Welcome to another edition of Memory Lane Monday. The idea behind this feature is to take a nostalgic stroll along the bookshelves of my past, looking at those books I've loved since I was a small(er) girl.
Today's book is:
Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori
All is not well at StregaSchloss, home of the bizarre but lovable Strega-Borgia clan. Mum's attempts to improve her witchcraft skills are failing miserably. Dad has stormed out in a fit of pique. Titus is virtually umbilically attached to his computer. Pandora is seriously bored. And Baby Damp is getting her fat little fingers into everything around.
Enter wonder-nanny Mrs McLachlan - she'll soon sort out the Strega-Borgia children, and their parents too, but will she cope with the presence of mythical beasts in the basement, to say nothing of the unexpected arrival of four hit-men, including one in a rabbit suit?
Admittedly, when this book was released in 2001, at age 11/12 and a very good reader, I was probably past its target market. But I had this endearing quality as a child/teen (read: inherent laziness) of always reading books aimed at younger age brackets, PLUS children's books are for EVERYONE.
And so began my love for the Pure Dead series. Featuring magic, mayhem, a wonderfully dysfunctional family and some rather touching and emotional plotlines (plus amazing velvety hardback covers, they were like spell books!) I was bound to fall in love with them. In fact, I stuck with this series right up to its conclusion in 2006 (I ran out to Smiths to buy it with my allowance). Who doesn't want to read about a family where the nanny is a witch, the grandma is kept in the freezer and defrosted for special occasions and one of the members is a dragon?
Did you read this series? Who was your favourite character? (Pandora was mine, though I was partial to baby Damp)
