4.0
Smith
"Leon Garfield is unmatched for sheer, exciting storytelling." --Lloyd Alexander
This brilliant, picaresque novel follows the adventures of an illiterate young ragamuffin known only as Smith. Smith picks the pocket of a stranger, only to witness immediately the strangers murder. Smiths booty from the theft is an Important Document, no doubt worth quite a lot to somebody, which is proved by the pursuit of Smith by two very shady characters. Smith artfully dodges them and winds up in the odd company of a wealthy blind man, who takes Smith into his home and provides him with an education. But this new comfort is lost when Smith himself is suspected of the very murder he witnessed. Smith was a "Boston Globe--Horn Book" Honor Book, winner of the Phoenix Award, and a Carnegie Honor Book.
This brilliant, picaresque novel follows the adventures of an illiterate young ragamuffin known only as Smith. Smith picks the pocket of a stranger, only to witness immediately the strangers murder. Smiths booty from the theft is an Important Document, no doubt worth quite a lot to somebody, which is proved by the pursuit of Smith by two very shady characters. Smith artfully dodges them and winds up in the odd company of a wealthy blind man, who takes Smith into his home and provides him with an education. But this new comfort is lost when Smith himself is suspected of the very murder he witnessed. Smith was a "Boston Globe--Horn Book" Honor Book, winner of the Phoenix Award, and a Carnegie Honor Book.
FictionJuvenile FictionHistoricalEuropeLaw & Crime
RELEASED1968
PUBLISHERPenguin
LENGTH172
LANGUAGEEN
Leon Garfield was a British writer of fiction. He is best known for children's historical novels, though he also wrote for adults. Garfield's novels for children all have historical settings, mainly in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The novels were greatly influenced by both Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. Garfield wrote his first book, the pirate novel _Jack Holborn_, for adult readers, but an editor saw its potential as a children's novel and persuaded Garfield to adapt it for younger readers. His second book, _Devil-in-the-Fog_, was the first of several historical adventure novels, typically set late in the eighteenth century and featuring a character of humble origins pushed into the midst of a threatening intrigue. Besides adventure stories for various ages, some of Garfield’s books were retellings of famous stories, such as Greek myths and the works of Shakespeare (later animated for television). In 1980 he also wrote an ending for _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_, a book Dickens left unfinished at his death in 1870. Garfield's first marriage was short lived. Having met during WWII, Garfield's second marriage was to Vivien Alcock, a well-known children's author. In 1964 they adopted a baby girl whom they called Jane after Jane Austen, one of their favorite writers. Garfield was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985. On 2 June 1996 he died of cancer at the Whittington Hospital, where he had once worked. *-- adapted from Wikipedia*
4.0
Smith
"Leon Garfield is unmatched for sheer, exciting storytelling." --Lloyd Alexander
This brilliant, picaresque novel follows the adventures of an illiterate young ragamuffin known only as Smith. Smith picks the pocket of a stranger, only to witness immediately the strangers murder. Smiths booty from the theft is an Important Document, no doubt worth quite a lot to somebody, which is proved by the pursuit of Smith by two very shady characters. Smith artfully dodges them and winds up in the odd company of a wealthy blind man, who takes Smith into his home and provides him with an education. But this new comfort is lost when Smith himself is suspected of the very murder he witnessed. Smith was a "Boston Globe--Horn Book" Honor Book, winner of the Phoenix Award, and a Carnegie Honor Book.
This brilliant, picaresque novel follows the adventures of an illiterate young ragamuffin known only as Smith. Smith picks the pocket of a stranger, only to witness immediately the strangers murder. Smiths booty from the theft is an Important Document, no doubt worth quite a lot to somebody, which is proved by the pursuit of Smith by two very shady characters. Smith artfully dodges them and winds up in the odd company of a wealthy blind man, who takes Smith into his home and provides him with an education. But this new comfort is lost when Smith himself is suspected of the very murder he witnessed. Smith was a "Boston Globe--Horn Book" Honor Book, winner of the Phoenix Award, and a Carnegie Honor Book.
FictionJuvenile FictionHistoricalEuropeLaw & Crime
RELEASED1968
PUBLISHERPenguin
LENGTH172
LANGUAGEEN
Leon Garfield was a British writer of fiction. He is best known for children's historical novels, though he also wrote for adults. Garfield's novels for children all have historical settings, mainly in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The novels were greatly influenced by both Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson. Garfield wrote his first book, the pirate novel _Jack Holborn_, for adult readers, but an editor saw its potential as a children's novel and persuaded Garfield to adapt it for younger readers. His second book, _Devil-in-the-Fog_, was the first of several historical adventure novels, typically set late in the eighteenth century and featuring a character of humble origins pushed into the midst of a threatening intrigue. Besides adventure stories for various ages, some of Garfield’s books were retellings of famous stories, such as Greek myths and the works of Shakespeare (later animated for television). In 1980 he also wrote an ending for _The Mystery of Edwin Drood_, a book Dickens left unfinished at his death in 1870. Garfield's first marriage was short lived. Having met during WWII, Garfield's second marriage was to Vivien Alcock, a well-known children's author. In 1964 they adopted a baby girl whom they called Jane after Jane Austen, one of their favorite writers. Garfield was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1985. On 2 June 1996 he died of cancer at the Whittington Hospital, where he had once worked. *-- adapted from Wikipedia*
