The Return of Little Big Man (Little Big Man #2) by Thomas Berger

The Return of Little Big Man

Little Big Man #2

Thomas Berger

Front cover

Date read: 2 - 12 September 2020

Length: 432 pages

Published: 1999

Following on from Little Big Man, we join Jack Crabb on his adventures after Custer's Last Stand. With Buffalo Bill, he tours a lot of Europe doing Buffalo Bill's Wild West, amongst other things!

How the West was won, from the man who lived

to tell the tale.

What an interesting life Jack Crabb has lived. I know he lived to a very ripe old age, but he's done so much in his life that many people don't have the opportunity to do. He also seems very blase about it all, which I guess is because that's just what he's used to.

I thought him travelling most of America was good for the time, but now Europe too! I imagine it would have taken a very long time to get from place to place, especially from America to Europe, there being no aeroplanes in those days.

I liked the bit in Britain. I thought it was funny the way he interacted with the royalty, and the prince especially seemed to take a liking to him.

These books are not something I would normally read, but I'm glad I did. It was a good change of subject for me, and I do like to read most genres.

Thomas Berger

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The Wee Librocubicularist

Thief! by Malorie Blackman

Thief!

Malorie Blackman

Front cover

Date read: 27 August - 1 September 2020

Length: 229 pages

Published: 1995

After being accused of being a thief, Lydia runs away to the moors to escape. A storm suddenly appears, hurling her into the future where the town is ruled by a cruel tyrant. Can Lydia get back to her own time to stop the future from becoming that reality?

Lydia's last thought before darkness closed over

her mind was that the strange, swirling storm had

trapped her. Would it ever let her go?

I'm not sure that the future would change quite so much in 37 years, the whole structure of society seems to have changed, and not just in Lydia's town. Although with the way things are going in the would today, I'm kind of thinking it might not be so surprising after all.

It was good Lydia got some closure in the future and could take that to the past. There was some surprising events in the future, and Lydia could learn from that. She grew up a lot though this experience and it made her think about things more.

This is a good young adult book for a younger teen.

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The Wee Librocubicularist

The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (The Chronicles of Prydain) by Lloyd Alexander

The Founding and Other Tales of Prydain

The Chronicles of Prydain

Lloyd Alexander

Front cover

Date read: 24 - 26 August 2020

Length: 96 pages

Published: Original edition (6 stories) 1973, this edition (8 stories) 1999

Here are some short stories revisiting the land of Prydain before Taran's time. We meet Eilonwy's mother, a young Coll and Dallben, learn about the sword Drynwyn, and how Fflewddur came upon his magical harp.

These short stories are great, and I'm glad I waited until I finished reading the series before reading them. It was good to meet some of the characters which are referenced in the main series that you don't get to meet, or that are a lot older. There's also a little more detail, for example, with how Fflewddur got his harp.

My favourite stories are probably The True Enchanter and The Truthful Harp. I like the subtle magic in the series and we get to see a bit more of this in The True Enchanter. I have always like Fflewddur Fflam, and find his harp fits his personality well!

It was also nice to revisit Prydain after finishing the series. This really is the end now. I'm sad there is no more, but I really enjoyed the series. So much so I have given all the books to a friend so she can read them, and enjoy the magical world of Prydain, too!

Read the series, you will not be disappointed.

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The Wee Librocubicularist