Annerton Pit

by Peter Dickinson

“One of the real masters of children’s literature.” —Philip Pullman

“Peter Dickinson is a national treasure.” —The Independent

“[A] master storyteller.” —School Library Journal

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy

175 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Peter Dickinson was an English author and poet widely respected for his children's fiction, detective novels, and imaginative speculative writing. Raised partly in southern Africa before continuing his education in England, he developed an early fascination with adventure stories and classic literature, influences that later shaped his narrative style. He attended Eton College and later studied at King's College, Cambridge, before beginning a long association with the magazine Punch, where he worked for many years as assistant editor, reviewer, and resident poet. Dickinson eventually left journalism to pursue writing full time, publishing works for both adult and younger audiences. His crime novels featuring detective James Pibble earned critical praise, while his fiction for children established him as one of Britain's most distinguished authors in the field. Over the course of his career he produced nearly fifty books that combined historical imagination, fantasy, and thoughtful reflections on human behavior. He achieved rare distinction by winning the Carnegie Medal twice, for Tulku and City of Gold, recognition that placed him among the most celebrated children's writers in Britain. Dickinson also received numerous other literary honors and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In addition to fiction, he wrote poetry and essays, and his work continued to influence generations of readers and writers in the field of children's literature.

Reviews

[William Leight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dickinson pulls you into "Annerton Pit" by using a blind boy as the point-of-view (metaphorically, of course) character. The way Jake describes and interacts with the world around him in the first few chapters is well-drawn, illuminating both his disability and his character, and making him sympathetic enough to draw you into his story. And then, just when you're getting comfortable with a low-key story of a blind boy on a motorcycle trip with his older brother, Dickinson suddenly switches registers, transforming the book into a taut and highly suspenseful thriller. Given that this has little resemblance to the children's books or mysteries that Dickinson is mostly known for, it makes for an impressive demonstration of his range and powers, not to mention the quality of his writing.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

A blind young boy is trapped in a Yorkshire mine with a creature from the past.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Dickinson wrote many really wonderful books for children and young people as well as his thrillers for adults. The range of subjects he covered in them was enormously impressive, from the dawn of civilisation, to nineteenth century China, from the Old Testament, to boy soldiers in late twentieth century Africa, and high fantasy in his later novels and everything else in between. Annerton Pit is something of a classical boys adventure story with a supernatural edge. What is unusual is that Dickinson has set himself the test of creating a hero in Jake who is blind and for whom the world is experienced primarily through sound and touch. Given what Jake has to go through, this is something of a tour de force on the part of the author. I've given this three stars as the story lost its hold for me towards the end, and I don't feel that it's on a par with some of Peter Dickinson's other wonderful books, but what does stick in the mind is the creation of Jake.

[Lee Pritchett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as research for a course i am doing. I must say that i was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't my normal type of read, but it held my attention all the way through. Although it was meant to be a scary story, it was not too scary for its readership. The characters have a bit of a tough time of it and get stuck in a haunted mine. they need to find a way out and fast. This book was quite enjoyable.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jake Bertold is blind, but far from helpless. His brother Martin belongs to GR, the Green Revolution, and knows the 5 propositions, the last of which is about non-violence. They go looking for their missing granpa north of Newcastle.