Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want Republished! discussion

Our 2024 Focus is the acclaimed author, Joan Aiken.

It can hardly be said that she is a forgotten author, of course, but she does have some out-of-print/scarce works to track down, and is perhaps a great example of the wonderful authors and their works who existed "before Harry Potter" (don't get me started...!). :)

I would like to offer to organize read-a-longs and discussions on everything Joan Aiken.

That's about as specific as I can be, having never actually read any Aiken myself (I know, I know - I have books primed and ready to go, no worries!). :)

How about I just 'open the floor' to suggestions and discussions and activities, and we'll take it from there, if there are any interested parties?

Thanks to Chris of Calmgrove for pointing out the upcoming centenary last autumn.

Here is Joan Aiken's official website: https://www.joanaiken.com/ and the centenary collections are here: https://www.joanaiken.com/centenary-c...

My preference might just be to read "as much Aiken as you can/have got" this year (I like to keep things simple).

Books I have got (physically) on my shelves but are unread, which are available for read-a-longs, etc. are:

All But a Few

The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories

&

The Felix Brooke series:
Go Saddle the Sea
Bridle the Wind
The Teeth of the Gale


Would any seasoned Aiken veterans like to recommend a general jumping off point for new readers? :)

I was very excited to see that you can borrow an audio recording of Joan Aiken reading The Wolves of Willoughby Chase from Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/lp_the-wo... (it is an abridged version, though).

OpenLibrary has a metric tonne of her books to borrow:
https://openlibrary.org/authors/OL206...
<3

My real introduction to Joan Aiken wasn't with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - I read that later and wasn't really impressed - it was with Black Hearts in Battersea and perhaps even more so with Night Birds on Nantucket. I went on from there to find The Cuckoo Tree and The Whispering Mountain, which really won me over. As for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase I don't understand why, when it was made into a movie, the character of Miss Slighcarp wasn't given to Angelica Houston. She would have made the film come alive.

I've read around 30 of Joan Aiken's books, ranging from picture books to children's novels, story collections to adult novels (2 of them). I've read almost the entire Wolves series, except for the very last, posthumously-published one, the Arabella and Mortimer stories, lost of stand-alones, and (as it's been discussed) Armitage, Armitage, Fly Away Home. I'm always meaning to read more, but just haven't found the time.

The audio version of Wolves read by daughter Lizzie is excellent, with some personal recollections in a foreword.

Agree the film is a disappointment.

I agree, maybe just read as many of her books as we are able to.

i>Capn wrote: "

Our 2024 Focus is the acclaimed author, Joan Aiken.

It can hardly be said that she is a forgotten author, of course, but she does have some out-of-print/scarce works to track down..."

Michael wrote: "The audio version of Wolves read by daughter Lizzie is excellent, with some personal recollections in a foreword.

Agree the film is a disappointment."

I got to meet Lizza Aiken, when she was over in NYC doing an event promoting her mother's work, back in 2012. She invited me to attend, because of my Goodreads reviews, actually (that was my first time on GR).

Abigail wrote: "Michael wrote: "The audio version of Wolves read by daughter Lizzie is excellent, with some personal recollections in a foreword.

Agree the film is a disappointment."

I got to meet Lizza Aiken, ..."

Oh neat! :) She's responsible for the awesome website, too, isn't she?!

(That's a terrifying prospect - the children of the authors reading the reviews... I have to be nicer from here on out!) XD

I am a long standing Aiken fan, she used to regularly contribute to the kind of children's ghost story anthologies I grew up with. My absolute favourite of these was Homer's Whistle, a eerie and nostalgic time travel story. Not sure if it was ever republished outside of the very scarce anthology I have it included in, but it definitely should be! The Erl Kings daughter was also a particular favourite in my household of her children's books, I forgot this one until recently and rediscovered it which made me very happy. The illustrations were excellent as well as the story.

Of the more recent collection I have recently read the People in the Castle and Fantastic Fables. Fantastic Fables was definitely my favourite, stories which were all fairy tale themed. Really looking forward to any new collections coming out.

Rose wrote: "I am a long standing Aiken fan, she used to regularly contribute to the kind of children's ghost story anthologies I grew up with. My absolute favourite of these was Homer's Whistle, a eerie and no..."

'Homer's Whistle' is anthologised in A Whisper in the Night. Over the past few years I've been working my way through all of the anthologies even though it meant reading some stories more than once. The great thing about the recent anthologies like Fantastic Fables is that they resurrect stories that might have been published just the once and are hard to find now.

Michael wrote: "The audio version of Wolves read by daughter Lizzie is excellent, with some personal recollections in a foreword.
I've not listened to it but I've seen it praised elsewhere. By the way, Joan's daughter is Lizza, rather than Lizzie – she runs the excellent website and the associated blog (joanaiken.wordpress.com).

As Capn alluded above, I have been hosting on my blog (in conjunction with author Lizzie Ross) a themed Witch Week at the end of October for a few years now: the title is of course inspired by the Chrestomanci title of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones.

This year, a few weeks after the centenary of Joan's birthday, our theme will indeed be Joan and her fantasy writing (though I'm sure her other work may well get a mention). We will be featuring discussion of a readalong of one of her books, though which one hasn't been decided yet. More details here: https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2023/...

So I've just read my first Aiken story, a short one, The Dark Streets of Kimball's Green, contained within Best of Shadows (Joan Aiken, Josephine Poole, Ewart Alexander, Peter Eldin on two TV adaptations).

I was suitably impressed. Dark, realistically grim, and memorable. Poole's story was a master-of-the-hounds/mysterious-horn-dance story (The Inheritance), which I didn't know about when I ordered this and, as anyone who knows my reading tastes knows, was exactly the sort of thing I would have intentionally tracked down, had I known of its existence. Happy accident. Also a good read. The rest are standard fare, so far. ;)

I have The Rose of Puddle Fratrum also by Aiken to look forward to in a few pages (this book has 178 pages, not the 120-something GR has for it. I'll upload a cover as well).


The Best of Shadows
Illustrated by Les Matthews
Adapted from the Thames Television Series Shadows
"A Chilling Collection of Ghostly Tales by such Masters as JOAN AIKEN, JOSEPHINE POOLE, EWART ALEXANDER"
ISBN 0552520969
178 pages
paperback
Carousel (Transworld Publishers Ltd)
1979

The Rose of Puddle Fratrum was weird. And funny. Early computer AI, backwards villagers, a witchy ballet dancer with one leg and an inconvenient curse. I'll bet Les Matthews had a good time illustrating ballerinas leaping and jete-ing out of the path of a runaway hay truck... XD

Last week, when I was prowling around the local charity shops, I came across a paperback copy of The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories. I hadn't seen this before and I hope to be reading it shortly. It seems to be a collection of related short stories which appeared in earlier Aiken short story volumes. The book I have is published by Virago Modern Classics and has a different design to one shown on Goodreads but I can't wait to get into all 438 pages of it.

At the risk of giving you an impossibly tantalising note - and I have so very little of the details left in my memory now - there was a volume of a girls' UK Christmas annual published in the late 50s or early 60s which held an Aiken short story. It was a fairy tale - medieval - sort of thing involving a prince and princess and a castle. I remember seeing it perhaps 40 years ago and I can't help but feel, to an Aiken collector, it has to be a must have piece. And I can't remember what the annual was. I think I have ruled out the most well known D C Thomson annuals: Judy, Mandy and Debbie, but what it was I don't know - and I probably sold it because at the time children's books were worth peanuts. Ah - heavy sigh - if only I could have bought books then with what I know now.

Len--it is quite possible that the story you are remembering is an Armitage one....there are two that fit(ish) your memory....If not, I can ask in my English Girls Books community, which includes one her editors....

Len wrote: "Last week, when I was prowling around the local charity shops, I came across a paperback copy of The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories. I hadn't seen this before an..."

I picked up the same Serial Garden book! :D It's been glaring at me from my shelves for months now - I was happy to see them all in one volume! No brainer!

Capn wrote: "Len wrote: "Last week, when I was prowling around the local charity shops, I came across a paperback copy of The Serial Garden: The Complete Armitage Family Stories. I hadn't seen th..."

Fabulous stories. And then you can read them all again when you come across them in other anthologies.

My only problem with the Complete Armitage book is that I undertook to reading it cover to cover - it was like eating the same meal day and and day out for a week straight. I should have periodically cleansed my palate with other reading. I'm very happy to know that I *have* everything - I just need to make better judgments about what to do with what I have.

Michael wrote: "My only problem with the Complete Armitage book is that I undertook to reading it cover to cover - it was like eating the same meal day and and day out for a week straight. I should have periodical..."

That's a good tip - I would have read cover-to-cover by default. :)

Len wrote: " there was a volume of a girls' UK Christmas annual published in the late 50s or early 60s which held an Aiken short story. It was a fairy tale - medieval - sort of thing involving a prince and princess and a castle..."I think this is Aiken's 'Jehane of the Forest', which appeared in Princess Gift Book for Girls 1966 (Fleetway Publications Ltd 1965). A knight and a missing heiress unite to defeat a monster called the Mirkindole and restore the girl to her inheritance. Also present: a magic girdle, King Arthur, a mysterious gipsy woman etc.

Noreen wrote: "Len wrote: " there was a volume of a girls' UK Christmas annual published in the late 50s or early 60s which held an Aiken short story. It was a fairy tale - medieval - sort of thing involving a pr..."

Nicely done, Noreen! (I want to read this!!!).

GoogleBooks (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=j...) has it in Girls' Adventure Stories of Long Ago (Girls Adventure Stories of Long Ago), Paul Hamlyn 1968, ill. Will Nickless.

Sir Huon of Arthur's Court defeats evil Sir Cador, slays the Mirkindole, sees Jehane's inheritance restored, marries her.

A book of the same name, Jehane of the Forest by L a Talbot (1914), is summarized here: Jehane Of The Forest is a historical fiction novel written by L. A. Talbot and first published in 1914. The story is set in medieval England and follows the life of Jehane, a spirited and independent young woman who lives in the forest with her father, a former knight who has turned to a life of hunting and poaching. When her father is captured and imprisoned by the local lord, Jehane must use her wits and bravery to save him, while also navigating the dangerous political and social landscape of the time. Along the way, she meets and falls in love with a young knight, but their relationship is threatened by the prejudices and expectations of their respective social classes. The novel is a tale of adventure, romance, and the struggle for justice in a world where power and privilege are often at odds with the values of honor and compassion.

Noreen wrote: "Len wrote: " there was a volume of a girls' UK Christmas annual published in the late 50s or early 60s which held an Aiken short story. It was a fairy tale - medieval - sort of thing involving a pr..."

Oh, well done! That is the very story. I remember the title now. I wonder if she borrowed it from the Talbot novel?

Len wrote: " I wonder if she borrowed it from the Talbot novel?"
Well, there's no copyright in titles, as we know, so I suppose it's quite likely, if only unconsciously. But then Jehane does seem to be a bit of a 'go-to' medieval name for use by authors of historical fiction (e g William Morris, Elsie J Oxenham for starters).

Capn wrote:Nicely done, Noreen! (I want to read this!!!). Thank you - of course, this completely justifies my insistence on keeping my copy (and a great deal more childhood stuff) in the face of parental questions about why...

Noreen wrote: "Capn wrote:Nicely done, Noreen! (I want to read this!!!). Thank you - of course, this completely justifies my insistence on keeping my copy (and a great deal more childhood stuff) in the face of pa..."

I'd be happy to back you up in this. Feel free to reference me in any future argument. XD

Capn wrote: "I'd be happy to back you up in this. Feel free to reference me in any future argument. XD" Thank you, that's very kind - I did get to keep everything I wanted, happily.

Would it be of interest to note that I always think of 1st March as Dido Twite Day? This is from Dido and Pa (1986):

Remembering a piece of advice that a sailor had once given her, [Dido] said to the boy, “When’s your birthday? Mine’s the first of March.”

‘When you talk to a savage or a native,’ Noah Gusset had said, ‘always tell him some secret about yourself — your birthday, your father’s name, your favourite food — tell him your secret and ask him his. That’s a token of trust; soon’s you know each other a bit, then you can be friends.’

This happened to be Joan's mother's birthday, but there's an additional factor to consider. I estimate, from details in Black Hearts in Battersea and elsewhere, that Dido must have been born in 1824, a hundred years before Joan herself – so that means that 1st March 2024 will be the bicentenary of Dido's birth and so a very special Dido Twite Day!

Chris wrote: "Would it be of interest to note that I always think of 1st March as Dido Twite Day? This is from Dido and Pa (1986):
Remembering a piece of advice that a sailor had once given her, [Dido] said to t..."

That will be a special day! :)

What's Aiken's (or Dido's) favourite tipple or meal?! I might have some inspiration for supper that day! ;)

Food is everywhere in Aiken's fiction, Capn, and this (from the very first Wolves chronicle) is as good as example as any:

Simon and Bonnie have one of the best breakfasts imaginable, beginning with bowls of porridge served with ‘brown sugar from a big blue bag, and with dollops of thick yellow cream from Mr Wilderness’s two red cows who stand ‘sociably outside the kitchen door.’ https://wp.me/p3dxSy-1vB

Elsewhere, Dido's sister samples saloop, and the Armitage children are forever scoffing delicious food. I'm uncertain what Joan's favourite tipple would be, though!

Capn wrote: What's Aiken's (or Dido's) favourite tipple or meal?.. I did wonder if Aiken herself might have been vegetarian, at least at some point. Simon says his ability to communicate with animals is to do with that (though he also says that not eating meat isn’t always convenient), and hardly any of the food in the Wolves books is meat, certainly the food eaten by the good characters, although Simon and Dido then eat large plates of beef at an inn in Petworth in Dido and Pa. And then there's the Wensleydale, sorry, Vendsleydale cheese in Clatteringshaws; and more seriously the poisoned cake Jorinda gives to Dido in Midwinter Nightingale. I'm always slightly inrigued by the food in Night Birds - (chowder, sassafras tea, beach plums), but perhaps I'll stick with the Archbishop of Wessex's cucumber sandwiches!

Sounds like you have the makings of a Joan Aiken Fan Cookbook there! :D That's great!

I loved her Wolves of Willoughby Chase series as a child, I still like the earlier ones, though the later ones got a bit too macabre for my taste. Night Birds on Nantucket is my favourite.

Her short stories are great fun. The Apple of Trouble is my favourite of her Armitage family stories. A Small Pinch of Weather is my favourite non Armitage story.

I like some of her adult novels too, especially Trouble With Product X, which is hilarious. And The Silence of Herondale..

Thanks again to Rainbowheart for sending the Books for Keeps links to this group! :D

Pulling out any Aiken reviews I find and sharing them here. :) Working backwards from the earliest editions (1980 and up)

2 May 1980

The Shadow Guests
Joan Aiken, Cape, 0 224 01797 7,
£3.95
Returning to England from Australia after
the mysterious disappearance of his mother
and older brother, Cosmo looks for peace
with Cousin Eunice at the mill house; but
there is weekly boarding at a school in
Oxford, unfriendly classmates and new
knowledge of a family curse to cope with.
This is a more reflective Joan Aiken - the
action being confined to Cosmo's encounters
with three boys from his family's past - one
Roman, one crusader, one eighteenth-
century - all inexorably bound by the
curse. These ghostly incidents, although part
of the build-up to a dramatic climax, are
isolated and less strong than the evocation
of places and people - the mill house and
its surroundings, Morningquest School (not
exactly Grange Hill, but the relationships of
the inhabitants are much the same). It is
atmosphere rather than story that the reader
takes away from this one.

Capn wrote: "So I've just read my first Aiken story, a short one, The Dark Streets of Kimball's Green, contained within Best of Shadows (Joan Aiken..."

You might like to know that this Aiken short story has been republished in a new collection, Tales of London Town, issued in September to coincide with Aiken's centenary. I reviewed the book here:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

This recent article by Lizza Aiken on her mother might be of interest to members of the group:

https://lithub.com/looking-after-the-...

Abigail wrote: "This recent article by Lizza Aiken on her mother might be of interest to members of the group:

https://lithub.com/looking-after-the-..."

Yes, very informative I thought.

A whole week of Joan Aiken discussion is about to take place here- https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2024/...
1. Thursday, 31st October, Halloween. Joan Aiken: A Celebration by the author’s daughter Lizza Aiken.
2. Friday, 1st November, All Hallows. Life at its bleakest: Mallika Ramachandran on Midnight is a Place.
3. Saturday, 2nd November, All Souls. The Adventure of Growing Up: Lory Widmer Hess on the Felix Brooke trilogy.
4. Sunday, 3rd November. The Twite Sisters by Lizzie Ross: selected Wolves Chronicles.
5. Monday, 4th November, Mischief Night. Readalong discussion of The Serial Garden: Anne, Chris, Jeanne, Lizzie, Lory, Ola, Piotrek.
6. Tuesday, 5th November, Bonfire Night: Augmented Austen: Aiken’s Austen sequels by Chris Lovegrove.
7. Wednesday, 6th November. A Collaboration to Cherish: Anne Thompson on A Necklace of Raindrops.
8. Thursday, 7th November. Naffy coves in New England: an overview of Night Birds on Nantucket by Jeanne Griggs.
9. Friday, 8 November. Weird, wry and wonderful: Joan Aiken’s short stories by Ola Gruszczyk and Piotr Kaplon.
Saturday, 9 November. Witch Week wrap-up.

Charlotte wrote: "A whole week of Joan Aiken discussion is about to take place here- https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2024/... ..."

Oh, thank you for highlighting this, Charlotte – I hope all the posts will meet the approval of Aiken fans!

Charlotte wrote: "A whole week of Joan Aiken discussion is about to take place here- https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/2024/...
1. Thursday, 31st October, Halloween. Joan Aiken: A Celebration by the author’s ..."

Thank you for that, it looks really interesting. I'll be tuning in tomorrow.