The White Stag (Newbery Library, Puffin) (Paperback)

by Kate Seredy (Author) "OLD Nimrod, Mighty Hunter before the Lord, leaned wearily against the stones of the sacrificial altar..." (more)
Key Phrases: misty blue lake, red eagle, white eagle, White Stag, Old Nimrod, Twin Eagles of Hadur (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Retells the legendary story of the Huns' and Magyars' long migration from Asia to Europe where they hope to find a permanent home.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (October 25, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140312587
• ISBN-13: 978-0140312584
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #318,996 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #28 in	Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Norse
  #28 in	Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > Mythology > Children's Books > Norse
  #91 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Science > Folklore & Mythology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STARKLY BRILLIANT--THE LEGEND OF YOUNG ATTILA, February 2, 1999

By A Customer

"The past lived in songs, the present in their flashing swords,and the future in their hearts." This twentieth century myth about the ancient Magyar migration is stark in content yet poetic in style; some passages seem more like poetry disguised as prose. Seredy has recreated an era long swallowed in the mists of lost cultures, when the Roman Empire was disintegrating under the relentless attacks of various "barbarian" tribes. The Huns and the Magyars followed the prophecy of aged Nimrod, leading their people ever westward from Asia to Eastern Europe.

They needed bold, even ruthless leaders to accomplish this monumenal task, yet they were also inspired and championed by a mysterious animal protector--a magnificent white stag with supernatural power. It is difficult for us moderns to admire the Huns, a name synonymous with bloodthirsty aggresssion and destruction of post-Romanic culture. Yet Seredy's goal is to justify this epic migration--a March of Terror spanning three generations, which enabled her ancestors to achieve their self-imposed dream. They focused on steadfast obedience to their god, Hadur, who told them of a Promised Land "between two rivers, surrounded by mountains." There is both literary genius and respect in this saga of the birth and destiny of young Attila. This slender volume is actually a mini epic, piercing the curtain between History and Legend. For readers of all ages.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Proud Legend of the Hungarian People, May 4, 2003

By	Robert Bokkon "vikipants" (Bowling Green, Ky United States) - See all my reviews

This book is a classic in my family, who are of mixed Hungarian and Scotch-Irish descent. While it is far from accurate history, it is a beautiful legend of the origins of that curious non-Slavic race called the Magyars. Seredy's grasp of myth is readily apparent; her prose is simple enough for an eight- or nine-year-old to understand but she never talks down to the reader, since she uses the universal, spare language of the epic poet. This book was richly deserving of the Newbery Medal and remains a must-read for young adults (and old adults) today.

42 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Viewpoint, February 3, 2000

By	P. Gardner "Penny Gardner" (American Fork, UT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I like to pair this book with The Trumpeter of Krakow. First we read how "The Tartars came through the world like a horde of wild beasts. They left not one thing alive nor one green blade of wheat standing. Brave they were as lions, courageous they were as great dogs, but they had hearts of stone and knew not mercy, nor pity, nor tenderness, nor God." (From Trumpeter of Krakow)

Then in White Stag we read, "For years there was no rest for them, there could be no rest. Like a sharp wedge they had driven themselves into Europe and now they were surrounded by enemies; they had to go on or perish."

By comparing these two books, a child learns that there are two sides to every story--a good lesson in life.