Barron, T.A. 1952–

views updated

Barron, T.A. 1952–

(Thomas Archibald Barron, Tom Barron)

PERSONAL:

Born March 26, 1952, in Boston, MA; son of Archibald (a hotel operator) and Gloria (a geologist and museum founder) Barron; married Currie Cabot; children: three boys, two girls. Education: Princeton University, B.A., 1974; Oxford University, graduated 1978; Harvard University, M.B.A. and J.D., both 1982. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, traveling, hiking, "playing any sports that my kids like to play."

ADDRESSES:

Office—545 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302.

CAREER:

Author and environmentalist. Worked variously as president of a venture capital firm, general partner of Sierra Ventures, and chairman of Swiss Army Corporation, New York, NY, until 1989; full-time writer, 1989—. Founder, Princeton University Environmental Studies Program; former trustee, Princeton University; trustee, Nature Conservancy of Colorado. Presenter at workshops in environmental preservation and restoration for Wilderness Society and other groups; speaker at conferences on literature, education, and the environment as well as at schools and libraries.

MEMBER:

Wilderness Society (member of board).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Best Books of the Year designation, Parents magazine, 1992, Best Books for the Teen Age designation, New York Public Library, 1993, and Young Adult Choice listee, International Reading Association, 1994, all for The Ancient One; Colorado Book Award, 1995, Texas Lone Star Book Award, 1997, and Utah Book Award, Children's Literature Association of Utah, 1998, both for The Merlin Effect; Robert Marshall Award, Wilderness Society, 1997, for environmental work; Not Just for Children Anymore Award, Children's Book Council, 1997, and Oppenheim Portfolio Gold Award, 2000, both for The Lost Years of Merlin; Not Just for Children Anymore Award, 1998, for The Seven Songs of Merlin; Best Fantasy Books listee, Booklist, 1999, for The Fires of Merlin; Colorado Book Award nominee, 2000, for The Mirror of Merlin, The Wings of Merlin, and The Fires of Merlin; Nautilus Visionary Book Award Grand Prize, 2001, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books designation, 2002, both for The Wings of Merlin; Bank Street College of Education Best Book designation, 2002, and Massachusetts Children's Book Award nominee, 2004, both for Tree Girl; Colorado Book Award nominee, and Nautilus Visionary Book Award Grand Prize, both 2005, both for Child of the Dark Prophecy; Nautilus Visionary Book Award finalist, and Arkansas Diamond Award nomination, both 2005, both for High as a Hawk; Colorado Book Award finalist, and Nautilus Visionary Book Award Grand Prize, both 2007, both for The Eternal Flame; Colorado Book Award finalist, Nautilus Visionary Book Award Gold Medal, and Storytelling World Award for Young Readers, all 2008, all for The Day the Stones Walked; Wilderness Society award for conservation work.

WRITINGS:

FOR CHILDREN

Where Is Grandpa? (picture book), illustrated by Chris K. Soenpiet, Philomel (New York, NY), 2000.

Tree Girl (middle-grade novel), Philomel (New York, NY), 2001.

High as a Hawk: A Brave Girl's Historic Climb (picture book), Philomel (New York, NY), 2004.

The Day the Stones Walked: A Tale of Easter Island (picture book), illustrated by William Low, Philomel (New York, NY), 2007.

Basilgarrad: Merlin's Dragon (first volume in "Merlin's Dragon" trilogy), Philomel (New York, NY), 2008.

"ADVENTURES OF KATE" SERIES

Heartlight, Philomel (New York, NY), 1990.

The Ancient One, Philomel (New York, NY), 1992.

The Merlin Effect, Philomel (New York, NY), 1994.

"LOST YEARS OF MERLIN" SERIES

The Lost Years of Merlin (also see below), Philomel (New York, NY), 1996.

The Seven Songs of Merlin (also see below), Philomel (New York, NY), 1997.

The Fires of Merlin (also see below), Philomel (New York, NY), 1998.

The Mirror of Merlin, Philomel (New York, NY), 1999.

The Wings of Merlin, Philomel (New York, NY), 2000.

A T.A. Barron Collection (omnibus; includes The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, and The Fires of Merlin), Philomel Books (New York, NY), 2001.

"GREAT TREE OF AVALON" TRILOGY

Child of the Dark Prophecy, Philomel (New York, NY), 2004.

Shadow on the Stars, Philomel (New York, NY), 2005.

The Eternal Flame, Philomel (New York, NY), 2006.

OTHER

To Walk in Wilderness: A Rocky Mountain Journal (adult nonfiction), photographs by John Fielder, Westcliffe Publishers (Englewood, CO), 1993.

(With Enos Mills and John Fiedler) Rocky Mountain National Park: A 100-Year Perspective (adult non-fiction), photographs by Mills and Fielder, Westcliffe Publishers (Englewood, CO), 1995.

The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life, Philomel (New York, NY), 2002.

Contributor to periodicals, including Book Links, Parents', and Voice of Youth Advocates. Some work appears under name Tom Barron. Author's books have been translated into several languages, including German and Spanish.

ADAPTATIONS:

The "Lost Years of Merlin" books were released on audio cassette by Listening Library, beginning 2001; the "Great Tree of Avalon" books were released on audio cassette by Listening Library, beginning 2004.

SIDELIGHTS:

A popular, prolific American author of fiction for children and young adults as well as of informational books for adults, T.A. Barron is regarded as both a master storyteller and a gifted nature writer. As a fantasist, he has been compared favorably to such writers as J.R.R. Tolkien, T.H. White, Lloyd Alexander, and especially Madeleine L'Engle. Barron is perhaps best known as the author of the coming-of-age fantasy series "Adventures of Kate," "Lost Years of Merlin," "Great Tree of Avalon," and "Merlin's Dragon." In addition, he has received praise for his autobiographical picture book Where Is Grandpa?, which describes how a boy adjusts to the death of his beloved grandfather, and the inspiring book The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life. In addition, Barron has been lauded for the prose and poetry he has contributed to the nature books To Walk in Wilderness: A Rocky Mountain Journal and Rocky Mountain National Park: A 100-Year Perspective.

Thematically, Barron is noted for addressing issues that relate directly to both his young audience and to the universal human condition. He explores such themes as the connections among people, cultures, and other forms of life; the ultimate meaning of existence; the power of love; death as part of a grand design; the bond between generations; the need to preserve the environment; and the acceptance of the light and darkness within ourselves. In the "Adventures of Kate," "Lost Years of Merlin," and "Great Tree of Avalon" series, he takes his young protagonists on both literal and figurative journeys. Each teen faces enormous—and often dangerous—obstacles that require him or her to make difficult, sometimes life-threatening decisions. These choices lead ultimately to a greater sense of self-confidence and maturity as well as to a deeper sense of how each person can contribute to the world. As a writer, Barron characteristically favors a clear, lyrical prose style. He is commended for his use of descriptive language; for his creation of exciting plots that often include twists at the end; and for his inclusion of strong female and sensitive male characters. Although some observers have criticized Barron for overwriting, most critics applaud him as a talented storyteller whose well-crafted blend of adventure, fantasy, and spirituality has led to the creation of insightful, moving books.

Barron credits his parents and several of his teachers with fostering his love of nature and interest in traditional cultures. His father was owner and operator of the historic Alamo Hotel in Colorado Springs, and his first memory is being carried on his father's shoulders to an old chestnut tree near his home. In an article for Book Links, Barron wrote: "I remember him lifting me up to peer into a dark hole in the trunk. To my surprise, a family of baby raccoons, their eyes as bright as lanterns, peered back at me. Whenever I think of that man, I think of all the places that he shared. And the memories, like the eyes of those raccoons, are lantern-bright. Small wonder that, for me, place is far more than landscape." Barron would later use his father, and the man's passing, as the basis for Where Is Grandpa?

After the youngest of Barron's six brothers and sisters started school, his mother Gloria returned to college to study geology. She eventually founded the Touch Museum, a hands-on nature museum for children, at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. To honor her efforts and her example, in 2001, Barron established the Gloria Barron Young Heroes Prize, an award that celebrates the young people of Colorado who make a major contribution to that state or to the world.

Although he enjoyed reading world mythology, sports stories, and biographies, Barron's earliest writings were nature journals; at the age of nine, for example, he wrote "Autobiography of a Big Tree," the story of the old chestnut tree in which the family of raccoons had lived that his father had shown him. When his family moved to a ranch, Barron continued writing outside under the ponderosa. In middle school, he wrote, illustrated, and published his own humor magazine, The Idiot's Odyssey.

Barron also enjoyed outdoor pursuits, especially hiking and camping. He joined the Boy Scouts of America, worked summers as a counselor at a local scout camp, and became an Eagle Scout. After winning a national speech competition sponsored by the Scouts, he was sent to Washington, DC, to meet the president of the United States. After graduating from high school, he attended Princeton University, where he continued to write. "Then," he wrote on his home page, "I encountered Tolkien, and a new world opened before my eyes." Barron founded two literary publications at Princeton. As a senior, he won the Pyne Prize, the university's highest honor for an undergraduate; the prize honors outstanding service to Princeton by one of its students. After winning a Rhodes scholarship, Barron set off for Oxford University in England.

At Oxford, Barron studied, but he took time out to write stories and poems while sitting under an English oak that he dubbed "Merlin's Tree." He took a year off from school to travel, exploring the British Isles, riding the Trans-Siberian railway, going to the Arctic, living in Africa, India, and Nepal, and helping to build thatched roofs on homes in a remote Japanese village, among other adventures. After returning to Oxford, he wrote his first novel, and he collected more than forty rejection letters for it. Once back in the United States, he enrolled in law school at Harvard University, hoping to become an environmental lawyer. He changed his mind, however, and earned his M.B.A., then moved to New York City to work as a venture capitalist, acquiring small and medium-sized businesses for his firm.

While working in New York, Barron married Currie Cabot, a woman whom he had met while cross-country skiing in the Catskill Mountains and with whom he has since raised five children. He also continued to write, even stopping to jot a few lines while running the Boston Marathon. He sent the manuscript of his first novel for young people, Heartlight, to L'Engle, the author who most influenced him and to whom he is often compared. L'Engle saw promise in the manuscript and passed it on to her agent. With the encouragement of his wife, in 1989 Barron resigned from his firm and moved his family to a Colorado ranch so that he could become a full-time writer. Heartlight was published the following year.

Heartlight became the first novel in Barron's "Adventures of Kate" series, and it is followed by The Ancient One and The Merlin Effect. The series blends such elements as science fiction, history, mythology, metaphysics, and ecology into contemporary adventures that feature thirteen-year-old Kate Prancer Gordon, a courageous, resourceful teen. In Heartlight, Kate and her beloved grandfather, a renowned astrophysicist who has done research on the nature of light and its relationship to the human soul, travel to a distant galaxy by liberating their souls (or "heartlights") in order to find out why the earth's sun is losing power. They discover that the star Trethonial, which should have become a black hole, has begun to drain the energy from other suns in order to survive. Kate and her grandfather also battle a demonic force that is seeking eternal life. The Darkness, a dark cloud, fights with the Pattern, the force that keeps the universe in balance, before order is restored. A critic in Publishers Weekly wrote that Heartlight "shines as a bold, original effort worthy of repeat readings."

In The Ancient One, Kate and her great-aunt Melanie work to save a forest of redwood trees from being cut down; the forest is located in an Oregon logging town established on Native American holy ground. After Kate is transported 500 years into the past, she encounters the Halamis, a tribe of Native Americans who are facing a volcanic eruption that will wipe them out. The eruption is being caused by Gashra, an evil being that wants to rule the world. Kate enlists the help of the Ancient One, the oldest living tree in the forest, to save the Halami and the redwood forest and return to her own time. Kate must risk her life to restore balance; in addition, she must learn to become a tree. She succeeds, sending Gashra back into the earth, but returns to the present just in time to see a logger felling the Ancient One right before a protective injunction is put into place.

In the final book of the series, The Merlin Effect, Kate accompanies her father, a leading Arthurian scholar, to the coast of Baja California, where he hopes to locate one of Merlin's lost treasures, a drinking horn that has powers of immortality and is believed to be on a sunken Spanish galleon. After Kate saves a whale that gets tangled in the expedition's equipment, she is sucked into a whirlpool that takes her to the ocean's floor. She and her companions engage in a battle with the enchantress Nimue and her army of sea demons, who want to use the horn for their own evil purposes. To save herself, her father, his friends, and the Horn of Merlin, Kate must find a way to regain her free will. While noting that Barron's plot is at times "too incredible," Booklist critic Sally Estes praised The Merlin Effect as a "fast-paced adventure tale" that is "steeped in Arthurian legend."

In the "Lost Years of Merlin" series, which includes The Lost Years of Merlin, The Seven Songs of Merlin, The Fires of Merlin, The Mirror of Merlin, and The Wings of Merlin, Barron focuses on the teenage years of the legendary magician, a period that is not represented in traditional Arthurian literature. He describes Merlin's search for identity and inner balance as well as his adventures with both human characters—such as Ector, the boy destined to become King Arthur—and supernatural characters, such as spirits, ogres, dwarves, and shape-shifters. In an interview with Ken Trainer in Chicago Parent, Barron said that Merlin is "a boy who has enormous struggles to learn the basic lessons of wisdom, truth, humility, power, and love. Merlin's journey is a metaphor for the hero that's in every one of us." Writing on his home page, Barron concluded that Merlin's story "is, in truth, a metaphor—for the idea that all of us, no matter how weak or confused, have a magical person down inside, just waiting to be discovered."

In the series opener, twelve-year-old Emrys is washed up on a Welsh beach with a woman who claims to be his mother. The boy has lost all of his memories, including knowing his real name; his mother, the witch Branwen, refuses to tell him about his past. Drawing on the magical powers he learns that he has, Emrys defends Branwen against a vicious young mob by burning its leader, Dinatius, through telekinesis. When he leaps into the fire to save the boy, Emrys loses his own eyesight and vows never again to use his powers in anger. After developing second sight to replace his lost eyesight, Emrys sets off on a journey to find out who he really is. Reaching Fincayra, an enchanted island that connects Heaven and the Otherworld, he embarks on a dangerous quest to save Fincayra from a blight caused by a pact between its king, Stangmar, and the evil Rhita Gawr, a warlord of the spirit world whose glance means certain death. By novel's end Emrys learns that Stangmar is really his father; that his mother's real name is Elen; that he has a sister, Rhia; and that he is really Merlin. Noting Barron's skill for bringing to life "a magical land populated by remarkable beings," Estes predicted that The Lost Years of Merlin "will enchant readers."

In The Seven Songs of Merlin, thirteen-year-old Merlin is entrusted with healing the barren lands of Fincayra. When he uses his powers irresponsibly as a means to bring his mother to the island, Elen is stricken with a death shadow—a shadow meant for her son—by Rhita Gawr. To save his mother's life, Merlin must find and master the Seven Songs of Wisdom; in addition, he must go to the Otherworld and find the magic antidote to the death shadow. On this search he encounters giants and monsters and kills the ogre that took the life of his grandfather Tuatha, a great but arrogant wizard. Merlin also finds the magic sword Excalibur, which one day will belong to King Arthur. Through these adventures, the teen learns about responsibility, intuition, and the worth of all living things.

"With each book, Barron's ‘Lost Years of Merlin’ saga just keeps getting richer in characterization, ambience, and Celtic lore," proclaimed Estes in her Booklist review of The Fires of Merlin. At fourteen, Merlin has by now earned his wizard's staff and is learning the ways of a wizard. However, his powers are still new. The last dragon emperor, Valdearg—called Wings of Fire—was put to sleep by Merlin's grandfather, the wizard Tuatha. When the eggs containing the dragon's last offspring are destroyed, Valdearg awakes and is led to believe that Merlin is the culprit. Meanwhile, the evil Rhita Gawr has made a deal with dwarf queen Umalda to steal Merlin's magic in return for a promise of safety for the dwarves. In order to confront the dragon, Merlin must face a series of dangers and fight the fires within himself by tapping into the source of his magic: his compassion and his readiness to sacrifice himself for the common good. Ultimately, his practical knowledge of herbs and his compassion in saving Valdearg's last surviving hatchling allow the teen to succeed in his quest.

As The Mirror of Merlin opens, fifteen-year-old Merlin is deep in the Haunted Marshes of Fincarya, searching for his stolen sword. The theft of his sword is a trap set by the sorceress Nimue, and she infects the teen with a deadly and incurable condition. Fortunately, Merlin meets Ector, a boy who believes that his own master can cure the teen's illness. Traveling through the Mists of Time into the future and encountering a magic mirror, an ailing Merlin meets his much-older self, trapped in the Crystal Cave by Nimue. Before he can return to his own time, the teen must confront his deepest fears but also accept the choices open to him. Inspired by his future, he envisions the Round Table of King Arthur and his knights and forecasts a society based on justice.

The "Lost Years of Merlin" series culminates with The Wings of Merlin, in which Rhita Gawr and his henchmen are preparing to invade Fincayra. Within a two-week time frame, Merlin must convince the squabbling Fincaryran creatures and races to put aside their mistrust of each other and band together to battle the coming evil. Meanwhile, Slayer, a masked warrior with swords for arms, attacks orphaned children in an attempt to lure the young sorcerer into a duel to the death. After Stangmar escapes from his imprisonment, he saves Merlin and Elen from Slayer before sustaining fatal injuries. As he dies, Stangmar is forgiven by Elen, although Merlin cannot bring himself to forgive the father who tried to kill him. In their quest for safety, Merlin, Elen, and a large group of children go to the Forgotten Island, a place considered fearsome by Fincayrans. Slayer follows them there and reveals himself to be Dinatius, Merlin's boyhood nemesis and a friend of Rhita Gawr, Merlin eventually defeats Slayer and decides to spare his life, an act of mercy that brings about the rejoining of the Forgotten Island with Fincayra. After a victory against Rhita Gawr, a cosmic shift occurs: Fincayra and the Otherworld meld into a single world while the Forgotten Island becomes Avalon. Merlin learns his true name—Ole Eopia, which means "man of many worlds and many times"—and is able to whisper words of forgiveness to the dead Stangmar. Now he must make his hardest decision yet: to leave his beloved Fincayra for the earthly island of Britannia, where he will become mentor to King Arthur as well as the celebrated wizard of story and song.

The transformed Forgotten Island is the setting of Barron's "Great Tree of Avalon" series, which includes Child of the Dark Prophecy, Shadow on the Stars, and The Eternal Flame. In Child of the Dark Prophecy Merlin rescues a young orphaned boy living in the seven-rooted Great Tree that bridges Earth and heaven after kidnappers kill both the boy's parents. Raised by a foster mother, the boy, Scree, grows up with his foster brother Tamwyn, the grandson of Merlin. Although they have been separated, Scree and Tamwyn attempt to seek each other out in their late teens. Meanwhile, Elli, an orphan apprenticed to a powerful priestess who can channel the Lady of the Lake, must help her mistress locate Merlin's true heir in order to save Avalon from the fate decreed in the Dark Prophecy. The novel's "captivating supporting cast of sprites, fairies and assorted changelings will keep the pages turning," predicted a Publishers Weekly critic, and in Booklist Estes cited Barron's skill in "creating an elaborate, richly detailed world" in a story "liberally laced with humor and wit."

In Shadow on the Stars each of the three protagonists continue to follow his or her fate, while also questioning whether he or she is destined to save Avalon or destroy it as the child of the Dark Prophecy. Tamwyn uses his ability to understand the forest creatures by becoming a nature guide, but is called up to the forest heights. Scree recovers from battle injuries and attempts to marshall a force of Bram Kaie eaglefolk to defend the threatened Avalon, while Elli takes over the role of priestess to the Lady of the Lake. Dubbed by Estes a "fitting finale" to the "Great Tree of Avalon" series, The Eternal Flame finds Rhita Gawr continuing his effort to destroy Avalon by searching for ways his minions can invade the sacred place. While Scree hones his skills as a warrior, Elli braves the dark, deep place called Shadow-root in order to destroy a magic crystal before its powers can be used by Rhita Gawr. Meanwhile Tamwyn climbs to the top of the Great Tree in an effort to rekindle the stars and battle the forces of the evil one.

Noting the intersection of the "Great Tree of Avalon" books and the "Lost Years of Merlin" books, Connie Tyrrell Burns commented in School Library Journal that Barron's more-recent saga features a "fully realized universe replete with a large cast of characters" and a plot "laced with some humor, gory battles, and many magical elements." While some critics found the series overwritten, Estes begged to differ, writing that in Shadows on the Stars "Barron infuses the story with humor" and creates a "dynamic fantasy adventure [that] will leave readers wanting more."

In addition to his fantasy series, Barron has also written a number of standalone titles. In his picture book Where Is Grandpa?, illustrated by Chris K. Soenpiet, he uses the concept of nature to explain the cycle of life by depicting a young boy sitting with his family on the day that his grandfather has passed away. Each member of the family shares a memory of Grandpa, but the boy stays silent. Learning that his elderly relative is now in heaven, the boy decides that, for Grandpa, heaven is the world of nature and that his grandfather will remain with him in all of the places that they shared. Writing in School Library Journal, Virginia Golodetz called Where Is Grandpa? a "helpful introduction to death and the grieving process," while a critic in Publishers Weekly dubbed it a "useful springboard for dialogue between bereaved adults and children." Another picture book, the environmentally themed The Day the Stones Walked: A Tale of Easter Island, features a fictional story that takes readers back to ancient times and the people who carved the huge stone statues that have continued to mystify historians. Praising Barron's ability to "ably balanc[e] … fact and legend," a Publishers Weekly contributor cited The Day the Stones Walked as a "dramatic, crisply told tale."

Young female protagonists take center stage in both Tree Girl and As High as a Hawk: A Brave Girl's Historic Climb. In Tree Girl nine-year-old Rowanna lives in the forest with her aged guardian, and her questions about her past are met with warnings about the evil creatures that live in the darkest parts of the wood. Pulled by the lure of the captivating High Willow, the girl ignores her guardian's warning and enters the world of the forest spirits. According to Booklist critic Carolyn Phelan, Tree Girl will find a readership among teens who enjoy "underlying themes of self reliance, rebellion, and the search for self-knowledge." In As High as a Hawk Barron retells a true story about an eight-year-old girl named Harriet Peters who in 1905 climbed to the top of one of Colorado's Rocky Mountain peaks, accompanied by her father and naturalist Enos Mills. With its paintings by Ted Lewin, the book features what School Library Journal critic Laurie Edwards described as a "poignant tale" recounted in Barron's "lyrical language." Edwards added that Lewin's "dramatic artwork" contributes to a "gripping saga [that] is sure to be a crowd-pleaser," while in Kirkus Reviews a contributor dubbed High as a Hawk "a fine, unusual, and inspiring read."

The Hero's Trail uses what Booklist contributor Shelle Rosenfeld described as "eloquent, engaging prose" to present examples from both history and legend of lives well lived. Barron's examples, which range from Prometheus and Merlin to former slave Harriet Tubman, athlete Lance Armstrong, and physicist Stephen Hawking, are framed against a conversation between Barron and a young hiker as they share a trek through the wilderness. Noting that the book "can serve as an inspiring resource for triumphing over difficulties," Rosenfeld deemed The Hero's Trail "a boon for educators as well as for readers," and in School Library Journal Wendy Lukehart concluded that Barron's "stories are well worth sharing."

Discussing his work as a writer, Barron told Antoinette Botsford of the NAPRA Review that his goal is to "give people a sense of their own wondrous gifts." On his home page, the author also discussed why he writes mythic quest novels and fantasy rather than realistic or historical fiction. "I write books I would like to read," Barron explained. "That means each story must have a character, a relationship, a place, a dilemma, and an idea that I care about. A lot. I like a story where an individual must deal with personal issues as well as overarching issues. The mythic quest—call it fantasy if you prefer—allows me to incorporate all of these qualities." In an interview with Estes, Barron added that since becoming a full-time writer, "I haven't had a moment of regret. I feel very, very lucky to get to follow my deepest passion in life."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 1, 1994, Sally Estes, review of The Merlin Effect, p. 491; September 1, 1996, Sally Estes, review of The Lost Years of Merlin, p. 118; September 1, 1998, Sally Estes, review of The Fires of Merlin, p. 107; April 15, 2001, Sally Estes, interview with Barron, p. 1560; March 1, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of High as a Hawk: A BraveGirl's Historic Climb, p. 1204; September 1, 2004, Sally Estes, review of Child of the Dark Prophecy, p. 122; September 15, 2005, Sally Estes, review of Shadows on the Stars, p. 55; September 1, 2006, Sally Estes, review of The Eternal Flame, p. 108.

Chicago Parent, March, 1999, Ken Trainer, "Teaching the Difference between Celebrities and Heroes."

Cincinnati Enquirer, October 29, 1999, Sara Pearce, "Youngsters Can Find Magic in ‘Merlin’."

Denver Post, October 28, 1998, Claire Martin, "Colorado Author Is Living His Dream."

Emergency Librarian, Volume 24, number 4, 1997, Kylene Beers, "Where Fantasy Flies," interview, pp. 61-63.

Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 1999, review of Where Is Grandpa?, p. 1880; August 15, 2002, review of The Hero's Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life, p. 1215; April 1, 2004, review of High as a Hawk, p. 324; September 15, 2004, review of Child of the Dark Prophecy, p. 910; May 1, 2007, review of The Day the Stones Walked: A Tale of Easter Island; August 1, 2008, review of Merlin's Dragon.

Kliatt, March, 2003, Donna L. Scanlon, review of The Wings of Merlin, p. 30; September, 2004, Michele Winship, review of Child of the Dark Prophecy, p. 4; September, 2006, Deirdre Root, review of The Eternal Flame, p. 6.

NAPRA Review, April, 1997, Antoinette Botsford, "Merlin in Our Midst."

Parents', November, 1998, T.A. Barron, "Merlin's Message."

Publishers Weekly, June 29, 1990, review of Heartlight, p. 102; August 12, 1996, review of The Lost Years of Merlin, p. 84; July 21, 1997, review of The Seven Songs of Merlin, p. 202; January 11, 2000, review of Where Is Grandpa?, p. 103; October 15, 2001, review of Tree Girl, p. 72; June 21, 2004, review of High as a Hawk, p. 62; October 25, 2004, review of Child of the Dark Prophecy, p. 48; May 28, 2007, review of The Day the Stones Walked, p. 62.

School Library Journal, February, 2000, Virginia Golodetz, review of Where Is Grandpa?, p. 91; October, 2001, Connie Tyrell Burns, review of Tree Girl, p. 148; December, 2002, Wendy Lukehart, review of The Hero's Trail, p. 153; October, 2004, Beth Wright, review of Child of the Dark Prophecy, p. 154; December, 2005, Connie Tyrrell Burns, review of Shadows on the Stars, p. 140; November, 2006, Tim Wadham, review of The Eternal Flame, p. 129; July, 2007, Kirsten Cutler, review of The Day the Stones Walked, p. 67.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 1999, T.A. Barron, "Vision, Voice, and the Power of Creation: A Young-Adult Author Speaks Out."