Ellen who once found a silver crown beside her on her bed when she woke up. She went to the woods and imgined a castle. However, a mysterious thing happened to her house and her family when the house mysteriously disappeared. She then went to find the help of a policeman and the policeman was shot by a mysterious green-masked man. Then Ellen decided to go to her aunt's house in Blue Oaks, Kentucky. She went to a gas station and met a strange man named Mr. Gates. He also wanted to go to Blue Oaks and he drove down a fake highway to the place. However, he seemed strange when he got periodical amnesia and Ellen decided to go alone to her aunt's house. In a gas station in a night, she ran away from the gas station into the woods and Mr. Gates never found her. Then she met a boy named Otto when she tried to get some drink. He took her to his house and slept their for many days. However, a stranger came looking for Ellen. The mother of Otto wanted Ellen to leave because it was safer for her and Ellen and Otto left on a deserted road. Many times, they had to struggle through caves, blockades and rivers. A stranger was periodically looking for Ellen for some unknown reason. Finally they had adventures in the Black Castle. There Otto was made a pupil of the fake school. Ellen sneaked in but she was later captured. She spent time in jail when she met Jenny, a jail guard and Brother Michael. She met the king with the Black Crown who told her about a missing Silver Crown. Ellen realized that she had buried it in a cave. Later, Ellen stole out of the castle and went to retrieve the crown with Jenny and Otto. Jenny stole it and Ellen returned to the castle. However, when Ellen was almost on trial, Jenny threw the Crown back to Ellen and Ellen was able to control the people of the Castle by wearing the Crown. She later found her parents in the dungeon. Then, they lived in her aunt's house.

I like this book because this book has much adventure and intriguing plots. It also gave me a mystery to solve at the beginning: Why did the mydterious people chase after Ellen? I liked the fantasy of it.

I first read this in elementary school and the story remains with me now 18 years later. I have been searching for this book for quite some time now and am absolutely delighted to find that this book had such an impact on others as it did myself. Every time I am in a bookstore I check to see if it is available, and for the longest time I was sure I had the title wrong. I have been scouring the internet today for any trace of it and this was my last ditch effort. It is a real shame that this wonderful story is out of print.

The Silver Crown by Robert C. O'Brien

"She had known all along that she was a queen, and now the crown proved it". So begins this tale, set in modern times, and filled with adventure, excitment and deceit. Ellen awakes on her tenth birthday to find a beautiful silver crown on the pillow beside her head. Before she knows it, her house has been burned down, her family is missing, and she is being chased through the woods by a mysterious stranger. Her only hope is to find her Aunt Sarah, who lives in Kentucky. To do this, she, accompanied by a boy named Otto and his talking crow, Richard, must follow a narrow trail through the forest until they get to the highway, where hopefully Aunt Sarah will have the police already searching for her. The duo encounter first a mysterious stranger who will stop at nothing to try and catch them, and then, a dark, black castle in the middle of the forest, filled with children who walk in silently in straight lines as though they have been hypnotized-and they have! By the King who wears a black crown that looks exactly like the silver one Ellen found on her pillow! Ellen must defeat him. But how?

This book is great for children of any age or gender. Ellen is a strong, smart female charcater, who boys will enjoy reading about just as much as the girls will. If you like this book, be sure to check out the author's other books, 'Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and Z for Zachariah.

Like many of you, I was in fifth grade (mid-1960s) when I discovered this book. Our school librarian knew I loved books, and she pressed this one into my hands as soon as she received it. :) Along with _The Phantom Tollbooth_, The Silver Crown is one of my most memorable childhood reads. I don't remember the plot so much as the imagery -- dark, tense, and electrifying. I looked it up today thinking it's something my 12-year-old might like to read while he waits for the next Harry Potter book. I'm so sorry to see it's out of print. I guess I'll read through the rest of the customer reviews to see if anyone else has been able to find it. Judging from the lasting impression it made on the pre-Gen X consciousness, it looks like the publisher would do well to re-release it!

I read the Silver Crown in 4th grade, and never forgot it. I've been searching for years, and nobody ever heard of it! I though I was losing my mind! Unfortunately, I didn't keep my old books from when I was a kid, and I'm trying to find my old favorites to give to my daughter. It's a shame this book is out of print. For a book to have such an impact on young people, but in a good way, should always be available for future generations to enjoy and learn from it.

I broke my leg when I was in the fourth grade and was unable to participate in p.e. for 4 months. I spent my p.e. time at the school library. The wonderful school librarian reccomended The Silver Crown to me and told me that it was one of the best books that she had ever read. I couldn't have agreed with her more! This book transported me to another world and I was devastated to find out that it was no longer in print. I now teach fifth grade and I am constantly telling my class what a magical book this was. Surely some publisher will read this and re-print this masterpiece. I would LOVE to get my hands on a copy.