News ...

[wellinghall]

Well the return of Jackanory has to be good news, but why pick Muddle Earth?
http://www.c21media.net/news/detail.asp?area=79&article=31429

"part dinosaur, part manifestation of J.R.R. Tolkien's imagination"
http://www.leesvilledailyleader.com/articles/2006/07/26/news/news7.txt

"Gaiman confirmed that Gilliam was back on board to direct the movie version of he and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens"
http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=7920

Comments

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Muddle Earth isn't too bad a book and apart from the name it isn't really anything to do with Tolkien. I suppose though that they saw it as more "eyecatching" than any of the other books by Stewart & Riddell.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I have to say I thought it was absolutely cr*p.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

11 year old boys like it very much, though. If Jackanory is to appeal to today's children, it needs to read books that the children like, not books that adults like. Things that we find tired, cliched and unfunny, children often find fresh and hilarious. For example, I was in a library yesterday when a mother came in with her two sons. The younger son was an avid reader, but the older one thought books were boring. However, yesterday he noticed a book called "Zombie bums from Uranus." (Yes, it's as bad as it sounds.) He picked it up, read a few pages, and borrowed it. His mother was overjoyed. This was the first time in two years that he's voluntarily read a book. A "good" book probably wouldn't have engaged him at all.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts, Elaine.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I came across more lecturing than I'd intended. It's easy for me to slip into Crusading Children's Librarian mode without realising.

I disliked the book, too. Or, rather, I found it unfunny and tedious and gave up after a few chapters.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I came across more lecturing than I'd intended.

No, not at all. You made some good points.

I disliked the book, too. Or, rather, I found it unfunny and tedious and gave up after a few chapters.

Likewise.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

Referring also to what Elaine said, I think we've had this conversation before, but re Doctor Who.

You are not a tweenager of this generation ;) (And neither am I).

Mind you, always interested in your opinion. Maybe I shall get the Minis to watch it and we'll see what they think also?

Bit worried about "animation"...this can be good or tragic.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

You are not a tweenager of this generation

You are quite correct, by about thirty years ... :-(

My complaint was that there are plenty of childrens' books that are, to my eyes, better written; but then, I am saying that as an adult.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

One sad thing is that there are no plans for a new series proper of Jackanory - the stories to be read by Ben Kingsley and John Sessions will be 'special events', though hopefully the first of many.

[asklepia.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the snippets (though I could have done without the dreadful grammar in the Gaiman story). It will be very interesting to see a "Good Omens" film if it ever gets made.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

though I could have done without the dreadful grammar in the Gaiman story

Appalling, wasn't it.

[asklepia.livejournal.com]

It was - but admittedly I've seen far worse in print (real print, as well as the web).