The Shadowed Unicorn

by Sheila Kelly Welch

Twelve-year-old Brendan, his twin brother, Nick, and their older sister, Ami, are struggling to cope with their father's recent death and their family's move to the country. When Ami discovers a hoofprint in the woods, she claims it belongs to a unicorn. Nick is dismissive of her plan to capture it, but Brendan feels drawn into Ami's imaginary world that includes a dangerous, nighttime journey to spy on an "ogre." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books says, "Welch's writing is rich with detail . . ." VOYA calls it ". . . true to life . . ." The book was shortlisted for the Prairie Pasque Award.

Genres: Fantasy

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 13, 2000

About the author

Sheila Kelly Welch writes and illustrates for children of all ages. Her story, “The Holding-On Night,” published in Cricket, won the International Reading Association’s Short Story Award. Her most popular books are Little Prince Know-It-All and A Horse for All Seasons. Her middle-grade novel, The Shadowed Unicorn, was short-listed for the Prairie Pasque Award and was likened to Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia in a Booklist review. Her most recent novel, Waiting to Forget, was on Bank Street College and PA School Library Association Best Books lists. She also has two picture books published by the digital company, MeeGenius.

Sheila and her husband live in Illinois where they raised five sons and two daughters. Four of the children were adopted when they were of school age. Although she has two degrees from Temple University, she has learned more from her children than from any college course.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brendan and Nick are identical twins. With their older sister Ami and their mother, they are moving to a small town just six months after the death of their father. While the twins do their best to help, Ami is sullen and stays mostly in her room. The only thing that seems to interest her is unicorns. One day on an outing at a local swimming hole, Ami finds a hoofprint. She is convinced that there is a unicorn in the area. Soon, she draws Brendan and Nick into a game in which they try to catch the mythical creature. But what are they truly chasing?