Heart of stone : a Verity Gallant tale Author: Welsh, M. L. | ||
Price: $6.50 |
Summary:
Verity Gallant, with her friends, tries to stop the Earth Witch's evil plan to deprive the world of happiness.
Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.10 Points: 10.0 Quiz: 152815 |
Common Core Standards
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Craft & Structure
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Integration & Knowledge of Ideas
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (05/15/12)
School Library Journal (10/01/12)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 10/01/2012 Gr 5–9—After vanquishing one of four powerful witch sisters who control the world's essential elements in Mistress of the Storm (Random, 2011), Verity Gallant and her friends have enjoyed an idyllic summer in their cliffside hometown of Wellow. Strange events soon shatter the peace, however: the earth is eroding away beneath their feet, causing hazardous conditions, and insidious white sand suddenly seems to be covering everything. It soon becomes apparent that these are the machinations of the Earth Witch, turned to stone and smashed into millions of pieces long ago by the cruel-hearted Wind Witch, and now determined to re-form into a vengeful whole and wipe out every "happy-ever-after" along the way. Relying once again upon hard work (including library research and brilliant code-cracking), danger-fraught investigations, and hard-earned insights, Verity and her compatriots must put together the pieces of a twist-turning mystery and try to stop this formidable new enemy. Built upon a bulwark of intricately wrought backstory and mythology, this satisfying fantasy combines fast-paced adventure with slow-brewing suspense that is both spine-tingling and delightfully unsettling. The characters are multidimensional, with heroes who experience moments of jealousy or selfishness, and villains capable of remorse. Enhanced by funny banter and believable emotions, Verity's relationships with her peers-including a budding romance-are deftly drawn, as are her own insecurities and revelations. Reading the first book first is not necessary, but those who have will better appreciate this well-written and richly imagined offering.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.