July 2008 - Posts
Another introduction... I'm also a member of the YLG national committee and will be contributing to this blog. I'm Vicky Jewitt and I'm based in the north east.
Currently, I've just finished House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones, so I thought that was a reasonable book to start with as there are few children's authors I enjoy more, which tells you a little about me at any rate. (So a completely unbiased review this once. 
)
House of Many Ways is a second sequel to Howl's Moving Castle and a much more satisfactory one than Castle in the Air, IMO. Both Sophie and the wizard Howl make a more significant appearance (Howl being very characteristically himself and not himself) and there's a properly twisty plot and it's all good fun. (Not as good as Howl's Moving Castle, but then that would be a tall order.)
I'm a little bit tied without giving away plot spoilers for either Howl or House, but Charmain, a rather anti-social bookworm is sent to house-sit for her wizardly great-uncle, whose house, as it turns out, is as unusual in its own way as Howl's castle. Plus, there's Waif, the dog who always gets her own way, an unwanted (and not very good) apprentice, trouble with the Kobold gardener and mountains of laundry. Needless to say, Charmain has to untangle it all, save the kingdom, and in doing so uncover her own destiny (as well as finally get the washing done).
The cover's disappointing, though. They've done some really lovely work on brightening up the covers of her reissued titles and this one, while it's quite clever when you look at it after you've read the book, I always thought a cover was there to get you to read it in the first place.
Hello, I am Ferelith Hordon. a children's librarian of, perhaps, more years than I like to mention and a member of YLG National Committee. Now that our blog is up and running, I thought I would take a first step. I am currently reading
Grimpow: The invisible road (Rafael Abalos). This novel set in the Middle Ages somewhere in between France and Germany, involves a young boy who stumbles across a mysterious stone - the legacy of the Knights Templar who have been hounded out of existence. This stone confers strange powers to Grimpow (despite not being able to read, he can understand any language he sees written) and sets him on a quest to discover the secret of the Knights - or rather of a group of sages; a secret that will unlock all the mysteries of the universe and confer ultimate knowledge and wisdom. This is the type of story I am very happy to swallow, but I am finding it heavy going. I wondered whether it was because the author is Spanish and perhaps I am being insular. And yet I loved
A hundred million francs (Paul Berna) and the books of
Rene Guillot when I was young, not to mention
Tove Jansson, Paul Biegel and
Ottfried Preussler. And then there is
Cornelia Funke where the narrative is so immediate.I do think different nationalities can have very distinct writing styles but I was not convinced in the case of
Grimpow. Out of interest I looked to see who had translated this book. I imagine Noel Baca Castex is Spanish, while
Dragonrider (Funke) was translated by our own Anthea Bell. This raises an interesting question - should tranlations be by native speakers into English or would an English speaking translator be preferable - given one does not want to lose the individual and distinctive voice of the author - and nationality would be part of that? I would, in fact be quite interested to read (try to read)
Grimpow in Spanish.
Well, the blog's gone live, and I thought it was high time we had a book post on here. So here goes - I know that a few of you have read it already - so please add comments and give me your opinions too!
Newes from the Dead
Mary Hooper's latest historical book takes as it's basis the true story of Anne Green, who survived hanging and whose tale was told through pamphlets titled "Newes of the Dead".
It's a gruesome - and in places harrowing - tale, and not to be read by younger or more naive readers, because although the text and writing is accessible for anyone 11 and up, the content is more for those 13-14 years old.
It's also a beautifully produced book that really places it in the 17th Century. The hard back cover is gorgeous, with the inset plastic painting.
Hooper's version is fictional, as it is told in a first person narrative - in alternating chapters firstly from the point of view of Anne herself, and secondly a young trainee doctor who was initially there for the autopsy of Anne's body.
Cleverly done, Hooper once again gets inside her characters heads and captures them perfectly on paper. While reading, you can almost smell the tinctures and medicines, or the smell in the 1650s Oxford Prison. Not necessarily pleasant, but certainly evocative.
Love Hannah
