"The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett [book]

THE WEE FREE MEN
by Terry Pratchett

The wonderful thing about Terry Pratchett is that even when he writes a book intended for young readers, he doesn't patronize with simplified vocabulary or formulaic plots. The Discworld came into being as a parody of conventional fantasy literature, and this carries right into the story of nine-year-old Tiffany.

After all, fairy tales are just another form of fantasy.

From the start, I was enchanted by Tiffany Aching. An exceedingly sensible girl who has a way with cheese, Tiffany deals with a monster that jumps out at her from a stream by going at it with her mother's frying pan. She wants to know why the handsome prince and beautiful princess in the stories are what it says they are. She is able to identify a witch on sight, though perhaps the talking toad was a bit of a clue. Above all, she wants to find Granny Aching.

Great read, had me in tears the first time, and now I reread it at least once every year. It's also where I first came across the word "susurrus". There's also a cameo by certain characters from the main Discworld novels. Fits in best with the Witches' storyline, but the character of Tiffany reminds me a lot of Susan from the Death storyline. Highly recommended to readers of all ages, and especially to fans of Pratchett's other works.