The Places You Will Go

No Confusion

By DAPHNE LEE

From Tots to Teens, StarMag

PROFESSOR Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, announced two weeks ago that he would be leaving his post as professor of science and understanding at Oxford. One of the things Dawkins plans to do during his retirement is to write "a children's book on how to think about the world - critical thinking contrasted with mythical thinking."

Dawkins wishes to warn children about the dangers of believing in "anti-scientific" fairytales, including fantasy and science fiction. He was quoted in several British papers saying, "I would like to know whether there is any evidence that bringing children up to believe in spells and wizards has a pernicious effect. So many of the stories I read allowed the possibility of frogs turning into princes and I'm not sure whether that has a sort of insidious affect on rationality. Perhaps it's something for research."

Dead Good

Review by DAPHNE LEE

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
By Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 289 pages
(ISBN: 978-0747598848)

THIS book opens with a murder - three murders, actually - and yet, I would call it a comforting book. A man, Jack, is sent to kill a family of four, including two children. The opening paragraph contains the description of a knife, its handle and blade wet with blood. But, yes, on the whole, a warm and fuzzy book.

The title would not suggest that it's a cozy story. Nor does the cover, which shows a pale, gaunt man and a skinny kid standing in a cemetery. Flip to the back and there is a picture of a thin and ghostly woman astride a pale horse.

Jack succeeds in killing all but one member of the family. The toddler escapes by wondering off into the night and ending up in a graveyard where he is protected by the spirits of the people buried there. A ghostly couple, Mr and Mrs Owens, want to adopt him as they never had children of their own. The toddler is named Nobody (later called Bod), because he looks like nobody but himself, and given the "freedom of the graveyard", which ensures his safety so long as he stays within its environs. He also gets a guardian, Silas, who is not a ghost and also not human. Silas is his link to the world outside the cemetery. He brings him food and books, and organises his lessons (there are several school teachers buried in the graveyard).

Silas is a mysterious and intriguing character - probably a vampire although Neil Gaiman never calls him one. His friend, Ms Lupescu, who cares for  Nobody when Silas has to go on a "business" trip, is also something more (or is it less?) than human. Both are refreshingingly unlike fiictional depictions of other-worldly beings, more practical and less inclined to take themselves too seriously.

Still, hardly the stuff comfort-reads are made of, huh? And yet, is it just the sort of book you want to curl up with on a gloomy, rainy day, a mug of hot chocolate at your elbow. It has many thrilling, nail-biting moments; it is a mystery and an adventure story, but it is also a heart-warming tale about a boy making his way in this unfriendly world with the help of friends and family. It is a book about love and loss, learning to trust, making mistakes and finding yourself. It's a book, despite its setting, about Life.

Bod is an extremely likeable kid - as capable of petulance and pigheadedness as the next child, but basically a thoroughly personable chap. I especially like his ability to keep his wits about him in stressful moments; his willingness to admit and learn from to his mistakes; and the kindness he shows to others - not simply casual kindness either, but also acts that are a result of empathetic thought and effort.

To Twit or to Twat!

By DAPHNE LEE

From Tots to Teens, StarMag

THIS is probably old news to those who keep up with the latest in children's lit, but I thought I'd write about it anyway as the subject would probably interest parents and educators - especially those with charges who enjoy reading.

A couple of weeks ago, acclaimed children's author and former British children's laureate, Jackqueline Wilson, decided to remove the word "twat" from her latest novel, My Sister Jodie. It seems Wilson made her decision following complaints made by a 55-year-old woman, who had bought the book from hypermarket chain Asda, for her great-niece. The woman wrote to Wilson and, on getting no response from the author, complained to Asda. The chain stopped selling the book for a brief period. Since then, Wilson has announced that "twat" will be replaced by "twit" in future editions of the book!

The question is whether or not "twat" is a word that should be in a children's book. In My Sister Jodie it is used by a nasty character to describe someone. The word shows just how unpleasant he is and it's unlikely that he would be satisfied with "twit" as a replacement. Therefore, I think that, in this case, the use of the word "twat" is completely justified. Context is important and it's not as if Wilson was inserting expletives willy-nilly into the book.

Are Children's Writers Required to Be Role Models?

From Tots to Teens, StarMag

WOULD you refuse to buy your child a book because it was written by, say, George Bush? Or ... Pol Pot? How about if someone found a brilliant picture book written and illustrated by the "exotic dancer" Rose Chan? Would the fact that she removed her clothes for a living stop you from allowing your kids to enjoy a book by her? Or what if it suddenly came to light that Enid Blyton was a cocaine addict? Would this cause you to confiscate your children's complete set of Famous Five mysteries?

Earlier this month, one of The Guardian's literary bloggers wrote about how publisher Random House has decided to add a clause to their standard contract for children's books that allows the company to "delay publication/ renegotiate advance/ terminate the agreement" if the author behaves in a way deemed unsuitable for someone who works with or is "associated with" children.

The blogger, author, illustrator and journalist Sian Pattenden, apparently received an email from the Society of Author's Children's Writers and Illustrators Group about the said clause. Reading Patenden's post I am reminded how, very occasionally, when I swear or tell a filthy joke (very often indeed), I am reminded by whomever I'm with that I write a children's book column and have, in fact, written four picture books and so, should behave accordingly. My response in these instances is, "What the f***?"

Life's a Bitch

The YA Book Club at Borders will be held for the first time on Friday, March 14 at 7-10pm,  at Starbucks, Borders, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The session is open to 14-21-year-olds. All registered participants will receive free complimentary tall coffee of the day and a Borders Gift Certificate.

For enquiries call 03 7725 9303 or email [email protected].

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath is the featured book.

Celebration of Life

The winner of the Costa children's book award is Ann Kelley for The Bower Bird.

The book is about love, life and death seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl with congenital disease. It's the sequel to Kelley's The Burying Beetle.

The winners in the other categories are:

First novel
Catherine Flynn for What Was Lost.

Novel
AL Kennedy for Day.

Biography
Simon Sebag Montefiore for Young Stalin

Poetry
Jean Sprackland for Tilt

Sink Your Teeth In

A human girl and a luscious male vampire decide to go steady. A werewolf offers the girl an alternative (hot-blooded) romance. Obviously, some females attract all the right monsters.

Fan art of Bella and Edward, the human-vampire lovers in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series.

Junior reading Room

Communicating with someone solely through notes stuck on the fridge door ... isn't that sort of what most of us do, leaving messages on each other's Facebook page?

I have said the weirdest stuff to people on Facebook that I would never dream of saying to their actual face.

Anyway, the usual 25% discount applies for all the featured books (only with the coupon in today's StarTWo).

Picture Book of the Month: Zen Shorts

May 2007

Zen Shorts
Written and Illustrated by John J. Muth
Publisher: Scholastic, 40 pages
ISBN: 978-0439339117
THREE siblings learn important lessons from their new neighbour, a giant panda called Stillwater. "I'm sorry for arriving unannounced," he says, speaking with a "slight panda acccent".

Stillwater is wise and gentle, and very, very "zen" about everything, hence the book's title. Stillater tells each child a tale, from Zen and Taoist literature, and there are lessons to be learnt from all of them, but they are also just good, interesting stories.

Muth's words are simple, and his style elegant and easy to read. His watercolours are lovely, the colours true and bright, reflecting a serene and beautiful world. Black and white ink sketches illustrate Stillwater's tales and are more cartoonish and quirky than the colour plates. Personally, I found "Zen Shorts" inspiring. Others may just think, "What an adorable panda!" However you feel, this book is destined to be a classic.    

Mini Review: Socrates in Love

Socrates In Love

By Kyoicho Katayama

Publisher: VIZ Media, 208 pages

This Young Adult love story tells of the innocent love affair between two classmates: Saku and Aki.

The latter is a pretty girl, romantic and just a little shallow - predictably so for someone of her tender years. She has a good heart though and she is sensitive and thoughtful.

Saku is a friendly, wise-cracking, laid-back kendo and rock fan. When he and Aki become friends, he is blissfully unaware of his schoolmates resentment and jealousy.

It takes him awhile to realise how much he likes Aki. In fact, Saku is so clueless that he ignores every single one of Aki's hints, even the most blatant.

To her credit, Aki behaves in a dignified and graceful manner throughout. And once Saku gets his act together and starts seeing his buddy as the lovable girl she is, he too reveals himself to be a warm, generous, loyal and considerate person.

Unfortunately, Aki is diagnosed with a terminal illness and Saku has to learn to carry on by himself.

It's always good to read a Japanese novel that isn't brimming with sex and violence. That's why I enjoy Botchan and Totto-Chan so much. However, this story reminded me too much of those awful Japanese soap operas where one of the leads almost always dies.

Still, at least the writing isn't overly sentimental, and the writer's portrayal of teenagers and their feelings, behaviour and actions is accurate (yes, I remember what it was like!). 

This book is a bestseller in Japan so I'm thinking it's lost something in translation.

Honestly, I can't see why it made such an impression. It's an easy and pleasant read, but it didn't really touch me or grab my attention.

Saku and Aki are two nice kids, but I don't think that they are terribly interesting or special.

I think I'd have liked it much more as a teenager though. I remember being very taken with a Japanese soap opera in which the girl, dying of leukemia (or was it congenital heart disease?), falls in love with a bloke who mistakes her for a half-sister and so, nobly, rejects her although he stupidly doesn't tell her why. All very complicated and melodramatic and tragic and sentimental, but I loved it.

Socrates in Love should be a hit with emotional teens age 13 to 16.

P.S. Full marks for the pretty cover!