Kathryn's Inbox

A series of four short essays by author Neil Gaiman are brilliantly brought to life by Chris Riddell in this beautiful hardcover book. Art Matters is something of a call to arms, encouraging all to make art a part of their every day lives--by using their imaginations, by reading fiction, by using libraries and ultimately, creating their own work and not giving up when things become difficult.  I found this one to be an inspiring book, one that had the good fortune to arrive in the post just as I needed it most. Since then, I've greedily read it two or three times before deciding to share what is, essentially a short and glowing review of the book. Is it even possible to review a book like this? Or should I just tell everyone, read this, it's great. Or should I be gifting it to other creatives, especially ones who are suffering with writers block, imposter syndrome, or are feeling like what they do doesn't make a difference?  Or should I state the obvious, that this would m...

What do you get when you pick up a book and it's about a kid whose mum is away, his dad is in charge and the all too familiar scenario of the household running out of milk? A rollicking adventure featuring time travel, a hot air balloon piloted by a stegosaurus who also just happens to be a professor, some aliens, intergalactic police, vampires (or well, wumpires,) and some, uh ponies. Fortunately, the Milk is a fun and twisty novel for kids, written and illustrated by the same pair who were responsible for  Coraline and The Graveyard Book.  And, of course, Neil Gaiman has written extensively for adults, writing the Sandman comic, as well as novels like American Gods, Neverwhere, and co-authoring  Good Omens  with Terry Pratchett just to name a few. Anyway, enough of that... Fortunately, the Milk opens with the dad character being left in charge of his son and daughter while their mum (presumably, a scientist,) leaves for a few days because she has to go to a conf...

This is the best kind of children's book, the kind that can be read and enjoyed by readers of all ages. A little fun, a little scary and a little philosophical, The Graveyard Book tells the story of Nobody 'Bod' Owens, a boy who is raised in the graveyard after his parents and sister are brutally murdered by a man named Jack. The novel opens with the murder of Bod's family, the toddler's escape to the graveyard and the promise that the occupants of the graveyard make to his mother before she is spirited away that they will love him, raise him and care for him. But a childhood in a graveyard is a very unusual thing, and Bod will find himself experiencing many adventures, some frightening, some sad and all of them shaping him in one important way or another. Chris Riddell's brilliant, detailed illustrations at the start of each chapter give an additional level of depth and, dare is say it, spookiness to the story. The Graveyard Book is an entertaining book at ev...

Coraline is a novel that is as delightful as it is scary. Featuring a young protagonist, but with a plot more suitable for readers at the higher end of the age range for middle grade, it tells the story of Coraline, an only child who has recently moved to a new flat with her parents. Both of her parents are busy and the other residents are as old as they are odd, so Coraline finds herself feeling quite lonely. She takes it upon herself to explore the building--a former grand old manor that has been converted into flats. And on the other side of a door she finds two people with big, scary black buttons for eyes who claim to be her "other parents." The other mother wants her to stay there forever, and begins a deadly game where traps are set, and Coraline knows that she must fight to go back home ... This was a twist, scary gothic novel with a big heart and a hell of a lot of imagination. I enjoyed the sense of not knowing what would happen next, while I wished Coraline all th...