After Hamelin

Rating:
Summary: Well, the Pied Piper got what was coming to him...
Review: As a child who read every book on myths, fairy tales, fantasy stories, etc. that I could get my hands on, I always wondered about the story of the Pied Piper. I remember the one old movie where it shows the mountains parting, and the Piper taking the children into the mountain. Inside there was some type of wonderful land for the children that catered to their every whim (from what we could see). As the mountain closed, a young boy who was crippled and hobbled on a stick, came hurrying up, just missing a chance to go into this 'land'. I always felt sorry for that young man because I identified with him. Part of the reason I read fairy tales was to get away from my real world, the world in which I am deaf and was required to go to public schools in California in the 1960's and 70's, where no one wanted me: not the administrations, not the teachers and certainly not the kids. My home was my safe place, and my books were my television since I could not hear the cartoons or shows and they were not captioned at that time.

I also felt extremely sorry for the parents, losing all their children that way, because of the dishonesty of the politicians (as per usual). How great of Richardson to finish the story off for us, and this is one of those books you are thinking "I wish I had thought of that!"

This book is an incredible read. Well written, thoughtful, it's almost too good for small children, but I could see reading this book to them after reading about the Pied Piper. As a parent reads, they could explain thing and answer questions. But really this book is for old kids, the 'tween' group who are not quite ready for the teenagers currently available kind-of-... reading out there. It's also a great fantasy book. It totally turned on its head my previous conceptions of dragons...like the assumptions we make about other people and other cultures, Richardson's dragon skips rope and faints at the slightest thing.

The protagonist, Penelope, I could readily identify with. At eleven she loses her hearing, and she and her parents are devastated. But like the wise old man of Hamelin (there is always a wise old man or woman in these stories) said, nothing ever happens except for a reason. We may not always agree with the need for the bad things to happen, we may not always understand why they happen, but often the reason for our problems becomes clearer as we live life and experience it. This is an excellent book to illustrate that concept to children, teenagers, and adults. I never understood 'why' I had to be deaf, 'why' I went to a regular school instead of a residential school, 'why' I had to deal with prejudices and barriers...and now, I am a disability rights advocate and I work to protect those with disabilities in education and health through my bioethics/disability groups. So see...the stories often come true, or have a realistic bent to their parables...

And best of all, that nasty Pied Piper got what was coming to him!

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

Rating:
Summary: Pipe, Pipe, Pipe away Piper!
Review: In this woderfully weaved tale of a girl, Penelope who is 101 years recalls upon her childhood adventure in saving the children of Hamelin. Once you read this book you will want to know more and more until the book ends. But imagination doesn't only end at the last pages for some. Many may want to make a tale of their own. Penelope recalls in extraordinary detail and Bill Richardson has done a wonderful job of making the pipers music in this book turn you eyes to look at the story. The cover speaks alot itself and one look can tell you the meaning " a picture is worth a thousand words." You may get annoyed with the repeating parts where she always says she's 101, but other than that its a good story.
Penelope is a skipper. Not any ordinary skipper, she's a skipping harpers daughter. Ever since she was little there has always had music in her life. Then on the day of her elevening, she goes deaf. The same day the piper comes to pipe away the children with his magical net of music from his pipe. All children but two. Alloway, a blind apprentice who stays with Govan, Penelope's father and of course our heroine, Penelope. To save the children of Hamelin she must go to a world both seen and unseen. Where anything can happen, into a land of dreaming. The stakes are high and in this dream world you just can't wish yourself away from danger.With a wacky group of companions she embarks on her journey... the rest is for you to find out...

Rating:
Summary: An inspiring heroine
Review: The editorial review and the other customer review below have both summed up the plot pretty well, so I won't bother with that; I'll just write a bit about why I liked _After Hamelin_.

Penelope is a delightful heroine, who journeys into a dangerous dreamworld to save her friends from the evil Piper; she could have wallowed in self-pity over her deafness and the disappearance of her friends, but instead she makes a heroine of herself. She recounts this story at age 101; she has become a lonely and bitter woman, teased by the local kids for her disability, her facial scar, and her solitary ways. But as she writes down the story of her adventure, she begins to sound feisty again, as if she's only just remembering that she did some great things and that she can still do a great good in the world. For the spell that binds the Piper will break when she dies. We find out that she is writing this down to accompany a special gift for a special young girl, passing along her knowledge both to enrich the girl's life and to ensure that someone will know what to do if the trouble arises again.

Penelope is a wonderful and three-dimensional character, and her story is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes scary, and always interesting. For almost any age.