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RedwallBrian Jacques
Redwall
by Brian Jacques
A rat warlord besieges a peaceful abbey of mice, and a clumsy young novice goes looking for the sword of a legendary warrior.
A story about animals, adventurous and epic in tone. We would put it with children of 10–13, and at a reading age of about 11 for reading alone.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Battles and fighting
- An animal dies
None of this makes it a bad book — often the opposite. It is here so you can decide whether it is right for your child now or in a year or two.
Our take on this book
At the peaceful Redwall Abbey, home to gentle mice and their woodland friends, the young novice Matthias must find the legendary lost sword of the warrior Martin the Mouse to defend the abbey against the one-eyed rat Cluny the Scourge and his savage horde. Brian Jacques launched a vast and beloved saga with this rich, old-fashioned epic: high adventure, riddles and quests, tremendous feasts described in loving detail, and a clear battle between decent folk and genuine villains. It is long and full-blooded, with real battle scenes and the deaths that a war-story brings, so it suits a confident reader ready for a substantial adventure with proper stakes. For a nine- to twelve-year-old who wants to sink into a big, immersive animal fantasy, Redwall is a feast in every sense — sweeping, warm and exciting — and the gateway to a huge series that keeps devoted readers busy for a very long time.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
The HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien
The Neverending StoryMichael Ende
Asha and the Spirit BirdJasbinder Bilan
Northern LightsPhilip Pullman
Peter PanJ. M. Barrie
Prince CaspianC. S. Lewis
Or let them write their own.
Nothing gets a child reading like a story they invented themselves. Your child plans the characters and the plot, and we write, illustrate and print it as a real book with their name on the cover as the author.
Find another book
Tell us the age, the reading age and what they like, and we will suggest a handful.