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The Ancient One

Part of The Heartlight Saga

Author T. A. Barron
Ebook
Penguin Young Readers | Philomel Books
On sale Sep 16, 1992 | 384 Pages | 9781101651339
Grade 5 & Up
Reading Level: Lexile 880L
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When Kate travels to Blade, Oregon, for a quiet week at Aunt Melanie's cottage, her plans are dashed by the discovery of a grove of giant redwood trees in nearby Lost Crater. For thousands of years, no humans have entered the fog-filled crater--except possibly the Halami people, who lived in the region centuries ago before vanishing without a trace. Long a source of deep mystery, the crater is now a source of conflict, pitting those who see it as the dying mill town's last hope against those who see it as a rare sanctuary that should be protected.

Caught up in this struggle, Kate follows an old Halami trail into the crater, and suddenly is thrown back in time five hundred years. Accompanied by the trickster Kandeldandel, the loyal Laioni, and the young logger Jody, she meets strange and enigmatic creatures, none more frightening than the volcanic Gashra, bent on destroying everything he cannot control. To defeat him, Kate must find the answer to an ancient riddle--and the courage to make the most difficult choice of her life.

In this extraordinary quest, combining high adventure and heroic drama, a girl discovers that all living things are connected in ways she never expected, and that true friendship can reach across cultures, and even across centuries.

T. A. Barron grew up in Colorado ranch country and traveled widely as a Rhodes Scholar. Though he’d long dreamed of becoming a writer, his first novel was overwhelmingly rejected by publishers. He joined a successful business in New York and eventually became president – but he just couldn’t stop dreaming of becoming an author. So in 1990, he surprised his business partners and resigned. He moved back to Colorado to pursue his dream to be a writer, outdoorsman, and conservationist.
 
Today, T. A. Barron is the award-winning author of more than 30 highly acclaimed books, many of which are international bestsellers. He has won the de Grummond Medallion for “lifetime contribution to the field of children’s and young adult literature” and many other book awards.
 
His books include The Merlin Saga (now being developed into a feature film by Disney), The Great Tree of Avalon (a New York Times bestselling series), The Ancient One (the tale of a brave girl and a magical tree), and The Hero’s Trail (non-fiction stories of courageous kids).  
 
In 2000, he founded the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a national award that honors outstanding young people who help their communities or the environment. Each year, the award honors 25 inspiring, public-spirited kids from diverse backgrounds. Also, he produced a documentary film, Dream Big, profiling seven winners of the Barron Prize.
 
When not writing or speaking, T. A. Barron serves on many boards including Princeton University, where he helped to create the Princeton Environmental Institute, and The Wilderness Society, which recently honored him with its highest award for conservation work. T. A. Barron also loves hiking, camping, and skiing in Colorado with his family.
 
For more information, visit www.TABarron.com, Facebook www.facebook.com/TABarronFans/, Twitter https://twitter.com/TABarronAuthor, or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tabarronauthor.

View titles by T. A. Barron
"Once in a great while a book comes along that is so powerful and so wise that you want to shout about it." —Madeleine L'Engle, bestselling author of A Wrinkle in Time

"Barron has woven a boldly original novel that is as thought-provoking as it is fun to read." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Mortality, in all its splendor and sadness, is T.A. Barron's subject... Fantasy mavens will find plenty here to enthrall them." —The New York Times Book Review

"Save a tree, save history! Barron fuses concerns over the natural world with fantasy lit."
—The Huffington Post, "The 9 Best Trees in Literature"

"Absorbing story, vital characters — and also a pioneering work opening paths we didn’t know were there." —Lloyd Alexander, National Book Award winning author

About

When Kate travels to Blade, Oregon, for a quiet week at Aunt Melanie's cottage, her plans are dashed by the discovery of a grove of giant redwood trees in nearby Lost Crater. For thousands of years, no humans have entered the fog-filled crater--except possibly the Halami people, who lived in the region centuries ago before vanishing without a trace. Long a source of deep mystery, the crater is now a source of conflict, pitting those who see it as the dying mill town's last hope against those who see it as a rare sanctuary that should be protected.

Caught up in this struggle, Kate follows an old Halami trail into the crater, and suddenly is thrown back in time five hundred years. Accompanied by the trickster Kandeldandel, the loyal Laioni, and the young logger Jody, she meets strange and enigmatic creatures, none more frightening than the volcanic Gashra, bent on destroying everything he cannot control. To defeat him, Kate must find the answer to an ancient riddle--and the courage to make the most difficult choice of her life.

In this extraordinary quest, combining high adventure and heroic drama, a girl discovers that all living things are connected in ways she never expected, and that true friendship can reach across cultures, and even across centuries.

Author

T. A. Barron grew up in Colorado ranch country and traveled widely as a Rhodes Scholar. Though he’d long dreamed of becoming a writer, his first novel was overwhelmingly rejected by publishers. He joined a successful business in New York and eventually became president – but he just couldn’t stop dreaming of becoming an author. So in 1990, he surprised his business partners and resigned. He moved back to Colorado to pursue his dream to be a writer, outdoorsman, and conservationist.
 
Today, T. A. Barron is the award-winning author of more than 30 highly acclaimed books, many of which are international bestsellers. He has won the de Grummond Medallion for “lifetime contribution to the field of children’s and young adult literature” and many other book awards.
 
His books include The Merlin Saga (now being developed into a feature film by Disney), The Great Tree of Avalon (a New York Times bestselling series), The Ancient One (the tale of a brave girl and a magical tree), and The Hero’s Trail (non-fiction stories of courageous kids).  
 
In 2000, he founded the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a national award that honors outstanding young people who help their communities or the environment. Each year, the award honors 25 inspiring, public-spirited kids from diverse backgrounds. Also, he produced a documentary film, Dream Big, profiling seven winners of the Barron Prize.
 
When not writing or speaking, T. A. Barron serves on many boards including Princeton University, where he helped to create the Princeton Environmental Institute, and The Wilderness Society, which recently honored him with its highest award for conservation work. T. A. Barron also loves hiking, camping, and skiing in Colorado with his family.
 
For more information, visit www.TABarron.com, Facebook www.facebook.com/TABarronFans/, Twitter https://twitter.com/TABarronAuthor, or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tabarronauthor.

View titles by T. A. Barron

Praise

"Once in a great while a book comes along that is so powerful and so wise that you want to shout about it." —Madeleine L'Engle, bestselling author of A Wrinkle in Time

"Barron has woven a boldly original novel that is as thought-provoking as it is fun to read." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"Mortality, in all its splendor and sadness, is T.A. Barron's subject... Fantasy mavens will find plenty here to enthrall them." —The New York Times Book Review

"Save a tree, save history! Barron fuses concerns over the natural world with fantasy lit."
—The Huffington Post, "The 9 Best Trees in Literature"

"Absorbing story, vital characters — and also a pioneering work opening paths we didn’t know were there." —Lloyd Alexander, National Book Award winning author

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