Buy used:
$6.88
FREE delivery May 15 - 16. Details
Or fastest delivery May 9 - 10. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the authors

Adam Stemple
+ Follow
Jane Yolen
+ Follow
See all
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Troll Bridge: A Rock'n' Roll Fairy Tale Mass Market Paperback – June 26, 2007

by Jane Yolen (Author), Adam Stemple (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
See all formats and editions

A wicked adventure―or deadly…trollble

For sixteen-year-old harpist prodigy Moira, the annual Dairy Princess event in Vanderby is just another lame publicity "op." Moira a dairy princess? Get real. Twelve girls have been selected to have their likeness carved in butter and displayed on the Trollholm Bridge. It's a Vanderby State Fair tradition that has been going on for, like, ever.As far as Moira is concerned, the sooner it's over with the butter―er―better.

About the same time and not far away, three brothers―members of the sensationally popular teen boy band The Griffsons―are in the middle of a much needed road trip to relax from the pressures of their latest tour.

In a flash, however, the kids are suddenly transported to a strange and mystical wilderness where they find themselves in the middle of a deadly tug-of-war struggle between a magical fox named Fossegrim and the monstrous troll Aenmarr of Austraegir. At the heart of the feud is a battle for possession of a mysterious magical fiddle--and an ancient compact between Trollholm and the outer world.

Whatever. All Moira cares about is that eleven of her fellow princesses have been enchanted into a slumber and Moira needs to figure out a way to awaken them…and get home.

Unfortunately for Moira and the Griffsons, nothing in Trollholm is as it seems. Finding a way out of Trollholm may be a lot more difficult than they think.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    240 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 9
  5. Dimensions
    5.22 x 0.64 x 7.75 inches
  6. Publisher
    Starscape
  7. Publication date
    June 26, 2007
  8. ISBN-10
    0765352842
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0765352842
  10. See all details
Next page
New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade. New in teachers' picks. More children's books by grade.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Drawing elements from ‘The Twelve Dancing Princesses' and ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff,' [Yolen and Stemple] give folklore a modern spin in an entertaining tale.” ―Booklist on Troll Bridge

“Fairy tale fantasy master Yolen teams up with her son Stemple to offer an entertaining and engaging story.” ―VOYA on Troll Bridge

About the Author

Jane Yolen is one of the most distinguished and successful authors for young readers and adults in the country. She is the author of more than 200 books--including Briar Rose, Sister Light, Sister Dark, Owl Moon, and the immensely popular The Devil's Arithmetic. Her books have won awards including the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, the Jewish Book Award, and two Christopher Medals. SFWA named her the 2017 Damon KNIGHT MEMORIAL GRAND MASTER for her contributions to the literature of Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts.

Adam Stemple is a musician and writer, and the son of Jane Yolen. He lives with his wife and children in Minneapolis.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Starscape; First Edition (June 26, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0765352842
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0765352842
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.22 x 0.64 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Previous page
  1. Adam Stemple

    Adam Stemple

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Adam Stemple is an award-winning author, poet, and musician. Of his first novel, SINGER OF SOULS, SFWA Grandmaster Anne McCaffrey said, "One of the best first novels I have ever read." Of his later works, Hugo Award winning author Naomi Kritzer said, "No one writes bastard-son-of-a-bitch characters as brilliantly as Adam Stemple."

    Like most authors, his life experience is broad and odd. He spent 20 years on the road with a variety of bands playing for crowds of between 2 and 20,000 people. He ran a poker training site. He worked in a warehouse. He picked corn. He traded options and demoed houses. He drove pizzas for nine months in 1986, which for 27 years was the longest he'd ever been employed. He has been sober for over 15 years. He published his first book at the age of 16, "The Lullaby Songbook," which he arranged the music for. His mother is a famous children's book author. His children are artistic. His wife is a better person than him in nearly all regards.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Jane Yolen

    Jane Yolen

    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

    See more on the author's page
Next page

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
8 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Nic Knight
4.0 out of 5 stars Solid.
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
One of the biggest draws for me was that this book is set in Minnesota. I grew up across the bridge from Duluth and live in the Twin Cities, and I absolutely love books that are set in areas that are near and dear to my heart like that.

I found the story very enjoyable, but the ending was a bit abrupt. I really wanted to know a little more about what happened after they returned. I liked both Moira and Jakob and also really liked the troll women and children. The radio broadcasters were different, I liked the element of kind of keeping up with the story on the "outside."

Overall, it was solid and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys small town settings in the Midwest, who enjoys modern retellings of fairytales and who enjoys YA/MG books.
Helpful
 Report
R. M. Fisher
3.0 out of 5 stars "No Happy Ending?"
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2012
"Trollbridge" is a quirky collaboration between a mother/son team: author Jane Yolen and musician Adam Stemple.

An amalgamation of the fairytales "Three Billy Goats Gruff" and "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (with a bit of Scandinavian folklore thrown in for good measure), it involves chapters that alternate between driven music protégée Moira Darr and trio of brothers Galen, Jakob and Erik Griffson, a burgeoning boy-band who have managed to wrangle a weekend away from their stage-managing parents. At different points each group arrives at a bridge in the small Minnesotan town of Vanderby: first Moira, who is among the annual Dairy Princesses chosen to have their likenesses carved into butter sculptures (a real Minnesota tradition) and then the Griffson brothers, enjoying the freedom from their overbearing father.

Both have a shock waiting for them at Trollholm Bridge: Moira witnesses the other Dairy Princesses caught up in an immense wave that sweeps them away, and Jakob and his brothers are later snatched by a terrible troll called Aenmarr. With the girls intended as brides for the troll's sons and the boys intended for the cooking pot, Moira and Jakob must work together to free the captives and escape from the dangerous troll realm. Helping them is the talking fox Fossegrim, who may or may not have an agenda of his own.

"Trollbridge" is an odd little book: almost experimental in nature, it's entertaining enough, but not hugely memorable. The characters are likeable without having a huge amount of depth, and the story plays out like a familiar fairytale with a few modern twists. Along the way, the chapters are interspersed with original song lyrics and the wry commentary of a couple of radio DJs who speculate on the disappearances. For the record, I found these clueless DJs were by far the most entertaining element of the story!

It was a stroke of genius to set the story in the American Midwest, where the first Swedes and Norwegians settled and where the butter heads of the Dairy Princesses is a real annual tradition (and used as an important plot-point here). With an emphasis on the importance and beauty of music, there are also a few grisly passages involving decapitation and cannibalism. The lyrics to all the songs are collected at the back of the book, though there is some difficulty in appreciating such things without the music to go with them - perhaps "Trollbridge" would have worked better as an audio-book in which Stemple could contribute his song-writing skills to a listening experience. On paper, it doesn't really work.

But while it lasts, "Trollbridge" is a fun, original read, as well as a companion piece to the authors' other collaborative effort  Pay the Piper .
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
M. Loughin
5.0 out of 5 stars Just plain fun
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2007
When I bought this book, I wasn't sure if I was buying it for my 14-yr-old or my 10-yr-old. The question was answered for me: my 14-yr-old saw it and grabbed it first. She plays both fiddle and classical violin, and wants to start a "progressive metal" band, plus she loves fantasy fiction, so this book was a perfect fit. It was a quick read for her, but she loved it.

The pages had barely settled the counter after she set it down before my 10-yr-old snatched it up. She read it in a day and wanted to know if there were more.

With two such hearty recommendations, how could I resist? I sat down and read it myself. Yes, it was written toward the 9-12 crowd, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it. We definitely got our money's worth out of this one.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Portraits of M.E.
4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Modern Fairy Tale
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2011
Trollbridge is a fun adventure set in both this world and the world of trolls. Seems a pact was made a few hundred years ago between the small town of Vanderby and a troll named Aenmarr; however nowadays no one believes in trolls so why continue a silly tradition to appease them? Since the pact was broken, Aenmarr decides to capture the twelve young ladies known in Vanderby as Dairy Princesses. He's intentions are to marry them off to his three sons; four wives apiece!

Aenmarr's plans are soon discovered by Moira, a 16 year old musician girl. As she tries to save the Dairy Princesses, help comes to her in the form of three famous rock and roll brothers known as the Griffson Brothers and a mysterious fox named Foss who can talk telepathically with musicians.

Yes I enjoyed reading this story. It was one that kept my interest although I must say some parts were quite detailed in description. For example - spoiler about to be mentioned so if you don't want to know, skip the rest of this paragraph - when Jakob is captured and about to be made into stew, he tricks Aenmarr's son into trading places with him. The plan works and when Aenmarr returns to kill Jakob, he instead kills his son. The book describes this act and although it's only a few short paragraphs I felt it was vivid; but then again, it could be only me and my great imagination going to work and thinking about the poor troll boy being dissected and cut up. You can actually read for yourself and determine if this is something you want your child to read, you can find this part of the story in chapter 9.

Other than that I believe the story was well written. The authors did a good job of using two radio personalities to keep the reader in the loop of how the disappearance of the Dairy Princesses and of the Griffson Brothers affected the outside world. This helped to blend the two "worlds" and kept the reader engaged emotionally to the people awaiting the (hopefully) safe return of the missing girls and boys. There were also songs written throughout the book that were suppose to tell the tale through the musician's eye (Moira and the Griffson Brothers), however, I didn't find them that entertaining and not really necessary for the story. I pretty much began to scan through or skip them when I came across them.

I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys fairy tale type stories, but it is directed towards the younger audience. I would recommend letting kids 10 years of age or older read this book. Now, I liked the story and I'm way above that age range which means if you are older and like stories with trolls, well, I believe you'll enjoy this book too. It's easy to read but it will also intrigue your imagination!
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report