Whilst pursuing this quest so far I have inevitably read quite a few books which did not really fit my self-imposed parameters as 'magical fantasy' (see My Quest posted April '14). Yet a few of them have been truly wonderful books. I set out intending not to spread my net too widely so that this blog keeps its focus - and I will still try to do that. However I could not resist at least briefly recording here a handful of these 'misfits' (in my own terms only) simply because I think they do each deserve a place amongst the greats of recently-written children's literature.
Katherine Rundell's Rooftoppers is a moving and absorbing story. Its writing is as fiercely independent but also as humane and beautiful as its totally engaging characters. The rich, lyrical narrative explores themes of familial love, loss, hope, friendship, determination, bravery and, not least, the importance of both books and music. It contains one of my all-time favourite quotes, 'Books crow-bar the world open.' It is another truly important work of children's literature and will surely become a classic in the very best sense. This book lifts you to the Paris rooftops and uplifts you in so many other gentle but profound ways too.
Bobbie Pyron's The Dogs of Winter has its origin in true-life newspaper reports of a street boy in Moscow who lived for a period as a member of a pack of feral dogs. Yet it is far more than a re-telling of facts, it is a profoundly insightful, imaginative reconstruction. The writer gets right inside both the boy, Ivan, and the reality of his bare existence on the streets. She also reconstructs painfully and movingly the circumstances and treatment that brought him there as well the cruelties he continues to meet. Equally she seems able (as far presumably as anyone can) to get inside the minds of the dogs too. This author clearly knows dogs and their behaviours intimately and it shows most tellingly in her writing of this tale. Although much about the story is inevitably harrowing, at its heart it is about the almost redemptive love that Ivan develops for and with the dogs. As might any book that combines the gruesome maltreatment of a child with aminals there are times when this one comes close to sentimentality, but it always manages to stay just the right side of the line - and is all the more moving for it. The Dogs of Winter seems to have commanded relatively little attention, here in the UK at least. It deserves far, far more. It is another wonderful and important piece of storytelling that ought to become a children's classic in the future and a must-read in the present.
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