I'm in love with Neil Gaiman. There I said it. I think I mostly love him because he is a fantastic writer. But I also adore the fact that he is not afraid to scare kids. I'm learning that even my quiet, shy 8-year old who must sleep with a night light likes to be scared a little. Both boys like books with ghosts or monsters or angry mythological gods. Giant snakes. They are freaks for giant snakes.
Gaiman is well known for adult horror-fantasy novels, so I was surprised to learn that "Coraline" was written for his 6-year old daughter. The book and the movie gave me the creeps, but in a good way. At one point while I was reading it, I thought something was crawling on me. Maybe it's because I'm a mom and the villain, who looks like Coraline's real mom eats spiders and has shiny black buttons for eyes, is so darn icky. Regardless, I decided I would not read it to my boys. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a quick read with rich language, a super plucky heroine and all kinds of suspense. Gaiman deserves the praise that is heaped on him and I am definitely a fan.
Recently, my oldest came across “Odd and the Frost Giants” at the library. After reading the plot summary he absolutely had to have it. I saw Gaiman's name on the cover and tried to talk him out of it, but relented after skimming the book.
“Odd and the Frost Giants” is the story of a little Viking boy who is tragically unlucky. His father dies, a tree crushes his leg, and his mother remarries a neglectful man who favors his other children. Odd runs away from his village and quickly meets a talking eagle, bear and fox, who turn out to be the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Loki, all of whom have been turned into animals and thrown out of Asgard by a Frost Giant. If they can't find a way to reclaim their kingdom and regain their godly forms, Odd's world will face a never-ending winter and everyone will die. Odd sets out to help the Norse gods and ultimately save his village. It's a well-written, fun story with lots of Norse history and mythology thrown in. No snakes, though.
Some of Gaiman's children's books are definitely not suitable for younger kids, like the award-winning “The Graveyard Book,” which is incredibly beautiful and quite frightening. But he has written quite a few aimed at kids ages 6-10, including “The Dangerous Alphabet,” “The Day I swapped my Dad for Two Goldfish,” “Instructions,” and “Wolves in the Walls.”
Our “Odd & the Frost Giants” experience made me realize that my kids are tougher than I am when it comes to scary kids books. After all, they were fine with Roald Dahl's “The Witches,” and unfazed by Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. Maybe I will let my oldest have a go at “Coraline” after all. Gaiman's books are strange and wonderful, and perfect for kids who like a little darkness at bedtime.
If you get a chance check out Neil Gaiman's blog. He does everything (that's why he looks sort of sleepy in the photo). http://www.neilgaiman.com/
If you get a chance check out Neil Gaiman's blog. He does everything (that's why he looks sort of sleepy in the photo). http://www.neilgaiman.com/
