Book Info

Children's Author 'Like-for-Like' recommendations

Synopsis

Cyrano by Geraldine Mccaughrean

Cyrano de Bergerac is a flamboyant character and a skilled swordsman, not in the least afraid of drawing attention to himself in public - for he can be highly amusing, even at his own expense, with jokes about his enormous nose. But he has a weakness: he has fallen in love with his beautiful cousin Roxane, and because of his own appearance is too ashamed to declare his love. Meanwhile Roxane is besotted with a handsome, but foolish young man, Christian, in the same company of guards as Cyrano. Cyrano is devastated by this, and horrified by her request that he should protect the young man and encourage him to write her love letters. Writing letters is something Christian can't do - but Cyrano generously offers to help, even if it means breaking his own heart. Soon Cyrano pours out his feelings in the most romantic letters ever. The question is will Roxane discover the truth? And if she does will it be too late for Cyrano?

---

Reviews

This book's strength lies in the poetry of McCaughrean's language, the period flavour and the elaborate humour (successfully translated against the odds) and, not least, all those nose jokes. The
Sunday Times
This is a jewel of a book. Beautifully written... this is a wonderful story for all ages. School Librarian Written beautifully... it is a good light read. The Big Issue

---

About The Author

Geraldine McCaughrean (born 1951) trained as a teacher but learned only that she was useless at teaching. So she worked instead as a sub at a partwork magazine company, perfect training in cutting to length, abandoning pretentions and writing blurbs. A Carnegie Medallist, three-time winner of the Whitbread and the very first recipient of the Blue Peter Book Award, she has written almost 150 books and plays.  In 2006 she was blessed with the chance to write the official sequel to J M Barrie’s Peter Pan at the behest of Great Ormond Street Hospital.  Peter Pan in Scarlet has been translated into 38 other languages.

Anne Fine on Geraldine McCaughrean:

'I reckon Geraldine McCaughrean knocks the socks off every other children's writer today. Everything she does is different and everything works – look at her list of prizes. She must write in tremendous bursts. Some years, she's so prolific the rest of us start joking that the fairies come in at night to do her work for her. Then she'll go quiet, so unlike all those writers who are persuaded by their publishers to come up with something every year, no matter how tired or drab. If Geraldine has nothing fresh to write, she doesn't write it.' (The Guardian)

More books by this author

Share this book

---

Share this book with other net users and your friends