Dread Mountain facts for kids
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| Author | Emily Rodda |
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| Cover artist | Marc McBride |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Deltora Quest |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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2001 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 128 |
| ISBN | 0-439-25327-6 |
| OCLC | 47651966 |
| LC Class | CPB Box no. 1857 vol. 22 |
| Preceded by | The Shifting Sands |
| Followed by | The Maze of the Beast |
Dread Mountain is the fifth exciting book in the Deltora Quest fantasy series for kids. It was written by the Australian author Emily Rodda. This book continues the amazing journey of three heroes: Lief, Barda, and Jasmine.
Their mission is to find the seven lost gems of Deltora. Each gem is hidden in a dangerous place, guarded by a powerful creature. They have already found four gems. Now, the fifth gem, a sparkling emerald, is hidden deep inside Dread Mountain. The trio must travel to these mysterious mountains to find it.
Contents
Story Summary
As Lief, Barda, and Jasmine travel towards Dread Mountain, they discover a special spring. At first, they are careful about drinking the water. But they are very thirsty, so they decide to try it. A sign nearby says: "Drink, gentle stranger, and welcome. All of evil will beware." Strange rocks surround the spring.
They decide to rest there. Lief wakes up to find one of the "rocks" moving! It turns out to be a flying creature called a Kin. Most people in Deltora thought the Kin were extinct. The Kin explains that the spring water makes you dream of anyone you are thinking about when you drink it. It also has a powerful, paralyzing effect on anyone with evil intentions.
The Kin helps the three heroes reach Dread Mountain. When they land, they find the mountain is covered in thick plants. The Dread Gnomes, who usually live there, are gone. Instead, the mountain is full of wild beasts.
The companions find the entrance to the mountain. They carefully avoid many traps set by the gnomes to keep out invaders. Inside, they discover a huge toad named Gellick. This monster was controlling the gnomes!
Lief, Barda, and Jasmine make a deal with the gnomes' leader. They promise to get rid of Gellick. In return, the gnomes will be free, and the heroes can have the emerald that is stuck on Gellick's head.
During the fight, Lief cleverly throws water from the Dreaming Spring into Gellick's mouth. The water's paralyzing effect works on the evil toad. The gnomes are very thankful to Lief. They make peace with the Kin, who used to be their enemies. They also agree to slow down the Shadow Lord, who is trying to find the heroes. With the emerald found, the companions continue their quest to The Maze of the Beast.
Main Characters
Lief
Lief is the main hero of the Deltora Quest series. He grew up believing his parents were Jarred and Anna, who worked at the forge. But he later learns his real parents are King Endon and Queen Sharn. As a child, Lief explored the streets of Del. This made him clever and skilled, which helps him on his quests. He thought he was just lucky to escape dangers, but Barda was secretly protecting him. On his sixteenth birthday, Lief learns he must begin a dangerous quest to find Deltora's lost gems.
Barda
Barda was chosen by Deltora's king and queen to help find the lost gems. He started this mission sixteen years before the story begins. For all those years, Barda pretended to be a beggar. This allowed him to gather important information for the quest. He also secretly became the bodyguard for Lief, the king and queen's child. Lief didn't know Barda was protecting him. When Lief turned sixteen, Barda revealed himself, and their quest for the gems began. At first, Barda found traveling with a young person annoying. But soon, he saw Lief as a great help, not a problem.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a wild girl with dark hair and bright emerald green eyes. She grew up in the Forests of Silence. Lief and Barda meet her shortly after leaving the city of Del. Her parents, Jarred and Anna, were captured by the Grey Guards when she was seven. Because of this, the forest raised her. She can understand what trees and many animals are saying. She also has incredibly sharp senses. However, she sometimes struggles to understand how people act in social situations. Jasmine is almost always with her raven, Kree, and a small mouse-like creature she calls Filli. Like Lief, Jasmine can sometimes have a quick temper. After helping Lief and Barda in the forest, and with the help of the topaz gem, her mother's spirit appears to her. Her mother tells her to join Lief and Barda on their quest. After this, Jasmine joins them to find the rest of the great gems for the Belt of Deltora.
