28 March, 2002: Year of the Griffin
Diana Wynne Jones may be my single favorite living children's book writer. The majority of her books are variations on a single theme, parallel worlds, but despite that constraint, her work is surprisingly varied. Year of the Griffin is, by and large, not a parallel worlds story (although parallel worlds are discussed). Instead, it's -- oddly enough -- a coming of age novel set at college, albeit one featuring griffins, dwarves, intelligent pigeons, and a horde of miniature assassins. But all the fantastic elements, central though they are, could be discarded, and the novel could still be made to work with just a little effort. It's rather remarkable, really.