No. 83 - A Series of Unfortunate Events

Unfortunate could not be more fitting, in fact it could even be thought an understatement, considering what happens to the children in these books! Many of you will be familiar with Lemony Snicket's series through the recent adaptation of the stories for Netflix, and you may even have seen the 2004 film starring Jim Carey as creepy Count Olaf. I'll be honest though, the popularity of A Series of Unfortunate Events bemuses me rather.... 

As you will know from reading my previous posts I'm not really a fan of anything that's a bit dark. I like my books jovial and heartwarming, although I also like a bit of intrigue and mystery, but we'll save that for another day! I chose the start right at the beginning with the Lemony Snicket books and read the aptly named The Bad Beginning for this post. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't feel instantly enamoured with a book that warns me off on the first page! The Bad Beginning starts "If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book."*. Great, I thought! This book is not for me.... I read on..... "In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle."**. This was going to be a jolly read then! But against my better judgement I read on! And frankly, I shouldn't have done! The book was depressing from page one, until the very last, just as it said! 

I'll give you brief outline of the misfortunes that befall the Baudelaire children.....

SPOILER ALERT, if you plan to read the books or haven't watched the Netflix version yet!

• Firstly, the children's parent die in a housefire! They loose their home, their parents and all their possessions. Not the best start to the story I can tell you. 
• Then they get taken in by the executor of their parents' Will, a Mr Poe (who coincidently shares his name with the great gothic poet....!? I think not!) His wife makes them wear horrible itchy clothes, frankly adding insult to injury! 
• The Will states that they must be raised by a relative... enter the despicable Count Olaf.... Da Da Daaa! 
• The Count is EVIL!
• His cronies are EVIL too! And really rather odd.... There is a man with hooks for hands, and bald man with a very long nose, an androgynous giant, and two very pale ladies. Along with the strange Count Olaf, they wouldn't have looked out of place in a old travelling circus...
• The only upside to living with Olaf is the nice lady who lives next door, who is a judge and has a library! I was willing the children to tell her about their mistreatment, but of course they don't! If they did the story might have actually perked up!
• Olaf hatches a plan to get the children's fortune (they are very rich, see). This involves getting Violet, the eldest, to marry him so he is entitled to the fortune! 
• She must go ahead with it, or her baby sister Sunny will be dropped from a thirty foot tower to her death..... Cheery! 
• Violet manages to trick the Count, and the marriage is never declared legal! Mr Poe orders Olaf's arrest and it all ends happily ever after with the children going to live with the nice judge. Well thats good news, surely, I hear you cry... oh no... sorry, no can do..... 

At this point the book offered me a way out of this cycle of doom... "If you like, you may shut the book this instant and not read the unhappy ending that is to follow. You may spend the rest of your life believing that the Baudelaires triumphed over Count Olaf and lived the rest of their lives in the house and library of Justice Strauss..."***. Oh, was I tempted!!

But alas, I wouldn't be fulfilling my challenge if I didn't read to the end of book, so unfortunately I had to.... and the declaration on the first page was not a lie! There was no happy ending! Count Olaf escaped capture, to terrorise again! And the children had to go back to the Poe's house to go into the care of another relative, but who.....?

It's safe to say that I didn't enjoy The Bad Beginning, this book was not for me! But maybe i'm missing something, because these books, the film and the subsequent TV series seem to be very popular!

Thanks for reading, L x

(*Lemony Snicket, *p.1, **p. 1, ***p.156)

No.85 - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken is a bizarre book. I'd describe it as a bit like Jacqueline Wilson's Hetty Feather, with hints of classic books such as The Secret Garden. Published in 1962, it also has stylistic echoes of Philippa Pearce's Tom's Midnight Garden, published just five years earlier. Aiken's book is set in a completely fictional era of British history, ruled over by Good King James III, in which the Channel Tunnel has already been built, allowing huge packs of wolves to come through the tunnel into Britain and cause havoc! You can see why I said it was bizarre now can't you!? The first half of the book is rife with wolf attacks, which reminded me of both Wuthering Heights and Dracula. I felt that this book was full of little nods to other texts, whether this was intentional or not I don't know, but it made it all the more enjoyable. 

The story is a dark and mysterious tale, following the misfortunes of young cousins Bonnie and Sylvia. Bonnie is the richer of the two cousins, living in a grand house called Willoughby Chase with everything she could possibly want, and kind, loving parents. Sylvia lives in a small room in London with her elderly aunt, who is struggling to cope with looking after both of them on her meagre income. She sends Sylvia to live with her brother, Bonnie's father, and so the story begins.

Bonnie's parents leave for warmer climes, and her father leaves the two girls, and the estate, in the care of the new governess, and his distant cousin, Miss Slighcarp, who is bad news!! I won't give too much away, but she has her sights on the Willoughby Chase fortune! She instantly transforms life at Willoughby Chase, and telling Bonnie her parents have both drowned, she sends the girls to a school for orphans in a nearby industrial town. Here they are treated terribly, and it was this part of the story that reminded me of Jacqueline Wilson's book about the foundling Hetty Feather. Bonnie reminded me of Hetty in her bold and unbreakable attitude towards this cruel life, plotting escape, keeping herself well fed and looking after Sylvia too, who becomes very ill. Bonnie and Sylvia are helped to escape by Simon, a boy who breeds geese on the Willoughby Chase estate. The three of them travel up to London (with the geese) to find Bonnie's father's solicitor and put everything to rights.

The characters in this book are all really endearing, and we see them change over their adventure, particularly Sylvia who goes from being a very meek and fragile girl, to strong and confident character. Like a Dicken's novel, some of the characters names echo their personality traits, something that I think is useful in novels for children, signposting which characters to side with, and which to dislike! The governess is called Miss Slighcarp, as I've already mentioned, indicating her sneaky, and indeed sly, characteristics, and her accomplice is a Mr Grimshaw, who sounds instantly nasty! Mrs Brisket is the lady that runs the home for orphan girls, and is also in on the plot to steal the fortune. Her name suggests to me a strict and sharp lady, perfect for cruelly disciplining innocent children! In contrast to these characters, the friendly characters in the book seem to have names that echo nature, something that is portrayed as a positive force throughout the book (apart from when the wolves are around!). Bonnie's parents are Lord and Lady Green, an obvious link to nature and the earth, and on their journey the children meet Mr Wilderness the herbalist and blacksmith, and Dr Field, who are both very helpful. Lastly there is Mr Gripe the solicitor, whose name initially indicates that he might be a bad character, and we are not sure who's side he is on until the very end. However, it turns out that he had no idea about the antics of Miss Slighcarp, Mr Grimshaw and Mrs Brisket, and so the whole thing was a bit of headache for him, hence the name Gripe of course! 

Despite being a rather bizarre concept, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was a really enjoyable adventure story, with hints of other much loved children's books and adult novels woven into the narrative, and recognisable in the characters too. I would recommend this book for adults and children alike. It's a bit scary to start with, with all the wolves and mysterious men, but it becomes much more child friendly as the story goes on, and you end up really routing for the characters. 

Thanks for reading, L x

Next up, a classic picture book, Handa's Surprise.

Mental Health and The Illustrated Mum

I recently re-read Jacqueline Wilson's brilliant novel The Illustrated Mum with the view to writing my first MA assignment on it. However, things changed, other ideas came up, and i'm off on a different tack now, but I couldn't get this book out of my head. So I thought i'd share a few of my thoughts about it with you.

 If you haven't read it, and think you might want to, I'll give you a quick heads up.... this post contains SPOILERS!!!

The Illustrated Mum is a story about two sisters Star and Dolphin, and their mum Marigold. Marigold is no ordinary mum, she's creative, covered in tattoos, likes to party, and dresses like a teenage girl. There is nothing of the traditional mum about Marigold! But there's something else you need to know about Marigold, she has bipolar disorder.

Jacqueline Wilson has always tackled tough, and you might even say taboo, subjects in her literature for children; adoption, loss, broken families and mental health issues being just a few. Although she had a conventional and happy upbringing Wilson has an amazing ability to enter the heads of children in tough situations and really sympathise with their issues, worries and concerns. She tackles tricky subjects with honesty, compassion and huge emotional complexity. Her characters jump off the page at you, and are so appealing that you just can't help but fall in love with them. Wilson's books are life-lines for children suffering with the same issues as her characters, giving them encouragement and telling them it will be ok. Even if those issues are just the trials of growing up, Wilson is there for her readers. I would certainly put her up there with J.K Rowling as an author of life-saving books!

Seen through the eyes of the youngest daughter Dolphin, The Illustrated Mum charts the peaks and troughs of a parent with bipolar disorder. We see Marigold at her best and her worst, and everything in between. It is a candid look at mental health and how it effects not just the sufferer but the people around them.

A major cause of Marigold's unhappiness is her break up with Star's father Micky. She holds on to his memory, hoping that he will come back to her, but when he finally does return, he only wants his daughter, Star. The pain this causes Marigold sends her into a dark place, and it is here that this book takes on a whole new light. We are introduced to Marigold's manic episodes quite gently, with her obsessions with Micky and her tattoos, and her childlike behaviour. But as the book continues we frequently see her drinking far too much, and neglecting her children. At no point however, does Wilson imply that Marigold is a bad mother to her girls, and you never feel like you should dislike her. Marigold doubts her own abilities as a mother, but we are never explicitly told that she is a terrible mum. Dolphin is constantly reassuring her that she is good enough and that they love her very much, a reminder of the unconditional love between child and parent, despite the problems they might face. Star on the other hand, the elder of the two girls, is very aware of her mother's "bad behaviour". She has had to take on the role of "mother" instead, looking after Dolphin and Marigold as well as her school work, and she works very hard at both. Often having to make sure that she and her sister eat, she is a much more reliable mother figure than Marigold is. So when Micky appears in her life and offers her a "normal" life, away from the stresses of looking after Marigold she jumps at it! She leaves her mum and sister behind to go to Brighton to live with her Dad. She is supposed to take Dolphin with her, but ever loyal to Marigold, she refuses to go.

This is when the story changes. At the loss of both Micky and her daughter Marigold's bipolar disorder becomes markedly worse, and eventually she has a breakdown. Dolphin finds her in the middle of night, painted head to toe in white gloss paint, almost glowing in the darkness; a ghost. The passage is quite frightening, and the spectral imagery is haunting. You feel for this child, who has no choice but to deal with the horrific events unfolding in front of her. Trying to wipe out her tattoos in an attempt to become what she considers a "normal" mother, Marigold has painted herself white, and refuses to move until the paint has dried, muttering to herself and staring into space. A panicked Dolphin tries to get the paint off of her, but both the stubbornness of the paint and the stubbornness of Marigold prevent her from doing so. She has to call an ambulance and Marigold is hospitalised.

Still in primary school, Dolphin has to deal with so much, far too early. Wilson's ability to get into the head of her characters really allows you to feel what Dolphin is feeling, especially as the book is written from Dolphin's point of view. Reading this book as a child I don't remember this scene as quite so horrific. As an adult I actually found it quite disturbing, and I felt a great emotional pull towards Marigold, as well as Dolphin. I think Jacqueline Wilson deals with the issue of mental health in a sensitive and non-judgemental way. We are never seeing Marigold as just her illness, but instead as a person. We are constantly reminded that she is a woman, through the repeated motif of her tattooed body. Each chapter is named after, and features, one of Marigold's tattoos, making her body the structure of the story itself. Although the story focuses on her mental health issues, Wilson also portrays her a real person; someone with a huge personality and enormous creative flair. As an adult reader I found the character of Marigold hugely appealing, whereas I think a child reader would feel much more drawn to the girls.

We are only just breaking down the taboos concerning talking about mental health, and its 2016! Jacqueline Wilson wrote The Illustrated Mum in 1999! You could say she was ahead of her time in some respects. These days teen fiction deals with mental health issues quite freely, but in 1999 a book aimed at an even younger audience was addressing one of the biggest issues of our time, and doing it with style, sensitivity and care.

Thanks for reading, L x

No. 91 - Saffy's Angel

In the last week or so i've had so many ideas for this blog that I think my head might explode!! I've made lists of things that i'd like to try out, so hopefully there'll be a lot more than just book reviews happening in this space soon! If you read my last post about books vs films then you'll have got a little flavour of things to come, including more engagement with children, and topics other than the books that i'm reading. I'm really hoping to expand what Little Bookworm is about! 

Anyway, today is another review. This time its number 92 on my list, Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay.

The title seemed familiar and when I read the synopsis I realised that i'd read this book when I was younger, so I was quite interested to see how I would feel coming back to it as an adult. The story is about Saffy, a 13 year old girl who goes to Italy in search of a stone angel left to her in her Grandfather's will. I can't remember my exact opinion of this book from when I was small, but i'm afraid to say that as an adult reader I found the story a little thin, which is a shame. However, what I absolutely love about this story is Hilary McKay's characterisation!

The story centres around the Casson family, a loveable, but truly chaotic family of six. Bill and Eve Casson are artists, and their three children, Cadmium (Caddy), Indigo and Rose are all named after paint colours, which is a really lovely touch. Saffron (Saffy) is adopted, she is the daughter of Eve's sister, who died in a car accident whilst living in Italy. Her name does not appear on the paint chart in their kitchen, and this was how she discovered that Bill and Eve were not really her parents. McKay deals with the concept of adoption in a gentle and sensitive way by placing great emphasis on the closeness of the Casson family children, including Saffy. She refers them as a pack. They all stick up for each other, each offering their own individual strength to family life, and this is how they muddle along together.

Each character has their own individual quirky nature, making them wonderfully endearing, and this is what I love about this book! Caddy, the eldest, is scatty, away with the fairies a lot of time, and breeds Guinea Pigs in the front garden! She dreams of studying Zoology at university and going to work in Africa, just as soon as she manages to pass her A Levels. Then there is Indigo, the only boy of the pack, he has dreams of becoming an Arctic explorer once he's faced his fears and feels brave enough to leave his sisters. He spends a lot of time sitting on the outside edge of his window sill confronting his fear of heights! The smallest Casson child is Rose, known to her siblings as Permanent Rose, because she was very poorly as a baby but now she's not going anywhere (coincidently, it's also a paint colour). She loves art, and is always painting something, somewhere in the house; she also eats paint which her mum believes made her a stronger baby! Mum Eve, spends all her time painting in her shed and unfortunately sometimes forgets she has children to look after, hence the need for the Casson kids to stick together. Their long-suffering dad Bill spends most his time in his London studio, escaping the chaos that is his family! And finally there is Saffy, not a true Casson, but loved by them all the same. She is much calmer than the others and has a bit more of a grasp on reality. As you can see McKay has excelled in creating characters that really grasp the readers attention. By giving so much background and character information within the story readers can identify with the characters in the best way possible; as if they were their family or friends, or even themselves. Even I found myself wishing that I had a sister like Caddy, and thinking wouldn't it be nice to live in a house like theirs. However, realistically I don't think my nerves could take it!! I'm more like Bill Casson than i'd care to admit!

Despite being a fairly ordinary story of a teenager on a journey of personal discovery, McKay manages to create a whole extraordinary domestic world in which it can happen. From the house itself, to what's for dinner, the Casson's slightly dysfunctional home life is a joy! I am pleased to say that there are three more books in the Casson family series, and despite not loving this story, I feel compelled to read the next books to find out what happens to these wonderful characters as they grow up! The Casson family is not a family you can forget about quickly!

Thanks for reading! L x

Next up is The Brilliant World of Tom Gates by Liz Pichon.

No.94 - A Wizard of Earthsea

I'll be the first person to admit that fantasy is not really my bag. I've read a bit of Terry Prachett and Neil Gaiman, and of course Harry Potter, but i've never tackled the likes of Tolkein for example! So when I was confronted with A Wizard of Earthsea I was interested to see how i'd enjoy it. Unfortunately, it was not for me! 

I don't want to be super critical of this book, but there were certain aspects that I struggled with. Originally published in 1968, A Wizard of Earthsea is a coming of age story about a young wizard searching to find his true self (sound familiar!?). Before reading this book I'd read that A Wizard of Earthsea could be considered a forerunner to boarding school/fantasy stories such as The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy and the Harry Potter series. This filled me with hope, as I really enjoyed both of these! However, the boarding school part of this story was extremely brief, and quite early on in the story. The entire plot was what I would term 'flitting', jumping from one thing to the next, leaving the reader feeling a tad confused. I felt there were many moments where I was left wanting just a little more story, or information. As a younger reader I feel I would have really struggled to keep up with the narrative, especially as the location was constantly changing, along with the array of characters and even their names. 

Names play a huge role in this story, as the hold the key to the true version of things, ie. characters and animals have their given names and their true names. Just explaining this to you has confused me, and gives you an idea of how complex this story is. By the end of Chapter One, Duny, the main character, is given his 'true name', and is referred to as Ged for the rest of the book. I know it sounds silly but it took me a while to understand what had happened and who Ged was, so I can imagine that for a child this would cause some confusion! 

The language and narrative style were also quite complex, and I found it much easier to read it out loud than in my head! I'd like to take this moment to apologise to anyone who had this book read at them over the last few weeks! Set around an archipeligo of islands there were lots of really odd place names such as Vemish, Iffish and Gont. Le Guin refers to all these places like you've been there, know exactly where they are and who lives there, which makes it even more confusing! There are sections where she explains locations and their mythology, which in some ways was helpful, but the way it was written was quite dense. However, she also provides some rather helpful maps, which made it much easier to chart Ged's journey! 

Our hero sets loose a dark shadowy beast/creature/thing which continues to follow him around the archipelago trying to kill him... I think! Every time he faces this thing it weakens his powers. The book is mainly made up of him sailing around, trying to run away from it! However, after consulting his mentor Ogion the Silent (a fine example of one of the names in this book, but not as good as Kurremkarmerruk the Master Namer, which i'm still not sure how to pronounce!!) he decides to go after the beast, and the book culminates in their face off. I shan't tell you anymore in case you fancy trying it out for yourself! Personally, it was quite a slog for me, but if you're used to fantasy fiction then you might really enjoy it!

Thanks for reading X

Next up, the children's classic Thomas the Tank Engine by Rev. W. Awdry