The Oz books are uneven, but my God, that man's imagination could sing, and he was absolutely fearless about taking every single crazy "what-if" that bounced into his head and setting it loose to run glorious riot.

That's what I love about the Oz books--the unfettered and beautiful strangeness. There was a creepiness to some of it, too, that verged on horror.

Deena, I'd offer to send you our copy of the tripod series, but I think DH would kill me. (They were his as a child - I'd never heard of them until we moved in together.)

A long time a go friends and I were exchanging favorite books. The tripod books were T's favorites but I still haven't read them.

In fact, my nephew left for boarding school today and I'm trying to figure out what I can send him at school to maintain my "cool aunt" status.

A set of lock-picks, homemade sugary snacks, and a membership to Netflix.

A set of lock-picks, homemade sugary snacks, and a membership to Netflix.

Wow. Erin knows cool.

Jessica, I wouldn't want you to get into trouble, but thank you for the thought.

I was thinking about those books last night. I had read Andre Norton and probably a Heinlein or two by then, but I had to hide anything science fiction or fantasy from my parents, who would watch Star Trek after we went to bed, but not every episode, because they heartily disapproved of "that Kirk" who would "get with anything." Having a teacher I liked read them aloud was just so incredibly cool.

Ooh, Deena - I was thinking earlier, how about Diana Wynne Jones? One of my very favourite kids' writers, and I think that she might be age-appropriate for Kara, or at least nearly. Magicians of Caprona is a particular favourite of mine, along with Howl's Moving Castle and Charmed Life and Witch Week. Ooh, and Dogsbody is fabulous, of course. And...actually, I love most of her books. (Including The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, but I think that would be lost on Kara at present.)

A set of lock-picks, homemade sugary snacks, and a membership to Netflix.

BWAH!

Oh, thanks, Fay. Lovely idea. We watched Howl's Moving Castle and she loved it (as did I).

The movie differs from the novel in several ways, but I loved it. There are two sequels/companion books featuring Sophie and Howl (in supporting roles) - Castle in the Air and The House of Many Ways. I liked both of them a lot, but I think that I still like Howl's Moving Castle best.

Really want to re-read Fire and Hemlock, since discovering that it's based on TS Eliot's Four Quartets. Absolutely didn't put two and two together there - I read the book long before the poems, and although I realised that Fire and Hemlock is a retelling of the Tam Lin story, I absolutely didn't twig to the Eliot links. I'm eager to reread and see how that works.