Swordbird is about cardinals and blue jays struggling against an evil hawk and his crows and ravens; it is also about the legendary Swordbird, a supernatural hero. In this story, selflessness and courage, wickedness and cunning of the characters are blended into one message: Peace is wonderful; freedom is sacred.
Some illustrations of SWORDBIRD © 2007 by Mark Zug
Read an excerpt of Swordbird from HarperCollins
Reviews & Reports:
“This avian fantasy is an engaging and propulsive read … an extraordinary accomplishment for a young author.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“... the book will likely appeal to Redwall fans, and this young writer is worth watching.”
—Publishers Weekly
"Would be a standout even if it wasn't written by a 12-year-old."
— People
"Swordbird has an old-fashioned sense of values, which is what a lot of the great writers have.
— Jane Friedman, President, CEO of HarperCollins (quote from Telegraph)
"Nancy Yi Fan introduces us to a bird world of discord, inhabited by warring cardinals and blue jays and accompanied by her own detailed line drawings. The goal is peace and freedom, and the vehicle is courage and friendship. A delightful debut!"
— Mary Ann Fraser, Sage Book Store, Shelton, WA, The Book Sense National Bestseller List
"One of the key morals of the story [is] that power and greatness can reside in each individual (even the smallest bird)."
— April Spisak, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 60(7), 2007
"The story is tidy, pleasant and compelling.... The book is brilliant in all of its detail and craft."
— Linda L. Lamme, Professor of Children's Literature, Ph. D., University of Florida
"It’s an extraordinary work, and would be an accomplishment for an adult author. That the writer was so young really makes this work remarkable. The bird characters, the juxtaposition of the Book of Heresy and Old Scripture sayings, and the almost allegorical tone give it a solid fantasy feel."
— Kevin Washburn, Ed.D.
Make Way for Books
I think that Nancy is an inspiration to a lot of people and she is proof that if you work hard and dream big, anything can happen!
— Jackie Chan, international martial arts film star
"She [Nancy Yi Fan] conjures an intricate bird cosmology and hierarchy as a background to the overall plot. The book moves swiftly from chapter to chapter with help from sheer brevity, copious action scenes, and illustrations. Novice readers will enjoy the large text and generous spacing and margins. Advanced readers can muse over the novel’s allegorical nature and literary allusions. The author provides a list of major characters to help keep up with the sizeable cast. Aficionados of Jacques’ Redwall series should enjoy this new offering to the anthropomorphized animal genre."
— Angelica Delgado, YOYA Review.
"This allegorical tale of warring birds and their struggle for freedom has attracted an unusual measure of attention because of the author's young age. But there is nothing childish about Fan's innate gift for pacing, characterization, or storytelling. We predict many more successes for this talented prodigy."
— Staff of Barnes & Noble. com
“Those who have seen it talk about it as the product of a mind as imaginative as some of the greatest names in children's writing.”
—Vanessa Thorpe, arts and media correspondent, The Observer
"At age 13, Nancy Yi Fan may be HarperCollins’s youngest author, but her fantasy novel about warring birds and their struggle for freedom is getting some adult-sized attention. As part of a five-city tour, Nancy discussed her book on Martha on February 12. There, the Audubon Society of Florida made her an honorary member, and a bald eagle from the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey was adopted in her name. "
—Publisher Weekly
"When a kid writes it, they have a direct connection," eighth-grader Safa Dadan said. "They know what it's like to be a kid."
Sixth-grader Alec Dickson agreed.
"She's [Nancy Yi Fan] a kid,"he said. "She knows what gets us interested. So she can relate to us and get us hooked to it."
— Tim Waldorf, Staff Writer, The Naperville Sun
