Redwall

Redwall is a book that, I feel, should be a dominating force is children's literature. Yes it is true that some of the characters are stock characters, and that the battle between good and evil is a little basic, but the plot and supporting characters are enough to make this book an excellent read for anyone who loves fantasy.

The best thing about this book is the graphic content. I am not talking about the fact that this book is gory, but that it does not shy away from violence. Many of the deaths are told with a surprising amount of detail for a children's story, and it is one that I feel others should duplicate. Whereas other children books tend to shy away from the violence, this book makes no qualms about it. The author will tell you that this character died by being choked to death, or that this one died from his skull being crushed by a wagon wheel. This may seem like pretty dark stuff, but I think this book was written at a time when we gave kids more credit for being able to handle the violence of the everyday world. Also, from a writing standpoint, it tells you that characters can die early on, which instantly gives this story tension. Not everyone will turn out okay, and the idea that someone will die instantly gives this story credibility for older readers.

On that note, I would also like to say that I would recommend this book for those who are in the fifth grade, fourth if they are very mature. It is dark enough that they will like it, and yet whimsical enough that it will be able to seem like a good choice for a elementary school student.

A second aspect of this book that I like is how this story plays up the idea of talking mice and other animals as completely strait. It does not realize that this is impossible: that animals can talk or even have positions of leadership in a religious community. This sense of absurdity balances out nicely with the graphic content mentioned above. That means that kids are likely not to get too frightened over the events that happen in the book.

I also like the characters that inhabit this book. While not as memorable as those who are in Harry Potter, perhaps, they still give one the sense of a thriving community that is then put under siege by Clooney the Scurge. It is enjoyable to see them all working together the defeat a common enemy. I also like how their own small character traits come into play at various times. Some have said that the characters are a little too convenient. Like how you have a group of moles who are able to dig out a grave to find an important weapon in the story. I agree, but for a kid, I doubt he or she would care. I have also read that this book is a little long in the writing and that some parts of the story could have been written out. On this note, I disagree. I think that all of the pages work to help us discover and paint the world as the author wishes the reader to see it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I might read the next in the series. I think that you should read this one too, if not to your children, then for yourself, it just might surprise you.