Rowan of Rin

Rowan is a young shepherd living in a village that depends upon the water that flows from the nearby mountain. When that water suddenly dries up, the villagers decide that they need to send a group to the top of the mountain to see what's wrong. Six volunteer, and cowardly Rowan (the only one with the ability to read the witch's map) makes seven.
A brief but fun quest-centered fantasy, with riddles to solve, forests with giant spiders, dark mountain caves, and, of course, a dragon. This would be a good intro to fantasy for young readers; think The Hobbit for Beginners.

After cramming down a book the size of a car battery ("A Clash of Kings") I usually like to read something quite short, and a trip back to Perth gave me the opportunity to retrieve some of my old books (which my Dad had packed out in the shed - the shed!). Rowan of Rin is one of the earliest books I can remember reading, and this edition was, shall we say, "borrowed for an extended period of time" from Karrinyup Library.

Emily Rodda is an Australian childrens' author probably more famous these days for the Deltora Quest series (which was great) and the Teen Power Inc series (which, these days, always makes me think of Kate Beaton's mystery-solving teens). The Rowan series is an oft-overlooked but neat little kid's book set in a fairly show more simple fantasy world. The village of Rin takes its only water supply from the Mountain that looms over the village, where a dragon is said to live. When the water dries up, some of the villagers must venture up the mountain to investigate - including, through a clever trick, the weak and frightened 10-year-old protagonist. There are riddles to solve, monsters to face, and morals to be learned. It's typical children's fiction, really, great for kids in the middle years of primary school, and I enjoyed the nostalgia it sparked off in the dusty corners of my brain. I might actually order the rest of the series - there were five books in total, the fifth of which I never got around to reading. show less

As the story opens, the town of Rin is facing catastrophe - the river that runs through their village has gone dry, which means no water for the bukshah, the herd animals the villagers depend on. The river comes from the mountain, so the problem must be up there, but although many have ventured up the mountain, none have ever returned and all fear the dragon rumored to live at the top. Small Rowan, keeper of the bukshah and least of the villagers, through a strange series of events becomes one of the seven who will attempt to unblock the river. Their only help in their task: poetic riddles and a map from the strange wise woman Sheba. Rowan fears they will be unable to figure out the riddles in time and more, he fears the future Sheba's show more words may reveal:
Seven hearts the journey make.
Seven ways the heart will break.
Short, but packed surprisingly full of discussion-worthy topics, Rowan of Rin is the first of five books about Rowan, the smallest and most timid resident of the town of Rin.

Previously read for Children's Lit course in March or April of 2007.

February 2009 Cover 2 Cover selection. show less

Narrated by Steven Crossley. When the mountain stream dries up and stops flowing to Rin, six of the village's bravest and strongest adults decide to embark on a quest to the dragon's mountain to find out what is going on. But the witch Sheba puts a spell on a map that is only visible when held by Rowan, a young boy considered weak and cowardly by many in the village. The six have no choice but to take Rowan with them. The witch predicts that "seven hearts will break" and as the quest proceeds, one by one members of the group drop out until only Rowan is left to deal with the dragon.

Rowan is a gentle boy. He spends his days looking after the Bukshah. He is regarded as a bit of a weakling and with a little suspicion by the others in the village, who regard strength, size and bravery above all else. They do not think Rowan as brave and strong enough for their liking.
When their life giving stream dries up and the village is left almost dry, someone must set out on a quest to discover the reason and restore the stream to its usual flowing state or the village will have to be abandoned.
Rowan, along with six others, set out on the quest. All but Rowan are confidant of their powers and their ability to overcome all obstacles. None of the others think that Rowan will be any use to them and it is only at the insistence of show more the village wise woman that they agree to let him accompany them.
They must overcome many varied obstacles in their quest and they all learn more about themselves and gain a better understanding of bravery before the quest is finished. show less

Rowan is afraid of everything- making him entirely different from everyone else in Rin- so when he is forced to go on a quest to save Rin, no one wants him to go. Along the way, the group faces many frightening perils, and the members, one by one, must leave the quest, until Rowan is the only one capable of going on, and must drag Strong Jonn with him. Rowan succeeds in quest that only he could succeed in.

I think my son will enjoy this when he gets older, but I didn't find it all that thrilling. It had all the earmarks of something that I would enjoy, but even though I fully enjoy and relish reading young adult, middle school, and "children's" lit, this one didnt' do it for me. The premise was good, but it didn't hit home to me.