Original to the Clarion-Ledger
A Jackson native who now lives in Memphis, Barry Wolverton will be visiting Lemuria Books on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m. to sign his newest book for young readers, “The Vanishing Island.”
The protagonist is Bren Owen of the “dirtiest, noisiest, smelliest city in all of Britannia.” “Bren was what they called spindly— tall for his age, but unsteady, like a chair you might be afraid to sit on. He had been born in Map because he had no choice in the matter.”
It is 1599 and the Age of Discovery in Europe. Bren would rather be out on a ship exploring the world, but on the day he tries to surreptitiously board a ship as a stowaway, an explosion foils his plans, and he is sent to work at McNally’s Map Emporium, owned by the one and only map mogul, Rand McNally. It is there, as Bren tends to sick and dying sailors, that one of these sea dogs gives him a strange coin with indecipherable characters. This coin sends Bren on a quest that will take him far beyond the confines of Map and toward the Vanishing Island.
Spanning East and West culture and folklore, “The Vanishing Island” is perfect for fans of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island.” This book should be next on your child’s to-read list.
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: The Illustrated Edition” by J.K. Rowling, illustrated by Jim Kay
At the start of 2015, a few gorgeously intricate illustrations featuring characters from the Harry Potter series were released online. Further research showed that Jim Kay, an illustrator who won the Kate Greenaway medal for his illustrations in “A Monster Calls” by Patrick Ness in 2012, would be creating a series of illustrations for the first Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (or in the UK, “The Philosopher’s Stone”.)
Kay’s illustrations are sheer magic. The colors are dynamic and the detail is so incredible that one could spend hours looking at all the illustrations in the book. With all of the Harry Potter books and movies, it didn’t seem possible that a tried and true classic could be made fresh, but Kay makes the wizarding world a reality. As Halloween draws near, perhaps one of the best scenes in all of children’s literature comes from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” It is after Harry and Ron have saved Hermione’s life from the troll on Halloween night. As Rowling writes, “from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their (Harry and Ron’s) friend. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a 12-foot mountain troll is one of them.”
Clara Martin works for Lemuria Books.
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