Bright Shadow

Student Information

Author: Avi Title: Bright Shadow

Genre: Fantasy Publishing Info: Bradbury pp. 167

Summary: A young girl Morwenna works in the Kings castle as a chamber maid. When one day she helps a dying old man who in return gives her the gift of five wishes. She must keep the wishes secret and the rules of the wishes are harsh. Will she use the wishes on what is dearest in her life or to save the kingdom’s hope? The adventures she encounters are inspiring and overwhelming.

Rating: ***

Rationale: Well written, suspenseful plot, realistic characters, problems are related to magic but are believable.

Teacher Information

Reading Level: 5.3 Interest Level: 6^th-8th

Thematic Areas: Friendship; values; belonging; survival; quest; courage; good vs. evil

Content Areas: Science; history; social studies; psychology

Potential Problems or Difficulties: Slow moving at the beginning of book, then the book took off and became interesting and suspenseful. The plot of book could be difficult for younger readers.

Possible use in the classroom: Use as beginning of a history unit. Compare and contrast characters and incidents such as the King Ruthvin, his army chief Sibald, chamber maids Morwenna and Miss Helga, Swen the mule driver, and soldiers of their time to the present world. Also compare the castle, weapons, villages (Gareth ‘s people), and the almost fatal hanging of Swen to our world. Discuss the meaning of the wishes. Have the students right down how they would have use the five wishes if they were Morwenna. Compare their wishes to how Morwenna used her wishes.