Poppy & Rye
HarperCollins, 1998
illustrated by Brian Floca
Book 4 of 7
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audio book narrated by
John McDonough
The Poppy Books
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What’s this book about?
Heartbroken over the death of her fiance, Ragweed, Poppy, a deer mouse, journeys west through the vast Dimwood Forest to bring the sad news to Ragweed’s family. But Poppy and her prickly porcupine pal, Ereth, arrive only to discover that beavers have flooded the serene valley where Ragweed lived. Together Poppy and Ragweed’s brother Rye brave kidnapping, imprisonment, and a daring rescue to fight the beavers. At the same time, Rye—who has lived in Ragweed’s shadow—fights to prove himself worthy of Poppy’s love.
Resources
- Teaching guide for all of the Poppy books
- Listen to Avi read from the Poppy books
Story Behind the Story
There are six books in the Poppy series. That was never the plan. Yes, the last chapter of Poppy begins: “Almost thirteen full moons to the night Ocax killed Ragweed, Poppy and her husband, Rye (how they met and married is another story) … “
Though I had written just that I had no particular plan to go forward and write the story. Indeed, Poppy & Rye did not appear until three years later.
The reason it appeared at all was that the publisher of Poppy was in all kinds of turmoil, and it was not possible to work with my regular editor, Richard Jackson.
Awards and Recognition
- Children’s choice nominee, Vermont
- Children’s choice nominee, Illinois
- Children’s choice nominee, Pennsylvania
- Children’s choice nominee, New Mexico
- Children’s choice nominee, Iowa
Reviews
“The battle against the beavers is exciting: Rye is captured sneaking into the beavers’ lodge and held prisoner; Poppy makes her way by raft to the lodge and enters through a vent hole and almost drowns as she escapes. As he took on the politics of power in Poppy, Avi here tackles the advance of progress for the sake of progress, no matter the consequences. … Poppy’s fans will welcome her return and cheer her on in her new adventure.” (Booklist)
buy the book
The Poppy Books
if you liked this book, try: