Reading Dick’s Books: Book One

Published on Sunday, June 30th, 2019

Book One: Lady Daisy (1993).

We, Dick’s family, have decided to start rereading (or in some cases reading) some of Dick’s books…

This week I read Lady Daisy, which is about a nine-year-old called Ned, a boy who finds a talking Victorian doll in his grandmother’s attic. I found the book to be a charming, touching story.

There are lots of interesting themes in the book (for instance the gender roles which boys and girls are ‘supposed’ to fit into), some of which seem even more relevant today than when the book was written, in 1992.

Ned has a hard time after finding Lady Daisy, as he knows that he might get some stick for having a doll, but in spite of this, he decides to stand up for himself and Lady Daisy.

There are some exciting bits in the book which children should enjoy, for instance when Lady Daisy gets carried off by a lively dog, and later stolen by an unknown thief.

It’s interesting how the book explores differences in attitudes between those in the Victorian era that Lady Daisy was made in and when it is set in the 1990’s. It also focuses on ideas about the importance of family.

I’d highly recommend Lady Daisy to any child of roughly 9-11 years old, or even for very big kids like me (39).

Charlie (one of Dick’s grandchildren).

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