Glint

by Ann Coburn

Book Overview

Ellie and her little brother Danny spend their lonely days making up stories about a young girl in a world of dragons and shape-shifters, a girl as brave and cunning as they would like to be. Five... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060847239
• ISBN13: 9780060847234
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Eos
• Length: 423 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

This is not your average dramatic children's novel

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Brody and her younger brother Danny have always been close, a bond strengthened during that extraordinary summer five years ago when they created a fantasy world featuring dragons while spending many lonely days exploring the wild coastline near the village that their family had recently moved to. Danny marked that summer as theirs forever when he proposed that they have matching spiral tattoos (which he created himself) on their ankles. Although that summer is now a distant memory as they've each grown into their own persons, Ellie and Danny are still there for each other. But on his 11th birthday, Danny goes missing. At first, the family thinks that Danny simply lost track of time while fishing at one of his favorite spots. However, as the hours go by and his friends who had arrived to help celebrate his birthday return home, it becomes apparent that something serious has happened. The police are called in and an investigation begins. A family liaison officer named Lisa is brought in to provide support, particularly for Ellie's mother, who refuses to leave her son's room until he returns safe and sound. As all possible leads and suspects are narrowed down, the police begin asking unpleasant questions and suspect foul play involving Ellie's own father. Ellie still has hope and realizes that she must continue searching for Danny herself before her family is shattered forever. As she begins her own underground investigation questioning Danny's many diverse social circles, a young girl named Argent sets off on a quest to find a stolen baby dragon and return it to its grieving mother while stopping her ignorant village from taking matters into their own hands. Along the way she makes new friends --- including a young man named Lukos, who has some unusual characteristics --- while battling deceiving foes. As Ellie and Argent fight for what they believe in, their worlds start to merge into one terrifying race against time. There are many elements in Ann Coburn's latest book that make for a surprising read. With subplots highlighting important topics such as illegal immigration and prejudice, this is not your average dramatic children's novel. While GLINT is a psychological thriller entwined with fantasy, the most compelling story is of one girl's determination to find her brother regardless of the obstacles that get in her way. --- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle

Two worlds. Two girls. Two desperate quests (from cover)

Ellie and her little brother Danny are close - close enough to get into trouble a lot as kids. They create a fantasy world where Argent - a girl who is the exact opposite of Ellie (outgoing, brave, adventurous) Once they even tattooed a spiral mark on their ankles! But now Ellie's older, has a boyfriend, and on Danny's 11th birthday, Danny disappears. Suddenly, Ellie's family is torn apart, the police are living in their house, and Danny is still nowhere to be found. Instead, he's hiding in Argent's world - where Argent is embarking on a dangerous quest - and Ellie must embark on one in her world, too - or Danny could be lost forever. Coburn combines two very different world extremely well in this tale of adventure and the love a family has for its son.

winning fantasy for the middle school crowd

Ellie and her younger brother Danny used to play together making up adventure stories about a heroic girl in a fantasy realm filled dragons, shapeshifters, and other more dangerous creatures. Five years later the siblings remain close as his friends come for his eleventh birthday party. Only one problem, Danny fails to show up. The police make no progress into his disappearance and begin to assume foul play. When her friends ask Ellie if she and Danny were close to one another, she realizes only she knows him well enough to find him. She starts at the nearby cave where they shared tales of a courageous girl their age. At the same time that Ellie begins her quest, on the world that she and Danny imagined, their heroine Argent begins a dangerous quest to regain a stolen dragon hatchling. The danger mounts as adversaries ready to pick on a little girl seems to leap up from behind every rock on the road she travels. Yet though she risks her life, Argent refuses to go home without achieving her objective. This terrific fantasy targets the 9-12 years old crowd, but readers of all ages will appreciate the two young, strong and caring females as each starts a separate quest to save an individual they love. The subplots showcase the courage and determination of the heroines as the charming story line rotates worlds before cleverly merging into a climax where reality and fantasy tie together. GLINT is a winning fantasy for the middle school crowd. Harriet Klausner