The Whispering Knights - Penelope Lively

Penelope Lively's The Whispering Knights is more of a novella than a novel, as it's not 100 pages long. The book's title comes from the old legend about the Rollright Stones (here's a particularly good pencil drawing that shows a face in one of the stones).

Lively's story is located in the valley below the stones. Three children, William, Susie and Martha, decide to concoct a witch's brew in the old barn where they play, and William says a spell over it. William and Susie think they are just playing a game, but Martha is not so sure. And then the old lady who owns the barn, Miss Hepplewhite, confirms that they've done a rather dangerous thing, drawing the attention of Morgan le Fay, who once lived in the barn, and who has been in the area more than once in the past. Miss Hepplewhite tells them that Morgan may well come looking for them - and she does, and then things turn quite nasty - not just for the three children, but also for the entire village.

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Best-selling Australian fantasy author, Garth Nix, is the current writer-in-residence over at Inside a Dog - do check out his Blog - there's an interesting first piece on the importance of the number 9. Nix links to a piece by Alan Garner for The Times online, where he notes "The blank page is still terror, 50 years on" and looks back at half a century of writing, and how it all began. Garner is speaking at this year's Cheltenham Festival of Literature on October 14 - and I'm delighted to say that I've got a ticket and a lift to go down to Cheltenham for it ! A friend and I are going together - and you can be sure I'll be reporting back to you on what feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity !

The Fourth Bear - Jasper Fforde

Jasper Fforde's The Fourth Bear is the sequel to The Big Over Easy (although it's only a loose sequel - it's possible to read The Fourth Bear without having read The Big Over Easy).

The Big Over Easy was the first of Fforde's Nursery Crime Division (NCD) tales and saw minor baronet Humpty Stuyvesant Van Dumpty III being discovered dead - and in pieces - beneath a wall in a less salubrious area of Reading (England). The perpetrator appears to be Dumpty's ex-wife, but she has shot herself. Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and his colleague Mary Mary are assigned to the case, and soon find themselves knee-deep in bullion smuggling, money-laundering and major problems with beanstalks.

In The Fourth Bear a reporter is found dead and in a lot of pieces. You might not imagine this to be a case that would come under the jurisdiction of the NCD, except that the nickname of the dead reporter is Goldilocks. Jack Spratt follows the trail to the cottage of the three bears, where he immediately realises that Goldilocks' fate was sealed from the moment she ate a bowl of porridge in their cottage. To add to Jack's stress, Mr and Mrs Punch and Judy have moved in next door, a giant psychotic Gingerbreadman is rampaging around Reading, after escaping from St Cerebellum's, the secure mental hospital/prison where he's been locked away since Jack captured him 20 years earlier, and Jack's boss, Briggs, is convinced Jack's too insane to work for the NCD, where weird stuff happens on a daily basis.

I have to say, this book disappointed me. Fforde's books have become far too knowing and self-aware with comments from the characters about the author, and discussions about which plot device to use next. This ought to be funny, but it isn't, at least not to me. It just seems lame and over-used.

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If you've noticed the lack of book reviews lately and wondering if I've been cutting back on my reading, the answer is "No" - but I'm still reading Charles Butler's Four British Fantasists: Place and Culture in the Children's Fantasies of Penelope Lively, Alan Garner, Diana Wynne Jones, and Susan Cooper - and since it's a hefty paperback that I don't want to take to work (because it's heavy and it's not my book !), I'm reading some each evening, which is cutting into my novel-reading time. It's a good book - very well written, and I can promise you a favourable review once I've finished it.

Firefly Quote of the Week

Mal: So, she's added cussing and hurling about of things to her repertoire. She really is a prodigy.

("Safe", Season 1)




(I rather absent-mindedly forgot it was Tuesday yesterday !)

Star Dancer - Beth Webb

Beth Webb's Star Dancer is the first book in a quartet of novels set during the Iron Age of Britain. The Goddess has warned the druids of a coming evil, but she has promised that an untimely shower of stars will mark the birth of the one who can stem its tide. Now the druids wait for the prophesied boy, who is their only hope. One night the stars dance across the sky as a child is born, but the child is not the long-awaited boy; instead raven-haired green-eyed Tegen is born and she is the Star Dancer.

Tegen is the daughter of Clesek the silversmith and his wife Nessa. She grows up with her foster brother, Griff, who is a "moon face" who learns to help his father at his trade, but is regarded by most villagers as an idiot. The village is protected by the eldest of the local druids, Witton, and he tests Tegen with fire at her birth, but won't accept she is the prophesied Star Dancer. Tegen grows up untaught but possessing an innate skill for the dancing magic of a Star Dancer. She heals her father after he is burned by silver, but Nessa is terrified that Tegen's talents will attract the attention of evil spirits and is angry at what she does, even though she saves her father's life.

Shortly after saving Clesek's life, Tegen realises that Witton is ill and needs her healing skills. She is afraid of going to help him, since he has already slapped her once, at a big festival, for dancing, so she borrows Griff's clothes and goes to help Witton, hoping her disguise will protect her from both Witton and Derowen, the local Wise Woman who hates Tegen. She succeeds in healing Witton without revealing her true identity, but Witton finds himself acknowledging Tegen's true identity on the night Nessa takes Tegen to him for her true name after she starts her first period. Witton senses that the Star Dancer is approaching and calls out an acknowledgement of the Star Dancer, only to find it is Tegen who is walking through his door. Having freely acknowledged her, he must accept her as the Star Dancer, and so her teaching as a druid begins. However, some of the other druids in the surrounding villages are reluctant to accept Tegen is the Star Dancer, and one, Gorgans, who is a spirit from the Otherworld (Tir-na-nog) in human form, gathers several druids to him and tries to gain power for himself, wanting to replace Witton once the old druid dies. After Witton's death Gorgans insists on testing Tegen, with the proviso that if she fails the test, she will be killed. When Tegen passes his tests, he conspires with Derowen to have both Tegen and Griff killed by the villagers in response to Tegen supposedly setting a demon loose from the Otherworld, a demon Derowen raises. Tegen, who is still only 15, is forced to deal with the demon or see the villagers, including her parents and foster brother, killed by it. Can the Star Dancer succeed in averting the great evil that is threatening her people ? You'll have to read the book to find out.

You can find out more about Beth Webb on her website.

This ARC was supplied by Write Away.

Sectus 2007 - Harry Potter Conference

I'm on the Harry Potter for Grown Ups mailing list and I've just received details of the Sectus 2007 conference. This is an unofficial Harry Potter conference being held in London from 19-22 July 2007.

This is a unique opportunity to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Harry Potter books in the country where it all began. Sectus will be held in the heart of the capital, close to Regent's Park and within easy walking distance of Oxford Circus, Madame Tussaud's and King's Cross.

Sectus will comprise a varied mixture of academic papers, panels, informal discussions and workshops. We already have Steve Vander Ark, creator of the Harry Potter Lexicon, confirmed as a guest speaker, and some exciting proposals lined up from all areas of fandom.

Call for Papers

For the academic side of the programming, we're seeking papers on a wide range of topics - the following are just some suggested themes:

- *Science and technology.* Can science be said to exist in the Wizarding World, and if so, how far does it reflect our real-world knowledge? Is magic bound by the laws of physics ?

- *Mythology, alchemy and symbolism.* How myths and legends support Rowling's storytelling, and how an examination of alchemical theory and symbolism can help us unravel the secrets within the text ?

- *Education.* The portrayal of education in the Wizarding World, the effective use of Rowling's books in real-world education and is the 'reading revolution' a myth?

- *Social and political issues.* Explorations of class, race, gender and sexuality in the narrative, the Wizarding World and/or derived fan works.

- *Fandom history.* From paper to screen - how would the HP fandom have fared without the internet, and what lies ahead for the fandom after the publication of the seventh book?

- *Fandom issues.* Staying on the right side of international law, fan fiction vs. fan art, gender and the fan community.

Proposals for papers on these or other topics, or for any other events, should be sent to submissions@sectus.org. Full guidelines for submission can be found at Sectus 2007.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 31st January 2007.

Extra-curricular activities:

As well as the academic side of the conference, we will be running a unique Wizarding Tournament. This is open to all attendees, and will consist of three tasks, culminating in a treasure hunt around London.

At the centre of the tournament will be Not the Yule Ball, a formal dinner and opportunity for some well-mannered frivolity. Entertainment will be provided by ZHL Strings, a string quartet renowned for their energetic performances. Tickets are not included in the registration price, and will be on sale soon.

Outside the conference:

For those who want to extend their trip into a full holiday, we're offering two options.

Starting on 14th July 2007, we will be running a series of sighseeing trips and activities designed to help you make the most out of your stay in London. As well as the usual sights, we're planning a themed medieval banquet and a cruise down the Thames. All suggestions are accepted: please email info@sectus.org with your preferences.

Also in the works is a trip to Alnwick Castle, better known as Hogwarts from the first two films. This trip is to be held on Wednesday July 18th, and will include a tour of all the filming locations in the castle, lunch in the castle restaurant, organised games and a themed gift bag. Tickets for this trip will be on sale shortly: please watch the website and/or LJ community (sectus_2007) for details.

All pre-conference events will be organised on an informal basis, and are subject to availability and demand. Payment for some events may be required in advance.

If you're looking for a way to relax after a busy conference weekend in London, you might be interested in our Residential Course.

From Monday 23rd July until Sunday 29th, we will have exclusive use of a bunkhouse in an isolated part of Snowdonia, North Wales. As well as the academic programming, which will consist of presentations and roundtable-style discussions, there will be plenty of opportunity to relax and explore your surroundings in one of the most unspoiled areas of Britain.

The cost of the Residential Course is £250 (payable in installments), which includes travel to and from London, six nights' accommodation and all meals for the duration of our stay. Further details and a booking form are available at Sectus Residential

Please note that places on the Residential Course are extremely limited, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Where your money goes

Sectus is completely non-profit and run entirely by volunteers. Unlike other conferences, everyone involved in running Sectus pays the same registration, accommodation and travel as everyone else.

Any surplus resulting from the event, as well as any proceeds from our Charity Auction, will go directly to Book Aid International, an organisation who work to provide books to libraries, hospitals, refugee camps and schools in the developing world.

We hope you will join us in supporting this worthy cause.

Registration and where to find out more

You can book for Sectus on our website, at Sectus 2007 Registration.

Our special early booking rate of £45 is available only until 31st October 2006.

This all sounds like great fun - but I find myself thinking "Hang on. What if HP7 comes out the weekend of the conference ? I shall want to be at home, reading the book and then Blogging about it, not hanging about a London conference centre, trying to find time to read it in between going to sessions !"

Of course, the inclusion of the residential course in Wales, means this conference may attract visitors from overseas, although there are a number of HP conferences taking place in the US next year (I know of at least 2 - Phoenix Rising May 17 - 21 2007, in New Orleans and Prophecy 2007 August 2 - 5 2007 in Toronto, Canada !) - so if you want to attend Sectus 2007, it may be best to book early !

Blogger Beta Update

OK, on the basis that it helps to know at least a little of what's going on, I've had word that some people are having trouble in posting comments on my Blog. Checking through the Blogger Beta "Known issues" pages, I found the following:

Users who have not switched to Blogger in beta will not be able to login to comment on blogs that have been switched. Commenting using the "anonymous" or "other" options will still work.

What this basically means is that for those of you who are not on Blogger Beta yet, you may have trouble commenting on my Blog as yourselves (ie. with your Blog identity) - but if you select Anonymous or Other (both of which are available as I've not set my Blog comments to be acceptable only from Blogger users - 'cos that's darned unfriendly, I feel !), you can still leave a comment - but please leave your name or a link to your Blog so I know who you are ! I hope this won't put people off leaving comments - I value getting feedback from my readers, so if it's having a hissy fit and telling you "We're sorry but we're unable to complete your request" try switching your "identity" to Other or Anonymous and leave me a comment... If you're still having problems, my email address is over in the right-hand pane (you'll have to scroll down for it, until I move it back up the pane - I was having trouble getting it to even sit IN the right hand pane last night, so once it went in, I decided not to push my luck and move it up, but I'll try that shortly !)

Five Children and It film

Yesterday I finally got around to borrowing the movie of Five Children and It from the library. I've been meaning to watch it ever since seeing Freddie Highmore in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Finding Neverland. It's a funny and entertaining film (Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Izzard, who voiced the Psammead were very good), but it bears very little resemblance to the book on which it's allegedly based - I felt the same sort of bewilderment whilst watching it that I felt on watching the movie of Howl's Moving Castle ! I can't imagine why the writer, David Solomons, and the Director, John Stephenson, felt it was necessary to set the film during World War One, or why Robert (Highmore) was so much at odds with his siblings. I could have understood them modernising the story to make it appeal to modern children, but this was just baffling, and frankly odd.

If you want a good adaptation of E Nesbit's book, then I would recommend the BBC Five Children and It miniseries which I remember watching on the television back in 1991.

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One positive addition to the Beta version of Blogger is that I can now label posts (as LiveJournal users can add tags to theirs) - which means future movie reviews can be labelled as such. But it's not retrospective - so I will have to go ahead and gather my film reviews together and listen them on my PBWiki at some stage...

Apologies

I just want to apologise for any weirdness on my Blog (and over on the Scholar's Blog Spoiler Zone) - Blogger's Beta is not working well tonight - I keep having to log out and then back in again to get changes saved ! Here's a tip, if you're thinking of switching, don't do it YET !! Wait for them to iron out some of the worst problems, like the fact that you can't post a picture - which is pretty typical since I rarely want to post pictures, but I thought I'd post the cover art for Wintersmith - and couldn't ! (Picture me rolling my eyes at this point !)

Since today has been less than fantastic one way or another (including a cyclist who ran a red light and tried to run me down, then got bitchy with me when I shoved her bodily away from me to stop her knocking me over !), I'm going to go to bed with a book and some music and calm down !

Scholar's Blog Spoiler Zone Update

There's a review of Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith (the third in the Tiffany Aching series) over on the Scholar's Blog Spoiler Zone. It's one of two ARCs I've received this week.

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Currently I'm reading Charles Butler's Four British Fantasists: Place and Culture in the Children's Fantasies of Penelope Lively, Alan Garner, Diana Wynne Jones, and Susan Cooper - kindly loaned to me by the author since the library doesn't stock it and all four of these authors fascinate me ! It's not often I review non-fiction titles, but you can expect a review of this one in due course (I'm reading it around library books as I've still got 15 of them to read).

Poetry Friday 16

Two weeks ago, I mentioned Ted Hughes' Collected Poems for Children - and said I'd have to get it from the library. Well it arrived and I've been dipping in and out of it ever since. With August having been considerably cooler (and very much wetter) than July and it being September 1st today, I thought I'd offer you another Ted Hughes poem:

Hunting the Summer

The fleeing summer! The fleeing summer!
       I got up at dawn,
       In the still, frail dawn
To hunt her and heard the swift's quiver of arrows
       Rattle as she twisted fleeing
           Flying asleep.

The ghostly summer! The ghostly summer!
       Deep was the lane,
       The tarmac velvet,
Banks of cow-parsley brimmed night's creamy stillness,
       Gypsy fox-gloves slept eyes open,
               A field ghost lingered.

If you want to read the rest of this poem, you will have to track down a copy of the Collected Poems for Children.

Voices - Ursula Le Guin

Ursula Le Guin's Voices is the sequel to Gifts, which I reviewed in December.

In the year in which 17 year old Memer was born, a foreign army overthrew her city's elected government, declaring the written word demonic, and destroying every book it could find. Memer is what is commonly known as a "siege-brat", her mother was raped by one of the invading Ald soldiers and she was born as a consequence of the rape. Her mother died some years later, and her home town is still "a broken city of ruins, hunger, and fear"; Memer dreams of taking revenge one day. When the story opens, the possession of books is still an offence punishable by death, and Memer and her crippled mentor the Waylord (who was tortured by the Alds), are the protectors of a hidden library and the intermediaries of an oracle hidden deep within the library. At the invitation of the head of the occupying forces, Orrec Caspro, the poet and storyteller, and his wife Gry Barre, the caller of animals (whom we met in Gifts and who are several years older now) visit the city of Ansul; their arrival, and in particular Orrec's storytelling and poetry recitations combine to start bringing about the end of the occupation by the book-hating Alds. Memer's extended family is also brought into renewed prominence, and Memer discovers that she, like her mother before her, is the Reader of the Oracle.

This book is filled with some thought-provoking parallels to our own world and is a surprisingly political tale which cleverly shows some of the pragmatic reasons why a war might end, such as growing personal connections between an occupying army and the local populace, the dimming of religious fervour within an invading nation, the expense of maintaining a distant garrison, changes in leadership both in the local garrison and the distant homeland, and the recognition by two parties of shared economic goals which are better served by cooperation than by oppression. Whilst Le Guin's prose is as simple and unadorned as ever, her narrative voice and storytelling power make even the smallest moments ring with truth, and even with beauty.

Gifts and Voices are both available in the US.

Astercote; A Stitch in Time - Penelope Lively

I'm starting to detect a trend with Penelope Lively's books: she's an author who likes to have her characters travel in time - mentally/psychologically rather than physically.

Astercote

Peter and Mair Jenkins move to live in a new housing estate near the old Cotswold village of Astercote when their father becomes headmaster of the school there. They meet up with a man named Goacher, in the woods near Astercote; he is the son of the Tranter family who farm the land around and is a bit simple. Goacher keeps a chalice hidden in the woods, which the villagers believe ward off the plague by which the village of Astercote was destroyed in the Middle Ages and the ruins of which have long since been swallowed up by the woods. However, when the chalice goes missing, the villagers all believe they are contracting the plague, and barricade themselves in against outsiders. Peter and Mair, with Evadne the district nurse, try to find Goacher, believing he has moved the chalice, so that life can return to normal, but things are more complicated than they seem. And Mair is seeing and hearing things that aren't there...

A Stitch in Time

This book won the Whitbread Children's Book Award in 1976. Maria, a quiet only child, goes to spend the summer holidays with her parents in Lyme Regis. Maria is not very good at making friends, coming from a reserved family, and she much prefers talking to inanimate objects or animals. However, at the home of the lady who owns the house in which she and her parents are staying, Maria finds a sampler that was stitched by a girl named Harriet in 1865 and she finds herself seeing the house through Harriet's eyes, and hearing things (such as a garden swing and a barking dog) that are no longer there. Maria becomes convinced that a tragedy surrounds Harriet when she cannot find any photos of Harriet as a grown woman in her landlady's photo album. But what is the tragedy and what does it have to do with the barking dog ?

A New Look

You may notice some changes around here in the next few days - I've moved my Blogs over to Blogger Beta - allowing me new customised layouts, fancy admin tools and I don't know what else besides...

You'll still get the same "reviewing service" from me, though. I've got a large pile of library books, and an equally large pile of my own books to read, including the third of Joseph Delaney's Spook series, The Book Thief (thanks, Kelly !), some more titles by Penelope Lively and Helen Cresswell, a new version of the Robin Hood story (from Atom) and Gail Gauthier's Happy Kid (thanks Jen !). So whilst the look may change, the reviewing will along similar lines...

Firefly Quote of the Week

Jayne: What do you two think you're doing? Fightin' at a time like this. You'll use up all the air!

("Out of Gas", Season 1)

Reading The Lord of the Rings: New Writings on Tolkien's Classic

If you've ever considered reading the essay collection Reading The Lord of the Rings: New Writings on Tolkien's Classic edited by Robert Eaglestone, my advice to you is don't ! It's not often I advise people not to read a book on this Blog, but this book about which I wrote in my Why Do We Read? post two weeks ago. (For some obscure reason, the book is titled Reading The Lord of the Rings: New Writings on Tolkien's Trilogy in the US - which makes me mad, because Tolkien's LotR is NOT a trilogy - it's one very long book that was published in three parts at the decision of the publisher, NOT the author - but that's another rant entirely !)

So this is the book in which Barry Atkins, writing about Lord of the Rings computer games, quoted Jay Bolter [in Writing Spaces (1991)] comment that Losing oneself in a fictional world is the goal of the naive reader or one who reads as entertainment. [p. 11 quoted p.152, Eaglestone] Which would be a bad way to start a book, but Atkins' essay is one of the last in the book - and one of the last I read (although I didn't read the essays in order). The book's project was to produce "a better Tolkien criticism", as outlined by respected Tolkien scholar Michael Drout in his introductory essay, which I read last - what, you thought I'd read it first ? That would be obvious and boring ! Besides, it *looked* intimidating - although fortunately it was an easier read than I'd imagined.

Anyway, Drout suggests that Tolkien scholars have missed a number of opportunities because they have failed to engage with literary theory. Drout notes that just as there's a division in Tolkien scholarship between those scholars who engage in "Tolkien Studies" (ie. scholarly studies of Tolkien the author and his literary works) and those who engage in "Middle-earth Studies" (to use the term coined by John Ellison and Patricia Reynolds for scholarly studies of Tolkien's invented languages, worlds, creatures, histories, etc.), so there's also a division between Tolkien scholarship and mainstream literary (and cultural) studies. Drout implies that Tolkien scholarship of both kinds is stuck in a muddy backwater, allowing literary theorists in the mainstream to ignore Tolkien scholarship, and vice versa.

So he pleads for Tolkien scholars to use theoretical tools from literary and cultural studies in order to discuss Tolkien's work, and in this book they do just that, with the result that this book is aimed very squarely at academic readers, not ordinary Tolkien fans. Even for a reader equipped with some understanding of literary theory and its jargon (I did an English degree after all), some of the essays in this book are hard work - and very frustrating. To give you just one example, Jennifer Neville's essay, "Women", to which I turned first, having written my own paper ("The Influence of Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings on Women Fantasy Authors" (Tolkien: Influenced and Influencing, Proceedings of the 17th Tolkien Society Seminar, 2005) that included a discussion of Tolkien's representation of women in The Lord of the Rings, assumes that the reader is familiar with Beowulf, and with Anglo-Saxon literature and scholarship. Now whilst I have read Seamus Heaney's interpretation of Beowulf, and even L. A. Donovan's essay, "The Valkyrie reflex in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: Galadriel, Shelob, Éowyn and Arwen" (both of which Neville references), the many other books and essays to which Neville refers are completely unknown to me, meaning that I struggled to follow her arguments.

This didn't bode well for my reading of the other 11 essays in this book and, indeed, most of them left me frustrated, if not outright hopping mad, like Atkins' did ! Therefore I would not recommend this book to "ordinary" Tolkien fans unless they have access to a well-stocked academic library; literary theorists, on the other hand, will probably laud this book as a breakthrough in Tolkien criticism.

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On a happier note, I've acquired another reviewing job. This is for Write Away a book review resource for teachers and librarians in the UK. They'll shortly be upgrading/refurbishing their website and as a consequence are taking on more reviewers, and I just happened to hear about it and volunteered, and was accepted with alacrity. Reviews are about 300 words and I'll be reviewing 2 or 3 fantasy books a month - which will mean my library TBR pile will go down ! One of the first books I'll be receiving from them will be Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith, which is officially published in October. When I read that bit of news, I did the Dance of Reviewing Joy !

The Diamond of Drury Lane - Julia Golding

Julia Golding's debut novel, The Diamond of Drury Lane was the winner of the Ottaker's Children's Book Prize 2006, and it seems to be well deserved.

The book's protagonist is Catherine (Cat to her friends) Royal who lives and works at Mr Sheridan's Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, London around 1790. As a baby Cat was abandoned on the doorstep of the theatre and Mr Sheridan adopted her; Cat has grown up backstage amidst the exotic artistes, the hammy actors, the musicians, scenery and backdrops of the theatre, avoiding its riotous audiences. The performers and stagehands make up her family and friends; her education was undertaken by the stage prompt, who has recently retired.

The book opens with Cat overhearing a conversation between Mr Sheridan and another man about a diamond that Mr Sheridan is going to hide somewhere in the theatre. She agrees to look after the treasure for Mr Sheridan when he catches her eavesdropping. Shortly afterwards, a talented young violinist named Pedro, who is a former slave, joins the company orchestra, hoping to earn enough money to become truly free. Her new teacher is the new stage prompt, a young man named Johnny, who seems to have a mysterious background.

Golding's narrative is set wholly in London and includes the rival street gangs of Covent Garden; boxing matches between her friend Syd the Butcher (head of one the Covent Garden gangs) and a youth intimidatingly named "The Camden Crusher"; a riotous theatre audience; a spectacular stage production that includes a hot air balloon; and encounters with young nobles such as Lady Elizabeth and her irrepressible brother. And all the time, there are people looking for the diamond that's hidden in the theatre, hoping that if they can find it, it will make them rich.

This was a fun and enjoyable book that was hard to put down. The historical setting is very well researched as Golding used material from her post-doctorate on the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, to create an authentic setting.

The sequel, Cat Among the Pigeons came out earlier this month and I must check the library for this one !

How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

I have Kelly, of Big A, little a, to thank for having Meg Rosoff’s How I Live Now to read.

This book was the winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize 2004 and the Michael L Printz Book Award in America.

The story begins in modern day London or thereabouts (the time period isn't specified but cell phones and emails are mentioned). The protagonist is a 15 year old New Yorker named Daisy. She’s come to England to live after having major problems with her father and her (pregnant) stepmother. Daisy is picked up at the airport by her 14 year old English cousin, Edmond, who drives a jeep and chain-smokes (both illegal under current English law!). She meets her Aunt Penn and her other cousins: Isaac (Edmond's twin), her older cousin Osbert and her younger cousin Piper. Her Aunt Penn goes away almost immediately to Oslo as part of her work for a peace project, as there is potentially a World War brewing. Daisy’s cousins appear to have a telepathic bond, and Daisy finds that they can tell what she is thinking too. This will have a significant part to play in future events, although I won't tell you why as that would spoil the story.

The cousins live in a blissful idyll, with Daisy and Edmond falling in love, but then their world changes when an unspecified aggressor starts blowing things up in England and America. Daisy finds herself parted from Edmond when soldiers take over Aunt Penn's home (Aunt Penn is unable to come back home because the borders have been closed), and Daisy and Piper are sent to work on a farm in one part of the country, whilst Edmond and Isaac are sent to another farm. Osbert, meanwhile, has joined the military. They are forced to live through the occupation and some quite dreadful things happen to the people around them.

Rosoff’s writing style is both good and frustrating. Her descriptions and ability to portray the emotions of the characters are wonderful. But the total lack of speech marks for dialogue is rather exhausting, and Daisy habit of talking in Headlines With Words Capitalised is also tiring (and eventually somewhat tiresome). Despite that and its claustrophobic air, the book is gripping and difficult to put down. This book is not really suitable for younger teens or sensitive older teens. But put simply, this is an extraordinary book.

The Edge of the Forest - August issue

The Edge of the Forest is back from its summer break, and the August issue is now online. You'll find the usual reviews of Picture books, Middle grade fiction, Young Adult and Fantasy (the latter courtesy of me !).

There's also the Blogging Writer Interview with Melissa Wiley conducted by Kelly Herold of Big A, little a. Kelly also interviews Linda Sue Park, whilst Pam Coughlan defends Junie B. Jones with Plus Also, She's Funny. Allie meanwhile recommends books starring her favorite furry friends - cats. Adrienne Furness takes a closer look at funny books on a very serious topic in The Lighter Side of Death and Betsy Bird, Children's Librarian at the Donnell Children's Room in New York City (and prolific Fuse #8 Production Blogger) talks books and more in What's in Their Backpacks.

Don't just sit there then - go and check it out (please !)

Poetry Friday 15

This week I'd like offer a poem which I find picturesque - I can visualise the scene described in this poem.

Composed Upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802

Earth has not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.
Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendour, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

William Wordsworth


I love the way Wordsworth describes the city as wearing the dawn as if it was a person wrapped in bright clothing, and I can sense the stillness of the city, with the only movement being the river gliding gently beneath the bridge upon which the poet stands.

Live Chat with Garth Nix

The Live Chat with Garth Nix is taking place as I type this, and I got permission from Garth to share the following with you.

Lady Friday (the next book in the "Keys to the Kingdom" series) will be published simultaneously in the UK/US/Australia, in either March or April 2007.

Garth shared this anecdote of how he got the idea for Shade's Children:

SHADE'S CHILDREN began because the house I was living in at the time suddenly shook one morning and eventually it transpired there was a railway tunnel underneath it that was hardly ever used. I went and found where the tunnel came out about a kilometre away and while I was staring into the darkness, I realised that I couldn't hear any of the usual city noises: no cars, no aircraft overhead, no people. That made me think "What if almost everybody vanished instantly, leaving just a few people behind?" That was the start of what would become SHADE'S CHILDREN . . .

He was asked by a couple of people, including me, whether he will continue the Old Kingdom books and where the inspiration for the series came from:

Maybe. I have notes for two novels that occur in the Old Kingdom/Ancelstierre. One is about Chlorr of the Mask, the other set about 5 years after ABHORSEN.

There were many inspirations for the OLD KINGDOM books. Lots and lots of ideas, many of which didn't even make it into the novels. But I can pinpoint one catalyst for one of the ideas. I saw a photo of Hadrian's Wall that had a green field on the southern side and snowy hills on the other. It looked like one side was summer and the other winter, and that's where the Wall and the division of Ancelstierre from the Old Kingdom came from.

And several people asked about the names, particularly in the Old Kingdom series and he said:

I spend a lot of time on names. Basically I combine elements to get something that looks and sounds right. So I make long lists playing with bits and pieces of words and sounds until I get one that evokes what I want it to. I sit at my desk saying them aloud, which is probably better than walking around mumbling them and making people worry.

'Sabriel' for instance grew out of my playing about with the heraldic term for black, which is 'sable' and the '-iel' and '-ael' endings as in angel's (Hebrew) names. I was looking for something dark and powerful and this seemed to work.

'Abhorsen' on the other hand I stole from Shakespeare. I was looking for the names of executioners in various old literature and 'Abhorson' is an executioner in 'Measure for Measure'. It sounded right so just as Shakespeare used to do from older writers, I nicked it from him and just slightly changed the spelling.

Garth was at the World Science Fiction Convention in LA, but he was able to spend almost 2 hours taking questions from eager fans worldwide (we had questions from Brits, Americans, Australians and a lady in Israel). If you want to see the whole conversation, it can be viewed (without registration) on the SFX Forum.