Urchin of the Riding Stars
Author:
M.I. McAllister
Illustrator:
Omar Rayyan
Publication:
2005 by Hyperion Books for Children
Simultaneously published by:
Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre:
Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction
Series:
The Mistmantle Chronicles
Series Number: 1
Pages:
282
Current state:
This book has been evaluated and information added. It has been read and any content considerations have been added.
Book Guide
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On a night of riding stars, a tiny squirrel is found abandoned and close to death on a distant beach. Adopted and raised by a kindly squirrel, Urchin has no idea of his powerful destiny or of the way he will influence the island of Mistmantle.
The rule of the good King Brushen and Queen Spindle is threatened by an evil plot from within the court. When their young son is found murdered, the isle is thrown into turmoil. Behind the scenes, the wicked Lord Husk and Lady Aspen are determined to take control. But to underestimate the power of the islanders and the ancient prophecies is a big mistake....
Triumphant heroes and brilliantly wicked villains do battle in this heart-stopping adventure in the great tradition of Watership Down and The Wind in the Willows.
From the dust jacket
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M.I. McAllister
1956 -British
M. I. McAllister is the author of several books for young readers, including Hold My Hand and Run, and The Octave of Angels. She is marrie... See more
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Urchin of the Riding Stars 
Reprinted in 2021 by Purple House Press
Reprint illustrated by Christine Enright
Available formats: Paperback
View on the Purple House Press site
Resource Guide
Podcast
Mistmantle Book Club 1: Urchin of the Riding Stars
Released in 2022 by Plumfield Moms Podcast
Available formats: Streaming Audio
Length: 1 hr. 8 min.
View on the Plumfield Moms Podcast site
Lara, Sarah, and Tanya, of the Biblioguides Team, join Sara and Diane for this episode and everyone is invited to listen in and join the discussion in the Plumfield Reads group inside the Biblioguides Community!
Podcast
Meet Margi McAllister: Two Episode Interview
Released in 2022 by Plumfield Moms Podcast
Available formats: Streaming Audio
Length: 1 hr. 9 min.
View on the Plumfield Moms Podcast site
Reviews
Urchin of the Riding Stars
Evidently hoping to tap into the Redwall audience, McAllister furnishes a cast of squirrels, hedgehogs and other small creatures with an island surrounded by magical mists, a pair of obscure prophecies, a castle atop a nearly forgotten reservoir of Evil and a kindly king who comes under the thumb of a murderous vassal.
Mistmantle Chronicles
Reviewed by Sara Masarik
What surprised me the most was how this particular book renewed my commitment to regularly reading aloud with my children. Because of the beauty of the language, the complexity of the story, the moral struggle between good and evil, the humor of Padra, and the delightful storytelling, my kids were clamoring for me to read and read and read. They were happy to tell their friends that they could not play, and they chattered away about the story during chores and meal times. I rediscovered how good it was for our family culture to get lost in a world together that we all loved being in... Read our full review to see a number of the illustrations, learn about the story overall, see some content concerns, and find out why this book has made us fall in love with reading aloud again!
Urchin of the Riding Stars
Reviewed by Sherry Early
Decent fantasy fiction, similar to the Redwall book or S.D. Smith’s Green Ember series, but the writing and the plot development were not as good as I expected them to be.
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