Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest

After her greenwitch mother is killed by the local lord's men, Rosemary is left with no where to live. With just her half-wolf and a shoddy bow to protect her, Rosemary tramps to Sherwood Forest, where she hopes to find the notorious outlaw Robin Hood--her father. The beginning is particularly enchanting, with lots of earthy details about living off the land. The end is a little contrived (Ro and her small band of young misfits save Robin Hood with a song to distract the guards) but it's a solid story. And best of all, the Robin Hood herein matches my conception of Robin Hood, with twinkling eyes and a little too much brash trickery for his own good, and isn't one of those modern grim&gritty Robins.

A super quick read with a plucky heroine (Ha. Plucky. But she is!). I was hoping for something a bit more like the Enola Holmes series, which I absolutely adore. I think the difference for me was in how I connected with the supporting cast of characters, and while I loved Ty, I didn't feel much for any of the humans other than Rowan. I'll probably give the rest of the series a try since it was such a speedy read, and I'd definitely recommend it to kids, it's just not my favorite from Springer.

Following in the tradition of the Alanna of Tortall books, this tale of a cross-dressing pubescent moppet will widely appeal to young readers who are already fans of the Robin Hood mythology. The presence of faerie-folk notwithstanding, this is an utterly unhistoric story (one scene has a young minstrel boy singing a Tudor-era ballad), but what Springer lacks in historical accuracy, she makes up for with a realistically gritty setting; our heroine frets not only about daddy-issues, but about finding a way to feed herself as well! Both parental- and survival- conflicts are resolved overly neatly by the story's conclusion, but despite this, Springer provides an ultimately exciting romp through Sherwood Forest.

I'm a bit torn on this one...one the one hand I really got a kick out of this sweet little adventure, on the other, it's a bit over-simple and predictable. With Rowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest we are introduced to 13 year old Rosemary (who later changes her name to Rowan) who lives with her mother (a "woodwife" - herbal healer and considered by some to be a witch) alone in the woods. Her world is torn asunder when the local Lord's men show up one day and burn down their little cottage in the wood...and her mother along with it. She wisely weighs her options and decides she'd prefer to seek out her outlaw father Robin Hood. So, she sets out disguised as a boy and along the way becomes enmeshed in her own adventure complete show more with a half wolf, half dog companion (who can catch arrows in mid-flight); gentle giant (and fantastically talented minstrel); a runaway princess; and of course Robin Hood and his men.

I liked the twist that the author came up with to explain who Robin Hood could so easily (and for so long) fool the Sheriff of Nottingham, it was cute, a little humorous, and I think appropriate. I'll be perfectly honest, I liked this book very much, except where I didn't...what I mean is that I (like many others) have a love of all things Robin Hood. So in that light, how could I not want to read this book AND how could I not fall in love with it? At the same time, this book is has fairly shallow characterization, the plot is pretty simple and easy to figure out, and it is almost TOO easy...BUT this isn't an adult book, it's a children's book, so this is forgivable. As an adult reading this, I can't help but think that there is a serious romanticizing of Robin and his men...that there would definitely be danger for young girls (or women in general) in the woods, this book paints Robin (and his men by association) as total gentlemen. Given the age range listed (9-12), the author probably could introduce some of the dangers that women faced (beyond what she did).

In the end, I gave this book 4 stars - it's a very cute, easy to like (and easy to read) book with an interesting and enjoyable twist on Robin Hood tales, complete with heroes, villains, fairy tale touches, and just a little magic. I think the word charming best describes Rowan Hood, it's one of those stories that is a little too perfect, but it leaves you smiling anyway. show less

Springer in her descriptive, captivating way brought you into the forest and allowed you to feel Sherwood Forest and the hearts that beat there.

Written for youth--2-6th graders, reading out loud was difficult and didn't read smoothly, but the boys continued to listen, compelled by the threat of danger, the unknown and the wish to find Rowan's father.

A story full of magic, danger, and questions to answer, the book compelled us to finish it.

First in a series of 5. This really is a kids’ book, but it’s fun light reading, and may also be enjoyed by those of all ages who are fans of the Robin Hood legend. Rowan (or Rosemary) has always been told by her mother that she is the daughter of the outlaw Robin Hood. When she is left alone in the world, she decides to run off to the forest, disguised as a boy, to join Robin’s band, and to find out what kind of man her absentee father might be.

There are the expected outside-the-law hijinks, as well as some mythic revelations (it seems that Rowan is also a quarter elven, although this never plays heavily into the plot (perhaps it becomes significant in subsequent books?)

Rowan must come to terms with Robin Hood and with herself, show more as she matures and forms her own group of friends in the greenwood. show less

Again, there are readers who will be delighted that this is the beginning of a series. But I only read it for something a little different, a break from my usual fare. And I did like, but not love it. I, personally, wanted more about Robin, as I've not ever yet read a good story about him.

I do have a question, though, for those of you who know horses.
"[The horses] broke their tethers and galloped in several directions. They formed herds by color, as horses will, with the gray horses taking off mostly northward, and the bays mostly to the south. The guards... ran after the more valuable dapple grays."
So, does that make sense? Do horses seem to affiliate by color? Are, or were, grays more valuable? Why?