The Trolls - by Polly Horvath (Paperback)

About the Book

An aunt from Vancouver baby-sits three siblings and offers them an entrancing look at their family's history, in this ALA Notable Book and National Book Award Finalist.

Book Synopsis

Aunt Sally is beyond any of Melissa, Amanda, and Pee Wee's expectations. She has come all the way from Vancouver Island, Canada, to take care of the children while their parents are away, and right from the start, Aunt Sally enchants them with tales of her childhood with their father. Odd characters figure largely in the stories, like Maud, a hunter rumored to have killed eighty cougars; Great-uncle Louis, a health nut who insists everyone should gnaw on sticks for extra fiber; and Fat Little Mean Girl, the star of a cautionary tale involving witchcraft and candy. All of Aunt Sally's reminiscences lead up to a crucial story about trolls, sinister creatures who supposedly lurked along the shore at night. The trolls had the power to change Aunt Sally's life forever, and their legacy may change the lives of the three present-day children as well.

Review Quotes

"An unconventional aunt blows in from Vancouver to pinch-hit as babysitter, and offers two sisters and their brother an entrancing view of family history . . . Most sections are . . . hilarious, as is the snappy and perfectly timed dialogue. After the last laugh, Aunt Sally's hard-won understanding of human nature will leave readers with plenty to ponder." --Kirkus Reviews

"Original and entertaining . . . [A] witty, clever, and involving book." --Booklist, Starred Review

"Horvath's dry humor runs like a current through the book, sweeping readers along in the breathless anticipation of the next bit of absurdity." --Publishers Weekly

"Polly Horvath has produced a small gem. She knows just how to twist language to make readers sit up and take notice. . . . She draws her characters with such precision that they peak without ever going over the top." --New York Times Book Review

About the Author

Polly Horvath is the author of many books for young people, including Everything on a Waffle, The Pepins and Their Problems, and The Canning Season. Her numerous awards include the Newbery Honor, the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, the Vicky Metcalf Award for Children's Literature, the Mr. Christie Award, the international White Raven, and the Young Adult Canadian Book of the Year. Horvath grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She attended the Canadian College of Dance in Toronto and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She has taught ballet, waitressed, done temporary typing, and tended babies, but while doing these things she has always also written. Now that her children are in school, she spends the whole day writing, unless she sneaks out to buy groceries, lured away from her desk by the thought of fresh Cheez Whiz. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and two daughters.