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About The Book

On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift-- that he is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark. At once, he is plunged into a quest for the six magical Signs that will one day aid the Old Ones in the final battle between the Dark and the Light. And for the twelve days of Christmas, while the Dark is rising, life for Will is full of wonder, terror, and delight.

About The Author

Photograph © Tsar Fedorsky Photography 2013

Susan Cooper is one of our foremost fantasy authors; her classic five-book fantasy sequence The Dark Is Rising has sold millions of copies worldwide. Her books’ accolades include the Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and five shortlists for the Carnegie Medal. She combines fantasy with history in Victory (a Washington Post Top Ten Books for Children pick), King of Shadows, Ghost Hawk, and her magical The Boggart and the Monster, second in a trilogy, which won the Scottish Arts Council’s Children’s Book Award. Susan Cooper lives on a saltmarsh island in Massachusetts, and you can visit her online at TheLostLand.com.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (December 21, 2001)
  • Length: 232 pages
  • ISBN13: 9780689847868
  • Grades: 3 - 7
  • Ages: 8 - 12
  • Lexile ® 910L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Awards and Honors

  • ALA Newbery Honor Book
  • ALA Notable Children's Books
  • Agatha Award Finalist
  • Carnegie Medal Honor Book
  • Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Finalist
  • Gateway Readers Award (MO)
  • Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
  • Bay Area Book Reviewers Association Award
  • Kate Greenaway Medal Honor Book
  • African Studies Assn Children's Bk Award

Resources and Downloads

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More books from this author: Susan Cooper

More books in this series: The Dark Is Rising Sequence