Over Sea Under Stone by Susan Cooper

Three children go to Cornwall to stay in a house rented by their mysterious Great Uncle Merry (Gum). During the course of their explorations they discover an ancient manuscript telling the story of King Arthur and which leads them into a quest for the Holy Grail. But they are pursued every step of the way by the terrifying Mr Hastings and his servants.

This is the first book in the compelling 5-part The Dark Is Rising series. And, like Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights series, the Harry Potter books or, indeed, much great literature, is about the battle between good and evil, light and darkness.

But although it was written in 1965 and the children have adventures in the style of E. Nesbit or Enid Blyton, there is none of the sexism (girls washing up etc.) you usually find in books of that era.

The series works on many levels - read aloud to young children as an adventure series or read them yourself aged 9-12 years to understand more about the moral battles.

by Vita Anichkina
Published in the November Rendezvous, 2008