For some, it is Charmed Life that stands out as their favourite book by this acclaimed author. Certainly the world of Crestomanci, either as boy or magician, is an enticing one, however, for me the book that stands out as my personal favourite is Fire & Hemlock.
It’s a story of lost memories, growing-up, and the awakening of the self. It’s a story that I can come back to again, and again, and each time, and each time come away with a little more. Just like the urns, in the garden of the big house where Polly first stumbles upon and steals the fire and hemlock picture, which can be turned to read something different from each direction: Now Here, Where Now, Nowhere – so the book conjures up something different with each reading.
Diana Wynne Jones, is prolific, having penned over forty books, both for young children, and older teenagers, and yet the line between the two is often as thin as the line between the worlds that she creates. Witch Week, has to be the ultimate forerunner to Harry Potter in the school for magic stakes, whilst the story of Polly, Tom Lynn, remains an inspiration in ‘real-world’ fantasy.
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So that’s it. Two hundred words exactly – my appreciation of my favourite contemporary children’s writer for the Novel Approach Competition. Please, tell me what you think, and correct my spelling and grammar (I know at least two of you who will be only too happy to help with that! *grins*)
i love that woman. have you read dogsbody? i thought it was brilliant. i will have to look for fire & hemlock.
Dogsbody is brilliant. As is Power of Three, and yes you should read Fire & Hemlock. ^__^
For some, it is Charmed Life that stands out as their favourite book by this acclaimed author. Certainly the world of Crestomanci, either as boy or magician, is an enticing one, ((I’d put a semicolon here)) however, for me the book that stands out as my personal favourite is Fire & Hemlock.
It’s a story of lost memories, growing-up, and the awakening of the self. It’s a story that I can come back to again, and again, [[and each time,]] and each time come away with a little more. Just like the urns[,] in the garden of the big house where Polly first stumbles upon and steals the fire and hemlock picture, which can be turned to read something different from each direction: Now Here, Where Now, Nowhere – so the book conjures up something different with each reading.
Diana Wynne Jones[,] is prolific, having penned over forty books, both for young children[,] and older teenagers, and yet the line between the two is often as thin as the line between the worlds that she creates. Witch Week[,] has to be the ultimate forerunner to Harry Potter in the school for magic stakes, whilst the story of Polly, Tom Lynn, remains an inspiration in ‘real-world’ fantasy.