Back in time (or not?)
I read an excellent article in one of last Sunday’s papers, where children’s author Jennifer Bell, whose most recent story, Wonderscape*, features time travel, discussed her own favourite children’s books with a similar theme. Two of her suggestions were established classics, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden. These are books I have known and loved for what feels like most of my life and I think any child who does not read them at some point will have sadly missed out. However, another of her suggestions, When You Reach Me by renowned American author Rebecca Stead, is a much more recent title. I knew I had a copy around somewhere. Remembering that I had enormously enjoyed it when I read it about ten years ago (before I started this blog) I sought it out to re-read. That led me on to revisit two other relatively recent books that explored something of the same concept and that I knew I had been equally blown away by, The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge (which I reviewed in May ‘19) and No True Echo by Gareth P Jones (reviewed Feb ‘16) ). I was no less enthralled by any of them second time around and back-to-back they provided one of the most thrilling, and mind-expanding, theme reads I have had for quite a while.
Reaching forward (or back?)
I was certainly right about When I Reach You. It is one of the masterpieces of recent literature for young readers. Superficially, it chronicles the relatively mundane events of a short period in the life of a young New York girl. These include the loss of one friend and the making of new ones, the problems surrounding her walk to school and incidents while helping out in a local sandwich outlet. The author is brilliant in taking us right inside the thoughts and feelings of her protagonist, Miranda, and suffuses her first person narration with wit and insight. Yet much of what happens seems relatively unremarkable, with the only overt highlight of Miranda’s life an invitation for her single mother to be a contestant on a TV game show. However, from the start, Rebecca Stead threads this story through with several deeply intriguing mysteries, seeding both clues and red herrings subtly through events and developments. Perhaps most remarkable of all is the way she eventually draws together what have appeared disparate narrative strands into a totally remarkable conclusion, that shakes the very foundations of many of our assumptions as a reader. It is such clever, imaginative, moving, enthralling and deeply humane writing.
A long time (ago?)
Christopher Edge has done a superb job recently in creating imaginative fiction that explores with children some really very difficult concepts in contemporary science. His latest book, The Longest Night of Charlie Noon, remains in the same vein, but takes this even further by adding a philosophical, metaphysical, almost aesthetic, element too. It is his best book yet, which is saying a lot, because they are all outstanding. The long night of this latest title is spent in a ‘wild wood’ where many things happen, in many ways and on many levels, whose dimensions most certainly include that of time. It is a rich story of staggering surprises, the meaning of which lies within the essence of the very tricks played on both characters and reader. It is a most important book, which carries within it an real challenge for young readers, in their lives as well as in their reading. (For a more extensive discussion of the book please refer back to my post in the blog archive.)
Echos of the past (or future?)
Gareth P Jones, has written a good number of highly entertaining children’s books, mostly in a lighter vein, and very funny they are too. However his rather more serious No True Echo, is, in my view, his finest novel to date. It explores big issues, essentially life and death, through a complex, multi-dimensional narrative, where time ‘distortions’ play a very prominent part. Yet it is not without humour and is highly engaging, as well as puzzling, shocking and moving. It is no easy, or altogether comfortable, read and is perhaps for a slightly older audience than some of his other titles. However, it rewards hugely and deserves to be far more widely read and accaimed than perhaps it has been so far. Appropriately, its time will come around, I am sure. (Again, for a much fuller appreciation I refer readers back to my original review.)
More or less?
Each of these novels is a wonderful example that ‘less is more’, even, or perhaps especially, in children’s fiction. They do not condescend one iota to their young audience, but understand children profoundly and reach the universal through the particular in ways that are deeply moving. They are each truly mind-boggling, both in their challenge to conventional thinking and in the consummate skill of their crafting. They are three of my favourite books. Although not completely new, they should still be available. In fact the Rebecca Stead title has just been reprinted in the UK. They are well worth seeking out and should have a prominent presence in homes, libraries and classrooms.
*High on my TBR pile. Her Uncommoners books are a delight.