As you can tell from many of my book picks, I occasionally like to throw in some memorable fiction from my youth. This week, I delve into my sister's past with the quirky Figgs and Phantoms by Ellen Raskin. Containing trippy illustrations by the author herself (how fabulous is the original cover illustration?) which perfectly match this fairly psychedelic story of dreams, death and family.
Mona Figg is a morose little girl, mortified by her extremely quirky family, the frequent subject of gossip in the town of Pineapple. Only her uncle Florence, a great lover of books, saves her from complete unhappiness. When he goes away, she must find her way in the world and find inspiration in it.
It's a funky story with some genuinely great lessons.
But what do you think?