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Kevin Crossley-Holland

7/5/2012

1 Comment

 
PictureMediaeval Christmas Fair in Siegburg
As I've got older and find more and more books I want to read, I've always reserved some space on my Book Pile (tottering as it is!) for new children's literature. In my last job there was a superb library with an exemplary librarian, blessed with a generous budget, so there was always an exciting shelf on the library counter with New Books displayed on it.  That's how I came to discover the joys of Kevin Crossley-Holland's marvellous Arthur trilogy, starting with The Seeing Stone, later followed by Gatty's Tale. These are the sort of books you treasure, that will never be in the de-cluttering bag, though from time to time I do spot them in the charity shops. When I do I snap them up, ready for giving to young people I come across who love reading. And, because I want to support the author and help keep him in bread and butter, I also buy new copies from time to time for birthday and Christmas presents.

If you haven't read them yet, I do heartily recommend them, for  "children of all ages", as it used to say in the Puffin books! And for those poets and poetry-lovers among you, he also writes beautiful poetry. 
http://www.kevincrossley-holland.com

1 Comment
Martin Johnson link
6/5/2012 10:48:10 pm

I love these books too, especially Gatty's tale. I don't think they're really mainstream reading though - the reader has to do quite a bit of work to keep up with the story - not that I think that's necessarily a bad thing. In the first three books the 'flashbacks' to the other Arthur became intrusive at times I felt, and the alternative story becomes increasingly surreal - quite a dense read for children who aren't avid readers. Great writing though! Mart

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    Lifelong bookworm, love writing too. Have been a theatrical agent and reflexologist among other things, attitude to life summed up by Walt Whitman's MIRACLES.

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