Product Description

Heart Trilby has no family. She lives a hard and lonely life in the dusty village of Ash Grove -- until she finds a scarred, skinny mare in the forest. Against the wishes of her guardian, mean-spirited Simon Pratt, Heart adopts the mare and names her Avamir. Heart is thrilled when she realizes Avamir is in foal. But when the colt is born weak and disfigured, Simon decides to sell Heart's beloved horses to be slaughtered by the town's soapmaker. Can Heart find a way to protect them -- and the only love she has ever known?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16437 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689842696
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-The first title in a projected series of beginning chapter books introduces reluctant readers to Heart Avamir, an abandoned girl with no memory of her origins, who wakes up one day in a strange feudal community. She lives with the hard-hearted curmudgeon who found her, but it is the neighborhood apothecary, Ruth, who names and befriends her. When the girl finds a wounded mare limping around untethered, she claims it for her own and nurses it back to health despite her guardian's protests that the animal would be better off sold for slaughter. In addition to the limp, the mare bears a deep scar on its forehead, which Ruth acknowledges but is a bit too quick to dismiss. Readers will already have guessed that the mare is really a disfigured unicorn and that Heart, who was found wearing a blanket emblazoned with unicorn figures, is destined to care for the animal. Duey uses simple but evocative language; few words are more than two syllables long. The text is set with wide leading and interspersed throughout with moody, evocative black-and-white illustrations. A cliff-hanging ending rounds out this portion of the narrative. This is a good alternative for children who have outgrown easy-readers but who are not quite ready for longer, denser works of fiction.

Catherine Threadgill, DeKalb County Public Library, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 2-4. Heart Avamir remembers nothing prior to her rescue as a toddler by Old Simon, and her life since has meant lots of hard work as they struggle to stay alive in their feudal village. Simon is not affectionate, so it's to the village healer, Rosa, that Heart turns when she discovers a starving, injured white horse wandering in the woods. Duey manages a remarkable feat: she has written a beguiling story of love and healing in an easy-to-read style, with short sentences and simple words that flow smoothly across the pages. The impoverished village setting is vividly portrayed, and Heart is admirably strong without being unbelievable. Rayyan's lushly detailed black-and-white illustrations, one per chapter, add to the charm. The book's format and typeface will lure readers who are looking for fantasy that's a bit more challenging than what they'll find in the Magic Treehouse series. As the first book in a quartet, this doesn't come to a full conclusion; instead it sets up readers for the next book in the series. Susan Dove Lempke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
An orphaned girl, a unicorn, a journey. Follow Heart on her quest as she travels into the realms of legend in this thrilling new fantasy for young readers.

Customer Reviews

A nice beginning
We bought this as a read aloud for our 5 yr old. She enjoyed it, but I felt it was still over her head so I'll wait and read it to her next summer. Unfortunately, it read like an introduction to a series of books instead of one good story that will be followed by another (I like books to "stand" on there own without being dependant on what comes before or after). I have to mention I love series, but each book should hold its own. Oh, and I found it enjoyable too.

Magical Tale of Unicorns
Heart Avamir was abandoned in a field one day by her parents - whom she doesn't remember in any way, shape, or form - and was taken in by a cold-hearted man named Simon. Her existence is not pleasurable, as she spends her days and nights working in the fields, but all that changes when she finds a beautiful white horse with many scars, who quickly takes to Heart's gentle and kind nature. Due to the fact that the mare is limping around, and malnourished, Simon wants nothing more than to sell the mare to the knacker - someone who will kill the horse - but Heart convinces him otherwise. With the help of Ruth, a kind, old magic lady who lives next door, Heart is able to give the mare, now named Avamir, the care that it needs. And soon, Avamir has begun to foal. Her baby is lovely, and Heart quickly names him Moonsilver. Then trouble strikes, and Heart knows that she must take care of the horses before something absolutely dreadful happens to them.

I have always loved stories about unicorns and horses, and Kathleen Duey is definitely one of the best authors out there when it comes to writing on either of these subjects. However, I found myself enjoying MOONSILVER, even more than I ever thought possible. Duey's imaginative prose is magical, and her descriptions of the people found throughout the town in which Heart lives in couldn't be better. Her character development of young Heart and the kind, old Ruth is wonderful, and is sure to win over young readers.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Irresistible
My 8-year-old niece loved this book and so did I. It has all the elements of enchantment--abandoned orphan girl, cruel guardian, hints of a mysterious, perhaps even royal, past and, of course, unicorns--even a baby unicorn. But I particularly enjoyed the tone and style of the book. It's appealing and fun, but it isn't overly sweet. As my niece said, "It isn't silly." It's set in a realistic medieval world that gives added emphasis to the daring efforts of Heart, the main character, to save the unicorns. I guess the book is designed for beginning readers, but it didn't seem simple or like it was talking down.
We can't wait for the third book in the series!