Redwall Books

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    I've been wanting to start this topic for quite awhile now, but just been too busy.


    A little over a year ago, I was introduced to the Redwall series of books by Brian Jacques. I have been reading them to our now nine-year old son (when we first started, they were definitely beyond his reading ability). I have enjoyed them immensely. I think there are 17 or 18 now in the series, we are just finishing the twelfth book.


    The author is apparently well known in the United Kingdom, since that is where he is from. He began writing these books in the mid-eighties, and I don't know how it is that I never heard of them before last year.


    For those of you who have never heard of them, they center around a place called Redwall Abbey, and the characters in the books are all animals; the time period seems to be roughly the Middle Ages (judging by the weaponry and some of the language). There is a very strong line between and good and bad. The "good guys" are mice, otters, voles, moles, squirrels, hedgehogs, badgers and a few others I might have forgotten. The "bad guys" are rats, ferrets, weasels, stoats, foxes, toads, some birds, snakes, and a few others I have probably forgotten :rolleyes:. A recurring character throughout the books is Martin the Warrior, who is like the patron saint of the Abbey (as well as one of the founders of it).


    I find these books to be very well written, with very engaging storylines and excellent vocabulary (I have had to break open the dictionary on occasion, which is unusual). The author is very clever and creative, not only with his prose, but occasionally with poetry that is interwoven into the story.


    If you haven't heard of these books, I heartily recommend that you give them a try. The title of the first book of the series is Redwall. You don't have to read them in order, each one stands on its own merit, but we have enjoyed reading them in sequence.


    If you have heard of them, I am curious as to what you think of them.


    I look forward to your feedback and questions.


    Mrs. C :angel1:

    Hi,I have certainly heard of this series of booksbut have never ventured to read them.An old friend of mine years ago had one of these always on the go and was constantly raving about them.


    Their is a large number in the serier, their is also an animated television show I tuned in one but as i never read the books i could not follow along very well.Maybe one day I will look into it.I just bought the new HP book last night and am JUST about finished it.


    -IHW

    hi mrs c


    i havent seen these books down under and i go looking for books for young boys to read sll of the time as i like to give the little bloke a book for his b'day and one at christmas this is a tradtion that was passed down to me from my parents and they still give books at christmas to all of their grannies so if i can find one of these books i might just mention it to my mum for an idea for a book for the little bloke for this christmas.


    cheers smokey

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"

    Hello All
    Hi Mrs C we read many if not all of the redwall books (as bedtime stories), to our children and they liked them a lot. They are not bad for adults in as much as the storyline is well written and keeps your interest as you read them to the kids. I remember getting hungry as the feasts were described in detail. Kilo

    Greetings from North of the 49th

    kilo 6, I certainly can relate to getting hungry reading about all those Redwall feasts! My son keeps on saying they should come out with a Redwall cookbook.


    Quote

    Originally posted by kilo 6@ Sep 9 2005, 10:48 PM
    They are not bad for adults in as much as the storyline is well written and keeps your interest as you read them to the kids.


    That is so true - I could not have made it through 14 of those books if they were not as well written as they were. Brian Jacques is the consummate story teller!


    smokey, according to Redwall Abbey: The Official Redwall Web Site -


    Quote

    Each year one new Redwall adventure is published. The books are released in Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, and South Africa on the same date. The release date is usually between July and September.


    So I'm guessing they should be fairly available to you.


    We just finished number 14, Lord Brocktree, and are getting ready to move on to The Taggerung.


    Mrs. C :angel1:

    hi mrs c


    will have to go to a bigger shopping centre as the local book shops cant carry all childrens books, looks like i could be going where there are more book shops in a cuple of weeks so will have another look they might have a copy of the first one on their shelves if not will have to go into brizzy as they have dozens of books shops there a big day out is what we will have to have.


    hooroo smokey

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"

    Quote

    Originally posted by chester7777@Sep 11 2005, 11:28 PM
    We just finished number 14, Lord Brocktree, and are getting ready to move on to The Taggerung.

    [snapback]21354[/snapback]


    Oops, I must correct that . . . the next book in the bunch is Loamhedge, and we have just started it.


    smokey, does ebay have an Australian segment that you could shop from? What about Amazon? I have often gotten used books VERY reasonably on Amazon, and in practically new condition, too.


    (about 10 minutes after originally posting . . . )
    OK, I just had to search ebay and limit it to auctions in Australia, and I found this auction! smokey, let me know what you think!


    Mrs. C :angel1:

    Hi,
    We haven't read Redwall books, I think that my son is too old for them. But I'm always worrying that he is not interested in Fenimor Cuper and other adventure books, that I have read in his age.
    What books read your children?
    Best wishes,
    Senta

    Senta,


    How old is your son? My son is 9 years old, and they are a little above his reading level (he could read them on his own, but it would be very tedious and I think he would lose interest). That's why I read them to him. I really enjoy them - and I'm way older than 9 :D. Although I really enjoy them, I could see how they would be more appealing to boys than girls - lots of battles with swords and slingshots and javelins and spears; lots of plotting to help comrades escape from captivity; puzzles and riddles and some mystery; and as kilo mentioned, there are all those sumptious Redwall feasts in which to vicariously indulge. If you can get hold of one, have your son check it out - he might really like it.


    To answer your question - my nine year old son is now reading the Great Illustrated Classics and has read King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and David Copperfield (by Charles Dickens). I think these books are a nice introduction to the classics, easy reading with lots of pictures, and pave the way for reading the "real thing" in a couple of years when his reading ability is higher. All of my kids read the Great Illustrated Classics when they got to be around 8 or 9 years old. Some other books which we have enjoyed are the Little House books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Wishbone Classics. Because he enjoys most things "cowboy" of course that is a popular theme for him as well.


    Mrs. C :angel1:


    Hi Mrs.C,
    Thank you for kind answer. My son is 14, and he is fond of Harry Porter books, even tryed to read them in english, but failed at the moment. May be it is good way to teach classics - to read it first in illustrated editions. But it is not wide practice here. And in his school he has a huge programm of literature this year, including Shakespare and a big number of russian classics. But I'm still worried that he didn't became interested in the books that interest me in his age - such as Fenimor Cooper, Main Reed, Walter Scott and others. May be it will comes to him later. In our days children reads less wnen in the past.
    Regards,
    Senta

    Quote

    Originally posted by Senta@Sep 20 2005, 10:36 AM
    In our days children reads less wnen in the past.


    Right as rain, Vera. That's one reason many of the kids who attend public schools in the U.S. invariably score lower than kids from other countries in tests of every subject. It's always been my belief that if a kid reads (and comprehends) well, they can learn anything else. By the time I was 6 or 7 years old, I could read at a level that 17/18 year old high school seniors (though by no means all) achieve today. In my opinion, America's public school system today is a disaster. I think we should dismantle it and start over.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

    Quote

    Originally posted by Stumpy@Sep 20 2005, 07:38 PM
    Right as rain, Vera. That's one reason many of the kids who attend public schools in the U.S. invariably score lower than kids from other countries in tests of every subject. It's always been my belief that if a kid reads (and comprehends) well, they can learn anything else. By the time I was 6 or 7 years old, I could read at a level that 17/18 year old high school seniors (though by no means all) achieve today. In my opinion, America's public school system today is a disaster. I think we should dismantle it and start over.

    [snapback]21512[/snapback]



    Hi Jim,
    I didn't know much about the U.S. public schools, but I think that the level of the education slowly but falls down not only in U.S. but in Russia too. I myself connected with this system because I work a part time in the 2 graduating classes at school here. It called gumnasium (because of great number of fililogical subjects, mainly languages, it is funny, but I myself graduated from this school) I teach russian literature and language. But I also must add that fine pupils is still exists, but their number is not very much.
    Myself I too started reading much at the age at 7, so I expect so from my son.

    hi senta


    my little bloke will be 9 in a couple of months but he too has a difficult time with reading so i like mrs c read some of the harder books to him so that he will become interested in reading he likes harry potter but the classic that he likes is treasure island. they did a servey in our schools and found that the spelling was letting a lot of the children down and it turns out that some of their teachers didnt pass spelling tests either. my lad goes to a tutor once a week for help with his english. my nephew who is the same age as you lad read so much that when he gets a new book you dont see him till he has finished it he reads at a level equal to that of a 17/18 yr old so i think they all come to reading at their own time but when they do they will enjoy it. maybe you could find out what interests he has and buy books in that field. just a suggestion how about having one day a week where they cant play with anything electronic or watch telly they then have to either play baord games or read we do this and it has made a difference to my lads reading.


    just a thought till later


    hooroo smokey

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"

    Quote

    Originally posted by smokey@Sep 21 2005, 05:10 PM
    my nephew who is the same age as you lad read so much that when he gets a new book you dont see him till he has finished it he reads at a level equal to that of a 17/18 yr old so i think they all come to reading at their own time but when they do they will enjoy it. maybe you could find out what interests he has and buy books in that field. just a suggestion how about having one day a week where they cant play with anything electronic or watch telly they then have to either play baord games or read we do this and it has made a difference to my lads reading.


    [snapback]21544[/snapback]



    Hi Smokey,
    Thank you for advice. My son too cant stop reading the book he loves, but he often turned the book if it seems dull to him, and go to play football, or play computer instead. :huh:
    Of course the way is to find what interests him, but it will be no use, becouse it didn't push him to love classics. :wacko:
    Regards,
    Senta

    hi senta


    with time he will come to like the classics, from what you have said you have them in the house one day he may suprise you and get one out to read we can only hope. my nephew has read some of the classics he started with them when he was 9 and has worked his way up from treasure island to sherlock holmes. give it time and he could come around.


    hooroo smokey

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"


    Hope so. It is funny, but one of the Sherlock Holms books - The Hound of Baskerville - he read even in english this summer, and I didn't push him to do that.
    All the best,
    Senta