BOOK REVIEW: Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

Title: Tom's Midnight Garden
Author: Philippa Pearce
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 1958 (1976 edition)

First line: "If, standing alone on the back doorstep, Tom allowed himself to weep tears, they were tears of anger."

Philippa Pearce brings the past alive by turning it into the present in this magical time-shift fantasy about a young boy named Tom Long.

Tom is placed in quarantine for measles and is sent to live with his childless aunt and uncle for a few weeks. They live in an apartment which is part of an old converted house. A grandfather clock stands in the communal hallway of the large house and old Mrs. Bartholomew, the landlady, comes down from her top floor apartment to wind the clock each week. Tom is warned that it is better for children to remain unseen when Mrs. Bartholomew makes her weekly trek.

The clock mysteriously strikes thirteen one night, and sleepless Tom creeps through the dark to investigate. The darkness is too thick for him to examine the clock face for a thirteenth hour, so he opens the outside door to let moonlight wash into the hallway. He is surprised to find that it is daylight outside! With all of this light Tom can see that the hallway is transformed by Victorian furnishings and the small paved area outside the door has become a large and lush garden, a veritable Eden. No longer does the smell of hot asphalt permeate the air, but instead the perfume of flowers and green growing things circulates on the summer breeze. Tom steps into the garden ... and into the past.

Tom returns nightly to this magical garden where he has befriended a girl named Hatty. Time behaves very oddly with subsequent visits to the garden. Tom never knows if Hatty will be younger or older than when he saw her last and this creates questions. Which one of them is real and which one the ghost? Which one lives in the "real" world? Time has drawn them together, but Time has also placed a barrier between them. Or has it?

Tom's Midnight Garden is about loneliness and friendship and the magic of childhood. It is the story of the loss of Eden into a fuller understanding that goes beyond childish interests. In the final, and very touching, scene the mystery of Hatty and the garden is solved and we learn that time need not separate us. Generational barriers need not exist. "Then and Now.... Time No Longer."

Tom's Midnight Garden is a beautiful and satisfying story. As a child, I would have LOVED this book with its combination of mystery, beautiful eeriness, magical setting and ending that just leaves you feeling good. I don't know how I missed it then, but I'm glad to have finally read it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Also reviewed by:
nymeth at things mean a lot

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BOOK REVIEW: The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Children's High Level Group
Year: 2007
Purpose for reading: Once Upon a Time Challenge III

First line: The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of stories written for young wizards and witches.

My sister gave me this book at Christmas (thanks A.!) since she knew I had so much fun reading the Harry Potter series. It was a nice fit for Carl V.'s Once Upon a Time Challenge III that just ended.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a piece of fantasy that purports to be "a collection of stories written for young wizards and witches." It was, of course, translated by the fictional Hermione Granger with extensive footnotes by the equally fictional Professor Dumbledore. The very non-fictional J.K. Rowling has clarified Dumbledore's notes, when needed, for us muggle readers.

The tales seemed very similar to the old slavic folk tales I remember from my own childhood (e.g. Baba Yaga, etc.). I loved the tales of Beedle the Bard, but was more intrigued by the continuation of the Harry Potter world that this book provides.

Don't you just love the titles of these tales?

The Wizard and the Hopping Pot
The Fountain of Fair Fortune
The Warlock's Hairy Heart
Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump
The Tale of the Three Brothers

The Fountain of Fair Fortune was, hands down, my favorite tale. The Warlock's Hairy Heart was the most disturbing and made me shudder. And I can't stop saying "babbity rabbity," so Babbity Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump gets my vote for best title.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard was a charming way to keep the Harry Potter magic alive.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

BOOK REVIEW: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is a wonderful coming of age story ... with a bit of a twist. This is the story of Nobody "Bod" Owens as he grows from a toddler to a young man. He has a family and the usual ups and downs of childhood as he struggles to grow up. Bod is like any other child, in many ways, except his mom and dad are ghosts, his guardian is undead, and he lives in a graveyard that he may not leave without placing himself in mortal danger.

Silas, Bod's guardian, is a rather endearing figure considering his nature as a creature of the night. He is protective of Bod and, unknown to us throughout most of the story, he strives to right the great wrong that took Bod's natural family from him and placed him in the arms of the graveyard. Silas is every child's dream of that adult who, unlike parents, understands you and will be truthful in explaining the mysteries of the grown-up world.

Most of those who live in the graveyard are protective of Bod, but there are those who would cause him harm. The indigo man, the sleer, and the ghouls are sufficiently creepy, but creepiest of all is Jack the assassin. Jack is a shadowy figure who seems to ooze evil. He reminded me a bit of the child catcher in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang**. Remember him? He could sniff out children with his long ugly nose in order to capture and cage them. Similarly, Jack can find Bod by following his scent. Shiver.

Several of the chapters in The Graveyard Book could stand on their own as short stories and perhaps, unknown to me, they have been published as such. My favorite chapter is the enchanting "Danse Macabre." It sparkles with some of the Gaiman magic found in Stardust and is a bit of a treatise on the idea that there is more to this life than what we see and that "being" is more than the corporeal.

The ending was bittersweet, as are most coming of age stories. There was a palpable sadness and excitement as Bod left the safety of his graveyard home and family in order to venture into a largely unknown and living world. Bod captures this well when he says:

"I want to see life. I want to hold it in my hands. I want to leave a footprint on the sand of a desert island. I want to play football with people. I want,” he said, and then he paused and he thought. “I want everything."

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 - Weightier and with more depth than Coraline.

Question: Did anyone else find The Graveyard Book to be a bit Ray Bradbury-ish?

**Trivia: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a children's book written by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame.

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Note to other reviewers: If you've written a review for this book, please let me know by posting the permanent URL for your review in the comments. I'll be happy to add a link to your review with my post.

Also reviewed at:
nymeth at Things Mean a Lot
Fatalis Fortuna at The Fickle Hand of Fate
Natasha at Maw Books
tanabata at In Spring it is the Dawn

BOOK REVIEW: The Underland Chronicles

The Underland Chronicles consists of five "Gregor" books. They each tell a story, but are really part of the larger whole. Because of this, I'm providing a brief synopses of each book with some thoughts on that particular installment. These will be followed by some final thoughts on the series.

Gregor the Overlander
In this first of The Underland Chronicles, we meet a hero who goes on a quest. The hero is 11-year old Gregor. Gregor is unable to go to summer camp because his parents can not afford to send both he and his 7-year old sister. Instead, Gregor stays home in order to watch his 2-year old sister and his elderly grandmother while his mother is at work. Gregor's father disappeared mysteriously several years earlier and so many duties have fallen to him in his father's absence. Gregor notices that his 2-year old sister, Boots, has disappeared while he is doing the family's laundry in the basement of his apartment building. It turns out that she has fallen down a hidden air chute and Gregor must go after her. Gregor and Boots find themselves in an underland below New York City that is populated by giant talking cockroaches (crawlers), rats (gnawers), bats, spinners (spiders) and other creatures as well as a pale violet-eyed population of humans. The two children are taken by the roaches to the human queen. It is all very reminiscent of Alice falling down the rabbit hole and finding herself in Wonderland. While in the Underland, Gregor learns that he is part of a prophecy and must lead a quest to save the Underland kingdom as well as his own father.

Thoughts on Book 1:
Book 1 of The Underland Chronicles has Gregor maturing as he takes upon his childs shoulders a very adult burden that will require great courage and sacrifice. In this book we are introduced to many recurring characters and begin to see friendships, alliances, and loyalties develop.


Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
Book one in The Underland Chronicles left us with a clear indication that the story would continue, and continue it does in Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane. Gregor and Boots once again find themselves in the Underland. This time, Boots has been kidnapped from the Overland by the rats and Gregor must go after her. He is reunited in the Underland city of Regalia with the young Queen Luxa and her grandfather Vikus. Vikus tells Gregor of the Prophecy of Bane in which it is foretold that Gregor will fight an ominous and monstrous white rat. Gregor is off on another quest, this time with his giant bat Ares. He must fulfill the prophecy in order to once again save the Underland.

Thoughts on Book 2:
In this second book, we continue to see Gregor mature as he faces danger, death, loss, and change. Trust is a key theme in this installment. Other characters are more fully developed in Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane providing depth and bringing emotional impact to the storyline.


Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
The Underland saga continues in Book 3 as Gregor trys to save this world beneath New York City from a plague that affects all warm blooded creatures. This quest takes Gregor and his companions to a carnivorous forest to find the cure. A prophecy is again the guide for the quest, and as in many prophecies the true meaning is not clear until the end. Gregor continues to mature and we more clearly see him on the borderline between childhood and manhood in this volume. Gregor's mother will not allow him to go back to the Underland unless she goes along. This presents a conundrum for Gregor as he tries to fulfill his duty as the Underland's warrior/savior and his Overland role as pre-teen son to a mother who worries.

Thoughts on Book 3:
In this volume of the series there is much loss and grief. Several characters must learn how to continue on while holding those they have lost close in their hearts and memories. The theme of change is prominent in this book. Collins continues to develop her characters, both human and creature, so that the reader feels a real bond and empathy with them.


Gregor and the Marks of Secret
The fourth installment finds Gregor and Boots making regular trips to the Underland to visit their mother who is continuing to recover from injuries suffered in Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods. Gregor undergoes further training as he practices wielding a sword and attempts to learn the skill of echolocation. Gregor has previously discovered that he is a rager and that this transforms him into a very focused and skillful fighter, but his inability to see in the dark is a great limitation. It does not matter how skilled he is with a sword if he can not see his opponents. Ripred the rat has become a friend and mentor to Gregor and he takes it upon himself to teach Gregor the skill of echolocation. Ripred is sorely disappointed as he tries to teach this human a skill that he may never learn.

While Gregor trains, Queen Luxa becomes aware that the nibblers (mice) in the Underland are disappearing. Luxa credits the nibblers with previously saving her life and so she is determined to find out who or what is at the bottom of this sinister disappearance. Luxa and Gregor go on a fact finding mission and are appalled at what is revealed. It is on this mission that the way is paved for the last and final prophecy that Gregor must fulfill.

Thoughts on Book 4:
Themes of tyranny and genocide, friendship and love, loyalty and honesty are prominent in this volume. The tension is quite high as the author sets up the reader for the last of The Underland Chronicles.


Gregor and the Code of Claw
The Prophecy of Time is the final prophecy that Gregor must fulfill. The residents of the Underland have taken great pains to hide this prophecy from him and this has led Gregor to understand that it must say something terrible. The prophecy calls for "the warrior's death" and so it is with great courage and heaviness that Gregor embarks on this last of his missions. As the entire Underland finds itself in a massive war and facing a terrible evil, a mysterious new princess arrives to crack the code that the enemy is using to send messages. Great hope is placed in the ability of this princess to crack the code and help turn the tide of the war. Throughout this installment Gregor finds himself contending with his unfolding darker nature as he tries to get his family safley back home and fight a war-to-end-all-wars.

Thoughts on Book 5:
The final book in The Underland Chronicles is very dark, but Collins does not leave the reader without relief. There are delightful moments of tenderness and hilarity to help offset the heavier themes of this book. Ripred's sarcasm provides some much needed chuckles as does the ability of the now 3-year old Boots to turn every place she goes into a playground. It is also here, in the midst of darkness, that we learn about Ripred's past and come to love the crotchety and sarcastic rat.

Gregor and the Code of Claw draws upon some pretty heavy themes. The nature of war, the truly horrific capacity that one person or people group has to commit atrocities against another, and the place of compromise in relationships both personal and corporate. Also explored is the question of fate and whether or not we are destined to a predetermined course of action or if we are free to choose our own paths. This very important idea is looked at in the context of the prophecies.

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Some Final Thoughts

I found this series to be both exciting and emotional. There is plenty of action while not neglecting character development and relationships. It is not difficult to see why I like Gregor and his very charming 2-year old sister Boots, but how did the author make me like and feel empathy for a giant rat, cockroach, and bat?? Ms. Collins gave these creatures (that often leave us squeamish) such poignant and familiar human characteristics that it was inevitable. Ripred is a curmudgeon who hides a deep seated hurt behind his sarcasm and gruffness. He is a very loyal friend though it is not apparent from his surface demeanor. Temp is a cockroach who is, even in the Underland, despised and demeaned by the other "races." He is an underdog who shows great persistence, courage and loyalty despite what others think or expect. Ares, the bat, has a great sense of honor, loyalty and faithfulness. His actions are misunderstood and he is shunned by both bats and humans, yet he continues to live by his noble characteristics. Yes ... this is how the author made me come to love these characters and take them seriously. She made me relate to their loss and grief; their sense of honor, loyalty, faithfulness, courage and self-sacrifice. We know these characters in our own lives.

The Underland Chronicles deals with issues of real and terrible loss. Handled by a less skilllful author these could horrify the reader, but instead Collins uses them to make us care about her characters in a way that is almost unbearable at times. She inserts moments of comic respite and moments of tenderness and joy so expertly that you are able to carry on just when you think it is too burdensome. It is very much like life.

The books in The Underland Chronicles are written for readers in grades 4 through 9 (I've seen the range go up to grade 12), but they will also appeal to many adults. This series is rich in thematic material that gets you thinking. It truly is a read that can be enjoyed and appreciated by almost anyone.

Rating for the series: 5 out of 5

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Note to other reviewers: I would be delighted to add a link to your review if you have reviewed any of the books in this series. Please leave a permanent link to your review in the comments and I will include it as a part of this post.

BOOK REVIEW: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Title: Coraline
Author: Neil Gaiman
Copyright: 2002
Intended audience: Young adult

First line: "Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house."

I decided to continue reading some young adult literature and thought Coraline by Neil Gaiman would be a good choice for the month of October. Coraline definitely has the requisite creepy factor that is a good choice for the weeks leading up to Halloween.

The beginning of the book is reminiscent of the magical wardrobe featured in the Narnia novels by C.S. Lewis. (This should come as no surprise since Gaiman has admitted that the Narnia books were some of his favorites.) Just as Lewis's children are bored and trying to entertain themselves, so is Coraline trying to amuse herself by exploring the new house and grounds to which her family has recently moved. The discovery of magical doorways to alternate universes are the exploratory results of bored children in both stories.

Coraline is curious about a locked door in the sitting room and asks her mother what is behind the door. Her mother unlocks the door using a big, black iron key. Behind the door is a red brick wall. The house was once a large single family residence but has, over time, been broken into a series of flats. Naturally, the opening between two rooms that now belong to separate flats had to be bricked up. Once Coraline's curiosity has been sated, Mother shuts and locks the door and Coraline goes about her explorations.

Later that night Coraline hears a noise and sees a dark shadow. She creeps out of bed and discovers the door in the sitting room is open a few inches. She goes to the door to take a look and discovers that the brick wall has disappeared and a dark corridor has taken its place. Of course, being a curious child, Coraline walks down the hallway only to discover another flat that looks just like hers. Not only is the flat the same, but this is where the "other mother" and "other father" live. The other mother and other father encourage Coraline to stay with them and promise to be more attentive than her real Mother and Father. She can eat all of her favorite foods and play with new and interesting toys. Sound good? Well, maybe ... if it weren't for the disturbingly skewed features of the "other flat" and the fact that other mother and other father have big black buttons sewn onto their faces where their eyes should be! Coraline runs back down the corridor to her own flat and quickly shuts and locks the mysterious door.

Next day Coraline discovers that her Mother and Father have disappeared. After two days, Coraline has determined that the other mother has captured her real parents and she must rescue them. What ensues is a chilling game of "find the missing parents" and "liberate the souls of those previously trapped by other mother." The other flat and other parents gradually begin to warp and look less and less like the real world and more and more like a nightmare. Does Coraline rescue her parents? Does she liberate the trapped souls? Does she escape the clutches of other mother? Well ... I wouldn't want to give away the ending.

Coraline is a modern fairy tale that includes traditional fairy tale trappings similar to those of the Brothers Grimm. The point of the tale though is not mere entertainment and chills; there are lessons to be learned such as the nature of bravery, contentment with what you have, and the importance of family. I can highly recommend this book for older children and adults. It might be a bit too scary for young children.

"Fairy tales are more than true; not because
they tell us that dragons exist, but because
they tell us that dragons can be beaten."
-- G.K. Chesterton