MODULE 4: THE HERO AND THE CROWN

MODULE 4: NEWBERY WINNERS 

THE HERO AND THE CROWN

Summary:  The Hero and the Crown is a coming-of-age story that details the life of the young Princess Aerin as she comes to terms with her destiny. Aerin is the only child of the king of Damar and her mother died giving birth to her.  Aerin struggles to fit in as rumors of her mother’s supernatural talents force her to lead the life of an unconventional princess. Unbeknownst to her, she has inherited her mother’s strange powers and will have to use them to defeat the evil that is threatening her kingdom. With the guidance of a supernatural being known as Luthe, Aerin will have to learn to use the Blue Sword and become the leader of a nation

Citation: 

McKinley, R. (1987). The hero and the crown. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning.

Impression: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and grew to love Aerin and Luthe as great characters. There is a reason that this book won the Newbery Medal; it is a bildungsroman that almost anyone can relate to, young or old. The reader can see themselves in the story and the tough choices that Aerin has to make. It is superbly written fantasy that had me looking for and reading the following book, The Blue Sword.

Review:
[Review of the book The hero and the crown, R. McKinley]. n.d. School Library

Journal. Available from the School Library Journal website:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Splendid high fantasy... filled with tender moments, good characters, satisfying action and sparkling dialogue... superb!

[Review of the book The hero and the crown]. n.d. Horn Book . Available from the Horn

Book  website: http://www.hbook.com/

Vibrant, witty, compelling, the story is the stuff of which true dreams are made.

Uses: The Hero and the Crown is a great book for many ages and could be used as a book club feature on fantasy books or Newbery winners. As part of the book club program bildungsroman or the coming age novel could also be the focus and the book could be discussed with that in mind. Also, many epic fantasy novels are being made into movies; the book club members could create a simply storyboards for their favorite scene in the book.