Years ago, I wrote a book for the Oxford Treetops Series called 'My Guinea-Pig is Innocent'. It went down very well with children, teachers and reviewers and I found that people warmed to the title before they'd even started the book. Perhaps if I'd called it 'The Escaping Guinea-Pig', 'Guinea-Pig in Danger' or 'Guinea-Pig Adventure' they wouldn't even have opened it. Titles are very important. Just now I'm working on a book about a dog. The plot's all there, I have no problems with the characters, I'd love to adopt that dog and I'm enjoying the writing, but my editor and I are scratching our heads about the title. When we know, I'll tell you.
One of the books on my to-read pile is When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, by that Grand Old Lady of Literature, Judith Kerr. Now, there's a title, and from all I hear it's a powerful story, too. She was a little girl from a Jewish family in Germany in the 1930s, and they only just got out of Germany in time.
On a lighter note, there is a prize awarded every year, the Diagram Prize, for the oddest book title of the year. Some previous winners are -
How to Avoid Huge Ships
Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers
Highlights in the History of Concrete, and my favourite
Goblin-Proofing your Chicken Coop.
Goodnight from the New House of Stories, and don't let the goblins into your chicken coop.
3 comments:
I happen to LOVE the title, "My Guinae-Pig is Innocent". Shame on anyone who didn't pick it up and read it! It makes me smile just immagining what the story must be like.
If my Father brings up getting chickens again, I must tell him that he has to goblin-proof the coop!
Oh, Mrs. McAllister, I just did a blog post about your books, and I thought you might want to take a look at it! limwendiaries.blogspot.com (If you don't want to, then that's fine. You won't hurt my feelings I promise!)
Thank you! I read the entry and a bit more on your blog and enjoyed it very much!
I should think chicken coops are only the beginning of it. Those goblins are little perishers for garden sheds.
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