How Shasta Changed My Life
As a writer of children’s books, I am interested in children’s
writing and what makes a really riveting book. We have lots of good, new authors
coming onto the market all the time yet some books make an appearance for a few
years and seem to disappear while others stand the test of time. Many writers
and publishers have studied this phenomenon and have searched high and low for
the secret formula of what makes a great children’s author and it is possible
to buy books about the subject.
My favourite book was (and still is) The Horse and His Boy
by CS Lewis. Yes, I know everyone raved (and still raves) about The Lion, the
Witch and the Wardrobe and I liked that book too but I think The Horse and his
Boy is definitely better. I love how Bree the horse (actually his full name is Breeheehinnybrinnyhooweyha
– but please do not quote me on the spelling!) is quite the protagonist as is
Shasta, the main character. How I longed to be Shasta learning to ride this talking
horse so full of himself and yet so loveable. In fact, I was Shasta; escaping
the drudgery of life, thrilled with the exciting adventures and dangers ahead
and annoyed when Aravis and her sensible horse, Hwin joined us on this
incredible journey. And oh, how frightened I was sleeping alone in the desert
outside of Tashbaan not knowing if I’d be eaten by wild beasts before my
friends found me. Many times, I have lost myself in this delicious adventure,
feeling every nervous twitch and shiver, suffering in the darkness, exultant in
the light and that, oh so blissful but terrifying moment when I met Aslan wild
and honourable. I lived that book as Shasta and every time I read that book I
am still Shasta.
There are many good books on the market for children but not
as many great books. Books where I disappear into the character and am plunged
into a different life, one in which I lose myself. Books where I live the tale,
caught in that otherworldly dimension. Books that when they end I feel bereft,
slightly abandoned. Yet, they also leave me with a nugget of hope, the belief that
life can have a bit of magic in it and that I can be brave and courageous just
like Shasta. I can have my own adventures, my own deep friendships. I can apply
Shasta’s behaviours to my own life. To be a little less selfish, to say yes to
a challenge, to sleep with the light off and know that I can defeat all those
monsters that hide under my bed.
So, what’s your favourite children’s book and why is it your
favourite? Do you still occasionally read it? What impact has it had on your
life?
What a brilliant blog post. I love it. My favourite children’s books were, and still are, anything by Enid Blyton. The Folk of the Faraway Tree is legend. All those fabulous characters and a different, exciting land every day.
ReplyDeleteI love the Faraway Tree! Saucepan man, Moonface, Dame Wishy Washy... genius!
DeleteI love all the Narnia books, also books by Patricia St John – Treasures of the snow or, for older readers, The Victor. And of course Swallows and Amazons, Anne of Green Gables and the lesser known Sula trilogy.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Each Narnia book deals very subtly with a deep moral issue – forgiveness, obedience, trust, repentance, etc. – packed into an exciting adventure. PStJ also uses realistic events to illustrate the consequences of wrong behaviour and the possibility of forgiveness and healing. The others are again vivid characters in plausible situations every child can identify with and how they develop through challenging events.
DeleteI love the Narnia books. The Silver Chair has always been my favourite. It is so graphically written, those scenes unfold on the mind with every new page.
ReplyDeleteI adore the Narnia books, though I read them all as an adult, shortly after coming to faith. For me it was the Willard Price books. Cannibal Adventure, South Sea Adventure etc, that I loved. Learning all those facts about animals as well as the gripping storylines. Fighting Fantasy too, where you have to roll dice and choose which path to take etc. Maybe it was easier to make those decisions in the book then the challenging ones I was facing as a child?
ReplyDeleteWow! I remember those Fighting Fantasy books!
DeleteThe Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge and for older children, Towers in the Mist by the same author. Elizabeth Goudge seems to be a neglected author nowadays. She wrote for adults too and those books are also well worth reading. Her books all have good stories, unexpected twists in the plot and wonderful descriptions, which are not too long. For some reason I don't reread them as often as I reread the Narnia books!
ReplyDeleteI know people relate the Narnia books to faith - I had no idea as a child, I just loved the adventures and, of course, Aslan.
ReplyDelete