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The Princess and the Snowbird

by Mette Harrison
232p. 978-0-06155-317-2.
COPY ISBN
Gr 5-9 Two very different young people cross paths and their lives are changed forever in this fantasy seemingly set during the Middle Ages. Liva has aur-magic, which enables her to change into any animal she wishes. She lives in a cave with her loving mother and father, a hound and a bear. Jens, on the other hand, has no magic. He lives in a village with a cruel and abusive father. Liva and Jens both share a love for animals, compassion for all living things, and genuine selflessness. They are drawn together by this commonality and by a common enemy. The Hunter believes that aur-magic lowers humans to the level of animals and wants to destroy all those who possess it. As events unfold, readers learn that both Liva and Jens have an even greater reason to pursue and stop the Hunter. The author skillfully combines adventure, magic, and romance, and her exquisite use of words draws readers into the story.-"Lana Miles, Jackson Elementary School, Rosenberg, TX" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Liva (daughter of Harrison's hound and bear protagonists) needs help from a village boy and a legendary Snowbird, as well as a richer understanding of love and sacrifice, to complete her destiny. As in the folktales Harrison's novel invokes both thematically and stylistically, the boundaries separating humans and animals are thin, and many mysteries remain tantalizingly unexplained.

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