Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest

by Matt Haig

Book Overview

Funny and captivating fantasy from rising star Matt Haig

Samuel and Martha's new life with their Aunt Eda in Norway is filled with rules, but most important is rule number nine: NEVER 'UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES' GO INTO THE FOREST. Sure their Uncle Henrik disappeared in the forest ten years ago, but it can't be the forest's fault-can it? Samuel is skeptical until he finds an unusual book, The Creatures of Shadow Forest, which describes the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142411914
• ISBN13: 9780142411919
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.63 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.8"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Award Winner

Shadow Forest won the Overall 2009 Blue Peter Book Award; it also won the Book I Couldn't Put Down category.

Great Book

I am always on the lookout for new books for my grandchildren. This one fits the bill. It is scary, but not too scary....funny....sad.....and has a good ending. I would not recommend it for children under the age of 10 to 12 though. It will definitely be on my grandsons' gift list for next year.

Wouldn't go much under ten for the reader's age

I started to read this to my 6 year old and though she liked it, she said to stop reading it even before the boy enters the forest - too scary and sad (the parents die in a car wreck, sister becomes an elective mute, Samuel hates his aunt who lost her husband to the forest) and the forest is described in scary terms. I continued to read it to myself and thought it was a great boook (I read the end to my daughter and she liked that).

Just won Nestle Award in UK

This has just won the award the used to be called the Smarties Award -- where kids pick their favorite book (that's how a book called Harry Potter got started!) This one reminds me of Roald Dahl-- fantastic imagery and fast-paced fun!

great read!!

My nine-year-old couldn't put this book down--it is well-written and interesting, with just enough suspense and comedy for a boy this age.