Reviews: Three Novels About Three Likeable Orphans (No Annoying Annies!)

Here are three reviews of three children's novels I have read recently. Before reading these I didn't realise that there were so many children's stories written with orphans as central characters! I really enjoyed all three for different reasons. They are all written in different settings; one set in England in the 1980s, one set in a made-up Eastern-European city and one in a magical 'other-world'. They all vary in lengths from 100-400 pages. One is a straight-forward story, one is written like a fairy-tale and the third is part of a detailed and dark, magical trilogy. All three come highly recommended by me and I must admit that all three are written extremely well!



'The Children of the Lost' by David Whitley

I am not normally into these type of 'other-worldly' books but must say I have been captured by Whitley's style of writing. His ability to create imaginary worlds out of words with the degree of clarity, tension and suspense that he did, had me spell-bound from the first page until the end. I am doubly impressed that the writer is only 26 years old and he must be commended for this well-written book.

Without spoiling too much of the plot this second instalment of the Agora trilogy sees the two main characters, Lily (an orphaned girl) and Mark (her best friend) banished from the ancient city of Agora. Upon their journey they come across the village of Aecer which in all respects is different from Agora. Aecer is run along communal lines where all is shared and decisions are made collectively for the good of the village, a vast difference from the capitalist-oriented city of Agora where everything has its price and everything is determined by individualised contract. Lily is awed by the fact the village functions in an almost utopian way, something that she has always hoped for for her beloved Agora. Mark however has his reservations, and over time he is greeted with much suspicion by a large portion of the villagers. Over time they both begin to unravel the mysteries within and surrounding this village and realise that not everything is all that Lily had first thought.

I have not read the first instalment of the trilogy and I don't think that you need to to 'get into' this one. I am now going to purchase it myself, read it and eagerly await the final instalment due out later in 2011. A highly recommended novel.

'The Magician's Elephant' by Kate DiCamillo

This story follows the plight of an orphaned boy named Peter. From an early age he was told that his baby sister died at birth but when he meets a fortune-teller and then has a vivid dream, Peter is suddenly infused with the belief that his sister is actually alive. The strange events that follow in the book are about Peter trying to find his sister. Along his journey he meets a number of different characters who, like him, are in the midst of dealing with varying circumstances in their lives. Peter has an awesome sense of purpose, hope and belief which in turn persuades those he meets to help him out on his journey. All those he meets are lifted by Peter's spirit of 'believing in the impossible' and in turn realise that 'all things are possible' in the midst of their own hopelessness and despair. Peter's journey becomes their journey and more than anything, I believe it can become the reader's journey too.

I have taken the advice of another reviewer and read it as a piece of theatre written in prose. This advice has helped me work through the seemingly strange turns of phrases and repetition in the book. It can be read in less than two hours and like a play, I would encourage you to read it in one full sitting to digest all that this book offers. A highly recommended story.

'Long Way Home' by Michael Morpurgo

This children's novel is about an orphaned boy called George who has gone from foster home to foster home only to be moved on to the Dyer family during the next batch of school holidays. The relationship between George and the family starts off a bit rocky, as George is used to caregivers being offhand and unloving. As the story progresses, the relationships George develops with each family member grows and blossoms. This closeness is threatened toward the end of the story which not only impacts upon George but the family unit as a whole. A great novel for children with a main character (George) who all readers will warm to! Highly recommended!