crazyforlatin Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) Until farrarwilliams mentioned this author in another thread, I forgot to use one of Jones' books as a read aloud. We haven't even seen Howl's Moving Castle or read any of her books. We just finished Summerland and Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairlyland, so we're used to books that are bit quirky, maybe even more complicated than at first glance. I have a younger child but she is not sensitive to scary or violent plots, maybe even prefers these to bland plots/descriptions. What's the first Jones' book to begin as a read aloud? ETA: Maybe I should list a few below.... Howl's Moving Castle The Chronicles of Chrestomanci Year of the Griffin Edited June 21, 2012 by crazyforlatin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Well, Howl's Moving Castle is a good one to start with. We did Charmed Life and I think that's a good one to do too. I know I said I liked it more, but my kids did enjoy it and it could lead you to reading all the Chrestomanci books. Archer's Goon might be another possibility or Tale of Time City. I just adore her stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 Well, Howl's Moving Castle is a good one to start with. We did Charmed Life and I think that's a good one to do too. I know I said I liked it more, but my kids did enjoy it and it could lead you to reading all the Chrestomanci books. Archer's Goon might be another possibility or Tale of Time City. I just adore her stuff. You know you just made it more difficult for me to decide, right? :D Other than you, I never see her books recommended here. I wonder why. Is there just too much magic and sorcery? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 We are big fans of her books. I think part of it is that I don't know how well she lends herself to be a read aloud. My older son has devoured her work, but he did it on his own. I mean, I know she is fine for being read out loud, it just wouldn't be the first thing I would think of. That said, I don't really read out loud to my 6th grader. I gear it towards my 7 year old and the elder listens in. Often it is stuff we already read to the elder when he was 7. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I love Dianna Wynne Jones. Her books are wonderful. You can also try Tamora Pierce. I love her Circle of Magic books and still cry when I get to the end of Briar's book every time. And you know the sequel to Circumnavigated comes out this fall, right? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 We are big fans of her books. I think part of it is that I don't know how well she lends herself to be a read aloud. My older son has devoured her work, but he did it on his own. I mean, I know she is fine for being read out loud, it just wouldn't be the first thing I would think of. That said, I don't really read out loud to my 6th grader. I gear it towards my 7 year old and the elder listens in. Often it is stuff we already read to the elder when he was 7. I see, the books are for older kids who would read it to themselves anyway. Well, I cannot read any of Brian Jacques out loud, not for lack of trying. The author does an excellent job however, although it took us a couple of days to figure out his accent. Now he's like an old friend to us. DH doesn't like reading out loud Freddy the Pig, even though Dd loves that pig. So I hope Jones' books won't have the same reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 21, 2012 Author Share Posted June 21, 2012 I love Dianna Wynne Jones. Her books are wonderful. You can also try Tamora Pierce. I love her Circle of Magic books and still cry when I get to the end of Briar's book every time. And you know the sequel to Circumnavigated comes out this fall, right? :D I know! October is too far away in my opinion. I read the news on another thread. Dd didn't like Alice in Wonderland, and wouldn't even allow us to finish it. But she loves September, just not Alice. I can't figure it out. Thanks for recommending Pierce - I'll take a look at her books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Have you read the short story she wrote that gives Mallow's back story? http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/07/the-girl-who-ruled-fairylandfor-a-little-while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Thanks for recommending Pierce - I'll take a look at her books.IIRC, your child is quite young. I think Pierce is best left for when they start to get hormonal. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Oh, and I vote for Howl. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 IIRC, your child is quite young. I think Pierce is best left for when they start to get hormonal. :001_smile: Good to know, and that's several years away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) Have you read the short story she wrote that gives Mallow's back story? http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/07/the-girl-who-ruled-fairylandfor-a-little-while Oh my! I have to forward this to DH. He really got into this book and was trying to find people to discuss it, since really how in-depth can you get with DD? :001_smile: Edited June 22, 2012 by crazyforlatin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Oh, and I vote for Howl. :D Ok, I just needed someone to pick out one for me. :D. Our library has a lot of her books, so I'll see if I can get it this evening, and then we'll go next to Charmed Life if we all like Howl. Maybe even watch the movie version in a couple of weeks. Who was is that linked us to that paper Howl castle in the general forum? Not you, right? Maybe stripe? It looked really complicated but lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Be aware-Wynne-Jones has at least one book which is MUCH more adult in nature. I don't know how commonly available it is (my undergraduate school has an SFWA depository library and one of the largest Sci-Fi fantasy collections in the USA, including every book DAW ever published, and I read it there), but I remember being VERY surprised when a group of female magicians decided that the best way to save the Earth from this parallel group trying to use it was via "Kamakaze Sex". It wasn't terribly explicit, but still... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 (edited) Be aware-Wynne-Jones has at least one book which is MUCH more adult in nature. I don't know how commonly available it is (my undergraduate school has an SFWA depository library and one of the largest Sci-Fi fantasy collections in the USA, including every book DAW ever published, and I read it there), but I remember being VERY surprised when a group of female magicians decided that the best way to save the Earth from this parallel group trying to use it was via "Kamakaze Sex". It wasn't terribly explicit, but still... Yeah, I don't think I would want to explain that to DD. :lol: Thanks for the warning. We will be reading her books as read alouds. I borrowed a few and we'll start with Howl first. I hope it's not Howl that we'll find the above scene, cuz that would make DH :D and Dd go :confused:. Edited June 22, 2012 by crazyforlatin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Yeah, I don't think I would want to explain that to DD. :lol: Thanks for the warning. We will be reading her books as read alouds. I borrowed a few and we'll start with Howl first. I hope it's not Howl that we'll find the above scene, cuz that would make DH :D and Dd to go :confused:. It's A Sudden Wild Magic. I think it's a fairly rare book, given the prices listed at Amazon. Piers Anthony also gave me some "Huh???" moments for similar reasons in that college library, since my association with him was Xanth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 It's A Sudden Wild Magic. I think it's a fairly rare book, given the prices listed at Amazon. Piers Anthony also gave me some "Huh???" moments for similar reasons in that college library, since my association with him was Xanth. Thanks for the title. I didn't see that title in our library's system, so probably no risk of accidentally borrowing it. Hmmm, I just told DH about that scene and his eyebrows shot up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieuog Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 I'm quite a fan of "The Ogre Downstairs". Very funny and true to life (in the '70s!), with enough magic to be intriguing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 For some reason now, DD is using Girl who Circumnavigated as a standard for our read aloud, so Howl is not all that for her. :001_huh: We read aloud a couple of chapters, and I suppose Sophie is a bit older than I presumed. We're going to give it another go this evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Aw. I want everyone to love Diana Wynne-Jones! There's not anything quite like The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland out there so she'll be left wanting with everything! Oh well... maybe try Moomintrolls next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Aw. I want everyone to love Diana Wynne-Jones! There's not anything quite like The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland out there so she'll be left wanting with everything! Oh well... maybe try Moomintrolls next? I'm not giving up. I got a bunch of her books, so I'm ready to whip out another one tonight. We did Moonintrolls, just one book, but I'm going to get another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 I'm quite a fan of "The Ogre Downstairs". Very funny and true to life (in the '70s!), with enough magic to be intriguing. Thanks, I think our library has this - Dd does like stories with ogres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Or try The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. The first book is Dealing with Dragons. I get the giggles every time I read them, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Or try The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. The first book is Dealing with Dragons. I get the giggles every time I read them, This. Don't be put off if they're shelved in YA; the series is appropriate for all ages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Dd really loved Enchanted, even though it has a slight romance angle, but it's more about being an independent, intellectual girl who happens to decline Latin nouns (DD really digs that kind of storyline). In fact, I don't think I got a chance to borrow the last book. Maybe that's why Howl is not working temporarily because we don't see Sophie's true spirit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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