Open a book this minute and start reading. Don’t move until you’ve reached page fifty. Until you’ve buried your thoughts in print. Cover yourself with words. Wash yourself away. Dissolve. Carol Shields Republic of Love

The Guardians of Childhood: Three Volumes

Simon & Schuster, 2011

Just as in the Harry Potter stories, the William Joyce tales begin with a younger reader in mind and, then, as the pages turn, both child and story grow.

The first volume, The Man in the Moon, scarcely seems to be in the same series as the later books.

It’s [...]