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50th out of 296 books
—
64 voters
Raven Summer
by
David Almond
A captivating new novel from Printz Award winner David Almond.
Liam and his friend Max are playing in their neighborhood when the call of a bird leads them out into a field beyond their town. There, they find a baby lying alone atop a pile of stones—with a note pinned to her clothing. Mystified, Liam brings the baby home to his parents. They agree to take her in, but police...more
Liam and his friend Max are playing in their neighborhood when the call of a bird leads them out into a field beyond their town. There, they find a baby lying alone atop a pile of stones—with a note pinned to her clothing. Mystified, Liam brings the baby home to his parents. They agree to take her in, but police...more
Hardcover, 198 pages
Published
November 10th 2009
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
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Live an adventure. Live like you’re in a story.
Liam, the main character of the story, is on the fence of some upcoming change of his life, as he feels less and less in common with his friend Max, not to mention his old friend, Nattrass.
Liam and Max find an abandoned baby in their neighborhood. This event is the catalyst which sets events in motion in Liam’s life.
‘Jackdaw Summer’ is a kind of coming-of-age novel, dealing with friendship, loosening the bond between friends, changing their attitu...more
Liam, the main character of the story, is on the fence of some upcoming change of his life, as he feels less and less in common with his friend Max, not to mention his old friend, Nattrass.
Liam and Max find an abandoned baby in their neighborhood. This event is the catalyst which sets events in motion in Liam’s life.
‘Jackdaw Summer’ is a kind of coming-of-age novel, dealing with friendship, loosening the bond between friends, changing their attitu...more
Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com
One discovery, one event, can change your life forever. For Liam, it was following a raven, which would ultimately lead him into one of the darkest summers he would ever experience.
With the raven came the discovery of a little baby, abandoned with just a note labeling her as "a childe of God," and a jar of money. Liam and his friend, Max, take turns carrying the baby on the way back to Liam's house, knowing that this lovely-sme...more
One discovery, one event, can change your life forever. For Liam, it was following a raven, which would ultimately lead him into one of the darkest summers he would ever experience.
With the raven came the discovery of a little baby, abandoned with just a note labeling her as "a childe of God," and a jar of money. Liam and his friend, Max, take turns carrying the baby on the way back to Liam's house, knowing that this lovely-sme...more
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1 like · like · see review
First of all, I'd like to say that I am reviewing this book because no one seems to love it as much as I do. After I read the library's copy, I went out and bought a personal one. This book has changed my life.
Our story opens with Liam. He is in that teenage-progression-stage and things with him and his best friend are falling apart. One day, he follows a raven and finds a baby. Completely random, right? That's just it. Is there really such a thing as coincidence? Maybe everything happens for a...more
Our story opens with Liam. He is in that teenage-progression-stage and things with him and his best friend are falling apart. One day, he follows a raven and finds a baby. Completely random, right? That's just it. Is there really such a thing as coincidence? Maybe everything happens for a...more
Raven Summer is a book that written by David Almond. I choose this book to read because I was interested by the cover and the title. Its title makes me want to know why the summer is called raven summer, is it surrounding by the theme of raven, but the title does not match with its cover picture - a baby and an adult’s hands. It just like a hook that the author sets. This book is about Liam and his friend Max are playing together, then there is a raven who leads them to a baby girl with a note a...more
RAVEN SUMMER is young adult, so the theme is explicit and laid thick with a cudgel. Thus you will hear out of teenagers’ mouths such words as “good” and “evil,” all in a way you’d expect Rousseau and Voltaire to use them. Meaning: Are we all carrying about the evil seed? Could we (no, surely not ME), under the wrong circumstances, become horrible killers?
Author David Almond says (spoiler alert!) yes. He casts himself (furtively) as the author dad of the protagonist, Liam, who has a neighbor tha...more
Author David Almond says (spoiler alert!) yes. He casts himself (furtively) as the author dad of the protagonist, Liam, who has a neighbor tha...more
In this coming of age story David Almond blends his setting in the northern England countryside, where ancient armies fought and bled, with modern characters. Though the violence is not overly graphic his descriptions paint pictures of past and today. Liam and his friend Max led by a raven, find an abandoned baby in ancient ruins. Liam's father is a writer, and mother an artist, and are not natives to this countryside, and culture. His family meets the foster family where the baby has been taken...more
This haunting book by David Almond attempts to explain the cruelties of war through the eyes and minds of young people. Liam is a teenage boy living in a rural area of England with his artistic mother and father. One day while playing with his friend Max, Liam discovers a baby girl abandoned in a field. The baby is placed in foster care and Liam and his family begin to visit her regularly, forming a bond with both the baby and the foster family. Through these visits Liam meets Oliver and Crystal...more
I usually can give or take Almond's work and was pleasantly surprised. Let's start with the cover, which I love, but the oddities of the plot don't necessarily jive with the cover. A boy discovers an abandoned baby, becomes a small superstar on TV and in the papers, and meets two characters, Crystal and Oliver, who have been in foster care. Oliver was a child soldier from Liberia and there is a very deep scene toward the end where Oliver divulges the atrocities of civil war in his country and ca...more
1 like · like · see review
Raven Summer opens with two teenagers, Liam and his friend Max, exploring the woods near their homes in Northumberland. Upon seeing a raven, they decide to follow it; the raven leads them to a baby lying on a pile of stones with a note pinned on her: "Plese look after her rite. This is a childe of God."
Liam takes the baby home to his parents, and they surrender her to the police. Upon visiting her in her foster home, Liam feels drawn to two other children, Crystal and Oliver. Oliver tells Liam a...more
Liam takes the baby home to his parents, and they surrender her to the police. Upon visiting her in her foster home, Liam feels drawn to two other children, Crystal and Oliver. Oliver tells Liam a...more
Where do I begin with this book? I found the various themes (war, growing up, bullying, art) to be rather dark and raw, which doesn't match the cutesy cover image and the not-very-dark title. I wouldn't reccomend this for younger readers or those with faint hearts. I have read The Savage by David Almond, and I found there was a lot of overlap with that book and this one. They were both kind of eerie, riveting, testosterone-infused books about young teen boys in the U.K. I wonder, though, with al...more
I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. I mean, the cover art is very mature, which led me to expect the book to be a snoozer, and the blip on the back, or on the jacket(wherever the heck it was) basically had the same affect.
But as it turned out, it was actually a good and quick read. I think that there was really nothing dramatic about it. I never had any "wow" moments, but it made for a good story. It was only made all the more real because of the whole, "No 'wow'" factor. Though...more
But as it turned out, it was actually a good and quick read. I think that there was really nothing dramatic about it. I never had any "wow" moments, but it made for a good story. It was only made all the more real because of the whole, "No 'wow'" factor. Though...more
Liam, 14, finds an abandoned baby in field. The baby is placed with a foster family and LIam meets two foster children, around his age, who have had very different experiences than his, realities relating to his fantasies about family and war. It's one of those stories about a kid trying to understand his world, the world.
And that's not all this book is about. It's about what we do to our children, children who aren't allowed to be children. You have to stick with this one and read it to the ve...more
And that's not all this book is about. It's about what we do to our children, children who aren't allowed to be children. You have to stick with this one and read it to the ve...more
This was a darkly disturbing book, which is what Almond's books tend to be. This is a story of two friends who find a baby. Finding the baby is the lightest part of the book, town bullies, knives, fights in holes dug in the ground, a young Liberian foster child, a run away foster girl are a mix of the characters.
This is not your typical coming of age tale. While it was powerful and the writing was creative, I really cannot recommend it. Maybe I was in the mood for something lighter and thus my o...more
This is not your typical coming of age tale. While it was powerful and the writing was creative, I really cannot recommend it. Maybe I was in the mood for something lighter and thus my o...more
It's summer, and it's hot. Liam is on the edge of his teenage years, wandering with his best friend Max through his coutry Northumberland home town in a landscape rural and idyllic but defined by conflict, Border Reivers, Romans, soldiers on exercises and jets screaming overhead as Blair and Bush take the UK into war in the Middle East, trying to avoid the savage bully Nattrass.
They are playing in the garden when Liam digs up an old knife and indulges in the fantasy of it being an ancient relic....more
They are playing in the garden when Liam digs up an old knife and indulges in the fantasy of it being an ancient relic....more
Sampulnya betul-betul mengesankan sebuah novel berbau misteri. Apalagi sinopsis di belakang bukunya. Dan itulah sebenernya yang saya harapkan saat membeli buku ini, sebuah cerita fantasi-misteri.
Saya salah total.
Sampai sepertiga buku, baru saya sadar bahwa tidak ada sama sekali unsur fantasi dalam buku ini.
Isinya tentang Liam, yang menemukan seorang bayi saat dia bermain bersama temannya, Max. Penemuan bayi ini membuat Liam mendapat perhatian dari orang banyak. Tapi yang lebih penting, membuat...more
Saya salah total.
Sampai sepertiga buku, baru saya sadar bahwa tidak ada sama sekali unsur fantasi dalam buku ini.
Isinya tentang Liam, yang menemukan seorang bayi saat dia bermain bersama temannya, Max. Penemuan bayi ini membuat Liam mendapat perhatian dari orang banyak. Tapi yang lebih penting, membuat...more
May 16, 2011
Ivon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
1st-pov,
fiction,
gore,
horror,
it-s-fidgeting,
it-s-inspiring,
it-s-heart-warming,
psychologic,
suspense,
traveling
Tapi...jangan tanya kenapa aku memberikan lima bintang untuk buku ini. Aku menyukai ceritanya, itu saja yang bisa kukatakan.
Anyway~ ini cerita tentang seorang bocah (yang tampaknya punya sisi liar dan gelap dalam dirinya) yang menemukan seorang bayi terlantar berkat tuntunan seekor burung Jackdaw, atau tepatnya, mungkin, mengikuti si Jackdaw menjerit-jerit.
Setelah bayi itu ditemukan, Liam (si tokoh utama) mengalami serangkaian kejadian baru. Ia masuk teve, sahabatnya menjauh oleh sebab yang menu...more
Anyway~ ini cerita tentang seorang bocah (yang tampaknya punya sisi liar dan gelap dalam dirinya) yang menemukan seorang bayi terlantar berkat tuntunan seekor burung Jackdaw, atau tepatnya, mungkin, mengikuti si Jackdaw menjerit-jerit.
Setelah bayi itu ditemukan, Liam (si tokoh utama) mengalami serangkaian kejadian baru. Ia masuk teve, sahabatnya menjauh oleh sebab yang menu...more
Novel anak yang membuat saya ngos-ngosan, saat baca dan juga saat berusaha memikirkan apa sebenarnya yang ingin disampaikan penulis. Menurut saya, cerita dalam novel ini memang mengenai anak-anak, tapi sepertinya lebih cocok dibaca para orangtua untuk kemudian diceritakan kepada anak-anak mereka. Meski pada akhirnya saya bisa menangkap benang merah (dalam bentuk gulungan kusut)dari cerita dalam novel ini, tapi saya kurang yakin kalau novel ini akan dimengerti oleh pembaca anak/remaja. Atau janga...more
I just found this book and I thought it would be great. I'm beginning to look for books that are more mature, more realistic, and different from the fantasy books I read until now. But, it turned out different.
Liam Lynch and Max Woods have been friends since a very long time and they all got along till this summer. They both found a baby girl alone with a message for whoever finds her to take care of her. The baby was off to a foster home until finally, Liam's Mom decided to adopt her. And in th...more
Liam Lynch and Max Woods have been friends since a very long time and they all got along till this summer. They both found a baby girl alone with a message for whoever finds her to take care of her. The baby was off to a foster home until finally, Liam's Mom decided to adopt her. And in th...more
Dec 14, 2009
pandamans
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
fiction,
england,
ya,
for-thumbsup,
for-mla,
abandonment,
foundling,
friendship,
foster,
care,
children,
runaways
Liam lives in England where his mom is a rising photographer engaged in an affair with her agent, his dad is a famous writer in constant engagement with his writing, and he himself is increasingly feeling like he is being left behind. His friend Max has recently taken to gals, and his childhood friend Gordon is taken with the torturing of animals and Liam alike. [return][return]When Liam and Max stumble upon an abandoned baby in a barn, Liam briefly becomes a somewhat reluctant news celebrity. H...more
Not as sinister as some of Almond's other books, but still another one of his dark stories about wild, bad kids in England. This one did not grab me quite as much as his others, but it was still a pretty good one as far as YA novels go.
The really unfortunate thing about this book is the cover - it just does not convey the book's tone and I don't know what teen would want to pick up a book that looks like this. Hopefully the paperback edition will have a different cover.
The really unfortunate thing about this book is the cover - it just does not convey the book's tone and I don't know what teen would want to pick up a book that looks like this. Hopefully the paperback edition will have a different cover.
I usually like dark books, but this one made me feel very uneasy as I read it. Liam and his friend Max are led by a raven to find a baby in a cave. There are gorgeous passages in the book, particularly those concerning the raven and baby. The rest of the book, however, reminded me of Pet Sematary. There were sadistic sections involving snakes, mutilations, and hangings. I just didn't enjoy the book very much, overall...maybe it is because I wasn't expecting it to be so dark.
As with most Almond books, I read this one in a single sitting. Something about his style sucks me completely into his worlds and carries me from beginning to end. That being said, this one has a bit different of a flow compared to his other novels. It is darker in tone, more mature, and takes you places you didn't expect it to move.
While it isn't my favorite of his--or even second place--I enjoyed this one much more than Clay, as that one disappointed me.
If you are a fan of Almond, there is not...more
While it isn't my favorite of his--or even second place--I enjoyed this one much more than Clay, as that one disappointed me.
If you are a fan of Almond, there is not...more
Two boys in Northern England find an abandoned baby and, with their parents, visit her later in her foster home. There Liam meets a young Liberian refugee and an eccentric girl whom he would not have known normally. It is a superb novel about a boy who is just growing up and learning about suffering in the world. The author captures the feelings and outlook of a young adolescent who can be childish then mature quickly. A marvelous piece of writing.
1 like · like · see review
This is one of those books where I wasn't sure I was going to like it until I finished it. I'm not sure what kept me going maybe it was curiosity at what the author was trying to say or maybe it was just that I hate not finishing a book. At the end I thought it was a good story about childhood and the loss of innocence. I wouldn't recommend it for light reading and the lack of a satisfying conclusion may put some young people off.
I seem to have trouble with David Almond's books. The tone is always a little off for me if I read them in several sittings. If I read it in one, I understand it better. This story is a coming of age story. Liam learns that knowing who you really are is often a surprise. I'll recommend it to my students but I suspect that some may find the messages more difficult to understand.
I enjoyed this a lot. Much more than some of his more recent books. In a way the most interesting character is Natrass. The book is pretty comfortable and comforting despite dealing with some uncomfortable situations mainly because you see through the eyes of Liam - but I could imagine stepping right out of that comfort zone by putting Natrass at the centre of the book.
E lent me this book over the summer to see if it was appropriate for the primary library. I loved it, like all of Almond's books. So wild and fierce!
It isn't really for primary kids though. The book is all about violence, and it has violence running through its bloodstream. Let them read it when they're a few years older.
It isn't really for primary kids though. The book is all about violence, and it has violence running through its bloodstream. Let them read it when they're a few years older.
Super weird book. I wish it had given me more insight into how foster care works in the UK. Instead it's basically about boys loving violence and about appropriating stories to create a persona, and I only find the latter bit interesting whereas the author seems to prefer the former.
Very well written, but a bit too dark for my taste. I enjoyed it more in retrospect than I did while actually reading it. Thought provoking - questions of innate qualities, war, art. I think this one will stick with me for a bit.
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David Almond is a British children's writer who has penned several novels, each one to critical acclaim. He was born and raised in Felling and Newcastle in post-industrial North East England and educated at the University of East Anglia. When he was young, he found his love of writing when some short stories of his were published in a local magazine. He started out as an author of adult fiction be...more
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“I don’t want to be little again. But at the same time I do. I want to be me like I was then, and me as I am now, and me like I’ll be in the future. I want to be me and nothing but me. I want to be crazy as the moon, wild as the wind and still as the earth. I want to be every single thing it’s possible to be. I’m growing and I don’t know how to grow. I’m living but I haven’t started living yet. Sometimes I simply disappear from myself. Sometimes it’s like I’m not here in the world at all and I simply don’t exist. Sometimes I can hardly think. My head just drifts, and the visions that come seem so vivid.”
—
55 people liked it
“Live an adventure. Live like you’re in a story.”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
Apr 07, 2013 11:02pm
Thank you, Brittni! :)
Apr 07, 2013 11:56pm