Historical Fantasy Author, Author Elizabeth Hopkinson chooses three books from Bradford Libraries Collection she feels would be suited to three characters from her own Angelio series, Tammo, Carlo and Celestina… Have a read through and see if these are books that would interest you too…
IntroducingTammo. Tammo is a character in Elizabeth’s Angelio Series who plays flute. His heart’s desire is to be able to charm birds with his flute, and he forms an especially close bond with a crow named Coronis. Elizabeth thinks My Friend the Octopus would be a good read for Tammo and possibly you too! She writes…
I think Tammo would enjoy this middle grade novel set in 1893, about a girl called Vinnie who forms a bond with a giant octopus in Brighton Aquarium. The octopus – named Ghost – is initially billed as a dangerous monster, but is actually sensitive and nurturing.
The idea of being trapped in a beautiful cage – so central to my novel, Cage of Nightingales – is also central to My Friend the Octopus. Not only is Ghost imprisoned in the aquarium, but Vinnie finds freedom from the restrictive world of high fashion and her mother’s milliner’s shop, with her 1890s “new woman” aunt, who wears bloomers, rides a bicycle and runs a tea shop. And Vinnie’s new friend Temitayo – the African ward of an English gentleman – is determined to escape from being treated as a pet curiosity, and forge her own life (starting with being called by her real name).
I just know that spirit of freedom in this novel would appeal to Tammo. And he’d enjoy the fast-paced adventure and mystery of the plot – not to mention the illustrations, maps and newspaper articles!
My Friend the Octopus is children’s historical fiction which evokes the Victorian era. Fashion, attitudes to women, and the disparity between rich and poor are among the themes explored. It is suitable for readers aged 8+.
A Book for Carlo – The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
Elizabeth has chosen The Black Flamingo as a read for Carlo- another character from her own series, who, she feels, would relate to this prose poetry autofiction about a young man finding his queer identity through performance.
In Angelio, Carlo is a castrato, a type of opera singer that was wildly popular in the 1720s and 30s. Boys were made into eunuchs to preserve their soprano voices and trained intensively in schools like the Cage of Nightingales. People loved their androgynous appearance onstage, where they took leading roles, both male and female. Offstage, they were both fêted and persecuted. They are iconic for many queer people today, including asexual, nonbinary and transgender.
Elizabeth thinks The Black Flamingo would really appeal to Carlo’s reading taste and here’s why…
The Black Flamingo is about a young man – Michael – a gay, British teen of Greek Cypriot-Jamaican heritage, struggling to find out where he fits in the world. He has a poor/non-existant relationship with his father (as does Carlo), although he has other family and friends with varying levels of understanding. One of his questions is, “Does being gay make me less Black?” Michael eventually finds his place at the university drag society, creating his alter-ego, the Black Flamingo.
Again, it’s short and easy to read, with illustrations and a beautiful cover. I think Carlo and Michael would enjoy exchanging outfits!
The Black Flamingo is suitable for youngsters aged 13+ interested in gay young adult fiction.
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A Book for Celestina – The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas
Born into a life of privilege yet excluded from certain aspects of high society due to her disability, Celestina, another of Elizabeth’s characters is a young lady who knows her own mind and is determined to forge her own path. Elizabeth thinks Celestina would love The Psycholoy of Time Travel – historical sci-fi, consisting almost wholly of strong, female characters working in science.
The book begins in 1967 in a Bletchley Park-like setting in which four women and a rabbit create the first time machine – but one of them (Bee) suffers a breakdown and is removed from the programme, her contributions erased. By the 2010s, time travel has become a vast organisation called the Conclave, headed by the controlling and emotionless Margaret. Meanwhile, both Bee’s granddaughter Ruby and a museum volunteer named Odette are attempting from different points in time to solve the mystery of an old woman killed in a sealed room. Could it be Bee?
Like many disabled people, Celestina from the Angelino series is an early adopter of technology (she has a self-propelled, clockwork wheelchair and a hand-cranked lift) so I think she would appreciate the scientific aspects of the story, but also the focus on how time travel affects emotions and relationships. And the controlling Margaret might remind her of her mother!
The Psychology of Time Travel is a blend of science fiction, historical drama and mystery suitable for readers aged 15+
