I just found out that Eva Ibbotson passed away yesterday at the age of 85.
She is one of those authors whom you feel you get to know well, just by reading her books. Her books, from the light yet satisfying fantasies like Which Witch and The Secret of Platform 13 to her historical novels such as The Star of Kazan and The Dragonfly Pool, are funny, wise, magical, and wonderful - and I'm sure that Ms. Ibbotson was exactly the same. I was lucky enough to be assigned several of her novels to review for School Library Journal over the years, and it was always a joy.
If you want a treat, go to the library or bookstore, choose any Ibbotson novel, and read it tonight - and then recommend it to a friend. That would be the perfect tribute to this fine writer.
She is one of my very favorite children's writers and not as well known here in the U.S. as I think she ought to be. I often think of her fantasy books in comparison to Roald Dahl--she has a similarly wicked sense of humor. My favorite of her titles is Island of the Aunts...although I also enjoy her historical fiction and her historical romances (which remind me a bit of a better written Barbara Cartland and have a completely different style than her fantasies!). I have put her books in the hands of many children at libraries and bookstores--I hope some of them have turned into fans.
ReplyDeleteIt's a great loss for the children's literature community.