It was fun to revisit Taran and Eilonwy in Prydain. I had forgotten how much I loved Gurgi with all of his crunching and munchings. Fflewddur Fflam and his twanging harp strings always brings a smile to my face. Alexander brought some wonderful characters to life. When I first read this series, I was in elementary school and didn't realize how much Alexander was borrowing from Welsh legend. When I read The Mabinogion in a graduate class, I recognized many of the characters' names and it took awhile to figure out where I had heard them before. Reading through The High King again, was a trip through many memories and was like attending a reunion.
If you want to get to know Lloyd Alexander a bit, there is a three part series of interviews on YouTube and the first one begins here.
At this point, I have read the first 48 Newbery books this year. Most of the ones that are left will be repeats for me. I look forward to meeting up with more old friends as the Newbery Challenge continues.
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