Terrific Authors on Tuesdays: Lloyd Alexander

Today we're spotlighting Lloyd Alexander, who died back in 2007. A slightly anal guy, he shopped at the same grocery store every Wednesday at the same time. His stories are famous for being adventurous with some ridiculous thrown in for laughs. He's won the Newbery and the Newbery Honor awards among many others, and was so popular that an unedited manuscript was published as his final work after he died (The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio). Like always, summaries are from fantasticfiction.co.uk.

Series

Chronicles of Prydain
The Book of Three (1964)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: B+
Recounts valorous and humorous tales of Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper, who determines to save the kingdom of Prydain from evil.
The Black Cauldron (1965)
Raspberry: A-
Trackgeek: B+
-no summary available- (Just read it!)
The Castle of Llyr (1966)
Raspberry: A-
Trackgeek: A-
When Princess Eilonwy is sent to the Isle of Mona for training, she is bewitched by the evil enchantress Achren, so Taran and other friends must try to rescue her.
Taran Wanderer (1967)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: A-
The fourth book of the Prydain cycle tells of the adventures that befell Taran when he went in search of his birthright and the truth about himself.
The High King (1968)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: B+
In this final part of the chronicle of Prydain the forces of good and evil meet in an ultimate confrontation, which determines the fate of Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper who wanted to be a hero.

Westmark
Westmark (1981)
Raspberry: A
Trackgeek: A
Theo flees from criminal charges and falls in with a charlatan, his dwarf attendant, and an urchin girl, traveling with them about the kingdom of Westmark in a dangerous plan to save themselves and the kingdom.
The Kestrel (1982)
Raspberry: A-
Trackgeek: A-
Theo is traveling Westmark, learning about the country of which he will soon be Prince Consort. He is not surprised to find great poverty-Mickle (now known as Princess Augusta) could have told him that from her years on the street. His friend Florian could have told him about the aristocracy's graft and corruption. But neither could have foreseen a loaded pistol in the practiced hand of the assassin Skeit.
The Beggar Queen (1984)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: A-
Mickle, once a common street urchin, now rules Westmark as the wise Queen Augusta. Yet the kingdom is strangely restless. Ghosts of the past lurk everywhere, whispering of future war. Justin and his revolutionaries denounce the monarchy--even the benevolent Mickle. Cabbarus, banished from Westmark, plots to seize the throne and install a Reign of Terror.

Vesper Holly
You'll remember we reviewed the Vesper Holly series a while back, and you can find those reviews here.
The Illyrian Adventure (1986)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: A-
Vesper Holly's fascination with an ancient legend leads her into exciting adventure in the tiny country of Illyria. She and her guardian set out to search for a legendary treasure. But Illyria is in a dangerous state of rebellion, and someone wants Vesper out of the way . . . for good.
The El Dorado Adventure (1987)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: B+
Vesper has just learned that she owns a volcano in the tiny republic of El Dorado-and Vesper being Vesper, she and her guardian respond to the mysterious telegram by sailing to Central America. Almost as soon as they've arrived, Vesper and Brinnie are thrust into danger. Someone wants her property, and they will stop at nothing to get it-even if that means destroying an entire tribe of Chirica Indians and Vesper herself!
The Drackenberg Adventure (1988)
Raspberry: A-
Trackgeek: B
When Vesper is invited to Drackenberg's Golden Jubilee, she and her guardians find themselves involved in an attempted overthrow of the government, the disappearance of a priceless painting, and a kidnapping by evil Dr. Helvitius.
The Jedera Adventure (1989)
Raspberry: A-
Trackgeek: A-
Returning a library book is simple--unless the library is in North Africa and the book is Vesper Holly's! She organizes a library-bound caravan, deals with feuding desert tribes, rough terrain, and slave traders--but then she's faced with the evil Dr. Helvitius.
The Philadelphia Adventure (1990)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: A-
Vesper Holly has foiled murderers, crossed mountains, and narrowly escaped earthquakes. Now she's home in Philadelphia, where she can relax-until President Ulysses S. Grant asks for her help. The Centennial Exposition of 1876 is about to begin, and luminaries from around the world will be there. But so will Vesper's arch-nemesis, the evil Doctor Helvetius.
The Xanadu Adventure (2005)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: B+
Delving into the mystery of the origins of Western civilization, Vesper and her friends set out for the site of the legendary Troy, only to fall into a trap laid by the despicable Dr. Helvitius.

Novels

My Five Tigers (1956)
Warm account of five of Alexander's cats-Rabbit, Heathcliff, David, Solomon and Moira.
August Bondi: Border Hawk (1958)
-no summary available-
Janine is French (1960)
A biography about his wife.
Aaron Lopez: The Flagship Hope (1960)
-no summary available-
Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason And Gareth (1963)
Trackgeek: I tried it, but couldn't finish it.
Jason and his magic cat Gareth travel through time to visit countries all over the world during different periods of history.
Fifty Years in the Doghouse (1963)
This humorous book tells the story of America's number 1 agent of the SPCA, including his adventures and misadventures in trying to deal with animals in peculiar situations.
Send for Ryan (1965)
-no summary available-
The Truthful Harp (1967)
Trackgeek: I have read this, but don't remember it well enough to grade it.
-no summary available-
The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian (1970)
Raspberry: B
Trackgeek: B+
When fourth fiddler Sebastian loses his place in the Baron's orchestra, he has to leave the only home he knows--which turns out to be the least of his troubles. He rescues a stray cat from a group of tormentors, who then smash his precious violin; and the troubled young boy he tries to help turns out to be the Crown Princess, on the run from an arranged marriage. Sebastian, Princess Isabel, and Presto the cat soon find themselves fleeing stuffy officials, hired assassins, furious guardsmen and sentries--and, in their journey, find out what is truly important in life.
The King's Fountain (1971)
A king wants to build a fountain that will cut off all the water to the city below his palace.
The Four Donkeys (1972)
When they have to take on the donkey's load to get to the fair, the tailor, baker, and shoemaker all learn to be tolerant of the other fellow's point of view.
The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man (1973)
Trackgeek: B-
When he begins dealing with humanity, Lionel the cat begins to understand why his wizard master was reluctant to change him into a man.
The Wizard in the Tree (1974)
Trackgeek: B-
Mallory's encounter with the wizard in the tree begins a chain of events that change the lives of the villagers dominated by a suspicious squire.
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha (1978)
After paying a silver penny to encourage a magician to perform in the town square, a carpenter's helper is conjured to a strange place where the people call him King of Abadan.
The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (1991)
Raspberry: B
Trackgeek: B+
Bearing six unusual gifts, young Prince Jen embarks on a perilous quest and emerges triumphantly into manhood.
The Fortune-Tellers (1992)
Lloyd Alexander's story of a young man visiting--and then becoming--the village fortune-teller.
The House Gobbaleen (1995)
Poor luckless Tooley longs for some help from the Friendly Folk, so when an odd little man shows up, Tooley is delighted. But Hooks worsens Tooley's bad luck. It's up to Tooley's wise cat to get rid of Hooks- by summoning the dreaded House Gobbaleen!
The Arkadians (1995)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: A-
Meet the Arkadians--a young bean counter turned hero, a poet turned jackass, a girl of marvels, a king disguised as a peasant, and others who play across an epic stage, firmly connecting the quest of a young protagonist to those of classical heroes and heroines of ancient Greek storytelling--and reminding readers that danger, daring, and romance are still the most thrilling of literary devices.
The Iron Ring (1997)
Raspberry: B+
Trackgeek: B+
An epic tale of high adventure and deep humanity set in mythic India, this novel offers a feast of many flavors--moving experiences, childlike humor, dark tragedy, anguish at promises broken and joy at promises kept.
Gypsy Rizka (1999)
Raspberry: I read this too long ago to remember a grade for it.
Trackgeek: B+
Living alone in her wagon on the outskirts of a small town while waiting for her father's return, Rizka, a Gypsy and a trickster, exposes the ridiculous foibles of some of the townspeople.
How the Cat Swallowed Thunder (2000)
Warned not to get into his usual mischief, Mother Holly's cat tries to tidy up all the mess he has made while she is away.
The Gawgon and the Boy (2001)
Trackgeek: I started it, but don't remember finishing it.
In a tour de force about a remarkable friendship between a sick boy and his old Aunt Annie, Newbery winner Alexander mixes fantasy, humor, and a glimpse into one writer's beginnings.
The Rope Trick (2002)
Trackgeek: B
Lidi is not only beautiful-she has the talent to perform the greatest magic feat imaginable-the rope trick. But she must find the one master who can teach her how.
Fantastical Adventures of the Invisible Boy (2005)
A riotousy funny and deeply personal story of wonder, discovery and friendship, full of eccentric characters and fantastical adventures.
Dream-Of-Jade: The Emperor's Cat (2005)
No ordinary man is permitted to see the great Kwan-Yu, emperor of China but this doesn't stop the beautiful, green-eyed Dream-of-Jade, since she is not an ordinary man, but a rather unusual cat.
The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio (2007)
Raspberry: B
Trackgeek: B
A beautiful Kirkassi girl, cold-eyed villains and smiling killers, a bazaar merchant peddling slightly used dreams—could any young adventurer ask for more? Not Carlo Chuchio, who is seeking hidden treasure on the legendary Road of Golden Dreams.

Collections

The Foundling: And Other Tales of Prydain (1973)
Selected stories take the reader on a journey into the imaginary and enchanting Kingdom of Prydain to witness the events preceding the birth of Taran.
The Town Cats: And Other Tales (1977)

Eight tales featuring cats, princesses, fiddlers, cobblers, and kings.

Picture Books

Coll and His White Pig (1965)
-no summary available-