Spellbound by Anna Dale

Excerpts

Of course, there are some people who have nothing at all in common and yet can get along extremely well. Regrettably, this was not the case with the two Enright children. Athene detested her brother from the minute she set eyes on him,........

She encountered moths and a hedgehog, snails and two rabbits, nibbling at Mr Stirrup's lettuces; and finally she came across the most amazing creature of all.

'What is your kind, exactly?' asked Athene.

'I'm human, same as you. Only I'm a Gloam and you're a Glare.'

In the split second that she saw its silhouette, the tree looked monstrous, with its grotesque trunk and its branches like tentacles. She pictured the Low Gloam living beneath its roots, forcing their slaves to obey their every command.

Athene stood back and watched him as he bent to peer inside the trunk. She didn't shout out. She didn't try to stop him. He slipped into the tree and disappeared.

After a few minutes, Athene inched closer. 'Zach?' she said.

There was no reply.

The rain drummed on the road and the thunder boomed.

She waited for a moment more; then turned away, thrilled and appalled by what she had just done.

Personal comments

A good read for those who likes a little mystery and fantasy. It is a magical story within real setting. The realistic part of the story brings out the fact that there is good and bad inside ourselves; there is good and bad in every tribe and in every nation too. Suitable for age 9 to 12.

About the author

http://www.bloomsbury.com/childrens/microsite.asp?id=626&section=3