I was quite relieved. The teen reviewers at Simply Books met yesterday for their first real meeting, and my hopes on this issue had not been high. I wanted to know if they read the classics. Nearly all of them had. Perhaps only one or two, but that’s not bad going. As the group is almost exclusively female, the most commonly read titles were Little Women, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden and Black Beauty.
One of my recent ideas had been to put copies of the new Puffin classics in front of them, as well as proofs for new books, and see what happened. So, some of them went home with a classic, and we’ll see how it goes. One of the few boys very determinedly latched on to The Call Of The Wild from the word go. I hope he enjoys it. He said he’d seen the film, and I didn’t even know there was one.
Whatever the teen reviewers will say about the books they chose, I think these revamped classics look attractive. Some very good cover illustrations as well as introductions by some of today’s best children’s authors should make these popular again. I hope.
9 responses so far ↓
pbmum // March 11, 2008 at 9:58
My ten year old boy loved the Call of the Wild. He found it really gripping while I, reading it with him, found it really hard going.
Sara O'Leary // March 11, 2008 at 11:44
I like the idea of your taste test challenge.
My son liked Call of the Wild too, although I can’t say I ever did (book or movie).
bookwitch // March 11, 2008 at 12:04
I was one of these weird girls who liked “boys” books, so did enjoy it as a child. Might not have read it if it hadn’t been sitting on our shelves already, when I was devouring books and simply looking for something I could try next.
Last time I “read” it on cassette while doing the ironing. Still liked it then.
Ian // March 11, 2008 at 15:45
Call of the Wild is something that I have taken in by way of audiobook. Most enjoyable I must say.
Sara O'Leary // March 11, 2008 at 17:43
I think it was the outdoor factor rather than the boy factor - I was a big Sherlock Holmes fan, though. (I was one of those just plain weird girls).
I’ve just received an ARC for a novel about Sherlock as a boy (Shane Peacock is the author and this is the second in a series).
My son’s been listening to Gulliver’s Travels on audio. And next on his playlist is The Odyssey - it’s read by Ian McKellan and because the Wolf Brother (Michelle Paver) recordings were so wonderfully addictive we thought we’d try this.
pbmum // March 11, 2008 at 18:01
My boys really loved the Martin Jenkins/ Chris Riddell version of Gulliver’s Travels. But then they love anything by Chris Riddell!
Meg Rosoff // March 12, 2008 at 17:51
Worth pointing out that neither The Call of the Wild nor Black Beauty was written for children. Nor Gulliver’s Travels. Nor Sherlock Holmes for that matter. Interesting to consider the whole question of the classic children’s book with this fact in mind…..
Sara O'Leary // March 12, 2008 at 20:33
It’s an interesting point. I’d never considered Gulliver’s Travels for children until after reading Mistress Masham’s Repose - now available in one of those lovely NYRB editions.
bookwitch // March 12, 2008 at 23:38
I was brought up believing Ivanhoe to be a children’s book. The Resident IT Consultant has spent 26 years telling me I’m wrong.
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