So, after my last book post, I went to do some digging back on Helen Cresswell. My father introduced her to me as a child, I believe from a recommendation of a librarian in the city of Oshawa, Ontario.

Ms. Cresswell wrote some outstanding books, notably "The Bagthorpe Saga" (10 books!), and my favorite, "The Night-Watchmen".

"The Night Watchmen" has to be one of the best books I've ever read. If you like modern fantasy, they this book, as well as "Eliador" by Alan Garner are REQUIRED. Actually, damn near anything by Alan Garner should be required, but hey...."The Night Watchmen" ends perfectly, with an aching sense of loss and the belief that magic really does happen right in front of our eyes, we're just too stupid to see it. That, incidentally, is pretty much how I feel most of the time, particularly in September, when the air clears and the breeze hints at things from upriver.

Anyway, I found out Ms Cresswell died last September. *sigh* The world of fantasy is poorer for her passing. Like Garner and Garth Nix, she wrote books for kids that didn't belittle them, or shy away from dark imagery. At the same time, her humorous work damned near makes me pee my pants. Reading "Absolute Zero", I almost passed out I was laughing so hard.

So, just curious, am I alone in remembering these books? Sometimes I forget that Americans don't always have the same background as Canadians who tend to be a little more in touch with all things British.