American born Lloyd Alexander enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. His enlistment put him into war intelligence work in Wales and Paris. His time in Europe helped to shape his imagination and drew him into ancient stories like Welsh mythology, especially the Mabinogion. Despite being an American, Alexander’s most famous works are set in Europe and the East.
Alexander’s style combines high adventure, exotic settings, coming-of-age themes, and ridiculous humor. He believed that the genre of fantasy was uniquely suited to explore serious moral and philosophical questions, stating, “Fantasy is hardly an escape from reality. It’s a way of understanding it.” (Source: Children’s Literature Network). While some have called him the American Tolkien, his stories are less about mythical creatures and more about children exploring questions of identity, morality, and vocation inside fairy tale like settings.
The winner of many prestigious literary awards, Alexander wrote for children with a deep respect for their intelligence, an acknowledgment of their ability to wrestle with complex moral situations, and a desire to entertain them with edifying adventures into self-discovery.
We at Plumfield Moms appreciate the high caliber of Alexander’s writing, the complexity of his storytelling, the delight that he brings to readers, and the challenges that presents to young readers. His stories have a wide range of themes and settings, but his heroes are always aided by friends who are doing the right thing at the right time, regardless of the cost to themselves.
Interesting note: most of his stories lack a strong early hook. They usually take a few chapters to get going. And they typically center on a boy hero. The story takes off, however, when the girl character appears. Alexander understands smart, spunky, strong-willed, heroic girls really well, and they often steal the show.