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After Hamelin
Implicit in many folk and fairy tales is the question, 'Then what?' After Hamelin picks up the story where the Robert Browning poem - or other tellings of The Pied Piper of Hamelin - leaves off.
In a quest that is both contemporary and timeless, Bill Richardson creates a magical world through inventive wordplay, uninhibited imagination and a facility with rhyme. Here is a raconteur who spins a narrative tale that takes readers into strange lands inhabited by unusual characters, both good and evil, where adventure abounds and unlikely saviors emerge.
Penelope is 101 years old, but she can remember the story like it happened yesterday. On the morning of her eleventh birthday, she wakes to discover she can no longer hear. It is on this same day that the Piper returns to Hamelin to spirit the children away in an evil act of revenge upon the townspeople. Spared because she is deaf to the Piper's bewitching tune, Penelope is left to grieve the loss of her friends and beloved sister Sophy until Cuthbert, the wise man of the village, reveals that Penelope possesses the unusual gift of deep dreaming. Armed only with a charm from Cuthbert and her own courage, Penelope enters the land of sleep on a treacherous quest to rescue the stolen children.
There is suspense, humor and high excitement (wrapped in dark undercurrents) as Penelope and the companions she meets along the way - Scally, her trusted cat; Alloway, the blind harpist; Ulysses, a three-legged dog; and Quentin, a dragon who loves skipping - journey to the Piper's mountain fortress. Their combined wits and talents see them through strange landscapes and close calls. In a thrilling climax played out in a mysterious place between dreaming and waking, they triumph over the Piper and set the children of Hamelin free.
In a quest that is both contemporary and timeless, Bill Richardson creates a magical world through inventive wordplay, uninhibited imagination and a facility with rhyme. Here is a raconteur who spins a narrative tale that takes readers into strange lands inhabited by unusual characters, both good and evil, where adventure abounds and unlikely saviors emerge.
Penelope is 101 years old, but she can remember the story like it happened yesterday. On the morning of her eleventh birthday, she wakes to discover she can no longer hear. It is on this same day that the Piper returns to Hamelin to spirit the children away in an evil act of revenge upon the townspeople. Spared because she is deaf to the Piper's bewitching tune, Penelope is left to grieve the loss of her friends and beloved sister Sophy until Cuthbert, the wise man of the village, reveals that Penelope possesses the unusual gift of deep dreaming. Armed only with a charm from Cuthbert and her own courage, Penelope enters the land of sleep on a treacherous quest to rescue the stolen children.
There is suspense, humor and high excitement (wrapped in dark undercurrents) as Penelope and the companions she meets along the way - Scally, her trusted cat; Alloway, the blind harpist; Ulysses, a three-legged dog; and Quentin, a dragon who loves skipping - journey to the Piper's mountain fortress. Their combined wits and talents see them through strange landscapes and close calls. In a thrilling climax played out in a mysterious place between dreaming and waking, they triumph over the Piper and set the children of Hamelin free.
227 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2000
7 people are currently reading
312 people want to read
About the author
Bill Richardson
77 books51 followersBill Richardson was born and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba on a quiet little street. He admits to being a shy kid, a quality that has carried over into his adulthood. With his two brothers and the neighborhood children, Bill would play hide and seek, red rover and tag. They got into the usual sorts of mischief: garden raids and snowball fights.
Bill has always taken comfort in reading. As a child his tastes were very diverse, ranging from the adventures of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the Happy Hollisters, and the Enid Blyton books to comics featuring Archie, Richie Rich, Little Lulu, Casper, Batman and Superman. The Alice in Wonderland books were favorites, and he still loves them today.
Bill’s parents also influenced his reading habits at a young age. His mother introduced him to a six-volume set called Our Bookhouse, an anthology of readings from many different sources; and Bill’s father would share his favorite poetry with the family. And Bill took to reading poetry as well: A Child’s Garden of Verses and the A.A. Milne poems. He claims that he didn’t start to read with anything like purpose or intensity until he reached adolescence. Many of the classic children’s books, such as The Wind in the Willows and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he came to as an adult.
In 1976, Bill received his B.A. from the University of Winnipeg. He went on to pursue a Master of Library Sciences at UBC, graduating in 1980. In 1998, Bill was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg. For six years he worked as a children’s librarian.
Bill is well known in Canada as a CBC Radio host. He’s also made many freelance contributions to both network and regional shows. In 1992, Bill began hosting a summer show called Crosswords, which would continue for four years. He next became the guest host of a classical music request show, and when the show moved to Vancouver in 1996, he was chosen as the show’s permanent host; it became known as As You Like It, to reflect Bill’s interest in the music and letters of his audience. In 1997, Bill became the host of a new program, Richardson’s Roundup. The Roundup is very interactive with its listening audience.
Bill has always dabbled at writing. Even as a child he had a vivid presentiment that this is what he would do. His columns have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Western Living Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, and Xtra West Magazine. Bill won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in 1994.
In 2000, Bill published his first novel for young adults. After Hamelin tells the tale of Penelope, the only child to escape the lure of the infamous Pied Piper. Now grown to the ripe age of 101, the feisty Penelope recounts her fantastic adventure to rescue the other children of her village from the clutches of the nasty Piper. Bill’s wonderful story has gone on to earn more than a dozen awards and nominations.
Bill makes frequent public appearances reading poetry, narrating musical works, giving keynote speeches and signing books. As time slips away, Bill hopes to use as much of it as he can catch. He believes that “if you’re going to write, you damage yourself if you don't pay attention to the ideas that come your way and try to make something of them. It’s a kind of responsibility, which isn’t to say that you’ll write well, but you still need to make the effort.”
Bill has always taken comfort in reading. As a child his tastes were very diverse, ranging from the adventures of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, the Happy Hollisters, and the Enid Blyton books to comics featuring Archie, Richie Rich, Little Lulu, Casper, Batman and Superman. The Alice in Wonderland books were favorites, and he still loves them today.
Bill’s parents also influenced his reading habits at a young age. His mother introduced him to a six-volume set called Our Bookhouse, an anthology of readings from many different sources; and Bill’s father would share his favorite poetry with the family. And Bill took to reading poetry as well: A Child’s Garden of Verses and the A.A. Milne poems. He claims that he didn’t start to read with anything like purpose or intensity until he reached adolescence. Many of the classic children’s books, such as The Wind in the Willows and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he came to as an adult.
In 1976, Bill received his B.A. from the University of Winnipeg. He went on to pursue a Master of Library Sciences at UBC, graduating in 1980. In 1998, Bill was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg. For six years he worked as a children’s librarian.
Bill is well known in Canada as a CBC Radio host. He’s also made many freelance contributions to both network and regional shows. In 1992, Bill began hosting a summer show called Crosswords, which would continue for four years. He next became the guest host of a classical music request show, and when the show moved to Vancouver in 1996, he was chosen as the show’s permanent host; it became known as As You Like It, to reflect Bill’s interest in the music and letters of his audience. In 1997, Bill became the host of a new program, Richardson’s Roundup. The Roundup is very interactive with its listening audience.
Bill has always dabbled at writing. Even as a child he had a vivid presentiment that this is what he would do. His columns have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Western Living Magazine, The Vancouver Sun, Georgia Straight, and Xtra West Magazine. Bill won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in 1994.
In 2000, Bill published his first novel for young adults. After Hamelin tells the tale of Penelope, the only child to escape the lure of the infamous Pied Piper. Now grown to the ripe age of 101, the feisty Penelope recounts her fantastic adventure to rescue the other children of her village from the clutches of the nasty Piper. Bill’s wonderful story has gone on to earn more than a dozen awards and nominations.
Bill makes frequent public appearances reading poetry, narrating musical works, giving keynote speeches and signing books. As time slips away, Bill hopes to use as much of it as he can catch. He believes that “if you’re going to write, you damage yourself if you don't pay attention to the ideas that come your way and try to make something of them. It’s a kind of responsibility, which isn’t to say that you’ll write well, but you still need to make the effort.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 27, 2015
As those of you who read my reviews know, more than almost any other fairy-tale (only "East of the Sun/West of the Moon" and "Beauty and the Beast" come close), the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin is unsurpassed in my memory, and these related books always conjures up fond feelings of nostalgia.
I'm always pleasantly surprised to see new imaginings/retellings/revisions of the classic story, and (Full Disclosure), I always tend to be partially disposed to them before I even open the pages.
And so, unsurprisingly, this book captivated me from beginning to end, in the same way that The Last Child of Hamelin and Peter and Max did. (I also look forward to the forthcoming The Peddler's Road trilogy.)
This book in particular is peopled with interesting characters (and it's always nice to have a female protagonist!), and an intersting mix of mysticism, silliness, melancholy, and just a tiny bit of creepiness that really worked for me.
Highly recommened to all fairy-tale fans (and especially those with an interest in the "Pied Piper" mythos.)
I'm always pleasantly surprised to see new imaginings/retellings/revisions of the classic story, and (Full Disclosure), I always tend to be partially disposed to them before I even open the pages.
And so, unsurprisingly, this book captivated me from beginning to end, in the same way that The Last Child of Hamelin and Peter and Max did. (I also look forward to the forthcoming The Peddler's Road trilogy.)
This book in particular is peopled with interesting characters (and it's always nice to have a female protagonist!), and an intersting mix of mysticism, silliness, melancholy, and just a tiny bit of creepiness that really worked for me.
Highly recommened to all fairy-tale fans (and especially those with an interest in the "Pied Piper" mythos.)
November 21, 2022
One of my childhood favourites. Dreamlike. Bittersweet. *chef’s kiss*
June 18, 2021
This is one of my favorite books of all time. It was given to me when I was ten and I have loved it since. Its a beautiful tale of love, family, friendship and courage. It's easy to follow along and read and I can't wait to share with my children one day
August 2, 2013
When I first read this book, which was a while ago, I fell completely and stupidly in love with it. It really is a great book for kids to read -- it's a fairly easy read, and slightly silly, but it also has an amazingly fantastic premise, and the world they move through on their journey is so vivid.
As previously mentioned, it's been a long time since I first read it. But I found myself thinking about it, when caught up in insomnia, and finally decided to re-read it.
Going back to it was... oddly comforting. Most of the story was soothingly familiar, while I enjoyed small details I either missed, or forgot about. The prose itself was much richer than I remember; the book employs a lot of rhymes and song lyrics, and they fit together amazingly well.
I won't go into any plot summaries, or about the characters, because I won't do it justice. But if you like stories about dreamworlds, enjoy reading about characters going on a journey together, or just want a book that will enchant you and stay with you for a long time afterward -- I highly recommend it.
This book is so much more than an expansion of the Pied Piper tale, and is an excellent piece of literature in it's own right, and I love it for that.
As previously mentioned, it's been a long time since I first read it. But I found myself thinking about it, when caught up in insomnia, and finally decided to re-read it.
Going back to it was... oddly comforting. Most of the story was soothingly familiar, while I enjoyed small details I either missed, or forgot about. The prose itself was much richer than I remember; the book employs a lot of rhymes and song lyrics, and they fit together amazingly well.
I won't go into any plot summaries, or about the characters, because I won't do it justice. But if you like stories about dreamworlds, enjoy reading about characters going on a journey together, or just want a book that will enchant you and stay with you for a long time afterward -- I highly recommend it.
This book is so much more than an expansion of the Pied Piper tale, and is an excellent piece of literature in it's own right, and I love it for that.
June 14, 2017
Ok so I had read this in the past. I am honestly not sure exactly how old I was but it was definitely in elementary school (probably age 8-12 range). I read it for school and I actually really enjoyed it even then. As a kid I read books for the story and as an adult I read books for the characters and the messages within the story. Having said that I loved this book as much as an adult and I did as a kid.
I enjoyed that the narration was by the main character but when she is 101. She talks about preparing for her death and part of that is making sure that people know her story. So she goes back and forth from present day to 90 years prior when she is 11 multiple times throughout the book.
The plot is great.
Penelope's present day story (as a 101 year old) seems unnecessary but still interesting until the very end where it becomes super important to the story as a whole. This story is basically about her writing her childhood adventures to prepare for death, her dislike of certain children in the village and how they treat her, and this man coming to ask for one of her harps for his daughter's 11th birthday. This story is important but doesn't actually have a lot of "life lessons" which is why it seems less necessary throughout the book.
Penelope's past story starts at the beginning of the Pied Piper story. Penelope is preparing for her elevening (which is where the children of Hamelin find out what their gift/talent is; anywhere from singing to sewing) where she hopes to find out that she is meant to make harps while the Piper takes away the rats. The piper arrives on the day of her 11th birthday and takes away all the children of Hamelin except two. One is the Harper's (Penelope's father's) blind apprentice and the other is Penelope herself who wakes up to find that she is deaf. I love that the children with disabilities are the ones who are set up to save the rest of the "normal" kids. (I would like to point out that as a kid I didn't even realize that they were different other than they couldn't be taken by the harper; I never saw them as disabled. Everyone makes such a point of calling out books with main characters with disabilities these days but they always existed.)
Penelope being deaf isn't her gift it's just something that happened that is looked on as a blessing in this situation. Her gift is actually deep dreaming meaning that she can actually go into a dream world that other deep dreamers can also go into. What happens in the dream world can be transferred into the real world. This dream world is where the Piper has taken the children of Hamelin. These two things (deafness and deep dreaming) is where we start to see that the magical realism is being used to conveniently move the plot along and create simple, unquestionable solutions to problems. In an adult book this would bother me but it's a kids book so while it seems forced and obvious to me it probably seems wonderful to kids. You have to read the book like this, like you are a kid. That's who it was meant for so that's who it was written for.
Penelope, through her gift of deep dreaming, meets old friends (Scally and Alloway the blind boy) and new friends (Belle the Trolavian and Quentin the dragon) and goes on an adventure with everyone.
This is where the life lessons start. Penelope is brave enough to go on this adventure for the benefit of all the kids she grew up with (life lesson: being brave is easier when it's for other people). Belle adventures further than she intended and meets and befriends someone she had negative preconceived ideas about (life lesson: do new things, push your boundaries, and meet new people and you'll be able to make your own opinions about things). Quentin learns to overcome fears in order to reach his goals and to push himself when faced with defeat to become better. I just think that the life lessons that each of the characters puts forward are great things for kids to learn.
This book is short and I honestly remember it being so much longer and the adventuring being so much more of the book but that's because I was a kid when I first read it. If it was much longer kids would get disinterested in it.
So overall the characters were great and their progressions were just awesome to see. The plot was so much more intricate than I thought despite being short. And I can forgive the convenient plot points because it's magic and it's a dream.
So 4.5 stars and I recommend this to any young elementary school children who can read a novel length book. It is probably best for ages 8-12 but both boys and girls could enjoy this book even though the main character is female.
I enjoyed that the narration was by the main character but when she is 101. She talks about preparing for her death and part of that is making sure that people know her story. So she goes back and forth from present day to 90 years prior when she is 11 multiple times throughout the book.
The plot is great.
Penelope's present day story (as a 101 year old) seems unnecessary but still interesting until the very end where it becomes super important to the story as a whole. This story is basically about her writing her childhood adventures to prepare for death, her dislike of certain children in the village and how they treat her, and this man coming to ask for one of her harps for his daughter's 11th birthday. This story is important but doesn't actually have a lot of "life lessons" which is why it seems less necessary throughout the book.
Penelope's past story starts at the beginning of the Pied Piper story. Penelope is preparing for her elevening (which is where the children of Hamelin find out what their gift/talent is; anywhere from singing to sewing) where she hopes to find out that she is meant to make harps while the Piper takes away the rats. The piper arrives on the day of her 11th birthday and takes away all the children of Hamelin except two. One is the Harper's (Penelope's father's) blind apprentice and the other is Penelope herself who wakes up to find that she is deaf. I love that the children with disabilities are the ones who are set up to save the rest of the "normal" kids. (I would like to point out that as a kid I didn't even realize that they were different other than they couldn't be taken by the harper; I never saw them as disabled. Everyone makes such a point of calling out books with main characters with disabilities these days but they always existed.)
Penelope being deaf isn't her gift it's just something that happened that is looked on as a blessing in this situation. Her gift is actually deep dreaming meaning that she can actually go into a dream world that other deep dreamers can also go into. What happens in the dream world can be transferred into the real world. This dream world is where the Piper has taken the children of Hamelin. These two things (deafness and deep dreaming) is where we start to see that the magical realism is being used to conveniently move the plot along and create simple, unquestionable solutions to problems. In an adult book this would bother me but it's a kids book so while it seems forced and obvious to me it probably seems wonderful to kids. You have to read the book like this, like you are a kid. That's who it was meant for so that's who it was written for.
Penelope, through her gift of deep dreaming, meets old friends (Scally and Alloway the blind boy) and new friends (Belle the Trolavian and Quentin the dragon) and goes on an adventure with everyone.
This is where the life lessons start. Penelope is brave enough to go on this adventure for the benefit of all the kids she grew up with (life lesson: being brave is easier when it's for other people). Belle adventures further than she intended and meets and befriends someone she had negative preconceived ideas about (life lesson: do new things, push your boundaries, and meet new people and you'll be able to make your own opinions about things). Quentin learns to overcome fears in order to reach his goals and to push himself when faced with defeat to become better. I just think that the life lessons that each of the characters puts forward are great things for kids to learn.
This book is short and I honestly remember it being so much longer and the adventuring being so much more of the book but that's because I was a kid when I first read it. If it was much longer kids would get disinterested in it.
So overall the characters were great and their progressions were just awesome to see. The plot was so much more intricate than I thought despite being short. And I can forgive the convenient plot points because it's magic and it's a dream.
So 4.5 stars and I recommend this to any young elementary school children who can read a novel length book. It is probably best for ages 8-12 but both boys and girls could enjoy this book even though the main character is female.
October 10, 2018
Ik heb ooit ergens gehoord dat je de allerleukste boeken vindt op boekenmarkten. Dat is waar je boeken tegen het lijf loopt waarvan je niet wist dat ze bestonden. Dat is waar je voor weinig geld een onbekend pareltje koopt dat je zomaar kan verrassen. In eerste instantie had ik dit boek laten staan, maar toen ik nog wat geld over had en het aan me bleef trekken, ben ik het alsnog gaan kopen.
En wat een ongelooflijk leuk jeugdboek! Als ik 20 jaar jonger was geweest was dit ongetwijfeld een van mijn favoriete boeken ooit geworden, alhoewel ik niet zeker weet of ik op die leeftijd de manier van vertellen zo had kunnen waarderen als nu, maar dat is een kleinigheidje.
Dit boek gaat verder waar het beroemde sprookje van de Rattenvanger van Hamelen stopt. Penelope komt er op haar elfde verjaardag, de dag waarop ze doof wordt, achter dat ze een bijzonder talent bezit en dat juist dat talent haar zusje en alle andere kinderen van Hamelen terug thuis kan brengen. En vanaf dat moment werd het boek een echte avonturenroman zoals er zoveel geschreven zijn met mannelijke helden.
Penelope komt terecht in een magische wereld, waar ze vrienden en vijanden maakt, waar ze ontwikkelt en groeit, waar ze zich dapper door alle testen heen slaat en waar ze uiteindelijk in een spannend gevecht de strijd aan moet gaan met de boze rattenvanger die alle kinderen van Hamelen ontvoerd heeft omdat de burgemeester weigerde zijn beloofde beloning te betalen.
De schrijfstijl is uniek, de manier van vertellen ook, maar het is bovenal een avontuur zoals ik er vele gelezen heb, maar zelden met een dapper meisje in de hoofdrol. Mocht ik ooit een tweede exemplaar vinden, dan gaat het naar mijn nichtje. Ik hoop dat ze het net zo kan waarderen als ik!
En wat een ongelooflijk leuk jeugdboek! Als ik 20 jaar jonger was geweest was dit ongetwijfeld een van mijn favoriete boeken ooit geworden, alhoewel ik niet zeker weet of ik op die leeftijd de manier van vertellen zo had kunnen waarderen als nu, maar dat is een kleinigheidje.
Dit boek gaat verder waar het beroemde sprookje van de Rattenvanger van Hamelen stopt. Penelope komt er op haar elfde verjaardag, de dag waarop ze doof wordt, achter dat ze een bijzonder talent bezit en dat juist dat talent haar zusje en alle andere kinderen van Hamelen terug thuis kan brengen. En vanaf dat moment werd het boek een echte avonturenroman zoals er zoveel geschreven zijn met mannelijke helden.
Penelope komt terecht in een magische wereld, waar ze vrienden en vijanden maakt, waar ze ontwikkelt en groeit, waar ze zich dapper door alle testen heen slaat en waar ze uiteindelijk in een spannend gevecht de strijd aan moet gaan met de boze rattenvanger die alle kinderen van Hamelen ontvoerd heeft omdat de burgemeester weigerde zijn beloofde beloning te betalen.
De schrijfstijl is uniek, de manier van vertellen ook, maar het is bovenal een avontuur zoals ik er vele gelezen heb, maar zelden met een dapper meisje in de hoofdrol. Mocht ik ooit een tweede exemplaar vinden, dan gaat het naar mijn nichtje. Ik hoop dat ze het net zo kan waarderen als ik!
January 24, 2022
After Hamelin is a lovely, lovely book with poetic words and phrases and heartfelt times. Penelope is the main character, seen both as a child and as an elderly woman. She is 101 years old as she begins to tell the tale and talks about preparing for death. She wants others to know her story, from this day to 90 years before when she was just 11. It starts with the beginning of the Pied Piper tale. Penelope is preparing for her elevening (when the Hamelin children determine their gift/talent). She hopes that she is meant to make harps as the Piper takes away the rats.
Arriving on her 11th birthday, the Pied Piper takes away all the children including her older sister and friends. The only children remaining are the Harper's (Penelope's father's) blind apprentice and Penelope who is deaf. Penelope wants to rescue the children even though she disliked some for how they treated her. She discovers that her gift is deep dreaming. She can go into a dream world with other deep dreamers, including the Pied Piper and the children. What happens in the dream world can become reality.
Following the advice of a town elder, Penelope, through her gift of deep dreaming, finds old friends (Scally and Alloway the blind boy) and makes new friends (Belle the Trolavian and Quentin the dragon). So the adventure begins providing the reader with fFun, imaginative characters mixed with mysticism, silliness and melancholy.
Arriving on her 11th birthday, the Pied Piper takes away all the children including her older sister and friends. The only children remaining are the Harper's (Penelope's father's) blind apprentice and Penelope who is deaf. Penelope wants to rescue the children even though she disliked some for how they treated her. She discovers that her gift is deep dreaming. She can go into a dream world with other deep dreamers, including the Pied Piper and the children. What happens in the dream world can become reality.
Following the advice of a town elder, Penelope, through her gift of deep dreaming, finds old friends (Scally and Alloway the blind boy) and makes new friends (Belle the Trolavian and Quentin the dragon). So the adventure begins providing the reader with fFun, imaginative characters mixed with mysticism, silliness and melancholy.
January 8, 2020
I have been trying to remember the title of this book for yearsss!! 10 year old me lived for this book and I always remembered it because a boy in our reading club, who I was very competitive with and admired, corrected me when I mispronounced Penelope!! I was astonished that I had never realized that was the spelling for Penelope! My gosh!
I will definitely try to get my hands on a copy and reread this as an adult. After not reading much fantasy at all for years I'm starting to seek out the books that made me a fantasy lover as a preteen and teenager.
So 10 year old me says this was fantastic.
I will definitely try to get my hands on a copy and reread this as an adult. After not reading much fantasy at all for years I'm starting to seek out the books that made me a fantasy lover as a preteen and teenager.
So 10 year old me says this was fantastic.
May 2, 2017
A deaf girl goes looking for what happened to the children of Hamelin after the Pied Piper took them away. This was an odd story that seemed to hint at soul travel.
July 4, 2012
The writing was nice but I wanted the story to be more than a dream. I mean, really!
April 13, 2021
You know the story, the Pied Piper lures the children of Hamelin away with music, since he wasn't paid for ridding the town of rats. Then what? There HAS to be more! There is, here is the afterward. After the children are stolen away Penelope finds she is one of two who have been spared due to a disability, in Penelope's case, she became unaccountable deaf and couldn't hear the music. Why? Here, on the eve of her special day, her elevening, she is struck deaf, and the piper has taken the children. Why was she spared?
I first read this young adult novel in a mother/daughter book club when my daughter was in middle school. I liked it then, I like it now. I re-read it every so often, and enjoy it each time. It's well written, and suitable for young adults (I'd say middle school age, maybe 11 up), but adults should like it too. It doesn't use simple language. Just because Penelope, our protagonist, is 11, doesn't mean the book is FOR 11 year olds! I say, call it a novel, not just YA!
I first read this young adult novel in a mother/daughter book club when my daughter was in middle school. I liked it then, I like it now. I re-read it every so often, and enjoy it each time. It's well written, and suitable for young adults (I'd say middle school age, maybe 11 up), but adults should like it too. It doesn't use simple language. Just because Penelope, our protagonist, is 11, doesn't mean the book is FOR 11 year olds! I say, call it a novel, not just YA!
November 1, 2020
So-so book, aimed at young teen readers. Given the intended audience, that is why it is surprising to me the author would insert several unneeded allusions that were not appropriate in the first half of the book. The writer, in places, is annoying in how immature he expects young teens to think. Give me an Andre Norton book any day over this one. I re-read the Robert Browning poem before reading this book, and found Richardson has some of his facts inconsistent with the original poem. Disappointing book! It is better than one star, however, but certainly not three stars. I'm glad this book is done, and now to read one that promises to be better.
July 15, 2019
Loved it. loved the 101 year old Penelope character, daughter of a harp maker, a deaf harp maker herself, telling the story, the harps, the dragon, the blind boy, the talking cat, the three-legged dog and Cuthbert, deep dreamer & brother of the Piper - and the scar Penelope chose to bring home from her adventure because it is our scars that remind us we have survived to tell the tale. Richardson has taken an ancient tale & breathed new life into it.
May 8, 2023
Solid, simply-told fantasy.
I'm amazed this isn't more widely available in the U.S.
A bit reminiscent of "Farthest Away Mountain." I'm not sure what I make of the "Deep Dreaming" attribute of the fantasy, and it's unusual to see a fantasy character both as an 11 year old and as a 101 year old. Dreamlike, very quick read.
(But I've always assumed Pied Piper is only very minimally a 'fairy-tale' and is probably a recording of real events.)
I'm amazed this isn't more widely available in the U.S.
A bit reminiscent of "Farthest Away Mountain." I'm not sure what I make of the "Deep Dreaming" attribute of the fantasy, and it's unusual to see a fantasy character both as an 11 year old and as a 101 year old. Dreamlike, very quick read.
(But I've always assumed Pied Piper is only very minimally a 'fairy-tale' and is probably a recording of real events.)
March 7, 2019
I read this book so, so long ago. But even though I don't remember everything I remember feeling nothing but excitement and interest the whole way through. I loved the story, I loved the characters and their flaws. I might pick this one up again.
May 30, 2019
Starts out interesting enough & I thought I might find it to be a good read, but on p. 52 I put it down. It'd become too slow & somehow uninteresting. I wanted it to work, but for me at least, it didn't.
January 14, 2019
Whimsical. Reminded of childhood.
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April 9, 2020Täitsa mõnus lugemine. Harfid, unenäod, hea-paha...
October 8, 2021
This book surprised me...both in the finding of it and in the story it unfolded.
January 11, 2022
I can't remember much about the plot beyond that it is a continuation of the folk tale of the pied piper of Hamelin. I do remember liking it.
January 24, 2022
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. A great tale of family, friends, love and adventure. The characters had so much courage on their quest. I would recommend this book
October 23, 2022
I read this book as a child and remembered enjoying it a lot. After reading it again I can see why as the imagination of the story grows wild. Simply written with a quick pace.
February 24, 2023
I read this during my 7th grade, a friend let me borrow it. I definitely don't remember much, but I know I enjoyed reading it. So, I give it 4 and a half stars.
May 12, 2023
My favorite family read aloud book!
September 18, 2024
This retelling of the Pied Piper was just OK.
October 6, 2025
Read as child, pretty cool, was scared I'd suddenly go deaf for a while
March 1, 2017
Strong start. Lags in the middle. Finishes alright in the end.
February 20, 2017
I read this book for the first time when I was probably 10 or 11 and I got it from the little library in Markdale. It is one of the books that stands out to me in the muddle of all of the books I read as a child but cannot remember. I have not read it since that first time, however, because I could not for the life of me recall the name of it. But I knew the cover--I could see it in my mind's eye--so when I saw it on a bookshelf in a little used bookstore in Flesherton, I knew what it was and snatched it up immediately.
After Hamelin is an incredibly adorable book. I loved it as a child, and now, not only does the writing hold up, but I find myself imagining reading it to children myself. It has a fresh, silly quality to it like Roald Dahl, while at the same time being sprinkled with poetic language and heartfelt moments. The main character, Penelope, is darling, both as a child and as an elderly woman ("I am 101 years old!") as she recounts the tale of her adventures.
Most of the book was new again to me, it being over 10 years since I last read it. My only idea of it was that it was a Pied Piper story and there was a girl who went to rescue all of the children when they were spirited away. I do wish the last bit of the story was a little more drawn out, and showed us Penelope waking up to her family again, and Sophy and the other children returning home, but that small disappointment is mostly outweighed by the loveliness of the rest of the book. I'd entirely forgotten about the other characters in the book, Penelope's companions on her journey. How could I forget that this book had dragons, when I love dragons so very much??
It is a whimsical tale, rambling and silly and imperfect, but I do love it and I do want to share it with my students when I have them...
After Hamelin is an incredibly adorable book. I loved it as a child, and now, not only does the writing hold up, but I find myself imagining reading it to children myself. It has a fresh, silly quality to it like Roald Dahl, while at the same time being sprinkled with poetic language and heartfelt moments. The main character, Penelope, is darling, both as a child and as an elderly woman ("I am 101 years old!") as she recounts the tale of her adventures.
Most of the book was new again to me, it being over 10 years since I last read it. My only idea of it was that it was a Pied Piper story and there was a girl who went to rescue all of the children when they were spirited away. I do wish the last bit of the story was a little more drawn out, and showed us Penelope waking up to her family again, and Sophy and the other children returning home, but that small disappointment is mostly outweighed by the loveliness of the rest of the book. I'd entirely forgotten about the other characters in the book, Penelope's companions on her journey. How could I forget that this book had dragons, when I love dragons so very much??
It is a whimsical tale, rambling and silly and imperfect, but I do love it and I do want to share it with my students when I have them...
July 8, 2010
Penelope is 101 years old. She lives in Hamelin, the city that used to be known for its rats...until it became known for its missing children. She was just 10 years old, when it all came about, but she vividly remembers the events. She was about to turn eleven, the magical age when young girls were taken to see Cuthbert and told their special gift.
The morning of her eleventh birthday changed everything. You see, it was on this momentous day that Penelope's ears stopped working. She could no longer hear, even a little. It was also on this day that the Piper who had magicked away the rats with his music returned for vengeance, and this time it was the children who couldn't stop themselves from dancing after him--all except for Penelope, who couldn't hear the music, and Alloway, the blind harpist who lived in their home, and who couldn't see where to go.
For the first time anyone could remember, instead of Penelope going to Cuthbert, he came to her. Over the next several days, she learned of her gift, and also of the awesome responsibility that was now hers: for it was up to her to rescue the children.
I was about 3 pages in when I realized I had read this book before--probably several years ago. I didn't remember much about it, except that I had liked it.
It's a dual narrative--Penelope as an old woman, and the thrilling story of her rescue of the children of Hamelin, in the land of deep dreaming. I enjoyed both this time around, and particularly the ending that brought it all together.
The morning of her eleventh birthday changed everything. You see, it was on this momentous day that Penelope's ears stopped working. She could no longer hear, even a little. It was also on this day that the Piper who had magicked away the rats with his music returned for vengeance, and this time it was the children who couldn't stop themselves from dancing after him--all except for Penelope, who couldn't hear the music, and Alloway, the blind harpist who lived in their home, and who couldn't see where to go.
For the first time anyone could remember, instead of Penelope going to Cuthbert, he came to her. Over the next several days, she learned of her gift, and also of the awesome responsibility that was now hers: for it was up to her to rescue the children.
I was about 3 pages in when I realized I had read this book before--probably several years ago. I didn't remember much about it, except that I had liked it.
It's a dual narrative--Penelope as an old woman, and the thrilling story of her rescue of the children of Hamelin, in the land of deep dreaming. I enjoyed both this time around, and particularly the ending that brought it all together.
June 19, 2016
The Pied Piper of Hamelin tale is both frightening and fascinating because it has roots in actuality. What would it be like to lose all the children of the town to a mysterious stranger who spirited them away? Did they ever return? Why were only a couple of children spared? The what ifs take shape in Bill Richardson's spin on the old German tale.
Reminiscent of both A Wrinkle in Time and Alice Through the Looking Glass with a smidge of The Wizard of Oz--all tales of a young girl who must find herself as she and her companions and mentor overcome evil to find home once again. Beguiling and entertaining. Appealing to children as well as adults who still appreciate fantastical fairy tale retellings.
Reminiscent of both A Wrinkle in Time and Alice Through the Looking Glass with a smidge of The Wizard of Oz--all tales of a young girl who must find herself as she and her companions and mentor overcome evil to find home once again. Beguiling and entertaining. Appealing to children as well as adults who still appreciate fantastical fairy tale retellings.
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