The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily

This children's book, written and illustrated by Italian journalist and author Dino Buzzati, is delightful!  It's an account of how the bears, living in the mountains of Sicily (long-since vanished), and driven by a bitter winter and resultant starvation, decide to go down to the valley to attack the humans, who have food and shelter in abundance. 

The story includes the bears' King Leander, his missing bear cub Tony, a wizard, a vicious sea-serpent, and

The bears eventually triumph in their battle with the men,  and King Leander's rule comes to be appreciated by both bears and men.  But....

...it displeased Leander to see the bears changing under his very eyes. Once modest, simple, patient and easygoing, they were now proud, ambitious and full of capricious fancies.  Not in vain had they lived thirteen years among men.

The story is entertaining and satisfying at every turn!

The Box of Delights

The Box of Delights is a sequel to The Midnight Folk (reviewed earlier) by John Masefield, the longtime poet laureate of England (I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky...)   Kay Harker is older now and returning home from school for the Christmas holidays.   He encounters an old, and rather odd, Punch and Judy man, who warns him that The Wolves are Running.  Commanding the Wolves and other servants of evil is Kay's old enemy, the wizard Abner Brown.  The illustrations in this lovely Folio edition are magical - and some of the story is also quite nice, though, like most sequels, this is not equal to the original in charm and adventure, though the language is still a pleasure.  Here's one nice quote, describing some truly odious pirates:

all bronzed with tropical suns, purple with drink, scarlet with battle, and bloated from evil living

The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore

This wonderful children's book was so moving that I was unable to finish reading it to Henry, Oliver, and Eve - so Henry finished reading it aloud to us. It is even more touching if you know the author's personal history. The illustrations are beautiful, and the book has been turned into an Oscar-award-winning animated short.

(Sorry no links - I'm posting from my phone.)

Spiderman and The Vulture

Spiderman and The Vulture by Henry Brackenbury is a short, can't-put-it-down,  gripping account of a fierce battle between the antagonists of the title.  Forceful illustrations and muscular text drive the story forward.  Spoiler alert:  Spiderman discovers a secret power of The Vulture, but is able to catch him and turn him over to the Police.  A terrific read!

Still more children's books? Really?

We seem not to have commented on The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart - I think I only read two of the three, but they were wonderfully fresh, funny, and extremely clever.  So I just saw The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict on the new books section of one of the best city libraries in the world, our own Cincinnati Public Library!  Well, this "prequel" is not so delightfully new, but, like a second trip to Italy, it's familiar and satisfying, while still offering pleasurable new discoveries.

On a completely different tack, I greatly enjoyed The Midnight Folk by John Masefield, former Poet Laureate of England (1930-67):

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

The Midnight Folk tells the story of Kay Harker, a seven year old boy who seeks to recover a treasure stolen from his grandfather, to whom it had been entrusted. Kay is opposed by a coven of witches who are also seeking the treasure. One (big Spoiler!) is his governess! Kay finds clues through dreams that seem real and leave tangible residues upon waking. He is also befriended and aided by many talking animals, mermaids, and remarkable characters. One such is the fox, Rollicum Bitem, shown in the Folio edition picture above

I crept out of covert and what did I see?
Ow-ow-ow-diddle-ow!
But seven fat bunnies, each waiting for me.
With a poacher's noosey, catch the fat goosey,
Ho says Rollicum Bitem.

Really it's like a delightful mixture of Wind In the Willows, Treasure Island, and Fairy Tales. Quite charming!

The Otterbury Incident

This delightful and entertaining story is written by Cecil Day Lewis, who held the Chair of Poetry at Oxford University and was Poet Laureate of England from 1968 until his death in 1972. (His son is the actor Daniel Day Lewis). This was his only children's book; it's been out of print for some time (I had a used copy sent from England. Interested? I'll loan it to you!) and came to my attention via Hayao Miyazaki's List of 50 Recommended Books for Children, which is now available via an Amazon List. It's a believable "mystery", with much whimsy and humor. Wonderful!

The Graveyard Book

Just finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - well, I have a known weakness for children's books. I heard a good review of this somewhere and I also know that Neil Gaiman is the author of the Sandman anime series. Surprisingly, the illustrations were not done by Gaiman. It's a very good story, with some nice spookiness, and some touching parts. And it was a Newbery Award winner! Strong recommendation for those who appreciate fantasy or spirits (not for you, Linda!)

SCAT

In the days leading out of the Ohio JO Champs, I have read SCAT by Carl Hiaasen. I found this to be a very good book and had the urge to flatly refuse putting it down to do jobs. The narration (Third person) switches around between characters which helps drive the book forward and keeps you reading. SCAT is the third novel in a series of books set in Florida about preserving wildlife. This book deals with a mix of plots and goals including: Returning a baby panther to its mother, successfully and secretly drilling oil on state property, learning to live left handed, finding a missing teacher, and escaping from jail when framed. There is so much going on that this becomes a very interesting and worthwhile read. I highly recommend it.

Harry Potter!

It is time to revive this blog. I've made the last 3 posts, and there's a total of just one post from nuclear family readers Noah, Will, Lauren, & Eileen.

So I'm turning to the most popular reading topic of all: Harry Potter.

I just finished Tales of Beetle the Bard. It is very short, but quite fun. Dumbledore's "commentary" is full of his witty asides. And since profits from the book go to charity, it doesn't feel like JKR is just mining old material. Strong rec to read.

Here's the prompt for blog participation:

How do you rank the Harry Potter books?

My ranking:
Azkaban (3)
Half-Blood Prince (6)
Deathly Hallows (7)
Goblet of Fire (4)
Order of the Phoenix (5)
Sorcerer's Stone (1)
Chamber of Secrets (2)

Let the debate begin.