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113th out of 390 books
—
704 voters
The Silver Crown
Ellen awakens one morning with a mysterious silver crown on the pillow beside her. What magic powers it possesses she has not yet discovered, but the sudden changes in her life are unmistakable: her house is burned down, her family has disappeared, and a man in a dark uniform is stalking her. Can Ellen ever find her family? Can she use the power of the silver crown to thwa...more
Paperback, 322 pages
Published
June 1st 2004
by Aladdin Paperbacks
(first published 1968)
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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NiMH was a favorite book of mine growing up. The Silver Crown has long been out of print and I was anxious to see if I would like this novel as well as NiMH. I started reading and was hooked by the end of the first chapter!
When Ellen Carrol wakes on her tenth birthday to find a silver crown on her pillow, she leaves the house without waking her family and walks to her favorite spot in the park where she pretends to be a queen. That is, until she hears fire engines sto...more
When Ellen Carrol wakes on her tenth birthday to find a silver crown on her pillow, she leaves the house without waking her family and walks to her favorite spot in the park where she pretends to be a queen. That is, until she hears fire engines sto...more
Vivid memories of the effect this book had on me when my teacher Mrs Leish read this to us in grade four - and finding the edition I had then, a photo-realist painting of Ellen wearing the silver crown itself, her blue eyes unblinking as she enters into a trance - made me dare to read it again.
Let's face it, going back to your taste in grade four often is a big no-no.
I choreographed a dance to "angel in the centrefold" around that time. I studied ballet in the sense it was compulsory at my gent...more
Let's face it, going back to your taste in grade four often is a big no-no.
I choreographed a dance to "angel in the centrefold" around that time. I studied ballet in the sense it was compulsory at my gent...more
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Review posted at RomancingThePage.com by Laura Lynn:
http://www.romancingthepage.com/2010/...
My kids and I recently read “The Silver Crown” by Robert C. O’Brien and loved it. Intended for kids 8 and older, “The Silver Crown” is the story of Ellen who wakes up on her tenth birthday to find a silver crown on her pillow.
As Ellen already believes she is a queen, she takes the gift in stride and proudly wears it to the park. Events from that moment on are not what she expects. Her house burns down, sh...more
http://www.romancingthepage.com/2010/...
My kids and I recently read “The Silver Crown” by Robert C. O’Brien and loved it. Intended for kids 8 and older, “The Silver Crown” is the story of Ellen who wakes up on her tenth birthday to find a silver crown on her pillow.
As Ellen already believes she is a queen, she takes the gift in stride and proudly wears it to the park. Events from that moment on are not what she expects. Her house burns down, sh...more
Fun and well-written. The writing is subtle and simple at the same time. I probably would've lost my mind for this when I was a kid. I enjoyed The Silver Crown very much.
A couple things bother me:
A couple things bother me:
When the Big Bad Evil is revealed it's linked to then-contemporary real-world events like race riots and violence in Chicago. I'm ruminating but since I just finished the book a few minutes ago I'm not sure how to articulate why this bothers me so much. But it totally does.
"Chinaman," "Moslem hordes,"...more
Where Did I Get this book/how did I find about this book?: I just picked it up at a used book store, and it looked interesting;)
Plot: On her 10th birthday, Ellen awakes to find a silver crown on her pillow. She puts it on, and she knows it is special. She goes for a walk, and when she comes back, everything has changed. Her house has burned down, and her family is missing. There are mysterious men chasing her, clothed in black and green. She has to find her Aunt Sarah, escape the men, and figure...more
Plot: On her 10th birthday, Ellen awakes to find a silver crown on her pillow. She puts it on, and she knows it is special. She goes for a walk, and when she comes back, everything has changed. Her house has burned down, and her family is missing. There are mysterious men chasing her, clothed in black and green. She has to find her Aunt Sarah, escape the men, and figure...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I remember picking this book up my last day of elementary school all old books were lined up on stage in the cafeteria I guess if the books weren't taken they were going to be destroyed or I don't know what was going to happen to them .well anyway I remember picking this book up and loving the description so I took it home with me .If you are looking for a book that has a sort of eerie but childlike fantasy about it this is the book for you .It scared me as a child but fascinated me too .I want...more
I was surprisingly charmed by this children's book and wish I had discovered it when I was ten years old!
Despite the fact that Ellen is witness to the death of her entire family by fire, a bank robbery and a homicide within the first two chapters (!), it is good reading for the ages of 8 to 12 (and possibly older).
A mix of Ender's Game, The Lord of the Rings and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, this book was more forward thinking and less saccharine than most children's novels of the 1960's...more
Despite the fact that Ellen is witness to the death of her entire family by fire, a bank robbery and a homicide within the first two chapters (!), it is good reading for the ages of 8 to 12 (and possibly older).
A mix of Ender's Game, The Lord of the Rings and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, this book was more forward thinking and less saccharine than most children's novels of the 1960's...more
I read this book during a rare period of my life where I had the tolerance to read bad books to the bitter end.
The plot line of "Silver Crown" unfolds as a random series of events that happen without build up or explanation. What seems at first to be a magic centric, fantasy novel winds up as another genre entirely by the end (which is as much as I can say without spoilers).
Fortunately, the main character is the world's most unemotional and level-headed ten-year-old, who takes tragedies like th...more
The plot line of "Silver Crown" unfolds as a random series of events that happen without build up or explanation. What seems at first to be a magic centric, fantasy novel winds up as another genre entirely by the end (which is as much as I can say without spoilers).
Fortunately, the main character is the world's most unemotional and level-headed ten-year-old, who takes tragedies like th...more
I really really really enjoyed reading this book. David went and picked it up from the library...it is a book that his 5th grade teacher read to him and he remembered really liking it, so we decided to go pick it up and read it and see if it was something we would recommend for my brother to read. it definitely is! It was a very captivating read, and kept me interested up until the end. Some of the events are a bit strange, and the ending didn't have quite the pizzaz that I was expecting but ove...more
Going through some old assignments, I discovered an old book report I wrote on this book when I was about twelve years old. Here is an excerpt-
The Silver Crown is one of the best books I have read. The descriptions used by the author were stunning in that they transported you there, following after Ellen as she went on her journey. Ellen is a very strong heroine. She still makes her share of mistakes, and she is someone almost anyone would want for a friend. I first borrowed this book from the l...more
The Silver Crown is one of the best books I have read. The descriptions used by the author were stunning in that they transported you there, following after Ellen as she went on her journey. Ellen is a very strong heroine. She still makes her share of mistakes, and she is someone almost anyone would want for a friend. I first borrowed this book from the l...more
I REALLY like this book. Yes I know, the teen section is probably more my level, but I saw this in the library in the children's section and the cover fascinated me so I thought I would give it a shot. It was mysterious, had details i liked(lol like reading about what people are eating :]), and the characters where great. i loved the plot, it contained a....i'm not sure how to describe it. weird, vauge, mysterious, horror, being chased feeling about which i really liked. I really recomend that y...more
I really love this book. I first fell in love when I was around Ellen's age when I first read the book. For me this was one of those books that I repeatedly borrowed from the library and would read it over and over. I was recently reminded of this book and now finally own my own copy. Reading it again as an adult did not disappoint. The story is beautifully crafted and the adventure/mystery really pulls you in. I was disappointed with the alternate ending that apparently was written for
American...more
American...more
I loved this book as a child and must have read it easily a dozen times over the years. I recently re-read this to my own child and we both enjoyed the experience - although with all the changes in child protection laws I am not sure my son understood how a young girl could just disappear with no one looking out from her.
Well-written and easy to follow, with a good plot and just a hint of malice (well certainly nothing like some of the urban fantasy books written for kids today)...
Whole-hearted...more
Well-written and easy to follow, with a good plot and just a hint of malice (well certainly nothing like some of the urban fantasy books written for kids today)...
Whole-hearted...more
Jan 11, 2012
Liesl Shurtliff
added it
Ellen awakens one her birthday and receives a mysterious silver crown. Then her house burns down and her family disappears. When Ellen attempts to get help from the police and her aunt, she learns that someone desperately wants her and the silver crown.
I wish I had known of this book when I was a kid because I would have adored it. I enjoyed it as an adult, but since my imagination has been slightly warped by realism and logic, it likely wasn't as magical and adventurous as it would have been w...more
I wish I had known of this book when I was a kid because I would have adored it. I enjoyed it as an adult, but since my imagination has been slightly warped by realism and logic, it likely wasn't as magical and adventurous as it would have been w...more
This book haunted my childhood memories for years, a mysterious specter, the title of which I couldn't recall. What incomplete details I had retained eventually proved adequate for discovery on the internet. Once I identified the text, it lingered in my unconscious until I happened to be in the juvenile fiction section of the public library one day last year. Browsing an aisle, I turned around and saw the title on the spine before me, a spooky beacon of coincidence, since I had not been looking...more
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This is one of my favourite books and one I have reread many times. As a child I was completely captivated by it. It is a great chase story and it is dark and sinister. From the first few frightening pages to the last it is a real page turner.
The mysterious man who pursues Ellen across the United states is a troubling character and the introduction of Otto who joins her in her adventure is just perfect.
I have purchased this for the children of friends over the years and all have loved it.
The mysterious man who pursues Ellen across the United states is a troubling character and the introduction of Otto who joins her in her adventure is just perfect.
I have purchased this for the children of friends over the years and all have loved it.
I first came across this book when I was about 7 or 8, our teacher read it aloud in class but I don't remember her finishing it (moved? ran out of time?). Either way it stuck with me and was one of my favourite books growing up.
In 2005 I decided that I should re-read it, and explore why it stuck with me so strongly over the years. I enjoyed reading it the second time and picked up subtle things I missed the first time.
I loved the characters, the situations, the fantasy of it all.
In 2005 I decided that I should re-read it, and explore why it stuck with me so strongly over the years. I enjoyed reading it the second time and picked up subtle things I missed the first time.
I loved the characters, the situations, the fantasy of it all.
Feb 03, 2013
Ash Krafton
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Ash by:
Bought it at a yard sale for a quarter
Shelves:
middle-grade
Why am I giving this book 5 stars? Because, quite simply...thirty years after first reading it, I still think about it.
It made that great of an impression on me. I didn't understand all the words and I couldn't even pronounce a bunch of them but, every once in a while, I think of that little girl when she puts the crown on her head and she BECOMES a queen.
That's all. A grown-up rememberance of a children's book. I'll never forget it.
Five stars for staying power.
It made that great of an impression on me. I didn't understand all the words and I couldn't even pronounce a bunch of them but, every once in a while, I think of that little girl when she puts the crown on her head and she BECOMES a queen.
That's all. A grown-up rememberance of a children's book. I'll never forget it.
Five stars for staying power.
This book stands tall amongst even the greatest children classics like "A Wrinkle in Time." Once again O'Brien's protagonist is a young girl, suddenly orphaned, and in serious danger. To make matters worse, it is her birthday. The only possession she has, other than the clothes on her back, is a mysterious birthday present she found under her pillow when she awoke. A strangely metallic, cloth crown.
What could it mean, who is after her, I leave for you to discover.
What could it mean, who is after her, I leave for you to discover.
This book started out strong, but trailed off into an only moderately satisfying conclusion, and also a rather tangled concluding chapter (and alternate concluding chapter) which suggested that the author hadn't thought up any real justification for why the silver crown appears in the first place.
Very unusual for a children's story, with the plot involving but not actually exploring terrorism/random violence, and wobbling between magic and SF.
Very unusual for a children's story, with the plot involving but not actually exploring terrorism/random violence, and wobbling between magic and SF.
I read this book over and over again as a child. I loved it and practically memorized it, I think. There was something so mesmerizing about it, perhaps it was that I could so quickly sink right into the story.
For 9 to 10 y/o and up, this is a great read, I'd like to think. When I tried to buy it years ago, it was out of print, though! Hopefully, it's running the circuit again.
For 9 to 10 y/o and up, this is a great read, I'd like to think. When I tried to buy it years ago, it was out of print, though! Hopefully, it's running the circuit again.
One of my favourite reads as a child. It is now out of print and I searched for months to obtain the version I had with Ellen on the front wearing the crown. Eventually I found it and it was shipped to me from America. I've read it to my son and he loved it as much as I did. There's something very atmospheric and magical about this book. A must for children between the ages of 8-14.
I randomly remembered this one day as a book I loved reading in 5th grade. It has recently been re-printed, so I was able to buy it and read it again.
This is still pretty good, but it was INCREDIBLE when I was 11 years old. I had a great school librarian that year, and I still enjoy re-reading the books she recommended to me all those years ago. I wish I could re-connect with her and thank her.
This is still pretty good, but it was INCREDIBLE when I was 11 years old. I had a great school librarian that year, and I still enjoy re-reading the books she recommended to me all those years ago. I wish I could re-connect with her and thank her.
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Very quick read (polished it off in an evening). It reminded me of "A Wrinkle In Time," in that while I enjoyed it, I felt that there was more to the concept that wasn't explained. I did like it though.
O'Brien wrote 2 endings, 1 for the British edition and 1 for the American. I do prefer the British one, as it feels a bit less contrived and ties things up a little neater.
O'Brien wrote 2 endings, 1 for the British edition and 1 for the American. I do prefer the British one, as it feels a bit less contrived and ties things up a little neater.
In third grade, a friend of mine wanted to buy this book as a birthday present for me but couldn't find it anywhere so instead she recorded herself reading the entire book. I still have all the tapes and I've been meaning to listen to them again but I don't have a cassette player, one day I'm just going to drive around and listen to them in the car.
maybe it was because this book is very much oriented to quite young readers, but even so, i founnd 'the silver crown' falling flat. it was a good concept, but lack of convincing plot twists (everything was much too obvious and i'm sure even a six-year-old would have been able to figure out what was wrong with the situation) and character actions robbed the story of whatever potential it might have had. the only way you could have been fooled would be because you think that it would be far too ob...more
This is a wonderful rare book i got the pleasure to read when i was a child. It shaped who i was, i even bought a silver headband with little diamonds in it and walked around pretending i was the girl in the book. It is one of the best fantasy novels i ever read, so much that i had to search to find it again even after so many years.
I read this book when I was a child and parts of it stuck with me for many years. I was very happy when I saw it had been re-issued and picked up my copy quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it again as an adult. My 8 year old has started to read it, although I think it is still a little too intense for her. Great pre-teen book.
It's a little disturbing to me that this book is a favorite of my nine year old - who was eight when she read it. What's also disturbing is that it was a favorite of mine when my 5th grade teacher read it to the class and why I pursued it as an adult. And what's even more disturbing, I couldn't put it down.
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Robert Leslie Conly (better known by his pen name, Robert C. O'Brien) was an American author and journalist for National Geographic Magazine.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C...
More about Robert C. O'Brien...
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_C...
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“C'était, pensa-t-elle, comme un doux peigne passant dans son cerveau, redressant les pensées et défaisant les nœuds.”
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