Buy used:

$24.95

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Thursday, May 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Or fastest delivery Friday, May 10. Order within 2 hrs 59 mins

Select delivery location

Used: Acceptable | Details

Sold by A Better Pair

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Other sellers on Amazon

Used (20) from $11.91 & FREE Shipping

Follow the author

Steven Arntson

+ Follow

More books from this author

The Wikkeling Hardcover – June 14, 2011

by Steven Arntson (Author)

4.5 24 ratings

See all formats and editions

In the enormous city of the Addition, all children are SAFE, SECURE, and SUPERVISED, and are watched by cameras even while they sleep. Henrietta is unlikable at her competitive school until she meets Gary and Rose. They all share something in common: headaches with an unknown cause. Then, late one night, Henrietta makes a startling discovery when she finds a wounded cat in the attic above her bedroom. Soon after, a series of strange occurrences follow, including the appearance of a threatening creature with long, waxy fingers, who calls itself the Wikkeling. With the help of an ancient Bestiary, will Henrietta and her friends solve these mysteries before the Wikkeling finally catches them? Age: Middle Reader 8-12

Editorial Reviews

Review

James Dashner, New York Times bestselling author of The Maze Runner trilogy
“A truly original piece of work. Swinging from funny to creepy to intriguing, it kept me enthralled throughout. I loved it.”

Sylvia Branzei, author of the international bestselling Grossology series and author of the Ickstory series
“The Wikkeling is fresh and edgy. Even when I wasn’t reading the book, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It is a great story that makes the reader ponder, “What if?” and, “Could our future look similar to the one in this book?” The Wikkeling is a middle-grade novel with the maturity to appeal to adult science fiction readers as well. It is a good read.” Jacqueline West, New York Times bestselling author of The Shadows (Book 1 of The Books of Elsewhere)
“Skillfully written, clever, frightening, and hopeful, it is a tale that feels like a reassuring secret handshake to anyone who believes in the power of books.” Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2011
Provocative and offbeat. (Fantasy. 10-14) School Library Journal
"Arntson has created a detailed and fascinating dystopian world that seems eerily similar to our own, and Terrazzini’s illustrations strike just the right note. This delightfully creepy tale will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline."

About the Author

Steven Arntson lives in Seattle. He earned an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and currently divides his time between writing stories, composing and performing music, and teaching music and writing to high school and college students. He lives with his wife in an attic apartment in an old house with three cats and many bicycles. This is his first book for children.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Running Press (June 14, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762439033
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0762439034
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 13 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.7 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 1.25 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,346,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #11,539 in Children's Science Fiction Books (Books)
- #31,095 in Children's Friendship Books
- #37,326 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books

Customer Reviews:
4.5 24 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Steven Arntson

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

24 global ratings

3 star

0%

2 star

10%

1 star

0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Aymie Walker

Fantastic Read, beautiful book.

Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2018

Verified Purchase

I saw this book in a bookstore but the condition of it was somewhat trashed. So I ordered a copy in a better condition from here. It arrived quickly and I read it just as quickly. I was interested in it because of the injured cat in the attic.

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2011

Verified Purchase

The Wikkeling is so refreshing. It is a mix of mystery, innocence and insight to the future of our school systems. Teens would find this book simular to the Harry Potter
style at the beginning of that series. Hope there is a Book 2 for the Wikkeling !

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

ellen marie

Cleverly Creepy (spoilers)

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2011

Verified Purchase

I knew I had to read this book the minute I saw it in the book store. With its stylish artwork and subversive plot, it seems somewhat geared to attract adults as much as children. This book looks big, but is an easy read, captivating from the beginning. The mysterious elements are hanled extremely well. They are compelling and unsettling, but almost no violence or gore is present. The current of subtle horror grows at a captivating pace: the sense of someone standing next to you, the disturbing malfunction of a camera, the discovery of an injured cat--all to the backdrop of an unwelcoming, sterile world. The Addition is aptly described as a place which is both "alive with activity" and "strangely motionless." Arnston sums up the futility and hopelessness of the lives of those living in the Addition beautifully in less than a page. The subversive elements of the story aren't too heavy-handed. Bias is obvious, but the dangers/consequences of technology and homogeny are built into the story setting well enough to avoid any distractions from the central plot. Ideas about accepting things that are different, but perhaps better permeate. In one telling scene Henrietta discovers flesh-eating worms in the injured leg of a cat. She is naturally repulsed at first, but accepts their pressence as beneficial. The worms act as a powerful representation of the "Old City" and the old ways of those who inhabit it. They are regarded as dirty and unacceptable, but prove to be beneficial. The image of the Wikkeling itself is perfectly haunting. It flickers in and out of the children's perception and its voice full of static flows out of a still black opening of a mouth.

The characters are refreshingly average. They are not the chosen ones. There are no prophecies about their lives. They are regular kids with problems, fears, desires, and a few secrets. They are portrayed honestly, as are all of the characters. Although, I questioned how appropriate some of the insights into the parents lives, I felt like Arnston did a good job of representing all of the characters fairly. Even the Wikkeling, while its image is perfectly haunting, seems somewhat sympathetic in several parts of the story.

I felt like the Wikkeling isn't totally explained, and I would have liked more explanation/resolution in that regard. Still, I found that other aspects of the story weren't fully resolved to be refreshing. One gets the sense that these characters had lives before all of this and their lives will go on after this. Just as in life, everything is not resolved. This isn't a save the world/universe kind of story. This is, at its heart, a story of outcast children finding friendship. The mysteries and horrors of the Wikkeling are only a vehicle. The real resolution are the relationships that are formed by the end of the book, and that is why it has a satisfying ending even without addressing the Wikkeling fully or the plastic society directly.

for parents: violence--news stories about people who are crushed when their house collapses and a boy whose eyes are amputated after being scratched by a cat are reference. a cat with an apparent stab wound is found. Children are warned that they will be compacted/smashed in a garbage truck if they miss their stop. The Wikkeling bleads a clear gel-like liquid and eventually melts when attacked viciously by two wild cats.

sex/romantic content: none

language: none

adult content: Henrietta's parents fight and argue. They secretly wish they could stop living together. Henrietta's mother has unresolved issues with her grandparents.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Shannon

good

Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2012

Verified Purchase

This book arrived quickly and was in great shape when I received it. It is a very different story and still leaves many unanswered questions at the end.

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2011

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. Weirdly, reading it on my kindle felt just about right, although in a lot of ways the book is a love letter to everything old-school and analog. But since it's set in a scrubbed-clean, digital future, I felt like I was peeking back in time and discovering ancient, forgotten wonders right along with the book's young protagonists.

Good fun! Recommended!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Nikki

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

Quick and just what I expectef.

Helpful

J.Prather

Folk tale/Sci Fi in an intriguing blend that is sure to captivate kids and adults.

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2011

The Wikkeling announces to the world that it is a unique read even before you open the cover. It's size, cover art, texture and fonts all mark this one as different and hopefully help it stand out. This is above all else a good story. It's hard to say that about a lot of children's books these days, as authors strive to capture the attention of a young audience that often times seems too busy to remember to read, or too dazzled by modern technology to remember the joy to be had in reading a good book. Interestingly enough, this is an issue addressed in this folk tale that seems to be laid over a science fiction story. It's a dystopian tale that includes its own boogey man of legend, all set to scare the kiddos.

This story works on many levels and achieves that magical goal of being a book that both children and adults can enjoy. The author sets up his society by turning a critical eye on our current education system, our reliance on technology, and our scorn for all things old. Adults will appreciate his portrait of endless traffic jams,constant cell phone communication, and parents who have gone so overboard in protecting their children, they are no longer allowed to imagine and explore. Kids will appreciate our intrepid trio of misfits that find the courage to confront their fears and discover how capable and smart they really are.

I love the art in this book, done entirely in black shadows. It adds to the old fashioned feel of the story, however I'm not sure if it adds to this books "curb appeal". I plan on recommending it to any library patron who is a fan of fantasy and adventure stories. It is unique, incredibly well told, and will be a quick read for anyone grades five and up. Libraries, books and how we value them play an important role, so that marks it as a winner right there. Great characters, important lessons to be learned, original world building, and creepy adventure. Give this one a try. You won't regret it.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Marie Cimbora

Dystopian Genre

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2013

Verified Purchase

Despite the creepy cover, this book delivered a tale that captured the interest of my son. Kid-friendly content. About 6th grade reading level.

One person found this helpful

Helpful