By: S.D. Smith
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Publication Date: 2014
Publisher’s Description
“Heather and Picket are extraordinary rabbits with ordinary lives until calamitous events overtake them, spilling them into a cauldron of misadventures. They discover that their own story is bound up in the tumult threatening to overwhelm the wider world. Kings fall and kingdoms totter. Tyrants ascend and terrors threaten. Betrayal beckons, and loyalty is a broken road with peril around every bend. Where will Heather and Picket land? How will they make their stand?”
Our Take
This is a story about young rabbits learning to be brave in the face of hardship and dangers when their world is suddenly turned upside down. it’s a tale of growing up and of sacrifice. Both you and your kids will take away lessons and examples on how to be brave and do what’s right, even if it’s hard. It will make you think about what kind of person you want to be and what kind of character you want to have in the face of adversity. We walked away carrying several beloved characters in our hearts, and I think it’s safe to say that this has been one of our most memorable family read-alouds.
food to share
We kept it simple for this book club and had finger foods outdoors. The highlight, though, was a candy filled pinata made to represent one of the villains in the story, Redeye Garlackson. The kids really enjoyed defeating him with their sticks and swords to exact justice upon him and reap their reward!
craft
This book was so fun to bring to life at book club. The kids, and even some adults, dressed up! We crafted stars for the game “Starseek” that Picket and Heather played in the beginning of the story, And Having the Redeye Garlackson pinata made for lots of fun, but the highlight for us moms was the fan art beautifully and thoughtfully created by the kids. You can see more on how we incorporated all of this into book club here.
discussion
- “If you aren’t angry about the wicked things happening in the world all around, then you don’t have a soul.” Oftentimes, we view anger as a negative response. How is it different here in the story and why?
- “Growing up is terribly wonderful. But often it’s also wonderfully terrible.” What do you think about how quickly Heather and Picket had to grow up? How did they grow and change throughout the story?
- Who was your favorite character and why?
- Which character do you think made the greatest sacrifice for others and why?
quotes
“The Green Ember burns; the seed of the New World smolders.
Healing is on the horizon, but a fire comes first.
Bear the flame.”
“I regret many things I’ve done,” he said, “but most of all I regret those moments when I said to Fear, ‘You are my master.”
“My place beside you, my blood for yours, ’till the Green Ember rises, or the end of the world!.”