Exciting tale for the primary grades. ( )

This was both an educational and enjoyable read. Oppel takes on a mammoth of a project in anthropomorphizing a generally unknown animal like a bat. However, unlike many who fail at the attempt, he succeeds without question. The entire time, Shade always remains a bat in the reader’s mind, with the description of the lifestyle, the senses, the landscape, and the overall world. Its strongest suit is in the educational element, which is captivating the reader as well as informing them. There is no question that anyone will have a much clearer understanding of the world of bats after reading this book.The mythology is unique to bats, or at least unique to humans in regards to bats, and that adds an element of credibility, making the bats appear to have their own history separate of humans and other animals. My only gripe would be that sometimes it’s a little slow, and I’m wondering why I care so much about a story involving bats. However, the fact that I keep reading is to Oppel’s credit as a storyteller. It’s a fun read, and I recommend this to children ages 8-13 and adults interested in fantasy and nature.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com ( )

Silverwing is an exciting adventure story with dramatic suspense and a thrilling plot. The story tells of betrayal, strategy, warmth, and friendship as Shade and Marina battle their way through the fear of enemies and winter. Silverwing is a gripping novel that will keep your eyes glued to the page. -Brooke B. ( )

This is fast-paced adventure story. Shade, a young bat is caught in a storm and is left behind by his colony during this first winter migration. The world of the bats is full of laws and customs, and danger - Shade meets friends and enemies, mystics and madmen on his journey to rejoin the colony.
This is a lovely blend of fantasy and animal adventure. While there is no magic used, the different senses give the bats a world view and a credible mythology that seems magical to a human reader. I especially enjoyed the different religious beliefs and mythologies that different types of bats developed, and the variety of reactions to human's banding of bats.

There's plenty of scope for spinning off into non-fiction, looking up the interesting details about bats that surface in the books - but not for a moment did research reach out and hit me on the head. There wasn't a didactic moment in the entire story.

I would recommend this to reader who like fantasy and adventure stories, especially to kids who don't like typical fantasy stories. ( )

Beautifully written story about a runt of the litter that feels he has done his pack wrong. After leaving, Shade meets Marina, a Brightwing that was taken from her pack, they help each other through their adventures without leaving each other's side. When Shade finally finds his pack again, Marina is tempted to leave. Being that she helped Shade through everything, the Silverwings adopted her into their pack and decide to all continue on to look for Shade's father. ( )