“Kenneth Oppel is a writer who began to hone his craft at an early age and over the length of a remarkable career, his work has grown in complexity and sophistication. No matter what genre he attempts, Oppel continues to create compelling stories that surprise and delight readers of all ages. This author’s series about bats in Silverwing, Sunwing, and Firewing take the reader, whether adult or child, into an unknown, yet familiar world. Shade is an attractive hero in the same archetype as Frodo and Harry Potter and Hazel in Watership Down. As an interesting aside — the fact that bats do not perceive colour and so the books have no colour adjectives, was done so subtly that one had to be told before it became apparent. The masterfully plotted adventures of Matt Cruise in Airborn and Skywalker were equally breathtaking. Kenneth Oppel has also delighted younger readers with the rollicking adventures of the feisty, globetrotting heroine Peg in Peg and the Whale and Peg and the Yeti. This master storyteller writes convincingly about both animals and humans. Canadian fans and his broad international audience eagerly await his next offering.”
— 2006 Vicky Metcalf Award Jury (Nora Flynn, Jean Little, and Susan Perren)