It’s the most magical time of the year: time for the annual The Dark is Rising readathon. If you’ve never encountered Susan Cooper’s classic, it’s not too late – join us from December 20th for a whirlwind of myth and magic told in lyrical prose that will leave you with goosebumps.
childrens
Top Ten Tuesday is was created by The Broke and the Bookish, and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It’s all about books, lists and sharing the love we have of both with our bookish friends. This week, we’re looking at the best wintry reads…
Young Cam is tasked to journey to a distant city with a letter and a dagger that he can’t get rid of – no matter how he tries. Hunted through the wilderness, he realises he has been tricked into more than just carrying a message. But the city and its cats need a Seroster. Can Cam avoid the fate being forced on him?
Rapacious Outworlders have occupied Taan for its natural resources. Tensions are rising within the local population, with the warrior caste agitating for war and the temples seeking a peaceful resolution. Hope rests on the shoulders of a rebellious young prince: will he lead his father’s troops to battle or make peace with the sisterhood?
In the powerful conclusion to the Sequence, the Dark comes rising for its final confrontation with the Light, when the fate of the world will be decided. The Six must retrieve the last Thing of Power and avoid the traps set by the Dark if they are to reach the Midsummer Tree in time.
Will Stanton is sent to North Wales to recuperate from a serious illness.
Certain that he has forgotten something important, he finds himself in the thick of conflicts both ancient and modern as the power of the Grey King stirs against him. Can the Light steer its forgetful servant in the right direction, or will the Dark claim the Thing of Power buried under the mountain?
When the grail is stolen from the British Museum, the Drews are invited back to Trewissick to help Gumerry retrieve it. But with only a week’s holiday – and a strange boy called Will Stanton tagging at their heels – how can the children find the space and secrecy to complete their quest?
It’s nearly Christmas, and Will Stanton is turning 11. As if puberty and buying presents for 9 siblings weren’t hazard enough, he awakens on his birthday to discover he is the last of the Old Ones, fated to seek the Signs of the Light and stop the Dark from rising.
It’s easy to be snarky, but this festive classic is guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.
The Drew family are delighted to spend the summer in Trewissick with Great-uncle Merry.
When the three children discover a crumbling manuscript in the attic, they think they’ve found an adventure to occupy their time.
But the ancient map holds the secret to a long-lost treasure that could tip the balance in the age-old battle with the Dark. Uncertain who to trust, the children find themselves in a race to the finish against forces more menacing than they had ever imagined.
It’s December, and the second worldwide The Dark is Rising Readathon has kicked off. I’m joyfully embracing this as an opportunity to re-visit a childhood favourite, although I shall be adopting an accelerated reading schedule (a book a week, finishing the sequence before New Year) rather than the gracefully staggered but protracted schedule that has you read each book at the time of year in which it is set.
For those who would like to jump on board, more information is available on the official website, and there’s already much discussion on the Facebook Group and Twitter feed. Many thanks to Danny Whittaker for organising us all.
When my inner child dragged my beloved to see the fourth Indiana Jones film, he didn’t put up much of a fight. When we came out, his piquant review was ‘Thank you, Mr Spielberg, for pissing on my childhood’ (needless to say, he didn’t put himself through all the Star Wars ‘prequels’). This neatly sums up the hazards of revisiting childhood favourites – even when the same creator revisits a work, there’s no guarantee it will be a success (Mr Lucas, I’m looking at you).
Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Secret Garden: nothing like a bit of fresh air to make you feel better
Mistress Mary (quite contrary) is orphaned by a cholera outbreak in India, and shipped to Yorkshire to be the ward of her remote uncle. Left to her own devices with nobody but a well-meaning maid to keep an eye on her, she spends much time outdoors and quickly blossoms from a tiresome little tyrant to a curious, energetic girl. When she begins discovering the secrets of the forbidding house and its tragic gardens, she brings magic and hope that changes the fates of all its inhabitants.
Never fear, R Dragon is here! The sequel to the fabulous Green Smoke takes a rather different format, as R Dragon decides that if Sue can take holidays so can he – so he will come to visit her in St Aubyns. Dropping a dragon into modern (*cough* ish) society can’t be done without a few ripples, and he is soon called on to act in the town pageant and then dragon-napped by some entrepreneurs from a rival town (who find they’ve got rather more on their hands than they bargained for). Thankfully, the friendly removal men who gave him a lift from Cornwall are soon on the case to get him back to Sue and his star turn on stage…
This gave me goose bumps. It has been at least 20 years since I last read or listened to it, yet it remains so very familiar – not necessarily in plot details, but in the very phrases of the prose. As a result, I can’t be remotely objective about it. I loved it as a child, and it didn’t fall down as an adult – if anything, I was belatedly amazed at just how young I fell in love with it (6? 7?), given the reading age / vocabulary and challenging concepts.
Okay, I admit it – there’s some long-term fuzzies for me in this reread, which may be skewing my star rating. You know what? I don’t care.
Young Sue stumbles across Mr R Dragon on her first day of a 2-week visit to Constantine Bay, and the two quickly forge a friendship based on a shared love of iced buns, stories, and genteel politeness (they meet when Sue buries a paper bag that the dragon has accidentally sneezed out of his cave).
onemore.org 