I read this becuase it was written by Jenny Nimmo. I enjoy her "Charlie Bone" series, and I thought this book (and series) would be on the same level. I was disappointed. This is harder to get into than "Charlie Bone," and it's not as good. I felt a little let down afterward. ( )

I read this in class, and almost every kid read the next two books! ( )

The Snow Spider is the first book in a new Trilogy (The Magician's Trilogy, no less) by Jenny Nimmo and I have to say, it's a delightful read. I was pleased to see a mix of fantasy and Welsh folklore/mythology...not exactly something you see everyday in kid's fiction and it makes for an interesting read! In this first book of the trilogy we are introduced to a group of characters that I suspect will be with us for the entire series. The main character is Gwyn a young man celebrating his tenth birthday as the story begins. We also have his Nain (grandmother) a kind of kooky but loveable woman who initiates Gwyn into his destiny; Mr. & Mrs. Griffiths his parents; Bethan, Gwyn's sister who has been missing for four years; Alun Loyd (and the entire Loyd family) his best friend; and Erlys the pale girl who plays an interesting part in the whole story.

As Snow Spider starts out Gwyn has been given five rather unusual birthday presents (A scarf, a brooch, a broken wooden horse, a whistle, and a bit of seaweed)...items which initially seem like the silly gifts of a grandma whose maybe gone a little dotty, but which ultimately serve as his entrance into a whole new world. As it turns out, Nain is right, Gwyn IS descended from a long line of magicians and it is through these gifts that he can reclaim this birth right.

It all starts with the offering of the broach, which brings him the mysterious spider Airanwen, a very special spider indeed. There are elements to Snow Spider that seem common with most children's fantasy stories...Gwyn's father is mean to him on his birthday because he blames the boy for his sister's disappearance four years earlier, he's got a plucky best friend, and while the adults in this story are largely caring, Gwyn is offered lots of opportunities to be out on his own and be the hero of his magical little story.

Overall, The Snow Spider is a wonderfully magical start to a new series and we are eagerly awaiting the next installment (due out this month). I give Snow Spider five stars; it's a short read that manages to deliver a fantastic story that leaves the reader wanting more! ( )

Gifts from Gwyn's grandmother on his tenth birthday open up a whole new world to him, as he discovers he has magical powers that help him heal the breach with his father that has existed ever since his sister's mysterious disappearance four years before.

Sometimes, when you revisit a book you read and loved as a child, you find it a disappointment; you become completely disenchanted when it doesn’t live up to your memories. Twenty years ago, I read the first book in The Snow Spider trilogy and was completely captivated by everything on the pages.

Nothing has changed.

This was every bit as wonderful as I remembered it being – the story of a young boy who discovers what it means to be a little different, a little removed, and has to suffer the consequences when he does things wrong, is still as thrilling and magical as it was when I read it as a ten-year-old. It barely dates at all – in fact, apart from a brief mention of records being played rather than CDs is the only thing that betrays the fact this wasn’t written yesterday.

The Snow Spider is one of those rare books that will surely stand as a modern children’s classic and still be loved by children in generations to come. If you haven’t read it yourself, find yourself a small child to read to and immerse yourself, or hide in a corner and read to yourself. Whatever you do, just read it – you won’t regret it or forget it! ( )