Toads and Diamonds

Heather Tomlinson

Henry Holt and Co.

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Diribani has come to the village well to get water for her family's scant meal of curry and rice. She never expected to meet a goddess there. Yet she is granted a remarkable gift: Flowers and precious jewels drop from her lips whenever she speaks.

It seems only right to Tana that the goddess judged her kind, lovely stepsister worthy of such riches. And when she encounters the goddess, she is not surprised to find herself speaking snakes and toads as a reward.

Blessings and curses are never so clear as they might seem, however. Diribani’s newfound wealth brings her a prince—and an attempt on her life. Tana is chased out of the village because the province's governor fears snakes, yet thousands are dying of a plague spread by rats. As the sisters' fates hang in the balance, each struggles to understand her gift. Will it bring her wisdom, good fortune, love . . . or death?

Toads and Diamonds is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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Praise for Toads and Diamonds

* “A memorable novel . . . Tomlinson is a master craftsman. This beautifully embroidered adventure is well worth the effort.” —Booklist, starred review

“Tomlinson does not oversimplify in this well-told tale; human discord and the harmony of nature are entwined with simplicity and elegance as the girls travel, physically and emotionally, to places they had never imagined.” —Publishers Weekly

“A great read for fans of fairy-tale retellings, this book should be very popular with older tweens and teens.” —Kirkus Reviews

Reviews from Goodreads

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Linnae  rated it  
Jun 23, 2011
Two sisters find an old woman at a well--a goddess in disguise. One is given a blessing of gems and flowers coming out of her mouth each time she speaks; the other is cursed with frogs and snakes. As they struggle to understand their respective gifts, and deal with the changes the gifts have brought ...more
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Kathleen  rated it  
May 24, 2010
I really enjoyed this creative twist on the classic fairytale. The characters were compelling, the setting lush and vivid, and the interactions between the different castes and religions (especially where they intersected) was a very interesting subtext.

What I liked the most:
Tana' ...more
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Kara  rated it  
Feb 3, 2012

Tomlinson takes the fairy tale of Diamonds and Toads and moves it to 17th century India and adds in the issues of Muslim-Hindu relations.

Except not.

Her book takes place in a land that is very obviously India, filled with characters who are very obvious from India and P ...more
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About the Author

Heather Tomlinson

Heather Tomlinson has taught English in Paris and French in the U.S. She lives on a houseboat in southern California with her engineer husband , her baby boy, and cats X, Y, and Z.

Heather Tomlinson

Stan Tomlinson
Heather Tomlinson

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Toads and Diamonds
Heather Tomlinson
Award

American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults, Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, CA Readers - California Collections

Hardcover

Hardcover
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Henry Holt and Co.
March 2010
Hardcover
ISBN: 9780805089684
ISBN10: 0805089683
Young Adult Fiction
6 x 9 inches, 288 pages
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Range: 7 and up Information for Librarians

Information for Librarians


AR Quiz Number: 136284
AR Book Level: 5.8
AR Points: 12

$16.99
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e-Book Agency
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Henry Holt and Co.
March 2010
e-Book Agency
ISBN: 9781429922333
ISBN10: 1429922338
Young Adult Fiction288 pages
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Range: 7 and up Information for Librarians

Information for Librarians

$9.99
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Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

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