What a thrill to discover this gem from the witty and endlessly inventive Joan Aiken

- Chris Riddell,

Joan Aiken's invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon. She was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight for many years to come

- Philip Pullman,

She was a consummate story-teller, one that each generation discovers anew

- Amanda Craig, The Times

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A writer of wild humour and unrestrained imagination

Oxford Companion to Children's Literature

A delightful whimsical set of stories about young Mark and Harriet Armitage and the fantastical things that just happen to them, where if the lawn is full of unicorns you can count on their father to rush out and try to stop them eating the roses. These stories are funny and often unexpectedly poignant. They also don't have a wasted word or scrap of information. They're both charming and genuine in a way that few things manage

- Jo Walton,

Inexhaustibly imaginative, Aiken was one of the twentieth century's greatest children's authors. Witty, zany and entirely sane, this is a necklace of diamonds

- Amanda Craig, New Statesman

Often bonkers stories, always written with cut-glass precision . . . Aiken is a superb storyteller

The Times

She's one of the most important and interesting children's fiction writers of the last fifty years

A writer of wild humour and unrestrained imagination

Oxford Companion to Children's Literature

A delightful summary of one side of Aiken's talent: whimsical, funny, a series of brilliantly imaginative ideas stitched together with dream logic... It is the mixture of irrepressible gaiety and invention with the tragic that makes Aiken one of the great children's authors...impossible to calculate the number of people who have enjoyed her books - who have had some magic injected into the mundane

Sunday telegraph

Joan Aiken is a superb storyteller who refusal to skimp on sophisticated language, and the Armitage parents' droll indifference, is guaranteed to give children and parents a Ready Brek glow

The Times, Children's Book of the Week

FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE'She's one of the most important and interesting children's fiction writers of the last fifty years' NEIL GAIMAN'What a thrill to discover this gem from the witty and endlessly inventive Joan Aiken' CHRIS RIDDELL'She is one of the writers I admire most in the world' KATHERINE RUNDELL'She was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight for years to come' PHILIP PULLMAN'The most swooningly romantic story you'll ever read - The Serial Garden' FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE'I wish we'll have two children called Mark and Harriet. And I hope lots of interesting and unusual things will happen to them. It would be nice if they had a fairy godmother, for instance. And a phoenix or something out of the ordinary for a pet. We could have a special day for interesting and unusual things to happen - say, Mondays. But not always Mondays, and not only Mondays, or that would get a bit dull'As a result of their mother's honeymoon wish, Mark and Harriet Armitage have a fairy godmother, a pet unicorn and are prepared for anything life can throw at them (especially, but not always, on a Monday): hatching griffins in the airing cupboard, Latin lessons with a ghost, furious Furies on the doorstep and an enchanted garden locked inside a cereal packet. Life with the Armitages can be magical, funny, terrifying - but never, ever dull.'A delightful summary of one side of Aiken's talent: whimsical, funny, a series of brilliantly imaginative ideas stitched together with dream logic . . . It is the mixture of irrepressible gaiety and invention with the tragic that makes Aiken one of the great children's authors . . . impossible to calculate the number of people who have enjoyed her books - who have had some magic injected into the mundane' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
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Joan Aiken, classic author of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, wrote the Armitage family stories from when she was a teenager onwards. This is the first time the stories have been collected together.
What a thrill to discover this gem from the witty and endlessly inventive Joan Aiken
She was a consummate story-teller, one that each generation discovers anew - The TimesJoan Aiken's invention seemed inexhaustible, her high spirits a blessing, her sheer storytelling zest a phenomenon. She was a literary treasure, and her books will continue to delight for many years to come.A writer of wild humour and unrestrained imagination - Oxford Companion to Children's LiteratureShe was a consummate story-teller, one that each generation discovers anew - The Times
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780349005850
Publisert
2015
Utgiver
Vendor
Virago Press Ltd
Vekt
307 gr
Høyde
198 mm
Bredde
167 mm
Dybde
30 mm
Aldersnivå
JC, 02
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
448

Forfatter
Illustratør

Biographical note

Joan Aiken (1924-2004) was born in Rye, Sussex. She was the daughter of the American poet Conrad Aiken, and her step-father was English writer Martin Armstrong. Joan Aiken wrote over one hundred books for young readers and adults and is recognised as one of the classic children's authors of the twentieth century. Her best-known books are The Wolves of Willoughby Chase chronicles and the Arabel's Raven series, but she is also famous for her brilliant short stories. Joan Aiken received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the United States as well as the Guardian Award for Fiction. She was decorated with an MBE for her services to children's books.