The Silver Arrow
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4.5 • 22 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
A New York Times bestseller!
A PeopleMagazine Best Book of the Year
An Apple Best Book of the Year
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
"I loved every page. This is middle grade fiction at its best."– Ann Patchett From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians comes a must-read, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.
Dear Uncle Herbert,
You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present?
Kate and her younger brother Tom lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane -- that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow.
Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas -- and so does the Silver Arrow -- and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime . . . and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all.
This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young readers but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
All aboard for a magical kids’ book filled with imagination and wonder! Kate’s big wish for her 11th birthday is a less boring life full of the kind of adventures she reads about in books. When she asks her eccentric Uncle Herbert for a present, he shows up with a full-size train, complete with an onboard library and candy store—and Kate and her little brother, Tom, head off on an exciting journey. In his first book for middle schoolers, The Magicians author Lev Grossman builds a remarkable world of talking animals and other whimsies. Grossman’s light, snappy style is perfect for kids (he slips in a few sly references that’ll make their parents laugh, too). It’s a joy to follow the book’s young train conductors as they learn tons of eye-opening lessons about our environment and the dangers confronting it. Lovers of tween fantasy (and trains) will gobble up this lively story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Blending elements of conservation and magic, Grossman (The Magicians, for adults) crafts a timeless-feeling, Travers-tinged adventure in his middle grade debut. On her 11th birthday, Kate's uncle Herbert, "very rich and totally irresponsible," gives her an unexpected present: a life-size steam locomotive named the Silver Arrow. Kate and her younger brother Tom, finding the train fueled, are soon swept away by the sentient locomotive which communicates with them via printed messages first to acquire a selection of train cars (including delightfully stuffed candy and library compartments), and then to serve as conductors on an international rail system that transports talking animals, large and small, to new habitats. While learning to run the train and solve problems on their own, the siblings bond with myriad passengers and begin to understand global issues surrounding endangered and invasive species, habitat loss, and environmental stewardship. Though it's unclear why the magic train burns coal a nonrenewable resource in service of otherwise strong ecological messaging, whimsical details and well-wrought moments of adventure are neverthless certain to draw young readers. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8 up.
Customer Reviews
The Silver Arrow
The Silver Arrow is better than I thought it would be. It’s still not my favorite book but I didn’t expect to like it! Ages 8-11 would enjoy the book and older kids may enjoy it, but the plot could be boring for them. Overall, fantasy lovers would enjoy the book.
The Silver Arrow
What a fun, creative book! Written for ages 6-12, but fun and meaningful for any age. Magic, with a message about preserving the ecology.
I loved it
It reminded me longer version of the polar express.