Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite de Angeli....

Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite de Angeli was written in 1956 and went on to become the 1957 Newbery Honor Book. It is a fabulous historic tale of tenth-century Viking twins, Jan and Brus, who are shipwrecked with their father, Harold, on the Scottish coast. When Harold is killed, the boys vow to avenge his death. The problem being, one of them is captive to Harold's killer. Through a series of adventures, demonstrating their wit and wisdom, the boys overcome their captor and desire for revenge. Jan and Brus' story has a beautiful ending, which I will not divulge here.

Unfortunately, Black Fox of Lorne has been out of print for many years, making it harder to find, particularly in hardcover. After doing a bit of research, I see Hillside Education did recently begin reprinting this treasure in paperback. However, I am not familiar with their company and have not seen the reprint so I cannot comment on the quality.

Black Fox of Lorne is a much lesser known de Angeli title, than say, The Door in the Wall or Skippack School, but nevertheless, it is a wonderful read. And true to her fashion, de Angeli's beautifully charming illustrations are a delight. After each evening's reading, the kids would want to go back and spend time looking at the pictures. I read Black Fox of Lorne aloud to the entire family, including The Farmer, who enjoyed it just as much as the kids. If you have a chance to get your hands on a copy, we all highly recommend it!