Books with author Robert Siegal

Vacationing with her father in England, Becky and her newfound friend Rebecca the horse blunder into the "Eye of the Fog" and are carried back through time to ancient Britain. They emerge in the midst of a desperate struggle in which ruthless men are seeking to wipe out a race of benevolent centaurs. Thus begins an incredible tale of courage, faith and dogged determination in the face of impossible odds as Becky undertakes a perilous mission to save the centaurs. Along the way she encounters a series of challenges that try her ingenuity and strength of character. At last she meets the ultimate test of her faith and will: she must open the Path to the Stars - the only hope for the centaurs' survival.

WHALESONG introduced Hruna, a humpback whale, in an ecological parable of personal and spiritual growth. Now, in WHITE WHALE, meet Hruna's son, Hralekana, and enter a deep sea world that dazzles and delights.As he swims the oceans of the world, Hralekana, a magnificent great white whale, recounts his birth and frolicsome childhood—how he was teased for being all white, how he soon outgrew all his playmates, and how he came to discover the other inhabitants of the sea. He share traditional whale legends and warnings: to beware of great white sharks, killer whales, the giant squid, and most especially, humans, who sometimes capture sea creatures and make them perform strange games to earn their food—something that only dolphins, as natural show-offs, actually enjoy.Growing and learning his pod's feeding, mating, and migration habits, Hralekana is introduced to their moving and mysterious means of communication, such as the Song of Farewell, the Song of the Hunt, and the Song of Distant Love.Embarking on the Lonely Cruise, a yearling's rite of passage, Hralekana experiences the adolescent's fear and exhilaration as he sings the Song of the Open Sea. His adventures expose him to dangerous oil spills, frightening visions of the wreck of the Titanic, a kind and ecologically concerned human whom he befriends, and finally, a terrifying encounter with the dark side of humanity.From his carefree childhood to the dramatic challenges of his adulthood, Hralekana's trials, triumphs, and laughter contain lessons on love, nature, and sacrifice, for him and for the rest of us.**Acclaim for the novels of Robert Siegel**"Whalesong is one of those rare and wondrous things, a book which is born a classic. Robert Siegel has become one with the great song of the humpback whale, and the reader is drawn into the song with him. Hruna's tale of birth and life and terror and sacrifice and joy has the quality of true myth. Whalesong is an utterly beautiful book."—Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time"I was enthralled by Whalesong. Robert Siegel's book is a short masterpiece of imaginative fiction that should be read by every American. It should be read by every whale, which is to say that Siegel has humanized these greatest of earthly creatures, has made them talk, feel, and act like us, under the aegis of their singing. This is a masterful work combining mythology, philosophy, and poetry in a story that is exciting and convincing."—Richard Eberhart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award"Robert Siegel's accomplishment is breathtaking, astonishing. He has made the ways of our huge warm-blooded kin come utterly alive without condescension or anthropomorphism. It is through him that we can now not only understand but live the meaning and being of the 'deepest beast'."—James Dickey, National Book Award Winner, author of Deliverance"This is a marvelous whale opera. I enthusiastically recommend these lyrics and hope someone will write the music. Maybe it will be a humpback whale..."—John and Toni Tilly, authors of Communications Between Man and Dolphin"This beautifully written and epic tale of a great species' struggle for survival deserves to be widely read by adults as well as children. Its special ability to illicit empathy and provoke outrage from readers could prove as powerful of all the voyages of Greenpeace in assuring that the whales will continue to sing their song."—John Ferell, author of Rain"Siegel's tales have the magic of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and the lyric majesty of Thoreau's prose. Highly recommended."—Library Journal"I've spent my entire writing career trying to capture the magic that Robert Siegel effortlessly captures in the pages of Whalesong. Be prepared to love this book."—J.R. Rain, author of Moon DanceCover design by Susanna at:susannakubernus@googlemail.comwww.photogravity.de

The play of light and shadow, sea and sky; tropical breezes and the chill breath of arctic ice mountains; the mystery of Leviathan, greatest of all God's creatures, of endless undersea caverns, of krill beds stretching miles in all directions and hundreds of fathoms deep, of the Ice at the End of the World, of the haunting song of the humpback whale. And "sehnsucht," that insatiable longing wakened by the siren song of the sea, calling us back to its dark depths: these are the elements woven into a tapestry of wonder and enchantment by Robert Siegel.Here is the story of Hruna the humpback whale, from birth marked for greatness by his size and courage. As days of carefree frolicking give way to adolescence, Hruna prepares for the Lonely Cruise, the rite of passage into adulthood, by visiting the Great Whale who lives on the ocean floor. There he learns the myth of origins and receives his true name in preparation for the swift adventures and narrow escapes that propel him into the ultimate challenge of leading his pod of whales in a desperate fight for survival.**Acclaim for Robert Siegel and Whalesong**"Whalesong is one of those rare and wondrous things, a book which is born a classic. Robert Siegel has become one with the great song of the humpback whale, and the reader is drawn into the song with him. Hruna's tale of birth and life and terror and sacrifice and joy has the quality of true myth. Whalesong is an utterly beautiful book."—Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time"I was enthralled by Whalesong. Robert Siegel's book is a short masterpiece of imaginative fiction that should be read by every American. It should be read by every whale, which is to say that Siegel has humanized these greatest of earthly creatures, has made them talk, feel, and act like us, under the aegis of their singing. This is a masterful work combining mythology, philosophy, and poetry in a story that is exciting and convincing."—Richard Eberhart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award"Robert Siegel's accomplishment is breathtaking, astonishing. He has made the ways of our huge warm-blooded kin come utterly alive without condescension or anthropomorphism. It is through him that we can now not only understand but live the meaning and being of the 'deepest beast'."—James Dickey, National Book Award Winner, author of Deliverance"This is a marvelous whale opera. I enthusiastically recommend these lyrics and hope someone will write the music. Maybe it will be a humpback whale..."—John and Toni Tilly, authors of Communications Between Man and Dolphin"This beautifully written and epic tale of a great species' struggle for survival deserves to be widely read by adults as well as children. Its special ability to illicit empathy and provoke outrage from readers could prove as powerful of all the voyages of Greenpeace in assuring that the whales will continue to sing their song."—John Ferell, author of Rain"Siegel's tales have the magic of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and the lyric majesty of Thoreau's prose. Highly recommended."—Library Journal"It is almost as if Moby Dick was scaled down and re-written from the viewpoint of the whale."—Fantasy Review"I've spent my entire writing career trying to capture the magic that Robert Siegel effortlessly captures in the pages of Whalesong. Be prepared to love this book."—J.R. Rain, author of Moon DanceCover design by Susanna at:susannakubernus@googlemail.comwww.photogravity.d

In The Ice at the End of the World, Robert Siegel brings the Whalesong trilogy to an exciting conclusion as Hralekana, the white humpback whale, and his human friend, Mark, struggle to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. Like the two previous books in the trilogy, this captivating tale evokes for readers of all ages the rich poetry of whales sea, and sky.

In The Ice at the End of the World, Robert Siegel brings the Whalesong trilogy to an exciting conclusion as Hralekana, the white humpback whale, and his human friend, Mark, struggle to prevent a nuclear catastrophe. Like the two previous books in the trilogy, this captivating tale evokes for readers of all ages the rich poetry of whales sea, and sky.**Acclaim for Robert Siegel and Whalesong**"Whalesong is one of those rare and wondrous things, a book which is born a classic. Robert Siegel has become one with the great song of the humpback whale, and the reader is drawn into the song with him. Hruna's tale of birth and life and terror and sacrifice and joy has the quality of true myth. Whalesong is an utterly beautiful book."—Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time"I was enthralled by Whalesong. Robert Siegel's book is a short masterpiece of imaginative fiction that should be read by every American. It should be read by every whale, which is to say that Siegel has humanized these greatest of earthly creatures, has made them talk, feel, and act like us, under the aegis of their singing. This is a masterful work combining mythology, philosophy, and poetry in a story that is exciting and convincing."—Richard Eberhart, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award"Robert Siegel's accomplishment is breathtaking, astonishing. He has made the ways of our huge warm-blooded kin come utterly alive without condescension or anthropomorphism. It is through him that we can now not only understand but live the meaning and being of the 'deepest beast'."—James Dickey, National Book Award Winner, author of Deliverance"This is a marvelous whale opera. I enthusiastically recommend these lyrics and hope someone will write the music. Maybe it will be a humpback whale..."—John and Toni Tilly, authors of Communications Between Man and Dolphin"This beautifully written and epic tale of a great species' struggle for survival deserves to be widely read by adults as well as children. Its special ability to illicit empathy and provoke outrage from readers could prove as powerful of all the voyages of Greenpeace in assuring that the whales will continue to sing their song."—John Ferell, author of Rain"Siegel's tales have the magic of Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and the lyric majesty of Thoreau's prose. Highly recommended."—Library Journal"It is almost as if Moby Dick was scaled down and re-written from the viewpoint of the whale."—Fantasy Review"I've spent my entire writing career trying to capture the magic that Robert Siegel effortlessly captures in the pages of Whalesong. Be prepared to love this book."—J.R. Rain, author of Moon DanceCover design by Susanna at:susannakubernus@googlemail.comwww.photogravity.de

Vacationing with her father in England, Becky and her newfound friend Rebecca the horse blunder into the "Eye of the Fog" and are carried back through time to ancient Britain. They emerge in the midst of a desperate struggle in which ruthless men are seeking to wipe out a race of benevolent centaurs. Thus begins an incredible tale of courage, faith and dogged determination in the face of impossible odds as Becky undertakes a perilous mission to save the centaurs. Along the way she encounters a series of challenges that try her ingenuity and strength of character. At last she meets the ultimate test of her faith and will: she must open the Path to the Stars - the only hope for the centaurs' survival.**Acclaim for Robert Siegel and Alpha Centauri**“Absolutely fantastic! Has all the qualities of classical fantasy. The kind of book that should be around for hundreds of years!”—Madeleine L’Engle, Newberry Award-winning of author of A Wrinkle in Time“It is all here—everything your imagination longs for when it travels back beyond our sad and gritty history to the high and noble ages of which we mortals get only fleeting and heartbreaking glimpses in the tales we now call myths. Siegel is a bard, and that is a genus almost as rare nowadays as the centaurs.”―Tom Howard, author of Christ the Tiger“A mythic masterpiece.”―Bookstore Journal “Alpha Centauri bursts in the sky like the Fourth of July, brilliant to behold. High adventure, drama, self-sacrifice, courage, a bit of romance—it is all to be found in this well-written and beautifully illustrated tale. This is a fine work and a joy to recommend. Books like this don’t come along very often.” —Christianity Today“A feast of sheer delight awaits the reader of this brilliant fantasy novel.”―Voices“The classic theme of pure beings fighting the forces of evil and chaos is handled deftly, with a believable character and a misty, faraway setting. . . The novel’s success rests upon the author’s ability to portray both a human girl and mythological beings with dignity.”―The Library Journal“A delightful new fantasy of journey and quest. . . Madeleing L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, Dr. Tolkien, meet Robert Siegel. He may be moving into your select circle.”―The Episcopalian “Dramatic use of tension carries the plot swiftly forward. . . Imaginative and entertaining.―The American Library Association Booklist“This move in the direction of classical fantasy proves to be a pure triumph for both publisher and author.”―Essex Journal "I've spent my entire writing career trying to capture the magic that Robert Siegel effortlessly captures. . . Be prepared to love this book."—J.R. Rain, author of Moon Dance

Introducing the 50 most important classical, myths, monsters, heroes, and gods in half a minute, this book breaks down the significant details and unravels the underlying meanings of the greatest classical myths. Focusing on Greek and Roman mythology, each story is broken down into key aspects for the general reader using no more than two pages, 300 words, and a picture. Edited by Robert A. Segal, the Sixth Century Chair in Religious Studies at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, this book is a teacher's best friend to providing common core informational reading appropriate to grades 6 and up in an engaging format.

The play of light and shadow, sea and sky; tropical breezes and the chill breath of arctic ice mountains; the mystery of Leviathan, greatest of all God's creatures, of endless undersea caverns, of krill beds stretching miles in all directions and hundreds of fathoms deep, of the Ice at the End of the World, of the haunting song of the humpback whale. These are the elements woven into a tapestry of wonder and enchantment by Robert Siegel... Here is the story of Hruna the humpback whale, from birth marked for greatness by his size and courage. As days of carefree frolicking give way to adolescence, Hruna prepares for the Lonely Cruise, the rite of passage into adulthood, by visiting the Great Whale who lives on the ocean floor. There he learns the myth of origins and receives his true name in preparation for the swift adventures and narrow escapes that propel him into the ultimate challenge of leading his pod of whales in a desperate fight for survival.

His recurring dreams of flying were just the beginning of an unforgettable journey...George MacWhirtle Fleck’s life is fairly ordinary until he falls off a roof. Suddenly, his childhood dreams of his body in flight come rushing back to him in a conscious reawakening of his belief in his own latent power.Despite therapy and the frustration of his wife, George cannot be dissuaded from his growing obsession to fly—and the lines between his dream life and his waking life begin to blur.One night, the “lightness” finally manifests and George’s dreams come to fruition. He begins a secret life of developing his flying skills, and when his wife leaves on a long trip, George’s adventures take him to places he has never seen, and expose him to danger, challenges, and a growing self-awareness that there is more to life than he has ever known, but only if he only practices what he believes.A talking crow opens the way for George to travel the world, and then, he meets a mythical stargoose that takes him beyond his wildest dreams into a realm of breathtaking wonder.If you've ever had a dream to fly...If you've ever wondered what the human mind is capable of manifesting, THE STARGOOSE will touch your heart with the magic of the lyrical prose of Robert Siegel, the award-winning author of WHALESONG, ALPHA CENTAURI, THE KINGDOM OF WUNDLE and other novels.THE STARGOOSE is being published posthumously, and with a great reverence for Siegel’s talent for revealing the mystical secret lives of animals and expressing them through the triumph of the human spirit.

Sail through these fifty 30-second legends to discover what Hercules did to deserve his twelve labours, why Odysseus took ten years to travel 500 miles, and how Narcissus found the love of his life. Full of gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters, story locations and the great storytellers, this book is the fastest way to get up to speed with the world of Greek and Roman mythology. So much modern culture traces its origins back to Greek and Roman mythology (witness 2010’s Clash of the Titans and Percy Jackson and the Olympians). The stories provide wonderful references to make your conversation more heroic and lift your imagination closer to the gods. Each idea, no matter how complex, is explained in just two pages, 300 words, and one picture, making this the quickest way to understand the tragic tales and their modern legacies: from the Oedipus Complex to the Narcissus Syndrome. The bestselling 30-Second series offers a new approach to learning about those subjects you feel you should really understand. Every title takes a popular topic and dissects it into the 50 most significant ideas at its heart, explained in just two pages that are easily digested in only half a minute.

Something sinister is happening in the dark, oppressed Kingdom of Grog. The evil Prince Boris, who has a pet wyrm―a dragon named Purr―needs to feed it once every three months or it will break loose and wreak havoc on his kingdom. So, every three months, the prince convicts someone of a capital crime so he can feed his dragon.The fair maiden in this second novelette in the Wundle series is the Prince's sheltered daughter, Gwynne. The hero is Cor, the son of a jewelsmith who meets Gwynne at a magical swimming hole, not knowing who she is, only that he is enchanted by her. When they part, he gifts her with his most precious possession, a decision which may cost him his life.When Cor sets out at the behest of his father to meet up with a jewel merchant, he stumbles into Grog borders and finds himself the capital criminal of the quarter―he is soon slated to become a dragon's dinner.When a misguided, tormented creature, who is the slave of Prince Boris, offers his assistance to both Gwynne and Cor, will it just make things even worse?Each must choose the right path, in order to survive. Someone must become the dragon's meal or the creature will break loose and destroy the kingdom of Grog. The clock is ticking toward mealtime for the dragon when something unexpected happens.The Wyrm of Grog is a story for children of all ages, full of betrayal and redemption, avarice and sacrifice, ignorance and insight, and most of all, sheer pleasure in the lush, allegorical writing of Robert Siegel.**Praise for The Kingdom of Wundle**"A story for children of all ages, full of wonder, spiritual insight, and sheer beauty."―Issues & Answers"Another imaginative fantasy adventure...worthy kin to his Alpha Centauri and Whalesong."―The Episcopalian"A pleasure to read...the story explores the illusionary nature of evil and the very palpable but sometimes elusive power of good."―Christian Herald