The Shadowed Unicorn

by Sheila Kelly Welch

Twelve-year-old Brendan Rodrick, his irrepressible twin, Nick, and their older sister, Ami, are struggling to cope with the sudden death of their father and their family's recent move to an isolated farm in Pennsylvania. Being city kids in the country is one problem, but Brendan listens with growing concern as Ami begins to talk about a unicorn hoofprint she sees in the woods. When Ami assumes the role of Maid Amelia and obsessively fantasizes about capturing the mythical beast, Brendan finds himself drawn into her imaginary world, almost against his will. Brendan knows that for his sister the unicorn quest helps fill the emptiness left by their father's death. But the fantasy is also serving as a refuge for him as he tries to define himself as something more than Nick's twin. The search for the unicorn comes to a head when Nick, Brendan, and Ami embark on a secret nighttime journey up a nearby mountain to spy on an elderly neighbor whom they call the Ogre. Will Ami, with Brendan's help, be able to capture the unicorn before the night is over?

Genres: Fantasy

192 pages, Hardcover

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?