- ASIN: B0BYTN5PM7
- Publisher: Thar She Blows Books (16 Mar. 2023)
- Language: English
- Print length: 170 pages
- Genre: Fantasy & Magic for Children
The BookViral Review:
Joining his other titles, ‘The Nicknocker’, penned by author and illustrator Tracy Sabin, is another engrossing tale of magical adventure. Written in a believable ‘boy-like’ fashion, The Nicknocker takes its young readers on a fantasy journey, where they meet other-worldly creatures, such as Kahlo, a shapeshifting Nicknocker, Tumblewort, the grumpy old oak, and Redcap, the bloodsucking dissident of the Elven world.
However, the real enchantment begins when magic and real life come together, as Martin, a sometimes bullied young man who collects words for fun, is drawn into an unbelievable world where there is much, much more to the noises you hear in the night, and the Elevenfolk call on him for help in preserving their shared natural habitat. Assisted by spells that Kahlo manages (sometimes!) to bring with him, Martin takes on their cause, which very quickly becomes his own.
As the plot develops Sabin cleverly weaves ethical issues into the storyline and uses Martin’s backstory and current experience to address some of the more difficult situations youngsters face, such as relationship issues, the departure of a parent, loneliness and bullying.
Martin’s ‘word collecting’, a hobby he shares with best friend Ardith, exposes readers to some interesting, enjoyable and humorous words, drawing those with a curious mind.
Posing important questions about the environment and humanitarian balance, ‘The Nicknocker’ also prompts enquiry, as the characters negotiate these issues, and firmly yet lawfully work to protect their much loved and irreplaceable surroundings.
Sabin’s engaging text is perfectly pitched towards his middle school audience, neither too babyish nor overly complicated, whilst maintaining the magical essence of fairy-tale, and lends itself both to solo reading and story time with a parent or carer.
Easy to read and engaging, Sabin’s new offering will engage and delight both its young readers and the young at heart. It is unreservedly recommended.
