The Whisper of Glocken
by Carol Kendall

This sequel to the delightful Newbery Honor Book, The Gammage Cup, features a new group of unlikely heroes from the Minnipins, river folk who dwell in a sheltered, isolated valley, for whom the outside world is such a distant memory that it has passed from history to legend.

Only five years have passed since the five heroes of Slipper-on-the-Water conquered the invading Mushrooms, and already they are held in awe by Glocken, the young carillon-player of the village of Water Gap. Only he soon learns that heroes are only ordinary people who do what has to be done. Glocken reluctantly becomes one of five New Heroes, sent out of the Land Between the Mountains to find out what is causing the river to flood. The way of life of everyone in the valley depends on them: the bell-ringing dreamer, the stubborn custodian of the village’s ancient treasures, the smelly presser of oil fish, the pretty young slip of a girl, and the weird loner who lives across the river from the village.

Armed with little more than magical swords that become “bright when the cause is right,” these five traverse a desert full of deadly perils, befriend a tribe of strange creatures, and confront a race of giants whose well-meaning meddling threatens the lives and livelihood of everyone they love. They discover the eerie truth behind the silly “pretend tales” passed down through generations of Glocken’s family, and they prove that size, strength, and superior technology can be beaten by goodness and determination. With the help of a little magic, at least...

I think you would be delighted by this book, so full of brilliant imagery, poetic language, haunting dangers, and memorable characters. It is as good now as it was in 1965. I’ll even give you a taster...

He would just rest here while he waited for the next thing to happen. No hurry about opening his eyes to see where he was. If he was dead, he wouldn’t be able to open them anyway; and if he was alive, he didn’t feel up to facing whatever had to be faced just now. After a while it occurred to him that he had no business being dead. You couldn’t just selfishly go off dead, leaving your friends to their fate, and still feel easy in your mind.

Robbie Fischer
Arizona USA

Recommended Age: 10+

If you would like to contact Robbie, you may do so here.