On Fri, 16 May 1997 13:41:37 -0400 Anastasia McPherson wrote:
>
> >
> > Some of the recent postings concerning sf/fantasy we read as
> > children got me thinking: does anybody know of or own a list of
> > good children's sf/fantasy? Specifically, a girl-friendly one?
> > My mother is head librarian for a small rural library, and she
> > has been bugging me for an anwer to this one (based upon what
she
> > saw me reading as a child, no doubt :) )
> >
> > Thanks all. You can just respond to me, if you like, at:
> > bgray@ece.ucdavis.edu
> >
>
>
>
> Well, I dont know about girl friendly, but here is the stuff that
> I read as a child fantasy wise:
>
> The Chronicles of Narnia - kinda goes without saying.
>
> The Lloyd Alexander books.
>
> Susan Coopers's The Dark is Rising Series - loved this one so
much that I
> can even remember the poem that went along with it -
>
> When the dark comes rising
> Six shall turn it back
> Three from the Circle
> Three from the Track
>
> Wood Bronze Iron
> Water Fire Stone
> Five Shall Return
> And one Go alone
>
> Iron for the Birthday
> Bronze Carried Long
> Wood from the burning
> Stone out of song
> Fire from the Candle Ring
> Water From the Thaw
> Six signs the circle and the Grail gone before.
>
> Now my memory is getting a little fuzzy, but has anybody else read
this
> series by Susan Cooper - I believe that at least one of the books
was a
> Newberry Medalist.
>
> Anything by Madeline L'Engle.
>
> A wonderful book called A String in the Harp set in Wales where a
young
> boy finds a harp tuning key that allows him to travel in time and
relive
> the life of the bard Taliesin whom some say is Merlin and whom
some
> credit with large parts of the Mabinogian. (Incidentally, the Lloyd
> Alexander books are based on the Mabinogian as well.)
>
> Anything by Joan Aiken though these are more Dickensian take offs
as
> opposed to strict fantasy. Anybody remember Dido? Joan Aiken
also wrote
> great gothics for grown ups which have always been a guilty
pleasure of
> mine. Unfortunately, I can no longer find them in the states.
>
> That does it for me for the moment.
>
> Tasia
I agree with all the above, and incidentally, the BBC have just begun
a dramatisation of the Susan Cooper series, starting with Over Sea,
Under Stone.
I would definitely recommend Lloyd Alexander and also Diana
Wynne Jones, perhaps the best British fantasist for children (and for
many adults). DWJ is particularly good for females. Tamora Pierce is
bearable - a poor writer with good ideas; Andre Norton appeals to
girls but tends to use mainly male characters (and as a girl I disliked
her female characters); H.M. Hoover is also good; Monica Hughes is
excellent; Sylvia Engdahl wrote fascinating juvenile sf; Isaac
Asimov's Susan Calvin stories should be on any young girl's reading
list as should some of Robert Heinlein's juveniles....I could keep
going.
One comment, female friendly does not mean good female
characters. Eilonwy in Lloyd Alexander's series is lovely and
challenging even tho' written many years ago. Phillip Pullman's
Northern Lights (called something else in the US I think) dissapointed
me because although every body kept saying the girl was amazing
and important I couldn't see why.
To finish, a plug. The next issue of Foundation: the International
Review of Science Fiction is on children's sf and fantasy. if you are
interested in buying the issue (or even subscribing) , contact Edward
James at E.F.James@reading.ac.uk.
Dollar cheques accepted.
Farah
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