The Land of the Silver Apples

Jack is amazed to have caused an earthquake. He is thirteen, after all, and only a bard-in-training. But his sister, Lucy, has been stolen by the Lady of the Lake; stolen a second time in her young life, as he learns to his terror. Caught between belief in the old gods and Christianity (790 AD, Britain), Jack calls upon his ash wood staff to subdue a passel of unruly monks, and, for his daring, ends up in a knucker hole. It is unforgettable -- for the boy and for readers -- as are the magical reappearance of the berserker Thorgil from a burial by moss; new characters Pega, a slave girl from Jack's village, and the eager-to-marry-her Bugaboo (a hobgoblin king); kelpies; yarthkins; and elves (not the enchanted sprites one would expect but the fallen angels of legend). Taking us back to the tales of King Arthur that have spanned throughout time, here comes a sequel that creates an even larger and brilliantly developed world.

Book Reviews:
Publisher's Weekly: "Favorite characters make a triumphant return in these summer sequels. The Land of the Silver Apples by Nancy Farmer, second in a trilogy that began with The Sea of Trolls, revisits siblings Jack and Lucy. (In a starred review of the first book, PW wrote, "Fans of Viking and adventure tales will be up late nights to discover Jack's fate.") Having survived the wrath of Ivar the Boneless and his evil wife, this installment finds the pair back home in their Saxon village. But when Lucy goes mad after a botched magic ceremony and is kidnapped again, Jack musters up all of his power to save his sister and his village. "

http://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/1691181/Reviews

School Library Journal: "13-year-old Jack sets off to rescue his sister, Lucy, who is really a changeling who has been kidnapped by the Lady of the Lake. As he travels through the Land of the Silver Apples, where time stands still, he discovers that his real sister is living with hobgoblins and vows to rescue her. Accompanying him on this quest is Pega, a slave that he freed, and Brutus, the monks' slave. Along the way they meet up with Thorgil the shield maiden, a priest, and an assortment of elves, hobgoblins, knuckers, and kelpies. Jack gets many opportunities to prove his skill as a bard-in-training as danger abounds. Gerard Doyle's Irish heritage serves him well as he narrates this story filled with myth and magic. His rich voice easily moves between characters, lending each one a unique persona. A good choice for school and public libraries."

http://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/1691181/Reviews

Activities:
In this time period, having a coat of arms was a great part of being a hero. What would your coat of arms look like?

http://mythologyteacher.com/documents/CoatofArms.pdf

Other Links
Intro to King Arthur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4pGFGkHOd8&feature=youtu.be

Official Website: http://www.nancyfarmerwebsite.com/trolls-trilogy.html