Tag: Jan Francis

Five Go to Mystery Moor

by Derelict Space Sheep on December 22, 2022 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Five Go to Mystery Moor

by Enid Blyton (Hodder & Stoughton, 1953); audiobook read by Jan Francis (Bolinda, 2021)

The children’s classist (pitched as precocious) assumption of superiority remains off-putting, but the supporting characters are memorably drawn and the set-up pays off in a sudden breathless rush, transforming the meander into a boys’ own (and girls-as-boys’ own!) adventure with real stakes.

Tom’s Midnight Garden

by Derelict Space Sheep on October 9, 2021 in 42 Word Retrospectives • 0 Comments

Tom’s Midnight Garden

by Philippa Pearce (Oxford University Press, 1958); audiobook read by Jan Francis (AudioGO, 2012)

Perhaps due to the time-slip nature of its story, Pearce’s Carnegie Medal–winning MG novel has aged well, unfolding simply and unhurriedly yet with lingering appeal. The wistful allure of Tom’s garden speaks to childhood wonder and the inevitability of growing up.