Book note

When Dreams Came True: Classical Fairy Tales and Their Tradition
by Jack Zipes
1999

A concise history of fairy tales, concentrating on major fairy tale movements in various countries and a few singular personalities (Grimms, Hans Christian Andersen, Baum.) Connects places and times where fairy tales flourished with historical and personal contexts. A no-nonsense history, smoothly presented; also includes a helpful bibliography including numerous primary and secondary sources.

Book note

What I Saw and How I Lied
by Judy Blundell
2008


What I Saw and How I Lied is a languid thriller set in 1947, haunted by the war and its aftereffects. Evie Spooner is an innocent 15-year-old happy to travel with her movie-star-gorgeous mother and successful stepfather on their vacation to Florida. But the past is following them, and Evie must make an abrupt transition from innocent child to wise adult if she is to survive.

Nicely written, with a sense of dread that builds throughout the story, this is a quality young adult choice that adults can enjoy, too. It has an old-fashioned sensibility about it, not just of the time period, but from the compact, careful telling of the story.

Quote

"Bes came over with Lenin's head tucked in the crook of his arm. He'd obviously been having a nibble, as Lenin's forehead was missing -- victim of a frontal choco-lobotomy."

The Throne of Fire
by Rick Riordan
2011

Quote

"However, due to the Puritan hostility toward amusement during the seventeenth century, the fairy tale as a genre was not able to flourish in England."

When Dreams Came True: Classical Fairy Tales and Their Tradition
by Jack Zipes
1999