- The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm
- Author: Christopher Paolini
- Publisher: Alfred A. Knoff
- Copyright Date: 2018
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Young Adult
Awards or Honors: none
Reading Level: Young Teenager
Plot Summary: Nearly a year has passed since dragon rider Eragon and the dragon Saphira defeated King Galbatorix and ushered in a new age of peace for Alagaesia. After finding the lost dragon eggs, the pair are now in the middle of finding a new place to keep the eggs and help raise them to protect the land. When Eragon hears a new vision with a warning from dragon elders concerning new dangers facing Alagaesia, he begins an adventure to find out more information. Eragon begins traveling all over Alagaesia and ventures to the east as he deals with the new prophecy and meets with Urgals, elves, dwarves, and friends from his previous adventures. Angela, the Herbalist, joins Eragon on his journey, and together they go throughout Alagaesia facing challenges. The book alternates between Eragon as a narrator and Angela as a narrator, which provides more of a backstory on her history.
Author Background: Christopher Paolini is an American who was raised in Montana, which influenced some of the landscape and art in his book. He is also the author of the best-selling Inheritance book series, the prequel to The Fork, the Witch and the Worm. He was homeschooled and spent part of his childhood at 15 writing the Inheritance book series, which originally started out as a side project before becoming a published work.
As a child he enjoyed hiking in nature, nature survival, and magic, all of which influenced his writing and character development. He has also just recently published To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, a book about aliens and the good and bad of first contact between species. He currently lives in Paradise Valley, Montana, with his family.
Critical Evaluation: The writing and vocabulary are easy to pick up on, and the style overall is easy to follow and allows for someone to finish the book in one reading. The chronological structure can be difficult to initially pick up on, as character perspectives sometimes switch at the end of chapters without warning. The book has constant action and adventure, making it compelling to continue reading. Young teenagers who dream of action, drama, and a world beyond ours will enjoy reading the book and imagining new people and ways of viewing the world.
Creative Use for a Library Program: This book would be great for a magic or fantasy adventure program or game. A library could also Include this book as a reading for a magic game night or inventing a game based on the book. I would create a program that develops a board game based on the plot of the book. Eragon is responsible for protecting and finding the dragon eggs from dangers. Teens will invent and create an adventure board game to protect or find the eggs, with other players also trying to find and protect their own dragon eggs. The person or team with the most dragon eggs at the end wins and gets a prize.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Eragon has saved the world, become a hero before turning 18, but now has growing responsibilities. What is he to do with his life? While contemplating his future, he goes on a new adventure to get a better understanding of himself and how he fits into the world as a dragon rider tasked with providing balance in the world.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: There are currently no challenge issues for the book. The book does not seem like it would have a lot of challenges, but potential issues to defend include scenes of violence through battles and issues of death. The book is designed for younger teens, and there is no swearing, sex, or other issues that might bring about challenges to being in a collection.
Reason for Inclusion: I included this book because it is a sequel to a best-selling book series that lots of people will be interested in. The book also has amazing drawings and includes fun maps teenagers can study. It also provides a fantasy adventure alternative to the Lord of the Rings genre if kids have already read the book or not interested in that series. The book is fast-paced and fun to read and does not require an immense amount of time to finish.
Paolini, C. (2020). Christopher Paolini. Paolini Net. https://www.paolini.net/biographies/christopher-paolini-full/
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