A Hat Full of Sky
By Terry Pratchett

    Here is Terry Pratchett’s third book for younger readers, and the second about Tiffany Aching. Perhaps I ought to say that it is ostensibly for younger readers, as adults are going to enjoy this one too, particularly as it is, basically, part of the Discworld series. Tiffany is reluctantly leaving The Chalk and going to study to become a witch with Miss Level, a lady of surprises. She just can’t seem to get the basics right, but has no trouble with some of the more advanced stuff, and is soon in deep trouble, having attracted an ancient, terrible entity who wants to take over her body. Aided and abetted by Granny Weatherwax, she has to find out what it wants before it is too late, and find out what she wants as well which is probably even harder. Also on hand to help in their own special way are the Wee Free Men, those tiny tartan terrors who got thrown out of Fairyland for being drunk at two in the afternoon…

   Terry Pratchett has run the gamut of passable to vastly enjoyable in my opinion, but to date all his work for younger readers is consistently good. This is probably partly due to it all having a proper storyline instead of trying out something different (Small Gods) or merely being a bundle of jokes (The Last Continent). A good storyline with a beginning, middle and end is rather essential in a children’s book even in these progressive times and (in this reviewer’s humble opinion) ought to be compulsory for adult fiction too. It is hard not to like the down-to-earth, sensible Tiffany, taking on both the adult world and the supernatural one and cutting through the cant. Then there is the Celtic humor, familiar to anybody whether they like fantasy or not (another plus) and, making me homesick, some more lyrical descriptions of The Chalk with its waving grasses, blue butterflies and endless skies. Now all the introductory parts have been dealt with in The Wee Free Men (also reviewed on this site), this second book can devote itself to more story, more humor and, well, just more everything really. This is definitely not just one for the children.