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Sign up todayThe Silver Arrow
Narrator
Simon Vance
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Length
3 hours 51 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“When Kate appeals to her rich uncle for an exciting birthday present, she was not prepared to get a steam engine delivered to her door. He even arranges for tracks to be laid. Kate and brother Tom are exploring the engine when it starts to run and it takes them to a magical train depot where they get all sorts of wacky train cars (including a swimming car). They then begin to pick up talking animals who have been given tickets and their adventure begins. The story is fun and silly, yet the subtle, underlying message is about climate change. An exciting listen for the whole family. ”
— Karrie • Vroman's Bookstore
Bookseller recommendation
“This great adventure takes us into the realm of climate change, endangered species and the Golden Rule - do unto the Earth that which you would like the Earth to return to you. We CAN do better. We MUST do better. AND why not have the adventure of a lifetime while we are at it? Would be an excellent read-a-loud for middle grade. I listened to "The Silver Arrow" and the narrator makes me wish the story would never end. He gets the pacing and voices just right and I could not turn it off. I went an extra mile walking the pups just to finish. I will be looking for more from Lev Grossman and seeking out audio books read by Simon Vance. Extraordinary. ”
— Carolyn • Anderson's Bookshop
Bookseller recommendation
“This is a great book for a family read aloud. Loved the narrator for the audiobook.”
— Julia • The Bookloft
Bookseller recommendation
“So great! For fans of every good, classic story for the young and the young-at-heart, reminiscent of Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling, with powerful-yet-accessible-to-children commentary on the state of our Earth and the creatures that inhabit it. Please, Lev, please, write more! The audio version is phenomenal! ”
— Jen • Townie Books
"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.
Lev Grossman is the author of five novels including the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy, which has been published in thirty countries. A TV adaptation of the trilogy is now in its fifth season as the top-rated show on Syfy. Grossman is also an award-winning journalist who spent fifteen years as the book critic and lead technology writer at Time magazine, where he published more than twenty cover stories. In addition he has written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Wired, the Believer, the Village Voice, NPR, Salon, Slate, and Buzzfeed, among many others. He lives in New York City with his wife and three children.
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Reviews
"Fans of classic talking-animal tales such as the Chronicles of Narnia will want to pick up a copy."—BCCB *"Grossman's gorgeous middle-grade debut is vivid and amusing... it's a world all its own."—Booklist, starred review Praise for The Silver Arrow:"I loved it. Completely unpredictable and completely charming. A perfect book to cuddle up with and savor--and even better to read aloud with someone you love." —Adam Gidwitz, bestselling and Newbery honor-winning author of A Tale Dark and Grimm and The Inquisitor's Tale
"...one that's sure to become a classic all its own."—Barnes & Noble Reads
"...whimsical details and well-wrought moments of adventure are nevertheless certain to draw young readers."—Publishers Weekly
"I loved every page. This is middle grade fiction at its best."—Ann Patchett
"[A] scrumptious fantasy confection."—Horn Book
*"Both cozy and inspiring, this eco-fable conveys both grim truths and a defiant call to action."—Kirkus, starred review
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