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Publisher:
1stBooks (now AuthOrHouse) |
Release
Date: October 2003 |
ISBN:
1-4107-8945-4 |
Awards:
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Format
Reviewed: Paperback |
Buy
it at Amazon |
Read
an Excerpt |
Genre:
Children’s – Fiction – 9-12/Teen |
Reviewed:
2004 |
Reviewer:
Kristin Johnson |
Reviewer
Notes: Reviewer, Kristin Johnson just released her second
book, CHRISTMAS COOKIES ARE FOR GIVING, co-written with Mimi
Cummins, in October 2003. Her third book, ORDINARY MIRACLES:
My Incredible Spiritual, Artistic and Scientific Journey, co-written
with Sir Rupert A.L. Perrin, M.D., is now available from PublishAmerica |
Copyright
MyShelf.com |
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Silver
Squirrel
By Daniel Ritchie
In the tradition of WATERSHIP DOWN,
SILVER SQUIRREL explores the interpersonal and interspecies dynamics
of an animal culture, in this case squirrels. Silver Squirrel isn’t
just a King Arthur/Harry Potter in fur. He’s a free spirit
with a flute torn between duty to community and his own yearnings
to be friends with birds and, even more shockingly, females. In
a BRAVE NEW WORLD-esque squirrel society, male squirrels, even leaders
such as Timothy Brushtail are only puppets for the females, who
conduct all the real business of the colony. Beverly Brown makes
Hillary Clinton look like an amateur when it comes to politics and
being a political spouse. However, Chelsea, er, Sandy Brown, Beverly’s
daughter, feels as ambivalent as Silver about the natural order,
although she isn’t fond of the birds that have destroyed their
squirrel colony…especially the fearsome predator known as
The Hawk. Every squirrel knows that you can’t trust birds,
the Hawk in particular.
Silver Squirrel risks ostracism by
befriending two crows and sheltering an injured one named Morning,
whom Sandy reluctantly helps. Sandy is drawn to Silver, his gentle
ways and his music, but when her own mother leaves her to fend for
herself in favor of a new litter of squirrel kits, Sandy realizes
she doesn’t have many role models for a lasting relationship.
Meanwhile, Jacob, Sandy’s uncle,
tries to maneuver Silver into a destiny a la Obi-Wan Kenobi and
Yoda grooming Luke Skywalker, or more appropriately, Obi-Win and
Qui-Gon Jinn trying to keep Anakin Skywalker from following the
dark impulses that birth…well, we won’t spoil “Star
Wars: Episode III.” At least Silver doesn’t say “I
have a bad feeling about this.” Like Anakin marrying Senator
Padme Amidala, Silver falls in love with a woman that, by the rules
of his society, should never be his to cherish. But when you befriend
birds, forbidden love is the next step. Where will the strivings
of one squirrel lead? Ritchie’s entertaining, character-driven,
philosophical adventure novel offers no easy answers, just a richly
layered story and allegory intended to be, and would have been,
a great series a la “Redwall.”
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