Module 4 - The Grey King

Book Summary:   
 The book starts out with a sick little boy, Will, thinking he's forgotten something.  He has hepatitis and ends up being sent to family in Wales to recouperate.  While there he begins to remember bits and pieces of what he "thinks" he's forgotten.  Will begins the journey of fighting for good, the light, and against evil, the Dark.  Will learns he's been destined his whole life to wake up the sleeper to fight the battle.  Bran helps Will throughout his journey and in the process learns of his own heritage.  This is a journey worth reading about.

APA Reference:

 Cooper, S. (1975). The grey king. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

My Impressions:
Good against evil.  It's the oldest fight in the world.  Will takes hold of his destiny and follows his heart to the end.  This is a good story of taking the necessary step to reach  a goal.

Professional Reviews:
 Gr 5-8-While recovering from hepatitis, Will Stanton is sent to a farm in Wales where he is soon caught up in the battle against "the Dark." He struggles to recall the prophetic lines he once memorized and gradually, as he learns the local place names of the geographic features around him, the meaning of the lines becomes clear to him. Through Bran, a young boy with mysterious origins who becomes Will's friend, Will fulfills the prophecies and once again defeats the Dark. This fourth book of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series (S&S Childrens, 1975) won the 1976 Newbery Medal. Twenty-five years later, it is still as powerful and mesmerizing as when it was first published. Richard Mitchley's reading is excellent and heightens listeners' enjoyment of Cooper's prose. His ease with Welsh pronunciation and the distinctive cadence of Welsh English adds greatly to the authenticity of the story's setting, which is an essential element of this book. He gives the characters distinctive voices without actually doing voices for each. Children not familiar with the earlier books in the series may find the basic premise a bit confusing since Will's status as an "old one" and the conflict between the light and the dark are not given much explanation.

Professional Review Reference:
Sherman, L. L. (2001). The grey king. School Library Journal, 47(10), 89. Retrieved from
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

Library Uses:    This would be a good book to teach plot and setting.  Another use would be for a book club to read.