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Okay, so everyone else in the world who knows of L.J. Smith seems to know her for some teen vampire romance books she wrote back in the day. But me, I was not much into vampire romance as a kid, and anyway my local library did not have those books, so I basically had no idea that they existed. However, I loved and adored her two first books, which have no vampires and no romance whatsoever: The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor (and my goodness, those are hideous covers; the one my library had was much prettier.)

I remembered the existence of these books a few months back; I checked them out yesterday and have spent the time since then in a fit of nostalgic glee. The books are about four siblings who get tied up with the affairs of the Wildworld, a fantasyland next door that has been sealed off from Earth and is only accessible through the house owned by the sorceress next door (or, in the second book, the San Andreas Fault. It is complicated and there are earthquakes.)

One thing I did not remember or notice about the books when I was reading them the first time around is how surprisingly feminist-friendly they are. Alys, the oldest sibling, is sensible and athletic and kind of bossy, and these traits make her the lead candidate for beating up monsters. When they find a treasure room and the others go for the shiny things, she goes for the weapons. Janie is the middle sister, a genius with purple eyes (I know!) and a chip on her shoulder, who ends up a kind of magical mad scientist. Then there is Claudia, the littlest sister, who is solid and animal-loving (she also has very believably-portrayed dyslexia). Charles, Janie's twin, is the one boy; he is a total Xander, and his main role in the story consists of making jokes and being harassed by dangerous Fae ladies. No one ever makes a big gendered deal about the fact that Alys is the one of the siblings who is developing into the Hero archetype and getting involved in swordfights and such, and that, I think, is one of the best things about it. (Smaller throwaway details: the kids have a hyphenated last name; their mother is a Dr., their father is a Mr.; Charles is the one who makes money babysitting.) The most interesting dynamic in the books, especially the second one, is the relationship between Alys and Janie. Both have very strong personalities, there is a lot of conflict (and, unlike in all too many sister stories, none of the conflict is romance-related) and an underlying strong relationship, and I love this to pieces.

See, stories involving siblings + the supernatural are really up there among my favorite things ever. "But, Becca!" you will say. "Why then does Supernatural not appeal to you, it fits that description exactly!" To this, I answer: not enough siblings! A well-written story with three or four siblings (cousins will do in a pinch) pretty much guarantees you a full set of complex interpersonal dynamics in an ensemble group that might not always like each other very much but have an innate underlying loyalty. You are also sure to have ordinary-person, who-gets-the-last-brownie kinds of squabbles and hilarity to make sure the story does not take itself too seriously. This kind of thing is my kryptonite. Also, the focus is almost certain not to shift to romance (unless you are reading manga, in which case all bets are off.) This is not to say that I don't enjoy a good fantasy romance, but interesting non-romantic relationships are often just as interesting or more, and much less overdone.

So! Again, I turn to my flist for help. Guys, please rec me fantasy books with siblings in! Obviously I already know about Narnia, but I cannot remember any of the other ones I read as a kid, and I know there must be more good ones out there . . . the more siblings the better, but sibling pairs are good as well (as long as they do not end up squabbling over boys. Or girls.)

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William Nicholson's The Wind Singer has twins in it! I think it also has romance, but it is not between the twins, uh. I haven't read it since something like fifth grade so I don't remember it very well, but I think I liked it then.

Wow, I'm helpful!

You are very helpful! Twins are awesome . . . uh, you know, in a non-twincesty way.

Also, Amazon says it is a boy-and-a-girl twin, which I love best - two boys or two girls always seems to turn into twin-jealousy. (Or Sweet Valley.) So yay! *puts on list*

They are boy-and-girl twins, and end up in some very interesting situations for it! The last book in the trilogy, Firesong, is a lot sadder than the other two but still good.

I am forewarned! Sad I can deal with now . . . though it is probably a good thing I will be looking for them now and not back then, I was much more anti-sadness as a Kid Reader.

I was going to recommend that. Way to steal my idea. D:

Doubly recommended = twice as high on the list! :D :D :D

You better believe I am memorying this post so as to steal your recs for myself. *grin*

For my own... One that springs to mind is A Gift of Magic, by Lois Duncan. I haven't read it since junior high, so I don't know how it'll hold up, but I liked it a lot at the time. Three siblings each get 'gifts' from their grandmother, and there's both sibling love and lots of squabbling and some resentment over how it plays out. Plus, you know, Smart Cranky Girl Gets Magic Powers.

*giggles* Totally fair! Considering I think I remembered about these books when I was babbling about them to you.

Oooh. This sounds exactly like what I was looking for! And I have a rec for you in response: A Fistful of Sky, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman. Lots of siblings, they all get magic powers with different strengths and concentrations, the main character is a nice and pleasant late bloomer who ends up getting a curse power (she has to curse someone once a day or it turns in on her. Oops!)

*makes note!*

And yes, you did babble about the books to me earlier, so I giggled and went "Hey, I remember that set-up!" when I saw this post.

Not that I've gotten my hands on them yet. Er.

(PS. Help me remember to give you back Black Maria this weekend!)

That is because they are AWESOME. But difficult to find! Seeing as they are out of print, alas. But so very worth it. Remind me to tell you about the bit where Morgana reminded me of Lan.

(I will!)

I read this one and liked it too!

*adds to list!*

I just looked through my bookshelf, but 90% of it is Star Wars at the moment. (The other 10% is Young Wizards, Dark Tower, and Harry Potter. I guess Young Wizards might count?)

Uh. I will get back to you.

(Spiderwick Chronicles? I haven't actually read these myself, but twin brothers and an older sister, so.)

*giggles* I will look forward to it!

(I have been considering the Spiderwick Chronicles. The only thing is that they are so short, and in hardcover, and the lazy part of me feels like ten tiny hardcovers is not worth the effort of lugging back and forth from the library. On the other hand, tiny books are what reading in the library is for . . .)

I need to start going to my local library more. Usually, I just buy the books I want to read, but.... little hardcovers, at $10 each, for a YA series? Um, not so much.

*confession* I almost never buy YA books at all, unless they are of sufficient length to make it seem worth it. Not that short books are not good, just that I cannot justify spending money on them! It is all about the library ~~and reading in the bookstore.~~

>_> ~~that is rather how I go through a lot of trade comics.~~

*sheepish* I haven't been to my local library in ages.

*giggles* Me too.

:O Why not? Libraries are the best thing ever! Free books! Literally!

E. Nesbit's books! There's a trilogy (Five Children and It, The Phoenix & the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet) all of which I remember thoroughly enjoying. They're about a family of five British children who keep discovering magical things and getting into trouble.

And Wikipedia tells me there's a movie of the first one with Freddie Highmore, Kenneth Branagh and Eddie-Izzard's-voice in it! Interesting.

*BEAMS* E. Nesbit was one of my favorite authors growing up for those books. (Also, The Enchanted Castle, which has terrifying golem-creatures who Just Want a Good Hotel.) Though actually I don't think I ever read Five Children and It; somehow I acquired the second two but not the first. I should reread!

. . . interesting indeed! :O I had not heard of this.

Edward Eager is on your list already, right? Right?

Of course! He was my E. Nesbit gateway drug. :O Though I am sad, I lent my copy of most of his books away many years ago and never got them back. But I still have Half Magic!

Library! Library will have!

He is the BEST at siblings.

He IS. (I think he is the one who also cemented it into my head that the proper sibling ratio is 3 girls:1 boy.) Seven-Day Magic was my favorite. Wacky literary adventures!

I like in Half Magic when they stuff the baby under the seat at the movies for being annoying ... and then forget her.

Not that I would have done this! Of course!

Of course not never! >.>

I also like when they beat up Sir Lancelot and he gets really annoyed at them, because HA.

I cannot much rec books, but OH GOD I LOVE THIS SERIES. It is the only one of LJ Smith's that I did not give to the library when cleaning out my room. (Although I regret giving them away now and hope that they will be republished SO I CAN BUY AGAIN.)

Janie is the middle sister, a genius with purple eyes (I know!)

Yeah, but she was ugly, which makes up for it. :D I heart Janie so much.

OH MY GOD SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAS READ THEM I LOVE YOU.

She wasn't ugly ugly, she was just Strange-Looking And Not As Pretty As Charles! (How much do I love that Charles was the pretty one: THIS MUCH. And Alys wasn't pretty either, just normal! I love that too.) And yes, she is made of awesome 10x over, I loved her from the moment she attacked a skull with a letter-opener. Or possibly even from the moment she suggested Claudia sacrifice a little finger!

They were totally my introduction to Smith, who I then followed somewhat fanatically!

I always read her as ugly, or at least on the ugly end of plain. As a wee thing, I wanted to Mary Sue her into Seekritly Pretty, but at the same time, I loved that she was AWESOME.

Also, Morgana: Awesome, or Totally Fucking Awesome? :D

I honestly had NO IDEA that she'd ever written any other books until I started seeing the name around LJ. Now I kind of want to read the rest just to see!

Oh yeah. There will be no romantic-comedy makeovers for Janie, she spits in the face of all that.

Totally Fucking Badass Awesome, Y/Y????

She's like impossible to find in bookstores now, but hopefully since she's come back from like a DECADES LONG ABSENCE with a new book semisoon (http://www.ljanesmith.net/), there'll be reissuings.

I looked in the local bookstore today and they had a giant trilogy of hers . . . I think it is the first of the reissuings? Maybe it is the first three books in a series.

Excellent.

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