The Six Crowns: The Ice Gate of Spyre

by Allan Jones, Gary Chalk (Illustrator)

Overview

The valiant hedgehog Trundle's quest for the Crown of Ice leads him and his crew to the sacred island of Spyre. According to legend, only the Oracle can find the crown, and Trundle's spirited friend Esmeralda Lightfoot is convinced she's the chosen one.

Spyre is full of wonders—and danger—from its low, swampy jungles to its soaring, icy mountaintops. And as Trundle, Esmeralda, the squirrel troubadour Jack Nimble, and their new companion, a wild and crazy hare, make their way through a monastery of fighting llamas and a nest of hungry snow snakes, they discover that nothing on this extraordinary island is as it seems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062098429
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/23/2012
Series:	Six Crowns , #4
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
Lexile:	840L (what's this?)
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Allan Jones is the author of numerous fantasy books for both children and teens. He lives in London, England.

Gary Chalk is an illustrator and model maker. He lives in France.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3–5—Esmeralda Lightfoot, a Romany princess, believes in the badgers' legend of the six crowns, and she's on a quest to find them. Her adventurous companions include a hedgehog named Trundle; Jack Nimble, a well-traveled musician squirrel; and a loopy hare named Ishmael March, who is the cook aboard their skyboat. In Trundle's Quest (HarperCollins, 2011), they searched the islands of the Sundered Lands and found three of the crowns, and now their goal is the Crown of Ice on the sacred island of Spyre. They are on the run from pirates and on their journey they encounter bloodthirsty bats, dark lotus pollen, an abandoned windship, hat-wearing meerkats, gigantic snow snakes, llamas, and more. There's a liberal sprinkling of humor, particularly by Ishmael, who inserts such wacky comments as, "A stitch in time is worth two in the bush." Black-line illustrations add interest. This action-packed page-turner is one that even reluctant fantasy readers will embrace, and it's a fine choice for a read-aloud. The satisfying ending sets the stage for the quest for the Crown of Wood in a future book.—Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

School Library Journal