Terry Pratchett
Harper Trophy, 2004
Nine-year-old Tiffany doesn't care a fig for her baby brother. She resents the fact that he usurped her place as youngest child, resents having to watch over him all the time. So when she notices a strange creature lurking in the stream near her home, she doesn't hesitate to use her baby brother to lure the monster out so she can give it a good whack with a frying pan (before it gets anywhere near baby brother, of course).
Tiffany's bravado impresses a band of small, blue-skinned rouges that go by the name of Nac Mac Feegles, otherwise known as the Wee Free Men. When Tiffany's baby brother goes missing a few days later, they tip her off that he's been stolen by the queen of a nightmare fairyland that's invading Tiffany's world.
Armed with her frying pan and accompanied by a mob of tiny rebels, Tiffany marches into fairyland. It isn't so much that she cares about her baby brother. It's that the queen stole something from her, and Tiffany means to get it back. But in order to do so, she has to discover another weapon--the magic inside herself.
This book is Terry Pratchett at his best. Lively humor from the antics of the Feegles, cunning word play, delicious satire, deep beauty, and ancient wisdom all play together to create this delightful coming-of-age story about a young witch-in-training named Tiffany. Recommended for ages nine and up.
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That sounds yummy. I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteYou should, Leisha. If you've never read Pratchett before, this book is a perfect place to start.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds fun, Rebecca. I don't like how she uses her baby brother as bait. I don't like kids getting hurt and generally steer clear of stuff that would make me cry.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm being a party pooper, but this plot follows dangerously close to Labyrinth with Jennifer Connelly.
I do think my kids would love this read! I'll let the know!!!
:)
Both Labyrinth and Wee Free Men draw on an archetype, a folklore tradition that goes way back. People get nabbed by the fairies all the time. You see it in the old Scandinavian tale, "East of the Sun, West of the Moon."
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