Book Without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic

Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW said the "scene-setting, characterization and dialogue will quickly draw youngsters into this tale" of an aging would-be alchemist who plots to rejuvenate himself by stealing the life of his 13-year-old servant. Ages 10-14. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick

To quote the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, May 2005: Avi, author of the Newbery Medal-winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead as well as many other novels for young readers, returns to medieval England for this tale about magic and greed. The Book Without Words, a work of spells that appears to be just blank pages, was stolen from a monastery by a man named Thorston when he was young. Now Thorston is an old man, an alchemist, and on his deathbed he seeks a green-eyed reader who can reveal the book's secrets and grant him immortality. His servant girl, Sybil, and his talking raven, Odo, hunt for a green-eyed reader and find not one but two boys who fit the bill, one sweet and one sour; bury and rebury their not-quite-dead master; and contend with a mysterious monk who is trying to retrieve the book and with the city reeve, who wants the alchemist's gold. Endnotes explain that the story is meant to be a fable, and also tell a bit about the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, alchemy, the story's setting, and Saint Elfleda, who appears as a character. This is an appealingly creepy tale that features details of life in the Middle Ages along with a feisty heroine and a message about the dangers of greediness.

KLIATT

Avi, author of the Newbery Medal-winning Crispin: The Cross of Lead as well as many other novels for young readers, returns to medieval England for this tale about magic and greed. The Book Without Words, a work of spells that appears to be just blank pages, was stolen from a monastery by a man named Thorston when he was young. Now Thorston is an old man, an alchemist, and on his deathbed he seeks a green-eyed reader who can reveal the book's secrets and grant him immortality. His servant girl, Sybil, and his talking raven, Odo, hunt for a green-eyed reader and find not one but two boys who fit the bill, one sweet and one sour; bury and rebury their not-quite-dead master; and contend with a mysterious monk who is trying to retrieve the book and with the city reeve, who wants the alchemist's gold. Endnotes explain that the story is meant to be a fable, and also tell a bit about the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, alchemy, the story's setting, and Saint Elfleda, who appears as a character. This is an appealingly creepy tale that features details of life in the Middle Ages along with a feisty heroine and a message about the dangers of greediness. A lively read. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2005, Hyperion, 204p., Ages 12 to 15.
—Paula Rohrlick

Children's Literature

Set in eleventh-century Northumbria, England, this story opens with an old alchemist named Thorston, who is about to create a potion that will allow him to become young again and live forever. With the help of a magical book with no words, only he or another with green eyes "filled with desire" may read the book to discover the potion's secret. As he is about to complete his task, he suddenly suffers a heart attack. With a few last words to his talking raven and thirteen-year-old servant girl, Master Thorston attempts to complete his mission by having these two find, "the green eyed one." And so begins the tale of an entire town—shrouded in poverty—in a greedy search for what they believe is "gold," as misunderstood by the raven when his master said the word "old." With talking animals, supernatural elements and a suspenseful and mysterious atmosphere, Avi's book accomplishes what it apparently set out to do—entertain. An evil lawmaker; a curious monk; a nosy apothecary; two green-eyed boys; Sybil, the servant and Odo, the raven, make a dynamic, disturbing group of characters. They will leave readers wondering who to trust, what is evil and what is good. With a mystical feel similar to the Harry Potter series, this book is certain to be a hit with middle-grade readers and adults alike. 2005, Hyperion Books for Children, Ages 9 to 12.
—Kelly Roque

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-At the dawning of the Middle Ages, Thorston, an old alchemist, works feverishly to create gold and to dose himself with a concoction that will enable him to live forever. The key to his success lies in a mysterious book with blank pages that can only be read by desperate, green-eyed people. Master Bashcroft, enforcer of law and order for the city, desires Thorston's secrets for himself. Brother Wilfrid, a priest with green eyes, knows the dangers of the book and seeks to retrieve it. To this mix add Odo, a talking raven, and Sybil, a poor orphan girl whom Thorston has taken in as his servant, and you have an intriguing tale in which goodness ultimately triumphs. Avi's compelling language creates a dreary foreboding, a grim backdrop against which the characters work out their fate. The old city always seems enshrouded in nasty fog and disgusting odors. Thorston keeps consuming part of his life-giving formula and repeatedly appears to die before resuscitating as a younger person. This, plus the fact that after each "death" Sybil and the others bury him, only to have him tromp up the basement steps covered in grime, will surely keep readers turning pages. Odo's cleverness and cynicism make him a likable character, while Sybil's innate goodness will endear her to readers. Clearly this is a story with a message, a true fable. Thoughtful readers will devour its absorbing plot and humorous elements, and learn a "useful truth" along the way.-Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro, NC Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.