The Wistfulliest Wish List: The Land of the Lord High Tiger

 

A while back I posted about books on my Wish List that I was unlikely ever to get. The Old English Exodus by Tolkien, Shakespeare’s Boy Actors by Robertson Davies, and Jurgen by James Branch Cabell (illustrated by Frank C. Pape. I could have added The Anatomy of Puck by Katherine Briggs, Walt Disney’s Uncle Remus Stories, The Last Unicorn: The Lost Journey by Peter S. Beagle, and the reprint of The History of Four-Footed Beasts, Serpents, and Insects by Edward Topsell (3 Vols.). Most of these were only out of reach because of cost. But there was one volume most unlikely to ever even be seen by me, a book that had only been published once in 1958. It was unavailable anywhere on the usual sites. Here is the most I could find out about it, a couple of reviews on Goodreads.

 

The Land of The Lord High Tiger

Roger Lancelyn Green, John S. Goodall (Illustrator)

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

 

About the author

Roger (Gilbert) Lancelyn Green was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Born in 1918 in Norwich, England, Green studied under C. S. Lewis at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a B.Litt. degree. He delivered the 1968 Andrew Lang lecture. Green lived in Cheshire, in a manor which his ancestors owned for over 900 years. He died in October 1987. His son was the writer Richard Lancelyn Green

Reviews

 A children's book with the pun-wit of The Phantom Tollbooth rather than the in-depth stories of Narnia. Speaking of which, "Narnia North" is a stop on the rail line in The Land of the Lord High Tiger...Off of the "Inner Ring," in fact. Also "Screwtape" is mentioned very early on in the book. All titles of works by Lewis. Not sure who inspired/borrowed from whom on those points. [The Narnia books began to be published in 1950; it was Green who suggested that the book series be called 'The Narnia Chronicles.']

This is not an easy book to find, as there was only one edition printed (and the publisher is long out of business). Though the story is more fanciful wordplay than a real, solid story, it is worth bringing back into print. – Jody, on Goodreads

 

“You are Prince Roger of the Land of the Lord High Tiger and the clocks have given you three wishes to use while you are in my land. Go out on your quest, oh Prince, and take with you your three friends. And when there is need of magic, I will be ready in my Den of Enchantment to help you” (20).

With these words, Sir Timothy, the Lord High Tiger, sends Roger on his fairy tale adventure.

The Land of the Lord High Tiger by Roger Lancelyn Green is a work of original fantasy fiction from an author better known for his retellings of classic myths and stories, as well as his biographies of other writers. Green was also a member of the Inklings, the writers’ group of which Lewis and Tolkien were famously members.

Published in 1958, Land of the Lord High Tiger might prompt a few casual comparisons to Lewis’ Narnia books, but the similarities are mostly superficial. While Narnia is grand, sweeping, and full of deeper meaning, Lord High Tiger is a funny romp through fairy tale tropes.

King Katzekoph, rule of the land that is truly that of the Lord High Tiger, is under threat from the Black Wizard and his minions – the sworn enemies of both himself and Sir Timothy the Lord High Tiger. The Lord High Tiger says that to stop the Wizard, they must summon a prince from another land “where I live also” (11).

In the midst of telling bedtime stories to his stuffed toys, Roger sees the light of the oh-so-rare blue moon and knows that this night will be the night he can travel to the land he so often dreamed of. After instructions from the Lord High Tiger, he decides to use one wish immediately to bring his friend (or possibly sister?) Priscilla along for the adventure. The door to his room now opens up to a much longer hall than it ever has before, and walking down the hall, he finds himself in the royal castle of King Katzekoph.

Roger and Priscilla soon enter a royal ball, where Priscilla plays a Cinderella role (with some creative twists). Soon Roger is off on an adventure to rescue Priscilla, accompanied by his no-longer-stuffed-toy friends, a fox, a lion, and a squirrel. Through this adventure, we meet a Phoenix with a magic carpet (a clear nod to the work of E. Nesbit), a giant who would like to put them in a stew, a mad gardener, a strange tower, a horde of robbers, an old woman with a slightly suspicious cottage, and of course the evil wizard.

The Land of the Lord High Tiger is full of funny puns (“Make your footmark here – it’s the sole signature needed”), nods to well-known works such as Narnia (the king must dance with the Queen of Narnia at the ball), and just general funny moments (Leo the lion is always pulling just the right item out of his seemingly endless pockets). At 160 pages, it is a relatively fast read and if it were more available, I am sure it would still be loved by young readers.

The Land of the Lord High Tiger is absolutely a five-star book for me. I can see why perhaps it is not a great classic like Narnia or Lord of the Rings, but it is absolutely a shame that this book is so long out of print and rare/hard-to-find. We’ve seen other very rare children’s books come back into print, so perhaps this could be another book to add to our reprinting wish lists!

Thank you to the Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature in the Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota for holding a copy of this book so I could visit the library and read it today! – Kirsten Hill, on Goodreads

Back Into The Library

 

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, Retold by Roger Lancelyn Green

Today I needed to break a bill. I has also been meaning to go and check out the Seguin Public Library book store again. So I decided to combine the two while the day was still cool. Once there, by great chance, I stumbled across this improved version of the book I had just remembered a few days ago, because Kameron had bought another book by Roger Lancelyn Green, a retelling of Egyptian tales. Green was famous for such retellings of various myth cycles; he was also the friend who had encouraged C. S. Lewis to write the Chronicles of Narnia. There was something of a mystery surrounding his death in 1987. Anyway, I had been regretting having sold my old copy and it's sudden re-appearance in an upgraded version seemed more than coincidental. For a mere $2, I  grabbed it and toted it home.

The Shadow Library: Green Memories

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table, by Roger Lancelyn Green

C. S. Lewis: Biographies and Reminiscences

 

C. S. Lewis: At the Breakfast Table and Other Reminiscences, Edited by James T. Como.

“A collection of essays by twenty-two men and women whose reminiscences of Lewis as teacher, colleague, and friend form an intimate, candid, and sometimes surprising community biography.” – Amazon. A Collier book, bought in the mid-80’s, and a horrible shade of pink and purple. A good insight into Lewis’s friends as well as into Lewis.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reminisces. Essays. Softcover.

C. S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands: The Story of His Life with Joy Davidman, by Brian Sibley.

This book has been through so many title permutations. It is dedicated to “Roger Lancelyn Green and June”. It is the story of the love of Lewis and Joy that Sibley later adapted into a TV special and then into the Anthony Hopkins movie. Sibley is a superfan of Fantasy and Children’s Books and Disney, and has written many radio adaptations, specials, and movie makings-of books.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Hardback.

Jack: C. S. Lewis and His Times, by George Sayer.

Harper & Row, with Photos. “Sayer describes Lewis' early years, hinting at childhood evidence of the brilliance and eccentricity that would later become Lewis' hallmarks. He discusses Lewis' academic career, his life-transforming conversion to Christianity, and the role of religion in his life. With honesty and compassion, he covers Lewis' controversial relationship with Mrs. Moore and his passionate marriage to Joy Davidman. This biography of C.S. Lewis, poet, novelist, literary critic and theologian is written by a lifelong friend who seeks to present a more balanced portrait than has been possible before, by making use of family papers and the million word diary kept by Lewis's brother. He vividly describes the Belfast background, the cruel schooling and sadism, Lewis' terrible experiences in the Great War, the strange promise to a brother officer that led him to live with a woman twice his age for years at the Kilns, Oxford, the young poet, the academic career and his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and other Oxford dons who made up The Inklings group. The author goes on to describe Lewis' conversion to Christianity and the run-away success of the wartime Screwtape Lectures on the BBC and the extraordinary marriage to the eccentric American divorcee, Joy Davidman that altered him profoundly in his last years. This book provides a full survey of the whole literary output, academic, fictional, theological and poetic.” – Amazon. It has one of those crumbly paper jackets that never survive for long.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Hardback.

C. S. Lewis: A Biography, by A. N. Wilson.

Well, I don’t care what some critics say, I like it. There is very little of the hero-worshipper in Wilson, and if he comes up with psychological theories that others don’t agree with, he always has facts to back them up. Of course, the trouble with facts, as Chesterton said somewhere, is that they don’t point one way like a signpost but every which way, like the branches of a tree. Wilson is a very lively and readable writer, and his is an alternative reading that bears some scrutiny and makes for lively debate. Photos.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Softcover.

C. S. Lewis: A Life, by Michael White.

“Clive Staples Lewis’s path to renown not only as a groundbreaking literary critic and novelist but also as a Christian theologian was at times intellectually and emotionally chaotic, as award-winning author Michael White reveals in this probing new biography. He follows the young Lewis, a nervous man profoundly depressed by the death of his mother, in a spiritually tormented course that would take him to the upper ranks of English letters. He deconstructs Lewis’s novels and religious works to reveal the frequently tormented soul and imagination from which they sprung. Most importantly, he delves into the mythos that has long surrounded Lewis and rediscovers the man beneath.” – Amazon. White, a former member of The Thompson Twins, has also written a biography of Tolkien. Photos.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Biography. Hardback.

Lenten Lands: My Childhood with Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis, by Douglas Gresham.

Basically the story of Gresham’s life, up to the death of his mother Joy, who had married Lewis, then Lewis’s death, and then Warnie Lewis’s death, after which he no longer has any connection with the Kilns and moved to Australia for many years. It’s ‘Shadowlands’ from the kids’ point of view, and what happened in the aftermath, and why Gresham, basically Lewis’s heir, was poor.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Memoirs. Hardback.

In Search of C. S. Lewis, Edited by Stephen Schofield.

“Contains previously unpublished letters and photographs.” Includes contributions by Kenneth Tynan and Malcolm Muggeridge (they’re famous!) as well as Lewis regulars George Sayer and Kathryn Lindskoog. Produced by the Canadian C. S. Lewis Society.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Memoirs. Essays. Softcover.

We Remember C. S. Lewis: Essays and Memoirs, Edited by David Graham.

Includes work by George Sayer and Dom Bede Griffiths. Photos.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Memoirs. Softcover.

C. S. Lewis: A Biography (Revised Edition), by Roger Lancelyn Green and Walter Hooper.

A Harcourt Brace edition. The classical first biography. “C.S. Lewis, a man of varying talents, is remembered for his radio broadcasts and books reaching millions worldwide. This revised biography, created with full access to family papers and personal documents, is written by two men who knew Lewis well. An immensely readable record of Lewis's personal and intellectual life, it includes new information and photographs.” – Google Books. Photos.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Softcover.

Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship, by Colin Duriez.

“Both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis are literary superstars, known around the world as the creators of Middle-earth and Narnia. But few of their readers and fans know about the important and complex friendship between Tolkien and his fellow Oxford academic C.S. Lewis. Without the persistent encouragement of his friend, Tolkien would never have completed The Lord of the Rings. This great tale, along with the connected matter of The Silmarillion, would have remained merely a private hobby. Likewise, all of Lewis' fiction, after the two met at Oxford University in 1926, bears the mark of Tolkien's influence, whether in names he used or in the creation of convincing fantasy worlds. They quickly discovered their affinity--a love of language and the imagination, a wide reading in northern myth and fairy tale, a desire to write stories themselves in both poetry and prose. The quality of their literary friendship invites comparisons with those of William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Cowper and John Newton, and G.K. Chesterton and Hillaire Belloc. Both Tolkien and Lewis were central figures in the informal Oxford literary circle, the Inklings. This book explores their lives, unfolding the extraordinary story of their complex friendship that lasted, with its ups and downs, until Lewis's death in 1963. Despite their differences--differences of temperament, spiritual emphasis, and view of their storytelling art--what united them was much stronger, a shared vision that continues to inspire their millions of readers throughout the world.” – Google Books. Colin Duriez will be mentioned several other times in this list.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Biography. Literary History. Softcover.

The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis, by Alan Jacobs.

Yet another book on Lewis; I suppose I’ll buy anything about him, if I have enough money. “Few things are more interesting to human beings than trying to figure out how another human being (especially a profoundly gifted one) works. Not just a conventional, straightforward biography of Lewis, Jacobs instead seeks a more elusive quarry: an understanding of the way Lewis's experiences, both direct and literary, formed themselves into patterns–themes that then shaped his thought and writings, especially the stories of Narnia. It is in the Narnia stories that we see the most of Lewis, and this illuminating biography delivers a true picture of the life and imagination of the Narnian.” – Google Books. Photos.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Biography. Imagination. Hardback.

C. S. Lewis: Companion and Guide, by Walter Hooper.

“A delightful compendium of information on the life and writing of the twentieth century’s favorite Christian writer.” – Power of Babel. Hooper does it again with entries on people, books, adaptations, institutions, and concepts relating to Lewis, his life, and his work. The scholarship and organization of this book is breath-taking; the entries are snappy but informative, with little fat.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reference. Biography. Hardback.

The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia, by Colin Duriez.

“A comprehensive guide to his life, thought, and writings.” But only about a third as long as Hooper’s “Companion and Guide”. So – skimpy, or slimmed down, considering which point of view you take.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Guide. Softcover.

The C. S. Lewis Chronicles, by Colin Duriez. Foreword by Brian Sibley.

“The Indispensable Biography of the Creator of Narnia Full of Little-Known Facts, Events, and Miscellany.” Ah, but not so much a biography as a year by year, almost day by day timeline of Lewis’s life. Includes handy charts that pinpoint or collect certain things (like time and subject of radio talks), what important world events were going on at the same time, and other trivia. This time Duriez has done it right and produced a truly useful book for the Lewis scholar.

Ranking: Essential.

Fie Code: Reference. Softcover. Biography.

The Secret Country of C. S. Lewis, by Anne Arnott. Illustrations by Patricia Frost.

There was a copy of this in the High School library; I don’t remember it being very engaging. However, it is Lewis, and cheap, and a memory, so into the hoard it goes. The cover is surprising; it shows an old Boxen drawing inside a wardrobe. The whole biography is aimed at the young reader, I think. An Eerdman book.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Biography. Hardback.

Jack’s Life: The Life Story of C. S. Lewis, by Douglas Gresham.

“Includes Exclusive Author’s Introduction DVD.” And it is signed by Gresham! A fact I don’t think I’d noticed before making this Inventory. So, he held this book, and he was Lewis’s stepson, and now when I hold this book, I’m only a couple of steps away from C. S. Lewis! Photos.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Hardback. DVD.

C. S. Lewis in a Time of War, by Justin Phillips. Foreword by Walter Hooper.

Focuses in on “The World War II Broadcasts that Riveted a Nation and Became the Classic ‘Mere Christianity’.” The whys and wherefores and the effect that Lewis had with his broadcasts while London was under attack.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: History. Softcover.

Around the Year with C. S. Lewis and His Friends: A Book of Days, Compiled by Kathryn Lindskoog. Art, calligraphy, and design by Leah Palmer Preiss.

A blank journal book with daily quotes and significant dates from the lives of Lewis and his ‘friends’, which include favorite authors that he never met. Got this in the early 80’s (at least) and it is redolent of the time for me. It’s boxed and has a padded cover, has never been written in and probably never will be. Bought it at Hastings.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Blank Journal. Quote-a-day. Hardback.

Items from the Wish List: Around and About C. S. Lewis

The Magical World of the Inklings New and Expanded Edition

by Gareth Knight  (Author), Owen Barfield (Foreword)

"Because of the combination of information, understanding and insight on which it is founded, The Magical World of the Inklings is more than outstanding. It is not in the same league with anything else I have come across." - Owen Barfield The works of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams and Owen Barfield have had a profound impact on the contemporary world. Together they were The Inklings, a small literary group of friends who set out to explore the 'mythopoeic' or myth-making element in imaginative fiction. The Magical World of the Inklings reveals how each of these writers created a 'magical world' which initiated the reader into hidden and powerful realms of the creative imagination. – Amazon.

This Ever Diverse Pair by Owen Barfield  (Author)

This Ever Diverse Pair was first published in 1950, when Barfield was practising as a solicitor in London. A humorous portrayal of everyday life in a lawyer's office, the novel's true subject is what C.S. Lewis described as "the rift in every life between the human person and his public persona - between, say, the man and the bus conductor or the man and the king..." Owen Barfield is one of the twentieth century's most significant writers and philosophers. Widely renowned for his insight and literary artistry, Barfield addresses key concerns of the sciences, humanities, social sciences, and arts in our time. His fellow Inklings, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, are among the leading figures influenced by Barfield's work. "A work of art and more original than anything I have read for a long time" - C.S. Lewis. – Amazon.

The Land of the Lord High Tiger by Roger Lancelyn Green (Author)

The Personal Heresy: A Controversy, by C. S. Lewis and E. M. W. Tillyard

Companion to Narnia, Revised Edition: A Complete Guide to the Magical World of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia by Paul F. Ford  (Author)

Step into the Wardrobe.

This peerless companion has served as an adventurer's passport to the land of Narnia for twenty-five years and was used by the cast and crew of the major motion picture The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. From Aslan, the Great Lion, to Zardeenah, the mysterious lady of the night, this comprehensive, accessible book contains hundreds of alphabetically arranged and indexed entries covering all the characters, events, places, and themes that Lewis brilliantly wove into his timeless and magical world.

For readers of all ages, this is the perfect guide for the enchanted world of C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. – Amazon.

The Golden String: An Autobiography by Bede Griffiths  (Author)

Sheldon Vanauken: The Man Who Received "A Severe Mercy" by Will Vaus  (Author)

The life story of Sheldon Vanauken is one of adventure, romance, conversion, grief, and recovery. Much of this was chronicled in the autobiographical bestseller, A Severe Mercy.However, a good deal of Vanauken's fascinating life remained shrouded in secrecy ... until now. Through a process of careful historical research, including interviews with Vanauken's many friends, colleagues, and students, Will Vaus reveals to the reader the numerous facets of a complex character.

In this biography we discover: Vanauken the struggling student, the bon-vivant lover, the sailor who witnessed the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the seeker who returned to faith through C. S. Lewis, the beloved professor of English literature and history, the feminist and anti-war activist who participated in the March on the Pentagon, the bestselling author, and Vanauken the convert to Catholicism. What emerges is the portrait of a man relentlessly in search of beauty, love, and truth, a man who believed that, in the end, he found all three.

"A sympathetic, perceptive and well researched study of one of America's most important recent religious writers. Readers of A Severe Mercy are in Will Vaus' debt for such an illuminating and informative study." Alister McGrath, author of C. S. Lewis: A Life

"Van was a character - a very good one as it happens, and Will Vaus catches the actuality of this intriguing man of many parts. Very illuminating reading." Thomas Howard, author of On Being Catholic

"This is a charming biography about a doubly charming man who wrote a triply charming book. It is a great way to meet the man behind A Severe Mercy." Peter Kreeft, author of Jacob's Ladder: Ten Steps to Truth

"Vaus has masterfully captured the spirit of Vanauken, his deep desire for beauty, his mistakes along the way, and eventually his love of God. Reading this biography takes me back to the same deep emotions I have every time I read A Severe Mercy." Jim Belcher, author of Deep Church

"Sheldon Vanauken's story of C. S. Lewis, Oxford, a passionate love, and a tragic loss captured the imagination of Evangelical Christians thirty years ago. Will Vaus' biography of the author of A Severe Mercy captures the same mixture of a flawed romantic quest driven by a longing for truth, goodness and beauty, that culminates in the fullness of the Catholic faith. Vaus' book is a study in divine providence and a captivating biography of a unique and noble soul." Fr. Dwight Longenecker, author of The Quest for the Creed

"Very well written, thoroughly researched, hard to put down despite many tears - Will Vaus captures the essence of Van in this book." Marion, Davy Vanauken's daughter

Will Vaus is a popular speaker and the author of a variety of books including The Hidden Story of Narnia, Speaking of Jack, and Mere Theology. – Amazon.

Little End Shelves

The Lungfish, the Dodo, and the Unicorn, by Willy Ley.

“An Excursion into Romantic Zoology. New Edition, Completely Revised and Considerably Enlarged.” There was a copy of this in the high school library; it is a very early work of cryptozoology, theorizing about extinct animals, anomalous creatures, and the possible real basis for legendary animals like dragons and unicorns. I was happy to run across this copy at Half-Price and finally snag an old memory. Many line illustrations. [Lacks this jacket.]

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Cryptozoology. Hardback.

The Good Old Days – They Were Terrible! by Otto L. Bettman

There was a copy of this in the high school library. It is sort of a record of anti-nostalgia, recording all the disasters, plagues, foolish practices, prejudices, and unregulated pollution of the past, from the 1800’s into the early 1900’s. A corrective for anyone with an over-idyllic idea of the past. Many contemporary illustrations.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Social History. Softcover.

They Have a Word for It, by Howard Rheingold. Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger.

“A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words and Phrases”. “They Have a Word for It takes the reader to the far corners of the globe to discover words and phrases for which there are no equivalents in English. From the North Pole to New Guinea, from Easter Island to Tibet, Howard Rheingold explores more than forty familiar and obscure languages to discover genuinely useful (rather than simply odd) words that can open up new ways of understanding and experience life.” – Goodreads. An interesting browser from which I learned about ‘wabi’ and ‘sabi’, and other terms for which there is no precise English equivalent. I’ve had it for about 30 years.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Lexicon. Humor. Hardback.

The Isle of Gramarye: An Anthology of the Poetry of Magic, Edited by Jennifer Westwood. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

A lovely little collection, less than a hundred pages long, not of childish rhymes but poems that were selected to appeal to youngsters with a taste for magic. With poetry by Shakespeare, de la Mare, Yeats, Tolkien, Masefield, and others, it is an enchanting book full of Baynes’ charming illustrations.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poetry. Magic. Hardback.

The Impossible People, by Georgess McHargue. Illustrated by Frank Bozzo.

“A History Natural and Unnatural of Beings Terrible and Wonderful”. “The Impossible People is one of the first volumes of folklore I ever owned. I got my original (softcover) copy for ten cents at a school book sale [I think it was a church school]; this hardback I ordered just this year [2009]. We read the cover off our old copy; I remember our amusement when the description of a Hag ("females of great age, with bent backs, rheumy eyes, clawlike hands, sunken cheeks, long noses, wispy hair, and sometimes pointed teeth") perfectly fit our third grade teacher. Informative and well-organized, presented without any embellishments or speculation, it is a great introduction for a young reader to creatures of legend and fairy tale.” – Power of Babel. I now find there is a kind of a companion volume by McHargue: “The Beasts of Never: A History Natural and Un-natural of Monsters Mythical and Magical.” [Lacks Jacket. I include the old Dell Yearling cover.]

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Folklore. Children’s. Hardback.

The Beasts of Never, by Georges McHargue.

“A History Natural and Unnatural of Monsters Mythical and Magical: Revised and Expanded Edition.” Illustrated by Frank Bozzo. One of the volumes ordered for my 57^th birthday and arrived August 1^st. Used library book, apparently, and so was in a rather sturdy and very reasonably priced format.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Mythological Bestiary. Children’s Book. Hardback.

Nathaniel’s Witch, by Katherine Gibson. Illustrated by Vera Bock.

“Nathaniel's Witch, by Katherine Gibson, illustrated by Vera Bock (Longman's, Green and Co., 1941). This book was brought out by the same team that produced Cinders, the lost childhood book I've written about before; the existence of Nathaniel's Witch was even pointed out by Peter Sieruta on the same site that helped me find Cinders. It is the story of Nathaniel Endicott, 11 years old, who is that rarest of characters in children's literature, an orphan. It is 1785 in the United States of America, and among his other troubles, Nathaniel finds he must help a reluctant witch escape the power of the evil Witchmaster (highly hinted to be the Devil himself). The Witchmaster has scornfully declared the witch can escape "only when you are St. Nick!" Nathaniel decides they can make this come true if the Witch delivers toys on Christmas Eve, and the adventure of the book is them trying to accomplish this against all odds and the Witchmaster's opposition. While I was reading the tale I began to feel it was designed to be a perfect 1940's film: I even cast it using period actors in my mind, with Jackie Cooper as Nathaniel, Veronica Lake as Jacquett the Witch, Basil Rathbone as the Witchmaster, and S. Z. Sakall as the Toymaker. It was a highly enjoyable tale and one I am glad to add to my library.” – Power of Babel, 2012. An ex-library copy. [Lacks Jacket]

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fantasy. Children’s. Hardback.

Noodles, Nitwits, and Numskulls, by Maria Leach. Illustrated by Kurt Worth.

This is an old ex-library copy I bought at Yesterday’s Warehouse, I think. Being young and inexperienced at the time, at one point I mended the spine with gray masking tape. Sigh. “This collection of centuries-old noodlehead jokes, riddles, tricks, and stories with surprise endings provides background material and sources for each story.” – Goodreads. [Lacks Jacket]

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Fool Tales. Riddles. Hardback.

Into Other Worlds, by Roger Lancelyn Green.

“Space Flight in Fiction, From Lucian to Lewis”. Green “was a British biographer and children's writer. He was an Oxford academic who formed part of the Inklings literary discussion group along with C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien.” – Wikipedia. The book covers the varied literary tradition of ways to travel in space to other worlds, whether magical, metaphysical, or scientific. Learned without being pedantic, this straightforward book recounts what these ‘voyages’ said, with some pithy backgrounds of the people, culture, and times they were written. A rather old book and a little frail; found at a local estate sale, I think, rather to my surprise. [Lacks Jacket]

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Space Flight. Literary Criticism. Hardback.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales, by the Brothers Grimm. Translated by Mrs. E. V. Lucas, Lucy Crane, and Marion Edwardes. Illustrations by Fritz Kredel.

This second-hand book, old as it is (it is inscribed ‘Merry Christmas 1947’) and baby oil-stained (would be my guess), it is the first replacement I ever found for the copy we had (and still have) from as far back as I can remember, and which has been read into rags, as much an artifact as a book. Bizarre images, from poodles being fed fiery coals to a severed horse head being nailed over a gate to weird little inhuman grey men bargaining for a man’s son; these sank into our own heads, populating them with a world of wonder and danger. How did we get that first copy? Was it left over from Mom or Pop’s childhood? Just bought at a secondhand store or garage sale? Given as a present from a relative when Mom and Pop had kids, because kids needed fairy tales? No one alive to ask about it now. A strange connection to Chesterton, though. Mrs. E. V. Lucas was the wife of one of his best friends. This was a popular edition from Grosset and Dunlap, often paired with a similar printing of Andersen’s Fairy Tales.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code. Fairy Tales. German. Hardback.

Fairy Tales and After: From Snow White to E. B. White, by Roger Sale.

I found this book at a retired teacher’s estate sale, back when I still went with Susan and Andy to garage sales. I was familiar with the name of Sale as an editor and contributor to a book of essays on Tolkien and his works, so was interested in what he had to say about children’s literature. It was published in 1978, so it was a time when whimsy and fantasy still needed some defending; I would say that it’s now reached the point when it needs some judicious curbing. He begins with fairy tales, both folk and literary, then “concentrates on what he calls the ‘classic successes’: Lewis Carroll, Beatrix Potter, Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, Kipling’s Kim, L. Frank Baum’s Oz series, White’s Charlotte’s Web, and the Freddy stories of Walter R. Brooks.”  - New Yorker. One classic illustration at the head of each chapter.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Children’s Literature. Soft Cover.

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones.

“The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel. Revised and Updated Edition. Dark Lord Approved.” “I got a copy of Jones' A Tough Guide to Fantasyland. I had heard good things about it, and it turned out to be completely as advertised: a hilariously funny parodic encyclopedia of the clichés of Fantasy writing. I laughed and groaned as I recognized my own past sins time and time again, from the perils of STEW to the plain facts about BOOTS and HORSES.” - Power of Babel. The book that went far to reconciling me with Jones’s work, which before had seemed … well, “Every time I would search the shelves [at a bookstore] I would pass a huge wodge of her books I would automatically jump over, cursing her (unfairly) for taking up space while the books I wanted were elsewhere.” – Ibid. Connected in a way with her “Dark Lord of Derkholm” and “Year of the Griffin” books.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Parody. Hardback.

Reflections on the Magic of Writing, by Diana Wynne Jones. With a Foreword by Neil Gaiman.

“This collection of more than twenty-five critical essays, speeches, and biographical pieces chosen by Diana Wynne Jones before her death in 2011 is essential reading for the author's many fans and for students and teachers of the fantasy genre and creative writing in general. The volume includes insightful literary criticism alongside autobiographical anecdotes, revelations about the origins of the author's books, and reflections about the life of an author and the value of writing for young people.” -from the book jacket. Includes her last interview. Jones attended lectures by both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien when she was in college – which may or may not have a lot to do with this book but is a fascinating fact. I will always listen to what a good fantasy writer tells me about fantasy writing, and she is one of the better, more entertaining ones. Though she was writing for most of my life, I got on the Jones bandwagon (figuratively speaking) just minutes before she passed away. Just a note here: I used to have the Chrestomanci books, in three volumes containing three books each, some allied short story collections, and the Dalemark series in one volume, but I sold or gave them away, I can’t remember which. Why? Not quite what I wanted, and I could spare them.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Literary Criticism. Hardback.

House of Many Ways, by Diana Wynne Jones.

“The Sequel to Howl’s Moving Castle”. “Charmain Baker has led a respectable, and relaxing sheltered life. She has spent her days with her nose in a book, never learning how to do even the smallest household chores. When she suddenly ends up looking after the tiny cottage of her ill Great-Uncle William she seems happy for the adventure, but the easy task of house-sitting is complicated by the fact that Great-Uncle William is also the Royal Wizard of Norland and his magical house bends space and time.” – Wikipedia. Howl, Sophie and Calcifer also turn up. Although I know I read this book, I remember very little about it; but it is the last in this particular series of Jones’s books.

Ranking: Essential to the Collection.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Softcover.

Big Fish, by Daniel Wallace.

“A Novel of Mythic Proportion”. I came to this book via Tim Burton’s movie adaptation, and found that, as usual, a book and its film are very different critters, worthy as each might be. “In his prime, Edward Bloom was an extraordinary man. He could outrun anybody. He never missed a day of school. He saved lives and tamed giants. Animals loved him, people loved him, women loved him. He knew more jokes than any man alive. At least that’s what he told his son, William. But now Edward Bloom is dying, and William wants desperately to know the truth about his elusive father—this indefatigable teller of tall tales—before it’s too late. So, using the few facts he knows, William re-creates Edward’s life in a series of legends and myths, through which he begins to understand his father’s great feats, and his great failings. The result is hilarious and wrenching, tender and outrageous.” – Amazon. A story about how people can come to understand one another through mythic means, when bare “facts” can hardly reveal the soul.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Novel. Magical Realism? Softcover.