Inspiring Children’s Books – 1. The Snow Spider

MOST AVID READERS WILL HAVE SEVERAL FAVOURITE BOOKS FROM THEIR CHILDHOOD.

I’ve already mentioned a few of mine in this blog, but some still resonate and so I’ve decided to share one of them with you today:

The Snow Spider – Jenny Nimmo

I didn’t even remember that this was part of a trilogy. I don’t know if I even read the other two books nor do I remember the TV series. What I do remember is re-reading this book several times and enjoying it every time.

Cover of Snow Spider (The Magician Trilogy)

This book combines Welsh myth and legend and is about a boy named Gwyn who is blamed when his sister vanishes on the mountain. Years later, his grandmother gives him several small and unusual gifts, (e.g. a piece of seaweed, a whistle etc) on his birthday to find out if he is a magician after regaling him with tales of his ancestors.

The wonderful thing about this fantasy book is the magic. It’s done in a very beautiful and

soulful manner, the backdrop of the Welsh setting creating an intriguing yet unforgiving background. The stakes are high. The characterization seems very real and the split in Gwyn’s family left by the absence of his sister is felt throughout the story.

Add to that the unusual, silver spider (the snow spider), the Welsh mythology and the enthralling writer and you have an excellent story, one that captures the imagination of the reader for a long time.