Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want Republished! discussion

Hello all!

It's been awhile. :) I'm still not back at full-speed, having recently moved house, so apologies for my continued sporadic absence. Glad to be back to catch up on all the discussions here. :)

Just finished Ludo and the Star Horse, which I adored, and since it's my first time reading any by this author, I figured I'd start a thread. I understand she wrote The Little Broomstick and A Walk in Wolf Wood among other books, though not sure if any others were juvenile in scope.

It was a fun little book about a Bavarian alp shepherd boy who, while chasing his elderly horse through a blizzard (and subsequent avalanche) ends up on a cosmic journey through the 12 Houses of the Zodiac. And rather than it being a silly jaunt through the daily horoscopes of your local classifieds, or I suppose nowadays, one of a gazillion ad-ridden apps, it was much more about the mythological figures represented by those Houses (and that's not exclusive to the titular sign, rather inclusive of the other notable constellations and therefore mythological figures caught up in that 'House' of the sky). It's short, it's light, but it's highly novel and just a little bit weird.

I just realised that the serpentine dragon in the apple tree is probably what made some negative reviewers think it to be a Christian allegory, but there was also an owl in that tree (of equal status to the dragon), and it was in the ram Ares' field, so... I think apple trees are probably well-featured in other mythologies as well. ;) Anyway. I mention this because I quite prefer the cover of my edition, featuring this scene, to the more modern covers:


Anyway, I'm quickly running out of batteries (that's human battery power - my laptop's got an hour or so left!), so I'll leave off here, but I'm curious to know if anyone's read any of her books (or this book? I can't link to just the author in the subject for this thread - I guess because multiple Mary Stewarts. So I linked to Ludo, but let's cast a wider net..).

Hope your move went as smoothly as can be expected (and ha, ha, when I saw the topic on my phone, I first thought you were talking about the Mary Stuart the rival of Queen Elizabeth I and not the author).

Capn wrote: "Hello all!

It's been awhile. :) I'm still not back at full-speed, having recently moved house, so apologies for my continued sporadic absence. Glad to be back to catch up on all the discussions he..."

Hope you're settling in. It won't be long before you're ending all your messages by saying "Ayup, I'll sithee." Or perhaps that's not something they say in Beverley. Anyway, about Mary Stewart. I think I read A Walk in Wolf Wood a long time ago. The GR resume of a werewolf story is familiar, but what I remember most is The Crystal Cave which I recall as being a brilliant read. I don't know why I didn't carry on reading her Arthurian series - something must have taken over my attention. I'll have to catch up up with them.

The Merlin series is worth reading, especially The Crystal Cave. None of the other adult ones, but tastes vary. I recall my mother remarking that while they seemed interesting, in the end there was no there there. That was my experience as well and I gave up. I haven't read the children's books as far as I can recall.

Sem wrote: "The Merlin series is worth reading, especially The Crystal Cave. None of the other adult ones, but tastes vary. I recall my mother remarking that while they seemed interesting, in the end there was..."

I enjoyed the Merlin series (we read the The Crystal Cave and The Hollow Hills for school and I then read the others by myself). Also really liked Thornyhold.

I was lucky enough to have Ludo and the Star Horse and Little Broomstick on my childhood shelf, and reread them over and over again. Ludo still sticks in my mind really strongly as a beautiful and moving hero's journey, and Little Broomstick for the images that still delight my mind's eye today. Both have stakes that are just right for a child; not saving the world, but saving the animal you love and feel responsible for. A Walk in Wolf Wood was published much later, and I didn't care for it.

Ay up, ducks! Thanks everyone for all the replies! Still on the app (crashed once for me already tonight), still sleep deprived and clawing my way through Advent (there is a Christmas event for the offspring every.single.day! How?!).

I'm going to have to track down this Crystal Cave series!!

I’ve never read any of her children’s books, though I have read most of her adult novels. I read the Merlin books when I was a teenager and really into historical fiction. It wasn’t until much later that I got into her romantic suspence, which I now love. Thrilling adventure in exotic settings, and some very attractive heroes. Madam, Will You Talk? Is probably my favourite, I also love Wildfire at Midnight, Nine Coaches Waiting, This Rough Magic, and Airs Above the Ground. She is very good at describing places vividly so that you feel you are there. Rathe like Mabel Esther Allan in that way.