Cardinal Wiseman Library

day-14

Today’s reading is from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This book was written in the 1860s in America and this passage is one which clearly shows the characters of the March sisters. Jo is the impetuous tomboy, Beth is gentle, Amy tries to do well and occasionally succeeds while Meg is extremely practical.  (We have wondered about Hannah, the maid, does she ever get another cloak?)

This story is also available in film form. One was released in 1933 and the other, more recently, in 1994.

day-13

Today’s reading is from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. It is one of the most famous passages in what has to be one of the most popular children’s books ever written.  For years Narnia has been under the spell of the White Witch but with the arrival of Father Christmas the snow begins to melt and the Witch’s power starts to weaken.

Lewis’ Father Christmas is far more imposing than the jolly character that we associate with Christmas. His presence inspires delight and excitement in the children but also commands awe and respect. The presents that he will give the children will not be toys, but tools to be wielded in the ultimate battle for Narnia.

The BBC made a children’s series from this book (and others in the Narnia sequence) and there are the recent films of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian.

 day-12

Today’s reading is Eddi’s Service by Rudyard Kipling. The poem comes from Kipling’s Rewards and Fairies; which with its companion book, Puck of Pook’s Hill, gives a narrative version of British history that is peopled with fascinating characters.

11-dec    

Today’s reading is Letter from Egypt by Moira Andrew, a short, wry poem that gives us Mary’s point of view of the Nativity. It has a simple charm and we were delighted to find a reader who had a freshness and clarity that the poem deserves.

day-10       

Today’s reading is from The Christmas Cat by Robert Westall. The cat itself does not figure in this selection but we were unable to resist the description of the party. Westall had a wonderful eye for just how people really behave. This story is set in the north-east of England in 1934. It’s a short book, only 96 pages and really suitable for reading out loud to younger children.

day-9  

Today’s reading is from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. Harry Potter has become part of Christmas because of the films and we couldn’t let the season pass by without including the boy wizard.

day-eight 

Today’s reading is Christmas Landscape by Laurie Lee. It is wonderfully evocative of winter weather and also of the Nativity. As we in London are in the thick of a cold snap it is particularly relevant for us.

day-7

Today’s reading is Talking Turkeys by Benjamin Zephaniah. It’s a lively poem with a thoughtful message which has made one of us feel very guilty about ordering their Christmas turkey …

day-6

Today’s reading is taken from The Box of Delights by John Masefield. The book is set at Christmas in 1935 and the description of the children’s party at the Bishop’s Palace is one of the best in the novel. It paints a picture of a magical Christmas celebration with children enjoying simple, unsophisticated fun and games. Of course, readers of the novel are aware that, outside, the forces of evil are gathering to threaten Christmas itself. The wolves are running, will Kay and his friends be able to stop them in time?

This book is in print and the BBC DVD of the television series is also available

dayfive

Today’s reading is from “A Traveller in Time” by Alison Uttley. This story is a classic children’s book which combines fantasy with a fascinating glimpse of history in the time of Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots. Penelope slips from the twentieth century to the sixteenth and finds herself part of a household that supports Mary, not Elizabeth. So, there is not only the tension generated by historical events but also the reader is full of concern for Penelope and what will happen to her. Will she be able to return to her own time or will she be trapped in another very distant period?

You’ll have to read the book to find out! (The BBC made a children’s series of this in 1978 but it seems to be unavailable.)