Silverwing (Paperback)

by Kenneth Oppel (Author) "Skimming over the banks of the stream, Shade heard the beetle warming up its wings..." (more)
Key Phrases: banded bats, echo vision, jungle bats, Tree Haven, Stone Hold, Prince Remus (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
PW compared this "gripping" epic starring a bat to Watership Down for the author's use of animal characters in his investigation of tolerance, intellectual freedom and other social concerns. Ages 8-12. (May)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6. The plot of this book sounds like the perfect adventure for a noble hero: a dangerous journey with a cryptic map and a trusty companion. But here's the catch: the hero is an undersized bat. Shade, a newborn Silverwing, is separated from his colony during their winter migrations. With the help of an exiled Brightwing, he must find his colony and save them from marauding cannibal bats imported from the tropics. In an author's note, Oppel writes that he "liked the challenge of taking animals that many might consider 'ugly' or 'scary' and fashioning them into interesting, appealing characters"; he has done just that with Shade and his comrades. While these characters are not particularly well rounded, readers will sympathize with the young bat's sometimes foolhardy efforts to prove that he's more than the colony runt, and the villains?fire-carrying owls and six-foot, flesh-eating bats?will keep even reluctant readers engaged. However, the greatest strengths of this story lie in its fast-paced, cliff-hanging action and its setting within the hollow trees and bell towers of the bats' monochromatic nighttime world. Recommend this one to fans of Avi's Poppy (Orchard, 1995); they won't be disappointed.?Beth Wright, Edythe Dyer Community Library, Hampden, ME
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689825587
• ISBN-13: 978-0689825583
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #512,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing Fantasy-Adventure, May 8, 2005

By	Jason Ayoub (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This captivating novel should be enjoyed by both young children and adults. Kenneth Oppel is the only author I know who has dared use a young bat as a protaganist, and the reward to the reader is a beautiful glimse into a bat's black and white world. Young readers in particular should be able to identify with Shade, whose longings and affections are remarkably human and always understandable. As well as being an excellent adventure story, it is also an educative introduction to bat rituals. Complex allusions to human behavior, religion and culture make this a sophisticated fantasy that I throughly recommend.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Silverwings, March 8, 2006

A Kid's Review

Soon they would be leaving, leaving Tree Haven, leaving their home. For what? To sleep in a hole for four months straight? Dreading the day they migrate south for the winter, Shade vows to prove himself by completing their quest. Shade is the runt of a colony of bats called Silverwings. He has always been a bit slower and weaker than the other newborns. Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel, is a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage, and how it feels to be extraordinary. Soon Shade meets two carnivorous bats, Goth and Throbb, who threaten to eat Shade and his colony. I would recommend this book because you never know what is going to happen next. If you like this book their are two other books in this series. Can Shade make the journey to the hibernation site? Will he prove himself to be as strong and promising as the other newborns? Can he save his colony from the wrath of the mighty Goth and his partner, Throbb? I hope you read this book and discover the many conflicts of Shade's journey.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soar With Shade in this epic adventure, September 18, 2000

By	lemonade friek (sandiego California) - See all my reviews

When Shade get's lost from his group during a storm, he ends up on an island with a bat named maria. the two travel together through thick and thin they survive attacks from owls and vampire bats, they fly through storms and look after eachother. In the end these bold little bats, wait a moment, you'll have to buy and read this enchanting story on your own. Wether you're a bat lover or not this story truly changes the way people think about bats. I hope you become interested in this story and get this book. I tell ya , It sure changed the way I think about bats.