The Silver Bowl

by Diane Stanley (Author)

The Silver Bowl
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Series: Silver Bowl

Unwanted at home, Molly becomes a humble scullery maid for the King of Westria. She arrives at the castle with no education, no manners, and a very disturbing secret: She sees visions that always come true.

In time, Molly begins polishing the castle's fine silver pieces, which include one priceless royal treasure: the king's great ceremonial hand basin. But whenever she touches it, the silver warms beneath her fingers and the bowl's designs swirl into a vision that only she can see. A dreaded curse has befallen each generation of the royal family--and now it threatens the handsome Prince Alaric.

Together with her friends Tobias and Winifred, Molly must protect the prince and destroy the curse. Could a less likely champion be found to save the Kingdom of Westria?

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 5-8--Adventure, magic, subtle romance, betrayal, and monstrous curses take this book far beyond the typical scullery-maid-makes-good tale. Peasant girl Molly sometimes sees things before they happen, a fine enough reason for her unloving and poverty-stricken father to get rid of her. At age seven, she is abandoned at the door of Dethemere Castle, where she finds work in the kitchen. After years of hard labor, "Gentleman Servant" Thomas takes her under his wing, promoting her to silver polisher, where she is tasked with shining the most beautiful, intricately designed bowl she has ever seen. The minute she touches it, she is filled with intense warmth and sees visions of the demise of the royal family. The rumors of a curse are true. It's becoming more and more powerful, and only she can stop it from destroying the royals. Stanley blends historical fiction and fantasy seamlessly, and her clear, rich language envelops and transports readers. Molly's relationships with handsome Prince Alaric and the kind-hearted stable boy are textured and layered with emotion and dutiful devotion. The protagonist's no-nonsense attitude is balanced by her big heart and a sweet, sharp sense of humor, making her a heroine readers will relate to and cheer for to the satisfying end.--Mandy Lawrence, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

A versatile and inventive raconteur, Stanley (Bella at Midnight) nimbly weaves intrigue and fantasy into this richly layered story set in medieval times. Sent to work as a scullery maid at the castle, high-spirited Molly bids farewell to her mother, who tells Molly that she has inherited her ability to see visions predicting the future. She also gives her daughter a necklace that Molly's silversmith grandfather had "put some good magic into," which she predicts Molly might need. Polishing an intricately patterned silver hand basin belonging to the king, Molly hears a voice urging her to "Listen!" and she sees in the bowl scenes from the past, including one depicting the bowl's creation by her grandfather, who was forced to bestow on it curses that have plagued the royal family. With crisp pacing and enticing end-of-chapter teasers, Stanley gradually reveals the intriguing story of the curse, which Molly must break in order to save a kind prince who's the sole surviving direct heir to the throne. That task and the Molly's rescue of the prince are relayed with suspense and some unanticipated plot spirals. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)

Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Diane Stanley
Diane Stanley is the author and/or illustrator of more than sixty books for children, noted especially for her award-winning picture book biographies. She and Jessie Hartland recently collaborated on Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science, which was named an ALA Notable Book and an Amelia Bloomer Top Ten Book, among other accolades. Diane is the recipient of the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Nonfiction for the body of her work. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. You can visit her at DianeStanley.com.

Jessie Hartland is the author and illustrator of many nonfiction titles for young readers, including Our Flag Was Still There, which was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. The New York Times praised her "joyful folk-art illustrations" in Harlem Grown, written by Tony Hillery. She has painted murals at a Japanese amusement park, designed Christmas windows for Bloomingdale's, and put her mark on ceramics, watches, and all sorts of other things. She has done drawings for many magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Travel and Leisure Family Club, Martha Stewart Kids, and Bon Appétit. She lives in New York City. Visit her at JessieHartland.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780061575433
Lexile Measure
700
Guided Reading Level
V
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
April 26, 2011
Series
Silver Bowl
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV016070 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Medieval
JUV034000 - Juvenile Fiction | Royalty (kings queens princes princesses knights etc.)
Library of Congress categories
Magic
Fantasy
Inheritance and succession
Blessing and cursing
Kings, queens, rulers, etc
Kings and rulers
Clairvoyance
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
Nominee 2013 - 2013
Great Stone Face Book Award
Nominee 2012 - 2013
William Allen White Childens Book Award
Nominee 2014 - 2014
Volunteer State Book Awards
Nominee 2014 - 2015
Nevada Young Readers' Award
Nominee 2014 - 2014

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