Andrew Peterson
Strange title for a blog entry, huh? Not if you’re familiar with the work of Andrew Peterson. I first became aware of Andrew when a friend introduced me last year to his Christmas themed album Behold the Lamb of God. “Another Christmas album” I thought. Man was I blown away! What an true and honest look at the incarnation of Christ. My heart was overjoyed as I grasped in a fuller way the humiliation of God to redeem fallen man. I immediately began to scour iTunes for everything I could find from Andrew. Behold was released 4 years earlier, so I had a lot of material to cover.
It was then that I ran across a oddly titled book. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. I ordered it thinking it would make a neat Christmas gift for my 13 yr old. It arrived a couple days before Christmas. I flipped through a few pages to get a feel for it. Needless to say, I read through the entire book before it ever made it into the wrapping paper. I was drawn into the warm home of the Igiby’s and found that I couldn’t leave. Andrew had created a world of characters and places that I had never known yet was instinctively familiar with. Fangs, Ridgerunners and Quill Diggles had somehow already existed in my mind. Andrew drew them out. I wished I had paced myself, because I had a 9 month wait for volume 2.
North! Or Be Eaten
Which leads me to my post title. North! Or Be Eaten is book two in the The Wingfeather Saga. I pre-ordered months before it was available and anxiously awaited it’s arrival. My thirteen yr old son and I promised that we would read the book together. So most every evening we sit on his bed as I read the story. We were supposed to take turns reading each chapter, but I got so caught up in creating voices for each character that I guess I sort of took over the story teller’s role. He doesn’t seem mind. The only part that he does seem to mind is the ending of that nights reading. Andrew just will not let you off the hook at chapters end. Each time I begin to say “good night bud”, he grabs my shirt and says “no way, your not leaving me hanging. Just one more”.
The Igiby’s have been driven from the comforts of Glipwood Township to face the perils Fingap Falls, the Stony Mountains and the Ice Prairies. Villains stalk their every movement to stop their escape. Fearsome toothy cows and horned hounds return, along with new dangers: a mad man running a fork factory, a den of rockroaches, and majestic talking sea dragons. I can’t tell you how exciting the ending was. Or how the Igiby’s escaped the Fangs of Dang. I haven’t finished reading it yet. I learned from book one that I was gonna enjoy this one. Let the cliffs hang and hear as many “just one more” ’s as I can.
I have an autographed copy of North! Of Be Eaten that I’d like to give away. Just comment on this post by telling me what your favorite book is and why. Just a couple sentences. I’ll pick an interesting one out and email you for your address on Friday the 25th.