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Ray Ballantyne

The Last Child of Hamelin Paperback – August 26, 2014

by Ray Ballantyne (Author)

11 ratings

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Sixty years have passed, and the people of Hamelin have yet to heal from the loss of their children to the Pied Piper. Pieter has grown up in a town without joy, without hope, without music. Yet his heart is full of songs and tunes he cannot express. He often escapes to the side of Koppelberg Mountain, the very spot where the children disappeared, and there he can hear what he thinks no one else can-the notes of the Piper's song still floating on the air. But there is another who hears: Old Simon, who as a boy, was left behind. Pieter's musical gift creates a connection with the piper of legend, but will Pieter be able to control the magic of his music or will it control him?

Reading age

12 - 14 years
Print length

337 pages
Language

English
Grade level

7 - 9
Dimensions

5.2 x 1 x 7.9 inches
Publisher

Spencer Hill Middle Grade
Publication date

August 26, 2014
ISBN-10

1937053555
ISBN-13

978-1937053550
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ray Ballantyne lives in Salem, Oregon, which is about an hour from the Oregon Coast, about an hour from the mountains, and about an hour from the city of Portland, depending on which direction you go. Best of all, he is about an hour from his beloved grandchildren. Ray is a retired elementary teacher and along with writing, he performs regularly as a professional storyteller.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Spencer Hill Middle Grade (August 26, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1937053555
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1937053550
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 14 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.3 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1 x 7.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,204,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #879 in Teen & Young Adult Medieval Historical Fiction
- #3,053 in Teen & Young Adult Fairy Tale & Folklore Adaptations
- #121,914 in Teen & Young Adult Literature & Fiction

Customer Reviews:
11 ratings

About the author

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Ray Ballantyne

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Ray Ballantyne is a writer, a teacher and a storyteller. He lives in Salem, Oregon with his wife, Louise, and a sixteen-pound Shih Tzu "guard dog" named Sadie. He has lived his entire life in the Pacific Northwest. Ray has been an elementary school teacher. Since retirement, he has worked as a professional storyteller, sharing his stories in schools, libraries, churches and camps throughout the Northwest. He has loved stories all his life. Reading and telling stories was his favorite part of teaching. His first book, a children's novel called The Last Child of Hamelin, is due out on August 26, 2014.

Customer reviews

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4 star		22%
3 star		26%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Mike Fargo

Ray Ballantyne hits his intended audience with great effectiveness. The story is full of vivid characters ...

Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2014

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Ray Ballantyne hits his intended audience with great effectiveness. The story is full of vivid characters and fast-paced events, while still retaining deeper threads of meaning. Like all great "quests," the main character, Pieter, grows with each new challenge, learning how to use his particular gift in a way that heals instead of destroys. The ending is gratifying and yet truncated somewhat. I wished more was said about the wolf's role in the whole story and what became of the shepardess. Perhaps a sequel is needed!

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James M Sumner

Terrific book for all ages by a genius story teller

Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

Terrific book for all ages by a genius story teller. Maybe no one can tell a story as well as a master elementary teacher, which Mr. B. is.

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great book Ray. Read it this summer while recovering from surgery. Amazing and entertaining!!!!
Christine Schneider

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

Thoroughly enjoyed this tale! Loved the characters and the exciting journey they were on. Will be sending a copy to my 11 year old nephew.

2 people found this helpful

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m or c scadden

Like the piper's music, the story lingers in the air

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2014

The story takes place 60 years after the Pied Piper stole the children of Hamelin; the town is still sorrowing, and music is not allowed. The characters are great--Simon, the old man; Gretchen, the orphaned girl who joins the journey; the wolf connected to Pieter; Pieter of Hamelin, who has unsung music in his heart and knows that somehow he is destined to save Hamelin. I love that the author has included music and the magic of music. I loved the physical and emotional journey taken by the characters. An hour after finishing the book, I'm still awake thinking about it.

2 people found this helpful

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Teresa Ballantyne

First-rate adventure!

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2014

The prologue draws you in to a captivating tale filled with rich characters and an intriguing story line. This is a book that will appeal to children as well as adults. It is filled with universal themes of courage, friendship, sacrifice and hope. The author has also provided a Classroom Study Guide (available at the Spencer Hill website) for this book - great for classrooms, book club, or discussing with your own kiddos. Loved this book!

One person found this helpful

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FuneralPanzer

A great read indeed - plus i know his son David ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2014

A great read indeed - plus i know his son David - use to buy used cd's & dvds from him - he worked a long time to get a book published so check it out!

One person found this helpful

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Lisa L. Van Veldhuizen

The characters are engaging and the journey they were on was excellent. I will be recommending this book to my ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2014

I couldn't put it down! I was reading in the car on the way to a camping trip and then later was reading in the tent with a flashlight. The characters are engaging and the journey they were on was excellent. I will be recommending this book to my students and to my fellow teachers!

2 people found this helpful

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