Margaret Mahy - Additional and Optional August Challenge

[Angie]

With the passing of Margaret Mahy, one of NZ's most brilliant authors, we will be running an additional and optional challenge. During the month of August choose a Margaret Mahy book or books to read as a way of acknowledging this amazing lady.

If you would like to participate, leave a message below with the name of the book or books you will be reading.

Participating:
Angie
Kathleen
Sweetp-1
Melinda
Julie

[Angie]

I am definitely going to take part in this challenge. Will check out the school library on Monday to see which Margaret Mahy novels we have. I'll select one or two from there.

[Sweetp-1]

The day after the news of her death Miss 4 and I went to the library and borrowed "The Man whose mother was a pirate" which was perfect for my little pirate.

Isn't this just the most wonderful description of the sea?

"The little man could only stare. He hadn't dreamed of the BIGNESS of the sea. He hadn't dreamed of the blueness of it. He hadn't thought it would roll like kettledrums, and swish itself on to the beach. He opened his mouth, and the drift and the dream of it, the weave and the wave of it, the fume and the foam of it never left him again. At his feet the sea stroked the sand with soft little paws. Farther out, the great, graceful breakers moved like kings into court, trailing the peacock-patterned sea behind them."

I read that passage out loud to the kids over and over, it was just so beautifully written and so evocative of the ocean. She had a wonderful talent and bought such joy to so many children, and adults alike.

[Melinda]

Please put me down to participate. I am hoping to reread The Tricksters and The Changeover and maybe the Catalogue of the Universe. I am reading Margaret Mahy's books on Saturday 11th at a library in Auckland (hopefully the central City branch) as part of a nationwide read that has been organised in her memory.

[Angie]

Picked up The Haunting and The Changeover from our school library today. Looking forward to reading them both.
What a cool idea to run a nationwide read in Margaret Mahy's memory. I hope you get lots read, Melinda.

[Julie]

I'd like to participate as well. I haven't read many of Margaret Mahy's YA books so I have checked out The Tricksters and Magician of Hoad from the local library.

[Julie]

There's a website for the Margaret Mahy nationwide read now: http://mmnationwide.blogspot.co.nz/p/...

[Tui]

When I was a relief teacher, I could go into any classroom, no matter how unruly and so long as I could get the kids to BEGIN to listen to a Mahy story, they would be in the palm of my hand. It felt like she was a trusted colleague, working alongside me, producing the words for me to read that worked their magic every time and brought the kids around, ready to listen to anything that came from the person who had read them that story.

[Darkpool]

Thanks for that link, Julie.

[Angie]

I finished The Haunting last night. I loved the clever and somewhat outrageous similes and metaphors Mahy used throughout this book. A lovely read. I gave it 4 stars.

[Sharlene]

After hearing of Margaret Mahy's passing, I went into Auckland Central. They had a wee section set up of her books and a folder to leave any comments & farewells to Mahy. I got out A Lion In The Meadow and read it to my niece while she was in town on holiday.
I also read Alchemy. I think I quite like these alchemy themed books. A little teen magic is quite intriguing.

[Angie]

I read The Changeover last month. It was very similar to The Haunting, just a more grown-up version.