Thanks for your comments on the previous post. For the record, I want to say that despite my distaste for her book, I think Elizabeth Gilbert would be a delightful guest at a dinner party. I would much rather hear her talk about her paid spiritual journey than read about it.
Over the weekend I read another book, The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. Blog-free Kim first mentioned the book on a bike ride over the summer. During our winter break, she loaned me the audio book, but I wasn’t able to focus enough as I listened, so off to the library went I. As a fan of Harry Potter, I found this installment of the Discworld series just as engaging.
Pratchett takes all sorts of fairy tales and children’s stories–including one of my faves, Peter Pan–and mashes them into his own tale about Tiffany, a nine-year-old witch in training. Tiffany is gutsy, smart (she’s got First Sight and Second Thoughts; I need to develop both myself!), and ethical. In the same way I wanted to be Jo March when I first read Little Women, I can imagine any girl selecting Tiffany as a role model.
Pratchett never writes down to his reader; instead, he seems fascinated by the world he’s created, and that fascination comes through to the reader. He loves his characters, and renders them with precision and care. He has created a number of strong females in this book, and lord knows we need more of those in kids’ lit. The author’s sense of play comes through, and the wisdom he grants Granny Aching informs the novel throughout with such gems as Tiffany’s observation that Granny Aching used words "as though they cost money" and Tiff’s own realization that
"Yes! I’m me! I am careful and logical and I look up things I don’t understand! When I hear people use the wrong words, I get edgy! I am good with cheese. I read books fast! I think! And I always have a piece of string! That’s the kind of person I am!"
I don’t know about you, but Tiffany’s just the sort of girl I wanted to be. And Granny Aching? Well, she’s certainly a paragon among women.
Later…knitting progress and fun with paper. Happy Monday!
Edited to correct per Kim U.’s comment; this is actually the second in The Discworld series! Thanks, Kim!
Thanks for the review/recommendation! It sounds like EXACTLY the type of book my sweet “reader” will love! We’ve got a few Terry Prachett books hanging around here. I’ll have to check and see if Wee Free Men is one of them.
PS For the record, I couldn’t stand Eat, Pray, Love. Until I read your post last week, I thought I was the only one!
Sounds interesting. I have a niece turning eight this spring. Do you think she might like it? She seems a little timid with her reading skills sometimes so this may be something read to her at first. She wants to read The Little Princess herself and refuses to have anyone help her so it’s sitting on her shelf waiting. Very cute.
The first installment of the Discworld series is actually The Color of Magic. Wee Free Men is one of his YA books – a good book, but the actual adult Discworld series is a million times better. Although I would argue the best Terry Pratchett book is Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. Um… sounding a bit like a Terry Pratchett groupie there, I guess.
I loved the Tiffany Aching books! The Discworld series is grea,t as well. I’m becoming quite the Terry Pratchett fan.
I’ll have to check out Terry Pratchett. Have you heard of The Mysterious Benedict Society (Trenton Lee Stewart)? My daughter is reading it, and she keeps telling me how great it is – I get it next.