Right, I’ve decided to try a themed week for the blog.
So from August 9th I will be hosting a Children’s Literature Week on ‘A Book A Day..’ choosing a selection of titles written for younger readers.
I have yet to read anything by Australian author Garth Nix, so I will include him on the list.
Also Damsel by Susan E. Connolly, a wonderful debut by a talented, young Irish writer.
Suggestions for further titles would be welcome. I have already read so much Tolkien, Pullman and Lewis I’ve got fauns and elves coming out of my ears. So I’m looking for something I have not yet encountered, preferably books set in the ‘real world’.
Let the experiment begin!
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July 30, 2010 at 11:50 pm
CarolC
Real world? Ah, that’ll be tricky.
Arthur Ransome is the first one that springs to mind. Swallows and Amazons has one of those premises that is out-of-reach-but-in-theory-attainable i.e. I could totally have that life if I could just persuade my parents to buy me a little boat.
Enid Blyton? Can she stand up to 21st Century scrutiny?
William Mayne’s A Swarm In May is amazing if you a) can find a copy and b) still want to read it after the child abuse revelations.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/william-mayne-awardwinning-childrens-author-whose-career-ended-in-disgrace-1977591.html
Were you forced to endure Underneath the Hawthorn Tree? Maybe it’s more enjoyable if you weren’t forced to read it. I doubt it though, considering the title refers to where they buried a dead baby.
Remind me why you want “real world” books again…
July 31, 2010 at 5:26 pm
Emmet
Well ‘real’, as opposed to the overabundance of fantasy novels I have read. So humour, mysteries, perhaps even thrillers for children. Trying to broaden my references.
Cheers for the suggestions.
July 31, 2010 at 6:36 pm
steviemonkey
Now that we’ve seen the preview for Tomorrow When the War Began…?
August 2, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Emmet
Carol, I think I will try and track down a copy of the Faraway Tree.
Thirroul library don’t let me down!
August 6, 2010 at 10:02 am
CarolC
Ah, Moon-face. Oh, for the days when you could call a character after their mock-able physical trait…
If you find a copy, check if it is one of the edited reprints:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Faraway_Tree
August 6, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Emmet
The librarian’s face lit up when I asked about the Faraway Tree. She found the third book in the series for me and apologised for my losing out on the first two titles.
I assured her that I was confident I could nevertheless pick up the gist of the series.
August 10, 2010 at 11:34 am
CLW – Obernewtyn by Isobelle Carmody « a book a day till i can stay
[...] first things first, when I announced Children’s Literature Week, I mentioned in the comments that I wanted to get away from the books I had read as a child, [...]