I recently read The Green Ember by S. D. Smith. It is a delightful book on so many levels. The general plot (without giving away the details) revolves around Heather and her brother Picket, who are rabbits. Certain events launch them on a quest from their home, where they encounter their Uncle Wilfred and another rabbit called Smalls. The rest of the book involves their journey as they fight and evade wolves and birds on their way to another enclave of rabbits, where you learn all about kingdoms, history, and the redemption of a nation.
Smith writes in such a way that you forget you are reading a story about rabbits and wolves. As I read, I knew in my mind the characters were rabbits, but they acted like and sounded like “people,” much like C. S. Lewis’ animal characters in Narnia do.
I read it aloud twice with my son, who is nine. The sword fights and battles always draw my son’s attention, and there are several sprinkled throughout the book, but it is not simply about sword fights. It is a tale of nobility, of honor, and of redemption.
We ordered the second and third books in the series (Ember Falls and Ember Rising) and look forward to delving into them once they are in our possession–we are closely monitoring the tracking information in anticipation. There are four books in the series (we will order the fourth, Ember's End, when we near the end of book three), along with four other books within the story world.
I highly recommend The Green Ember.
Addendum:
Since the initial post, we have read the entire series, including the two Green Ember stories and two Tales of Old Natalia Stories. All are excellent and recommended. Each of the titles are listed below.
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P.S. Please check out my new book, Leading Well at Home: How Husbands and Fathers Can Biblically Lead Their Families. You can find it in our store at www.entrustingthefaith.com/store.
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