A few weeks ago, a celebration in honor of the life and work of beloved children’s fantasy and science fiction author Diana Wynne Jones, was held in Bristol, England. Jones passed away in March 2011, and left behind a body of work that has left a lasting imprint on the children’s and YA literature communities.
Never was this more apparent as I wandered around blog land this past week, keeping up on kidlit news, reviews and of course, pins. A group of bloggers (many of which I follow daily), have been participating in a blog tour in which they share their feelings on DWJ and how her writing changed their lives.
I waded through this tumbler where they are all collected and stumbled across a lot of wonderful posts, including a blogger’s confession of her 12-year-crush on The Wizard Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle and quotes from Fire and Hemlock and Power of Three. And then, there are the heart-warming words of authors, who found comfort and inspiration in her writing, some before they even considered putting words to pages. Robin McKinley even called her “a wizard of enormous powers.” I cannot think of a higher compliment for a writer of worlds.
So, in honor of the blog tour, DWJ and her work, I now present a list of just a few don’t-miss titles. Seriously. If you think Howl’s Moving Castle was a great movie, wait till you read the book.
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Howl's Moving Castle Jones, Diana Wynne 2001-08 - Greenwillow Books 006441034X Reserve It
In which a witch bewitched the hatter's daughter -- and then some. . . . Sophie lived in the town of Market Chipping, which was in Ingary, a land in which anything could happen, and often did -- especially when the Witch of the Waste got her dander up. Which was often. As her younger sisters set out to seek their fortunes, Sophie stayed in her father's hat shop. Which proved most unadventurous, until the Witch of the Waste came in to buy a bonnet, but was not pleased. Which is why she turned Sophie into an old lady. Which was spiteful witchery. Now Sophie must seek her own fortune. Which means striking a bargain with the lecherous Wizard Howl. Which means entering his ever-moving castle, taming a blue fire-demon, and meeting the Witch of the Waste head-on. Which was more than Sophie bargained for. . . . …More
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The Dalemark Quartet, Volume 1: Cart and Cwidder/Drowned Ammet Jones, Diana Wynne 2005-05 - Greenwillow Books 0060763698 Reserve It
The Dalemark Quartet, a sprawling, epic fantasy, follows four young people from different times who call upon their magic and their gods to save their war-torn country. Each omnibus edition contains two complete novels. …More
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Enchanted Glass Jones, Diana Wynne 2010-04 - Greenwillow Books 9780061866845 Reserve It BookPage Notable Title
Her first stand-alone novel in seven years, "Enchanted Glass" is classic Jones for readers of all ages: a quintessential villain, magic run amok, two unlikely heroes, sharp satire, and an expertly crafted, surprising plot. …More
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The Merlin Conspiracy Jones, Diana Wynne 2003-04 - Greenwillow Books 0060523182 Reserve It
CCBC Choices - 2004
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Castle in the Air Jones, Diana Wynne 2001-08 - HarperTrophy 0064473457 Reserve It
In which a humble youg carpet merchant wins, then loses, the princess of his dreams Far to the south of the land of Ingary, in the Sultanates of Rashpuht, there lived in the city of Zanzib a young and not very prosperous carpet dealer named Abdullah who loved to spend his time daydreaming. He was content with his life and his daydreams until, one day, a stranger sold him a magic carpet. That very night, the carpet flew him to an enchanted garden. There, he met and fell in love with the beauteous princess Flower-in-the-Night, only to have her snatched away, right under his very nose, by a wicked djinn. With only his magic carpet and his wits to help him, Abdullah sets off to rescue his princess. . . . …More |
P.S. The accompanying picture is a book tower – made entirely out of translations by Diana Wynne Jones. It was displayed at the celebration in Bristol. Impressive, no?
~Rachel Cuzzo, Youth Services Assistant
