"The ancient ones whisper to me, Iluak," Nana says. "They talk about you. They say a bear is waiting." In the land of snow and ice, where the midwinter sun doesn't rise and it's black all day, Iluak is afraid. But hes not afraid of the darkness. He's afraid of whiter things.
Polar Boy is an absorbing historical adventure by award-winning Australian author Sandy Fussell. Set in the 13th century, this coming-of-age novel is about an Inuit boy struggling with his destiny as saviour of his tribe. It was short-listed for the 2009 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. For more exciting junior fiction reads check out Sandy's other books, Jaguar Warrior and the Samurai Kids series.
"Flawless and makes utterly compelling reading ... Sandy Fussell has expertly captured another time and place, exploring a bleak, deadly wasteland of crushing coldness and desolation, made all the more real by the fragile but tenuous grip on life of these hardy Inuit people. Polar Boy is a gripping, well-researched and thoroughly enjoyable adventure." Magpies magazine
"Fussell draws us into Iluak's world with exquisite description, empathetic characters and a story with universal appeal." Good Reading magazine
"Fablesque and with a hero quest ... the novel will have great appeal for younger readers." Reading Time magazine
"The time and setting of this wonderful tale offer young readers a glimpse at something far removed from both their own life experience and from other books. Fussell manages to create a believable world, with readers being invited to feel the cold and the fear which are at the core of Iluak's daily life. At the same time, readers will be able to relate to Iluak's self doubt, his search to find a place in his family, and his rivalry with Tuaq, another boy from his tribe." Aussie Reviews
"Polar Boy grips us from the start with the strength of bear claws ... [it] combines the merits of literary fiction with those of genre fiction - a darn good story told by a master storyteller." The Book Chook
Genre: Children's Fiction
Polar Boy is an absorbing historical adventure by award-winning Australian author Sandy Fussell. Set in the 13th century, this coming-of-age novel is about an Inuit boy struggling with his destiny as saviour of his tribe. It was short-listed for the 2009 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers. For more exciting junior fiction reads check out Sandy's other books, Jaguar Warrior and the Samurai Kids series.
"Flawless and makes utterly compelling reading ... Sandy Fussell has expertly captured another time and place, exploring a bleak, deadly wasteland of crushing coldness and desolation, made all the more real by the fragile but tenuous grip on life of these hardy Inuit people. Polar Boy is a gripping, well-researched and thoroughly enjoyable adventure." Magpies magazine
"Fussell draws us into Iluak's world with exquisite description, empathetic characters and a story with universal appeal." Good Reading magazine
"Fablesque and with a hero quest ... the novel will have great appeal for younger readers." Reading Time magazine
"The time and setting of this wonderful tale offer young readers a glimpse at something far removed from both their own life experience and from other books. Fussell manages to create a believable world, with readers being invited to feel the cold and the fear which are at the core of Iluak's daily life. At the same time, readers will be able to relate to Iluak's self doubt, his search to find a place in his family, and his rivalry with Tuaq, another boy from his tribe." Aussie Reviews
"Polar Boy grips us from the start with the strength of bear claws ... [it] combines the merits of literary fiction with those of genre fiction - a darn good story told by a master storyteller." The Book Chook
Genre: Children's Fiction
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