The Hare Trilogy

An omnibus edition of three short novels, Hare's Choice, Badger's Fate and Hawk's Vision, first published between 1988 and 1993. An English village school in the 80's. In Hare's Choice, two children find a dead Hare, victim of road-kill. They are moved by the sight, take it to school and the children compose and then tell a story about it . After death, the hare has a choice -either to enter an afterlife composed entirely of real animals and birds or another which is a very exclusive place, with animals such as a rabbit called Peter, two more called Hazel and Bigwig, a Mole, a Water Rat, a Badger, a Toad, a pig called Wilbur, a sinister fox called Mr Tod. and many more. Why? Who are they? How can she choose? Next year, two more children find a badger, dead, its pitiful remains shoved into a black bin-bag. They leave the badger where is is, but the children compose a new story. But what ending should it have? For Emma, who found the dead badger, this presents a terrible dilemma A happy ending - or the truth? And Badger and his mate find themselves facing the same choice as Hare's. The year after Badger's story, the tiny school is slated for closure sand the children bussed to school in the big town . A way of life and a tight-knit society will be in danger. Jamila, sees a hawk flying high over her. Can the hawk's story bring two worlds together so the children can keep their unity ensure their continuity and come to terms with their loss? The first two stories are about the animals. The third is about the children. And all three celebrate children's creativity and the power of story. That there is a sorry comparison to make between primary education thirty years ago and the test-based, rote learning imposed on struggling underfunded schools today was not intended when the stories were written, but is inevitable now.THINGS AREN'T UNTRUE JUST BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAPPENED.


Genre: Children's Fiction