Tales of the Peculiar: Miss Peregrines Peculiar Children . By Ransom Riggs

Product Information

The Woman Who Befriended Ghosts - Hildy spent her childhood in the company of her ghost-sister. She's grown now but doesn't want to spend time with the living. So she shops around - looking for the most haunted areas - so she could have company. So when her twin informs her that she has to attend some ghost business for a few years, Hildy feel distraught. It was then that Ymeene realized her time-looping talent had a use she’d never fully understood—one that would change peculiar society forever, though she couldn’t have known it then. She’d made a safe place for them, a bubble of stalled time, and the peculiars watched in fascination as the normals’ army advanced toward them and then faded away, over and over again, in a three-minute loop.”

Tales of the Peculiar - Ransom Riggs - Google Books Tales of the Peculiar - Ransom Riggs - Google Books

A group of peculiar pigeons who lived in London wanted a high place to roost, but the people of ancient London weren't interested in constructing tall buildings. So, the pigeons whispered their plans into the ear of the best builder in all of London while he slept and when he awoke he decided to build a cathedral on the tallest hill in the city, like the birds had instructed. But, when Vikings raided the city the cathedral burned down, so they found a new human to whisper to and a cycle began of the cathedral burning down and then being reconstructed. After hundreds of years the pigeons came across a human who resisted their whispers. The pigeons began to harass the man, until finally he gave in and built the cathedral. But, he asked that the pigeons protect the cathedral this time, so that way it would not burn down. The pigeons agreed and after sometime they became friends with the man. Up until his death he always kept a pigeon close at hand and even after he died the pigeons continued to visit him. If you know me and my reading taste, I shouldn't enjoy this series as much as I do - I generally do not like YA, nor do I like fantasy. But I loved these books. Perhaps it's the historical elements, vintage photography (in the series, not this book) and peculiarity.

Retailers:

The Desolations of Devil's Acre. Dutton Books for Young Readers. February 23, 2021. ISBN 978-0241320945. Closest thing I've read in modern lit to Grimm's fairy tales--complete with macabre events and the occasional thoughtful morality tale. This is an author whose writing style is sophisticated and shows great restraint, and one who trusts in his readers--no matter their age--to follow along.

Peculiar Children: Chapter 7 Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: Chapter 7

Tales of the Peculiar" are written by former Miss Peregrine’s ward, Millard Nullings. With the help of Mr. Riggs, Millard invited us to read the peculiar tales about the peculiar times and people, starting with wealthy cannibals and finishing with a lonely giant. All the tales had some spices of macabre and funny twists, peculiar history and of course a moral at the end. The villagers were confused. “If you can’t eat grains, vegetables, or animals,” asked Farmer Pullman, “then what can you eat?”

Blogging Tips

In this story the kingdom is preparing for a royal wedding. The princess has been matched with a prince from Galatia (for political necessity), but she's terribly frightened that once the prince discovers her secret, he'll reject her at once. In Hollow City, Millard reads a Dutch saying aloud, so it can be assumed that he understands the language. He also understands French, Latin, and a few words of Old Peculiar as he recognizes an Old Peculiar lullaby and is able to translate it to Jacob. Like MN said, this tale warns peculiar children that there are some talents that are simply too complex and dangerous to use, and are better left alone.