Newly Reissued!Horse Books for Middle-Grade Readers The Sand Ponies New paperback and Kindle editions, 2016 (Original Edition: Viking, 1967, with illustrations by Erika Weihs) White Ghost Summer New paperback and Kindle editions, 2016 (Original edition: Viking, 1967, with illustrations by Barbara McGee) “The author’s love of horses and of art overflows into this romantic, delightfully told story about a gifted family. . . The White Ghost is a silvery white stallion that, when first seen in the fog at dawn, is Mel’s answer to a dream. Where has the stallion come from? Is he real?. . . How these questions are answered and how Mel wins her heart’s desire brings to an end what her family agrees has been a ‘very fine summer.’” --Chicago Tribune "White Ghost Summer was her first children’s book, and both it and The Sand Ponies have more depth and complexity than the average horse story." --Jane Badger, author of Heroines on Horseback 
A Cinderella Retelling, Now Back in Print:
Silver Woven in my Hair
Illustrations by Alan Tiegreen; British editon, Zoe Atkin Hardcover: Atheneum, 1977; paperback: Avon, 1991 London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1978 Reissue: Trade paperback, Atheneum, 2015 An involved, realistic telling of the cIassic medieval story, into which are woven several other international versions of the tale, as well. One reviewer has called this new version of Cinderella "a rich and amusing romance that will please many teens and adults as well as younger readers.” “[Murphy] has fleshed out the characters . . . and breathed freshness and suspense into [an ancient] plot. I found Thursey, the heroine, to be lovable and considerably more spunky than the original. and the step-sisters properly villainous.” --Atlanta Constitution "One of the best retellings of Cinderella I’ve ever read. . . . The characters, from Thursey to Gillie to the nasty stepfamily, are well-drawn and life-like. The story is very grounded in reality, in a practical world where dishes have to be washed and goats have to be fed and there’s none of the impossible and imcomprehensible leaps that the original fairy tales often make. . . . Murphy has kept some of the poetry of the old tales, while giving us characters and a plot that are more tangible." --Tales of the Marvelous Book Blog More Young Adult and Children's Books by Shirley Rousseau Murphy "What is more real than the world seen through the eyes of wonder? Wonder, not cynicism, gives us our true view of reality. For wonder produces that heightened sense of the world that comes at special times--heightened not over what there is to see, but what we usually take the time and make the effort to see.... Large doses of ugliness, of violence, of mediocrity, can glut a child's vision and weaken him; none of these can build great castles before a child as magic can. The magic of creativity, of strong love and joy, a heightened sense of discovery of the world and self, these are the spells that can strengthen and keep a child." 
—Shirley Rousseau Murphy, "The Reality of Magic," School Media Quarterly
Young Adult Novels (now available in ebook editions) 
Unsettled(Originally published in hardcover as Poor Jenny, Bright as a Penny) Viking, 1974; Ebook edition, 2011 "A complex, grim . . . but finally moving story. . . . When you see what giant obstacles Jenny has to scale, what strength and inner resources she must throw into the effort, life for the rest of us seems suddenly to be lived on Easy Street." —New York Times Book Review "Though it was designed for . . . 13, 14, and 15-year olds, it kept me from sleep and television the other night. . . . A moving story about a poor urban family whose pattern of life is set by the dyed-haired, beer-drinking mother with a penchant for packing up and moving on when things get tough. . . . It’s a good story and, I believe, a story that is true to our times." —Atlanta Constitution "Balanced and full of suspense, a moving novel that faces desperate situations without flinching." —Vanguard "Mrs. Murphy doesn’t flinch from Jenny’s grim surroundings or her mother’s hopelessly unmaternal behavior." —Kirkus Reviews
"The writing style is excellent, the characterization and dialogue strong and convincing . . . it is realistic, it is candid if depressing . . . [and conveys] the concept that the resilient young can endure in formidable circumstances." —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"An exquisite story from Murphy (The Song of the Christmas Mouse, 1991, etc.) that has the air of myth about it, and which is intricately plotted visually by the Dillons.... The rhythms of the text find precise resonance in the pictures, and if the wind indeed has colors, they are the hues of these scenes, from gossamer greens to shadowy heliotropes, silvery blues, and gilt-edged platinum. A picture book to be cherished." —Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 1999
"The Dillons' art perfectly suits this book.... Hair, clothing, clouds, and leaves are in constant motion until the prince appears, when
stillness momentarily falls on the art. As the intricate artwork imposes order on the curves of nature, so the weaving together of work and love,
freedom and fulfilment, self and soul mate gives the tale depth and resonance." —School Library Journal, April, 1999
"With elements of myth and folklore, this is a satisfying romantic story enhanced by elegant, other worldly illustrations.... Will delight fairy2-
tale fans." —ALA Booklist, June, 19
"Wind Child is a visual and literary delight that will capture the imaginations of readers of all ages, not just its intended
audience." —Monterey County Herald, June 27, 1999
"Even if one could not see the stunning paintings and sculptures that illustrate the text in Murphy's just-released book, Murphy's evocative
wording flows in such mesmerizing, textured sounds that exquisite scenes are conjured before the mind's eye.... What a marvel this book is!
—Carmel Pine Cone, June 18, 1999
Wind Child was among five HarperCollins titles chosen as "Pick of the Lists" by the American Booksellers Association, and was featured in
the April 12 issue of Bookselling.
"Survival, Creativity and The Dormouse"
See a complete phone-friendly list of all the adult, YA, and children's books by Shirley Rousseau Murphy.
"The Reality of Magic" |
The Dragonbards trilogy (See the 
Wind Child
Mrs. Tortino's Return to the Sun (with Pat Murphy)
Dixie Council of Authors and Journalists Awards