Lloyd Alexander
The Book of Three
Lloyd Alexander
1964 (Dell/Bantam Doubleday Dell)
- Book Blog: First Post (First Impressions)
- Book Blog: Second Post (Taran)
- Book Blog: Third Post (Selfishness)
- Book Blog: Fourth Post (Gurgi)
- Book Blog: Fifth Post (Final Thoughts)
~~~~~
The Black Cauldron
Lloyd Alexander
1965 (Dell/Bantam Doubleday Dell)
- Newbery Honor – 1966
- Book Blog: First Post (First Impressions)
- Book Blog: Second Post (Adaon)
- Book Blog: Third Post (Three Enchantresses)
- Book Blog: Fourth Post (Potential)
- Book Blog: Fifth Post (Final Thoughts)
~~~~~
The Castle of Llyr
Lloyd Alexander
1966 (Dell/Bantam Doubleday Dell)
- Book Blog: First Post (First Impressions)
- Book Blog: Second Post (Llyan and “ll”s)
- Book Blog: Third Post (Consideration)
- Book Blog: Fourth Post (Eilonwy’s Loss)
- Book Blog: Fifth Post (Final Thoughts)
~~~~~
Taran Wanderer
Lloyd Alexander
1967 (Dell)
- Book Blog: First Post (First Impressions)
- Book Blog: Second Post (Improvements)
- Book Blog: Third Post (Eilonwy’s Inheritance)
- Book Blog: Fourth Post (Noble Birth)
- Book Blog: Fifth Post (Final Thoughts)
~~~~~
The High King
Lloyd Alexander
1968 (Dell/Bantam Doubleday Dell)
- Newbery Medal – 1969
- Book Blog: First Post (First Impressions)
- Book Blog: Second Post (The Banner of the White Pig)
- Book Blog: Third Post (Deaths)
- Book Blog: Fourth Post (Kaw and Dallben)
- Book Blog: Fifth Post (Final Thoughts)
~~~~~
“Old Cricket Says”
Lloyd Alexander
1973-2007 – featured in Cricket
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
~~~~~
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
Lloyd Alexander
1978
This is an interesting fantasy from Alexander. It is about a boy who lets a street magician perform a trick on him that transports him to a far away and possibly not real country where he is lauded as king for arriving in the right place at the right time. He then dives head first into the deep end of the political and military issues concerning the country, surprising himself as much as anyone else. What results is political intrigue, attempted assassination, war and wild adventure. The story is funny and rather sad at the same time.
As always, Alexander’s writing and story construction is superb. The book was enjoyable to read, even when the plot got a little slow. The story is very interesting, particularly in it’s rather novel technique for getting the kid to the “dream” realm. The use of the untrustworthy street magician and the uncertainty about the permanence or transience of the new realm are particularly interesting. The idea that Lukas-Kasha may end up king of this far off kingdom forever, or might get pulled out any minute (and if he is pulled out, it is unclear if he will return home or find himself in another new place entirely) adds a dimension to the story that is never very far from the surface of the reader’s thoughts.
The plot is interesting and generally more politically driven (in the story sense, not the relating-to-the-real-world sense) than his fantasy stories usually are. I really liked that the story was driven almost exclusively by character development. That is a choice few writers of children’s books make and Alexander shows how good a story of this type can be. I really liked the way he ended the book, which at that point did surprise me in a way, but it also made me very sad. I couldn’t help feeling really bad for Lukas.
This is a fun book. It isn’t my favourite of Alexander’s books, but it is unique and interesting. I would definitely recommend it!
~~~~~
“The House Gobbaleen”
Lloyd Alexander
illustrated by Victor Ambrus
1993 – featured in Cricket 34/7 (March 2007) and Cricket 34/8 (April 2007)
- Book Blog: Thoughts
- Book Blog: Thoughts
~~~~~
The Iron Ring
Lloyd Alexander
1997
This book follows the adventures of King Tamar as he journeys to a kingdom he has never heard of to fulfill a destiny he thinks may be a dream. The fictional land that the story takes place in a land that Alexander created using Indian and Hindu stories and mythology. The result is an fascinating world where monkeys can be enchanted people and snakes can talk. The concepts of Dharma and Karma are very important. This is fundamentally a soul-searching quest.
The structure of this book is a pretty typical Alexander adventure story. The king as a vision that causes him to leave home on a quest without any real idea of where he is going. Along the way he assists and meets various different types of people (the monkey king, a beautiful cow tender girl, etc.) who eventually join him on his quest. He is constantly tested and must show that he can follow his dharma. The things that he “knows” are questioned and his view of the world and of people is dramatically altered over the course of the story. This all creates a very interesting and rather cerebral story. As Tamar questions things, so does the reader. It is a wonderfully well done effect that reminds me very much of the legends and stories on which the world is based.
I liked the characters a lot. Mirri (the beautiful cow tender) is a fascinating character who both breaks rules and fearlessly defends them. She is much like some of Alexander’s other feisty female characters, but she is also very different. Nearly everyone on the book finds following one’s dharma to be very important, but for Mirri it means little. She has her set of morality and follows it regardless of the fact that it often conflicts with what would traditionally be considered her dharma. The other characters are also interesting in that they present images of very different types of dharma. What would be morally wrong for Tamar is often morally correct for the monkey king. It makes a very interesting tapestry of characters showing many different ways of viewing the world.
This may be one of Alexander’s most “grown up” fantasies. It is very cerebral and makes references that few children could understand completely. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating read that I would gladly give to a child. The writing is excellent (as is to be expected from Alexander) and the story is engrossing. I highly recommend this book!
- Book Blog Post (Monkeys)
- Book Blog Post (Strong, Smart Women)
- Book Blog Post (Hinduism)
- Book Blog Post (Adult Issues)
- Book Blog Post (Tactics)
- Book Blog Post (Equality)
~~~~~
Oz: The Hundredth Anniversary Celebration
edited by Peter Glassman
2000
(see Peter Glassman’s page for further thoughts and information)
~~~~~
“The Legend of the Seventh Wall”
Lloyd Alexander
illustrated by Leah Palmer Preiss
2006 – featured in Cricket 34/1 (September 2006)
~~~~~
“The Well Digger and the Princess”
Lloyd Alexander
illustrated by D. Brent Burkett
2007 – featured in Cricket 35/1 (September 2007)
~~~~~
