The Book of Alfar: A Tale of the Hudson Highlands

by Peter W. Hassinger

When Sander moves to the country, he is not greeted with the quiet life. His parents are fighting, and his sister, who used to be his ally, has abandoned him to become a teenager. But in the woods surrounding his new home, he finds a fairy world of dwarfs, pirates, soldiers, wandering ghosts, and a ruthless Lord of the Dunderburg who must be stopped. With the help of an unlikely friend, an ancient dwarf named Alfar, and Mini, a half-Native American girl steeped in the lore of the region, Sander embarks on a magical, swashbuckling adventure where only he can tip the balance in a world struggling between good and evil.

Screenwriter Peter Hassinger weaves fantasy with Celtic folklore in a spectacular first novel, reminiscent of Treasure Island or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

264 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2002

About the author

Peter W. Hassinger works as a screenwriter in Brooklyn. Shakespeare's Daughter is his second novel for young adults. He is also the author of The Book of Alfar: A Tale of the Hudson Highlands.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great adventure tale! I loved the friendships and the character qualities of the kids and dwarves. Great read aloud because it is fast paced and had some funny parts. Good read aloud for elementary. Good silent read for elementary or older. As an adult I really enjoyed it. The plot had complexities and was not oversimplified.

One thing to be aware of is a sub plot about a solider and a native American woman who fall in love, [SPOILER ALERT]

...she gets pregnant, but her family never lets them get married and chases off the soldier. It is not a big part of the story, but it was a part that seemed a little mature for the audience. Thankfully it seemed to go over the heads of my students.

Audience: I give it 4 stars, 9 year old gave it 4 stars, 6 year old gave it 2 billion stars.

[Oopsie Daisy (Crows Version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Real rating is 6.5/10

I found this years ago when my library was giving out books they didn't need. At first I thought the book was pretty boring but then in the second half it picked up and it got more entertaining. I'm surprised that is has barely any reviews, I thought this was a decent story.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book!Peter Hassinger is a gifted writer and narrator.Alfar is a young elf who befriends our main character Sander.With a move to a new house and a sister who is too big to play with him,Sander takes to the woods...and the magic begins.
I was given this book free for an honest review.