Customer Reviews

The New Policeman

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I've just finished reading Kate Thompson's `The New Policeman' and it is wonderful. Wonder -full. I'm Irish born and bred and raised on the old stories, and here, in the Ireland of 2005, the `draíocht' (magic) is alive and well in this book.

The characters and language are keenly observed -- as we say `dead on'. I know these people and these voices. And anyone who has spent any time in Ireland will recognize these places too -- particularly the places where one can't help but feel that there's another place right behind what you are seeing.

I'm totally at a loss to understand the review below (HoraceHorse). Its seems to posit that since Kate Thompson is `guilty' of being English (which we don't consider to be a crime in Ireland), this book must somehow be a lame rip-off. And the reviewer lives in ... Texas? Actually, from his opening words he's obviously axe-grinding rather than reviewing. And that's unfair -- agus míbhéasach.

This is an intelligent, soulful book. It deserves the kudos it has gotten and I will recommend it to all -- as I do to you.

Although having a good background in Irish folklore would help, this book is written with the naive young reader in mind. Each chapter ends with a (playable) tune from which it takes its name. The story revolves around a teenage boy whose family history includes a dark secret that is revealed in the ending of the story. He goes off to Tir na nOg to stop the "leaking" of time from his world into the otherworld and, in so doing, finds out more than he perhaps wanted to know about the faerie folk and his own ancestry. A wonderful book to read aloud, and a fine story with or without the Celtic folktale background. My fifth and sixth graders loved it.

The Irish children's fantasy novel. It sounds like they'd be a dime a dozen, doesn't it? Truth be told, it's remarkably difficult to find one for kids if you happen to be perusing the shelves of your local bookstore. English? Can't get enough of those. Welsh? Less common but Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander (both current residents of America) found much of their inspiration in that part of the world. Yet the Irish are a different beast altogether. Though they've a rich cultural background and more history than you can shake a stick at, their children's fantasies have been slow in breaking into the American marketplace. Enter "The New Policeman". A winner of the Whitbread Award and the Guardian Award for children's fiction, the book poses a simple question: Who knows where the time goes? The answer involves fairies, paganism, lost socks, and music.

Rumor has it that there are twenty-four hours in the day, but you wouldn't know it to look at J.J. Liddy and his family. From sunup to sundown everyone has to bust a gut to get anything done. Fortunately, whenever J.J.'s family holds a ceili people always make time to come over and enjoy the music and dancing. Only this time, J.J.'s gotten rebellious. He's just discovered that many people in town are convinced that his great-grandfather once murdered a priest and he's having a bit of a tiff with his best friend. J.J. doesn't know where his loyalties lie, until he promises his mother that he'll buy her a little extra time for her birthday. Little does he suspect that the true reason there aren't any minutes to spare is that they've been leaking into the fairy land Tir na n'Og. Now J.J. must navigate this dying world with the fiddler Aengus at his side and determine how best to locate this dangerous leak before it spells the end to both the fairy and mortal realms.

When I first began reading the title, I figured that the idea of no one ever having any time on their hands was a very adult concept. Yet as I read on and thought about it I saw how wrong this assumption really was. We live in a fast-paced world these days, and many kids haven't a moment to spare anymore. After school activities and sports effectively munch up any moments that could otherwise be used for relaxation. Sometimes it really does feel that someone or something has been sapping our time away, bit by anxious bit. Thompson effectively taps into that feeling. In her book the buses are always late, no matter how quickly they drive. As a result, music almost stands as a kind of cure-all. Each chapter (most lasting no longer than a couple pages) ends with a page of sheet music and a title that's applicable to the section just read. Thompson's love of the art is unquestionable. No one has written a children's book praising Irish tunes better than she's done at this point in time.

Now I'll tell you right off the bat that the book starts at a slow, leisurely pace. Kids looking for a dragon or a fight scene on page one are bound to be disappointed. Come to think of it, kids looking for a dragon or fight scene on pages one through four hundred and seven are also bound to be disappointed. You're far more likely to find a high-spirited jig in these pages than a battle, bloody confrontation, or cackling villain. This is not a bad thing, but for kids that enjoy their Percy Jackson books, "The New Policeman", may strike them as unbearably slow. And to be honest, for the first 130 pages, I can't blame them. Thompson sees no reason to rush things. Though her characters may be running about hurry-scurry without any extra time to do things, it isn't until Part Two of the book that any visions of magic even begin to appear. And while I don't want to encourage any writers to feel compelled to give in to the demand out there for action-based drama, nor do I think a slow-paced supposedly fantasy-based novel involving music and time should wait until 100 pages have passed to give child readers a taste of what they want. Had even the slightest drop of magic appeared earlier in the book that would have been fine. Thompson, unfortunately, seems to almost want to prevent child readers from getting too much fantastical satisfaction. There are "fairies" here sure, but they're just regular human people who live forever, turn mortals into animals, and happen to be particularly good with music. Leprechauns supposedly haunt Tir na n'Og, but Thompson tantalizingly keeps them off-stage so that the reader never sees a single one. The only magical creature that looks and acts in a fantastical manner is a Puka who shows up for five pages and is never seen again.

None of this is to say that the book is badly written, of course. I just want to make it clear that when compared to fellow Irish fantasy, "The Hounds of the Morrigan", by Pat O'Shea (and there are similarities), O'Shea offers you a little more bang for your buck. But of course the internal logic of Thompson's world is spot on with lots to enjoy. She can describe the banjo as "a monstrous instrument", and that, "they should have left it in America where it belongs", with impunity. Thompson also steers clear of ever becoming too twee. When I saw that all the missing socks in the world end up in Tir na n'Og, that fact threatened to tip the tale into preciousness. Fortunately, it is explained to J.J. that if there are a lot of socks in a given area, that means that in his world there would be a house on that spot. Otherwise, crossing over might mean that the fairies end up in someone's kitchen.

The fairies are charming but you couldn't call them good. Certainly J.J. grows fond of them as a whole, but when you examine what it is that they do, it comes off looking pretty terrible. They exchange their own babies for that of regular mortals (hence the changeling idea) and then donate the real children to orphanages. There's even a kind of Peter Pan effect due to the unchanging nature of Tir na n'Og that renders the inhabitants forgettable and apt to meet up with past loves decades after they should. They are, to put it plainly, adequately heartless. Thompson obviously knows her history well. When Aengus says that, "Caring is another of those things like worrying ... We're useless at it," you believe him.

Thompson does interesting things with Irish history as well. The end of beliefs in fairies and Paganism started when Christianity came in. At one point Aengus explains to J.J. that the reason that mortals never wanted to go to Tir na n'Og was that, "... they wanted time. They wanted to have pasts and futures. They wanted the ability to shape their world and to accumulate wealth and power. Christianity had just arrived, so they weren't so worried about dying, now that they could look to an afterlife." Certainly that particular religion doesn't get much of a boost in this book, but Thompson ties in nicely the different religious eras of Ireland. I suspect that if I knew my Irish history better I could even match portions of this story to their real world historical counterparts.

And it's just so... so... so bloody Irish! If you don't know the legends of Diarmud and Grainne, this book won't help you any. Really, it's a fun read. Plenty for the patient reader to find and enjoy. The idea of fairies being regular people echoes neatly Elizabeth Pope's, "The Perilous Gard", albeit with more dancing and less symbolic human sacrifices. The right reader for this book is the child that is patient. The kind that won't mind muddling through backstory and drawn out character development. Once the ball gets rolling Thompson can't be beat, of course. And for fans of Eire and jigs named things like "The Priest and His Boots", it will be a satisfying read.

A delightful book. Set in Ireland, and steeped in folk-lore and love of Irish music. But a simple story that top primary children upwards would love. Time appears to be running out - there is never enough of it. JJ, the main character, finds a way through a soutterrain into the land of Tir Na Nog. There, the fairies have noticed that time is starting to pass (it shouldn't) and this may lead to the destruction of their world. But they are so laid back they don't get round to doing anything. It takes JJ, who comes from a family with a history, to sort out both their world and his. This book has won lots of prizes and is highly recommended.

In the novel The New Policeman, time doesn't seem to be on anyone's side. All the Irish villagers of Kinvara feel like they never have enough of it. For teenager JJ Liddy, time seems to be passing too quickly, with no time to practice his Irish music, no time to understand his family's mysterious history, no time to hang out with his friends to go clubbing. In fact, JJ's mom's only request for her birthday is to have more time. In search of it, JJ finds himself in the magical and musical world of Tír na n'Óg, the land of eternal youth, that he thought only existed in fictional storybooks. Here, there has never been any time...until recently. Somehow, a leak has been created between these parallel worlds...a leak which brings time to Tír na n'Óg, and will eventually bring death, to the fairy world. In turn this leak is taking away the hours of the "noddy" (human) world. If JJ can help the fairies find the leak, then he can bring time back to his mother, and even solve a few family mysteries as well. However, unbeknownst to JJ, as time is passing at a snail's pace in Tír na n'Óg, it is flying by in JJ's village, and his disappearance is causing great concern back home.

Author Kate Thompson has carefully crafted a story that fuses together Irish history, folklore, music, and mystery. The short chapters that end with traditional Irish musical score section create an interesting break in the tale. Although there is a glossary included that contains of many of the Irish terms used in the novel, it would benefit students to have background knowledge of such words along with some Irish musical information to create initial curiosity in a story that could seem overwhelming without such knowledge. It would even be fun to begin the book Reader's Theatre style in order to generate interest. Cross curricular connections with the music teacher would enhance the text even more. Students usually not interested in fantasy may at first be bothered with the introduction of the fairy world, but wondering how JJ will find the leak and whether he will make it back to his home before too much time passes will move readers willingly through this book.

This is a surreal fantasy/sci-fi set in rural Ireland. A local Teen

discovers that time is leaking from his world into the world of Fairy or Tir na nOg. There is also a great mystery element regarding JJ (the teen's)grandfather and the sudden disappearance of the town's Preacher after a disagreement many years ago.

This might be a hard sell for some teens, but they won't regret reading it!

J.J. Liddy has lived his entire life in the Irish village of Kinvara. In fact, he lives in the same house that his mother and grandmother, and her ancestors, have lived in for generations. And each generation has something else in common as well --- music. Music has always been important to the Liddys. Every month they host a dance at their home, where musicians weave amazing traditional Irish tunes. J.J. is no exception; he plays the fiddle and the flute so well that his room is stacked with ribbons and awards for his talents.

Besides music, J.J. keeps busy with school, friends, farm chores and sports (such as hurling). It seems as if there's never enough time to get things done, and he's not the only one who thinks so. Everyone in the village struggles to fulfill their responsibilities, yet many still end up running late and oftentimes their tasks are left uncompleted. No one has time to stroll down the lane or daydream with the passing clouds. When asked what she wants for her birthday, J.J.'s mother announces she would like more time, so J.J. promises to find it for her.

Hearing about J.J.'s quest, a neighbor suggests he look in the hidden underground chambers that are scattered beneath the old fort ruins. J.J. stumbles through an entrance to Tir na n'Og, the world of the fairies. Their amazing world looks very similar to J.J.'s, yet everything is brighter, easier and more relaxed. That's because the fairies live in a world without time. No one grows older and the sun never sets. At least, it used to be that way. Recently, their sun has been slowly shifting west, the seconds quietly fading away. Somehow, somewhere, time was leaking from the human world into the fairy world, leading to disaster for both.

J.J., along with the help of his new fairy friend, sets out to find and fix the mysterious leak before both worlds end in catastrophe. But back in the human world, J.J.'s family has reported him missing. The entire village pitches in to help the police look for him, but weeks pass with no sign. A new fellow on the police force, arriving just before the commotion breaks out, is helping with the investigation. He doesn't seem to be a very competent officer, but he knows he's there for a specific reason. If only he could remember what it is. In Tir na n'Og, J.J. rushes to save time and, in the process, may even help solve an old mystery and clear his grandfather's name of murder.

THE NEW POLICEMAN is a wonderful story filled with fairies, folklore and fiddles. Author Kate Thompson plays the fiddle herself, and her obvious love of music weaves into her tale, creating its soul. Another refreshing aspect of this endearing book is its peek into Ireland's history, a whisper of its enchanting traditions and customs, and the heart of the Irish people.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

Kate Thompson's "The New Policeman" begins with family secrets. Protagonist JJ Liddy's family history is missing a few chapters. Born to a musical family in Kinvara, Ireland, JJ one day discovers the town rumor about his family--that his grandfather killed a priest. Moreover, his last name, Liddy, is his mother's name. And, his mother's father disappeared before she was born.

But most of Kinvara ignores the rumors because the Liddy family has a gift--the gift of music. They all play instruments and host céilí ("a dance") at their farm. Still, rumors about his family's past trouble young JJ.

JJ isn't the only one with problems in Kinvara, however. There's a new policeman on the beat and he's not very good at his job:

"Larry O'Dwyer sighed and took a step towards the narrow double doors. He'd had a good reason for becoming a policeman but sometimes it was difficult to remember what it was. It wasn't this; he was sure of that much. He hadn't become a policeman to curtail the enjoyment of musicians and their audiences. A few miles away, in Galway city, violent crime was escalating dramatically. Street gangs were engaged in all kinds of thuggery and muggery. He would be of far more use to society there. But that, as far as he could remember, was not why he had become a policeman either. There were times, like now, when he suspected the reason, whatever it was, might not have been a particularly good one."

And, the town is suffering from a lack of time. Time is draining away. When JJ's mother says that all she wants for her birthday is more time, JJ sets about trying to find it for her.

A local publisher named Anne Korff helps JJ find more time for his mother. I'm not going to give away any secrets, but Korff's help involves a souterrain, another world, and multiple disappearances from Kinvara. (There's a wonderful anecdote, by the way, about Anne Korff in a short foreword to "The New Policeman.")

"The New Policeman" is a beautifully written novel. Each chapter begins with a song, notes included for the musically inclined. It's fast-paced, funny, and thought-provoking--easily one of my favorite novels of the year.

"The New Policeman" was the winner of the 2005 Whitbread Children's Book Award and of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.

This was the third book I've read by Kate Thompson.

It was well worth my time and I finished it in less than 24 hours.

Her books are "an easy read."

(I like the Missing Link Trilogy better, however.)

This novel was surprisingly good, not that I was expecting less, but more that I wasn't sure what to expect at all. The overall premise of the book doesn't really do the actual story justice. I love how Thompson has woven together Ireland's past and present, the ancient, tribal, mythological version of the nation with the present, Christian-influenced nation we see today.

Although Thomson lifted the core of her fantasy from Irish mythology, I still feel this is an original fantasy because it's rare that we get to see fantasies using Irish mythology. We see a lot of Norse and Austro-Hungarian myth, with elves, dragons, dwarves, as well as Greek and Roman, but it's rare that we get a taste of Irish mythology, which is characteristically different, both in its creatures and the world in which they live.

What I found most interesting was the correlation that Thompson makes between the Irish mythology, which is treated as fact in the text, and the Irish culture. The music is thought to have come from the fairies, and when J.J. discovers the world of the fairies, who are actually much more like humans than our traditional view of fairies, he discovers that time never passes in their land, so they have no fear or worry about anything. Thompson's theory spoken through the text creates a connection between the Irish people and their love for music, beer, dancing and general merriment with their mythology.

It's a fun take on Ireland's past and present, but, in a way, it may not be too far off. Even though they may not have actually gotten their music from fairies, there are theories about how cultures and languages emerge. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis works off of the belief that a culture's language is formed out of its surroundings, thus why the Eskimos would have 30+ words for snow. There may be some credence to why Ireland and the Gaelic people have been historically very different from the rest of the people's of Europe--why they've valued music and merriment, relationships and family over conquering other lands or industrial progress. Perhaps Thompson's theory is correct, and the Irish music does come from the immortals who live in Tír na n'Óg, the land of eternal youth.

I highly recommend this book to all readers 11+.

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