Classic Book of the Month: Squirrels at arms

NICK EICHER, HOST: Today is Tuesday, December 5th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I’m Nick Eicher.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. ‘Tis the season for finding good books to give family and friends at Christmas.

WORLD reviewers have recommended plenty of great books in the past year–both on this podcast and in the pages of WORLD Magazine.

And because we’re in a giving mood, we’ve created a short list of our favorite gift book ideas. You can find that entire list linked in today’s show notes.

EICHER: One book on that list we’ll turn to now–December’s Classic Book of the Month.

WORLD’s Emily Whitten has a review of the first book in a children’s series that isn’t as well-known as Redwall or the Chronicles of Narnia, but has similar appeal.

JENSEN: The wood for their bonfire was ready to light now, stacked up so high that Urchin knew he had to climb it. He was old enough to manage it, and young enough to want to.

Urchin of the Riding Stars is Book One of the Mistmantle Chronicles by M.I. McAllister. It’s a beautifully written fantasy series for kids ages 9-12 that first came out in 2005.

JENSEN: Springing swiftly from one branch to the next, twirling his tail to balance himself, he reached the very top, gripped his hand claws, and dusted moss from his fur.

The plot revolves around a young squirrel named Urchin. When his mother dies on the night of his birth, he’s adopted by a sweet but slightly dense mother squirrel. Years go by, and one day, just before all of Mistmantle island gathers to watch “riding” or shooting stars, Urchin gets an invitation to the king’s palace from Captain Crispin, his hero.

JENSEN: ‘You could come to the tower,’ said Crispin. ‘Captain Padra and I are going to Brother Fir’s turret room to watch from there. Probably the best view of the island. You’re invited, if you’d like to join us.’ Urchin felt a shiver of joy through his fur even though he was sure he must have misheard. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Finally he managed to say, ‘Me, sir? The tower?’

That night, Urchin becomes Captain Crispin’s page or servant, but tragedy soon mars his stay in the palace. Padra, a wise otter and father-figure to Crispin and Urchin, delivers bad news.

JENSEN: Padra put a paw on Crispin’s shoulder. ‘It’s little Prince Tumble,’ he said, and his voice was low with trouble. ‘Crispin, he’s dead.’ The words hit Urchin so hard that he couldn’t understand them. It couldn’t be. The prince was young and full of life. ‘No!’ said Crispin. ‘How?’ ‘That’s the worst,’ said Padra. ‘He was murdered.’ Urchin gasped.

As more tragedy unfolds, Urchin and Padra know Captain Husk is behind much of the evil, but it will take courage and perseverance to set things right.

ROSENBURG: My oldest daughter was really into Red Wall and so I was definitely looking for something for her to read next and somebody had recommended this.

Théa Rosenburg is a Christian author and mom of three. She writes for outlets like The Rabbit Room and Deeply Rooted Magazine as well as her own book review website.

ROSENBURG: And so I picked it up and I was just reading it through on my own and just loved how it's, it's such a beautifully written book that weaves in this gorgeous Christian worldview into the story.

Narnia comes to mind when talking about the Christian worldview of Mistmantle Chronicles, but Rosenberg says it’s more like the recent Green Ember series.

ROSENBURG: The swashbuckling animals and like a fantastical world where there are feasts and abbeys and castles and you know, the evil is so clearly evil in all of those stories. And I think that that's such a, a refreshing thing, I think for a lot of young readers to see these really clear villains who are complicated. It's not always like they're two dimensional, but there is a lot, it, it's very clear like who you're rooting for in the story.

Young boys and even some reluctant readers may appreciate the strong but relatable heroes and colorful villains, as well as the fast-moving plot. But girls won’t feel left out either. There’s plenty of nuance in female characters like Urchin’s mom, Apple, and Lady Aspen, who feels a bit like the evil queen in Snow White.

JENSEN: She crossed the mirror, smoothed her fur, and fluffed her ear tufts with a tiny brush. Then she took the bracelet from her forepaw and, to see how it looked, placed it on top of her head, between her ears. ‘Queen Aspen,’ she whispered to her reflection.

Rosenberg says the whole family can enjoy this series, making it a great choice for kids to read by themselves or for families to read aloud with one qualifier.

ROSENBURG: I think the one caution would be that there are some dark themes in there, like the evil can be kind of scary and it does, touch on like the death of children and stuff, especially in the first book.

So, if you’ve got sensitive readers, maybe hold off until they’re a little older. In addition to a number of murders, there’s an undefined evil feeling or spirit under the palace that seeks to deceive and entrap the bad characters. No witches or witchcraft, though. And we see pro-life, Christian values at work in many ways, especially as our heroes rescue animals who would have been euthanized for physical defects. Plus, elements like priests and a God-figure known as “The Heart” fit naturally with the book’s medieval setting and the author’s focus on humility.

ROSENBURG: And so recognizing that they are a part of something bigger than just themselves. Even though Urchin has this sense of sort of destiny, he isn't doing that alone. He has people like Crispin around him, he has The Heart above him. He has his foster mother and his friends and all these people that come alongside him and help him accomplish the things he needs to accomplish.

One last note—when Purple Hill Press brought the book back into print in 2021, they included new illustrations by Christine Enright. The delightful covers have a classic feel, and the pencil drawings marking each chapter are sweet and inviting. All of this makes a powerful package.

If you’re looking for a great gift book for kids 9-12, I highly recommend our Classic Book of the Month, Urchin of the Riding Stars by M. I. McAllister. Just try not to start reading it before you wrap it.

I’m Emily Whitten.

JENSEN: ‘Companion to the King,’ he repeated to himself. ‘Urchin of the Riding Stars.’ He wondered where he had come from, and what his future would be. And from their place on the rocks, Padra, Crispin, and Fir looked down at the pale young figure on the shore, and they, too, wondered what he would become.

EICHER: Special thanks to Nick Jensen of WORLD Watch for reading passages of the book for this review.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Read the full 2023 book list here: https://wng.org/articles/2023-gift-books-for-families-1701722171

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