Mary Stewart died four years ago today, on 9 May 2014. To commemorate this date last year I left some of her novels in local public spaces for others to find and read. You can read my post about this here – Mary Stewart: a commemoration. The post includes the following sentence, which rings as true for me this year as last:
Introducing an unknown book-finder to the novels of Mary Stewart seems like a good way to commemorate her life – what do you think?
This year, then, I decided to leave two copies of her 1971 children’s classic The Little Broomstick. This book is the obvious choice since it was re-issued just last month and Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the Studio Ponoc animated film of the book, is in UK cinemas right now.
And this year I am giving away books as a ‘book fairy’, joining in with the worldwide ‘I believe in book fairies’ book giveaway project famously associated with Harry Potter actor Emma Watson – this seems appropriate since both The Little Broomstick and the Harry Potter series feature magical worlds.
Here are the books ready for new readers:
This afternoon, I left these books at two different locations locally. The drizzly weather meant leaving the books indoors this year… So the first Little Broomstick found its way to the community bookshelf in Dunfermline Advice Hub – the hub is a wonderful, welcoming space in Dunfermline that helps support individuals, families and the community in many many ways.
Then I left the other Little Broomstick in Dunfermline’s Kingsgate shopping centre.
I think that The Little Broomstick offers readers a thrilling adventure and I hope that the books’ finders will enjoy the story as much as I do.
Now I am going to read a chapter or two of The Moon-Spinners – will you join me in enjoying Mary Stewart’s writing today?
Mary Queen of Plots 
Such a lovely idea, you’re going to make two people very happy!
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Thank you, Kitty, I do hope they will enjoy it.
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I think your idea of releasing Mary Stewart books into the world, being a book fairy, is very nice. And the lovely new addition of The Little Broomstick is a great one to release this year.
I have now seen Mary and the Witch’s Flower. I have mixed feelings. Some lovely animation, but some bits seemed to me to be in the movie more to show what a great job of animation they can do, rather than advancing the story.
An enjoyable film and I am happy to see Mary Stewart’s works get some attention and the movie triggered the lovely new edition of the book, but . . .
Also
SPOILER alert
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I regret the fact that Mary returns to the college to rescue Peter rather than Tib. And the level of rudeness between Mary and Peter at the beginning. His comments about her red hair were so very Anne of Green Gables to me.
But, then, I have a difficult job evaluating movie versions of books I love, since they always seem to make more changes than I feel were necessary or wise.
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Hi Jerri, it was great fun choosing places to leave the books, if only being a book fairy could be my job!
About the film, I agree of course with your comments but I still think it works nicely and is a really enjoyable family film which looks simply amazing
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