📘📘📘📘📘 out of 5
Age Range: Upper KS2 (I would probably be more inclined to read this with the more mature Year 5 and 6 classes).
Themes: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery, Bravery, Sea, Leadership, Belonging.
Publisher: Egmont
Published: 2017
ISBN Number: 978-4052 8467 7
Break Down: 319 pages split into 3 parts (We Rove, Winters Prowel and Flight). There are 46 short chapters varying between 5 and 12 pages in length.
Blurb: In the sky, the fire spirits dance and ripple. Grandma says they showed out Tribe that I'd be a captain before I was even born.
Ever since Ma died, Mouse looked after her little brother, Sparrow, dreaming of her destiny as captain of THE HUNTRESS. But now Da's missing, Sparrow is in danger, and deathly cold is creeping across the world...
Sea-churning
Beast-chattering
Dream-dancing
Whale-riding
Terrodyl-flying
World-saving adventure.
My thoughts: I may be on a bit of a reading spree at the moment but this book had me gripped from the beginning. I simply had to make time to read it, sacrificing 1/2 an hours sleep to squeeze in several more chapters before bed. I started this book Friday evening and managed to finish it by Sunday (even with busy days in between). I loved this book from the first chapter to the last and I am very pleased to hear this is the first in a trilogy, The next instalment, The Huntress: Sky is due for release in September 2017 (which at this point feels such a long way a way), I can't wait to see where the adventure goes next. For me the point at which the book ended felt far from the end of the story with many unanswered questions however that is where the series element comes in as I am sure many questions will be answered and many more posed in the next instalment.
For me this book has some similarities to the Girl of Ink and Stars by Karin Millwood Hargrave I read recently. Both are set in their own worlds, The Girl of Ink and Stars is based on an island and The Huntress - Sea, is based at sea. Both stories feature communities that were happy as they were until a new arrival makes an appearance and takes over.
Brief synopsis (for those teachers/parents who don't have time to read it - SPOILERS!):
- Mouse lives aboard the Huntress of which her grandmother is captain. Her mother died when she and her brother were young.
- Mouse must look after her brother Sparrow whilst also trying to find her place among the crew of the Huntress.
- Mouse has the ability to hear what animals are thinking/saying and her brother Sparrow is able to communicate with the whales by singing. However Sparrows gift comes with a price, leaving him weak and vulnerable.
- The whales help to protect the huntress from Terrodyls, winged beasts who regularly attack the ship and are only scared away by the sound of the whales singing.
- Mouse's father has not met the ship at port as planned and is now missing. Mouse must face her 13th birthday without him.
- A new navigator is appointed from outside of the Huntress crew, to replace Mouse's father, bringing with him mutiny and soon the ships crew overthrown.
- Mouse must now fight to do the right thing for her family, her crew.
- After finding her brother has been taken ashore, Mouse must pluck up all her courage and go on an adventure of her own to rescue him.
- Mouse discovers the importance of the storm-opals and this book is about securing one of the three opals.
Teaching ideas:
- The publishers have provided some ideas on their website: https://www.egmont.co.uk/e3553_huntress_activity_sheets_final/
- Look at the 4 elements earth, water, wind and fire. This book is based around the sea and the crew of the Huntress survive off of the sea. Ask the children how communities might have a life based around one of the other elements.
- Write Crows story - Tell his story before he met Mouse.
- Maps of imaginary worlds - some work linked to scales.
- Homes and houses - what makes a home? What makes a house/building/vessel a home?
- What makes a family? Is it in our DNA or the relationships we build?
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