Books with author Sylvia Engdahl

Here are the author's collected essays about her Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars and other Young Adult and adult science fiction novels, plus two autobiographical essays illustrated with photos. Her comments on Enchantress deal with issues she would like all its readers to be aware of. Please note: This book is one of three that replace Reflections on the Future, which dealt with different topics that have now been separated. Nearly all of the essays in this one were in that book.

Rediscover this beloved Newbery Honor-winning classic, Featuring a brand-new cover and a foreword by Lois Lowry!Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy. One of the few science fiction books to win a Newbery Honor, this novel continues to enthrall readers of all ages.Critical acclaim for Enchantress from the Stars:A Newbery Honor BookA Junior Library Guild selectionAn ALA Notable pickWinner of the Phoenix AwardFinalist for the Book Sense Book of the Year Award

On completion of her training as an agent of the interstellar federation's Anthropological Service, Elana is sent to a world whose people may soon destroy their civilization. Since not enough is understood about the situation to justify any interference with their evolution, the Service has no power to act; its agents must go as helpless observers, posing as natives, in the hope of gaining knowledge that may help to save other worlds. This passive role proves intolerable to the young, inexperienced agent assigned to the same city as Elana, a city under totalitarian rule. After falling in love with a local girl who has become Elana's closest friend, he identifies too completely with the natives and unwittingly endangers the entire world by a well-meant but ill-advised attempt to intervene. Forced to assume responsibility for undoing the damage, Elana finds that only she—at great cost—can prevent an immediate war of annihilation.Although this novel has the same heroine as the author's Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars, it is not a sequel but a completely separate—and very different—story intended for older readers, high school age and adults. The two books are in no way dependent on each other.

Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy. One of the few science fiction books to win a Newbery Honor, this novel will enthrall teenage and adult readers.

An omnibus edition containing the complete trilogy This Star Shall Abide, Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains, and The Doors of the Universe."This is much more than an adventure story . . . it haunts the reader long after it is finished." --Journal of ReadingNoren knew that his world was not as it should be--it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which he had always longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy promised that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy's fulfillment. But the more he learned of the grim truth about his people's deprivations, the less possible it seemed that their world could ever be changed. It would take more drastic steps than anyone imagined to restore their rightful heritage."What happens to the hero Noren when he forces admission to the inner city makes for fascinating reading." --Chicago Daily NewsWinner of a Christopher Award, given to the first novel, This Star Shall Abide, for "affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit." "Both logically and consistently suspenseful . . . This Star will Abide a good deal longer than most here today, gone tomorrow sci-fi." --Kirkus Reviews"One cannot fail to be affected by reading it." --Maine State LibraryThis Star Shall Abide was published in the UK under the title Heritage of the Star. The Junior Bookshelf of London called it "an allegory which poses one of the most heart-searching dilemmas of the human race."Although originally published in hardcover as Young Adult books, the second and third novels of this trilogy are primarily of interest to older teens and adults. The omnibus was issued as adult science fiction. "There is nothing juvenile about them," said the San Jose Mercury News. "Engdahl tells an important and pertinent story."

Melinda Ashley has a plan for her life, and a trip to Mars isn't part of it. When she receives a spaceliner ticket as a high school graduation gift from her dad, she is dismayed, but reluctantly agrees to go with him--in part because she's infuriated by her fiance's high-handed declaration that she can't. Her outlook begins to change when she meets Alex Preston, a second-generation Martian colonist who is going home after college on Earth. Alex believes settling Mars is important. He's looking forward to the role he expects to play in the colony's future. Melinda finds this hard to understand, yet she is more and more drawn to him and, while on Mars, to his family. Torn between what she has always wanted and upsetting new feelings, she wonders if she can ever again be content. It takes tragedy and a terrifying experience to make her aware of what really matters to her.Although this novel is set on Mars, it's not about space technology or exotic adventure. It's centered on the experiences of ordinary people and is usually enjoyed more by readers who like romance than by avid science fiction fans.

Rediscover this beloved Newbery Honor-winning classic, Featuring a brand-new cover and a foreword by Lois Lowry!Elana, a member of an interstellar civilization on a mission to a medieval planet, becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back an invasion. How can she help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, without revealing her own alien powers? At the same time, Georyn, the son of an Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a dragon in the enchanted forest, and he must defeat it. He sees Elana as the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy. One of the few science fiction books to win a Newbery Honor, this novel continues to enthrall readers of all ages.Critical acclaim for Enchantress from the Stars:A Newbery Honor BookA Junior Library Guild selectionAn ALA Notable pickWinner of the Phoenix AwardFinalist for the Book Sense Book of the Year Award

(This book is known in the UK as Heritage of the Star)Noren knew that his world was not as it should be--it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which he had always longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy promised that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy's fulfillment. But was defiance enough, or could some way be found to make it come true?This classic science fiction novel is enjoyed by readers age 12 and up as well as by older teens and adults who go on to read the other two books in the Children of the Star trilogy. Originally published in hardcover by Atheneum in the US, and by Gollancz in the UK under the title Heritage of the Star, it was the winner of a Christopher Award given for "affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit.". For more reader reviews, be sure to see those for the omnibus edition of the trilogy under the title Children of the Star.

Noren knew that his world was not as it should be--it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which even in boyhood he had longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy declared that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He had now come to believe in the Prophecy's fulfillment, yet the more he learned of the grim truth about his people's deprivations, the less possible it seemed that their world could ever be changed. Was it right to keep on promising them a brighter future?Although this novel was originally published in hardcover by Atheneum as Young Adult fiction, unlike the first one in the Children of the Star trilogy it is rarely of interest to readers below high school age. For more reader reviews, be sure to see those for the omnibus edition of the trilogy under the title Children of the Star.

The Current Controversies series examines today's most important social and political issues; each volume presents a diverse selection of primary and secondary sources representing all sides of the debate in question.; ; Each anthology is composed of a wide spectrum of sources written by many of the foremost authorities in their respective fields. This unique approach provides students with a concise view of divergent opinions on each topic. Extensive book and periodical

On completion of her training as an agent of the interstellar federation's Anthropological Service, Elana is sent to a world whose people may soon destroy their civilization. Since not enough is understood about the situation to justify any interference with their evolution, the Service has no power to act; its agents must go as helpless observers, posing as natives, in the hope of gaining knowledge that may help to save other worlds. This passive role proves intolerable to the young, inexperienced agent assigned to the same city as Elana, a city under totalitarian rule. After falling in love with a local girl who has become Elana's closest friend, he identifies too completely with the natives and unwittingly endangers the entire world by a well-meant but ill-advised attempt to intervene. Forced to assume responsibility for undoing the damage, Elana finds that only she--at great cost--can prevent an immediate war of annihilation.Although this novel has the same heroine as the author's Newbery Honor book Enchantress from the Stars, it is not a sequel but a completely separate--and very different--story intended for older readers, high school age and adults. The two books are in no way dependent on each other.

An omnibus edition containing the complete trilogy This Star Shall Abide, Beyond the Tomorrow Mountains, and The Doors of the Universe."This is much more than an adventure story . . . it haunts the reader long after it is finished." --Journal of ReadingNoren knew that his world was not as it should be--it was wrong that only the Scholars, and their representatives the Technicians, could use metal tools and Machines. It was wrong that only they had access to the mysterious City, which he had always longed to enter. Above all, it was wrong for the Scholars to have sole power over the distribution of knowledge. The High Law imposed these restrictions and many others, though the Prophecy promised that someday knowledge and Machines would be available to everyone. Noren was a heretic. He defied the High Law and had no faith in the Prophecy's fulfillment. But the more he learned of the grim truth about his people's deprivations, the less possible it seemed that their world could ever be changed. It would take more drastic steps than anyone imagined to restore their rightful heritage."What happens to the hero Noren when he forces admission to the inner city makes for fascinating reading." --Chicago Daily NewsWinner of a Christopher Award, given to the first novel, This Star Shall Abide, for "affirmation of the highest values of the human spirit." "Both logically and consistently suspenseful . . . This Star will Abide a good deal longer than most here today, gone tomorrow sci-fi." --Kirkus Reviews"One cannot fail to be affected by reading it." --Maine State LibraryThis Star Shall Abide was published in the UK under the title Heritage of the Star. The Junior Bookshelf of London called it "an allegory which poses one of the most heart-searching dilemmas of the human race."Although originally published in hardcover as Young Adult books, the second and third novels of this trilogy are primarily of interest to older teens and adults. The omnibus was issued as adult science fiction. "There is nothing juvenile about them," said the San Jose Mercury News. "Engdahl tells an important and pertinent story."