Talking about books from long ago....

In a previous post, I spoke about Doctor Who and how much of an influence it had on my reading and writing. But what about the books I read as a child that I still remember fondly? As I sit here now and look back, the most prominent books can be summed quite easily:

• First and foremost it should come as no surprise that Doctor Who gets a mention again. Back in the seventies and early eighties, the BBC commissioned Target books (no relation to the shop!) to do novelisations of Doctor Who episodes. How excited I was to see books about my favourite show, often written by the television writers themselves. The covers stood out with the various Doctors and monsters from the story in dramatic poses. They weren't long books, roughly coming in a 150 pages but they were perfect reading for a 8 year old kid. I think that's why SPIRIT OF THE MOON is about the same size; it's a great introduction to reading for any child, not too taxing and you get a complete satisfying story, the same as I did with those old Doctor Who books. I don't know what happened to these old books, but I'm scouring second hand book stores now to complete the collection. If you see any, let me know!

• The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe: What can I say that hasn't already been said? Probably one of the most recognisable fantasy novels after Lord of the Rings and a childhood favourite. Forget the movie, give this as a gift to your children and watch them be transported away to Narnia, through a magic wardrobe, to another world. Just a magical book and a series I need to catch up on. 

• The BFG by Roald Dahl: When I was in grade five, Ms. Tucker our teacher, used to read to us everyday from whatever book was chosen at the moment. There is only one book I remember and that is the BFG. Why? Mostly for the whole class laughing at the chapter where the Giant does 'Whizzpoppers' but for the real imagination behind the story. A friendly giant, from a land of unfriendly giants, accidentally befriends a young girl named Sophie. Through her eyes we get to see his strange and wonderful world of Snozzcumbers and Bloodbottlers. Just a real treat to read and a must have for all kids. I read my sons copy not long ago and it's still a timeless piece of children's fiction. (There's also a section in the first chapter of SPIRIT that ,now I think about it, was unconsciously influenced by BFG. Try and spot it when you read the book)

I'm still waiting patiently for the post to deliver the proof copy of my book. Hopefully it will arrive this week and we'll get to see some movement for the publication!

Have a great week and keep on reading!