Rowan of Rin

Rowan of Rin Series written by Emily Rodda is adored by children and adults alike. The first book ‘Rowan of Rin’ was launched in 1993 and released in 2003 with the last book of the series ‘Rowan and the Bukshah’.  

The first book illustrates the witch Sheba’s prophecy as a riddle which Rowan must solve if he is to find out the secret of the Mountain and save his home. However to the villagers of Rin, Rowan is a timid weakling, the most disappointing child ever. Yet without his help the stream that flows from the top of the Mountain will dry and without water the village’s precious Bukshah herd will die and in turn Rin will be doomed.  The six strongest villagers set out on a brave quest of the unknown mountains to discover the answer to the riddle with Rowan being the unwanted seventh member of the group.

‘Seven hearts the journey make,

Seven ways the hearts will break.’

This book would be excellent to use the classroom because it can teach students that they should always stay positive and that things will always come around when people work together. This underlying message is obviously deep for the younger years however it is important that that students begin to read books like ‘Rowan of Rin’ and create meaningful experiences which can be related to real life even though it is based in a fictional world.

Rowan of Rin is a fast moving story which quickly pulls the readers in as it takes the form of a journey, which can be likened to the journey of the school year ahead.  The book would be suitable for all ages of students, however I think to understand some of the themes and underlying messages of the book, it is best suited for upper primary where it can explored further and integrated into other curriculum areas.