Over Sea, Under Stone (Dark Is Rising Sequence)

Product Information

At one point, I read The Dark is Rising trilogy at Christmas every year, lining up the timeline of The Dark is Rising itself with the season, as the most obviously timed event in the books. I still maintain that it’s a good series: Cooper did some clever things with mythology and history. I recently read an article by Michael D.C. Drout, ‘Reading the Signs of the Light’, which made that very clear (though that essay is more focused on the second book of the series onwards than on this one). Cooper also has a very deft touch with character: the children behave like real children, with their bursts of moodiness, sibling rivalries, etc. Peridot is formed from a green-ish mineral called olivine – one of the primary components of the Earth’s upper mantle. So, how does Peridot end up in the sea?

Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book in a modern classic series of childrens literature, following siblings on holiday in Corwall who discover a map to the Grail of Arthur and must face down villains also seeking it. Born from Peridot, Serpentine is another ocean-sourced stone that we’re proud to be able to bring you. The writing itself is lovely. Not too fancy, and yet still describing things well. There's a real sense of ominous danger in parts of it, and yet the writing also brings across a feeling of childhood, summer vacations and sunburns and going to see the sea. With its rich violet-blue color, the clarity of Tanzanite compares only to the clarity of the finest parts of the ocean. Stunning, vibrant and rare, Tanzanite is as unique as each individual wave, and its magic resonates from the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro to every eagle-eyed gemstone collector in the world. I wanted to like this but couldn't sink my teeth into the plot or characters. Jane, Simon, and Barney, go with their parents to Cornwall to visit their Uncle Merry. The three explore the old grey house and discover an ancient map that puts them on the quest for the Holy Grail. The forces of Dark want the map too for its unlimited power and with the help of Uncle Merry it is a mad race to see who can find it first. The threesome are not sure who is good or bad and their innocent trust oftentimes leads them to dangerous situations.

Tanzanite

Diamonds, interestingly, can be recovered from the sea as well as from land. They are obtained using a process called Marine Diamond Mining, a huge industry that uncovers material from under the ocean floor, then extracts the Diamonds (if there are any) from the gravel. The setting has great descriptions and its easy to imagine this village on the harbor. The villains are one dimensional. They represent the Dark and sometimes appear nice and fun to the three kids. This is a good reminder that not everyone can be judged by outward appearances. The parents in the story are oblivious to what is happening with their kids and the quest. I wasn't quite sure why one villain had more power over the flunkies who served him. Perhaps the sequel will explain more of their relationships. And yet, despite these elements, I liked that the book retains the feel of a children’s adventure. The three Drew children, all likeable, are not extraordinary or superheroes in any way, just ordinary children but ones who are on a rather dangerous treasure hunt. Marine Diamonds are often washed into seas and oceans via rivers, and often in large quantities; in 2017, approximately 1.3 million carats were recovered from the Atlantic. With this in mind, it’s important to note that this makes Marine Diamonds much more valuable. Calkins, Lucy... (2002). " Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper" (PDF). A Field Guide to the Classroom Library. Heinemann . Retrieved 12 September 2007. Samples online (fieldguides.heinemann.com/samples).

I think I would have enjoyed this more as a child, but coming to it for the first time as an adult there were a couple of things I couldn't get over. First, the children were SO STUPID!!! The number of times they did dumb things that got them into trouble, like pulling out a secret artifact when you know an enemy is nearby, or not thinking to bring a flashlight to go exploring a cave... It ended up feeling to me like a lazy way to create conflict rather than letting the children be smart. The children work out the clues on the map and have a number of run ins with the Dark individually and as a group. While looking for the first clue Simon is chased by Mr. Hastings and Bill Hoover Jr.. After the second clue leads them to the headland at night, Simon, Jane, and Great Uncle Merry are ambushed and almost caught by Dark followers. Afterwards Barney is kidnapped and must be rescued. The children eventually follow the clues to a cave off the headland and discover the grail. Unfortunately they lose an important scroll from inside that is the key to deciphering the markings on the outside of the grail. urn:lcp:isbn_0590433202:epub:0b74d052-f997-4de9-b3c2-54f6665f192e Extramarc OhioLINK Library Catalog Foldoutcount 0 Identifier isbn_0590433202 Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t87h2r21k Isbn 0590433202Cooper wrote her first book for young readers in response to a publishing house competition; "Over Sea, Under Stone" would later form the basis for her critically acclaimed five-book fantasy sequence, "The Dark Is Rising." The fourth book in the series, "The Grey King," won the Newbery Medal in 1976. By that time, Susan Cooper had been living in America for 13 years, having moved to marry her first husband, an American professor, and was stepmother to three children and the mother of two. Ocean-colored and one of our most popular gemstones of the summer, Aquamarine is a consistent Gemporia favorite. Not only that, but it’s also a Royal favorite, worn and adored by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Mr. Hastings: Agent of The Dark, lets Jane believe he is the town Vicar. He leads the Dark members battling Merriman and the Drew children in the search for the Grail. In chapter six, Barney tells what he knows about King Arthur. What could Barney add to his telling to help us better understand Over Sea, Under Stone and the other novels in The Dark Is Rising series? This natural beauty clearly has a stunning secret eager to be told, and we can’t wait to uncover more of its magic.

The ocean provides inspiration for countless creations around the world, and is home to some of the most magical natural phenomenons. We're privileged to be able to bring so many sea-born and sea-inspired stones to you, and we hope you cherish them and their stories just as much as we do. Three stars from the adult me. When I first read and raved about this series (or as much of it as I could find when I was in middle school--I think I never got hold of Vol 5), it would have been a solid five--or perhaps 7! I was King Arthur-mad in those days, and "fantasy fiction" was a relatively new phenomenon in my environment. The story of three siblings (and a dog) who search for the Holy Grail in Cornwall, dodging bad guys as they go, was just my drop in those days. I didn't remember anything at all about it when I came across it again, so it was like an unknown book, except I remembered loving it.Near the beginning of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis, the children enter a wardrobe and discover Narnia; near the beginning of Over Sea, Under Stone Jane, Barney, and Simon move the wardrobe to find the passage to the attic. Are the two novels similar in other ways? (C. S. Lewis was one of Susan Cooper's teachers when she studied at Oxford.) In fact, it may have already begun, for a Mr Withers and his sister Polly—living in the neighbourhood—have been to invite the family to come out on their yacht and Jane distinctly feels uncomfortable around them. While Great Uncle Merry does help and support them in searching for the treasure, actually deciphering the map’s clues and finding the treasure is for the three to do. But can they do this on their own? Do the Withers brother and sister catch up with them? Bill Hoover reacts rudely and angrily after he has driven his bicycle into Jane. His reaction gives Jane, Barney, and Simon a negative first impression of him, and he later turns out to evil. What other foreshadowings are there in the novel? What other first impressions are accurate? I’m reading this as part of The Dark is Rising Sequence omnibus. As I write this, I’ve read both this and The Dark is Rising. I’m not quite rushing to add this to my nephew’s future reading list. Which is not to say the books are bad, or dull, or even particularly unimpressive. I enjoyed them. But they don’t achieve the intense highs or agonizing depths that I want from my books, young adult or otherwise. I can’t speak for whether younger me would have had a less critical opinion of them, sorry. And perhaps, at the time when they were published, this was innovative and inspirational. As it is, I think the market and genre have widened to the point where there are certainly more worthwhile stories in which children can immerse themselves. But if there aren’t, then I suppose this would do in a pinch. Over Sea, Under Stone was repeated once in 1997 a few months before The Dark Is Rising and again in November 2016 by BBC Radio 4 Extra. It has never been made commercially available.

Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2011-09-02 17:33:22 Boxid IA143101 Boxid_2 BL11203T Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City New York Donor So yeah. If you put Narnia, the Boxcar Children, and Indiana Jones into a blender, this would be the amazing smoothie that comes out. It was so brilliant (especially Prof Lyon, OMG) and so fun and really unexpectedly creepy. There were several points where I found myself legitimately creeped out (the bad guys were EXCELLENT bad guys). The kids acted and sounded like kids. There were a few grammatical errors, quotation marks missing and things like that, but this was overall a really cool book. Excited for the rest because I looooooove Celtic mythology. Not that the kids know the situations are dangerous. That's one thing I liked about the characters. They are kids with short attention spans who forget about their quest because they are distracted by a carnival or want to lay out in the sun. Their imaginations interfere with their focus at times and it is endearing and also diffuses what might scare some. Others might find it annoying because it slows down the plot and as a reader you might be tearing your hair and shaking the book saying, "What are they thinking? They have to hurry or the bad guys will get there!" Another thing which gets me is how all the people act like people. Jane and Barney and Simon get scared, they get jealous of each other, they puff themselves up and act important… The adults are indulgent, complacent. And then there’s the poetry of the quiet moments, the moon on the water and the quiet dusty attic and… Yeah. Brilliant writing. Not as compelling as the later books, but even here it’s very fine.Over Sea, Under Stone is a contemporary fantasy novel written for children by the English author Susan Cooper, first published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1965. Cooper wrote four sequels about ten years later, making it the first volume in a series usually called The Dark Is Rising Sequence (1965 to 1977). [1] In contrast to the rest of the series, it is more a mystery, with traditional fantasy elements mainly the subject of hints later in the narrative. [3] Thus it may ease readers into the fantasy genre. [3] Plot [ edit ] Updated review---Wow! I can't believe I read this almost 7 years ago and still haven't returned to finish the series until now. It really is a great start to a story. Once again, I loved traipsing through the Cornish countryside with Simon, Jane, and Barney. The addition to this story of some King Arthur archaeology is fantastic and still one of the points I love best about this book. I listened to it this time on audiobook, which enhanced the experience. Alex Jennings was the narrator and all I can say is it's fantastic! I think it’s partly that which makes the books survive for me — under the concerns of the children, there’s that darkness and fear.