The writings and resources created and collected by Willow Firesong, Environmentally Ill pagan musician and author. http://willow.creative-interweb.com/ en-us Willow Firesong (willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com) Copyright 2005 Willow Firesong 2005-03-12T21:57:32+09:30 Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/story_of_the_amulet/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/story_of_the_amulet/ ...for Cyril, Robert, Anthea, and Jane, their previous adventures with the Psammead are not the end -- nor are their latest travels in company with the mythical firey phoenix and the wishing carpet, as seen in "The Phoenix and the Carpet" -- for as was said at the end of "Five Children and It", they were indeed to see the Psammead again, only not in the old quarry near the chalk pit, by the white house (with its architectural nightmare), where they first met. No, they were to meet somewhere altogether different... ...and if, like me, you were left frustrated and hanging by that unfinished sentence at the close of "Five Children and It", you will find your curiosity well satisfied by this sequel to both it and "The Phoenix and the Carpet", "The Story of the Amulet". Not content with the wild wishes granted by the Psammead in their first adventure together, nor with their far-reaching travels with the phoenix, aboard the magical wishing carpet, now the children are careening through time, in this well-researched novel dedicated to the reknowned Wallace Budge, curator of the British Museum during one of its high points in the historical discoveries of the modern era, who so ably assisted E. Nesbit in providing a rich, lavish, and best of all, historically-accurate background for this adventuresome tale. Harry Potter may have re-introduced the latest generations to reading, but long before he came along, E. Nesbit was taking the book-loving child on magic carpets of the imagination, in stories that are as enjoyable today as they were 100 years ago, when they were first written. Best of all, at least in the eyes of this homeschooling parent, those delightful voyages take children to places which they can then learn more about in their studies, opening their eyes to the rich pageant of culture and history that awaits them in books and museums. No child who has seen these things through Nesbit's eyes will ever dismiss them as dull and dry -- and the adult who ventures with their family on these rollicking rides will likewise find themselves well-rewarded -- and ready to go again, as soon as the next adventure may present itself. Open the doors of imagination, and the rich literary heritage that awaits you -- you won't be disappointed. en-uk 5 February 2006 17.00:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com E. Nesbit Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/phoenix_and_the_carpet/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/phoenix_and_the_carpet/ Have you ever read E. Nesbit's classic children's book, "Five Children and It", and wondered, "but what comes next?" I have. In desperation, I searched the internet for any other references to the Psammead (or "Sammy-add", as the children called him), that antediluvian sand fairy, with his snail's eyes, bat's ears, spider's body, and monkey's hands, only to find that -- apart from references to various editions of "Five Children and It", and the BBC production of the book, the web held no answers to my search. But, Project Gutenberg had already provided the answers that I saught, and they lay, awaiting the moment when I next had opportunity to delve among the undiscovered treasures already downloaded, on my hard drive. So tonight, as I sifted through the eBooks in my E. Nesbit directory, trying to guess which would most suit my family's taste at tomorrow's Family Reading Time (as we have just finished The Enchanted Castle, tonight), I found it. Unfortunately, I found it out of order -- so, I have prepared two eBooks, rather than one, tonight, with the aid of the PERL scripts I've created expressly for this purpose. Tomorrow night we begin this one -- The Phoenix and the Carpet -- and learn all about the adventures of Cyril, Anthea, Robert, and Jane, as they find a phoenix's egg, and a magical traveling carpet. Unfortunately, as anyone could imagine if they know the myth of the phoenix -- ever-young, ever-reborn from its own funereal pyre -- a flammable carpet and a firey mythical bird are not always the best combination. The children find themselves exclaiming "darn it!", for a whole new reason, as the adventures unfold. But new adventures await them, even as the book comes to an end... en-uk 5 February 2006 17.56:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com E. Nesbit Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/enchanted_castle/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/enchanted_castle/ An Enchanted Castle lies in the woods, waiting to be found -- or thus says a school-friend of Gerald's, waiting out the school holidays with his brother Jimmy and sister Cathleen (more familiarly known as Cathy, Puss-cat when she's nice, or Scratch-cat when her brothers are unhappy with her); the three are unable to go home for the holidays, due to the untimely outbreak of measles in the household, so they are staying at Cathleen's school under the watchful eye of the French Governess, easily "bribed with politeness" into accommodating their desire for adventures. But they never anticipated adventures like these! First they actually FIND the enchanted castle, complete with sleeping beauty, led to her at the heart of the high yew hedge maze by a red clew of thread... ...then things *really* get strange, as she uncovers for them a roomful of real jewels, magic pretense, and magic turned unexpectedly REAL! Coping with that real magic takes them the rest of the book, but all concludes with one of E. Nesbit's beautifully handled resolutions; a rollicking ride of adventure for the child, and romance for the adult, this is sure to become a family favourite, and a classic tale to which you will return each time your family's reading desires turn to magical adventure, unexpected twists, whimsy -- and a delightful romantic subplot which will keep your heart smiling for some time to come. [Note: chapter breaks and headings added for your convenience; each section is a good length for a short Family Reading Time session, or take two for a longer one.] en-uk 11 January 2006 2.30:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com E. Nesbit Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/wet_magic/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/wet_magic/ Mermaids! If you enjoyed the adventures of Trot and Cap'n Bill in L. Frank Baum's "The Sea Fairies", you are almost sure to enjoy this contemporaneous classic children's novel of adventure beneath the High Seas. The mermaids in this book lean more to the Victorian than the gracefully billowing drapery-clad Art Deco mermaids of Baum's lesser known children's novel, but the adventure, and the classic delight of the children, remains the same. There are undiscovoured peoples beneath the waves, a strange Spangled Boy who arrives to be fed by the children in the course of their adventures, and even a war in which the children fight in a most non-injurious manner, pinning their foes to rocks with the aid of giant living seashells. Nesbit's skilled hand draws even the most casual skimmer into the story, though, so don't sail on the seas of this story unless you are prepared to be sucked under, and ride with the children through its depths, emerging breathless at the end with every child's favourite cry upon your lips: "I want to do it again!" en-uk 24 November 2005 2.30:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com E. Nesbit Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/five_children_and_it/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/five_children_and_it/ As you may see from the previous item in this newsfeed, I first encountered this author in a novel about a young girl who loved reading almost as much as I always have. *smile* Not surprisingly, when I decided to include Nesbit's works in this collection, over 20 years later, I started with the favourite of the girl in the novel, "Five Children and It". This is a book which may well be familiar to my British readers, as it was made into an excellent children's television series by the BBC. In fact, the series was so good that a sequel was commissioned years later, set in a more modern era, in order to appeal to a whole new generation of readers and viewers. But it is here, in this book, that we first meet the Psammaed, the Sand Fairy who has eyes on stalks, like a snail, and will grant wishes -- and who claims to have given the humans of several thousand years ago any prehistoric animal they wanted to eat, each day, only to turn the remains to stone (fossils) at sunset. The quaint beliefs of an earlier era, and the suggestion that children would find them credible, are lightly handled by the author, creating an adventure so engrossing that I found myself on chapter 4 before I found that my proof-reading had taken hold of my complete attention, and I'd spent the day reading the newly formatted book, instead of posting it to the web. What higher praise or recommendation could I give it in mere words? *chuckle* Just read it for yourself, and I suspect you'll agree with me, and with the fictional book-loving young lady who first introduced me to these endearing classics. en-uk 23 November 2005 22.30:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com E. Nesbit Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/nesbit/ Those of you who are American may not recognize this noteworthy author of Victorian-era children's literature, any more than I did, when I first saw the name in a Weekly Reader's Book Club book, entitled "In a Blue Velvet Dress". (For those who don't know, this was a publishing effort aimed at distributing some of the best in children's literature, for consumption by the avid reader who didn't wish to have to sort the gems from the dross for themselves.) The title character, like myself, was a young girls who loved reading, and books, more than anything else in the world. Stranded without any of her own books, and having read every scrap of printed material in the environment to which she's been sent for vacation, she winds up thinking over which books she loves and misses the most; at this point, the reader may recognize some of the authors and/or titles from their own reading, and I did -- all but E. Nesbit. Needless to say, this was enough to make the name stick in my mind for over 20 years, and cause me to search out this fascinating author for my own family, when it came time to find good books to share with my daughter. As I found when I entered the specifically mentioned title as the first Nesbit work to grace my online library, the quaint beliefs of an earlier era, and the suggestion that children would find them credible, are lightly handled by the author; the result is an adventure so engrossing that I found myself on chapter 4 before I found that my proof-reading had taken hold of my complete attention, and I'd spent the day reading the newly formatted book, instead of posting it to the web. What higher praise or recommendation could I give in mere words? *chuckle* Just read them for yourself, and I suspect you'll agree with me, and with the fictional book-loving young lady who first introduced me to these endearing classics. en-us 23 November 2005 22.30:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Artwork http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/cartooning.page http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/cartooning.page These experiments with various cartooning styles range greatly in quality, but I think they still show my own distinct touch, and the point of sharing my work on these pages is not to share only my finished works, but my sketchbooks as well. That way others can see them, appreciate them, learn from them, offer constructive comments, and see how my work has grown and changed over time. At least, that's how I see it. :D en-uk 31 October 2005 3.27:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Willow Firesong Artwork http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/oekaki.page http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/oekaki.page Added Flotsam (tm NeoPets.com), from their How to Draw Neopets pages. This is only the second time I've done one of these How to Draw projects in Oekaki, and I must say I think they're well suited to the medium. en-uk 31 October 2005 1.06:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Willow Firesong Artwork http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/logo.page http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/logo.page The fractals on these pages were all created in Apophysis, a tool which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys exploring the wonder and beauty that is the world of fractal art, rather than being constrained to a few predetermined fractal formulae, such as the famous Mandelbrot Set. Fractals are the mathematical language of nature — from the growth of a tree to the veins of a leaf to the petals of a flower, even the ripples in a pond, nature is filled with patterns that repeat in a way that change only in scale as they progress from small to large, or vice versa. While we think of fractals as the result of extremely complex mathematical equations, their only real requirement is that they be recursive and capable of infinite changes of scale without loss of the nature of the image. As you can see from the simple fractal pieces included there, it doesn't take extreme complexity to meet those requirements. Just remember — you don't have to know the math to appreciate fractals — any more than a tree or a rose or a raindrop needs to know the math in order to generate them. Just enjoy them for what they are, as you would the tree, or the rose; I assure you, they will be none the less beautiful for that. en-uk 30 October 2005 23.51:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Willow Firesong Artwork http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/logo.page http://willow.creative-interweb.com/artwork/logo.page A gallery of artwork created using my own original code in the archaic programming language Logo, which I recently rediscovered after long years away from it. You may notice some extremely simple fractal artwork among them; while we think of fractals as the result of extremely complex mathematical equations, their only real requirement is that they be recursive and capable of infinite changes of scale without loss of the nature of the image. As you can see from the simple fractal pieces included here, it doesn't take extreme complexity to meet those requirements. en-uk 30 October 2005 20.26:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Willow Firesong Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/lost_prince/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/lost_prince/ This is the third of Frances Hodgsen Burnett's children's books to be added to our online library. Although it is not as well known as the first two of her books to be added to this site, it is one of my favourites. It tells the story of a young boy whose upright bearing and courtesy to all make him stand out amid his comrades in London's poorest slums. He and his father share these traits, along with a devotion to their lost country of Samavia, and attract the desperate affection of a young street urchin, who has never known anything other than the hard-scrabble dog-eat-dog life of the London streets. The adventures they face together, as they travel across Europe, bring about an exciting conclusion; the fate of a nation is changed, and with it comes a reversal of fortunes which may surprise, and will definitely delight, the heart of the adventuresome reader. en-uk 9 July 2005 22.42:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Frances Hodgsen Burnett Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/little_princess/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/little_princess/ This is the second of Frances Hodgsen Burnett's children's books to be added to our online library. Another true children's classic, it tells the story Sara Crewe, born to the lap of luxury, and the delight of her widowed father, who dotes upon her throughout her early childhood. But our story truly begins when she is brought to London, and the care of Miss Minchin's Academy for Girls, where she is treated as a Little Princess -- not merely for her wealth, but also for her dignified and gracious manner, which makes no distinction between rich and poor, popular girl or perpetual victim, but respects most a loving heart. But in another of Ms. Burnett's classic reversals of fortune, Sara is faced with great adversity, which tries even her depths of spirit. From Diamond Mines to garrett, though, the Magic of her loving heart sees her through, and in the end a twist of fate brings her once again to the happiest of conclusions. en-uk 9 July 2005 1.32:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Frances Hodgsen Burnett Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/secret_garden/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/secret_garden/ This is the first of Frances Hodgsen Burnett's children's books to be added to our online library. How can one describe this classic, and do it justice? It is the story of a lonely, bitter little orphan girl, who finds true riches in the deserted garden of an isolated English manor house, in the middle of the moors -- after having learned her bitterness in the lap of luxury, as the "Missee Sahib" of an English family living in India during the height of the British Empire. But to say that tells you nothing of two children learning to "grow fat on laughter", or the Magic that they find in "a bit of earth" -- all in a Secret Garden which, instead of bringing the hunchbacked master of the manor the pain and despair for which he abandoned it, as a home for his grief for his late wife, brings him instead the joy and health that three young misfits weave together, all at the behest of the robin who shows them the way. A treasure suitable for readers of any age, it can renew the hearts of the old, and guide the young, laughing, into the Magic of maturity. en-uk 3 July 2005 22.42:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Frances Hodgsen Burnett Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/burnett/ Because this is the internet, and because reading is fast becoming a lost art, but only for those reasons, I will assume that there may, somewhere out there, be someone who has never encountered the children's stories of Frances Hodgsen Burnett. From her best known works, such as A Little Princess, A Secret Garden, and Little Lord Fauntleroy, to the hidden treasures which have submerged in the surging tides of children's literature that followed them, her books offer all the things which draw children into a story, and steal away the hearts of the adults who help to guide the way -- adventure, laughter, love, loss, magic, kindness that shines in the midst of deprivation, thrones and fortunes both lost and regained, reunions of the body, and of the heart... ...how can I describe the gifts her tales have to offer? Others have tried, and you may read their descriptions; instead, I simply offer you her books, and a doorway into the unchanging core at the heart of a child. en-us 3 July 2005 22.30:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/light_princess/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/light_princess/ This is the fourth of George MacDonald's children's books to be added to our online library. This original fairy tale is filled with delightful imagery and personable characters, as well as exciting adventure, a love story, and some rather novel and creative magical concepts. Enter, yet again, the half-familiar world of wonder created by master story-teller George MacDonald, steeped in the rich traditions of Scots folklore, and that of the British Isles. en-uk 10 May 2005 17:40:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com George MacDonald Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/princess_and_curdie/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/princess_and_curdie/ The third of George MacDonald's children's books to be added to our online library, this old favourite is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin. It follows the further adventures of Princess Irene, her wonderful many-times-great-grandmother (about whose identity we get to learn more, in this volume), and the miner's boy, Curdie, the young hero of The Princess and the Goblin. Like MacDonald's other children's books, it is easily accessible to the child reader, ethically instructive without sacrificing marvel for moralizing, and filled with fantastic adventures, as told by a master storyteller. en-uk 10 May 2005 15:39:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com George MacDonald Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/princess_and_goblin/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/princess_and_goblin/ This is the second of George MacDonald's children's books to be added to our online library. This was the first of the old favourites which introduced me to George MacDonald's Children's books, and is probably the best known of his works -- it has even been made into an animated movie. Like MacDonald's other children's books, it is personal, easily accessible to the child reader, ethically instructive without sacrificing marvel for moralizing, and an instant plunge from a child's normal life into a world filled with fantastic adventures. In short, The Princess and the Goblin is a wonder-filled fairy tale adventure, as told by a master storyteller -- and the prelude to even more adventure, in the sequel The Princess and Curdie (yet to be added to our collection)! en-uk 21 April 2005 18:06:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com George MacDonald Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/ I don't know if the style sheet (appearance) of the Children's Book section of the Library was bothering any of the rest of you as much as it was me, but the process of change has begun. The look and feel of the section is much closer to what I've been intending all along, although there are still a few more changes to come. Please feel free to contact me and let me know what you think of these changes! Your opinion matters to me, as you're the users of the site, and the whole point of a website is to communicate to its users. Please note that, for your convenience, the menu options for browsing library subsections should be easier to understand now. en-us 6 April 2005 9:47:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Willow Firesong Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/north_wind/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/north_wind/ This is the first of George MacDonald's children's books to be added to our online library. Although it's not among the old favourites which introduced me to George MacDonald's Children's books, it still shows his classic touch; personal, easily accessible to the child reader, ethically instructive without being moralistic, and an instant plunge from a child's normal life into a world filled with fantastic adventures. In short, I started reading the text file, and was hooked by the end of the chapter -- so I put it into the library for my own enjoyment. You're getting to read it as soon as I do! en-uk 6 April 2005 9:26:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com George MacDonald Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/macdonald/ For those who don't know his works, George MacDonald was a Scottish storyteller and story crafter. Best known among his gentle, insightful, yet still light-hearted children's fantasies are "The Princess and the Goblin", and "The Princess and Curdie" (both coming soon to our online Children's library). But he wrote several other tales as well, for both children and adults; many of these are clearly rooted in Scots folklore and legend, but each shows his own original touch. As with many to most of the books in our collection, these are books to be enjoyed by boys and girls, young and old, adventurous and senstive alike; despite perils and hardship, everything always seems to come out all right in the end -- without resorting to saccharine wrenchings of the plot that leave the reader cold. en-us 6 April 2005 9:26:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com health/mcs http://willow.creative-interweb.com/mcs/greencanary/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/mcs/greencanary/ In a slight update to the (mostly unfinished) section of my website dedicated to the discussion of my most disabling condition -- Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) (also known as Chemical Injury (CI) or Environmental Illness (EI)), I've added full information about my own MCS-related online Support Group and Mailing List: Green Canary. Learn more about the group, its purpose, the reason for the name, and of course how to subscribe; you can even see the RSS feed from the support group mailing list itself, with a selection of the most recent posts. List members may now check for new posts without logging in to the group, and newcomers can see something of the scope of the group. en 31 March 2005 21:22:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Willow Firesong and Green Canary Mailing List Members Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/just_so_stories/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/just_so_stories/ This is the fourth of Kipling's children's books to be added to our online library. This is also the most accessible to younger children -- these are the stories which must be told "Just So", at bedtime. As with Kipling's other classic children's books, this is a mix of poetry, prose, wonder, legend, and keen observation, together with an understanding of children and the things in which they delight. Clamber aboard the rhythm of the words, and let them carry you and your child into the delightful world of the animals of Africa and Eurasia -- as seen through the inventive and expressive mind of Kipling. en-uk 24 March 2005 21:16:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Rudyard Kipling Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/puck_pooks_hill/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/puck_pooks_hill/ This is the third of Kipling's children's books to be added to our online library. As with Kipling's other classic children's books, this is a mix of poetry, prose, wonder, legend, and keen observation, together with an understanding of children and the things in which they delight. I cannot recommend it highly enough. en-uk 24 March 2005 17:48:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Rudyard Kipling Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/jungle_book2/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/jungle_book2/ This is the second of Kipling's children's books to be added to our online library. If you think you know this story from the movies, all I can say is "READ IT". If you've read The Jungle Book, are hooked, and don't know where to go now, try The Second Jungle Book. If you've never met Mowgli and his friends, you're in for a treat. Kipling's language is fresh, alive, and child-friendly; it may seem somewhat antiquated, but it is still accessible to readers of any age or era. The Second Jungle Book, like the first, brings us stories from around the world, along with the remaining tales of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, and Kaa. en-uk 24 March 2005 16:11:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Rudyard Kipling Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/jungle_book/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/jungle_book/ This is the first of Kipling's children's books to be added to our online library. If you think you know this story from the movies, all I can say is "READ IT". Kipling's language is poetry for the masses, or unsung music, take your pick -- but everyone seems to respond to it, no matter how old or young they are. It is fresh, alive, and child-friendly, though parents may wish to know that it makes mention of reluctant spanking. If you've never met Mowgli and his friends, you're in for a treat. If you've read the Just So Stories, are hooked, and don't know where to go now, try The Jungle Book. en-uk 8 March 2005 21:46:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Rudyard Kipling Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/kipling/ For those who have been wondering where the other authors are, we have now expanded our Children's Book Section in our Online Library of eBooks; using Project Gutenberg files, Willow has begun to add the Children's Books of Rudyard Kipling. en 8 March 2005 21:45:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/baum/sky_island/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/baum/sky_island/ This is the second of our non-Oz books by L. Frank Baum, the second story of magical adventures involving Trot and Cap'n Bill, along with the return of a slightly older Button Bright, whom we first met on The Road to Oz. Introducing us to the ridiculous power-hungry Boolooroo, and addressing the xenophobia of the Pinkies, Baum weaves as magical and delightful a tale as ever, and manages to bring Polychrome (also from The Road to Oz) back for a cameo as well! As ever, the adult minds among the readers may find fascinating insights in Baum's political overtones, while the child in all of us cannot help but be enraptured. en-us 31 January 2005 00:07:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/baum/sea_fairies/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/baum/sea_fairies/ This is the first of our non-Oz books by L. Frank Baum, and details the first magical adventures of Trot and Cap'n Bill, whom we later encounter in Oz itself. A must for anyone who wants to read the full Oz saga, this book is a delightful mix of deep-sea creatures and Baum's light and gentle child-friendly fairy magic, making it a complete and delightful read in its own right. en-us 30 January 2005 22:55:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/baum/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/baum/ Though many may not know it, L. Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz and 13 other Oz books, wrote several other fairy stories and children's fantasies, some of which he interwove with the Oz stories. These other books are beginning to be added to the website. If you've always wondered about the other adventures of Trot and Cap'n Bill, Santa Claus, or Queen Zixi of Ix, or if you have run out of Oz books, and just haven't had enough Baum, you're in luck; drop by and have a browse! en 30 January 2005 22:53:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/tin_woodman/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/tin_woodman/ This is the twelfth of the Oz books, and the fourteenth and last to be added to the website. Anyone who has: ever wondered what happened to the Tin Woodman's true love, Nimmee Aimee, for whom he suffered the evil spell which caused him to become a tin man in the first place, as well as whether the tinsmith who saved him ever had cause to use those skills on others... ...will want to follow Woot the Wanderer as he travels through the Winkie Country, gets transformed into a Green Monkey in a Lace Apron, and rescues a sad and bedraggled Scarecrow and Tin Woodman from a giantess. Polychrome, Ozma, Dorothy, and former-General Jinjur all make a reappearance, yet as always, Baum manages to tell yet another unique and adventurous fantasy story, in his customary child-friendly style. en-us 2 August 2004 1:32:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/rinkitink_in_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/rinkitink_in_oz/ This is the tenth of the Oz books, and the thirteenth to be added to the website. The Nome King is back, and Dorothy must come to the rescue, the Wizard must find an enchantment, in this tale of Warriors from the North, a Deserted Isle, Rulers who don't want to be, and pearls, pearls, pearls -- before all resolves with Ozma's Banquet to celebrate it, in a typical Baum tale of high fantasy and child-friendly adventures. en-us 2 August 2004 1:32:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/lost_princess/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/lost_princess/ This is the eleventh of the Oz books, and the twelfth to be added to the website. Glinda, Ozma, Button-Bright, and Toto all return in this story, as do Winkies, a Wicker Castle and a Little Pink Bear. Find out how they all fit together in The Lost Princess of Oz. en-us 2 August 2004 1:32:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/glinda_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/glinda_of_oz/ This is the fourteenth of the Oz books, and the eleventh to be added to the website. Though there have been many other Oz books written since, this is the last written by L. Frank Baum, before his death. Glinda and Dorothy together face diverse adventures in this book, from Mist Maidens to high mountains, to adventures under the sea, even unto the finding of a Sunken Isle, before Glinda's Triumph at the end of the story. en-us 2 August 2004 1:32:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/scarecrow_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/scarecrow_of_oz/ This is ninth of the Oz books, the tenth to be added to the website, is particularly noteworthy for bringing together 4 of the sweetest, spunkiest young fantasy heroines to grace American literature: Dorothy, Ozma, Betsy Bobbin (first seen in Tik-tok of Oz), and Trot (who has had two adventures already in other fairylands, with The Sea Fairies and in Sky Island). Add in Glinda the Good, the Scarecrow, Button-Bright (reunited with Trot after their adventures on Sky Island), and adventures under the sea, and a young heart could ask for little more to offer it the fantastic thrills of this Baum book, where (as always) you know that everything will come out all right in the end. en-us 2 August 2004 00:25:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/tiktok_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/tiktok_of_oz/ This is the eighth of the Oz books, and the ninth to be added to the website. Tik-tok the Clockwork Man is back, and as kind as his clockwork will allow, as he and the Shaggy Man meet on the road, and shepherd an unlikely band of fairies and mortals on the search for the Shaggy Man's Brother -- last heard of in the power of the Nome King. However, his plans are changed, as he meets a conquering army, falls through the center of the earth, and has many other adventures. Despite this, in the end, the Shaggy Man is reunited with his beloved brother, and the Nome King gets his just deserts. Though this book introduces another young heroine, Betsy Bobbin, as sweet as Dorothy and Ozma themselves, readers of the Road to Oz may enjoy seeing the return of Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter, while those who voyaged with Dorothy and the Wizard may be pleasantly surprised by the Rose Princess plucked forth this time; Baum even manages to weave in a dragon, with strapped-on seats and a light bulb on the end of his tail! en-us 1 August 2004 23:19:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/patchwork_girl/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/patchwork_girl/ In this seventh of the Oz books, the eighth to be added to the website, The Patchwork Girl of Oz sets out with Ojo the Munchkin, and the vain Glass Cat, to get the components needed for the magic spell to return Ojo's Uncle to life. You see, he's been turned to stone, as has the wife of the Crooked Magician -- the same whose Powder of Life brought us Jack Pumpkinhead, dear friend of the Princess Ozma -- whose attempt to create a servant for his wife began all of this muddle. Yet, though his road appears to lead him contrary to Ozma's wishes, and the Law of Oz, Ojo's good heart and Ozma's wisdom, together, find the best answer. en-us 26 July 2004 21:14:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/emerald_city/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/emerald_city/ This is the sixth of the Oz books, and the seventh to be added to the website. Dorothy persuades her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry to leave their failing farm, and come to live in Oz. Unfortunately, they do so just in time for it to be threatened by the Nome King, as he sets out to gain powerful allies and conquer the heart of Oz, the beautiful Emerald City; even the Deadly Desert cannot stop him, but together, Dorothy and Ozma can, with a little help from Tik-Tok, and many other old friends. en-us 26 July 2004 02:16:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/road_to_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/road_to_oz/ This is the fifth of the Oz books, and the sixth to be added to the website. Follow Dorothy back to Oz, as she takes a magical wrong turn on the road to Butterfield, meeting new friends the Shaggy Man, Button-Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter, along the Road to Oz. Along the way, meet a magical assortment of people, from donkeys and foxes ever looking down on one another, to the Musicker and the Scoodlers (much like the head-throwing people seen later in Jim Henson's magical movie "The Labyrinth") all of whom beg Dorothy to get them invited to Ozma's Birthday Party, the greatest celebration to be seen in the fairy countries. Many old favourites appear along the way, including the jolliest old elf himself -- Santa Claus! en-us 24 July 2004 20:13:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/dorothy_and_wizard/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/dorothy_and_wizard/ This is the fourth of the Oz books, and the fifth to be added to the website. Follow Dorothy and the not-so-magical (but still very wonderful) Wizard as they travel back to Oz, in this enchanting adventure through fairy realms beneath the earth's surface. Meet Zeb the farm boy, Jim the Cab-horse, and Eureka the Pink Kitten (who is really white), as the five travel among vegetable people, the Valley of Voices and its invisible bears, and on to deal with Gargoyles and Dragonets, in this classical fantasy novel. en-us 24 July 2004 01:32:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/ozma_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/ozma_of_oz/ This is the third of the Oz books, although it is the fourth to be added to our website. Follow the further adventures of the enchanting princess Ozma in this classic children's fantasy, as she meets Dorothy for the first time, while venturing forth from the Land of Oz to save the royal family of the neighbouring kingdom of Ev. This book also brings the return of old friends the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion; and the introductions of new friends Billina the Yellow Hen, and Tik-Tok the Clockwork Man (the first robot to appear in a fictional work) -- as well as a new enemy, the jolly Nome King, jewel-loving, egg-fearing ruler of the rock fairies. en-us 24 July 2004 00:41:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/magic_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/magic_of_oz/ This is the third of the Oz books to be added to the website. en-us 18 July 2004 20:21:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/land_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/land_of_oz/ This is the second of the Oz books, both within the series, and to be added to the website. A particular recommendation for TS/TG readers and their families, this is the book that introduced Ozma, the enchanted princess, and her adventures as a boy before her final destiny is revealed, just in time to return peace to the magical Land of Oz. en-us 16 July 2004 03:20:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/wizard_of_oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/wizard_of_oz/ This classic children's fantasy is the first of the Oz books, both within the series, and to be added to the website; if you've never read it, it's even more magical than the classic movie version. Share it with your kids today! en-us 14 July 2004 22:53:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com L. Frank Baum Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/oz/ The first of the Oz books has now been added to the website; I hope that you (and/or your children) may enjoy these books as much as I always have. en-us 14 July 2004 22:53:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com Library/Children's eBooks http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/ http://willow.creative-interweb.com/library/book/kids/ I have added a children's section to our online library, and am beginning to include easy-to-read online eBook versions of classic children's literature. These are books which we ourselves enjoy sharing with our daughter at Family Reading Time; presented in large-type editions for easy social reading aloud. en Site Resources Willow Firesong 2005-03-13T23:31:32+09:30 14 July 2004 22:53:00 GMT willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com willow.firesong@creative-interweb.com