The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Cooper, Susan. The Dark is Rising. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973. 232 pages. $19.99 ISBN 0689303173

Plot Summary: Will Stanton is a normal almost eleven year old boy in England. He is the youngest of ten children, however the first Stanton boy, Tom, died at only three days old. Will is the seventh son of a seventh son, his father Roger also being a seventh son. As the night turns into his eleventh birthday Will begins to experience strange feelings and events. He starts to feel terrified. It is on his birthday that Will begins to realize he is becoming part of something big, and magical. Along comes Merryman Lyon, the original of the "Old Ones," who informs Will that he is the last of the "Old Ones." The Old Ones move through time, back and forth, communicate through telepathy, and even have their own language. Turning eleven transforms Will into an Old One, even though he is still very much a kid. His conflicting selves seem to battle for his attention when the Dark starts wrieking havoc on the town of Hunterscombe bringing dark storm clouds and heavy snow. It is up to Will and the Old Ones to find the six rings of power: iron, stone, wood, water, fire, and gold.

Critical Evaluation: The Dark is Rising was a fascinating read, although it did drag in a few parts. I found the vocabulary more advanced than the average modern tween book, but think the interest in the story will push the readers through any difficulties.

Reader's Annotation:

Author Bio:

Genre: Fantasy

Curriculum Ties: Would be a good reading list addition, for English or Language Arts.

Booktalking Ideas: Bring in an example of each of the signs (gold, fire, water, wood, stone, and iron) and engage the listeners in a discussion about what it would be like to control these elements and use them to defeat an evil power. Then lead into Will's age and all the responsibility he is given at 11, and adventures.

Reading Level/Interest Age: Suggested reading level is grades 5-9, however 9+ would enjoy as well. The vocabulary would be suited for grades 6 or 7 and up, or advanced readers in 4 and 5.

Challenges: There were a few swear words in the dialogue, British colloquialisms.

Reason for including: I saw the movie that was released in 2007, which I enjoyed. They definitely updated the storyline for the modern audience (since the book was published in the 70s). I had no idea it was part of a series, and is the second in the series. (I don't like starting series out of order!) I also heard Michael Scott mention her as one of his favorites in a presentation he gave last month.