The Dark Is Rising

Will Stanton begins to have strange experiences on his 11th birthday, just before Christmas. He soon learns he is one of the Old Ones, a guardian and warrior for the Light. He learns that he must help find the four Things of Power for the Light in order to battle the forces of the Dark. The first of these Things of Power is the Circle of Six Signs. This book is the key book for the main character, Will Stanton. It is in this book that he collects the six signs which become the Circle of Signs, one of the Things of Power, by finding the additional five mandalas (he has been given one earlier) and uses the completed Circle to ward off the forces of the Dark. The book features elements of British folklore that are especially associated with the Thames Valley, with Herne the Hunter making an appearance.

The Dark is Rising was an American Library Association Newbery Honor Book in 1974.[1] Based on a 2007 online poll, the U.S. National Education Association named it one of "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children".[2] In 2012 it was ranked number 22 among all-time children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal, a monthly with primarily U.S. audience.[3]

A film version, The Seeker, was released in 2007.[4]