I read this book nearly 30 years ago, back in elementary school. I'm not usually one to reread many books, but this was one that I would check out from our public library at least once a year. Without recalling details of the storyline, I do remember that this book totally involved me in a way that just a few have. I've looked for a copy of the book off and on for some time. I'm excited to now be able to share with my own kids.

A wise old man gives Donald the knowledge - and the poser - to prevent the ancient mystical circle of stones from being destroyed. Just like any other Magic Carpet books, once started, I just couldn't put it down. This is a must-read for all those who enjoy fatasy books.

Unlike most of Mollie Hunter's books, this is not a novel, but a gorgeously illustrated short story. If you like fairy tales, you won't be disappointed.

Mollie Hunter combines elements of Celtic mythology and children's dreams of heroism in this beautifully written fantasy. McAllistair's vow not to give the fairies their traditional share of his land is followed by several attempts on his life. When at last they kidnap him and make him their slave, his twelve-year-old son Fergus and his aged hunting dog Colm set out to rescue him from the mountain where he is held prisoner under the all-hearing great gray stone giant An Ferla Mor. This is a marvelous read-aloud for children in grades 4-5. It can lead to an interest in Celtic folklore as well as to Ms. Hunter's other books.

I liked The Knight of the Golden Plain because it was mysterious and it also was great. I would give it 500 stars if I could. I am almost 8 years old.

If you like the Disney movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People", you'll love this book. It is actually a collection of short stories about the wee folk, all cleverly woven together into a larger story. Mollie Hunter is great; I also recommend her books "Mermaid Summer" and "A Stranger Came Ashore".

Colin Grant is a Highlands forester with a loving wife, three fine sons, a kind nature--and a fiery temper that nearly ruins his life. His quick temper attracts the Grollican, an Otherworldly monster known as "the wicked one" that delights in playing malicious pranks on him in order to watch him fly into a rage. The angrier Colin gets, the more trouble the Grollican makes for him and his family, until it is almost impossible for them to live in peace. One by one Colin tries various methods of getting rid of the Grollican: ignoring it, hunting it with his three dogs, even confronting the fairy folk themselves. The Grollican retaliates with all the tricks it can devise, Colin goes after it again, and the situation continues to escalate until Colin is forced to face an unpleasant truth: if he doesn't learn to control his temper, he's never going to get rid of the Grollican. Now the real battle begins...

I have never read anything by Mollie Hunter that I didn't like. That state of affairs continues with "The Wicked One." Colin is a likable and sympathetic character, easy to identify with (come on, admit it: if someone smashed up your garage, wouldn't you start shouting?). His wife Anna and youngest son Ian are similarly believable and enjoyable to read about, and even the Grollican has its moments in the limelight. One of the things I especially like about Mollie Hunter's books is the way she manages to convey both the attraction and the danger of the fairy folk. No cute harmless sprites or noble lofty elves here--these are an alien people, neither good nor evil because they do not exist within the framework of those concepts, capricious and cruel, or kind, as the mood takes them. Colin's dealings with them are more unsettling than any of his wrangling with the Grollican.

I enjoyed this book very much. It contains edges of horror, a good deal of humor, fascinating characters, and a message that does not become moralistic. Entertaining to read (and re-read, and re-read), "The Wicked One" is a book I definitely recommend.

I read this book when I was 11 or 12, and now that I'm 20 and have a younger sister that age, I just had to go out and find this treasure of a book (sadly out of print) again.

Mollie Hunter's tales of youngsters participating in important historical events are touching and engaging, fast-paced and thrilling. She pioneered this genre before "American Diaries" and "Catherine Called Birdy" came on the scene. Her books are a great way to introduce young readers to historical fiction and history in general; her work should not be lost.

These are the mermaids that sailors feared -- vain, nasty little finned misses who don't hesitate to call up storms if it suits them. Mollie Hunter is in prime form here, in the tale of two brave kids who struggle to free their village from a vindictive mermaid.

Eric Anderson never believed in the mermaid -- until his ship was crashed on the rocks, and he saw a mermaid seconds before the disaster. After that incident, he stays on the land with his family, but eventually grows restless for the sea. He leaves for a shipping job far away. Three years later, his wife, children, and grandchildren Anna and Jon receive nine gifts -- which the wise woman Howdy tells them is significant. Everything regarding the mermaid and their grandfather, she says, will be connected with the number three.

One of the gifts is a conch shell, which the spooked Jon finds will summon the mermaid. After Anna accidently calls the mermaid up, the fishy girl is at first charmed by the sight of a "female land creature," then demands Anna's gift, a beautiful jade comb. When Anna refuses to give it to her, the mermaid threatens to drive away the herring -- meaning that the village will starve that winter. A war of wills begins between two ingenious kids and a ruthless mermaid -- not just for the village, but for Eric Anderson as well...

This is a stronger book than Hunter's "Stranger Came Ashore," partly due to the more mainstream plotline and partly due to the third-person narrative. For the characters, Hunter hits all the nails on the head, as every person's emotions and responses are perfectly-written. Her descriptions of a rural village full of life and work is appealing, as are her atmospheric descriptions of the coastline.

Jon and Anna are good heroes for this. Jon is strong-willed and a little befuddled by what is going on around him, while Anna is an innocent little girl with a scheming streak. Senior citizens Jamie and the Howdy add a note of experience and wisdom. The mermaid is also excellently drawn: she's not evil so much as lacking in generosity, mercy, or basic kindness. Like a spoiled brat, she wants what she wants, and will throw a tantrum to get it. And in keeping with her vanity, her only goal is to make her sister mermaids envy her.

"Mermaid Summer" is a charming, sometimes spooky look at the less benevolent mermaids. With endearing heroes and a tight storyline, it's a good read for any and all kids.

Eric Anderson was the only fisherman in the village who laughed at the tale of the mermaid whose favourite place was the Drongs, the huge rocks off the coast of the village. (They're real, by the way, lying off Hillswick Ness in the Shetland Islands of northern Scotland.)

Eric stopped laughing, though, on the foggy day when he and his crew not only saw her, but were lured onto the rocks by her singing. After consulting the Howdy - the local wisewoman, in this 19th century village - Eric left the fishing fleet to sign on for a long ocean voyage, rather than endanger the other fishermen. The Howdy offered hope - and riddles, recommending what gifts he should find and send home to his family. Not until later do we understand the Howdy's prophecy that Granda Eric's gifts will be his hope of coming home, and that his fate is ruled by the number three. The Howdy's character is well drawn - we see enough of the story from her viewpoint to know that she's not as uncanny as she seems, and enough to understand why all the kids are scared of her.

Eric sends gifts and letters to his wife Sarah, his son, and his grandchildren, Jon and Anna - but not the name of his ship or its home port, fearing that he might weaken if they write back. Both the adults and children of the family are developed properly as characters; Sarah, Eric's wife, reacts about as you might expect to her husband's exile to the ends of the earth, giving us a glimpse of the Howdy's treatment of the ailments of despair. While the adults are too proud to write against Eric's wishes, Anna is so determined that she figures out how to get her letters to Eric, always ending, 'Please come home soon.' She may even be determined enough to defeat the mermaid's magic...

The mermaid, as you may have gathered, is drawn in the tradition of the old legends: beautiful, but ageless, and as uncaring as the sea of any human feelings. Mermaids have *some* feelings, just not the softer ones: they revel in the jealousy of other mermaids, for instance, or the rush of power. She isn't evil; she's outside human reckoning, like a storm or a shark. When the children finally encounter her face-to-face, they find themselves trying to outwit her for both Granda Eric's freedom and the fate of the entire herring fleet.

My friend read this book and she said it was a real good book Now I'm reading it.

A Stranger Came Ashore

A Stranger Came Ashore is a mysterious book. It has lots of action scenes, and it is a great mystery book. It takes place in the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. I thought it was going to be a boring book when we started reading it, but when we got further into it, the book turned out to be amazing. It held my attention all the way through. It is about a young boy named Robbie and his sister Janet. A stranger came to the island on a dark and stormy night. He gave his name as Finn Learson. His eye is caught by Elspeth, a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair. He begins to court her, while her boyfriend Nicol is courting her as well. Robbie doesn't want Elspeth to marry him, so he goes to the school master, Yarl Corbie(who is believed to practice magic)for help. Yarl Corbie promises to help Robbie if Robbie promises not to tell anyone that Yarl Corbie is helping him. Robbie thinks that Fin Learson is The Great Selkie. This book is a very powerful and suspenseful novel. The end is very suspenseful. To find out what happens you'll have to read the book yourself.

I loved this book, A Stranger Came Ashore. I didn't want our teacher, who read it to us, to put it down it was so suspensful. I think I recommended it to my family ten times, fearing they would forget about it. Although this book was mostly fiction I learned a lot about the culture of the people who live in the Shetland Islands. This culture is very interesting mostly because I had never heard of it before. One of the things that made this book full of suspense was you kind of knew that everything would come out all right in the end but you never knew how this would happen. Also, the way Molly Hunter described things using figurative language was simply amazing. I recommend this book to any 5th and 6th graders who like adventure and suspense. I would happily rate this book, on a scale of 1-5, a 5.

A Stranger Came Ashore

A Stranger came Ashore was an excellent book. This book is enjoyable for everyone who likes to read. It doesn't matter what your interested in reading. You don't have to be stuck on adventurous, exciting, mysterious books to have a terrific time reading this book. All of the characters in this book play an important role. you will enjoy reading about the mysterious Finn Learson, the frightning Yarl Corby, beautiful Elspeth, and the curious Robby. I recomend this book if your not afraid of hanging off your chair at least three times every chapter. And if your willing to let your hair stand straight up on top of your head. Read this book and enjoy it. You don;t have to thank me.

The book, The King's Swift Rider, is one of the best books I have ever read to date. I like to read books on historical fiction because you learn of the past and use it in the present to help you make decisions of things you go though. You also learn of things that you never knew took place. The main character, Martin Crawford, a young Scottish person, joined the alliance with the Robert the Bruce, king of scots, in 1290's. The Bruce is at war with King Edward, who is known as Longshanks. Martin's mother sends his brother, Sean, and him off to fight with the Bruce. Martin is not a fighting person, but he is a very clever lad, so the Bruce made him his page. As time goes on, the Bruce wins many battles and Longshanks dies. Martin's mother also dies in the book. After his mother's death, the king makes Martin his swift rider. Martin goes though many adventures and many more battles to come in the book.

THE KING'S SWIFT RIDER
Mollie Hunter

Have you ever thought of being in the army in the medieval times, fighting for the Bruce, King of all Scott's? Well this is what happened to a boy named Martin. This book is about Martin fighting for the Bruce.

I liked this book because I like knights and battles. I also like history about main events. One main event in the story is when the Scots killed thousands of English soldiers in one single castle!

The moral to this story is to believe in yourself, have trust and do things for reasons, not just for fun. One example is being mean to somebody or something for no good reason. That is what the English did to the Scots. I think people who like history and war should read this book.

Although this story is told through the eyes of Martin Crawford, a young Scot in the late 1300's, it's really about Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, and his passionate fight for freedom from England's rule. Many have said that this book's more for boys, but I'm a girl and I loved it, SO THERE! :P It reminds me a lot of America's own fight for independence. If you like historical fiction, Scotland, male heroes, or people with wits rather than brains, then you'll LOVE this book. I know I did.