i've been keeping mum about children's books for fear of being hastily labled a cardigan-wearing-page-protecting-twee fanatic, but with all this c.s lewis, susan cooper and whatnot going around, i'm bursting like a frosted persimmon. for the hapless soul who asked if there was anything good for children still being published, OF COURSE THERE IS! for a list of suggestions the length of _mason & dixon_, mail me privately. for those dabbling in lewis, there was that film about his marriage late in life to a young american woman. it's very good but bring your tissues. it's based on his book _surprised by joy_. oh, and the film is called SHADOWLANDS. also, don't be afraid of the christian imagery in the narnia stuff. it IS possible to read them and not be horribly corrupted by the abhorrent institution known as the Church. besides, they're jewels of tale-spinning. i cannot recommend susan cooper's _dark is rising_ series highly enough. JJ was right -- start with _over sea, under stone_ and carry on from there. funnily enough, lewis, tolkein, and possibly george macdonald (another tops kiddies author -- try _the princess and the goblins_) were involved with a group of writers and scholars who called themselves "the inklings" and who met at the eagle and child pub in...umm oxford, i think. it's supposed to have a crazy classical mural on one wall, depicting zeus as an eagle carrying off a young boy for his own polytheistic purposes. or maybe just to take him to the movies and sit in the back. watch while i take a page from fluffy's book: I'M GOING NOW BYE!!!! --laurel +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". For list archives and searching, list rules, FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister +---+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" +---+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+