Linda Hutsell-Manning

Author

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Jason and the Wonder Horn:

Jason and the Wonder Horn is a grand adventure story with winsome characters, and it is sure to capture the fancy of young readers. Like all good time-travel tales, part of its appeal lies in the vivid depiction of a bygone time and a faraway place. However, of equal importance is the magical element of how the characters find themselves whisked away from the world they know. In this case, Jason's wonder horn provides the perfect passport to ancient times. Young people will be immediately caught up in the legend of the shepherd knight and will be swSept away by the brisk plot as Jason and his young friends try to make their way to Lord Friedrich's castle and to find the hidden document that will prove his rightful claim to the title of Lord. The author does an impressive job of bringing to life the world of Germany in the 1400's, and of highlighting how vastly different the daily lives of the people were from what we know today. The tension in the story keeps readers rapidly turning pages to find out what will happen next: will Jason be hung by Otto and his men for supposedly stealing the golden horn? Will the children make it through the precarious tunnel to Hildred and Gunther's house and then into the forest to Frau Wolfin? And will they be able to solve Frau Wolfin's riddle and find the important document in time to put a stop to Otto's evil plans?

I thought that the fact that the wonder horn had great significance in both ancient and modern times was a nice touch. That is to say, I enjoyed the fact that not only was the bugle the key to their time-travel, but it was also a major part of the legend of the shepherd knight. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book and can picture many young people being equally absorbed by it.
     - Recommended by Woozles in Halifax, NS


"The crisp pace of this historical fantasy makes it hard to put down until the plot, with its panoramic cast of characters, tumbles to its epic climax and Jason, Charlotte, and Squid find themselves safely back at home."
     - Editorial Review Amazon.ca, January 2004.

"...grand adventure story... winsome characters... vivid description of a bygone era... impressive job of bringing to life Germany of the 1400's"
     - CM Mag 2003

"The crisp pace of this historical fantasy makes it hard to put down until the plot, with its panoramic cast of characters, tumbles to its epic climax."
     - Amazon.ca

Dinosaur Days

"Our Choice"
     - Canadian Booksellers Association 1993

"An excellent picture book for primary children"
     - The Toronto Sun, 1992

Animal Hours

"...clocks galore... delightfully illustrated tell-time counting book... pre-school or kindergarten children will enjoy... the rollicking text... the cavorting animals."
     - CM Mag 1991

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