junior fiction | Lost in a Good Book

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

13 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Classic, General, Junior Fiction Tags: classic, five stars, junior fiction, michael bond

Published: November 3rd 2003
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 159
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington, a most endearing bear from Darkest Peruon a railway platform in London. A sign hanging around his neck said, “Please look after this bear. Thank you” So that is just what they did.

From the very first night when he attempted his first bath and ended up nearly flooding the house, Paddington was seldom far from imminent disaster. Jonathan and Judy were delighted with this havoc and even Mr. and Mrs. Brown had to admit that life seemed to be more filled with adventure when there was a bear in the house

From the very first pages I loved Paddington. There is just something about his sweet, well mannered and innocent nature that makes him special. While there are many books dedicated to the adventures of Paddington this is the first, and the one that explains his arrival in England. Found on the platform of Paddington Station he is taken in by the friendly Mr and Mrs Brown and he soon becomes part of the family.

The adventures in this book are very different from those in darkest Peru and Paddington marvels at everything he sees. His innocent and almost naive nature are a delight, but he isn’t so naive that he gets taken advantage of. He is a very well meaning bear and tries to do what is right, but I do love that he has a very persistent stare when he cares to use it, something that he brings out only for special occasions.

The book is a collection of the adventures Paddington has ranging from buying a coat (the coat) and going to the theatre or the beach. Reading how Bond explains these new experiences is a real joy, Paddington isn’t a child and so his reactions are very logical and reasoned. He says what he sees and he tries to understand as best he can but is not shy from pointing out each and all of his issues. Having come from darkest Peru even the little things we do and take for granted are new, watching him take a bath or ride the escalator and lift are very amusing and the way he handles it is terribly sweet.

This is classed as a children’s classic but I firmly believe this is a book that can be read and loved by everyone. Bond does not talk down to the reader as if he is writing for children, and despite there being two children in the book a lot of the conversation and content is directed at the adults, Paddington appears to have a much better relationship with the adults than the children. He is never once seen as a child but he is a young sort of bear which is different again entirely.

The 50th edition copy I have has a postscript by Bond explaining the impact Paddigton has had on himself and the world. He talks about where the idea came from and what it means to everyone. I do not think reading this changes the story in anyway, in a sense it is almost as if Paddington was sitting at the station, enjoying his life already and Bond simply wrote it down. As Garth Nix said, “Often, I get the feeling that the story is really happening somewhere and all I’m doing is trying to work out the best way to tell it.”

Bond wrote this in 1958 so people have grown up with Paddington for years, and I just need to take one look at Winnie the Pooh to realise that growing older does not mean you do not have an affection for the stories you read as a child. Paddington is practically a national treasure, even Stephen Fry loves him and how can you not adore someone that even the darling Stephen Fry has the greatest respect for.

Please don’t shy away from this book because you think it is for children, it can be read by children, adults and the elderly for eternity with equal love and affection. This is why it has become a timeless classic.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs

06 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Classic, General, Junior Fiction Tags: australia, classic, four stars, junior fiction, may gibbs

Published: June 18th 1985
Publisher: Blue Gum Publishers
Pages: 224
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

The story follows brothers Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, and their adventures in the Australian bush. As well as many friends, along the way they encounter the wicked Banksia Men.

I am certainly glad I fulfil the 7+ category this book seems to have been given. Personally I think when it comes to books like Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Peter Pan, Blinky Bill, any of these classic children’s literature there should be no age. Everyone must enjoy them as soon as they are able. There is nothing in this book a six year old wouldn’t understand, they’d love it.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is practically an Australian institution. I do not know how legitimate these claims are but I think it is a fair call. The edition I own is a very old second hand book from 1984 which incidentally fell apart as I was reading. But before it became two separate sections of stained pages clinging for life with its thin cover the only protection and support, it was the collected works.

What I never realised what how the story of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie came about, yes they were brothers but apparently not exactly. Blown in by the wind Cuddlepie is adopted by Snugglepot’s parents as a baby, and thus the duo was created. Isn’t that sweet? Though I do wonder about poor Mrs Cuddlepie who had her baby blown away by the wind hours after it was born, and never see or hear from it again. That’s gotta be tough.

When the pair grow older they wish to have adventures, stories of the humans pass through the bush and Snugglepot is intrigued and curious of them. Tagging along is Cuddlepie and soon the start of their many adventures begin. In the first book there is an anti human feel about it, understandable of course, but it was interesting the fact that the original story was written in 1918 and the same issues about trapping and arson are relevant. There is a constant threat of death and many characters appear dead until they recover, but Gibbs isn’t shy of making you think they’re dead from whatever horrid thing they’ve experienced. It is what it is, and that’s what makes it great.

As a pair they tend to wander off a lot, often right in the middle of something they had been doing. This I think accounts for the majority of trouble and kidnapping situations they get themselves into. Each of the three main stories are very fast paced and filled with mini adventures that connect together, and there are a lot of new friends and characters to meet. Some of which are reoccurring through all three books, some are only seen once. One of the things that did annoy me was that in one of the most Australian books we’ve got, Koalas keep being called bears. No Gibbs, no! They are not bears! Surely you knew this in 1918, if not by 1918 then by 1934 you had figured it out for your final story? Yes? Apparently no.

So aside from the fact we keep hearing about the “bears” this was a rather quaint and charming little set of books. What interested me was how the Banksia story came about. Everyone knows about the Banksia men, everyone knows they are the enemies of the gumnuts but I was rather surprised to find out why. I am not going to tell you because that ruins them magic, and there is a lot of little magic moments in these stories. They are very blunt and jumpy and seem to just go from one thing to the next like a distracted toddler but they also manage to connect in some strange bizarre kind of way.

Gibbs talks to her readers like she is reading the story to them, in that sense it would work very well to read to your child, again the under sevens. Why over seven? Anyway the animals in this book are for the most part very sweet, and in the beginning I was suspicious of every animal that came along pretty much because lizards don’t generally do nice things for birds and I was confused. But this is a sweet, innocent and joyful story so everyone is nice, and all the bad characters are easily identified to avoid confusion once you realise how Gibbs writes. She also uses a lot of strange phrases which I cannot tell is supposed to be old Aussie rhyming slang or something, or just bush talk that all these creatures use, because it is strange.

The second and third stories follow these same patterns, mini adventures after another, sequels to the previous stories. Other characters get some more history as the stories continue and the continuing adventures of the duo and their friends manages to fill in all the missing information that remained from the previous book. It is rather a good system. You find out more about new places and people, an entire town goes to the dentist, Winky still will not wake, and despite being brothers Snugglepot and Cuddlepie spend a lot of time apart and move in with people very quickly.

There are some grubby bits about death and injury but there are no elaborate details, and Gibbs doesn’t exactly cover death in a deep, serious way. Sure the Banksia men want to drown the gumnuts, sure people get choked a lot, there is also a brilliant conversation that simply goes ‘Why did I get blown up?” to which the reply is ‘It was an accident…they will happen.’ And that they do Ms Gibb, that they do.

The End (#13) by Lemony Snicket

28 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 2 Stars, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Junior Fiction Tags: a series of unfortunate events, junior fiction, lemony snicket, movie, two stars

Published: 13 October 2006
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 337
Format: Hardback
Genre: Junior Fiction
★ ★ – 2 Stars

Dear Reader,

You are presumably looking at the back of this book, or the end of The End. The end of The End is the best place to begin The End, because if you read The End from the beginning of the beginning of The End to the end of the end of The End, you will arrive at the end of the end of your rope.

This book is the last in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and even if you braved the previous twelve volumes, you probably can’t stand such unpleasantries as a fearsome storm, a suspicious beverage, a herd of wild sheep, an enormous bird cage, and a truly haunting secret about the Baudelaire parents.

It has been my solemn occupation to complete the history of the Baudelaire orphans, and at last I am finished. You likely have some other occupation, so if I were you I would drop this book at once, so The End does not finish you.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

Oh Mr Snicket, you’ve done a C.S Lewis on me. How could you! As I finish this final book dubbed “The End” I give you a two. This is a very generous two mind you. You had been building me up for so long, promised me excitement and intrigue, you were making up for the dull start and then…then as book twelve ended you added confusion. Then as Book 13 began you kept me confused, and you took me to a place that made no sense and seemed out of place after all we’d been through. Let’s just quote myself from two book reviews ago shall we? “The ending is certainly being set up to be very exciting and after the hints, clues, and build up Snicket has done, then it should not be a let down.” Oh how wrong I was.

You were grasping at things to tie up your loose ends and some worked, some didn’t. You gave a lot of credit to the readers to piece things together, you seemed to have ignored everything mentioned in the past books aside from names and recapping. Your tangents filled up oh so many unneeded pages, had you run out of story? Had the plot failed you? Why had so much more unnecessariness been added when this was supposed to be the book that made us sit in bed, in our chairs, at the table with a wiggle and a squirm as we saw the pieces come together magnificently and we all went ‘it’s all so clear!’ You hinted, you offered a small amount but nothing like what was expected.

There was a moment, as we refer again back to the dear Mr Lewis who crushed us after being faithful (oh the irony!) for so long, I felt you became a little religious more than once, not as bleeding obvious as Mr Lewis, but golly, there was symbolism and messages by the pageful. And if this was not intended, then what the heck was all that about. I liked these past 12 books, I put up with your failings and odd narrative and writing style and this is how you repay us? I hope there was some religious thing I missed completely otherwise this made no sense whatsoever and it failed magnificently as a conclusion to this great story you has been creating.

I won’t say I liked it and I did not hate it. You balance precariously between the two and if it wasn’t for a few minor things you’d be joining Mr Lewis in his final failings as well. The things you made us sit through these past 12 books as you brushed over them – the murder, the arson, the villainy – all in fun and seen light heartedly. I take nothing of your ‘Unfortunate Events’ philosophy this time and won’t accept it. You changed tones so much in this final book it became depressing, annoying and a little bit mean (we are of course just gonna ignore the amount of unbelievableness in there towards the end no matter how touching it was supposed to be. I’ve been pretty accepting with you before but this was something else).

Your characters were as peculiar as the previous books but when what we knew, what people we knew, what we had accepted and expected changed so much, and in such a strange and confusing way, and seemingly without reason, it just felt wrong. After what these kids have been through and seen and that’s how we’re supposed to believe it went down. I know you tried to imply they changed, but wow. Ambiguity does not work well as a final book Mr Snicket, it’s even worse that you tried to make it concluding. A VERY generous two.

Of course if you wish to continue reading more of Snicket’s books Jess from Bookish informed me that the elusive Snicket has a new book out called Who Could That Be At This Hour? I do remember hearing of this when it was coming out, it is now a New York bestseller it seems. Bookish have posted an excerpt of an interview with him on their site here. I have to say though that like Lewis, Snicket’s last book has made it very hard for me to want to read another of his books for awhile, but please feel free to expand from this series yourselves. I however will need a long time to find the desire to read his work again. I’m sorry Mr Snicket, you elusive strange man, but that is how I feel.

The Penultimate Peril (#12) by Lemony Snicket

28 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Birthdays, Junior Fiction Tags: a series of unfortunate events, four stars, junior fiction, lemony snicket, movie

Published: October 18th 2005
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 353
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Lemony Snicket returns with the last book before the last book of his bestselling Series of Unfortunate Events. Scream and run away before the secrets of the series are revealed!

Very little is known about Lemony Snicket and A Series of Unfortunate Events. What we do know is contained in the following brief list:
-The books have inexplicably sold millions and millions of copies worldwide.
-People in more than 40 countries are consumed by consuming Snicket.
-The movie was as sad as the books, if not more so.
-Like unrefrigerated butter and fungus, the popularity of these books keeps spreading.

Even less is known about book the twelfth in this alarming phenomenon. In this book, things only get worse. What we do know is contained in the following brief list:
-Count Olaf is still evil
-The Baudelaire orphans do not win a contest.
-The title begins with the word, ‘The’
-Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

First of all, happy birthday Mr Snicket (aka Daniel Handler). In the past I have rather ignored Mr Snicket and his role in The Series in my reviews so I feel that before we get into the rather short review we should discuss Snicket’s contribution to these children’s perils a bit more. Wikipedia has done a lot better job at cataloguing his contribution so you can see the full biography here

(Spoilers, Ye Be Warned), but here is a brief unspoiler version hopefully. Snicket is a harried, troubled writer and researcher falsely accused of felonies and continuously hunted by the police and his enemies. Through the series we are never given any real indication why Snicket is recording the events of the Baudelaire children but there is a hint that he is connected to their story in some way. As the series continues we follow Snicket as he tries to stay safe and record the adventures of the siblings, he also has mysterious connections to a multitude of character that don’t get revealed till the end or near end which makes it rather exciting. So happy birthday, congratulations on very cleverly writing your narrative self into a series, it makes it seem a lot more like a dramatic and thriller like affair when you describe the situations you get yourself in to.

On to the review. This book is where the action, the patience and the waiting of the past books comes together. It is by no means the end, nor does it reveal everything, there is a whole other book to go, but it comes pretty darn close.

For the past few books there has been the odd cameo and reappearance of past (surviving) characters but by book 12 it’s like a convention where they all come together. Book 12 gives the allusion of being concluding and it will all come to a head by the end, but you soon realise it acts more like a very long introduction to the final showdown that I assume will occur in the final book.

The Baudelaire children go undercover in a hotel to try and suss out who is a friend and who is foe, and aside from confusing them it is confusing to the reader as well. We are not given a lot of information but you are still given clues and revelations which raise the intrigue over the confusion. You have to stay sharp reading this, as I say there are clues and hints, and while sometimes you end up as confused and as bewildered as the Baudelaires you can also figure things out quicker. It’s a pretty good beginning to the final book. Snicket has brought this together wonderfully and I can only imagine what book thirteen will reveal. I will offer nothing else because it will spoil things by revealing things from this book and past ones but I will say that The Penultimate Peril it is cleverly written and pretty surprising as an almost concluding book.

The Grim Grotto (#11) by Lemony Snicket

27 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Junior Fiction Tags: a series of unfortunate events, four stars, junior fiction, lemony snicket, movie

Published: September 21st 2004
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 323
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Warning: Your day will become very dark – and possibly damp – if you read this book. Plan to spend this spring in hiding. Lemony Snicket is back with the eleventh book in his New York Times bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Lemony Snicket’s saga about the charming, intelligent and grossly unlucky Baudelaire orphans continues to provoke suspicion and despair in readers the world over. In the eleventh and most alarming volume yet in the bestselling phenomenon A Series of Unfortunate Events, the intrepid siblings delve further into the dark mystery surrounding the death of their parents and the baffling VFD organisation.

Violet is now almost fifteen, Klaus has had his thirteenth birthday and Sunny is no longer a baby apparently so this story has been going awhile. School has been ignored and forgotten, most adults are useless and there have been more deaths and murders than you could count. But it is all very interesting, mysterious and unfortunate as the end draws near.
We are introduced to a couple new characters, a Captain and his step daughter. The Captain is a pretty annoying character. His constant aye’s and his ability to blabber does get tiresome. It distracts from Snicket’s explanations about words and phrases a bit though, I can’t tell if these are better written in or I’m tolerating them more. Either way. There are also a great deal of twists and surprises in this book which adds to the drama and takes the focus as well.

There is something I do always forget to mention about these books. It is not all long winded paragraphs and explaining things, Snicket actually makes it clever if you know what to look for. There are references in here that, certainly if you know the references make you smile. Most of these come out of Sunny’s mouth, disguised as gibberish but are real words or references with meaning behind them. The adult jokes within this story are good because it does validate that you can be over 12 and read them. These books are easily read by adults, but the fact they can also be read by 12 year olds is why there are slightly more aspects aimed in their direction.

The structure from the earlier books has long been abandoned and now it’s all action and adventure. This certainly makes the books more enjoyable, we see different sides of characters, they do exciting things, and for the siblings especially, they aren’t having to tolerate being ignored as much, they are more independent and have finally realised that the adults can rarely help them. The adults that do appear try their best, and of course Snicket hasn’t abandoned his narrative and writing style altogether, but a few good non-guardian adults are seeping through the mix. This only adds to the confusion of the overall mystery because they all have their reasons for everything they do, but it is a refreshing change. The ending is certainly being set up to be very exciting and after the hints, clues, and build up Snicket has done, then it should not be a let down.