![]() Bethan went out in search of a pet lamb belonging to her little brother, after he begged her to do so, and never returned. We learn that Gwyn’s birthday is usually a quiet and fairly sombre affair because it is the anniversary of his elder sister’s disappearance, four years earlier. ![]() It turns out that these rather unusual tokens are in fact a kind of test, designed to determine whether Gwyn has inherited the magical powers that run in the family line but which have now missed several generations. It starts on the morning of Gwyn’s birthday with his grandmother, the eccentric Nain, giving him five gifts: a brooch, a broken wooden horse, a yellow scarf, a piece of seaweed and a tin whistle. ![]() It’s set in Gwynedd, rural Wales, where our central character, nine year-old Gwyn Davies, lives on a farm with his parents. I chose it for the book club I run at my daughter’s primary school. It was originally published as a trilogy, but this anniversary volume has been issued as a stand-alone. The Snow Spider was first published 30 years ago and was a multiple award winner. Harry Potter wasn’t the first literary character to bring wizarding and magic into children’s literary lives, however. JK Rowling is one of my heroes, for a number of reasons, but primarily for all that she has done to get (and keep) children reading, particularly those who might otherwise not have done so. My children are part of the generation that grew up with Harry Potter. ![]() ![]() Regular visitors to this blog will know that I am passionate about children’s literature. ![]()
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