Hobby: The Young Merlin Trilogy, Book Two

Jane Yolen traces the orphaned twelve-year-old’s dangerous path through ancient Britain as he flees a fatal fire with an old cow and a gentle plowhorse. The market town of Gwethern introduces the lad to a wandering magician and a harp-playing bard who travel in a bright green wagon.

The narrative follows the young dreamer to the city of Carmarthen, where a suspicious duke questions his visions of battling dragons.

“An enjoyable introduction to Arthurian fantasy.”--The Horn Book

• Unlikely Hero: Gifted with visions of burning roofs and warring beasts, the young seer must navigate a world of soldiers and kings where his dreams come true only on the slant.


• Found Family: Clad in a suit of green and gold bells, the boy learns to collect coins and keep secrets while traveling alongside a sly conjurer and a four-octave singer.


• Apprentice Mage: Watching Ambrosius draw out-of-season blossoms, coins, and turtles from vast sleeves reveals the sharp boundary between carnival illusions and true power.


• Historical Adventure: Journeying through ancient Britain exposes the boy to bustling country fairs, overgrown Roman ruins, and the dangerous rivalries of warring warlords.


• Also by This Author: Encounter, Johnny Appleseed and Twelve Impossible Things Before Breakfast.