"Jenny had never had a friend before . . . There was the púka, of course, but he was more like a teacher or a kindly old uncle than a friend." When the púka-a large, shape-shifting goat-asks eleven-year-old Jenny to befriend a ghost, she agrees; after all, the ghost is sad and lonely. For thousands of years, the ghost has guarded a mountaintop beacon from horrible monsters . . . such as the púka, Jenny begins to suspect. So, she wonders: is the púka actually kind or just using her to get to the ghost? Glossary.
Summary Jenny would much rather wander the fields and hillsides near her home than go to school. After all, she learns more from her friend the púka, a shape-shifting goat and nature god, than she would from her teachers. She also likes to chat with the lonely ghost of a boy who guards the mountaintop stone beacon. Though he continues to fulfill the vow he made centuries ago to protect the human race from terrifying monsters, he longs to be set free. Then Jenny discovers that she is a changeling, a fairy child switched with J.J.’s own newborn so that Jenny could grow to adulthood in the human world. She also realizes that the púka has been manipulating her for his own purposes—to seize control of the earth from humankind and restore the balance of nature. Although her world has been turned upside-down, Jenny pulls herself together and comes up with a daring plan—involving her best fairy trickery and the last of Ireland’s High Kings—to set things right.
Topics Irish folklore. Families. Family problems. Ghosts. Fairies. Changelings. Mythical creatures. Friendship. Making sacrifices. Musicians. Helping neighbors. Wild schemes. Being different. Individuality. Loneliness. Empathy. Appreciating nature. Caring for the environment. Keeping a balance. Making a shocking discovery. Choosing the life you want to live. Trust. Betrayal. Responsibility. Making bargains. Solving problems. Cleverness. Making difficult choices. Love. Forgiveness. Growing older. Saying good-bye. New beginnings.
SRC Level 5.400000
SRC Points 14.000000
Lexile 820L
Trim Size 5 1/2" x 8 1/4"
Language English
JLG Release Date Jul 2008
Minimum grade 6
Maximum grade 8
Reading level Middle
Format Print
Advanced Readers Plus (Grades 6-8)
Advanced Readers Plus
Advanced Readers Plus (Grades 6-8)
For Grades 6-8
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