Murky Mists and Dark Days

I’ve returned from the land of Mermaids and Magic (my vacation on Sanibel Island in Florida last week) to the land of Murky Mists and Dark Days. Never fear! There’s inspiration to be had here as well, and fewer bug bites to boot! In fact, by that description, I may well have landed in the Neverland of Piper Pan!

I had word, second-hand from another grandmother who gifted The Curse of the Neverland to her granddaughter and daughter for Christmas. Both generations enjoyed the book and will look for the next ones. Excellent news, and confirmation that, as my publisher Kelly Lenihan of Artisan Bookworks says, “It’s for ages 9 to 90!”

While I was with my parents on vacation, my father renewed his evening tradition: reading aloud. He checked out Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson, from the library, and he and my mother and I took turns. I was in heaven! Some of my finest memories involve being read aloud to. I’m a big advocate of reading aloud with kids, your spouse, friends…whoever wants to share the story.

Today’s audio is Chapter 6, “The Wyrm’s Welcome.” It’s the other scariest chapter in the book. But I have to say, the more books I read in the “middle grade fantasy adventure” genre, the more I believe that this 8-12 year-old reading group is already accustomed to being exposed to potentially dark subject matter, and is processing it with relative ease. Makes “The Wyrm’s Welcome” seem pretty middle of the road. Certainly Treasure Island, classic that it is, is scarier and darker than this.

It’s a short chapter, just 8 ½ minutes. Whether you’ve listened to the others or not, grab an earful here. If this chapter doesn’t scare you off, you’re in for the rest of it!