Dark is Rising 01 - Over Sea, Under Stone

Gr 5-7 - The charming beginning to Susan Cooper's series of five books, which comprise The Dark Is Rising, belie a series of sinister adventures. The Drew children Simon, Jane, and Barney find an old map in a hidden room while summering at the Grey House in Cornwall. Along with their Great-Uncle Merry, they become embroiled in a web of intrigue that surrounds an Arthurian legend.  In the beginning the story seems a bit slow and tedious as the plot and setting are given their due.