The Dark is Rising

Locations
Call Number: R Newbery Honor 1974, Kids Book / Fiction / Fantasy & Myth / Dark is Rising 2, Y Fiction / Cooper, Susan
On Shelf At: Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown Kids Reference 0-week checkout	R Newbery Honor 1974	0-week checkout	Library Use Only
Traverwood Kids Books 4-week checkout	Kids Book / Fiction / Fantasy & Myth / Dark is Rising 2	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y Fiction / Cooper, Susan	4-week checkout	Due 05-22-2024
Downtown Kids Books 4-week checkout	Y Fiction / Cooper, Susan	4-week checkout	Due 04-30-2024

On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magic Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over evil forces of the Dark.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Intriguing submitted by marshd on October 16, 2010, 4:30pm Much more intriguing than the first book of the series. The characters of Will and Lyon are much more pronounced than the characters of the first book, as well. Overall, a great read, with a great storyline.

The Dark is Rising submitted by halofriendly on July 23, 2011, 9:42pm If you consider yourself a fan of fantasy, adult or younger, you have no excuse if these aren't sitting on your shelves.

Will, on his eleventh birthday, learns he is an Old One, a guardian for The Light. He must collect the ancient Things of Power (wood, bronze, iron, water, fire, and stone) so that the Light may do battle with the Dark and win. Unfortunately, such a brief synopsis does not do it justice, but I don't want to ruin anything for you. And since Cooper sets most of the story lines in Wales, you also get to learn a bit of Welsh...

Y maent yr mynyddoedd yn canu,
ac y maer arglwyddes yn dod.

good book submitted by Blackberry Elf-Glitter on July 13, 2013, 2:50pm I had to read this for school, although I didn't know it wasn't the first book. I don't think it matters, though, since the characters basically discover everything about the magic themes over again in all of them anyway. I thought it was really exciting and captivating! I still think about the final battle, and other occurrences, and play them over in my head. There's a movie of it, but I don't like how they made the family American, they say to avoid clash with Harry Potter. I haven't watched it, but I want to, screwed up or not.

great addition to the series submitted by Sabrina Carlson on July 20, 2018, 3:03am this fits in perfectly with the other books in the series and is a great read! i have always loved England (especially Cornwall) and this is a quick, fun, fictional insight

Truly magical submitted by lylee1001 on August 13, 2018, 8:15pm There is nothing Disney about the magic in the Dark is Rising. This is the sort of magic that scares you and inspires awe. This is magic that matters, without horror and without melodrama.

The four books of the series are all incredible. Read a chapter aloud and you'll realize just how good the writing is. Complex sentence structure and great vocabulary. Everyone has a favorite in the series. The Dark is Rising is mine. It's a true coming of age story, figuring out how the world works and what matters most. Ten thousand fantasy novels later and this is the book that sticks with me.

The prequel, Over Sea over Stone, was written 6 years early. Cooper clearly honed her craft in the intervening years. It appeals to younger children is a great introduction to the series.

Good Read submitted by emylondon on August 26, 2021, 8:24pm The dichotomy between his power and responsibility as an old one contrasted with being the youngest child makes the character of Will pop off the page

A classic submitted by Emily Jennings on July 10, 2023, 11:49am I read this as a young person and have reread it as an adult. It stands up over time. It’s a coming of age story for Will, but Will and Merriman’s relationship factors prominently in his journey and is one of my favorite parts. This is one of the stronger books in a great series.

A classic submitted by denisekim on August 26, 2023, 11:03pm This series is epic fantasy, well worth the read