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One night, Erin and her friends January Carr and Mouse Gullane flee from the orphanage, sailing down the moonlit river on a makeshift raft. As they are dragged into the mighty current, January's eyes are wild with joy. "'Freedom,' he whispered. 'Freedom, Erin!'" Before they know it, however, the three adventurers run aground in sticky, oily, stinking, quicksand-like mud--the Black Middens. There they are greeted by a moon-eyed, diaphanous girl named Heaven Eyes, who speaks strangely and insists they are her long-lost sister and brothers, albeit "all filthy as filthy."
She leads them back to her bizarre, broken world of abandoned printing works and warehouses full of tinned food and chocolates. Her sole companion is Grampa, who is straggly haired and just plain scary. Cocking a wary eye at the three visitors, he scribbles in his book: "Mebbe they're ghosts. Mebbe they're devils sent from hell or angels sent from heaven." Despite Grampa's frightening demeanor, however, Erin is completely taken by the guileless Heaven Eyes and the idea of being her "bestest friend." The sweet, simple Mouse soon relishes his role as Grampa's Little Helper, digging treasures out of the inky mud night after night. January, however, bitterly resents his o'er-hasty loss of freedom, sacrificed to a crazy world of "bloody freaks." Almond's choreography is masterful, and as the four children dance about each other we learn what, at the core, makes each of their young hearts beat faster.
As always, Almond shows us a world where the joy and terror of being alive coexist. What is real, what is imagined, what is remembered, and what is dreamed, all fuse together--and however dark his tales, he manages to tell stories infused with both hope and persistent, persuasive love. (Ages 10 and older) --Karin Snelson
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 5222644-n
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. Erin, January and Mouse live in a children's home, Whitegates. They often dream of escape, and frequently journey into the outside world. Running away is something they know all about. But this time January builds a raft, and the three of them head precariously down river. Towards the Black Middens. This time they might never come back. When they stumble across a disused factory and its strange inhabitants - Grampa and Heaven Eyes - they wonder if they'll even have the choice. Heaven Eyes is the girl who should have drowned at sea. The mysterious girl desperately searching for her family, hoping that these three might be the family she has lost. She has a secret history only Grampa knows. And does he trust these three invaders enough to tell them Erin feels a sisterly responsibility for Heaven Eyes, Mouse longs to belong anywhere and anyhow, but January thinks Grampa's a murderer. Whatever happens, all three have a part to play. . . A stunning novel from the author of the modern children's classic Skellig - winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Award. David Almond is also winner of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen award. Another highly original and beautifully written novel from the award-winning author of Skellig and Kit's Wilderness. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780340944974
Book Description PAP. Condition: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000. Seller Inventory # HU-9780340944974
Book Description Condition: New. pp. 224. Seller Inventory # 262599889
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780340944974
Book Description Condition: New. pp. 224. Seller Inventory # 5248014
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 224 pages. 7.72x5.12x0.67 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0340944978
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Another highly original and beautifully written novel from the award-winning author of Skellig and Kit's Wilderness. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Seller Inventory # B9780340944974
Book Description Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9780340944974_new
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 6016f2ef79e5a51dde1d1578fe955a4a