Glister: The House Hunt by Andi Watson
Walker
Books,
2009. ISBN 9781406320497. Book 2.
(Ages 9 and up) On first glance, this book held little
appeal. The
cover
appeared simplistic with a lack of colour variation; the cartoon style
was not
my personal favourite, especially as it was all presented in a dull
teal
colour. On finally deciding to begin the story however, I was
considerably more
impressed.
Glister, 'a magnet for the odd and peculiar',
lives in
Chilblain Hall, a somewhat magical home which is definitely a major
character
in this graphic novel. There are similarities to Hogwarts and its
moving
staircases as the Hall sprouts an extra wing, on occasion, before
having it
again magically disappear. Problems begin when the Chairman of the
Village-in-Bloom competition insults the Hall. The house is miffed so
uproots
and runs away. Although Glister and her father relocate to a tree
house and
her father begins to take an interest in their modern new home, Glister
soon
begins to miss the Hall and sets out to retrieve it. With a little help
from
the 'Ghostly Writer', Philippa Veil, a happy resolution is reached.
Despite my initial reluctance, I rather enjoyed
Andi
Watson's humour and clever cartoons. Given the amusing characters and
entertaining
storyline, this series should work well for children who, although more
mature
readers, are looking for more depth of plot without ploughing through
dense
amounts of text.
Jo Schenkel