Letters from London

I must read some Nina Stibbe. Her experiences in London in the 1980's have some similarities with my own. She goes on to write novels and have her letters serialised in BBC television series. And I, well, shred my letters and have shoeboxes of pre-digital photographs stored in tubs in the basement. They have thus far provided some mild amusement to my 16 year old daughter as we rummaged about in search of source material for a family history project.

More on Nina here.

A great eye for the absurdities of life

Katie Boo1's Weblog on We'll Always Have Paris: Trying and Failing to be French by Emma Beddington.

"What keeps me coming back, and what is such a vital part of the beauty of her writing is that she is good at the darkness of what it means to be human. She excels at showing the sharp spikes of madness that punctuate day to day life, the bleeding edges of grief, the blankness of a life overwhelmed by so much that to feel nothing at all is devoutly to be wished. It’s all here, and it’s all real, and it touches the parts of you, the reader, who have felt those things too."

True.

Domestic Noir

From recent article by on the emerging book genre:

"Can you really trust those who are closest to you?" This is the underlying premise of the latest "hot" crime genre, the domestic or marriage thriller.

Spurred on by the success of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, a number of authors have moved into realm of the domestic thriller where the common concern is the fear of a partner's unknowability. As one recent book in the genre noted, "The most dangerous lies are those closest to home".

(Including by Australia's own Liane Moriaty.)

From a review of new release film, The Girl on the Train. 

"...perhaps has more in common with Before I Go to Sleep, the 2011 debut novel from S.J. Watson, which was filmed in 2014 with Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong in the leads. Both are what has been termed domestic thrillers (or domestic noir), with a female character at the heart of the story, the drama unfolding around the home, and trust the central issue (well, that and murder, which frankly doesn't help much with the old trust business).

It's a sub-genre that flourished in the early 1990s, and might include the likes of Fatal Attraction and Single White Female or even Joel Edgerton's excellent 2015 Hollywood directing debut The Gift.

Acknowledging his debt to classics of the genre such as Pacific Heights (1990) and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), he said at the heart of his movie was the question "how well do you know the person you're living with?".

Classic domestic thrillers:

Suspicion, 1941

Fatal Attraction, 1987

Malice, 1993

Gone Girl, 2014

The Gift, 2015

Image from Suspicion starring Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine.

Parenting should be child's play

"Caring deeply about our children is part of what makes us human. Yet the thing we call "parenting" is a surprisingly new invention. In the past thirty years, the concept of parenting and the multibillion-dollar industry surrounding it have transformed child care into obsessive, controlling, goal-oriented labor intended to create a particular kind of child and thereby a particular kind of adult. In The Gardener and the Carpenter, the pioneering developmental psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik argues that the familiar twenty-first-century picture of parents and children is profoundly wrong - it's not just based on bad science, it's also bad for kids and parents.

Drawing on the study of human evolution and on her own cutting-edge scientific research into how children learn, Gopnik shows that although caring for children is immensely important, the goal shouldn't be to shape them so they turn out a certain way. Children are designed to be messy and unpredictable, playful and imaginative, and very different both from their parents and from one another. The variability and flexibility of childhood allow them to innovate, create, and survive in an unpredictable world. "Parenting" won't make children learn - rather, caring parents let children learn by creating a secure, loving environment."

From the front jacket flap of The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the new science of child development tells us about the relationship between parents and children. By Alison Gopnik

Review by Jackie Annesley.

This same theory was put forward in 1930 by philosopher Bertrand Russell, who devoted a chapter of his book ‘The Conquest of Happiness’ to the potential value of boredom. Imagination and capacity to cope with boredom must be learnt as a child, he wrote:

A child develops best when, like a young plant, he is left undisturbed in the same soil. Too much travel, too much variety of impressions, are not good for the young, and cause them as they grow up to become incapable of enduring fruitful monotony.”

Essays in love

Love's Secret ~ William Blake

Never seek to tell thy love,   
  Love that never told can be;   
For the gentle wind doth move   
  Silently, invisibly.   
  
I told my love, I told my love,
  I told her all my heart,   
Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears.   
  Ah! she did depart!   
  
Soon after she was gone from me,   
  A traveller came by,
Silently, invisibly:   
  He took her with a sigh.

Homekeeping

Sounds more inviting than vacuuming.

"Erin Boyle speaks to the heart and soul of the minimalist lifestyle. With her deft prose and graceful imagery she details not only how we can approach homekeeping more simply, but why—for our own happiness and peace of mind—we absolutely must. Simple Matters is a must-have manual for serenity in the modern world!"

(Anne Sage, lifestyle blogger and author of Sage Living 2015-09-01)

Speed Read

8 Incredible Children’s Libraries

Could we please visit these before you grow up?

Kid Lit Quotes

Save the Date! Harry Potter Book Night 4 Feb 2016

We're still living the dream.

The official Harry Potter Book Night: A Night of Spells event kit is marvellous. Pity it's on the first week of new school year. I know a class (or two) that would love it.

A PERFECT PATRONUS

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry learns how to cast a Patronus Charm.

How to cast one:

‘With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory.’ Professor Lupin

Incantation: Expecto patronum!

Each person’s Patronus Charm takes the form of a different animal. Harry’s Patronus is a stag, whereas Hermione’s is an otter.

More life lessons

Is this book dodgy?  Ellen de G recommended it. The reviews are funny. Amazon reviews in general are worth reading and as reliable as you can get. I trusted them for my purchase of a Tefal steam iron.

The ACT Government should take note of this approach to parking sign design. I'm still smarting from my fine for parking on a 'footpath' outside school on the school holidays. The kerb merged to a flanged driveway gutter and it was a gravel space frequently used for events outside of school hours.  There were no signs to indicate otherwise.  My pleas for an appeal fell on deaf ears.  They stuck to the letter of the law.  But I'm still indignant.

Top photo by Nikki Sylianteng.

Bottom photo by me.  Tower of London 2014

Children's Book Illustrator: Brian Floca

Discovered a new children's book illustrator, Brian Floca.  He recently spoke at the Nolan Library at the Metropolitan Museum. I loved the quote from the Met's blog piece about his presentation:

The picture book is often one of our first points of entry into the world of art appreciation and a natural companion to the museum experience.

Must get to visit 1000 Fifth Avenue some day.

Photo: By me.  Illustration by Wanna.

Denzil, Apprentice Wizard

Another rollicking book series which has captivated my nine year old son is The Adventures of Denzil, Apprentice Wizard written by New Zealand children's fantasy writer, Sherryl Jordan. We have been progressively working our way through this charming and funny set of books about the exploits of Denzil, the boy wizard, and his master, the great wizard Valvasor.

Unwittingly transported to modern times, Denzil finds himself entangled with the MacAllister family, a lovable lot despite their flaws, and entranced by modern conveniences.  This is a familiar but captivating premise on which to base a children's fantasy novel and one which encourages young readers to think about history, time and place. How would it feel to go back or forward over seven centuries and witness life first-hand?

The first Denzil story, The Wednesday Wizard, was published in 1991 (way before Harry Potter was created), and the final novel, The Silver Dragon, in 2007.   We have the entire boxed set which includes Denzil’s Dilemma and The Great Bear Burglary.   It's been loads of fun to read aloud and the stories have had plenty of magical twists and turns to sustain our interest.   This little series has become one of our firm favourites.

Recommended for 8-10 age bracket.  Both boys and girls will enjoy the series.  Girls will identify with the headstrong protagonist, young Sam(antha) MacAllister, and boys, of course, will become Denzil in their mind's eye.  Mrs MacAllister and I also shared some common traits (a mother's exasperation with circumstances beyond her control mainly, and wry humour), so I found myself travelling in her shoes.

Books Bought and Borrowed: Beast Quest

An evil Wizard has enchanted the magical Beasts of Avantia – only a true hero can free the Beasts and stop them from destroying the land. Is Tom the hero Avantia has been waiting for?

I mean really.  The cover of these books alone would give one nightmares.  Lurid green creatures with pointed fangs, dripping with slime and snarling viciously.   However, my nine-year old son doesn't seem fazed in the least by the ghastly spectres in this apparently popular series.  He alternately sits, then lolls about on the sofa, for hours systematically working his way through the books.  He's up first thing before we all rise with one in hand. That, in itself, is a huge commendation to the author.

The Beast Quest series currently runs to 54 volumes bunched into six-book series with nicely benign titles such as, "The Golden Armour" and "The Amulet of Avantia".  Another series is in the offing according to our twelve year old neighbour whose brother is also an addict. 

Apparently, the kingdom of Avantia depends on the exploits of Tom, his best friend Elenna, a spirited girl, and their companions, Storm the jet-black stallion and Silver the faithful wolf.  Tom and his companions appear to be caught up in repeated quests to free the kingdom from the evil curses placed upon the beasts that protect it.  Oh, and to defeat the evil wizard, Malvel.  We can safely assume the successive plots must be action-packed to sustain the imagination of small boys. 

The books include an intricately illustrated map on the opening pages so the reader can gain his bearings for the key locations, such as the Rebel Settlement of Kaloom and The Black Ocean.  The text is interspersed with line drawings, mostly of Tom in various action poses - on horseback or with sword and shield raised aloft.   Enough drawings to add interest and break the reading into digestible parts for the target age group which is, I suspect, about 8-10 year old boys with an interest in fantasy, mythical creatures... and swords.

The series is clearly a great hit with independent readers.  It has generated spin-offs such as the mandatory website with games and competitions, collector cards and the Beast Quest Annual. 

I'm also quite taken by the biographical details about the author and want to know more about him.  Despite the popularity of the books and his prolific output, he seems to be quietly anonymous (and so young!).  From his website, I glean the following:

Adam Blade is in his late twenties and was born in Kent, England. His parents were both history teachers and amateur artists and Adam grew up surrounded by his father's paintings of historic English battles--which left a lifelong mark on his imagination. He was also fascinated by the ancient sword and shield that hung in his father's office. Adam's father said they were a Blade family heirloom. Sadly, Adam does not have his own Fire-Dragon or Horse-Man...but he really wishes he did!  

Yesterday, I happened to give my son the old wooden tai chi sword that belonged to his grandmother and he grabbed it with glee.  I understand now that my timing was impeccable.  It is his Beast Quest sword.  The perfect accessory for the books.

However.  As a post-script, I took a look at some Amazon reviews and noted that one parent thought it was an outright "hyper-violent fantasy series" and " highly inappropriate for younger readers".  The reviewer goes on to note that:

We wonder why kids are desensitized to violence when this type of material is deemed appropriate for pre-teens. I know many of the other parents say that "their boys love it!" - to each their own. As a parent of an 8 year-old and 5 year-old twins I don't want them reading about a little boy's back being shred to the bone by some demon wolf. Magic School Bus, Zac Power, Magic Tree House, Jack Stalwart - these are books for the 6-10 crowd!! 

So, this made me wonder whether I needed to censor the booklists of my independent readers.  Frankly, when we bolt to the library, I am happy to let the children make their own choices from the junior sections. I sort of hope the local library, if not the publishers, might have weeded out the dross. But can middle primary children distinguish between fictionalised violence involving fantasy creatures and malicious real world terror?  Do the hideous beasts signify our worst fears and horrors, and their conquest therefore convey a positive message?  The triumph of good over evil?  A parable that children can understand to help them be brave and resilient?  Or is it the stuff of bad dreams and twisted values?   Are modern-day stories any worse than Grimm's fairytales or the derring-do of comic book superheros?

I did baulk at bringing these books home from the library, based on the covers alone, but the fearless exploits of Tom and Elenna seem to captivate my boy with no obvious ill effects.  When asked why he likes Beast Quest he simply said he loves books which come in a series and continue with the same characters and familiar storyline. He guffawed at the suggestion that were too violent or gory. 

Nevertheless, it does raise interesting questions about fantasy violence, of which there is considerably more these days thanks to gaming, and its impact on children.

Books Bought and Borrowed: The Nutcracker

One of our favourite Christmas classic books is the Young Reader's edition of The Nutcracker from the story by E.T.A Hoffman and illustrated by Don Daly.  We scooped up a sturdy hard-backed copy from the Sydney Opera House shop after the Australian Ballet's astounding performance of the same ballet a few years ago.

It's a longer version than might suit a single bedtime reading, but comprises five easily digestible chapters.  The book is unusually typeset in two columns which, as it turns out, is ideal for reading out aloud so you can scan ahead and adjust to the appropriate theatrical voice or facial expression.  The illustrations are a major treat; rich and detailed.  The sort of book you should read sitting snuggled up side-by-side with a child so they can absord the impressive full-page pictures while you bring the story to life.

Stories by the Christmas Tree

Christmas Cheer

~ Thomas Tusser

Good husband and housewife, now chiefly be glad,
Things handsome to have, as they ought to be had.
They both do provide, against Christmas do come,
To welcome their neighbors, good cheer to have some.

Good bread and good drink, a good fire in the hall,
Brawn, pudding, and souse, and good mustard withal.
Beef, mutton, and pork, and good pies of the best,
Pig, veal, goose, and capon, and turkey well drest,
Cheese, apples and nuts, and good carols to hear,
As then in the country is counted good cheer.

What cost to good husband, is any of this?
Good household provision only it is:
Of other the like, I do leave out a many,
That costeth the husband never a penny.

***

Haven't organised a thing for the holidays.  School ends next week and I'll have to arrange leave or book holiday programs by the end of next week.  While I'm faltering on the large-scale plans, we do have the gorgeous (real) Christmas tree half-decorated and have been playing carols and reading Christmas stories.  Our favourite is "Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present" by John Burningham (2004).  We have a modest collection of seasonal stories that we drag down from the book shelf each year.  This one is a lovely tale, a real keeper, and the illustrations are charming; a point of conversation in themselves.   What DID Santa leave Harvey?   That rectangular box is the right shape, but too fat, for an iPad2 we decided.

It's Christmas Eve and there is one present left in Father Christmas's sack. It's for a small boy called Harvey Slumfenburger, who lives far, far away on top of the Roly Poly Mountain. But no journey is too far for Father Christmas!

Novels

To A Lady Who Said It Was Sinful to Read Novels

Christian Milne  1773–1816

To love these books, and harmless tea,

Has always been my foible,

Yet will I ne’er forgetful be

To read my Psalms and Bible.

Travels I like, and history too,

Or entertaining fiction;

Novels and plays I’d have a few,

If sense and proper diction.

I love a natural harmless song,

But I cannot sing like Handel;

Deprived of such resource, the tongue

Is sure employed — in scandal.

***

Well, the youngest and first to fall ill has gone back to school today but now the other two are in the infirmary with fevers. So I am still on Personal and Carers Leave three days running. This has enabled me to catch up on washing and ironing, rake leaves, clean the refrigerator, cook leftovers and indulge in a bit of reading. Things I normally put off.

Novel reading is also an excellent invalid pastime. Charly is working her way through the Harry Potter series, while Ro-Ro and I are reading the Lemony Snicket 13-part journey through a Series of Unfortunate Events and Wanna is re-reading the Princess Poppy series and her beloved Pearlie books. Our imaginations are healthily engrossed in magical fantasy worlds while our fragile bodies recover.

Books are indeed the sugar to sweeten the medicine and the greatest cure for misery.

Books bought and borrowed: Alice-Miranda At School

Meet Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones, possibly the bravest, most positive seven and one quarter year old you’re ever likely to encounter.   In her first adventure, Alice-Miranda At School Alice-Miranda quickly learns that not everything is as it seems at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies. The Headmistress, Miss Grimm hasn’t been seen for ten years. The prize winning flowers are gone and a mysterious stranger has been camping in the greenhouse. Alice-Miranda must complete a series of impossible tests to prove she is worthy of keeping her place. Join her on this rollicking adventure as Alice-Miranda proves that no matter how young or how small, there’s nothing can beat a tiny child with a true optimistic spirit and sheer determination.

(From the author, Jacqueline Harvey)

Little Wanna and I have just finished reading the first Alice-Miranda book.  There's nothing like a book about an all girls' boarding school to provide a captivating plot-line and a complex set of relationships.  We enjoyed barracking for Alice Miranda and snarling at toffy-nosed, head prefect Alethea, but some of the adult characters were hard to comprehend.  The improbable arrival of Miss Grimm's forlorn suitor, like Grizzly Adams emerging from the bush, and the twists in the tale of their relationship was too much, too late in the book.  That part lost us.  Still, I was reading to a six year old and I think this is pitched at the older self-reader who may throughly enjoy the dramatic unfolding of events close to the end.   We did fall completely for Alice-Miranda herself though, and will be on the look out for the sequels, Alice-Miranda On Holiday and Alice-Miranda Takes The Lead.   It is the sort of story that lends itself to a series where the characters can mature.

As an aside, I was completely distracted by all the derivative English stereotypes imposed on an Australian boarding school.  I suppose that's what these schools are like around Sydney and the Southern Highlands where the author has taught, but I'd like to read about a regional boarding school where there are no quadruple-barrelled surnames or aspiration for girls to become "prim and proper".  Wouldn't that be fun!    

Louisa's rock

The Rock and the Bubble

~ Louisa May Alcott

Oh! a bare, brown rock

Stood up in the sea,

The waves at its feet

Dancing merrily.

A little bubble

Once came sailing by,

And thus to the rock

Did it gayly cry,

Ho! clumsy brown stone,

Quick, make way for me:

I'm the fairest thing

That floats on the sea.

See my rainbow-robe,

See my crown of light,

My glittering form,

So airy and bright.

O'er the waters blue,

I'm floating away,

To dance by the shore

With the foam and spray.

Now, make way, make way;

For the waves are strong,

And their rippling feet

Bear me fast along."

But the great rock stood

Straight up in the sea:

It looked gravely down,

And said pleasantly

Little friend, you must

Go some other way;

For I have not stirred

this many a long day.

Great billows have dashed,

And angry winds blown;

But my sturdy form

Is not overthrown.

Nothing can stir me

In the air or sea;

Then, how can I move,

Little friend, for thee?

Then the waves all laughed

In their voices sweet;

And the sea-birds looked,

From their rocky seat,

At the bubble gay,

Who angrily cried,

While its round cheek glowed

With a foolish pride

You shall move for me;

And you shall not mock

At the words I say,

You ugly, rough rock.

Be silent, wild birds!

While stare you so?

Stop laughing, rude waves,

And help me to go!

For I am the queen

Of the ocean here,

And this cruel stone

Cannot make me fear.

Dashing fiercely up,

With a scornful word,

Foolish Bubble broke;

But Rock never stirred.

Then said the sea-birds,

Sitting in their nests

To the little ones

Leaning on their breasts,

Be not like Bubble,

Headstrong, rude, and vain,

Seeking by violence

Your object to gain;

"But be like the rock,

Steadfast, true, and strong,

Yet cheerful and kind,

And firm against wrong.

Heed, little birdlings,

And wiser you'll be

For the lesson learned

Today by the sea.

Yep - it reads a bit like a sentimental Hallmark narrative but contains a good message nonetheless.  We are tackling Good Wives at the moment, after having zipped through Little Women, so it was time to include a reference to Ms Alcott, the poet.

Books Bought and Borrowed: Grandpa

We recently came across a gem of a children's picture book from the library called simply, Grandpa, by Lilith Norman and illustrated by Noela Young. The realism of the text and illustrations is quite startling.

The story is a child's reflections about his cantankerous grandfather who lives with his family and occupies the boy's bedroom.  It spares no detail on the fragile nature of his parent's relationship with his grandfather, their irritation with his fusty presence, including his conservative preference for meals of 'meat and three veg' which constrains their cooking and eating habits. The boy shares some of this irritation but more equably, as children do.  Then Grandpa falls ill and is hospitalised.  The bedside scene is poignant. When Grandpa dies, the family misses his idiosyncrysies.  We see his mother weeping and, to close the story, the boy decides to take in to school some of the treasured items that Grandpa had made him and to share his fond memories with his classmates.

I am always grateful for books which deal sensitively, but accurately, with the sadder aspects of  life, for none of us are spared these experiences. It is no wonder that this book was awarded an Honour book in the 1999 Children's Book Council Awards and the winner of the 1999 Family Therapy Associations of Australia Family Award for Young Children.

There is precious little information online about Ms Norman, who did not reach the dizzy heights of celebrity as some children's authors do, but I found this quote in my web meanderings:

Lilith Norman creates works for children that are consistent in their loving portrayal of the author's native Australian landscape and their realistic young protagonists. A librarian by profession, Norman did not begin writing for children until she was in her forties. "I managed to avoid becoming a writer for quite a long time, mainly, I think, because it seemed like very hard work for a very speculative result," she said.  "It wasn't until I started working as a children's librarian that I realised these were the books I wanted to write. . . . I like to write about ordinary children trying to cope, for I believe that most of us can cope with whatever is thrown at us, if we really have to--otherwise we'd all be living in caves still."

Ms Norman, who would be now aged about 83, wrote many children's books from the 1970s to 1990s.  We will be sure to search for more in our library fossickings.