{Review} Roald Dahl doubleheader! Revolting Rhymes & George's Marvelous Medicine

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Published by Bantam Skylark (first published 1982)
Softcover, 54 pages
ISBN 0553153617
Genres: children's fiction, classics, fairy tales, fantasy, humor, magic, poetry, YA

3/5 stars: The little guy and I read this together in just a couple of sittings, the poetry being a nice change of pace from the prose we've been reading. Gabriel loved all of the big, full-color pictures, once again by the irresistible Quentin Blake. I had to do a little editing of... unpleasant words. Not as much as in The Twits, though there were a couple instances of the word "hag" and once of "slut". I certainly wasn't expecting the latter and am mildly irritated to have encountered it in a children's book, even one by Roald Dahl. All in all, though, nothing to get too worked up about. The stories themselves are amusing versions of the classic fairy tales Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood. They have highly original twists (just wait til you meet Little Red) and were a fun and extra-bloodthirsty departure from the traditional stories. While the poems are entertaining and Gabriel and I enjoyed them, we both still prefer Dahl's entirely original books. There is a flair about the latter that any traditional tale is not going to be able to touch no matter how flamboyant the version. Revolting Rhymes is only fifty-some pages, so if you're a hardcore fan of Dahl or any of these tales, take an hour and read it! If you're not, skip it and go read The Witches instead.

George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl

Published by Puffin

Softcover, 96 pages

ISBN 0140346414

Genres: children's fiction, classics, fantasy, humor, magic, YA

4/5 stars: George Kranky is a young boy who lives on a nice but boring farm with his nice but boring parents. It seems nothing exciting ever happens and to make matters worse, his grandmother, who lives with them, is insufferable. Whenever George's parents are gone it's up to him to take care of her, and on this particular lonely Saturday morning, he has had enough. After being bossed around, instructed on how to grow down instead of up (as those who grow up become increasingly stupid) and on the merits of eating lots of slimy insects ("Caterpillars give you brains"), George begins to formulate a plan to get back at his grandmother. He will mix up the weirdest, most magical medicine he can muster and give it to her in place of her real medicine. The results are quite unexpected, though definitely magical, and have the added bonus of the Krankys quite possibly being rid of the old grouch forever (at least George hopes so after his parents swiftly help him resolve any ethical issues he has). This was so much fun to read and with all of the medicine mixing and stirring, there were lots of opportunities for miming the actions and keeping a small kid highly entertained. Gabriel is still talking about this story and really likes George, who is indeed a very sweet and imaginative character. As always, this book is complemented with the talents of Quentin Blake, though there are even more illustrations than usual. This made Gabriel extra happy because George is featured on almost every page. George's Marvelous Medicine is perfect for reading out loud because while the narration is already wonderful throughout, there are extra bits of humor tossed in specifically for the adult reader that make it hilarious. I'm sure Gabriel would agree that if you enjoy Roald Dahl, this is not a book to miss.

Mary Beth

{Review} The Witches by Roald Dahl

The Witches by Roald Dahl
Published by Scholastic, Inc. (first published 1983)
Softcover, 208 pages
ISBN 0590032496
Genres: children's fiction, classics, fantasy, humor, magic, YA

5/5 stars: As I've mentioned before, the wee one and I have started reading chapter books together before sleepytimes. I always give him the choice between 2 or 3 books and this is the very first one he chose. He has a long-standing fascination with witches, magic and all things deliciously "spooky". This was perfect. A little creepy, a little subversive, always wickedly good fun.

"A REAL WITCH gets the same pleasure from squelching a child as you get from eating a plateful of strawberries and thick cream.
"She reckons on doing away with one child a week. Anything less than that and she becomes grumpy.
"One child a week is fifty-two a year.
"Squish them and squiggle them and make them disappear.
"That is the motto of all witches."

After which comes a description of a typical child-entrapment with a helpful illustration by Quentin Blake. The characters are so much fun, my favorites, of course, being the little boy who narrates and his Grandmamma. They are spunky and charming and very memorable. While I don't want to give anything away, The Witches has perhaps the absolute sweetest ending I have ever encountered, and it made me just a little teary. I'm pretty sure Gabriel's favorite characters would be the witches themselves, and believe me, they were something. As it turns out, a witch has claws instead of fingernails, forcing her to always wear gloves. She is bald, meaning she must always wear a scritchy-scratchy wig (and oh! the things it does to her scalp!). She has extra-large nostrils with which to smell out children. The center of her eyes will change color and dance with fire and ice. She has no toes and has to force her squared feet into feminine pointy shoes. Her spit is "blue as a bilberry", Grandmamma explains. And The Grand High Witch? She can do powerful dark magic, frizzle witches whom she is annoyed with, transform her face with a flesh-like mask, and come up with a "giganticus plan for getting rrrid of every single child in the whole of Inkland!" Gabriel was in heaven the whole time we read this book, cuddling up even closer when the story got particularly spooky. We have been reading some fantastic children's literature, but none of it has quite measured up to The Witches. Both I and the wee one very highly recommend it!

Mary Beth

{Update} A New Baby! & {Review} Roald Dahl's The Twits

{about me} has been updated!

Welcome back! So much has happened this year and it is unbelievable August is here yet again. First of all, after our losses and much grief I am currently 29 weeks pregnant! Baby Iris is due in October and we couldn't be happier. Gabriel, who has recently turned four (I'm still feeling flabbergasted by this), is thrilled at the prospect of a baby sister and can't wait for her arrival.

My wee devil and I have always read picture books together, though recently we have begun to enjoy chapter books before sleepy-times as well. The other day we finished Roald Dahl's The Twits and here is what we thought...

The Twits by Roald Dahl

Published by Puffin Books, 1980

Softcover, 76 pages

ISBN 0141318309

Genres: animals, children's fiction, classics, fantasy, humor, YA

4/5 stars: Wickedly funny. The kiddo, who just turned 4, and I read this together and, as always, Dahl's quirky and utterly original narration combined with Quentin Blake's whimsical illustrations were a hit. Between Mrs. Twit's balloon-fueled flight into the sky, the talking monkey Muggle-Wump and his family, and their delicious revenge on the Twits, culminating in lots of upside-downness and THE DREADED SHRINKS, we're going to be hearing about this book for a long, long time. I did do a little light editing throughout the book as Mr. Dahl has a certain affection for the word "hag", which I don't want my child adding to his vocabulary at any point, and a few other phrases that a 4 year old might find a little too tempting to use in a not-so-joking manner. This wasn't a big issue, though, and certainly didn't affect how awesomely fun The Twits was to read aloud. Highly recommended by both myself and my wee devil!

Roald Dahl has become a fast favorite of my son's and I expect to enjoy many more rather wicked stories with him (and Iris!) in future. I am looking forward to this so very much. I thank you heartily for dropping in and hope the rest of your weekend is fabulous!

Mary Beth

{Review} The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1) by Maryrose Wood

The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #1) by Maryrose Wood
Published by HarperCollins, 2010
Hardcover, 267 pages
ISBN 0061791059
Genres: adventure, children's fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, humor, mystery, YA

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Found running wild in the forest of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children. Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. But mysteries abound at Ashton Place.

My review: Maryrose Wood has a charming writing style, similar to that of Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket), though not so close that it seems... suspicious, if you know what I mean. She has created an awesome heroine in Miss Penelope Lumley, a no-nonsense yet kindly young lady who takes a position as governess to the "Incorrigibles", three children the master of Ashton Place found in the forest on one of his frequent hunting trips. While the children, around 10, 8 and 5 years of age, are obviously siblings nothing more is known about them, and if their manners and language skills (or lack thereof) are any indication they have been living in the forest for a very long time. Lady Constance Ashton, the mistress of Ashton Place, is a self-centered and spoiled young woman of around 20 who recently married Lord Ashton. While she tolerates the presence of Miss Lumley and the Incorrigibles she would be more than happy for them to go straight back from where they came. Miss Lumley has other plans, however, planning on keeping the children safe in her care for as long as possible, even if it means getting put on Lady Ashton's least-favorite-persons list. She frequently bolsters her fortitude with the pithy sayings of the headmistress at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, where she received an excellent education and much practical training. She frequently gives herself serious little pep talks worthy of L.M. Montgomery's heroine Anne Shirley, and I'm sure they would have found each other to be kindred spirits. The children, dubbed Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia by Lord Ashton, adore Penelope and have great dramatic flair, reveling in reciting and performing such literary pieces as Longfellow's "The Wreck of the Hesperus".

This was an extremely fast read and I'm looking forward to reading The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place #2 and #3: The Hidden Gallery and The Unseen Guest respectively. A fourth in the series is slated for publication in 2013 as well! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, Skellig by David Almond, or simply likes quirky writing with lots of literary references, precocious children, and fun illustrations. Thank you so much for dropping in & I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Incorrigibles below!

Mary Beth

{Review} The Color of Magic (Discworld #1) by Terry Pratchett

The Color of Magic (Discworld #1) by Terry Pratchett
Published by HarperTorch (2000), originally published 1983
Paperback, 240 pages
ISBN 0061020710
Genres: adult fiction, adventure, fantasy, humor, magic, science fiction

Synopsis: The Color of Magic is the first book in the Discworld series, introducing the reader to Rincewind the wizard (of sorts), Twoflower the tourist, and the Discworld itself, of course, which is home to an eighth magical color, octarine. After a catastrophic fire tears through the Disc's twin cities, Ankh-Morpork, Rincewind and Twoflower are tossed into adventure after adventure involving trolls, heroes, gods, monsters, dragons, and an increasingly cranky piece of Luggage, eventually leading them to the very edge of the world.

My review: This was a fun book- a lighthearted, extremely humorous romp of a satire. Never taking itself seriously, it addresses some of the less savory bits of human nature and our world. Nothing is sacred in The Color of Magic and I think that's a bit of the point; it's certainly a book that aims to keep things in perspective for the reader.

I really like the characters, especially since Rincewind and Twoflower, the main protagonists, complement each other so well. Rincewind is cautious, a little paranoid (he has reason to be), very accident-prone, and just a little cynical. Twoflower is overly-confident, trusting, extremely optimistic, and apparently un-killable. It's amazing how a reader can identify equally with characters so diametrically opposed. I also adore the Luggage, a chest made of sapient pearwood with hundreds of little feet and a measure of sentience (not to mention a temper); it is more companion than inanimate object and has a story line all its own. There are a slew of characters and Mr. Pratchett weaves them in and out of the story so skillfully their entrances and exits don't disrupt the narrative in the least.

The tone of the novel is extremely enjoyable as it is intelligent but not superior. There is a magic about the narration that is reminiscent of children’s and YA novels, though Mr. Pratchett has here and there slipped in adult undertones (that tend to be quite funny). For so many of the incidents in this book being completely ludicrous, they come together to form a mostly coherent and very memorable story, which is about as much as anyone from Discworld can hope for.

I greatly enjoyed this book and I understand that Mr. Pratchett never intended to write a traditionally formulated story. However, the endlessly meandering nature of the narrative did, at times, slow me down and sap a little of my enthusiasm. A bit more direction would have been nice. I’ve heard, though, that a few of the wrinkles present in the first volume are ironed out later on, and Mr. Pratchett’s writing style becomes even better as the series progresses.

I would recommend The Color of Magic to just about anyone because even if they’re not already a fan of fantasy/science fiction, it’s a great introduction.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Discworld and its lovely (and not-so-lovely) inhabitants, so please leave a comment below if you are so inclined. I hope you have an awesome evening!

Mary Beth

{Review} The Carnivorous Carnival by Lemony Snicket & A Trip to the Library

I began reading Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events several months ago, before I started consistently writing reviews. So, the first volume I have reviewed is #9, The Carnivorous Carnival. I could conceivably go back and write reviews of the first 8, but I don't feel right doing so since it's been quite some time since I read them. Therefore, as strange as it may seem, I will simply review the final 5 installments. Here is my review of...

carnivorous, indeed

The Carnivorous Carnival (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9) by Lemony Snicket

Published by HarperCollins Publishers, 2002
Hardcover, 286 pages
ISBN 0064410129
Genres: adventure, children's fiction, fantasy, humor, mystery, YA

My review: 5/5 stars. I have enjoyed all of the Snicket books, but this one is my favorite thus far. The plot really starts to pick up, questions begin to be answered, and, while all of them are good, this one is less repetitive than certain others (*cough* ...The Miserable Mill... *cough* *cough*). I love the cliff-hanger ending (ha), letting you dive right into the next book with less of a preamble from the author. Don't get me wrong, I love Lemony's cynical and often snarky ramblings, but not necessarily at the beginning of every volume. This was a nice change of pace. Something else I really like is Sunny's character development in this book. She starts developing her own interests and taking a more active, less passive part in the story. I must admit, I was starting to lose interest in this series, but it has certainly been revived by this episode. I can't wait to read #10!"

This evening my husband stayed home with our son, and I headed off to the library. I came home with a pretty good stack and I can't wait to start one all of them. Let's see, I picked up...

• The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
• Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
• The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• Redwall by Brian Jacques
• Mossflower by Brian Jacques
• Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

I know not all of these books are fresh off the presses (Redwall is 25 years old, for pete's sake). However, I hope that if I'm curious about them someone else will be too. If there is a book in the above list you are particularly interested in, let me know in the comments below and it will be one of the first ones I read. Otherwise, I'm going to simply grab one and start furiously reading. We don't keep things too scientific around here. I'll be back soon and in the meantime, happy reading!

Mary Beth