I should have known, since it's by the author of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, which is similarly goose-pimple inducing.
There are some dated moments, for instance, when Ellen tells her cohort Otto a story she'd heard about chinamen. But ultimately, this is a perfect adventure story, quickly paced and complete with brainwashed children, an expert wood-carver, and all the masked assassins that any reader can handle.
I had a similar problem reading my daughter "Old Possum's book of practical cats," what with all the "chinks" (Siamese cats) and "heathen chinese" Pomeranians.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people have issues with the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, since the depictions of the Native Americans aren't particularly sensitive. Hick Finn is still banned in some places because of the n word. But it hardly seems worth it not to read the classics just because of some dated language. It seems like, with enough discussion about when the piece was written, etc, these books can still be enjoyed. I get really sad at the store when people return Little House on the Prairie because of the racist moments.
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