May I recommend…


The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse

One of my favorite memories from my collective English education, including high school and college, was a 10th grade unit on Beowulf.  I had an amazing teacher, Ms. Aspacher (now Dafoe), and she brought the story to life for me.  Here was the tale of one of the first true heroes written of in the English language, and something about the names and the words seized my imagination.  If you want a villain that is quintessentially “Other,” and represents all that goes bump in the night, I can think of no better candidate than Grendel.

So I was very excited when I had a chance to read an early draft of Rebecca Barnhouse’s second novel (you may remember that last year I recommended her wonderful debut Book of the Maidservant).  Her new book is not a retelling of Beowulf, but the story of a boy named Rune, who in the course of the novel finds his courage, learns who he is, and battles a dragon.  This will be a great book for reluctant boy readers – it’s fast-paced, full of action and suspense.  But it also has emotional depth, and raises a question that has been asked since the tale of  Beowulf was first told: what makes a true hero?

Available here: Indiebound | B&N | Borders | Amazon


58 responses to “May I recommend…”

  1. Matthew, I really enjoyed The Clockwork Three. I thought it was a amazing book. I was also born in Utah, but now I’m in hot Florida. I personally think I’m the best writer in my class. I was wondering…. is there going to be a sequel to The Clockwork Three?

    • Hi, Hank. I’m really happy you enjoyed the book!

      I hope to one day write a sequel, but it won’t be the next book I write. My next book is about Vikings. I hope you like reading that one, too.

  2. Thats so cool! What’s it called? I’ve always been hoping some author would write about Vikings.Oh before I forget when does it come out?

    • It will hopefully be released next fall.

      But in the meantime, you should check out THE COMING OF THE DRAGON that I recommended above. It’s about Vikings, too, and it is part of what inspired me to write my next book!

  3. Thanks Matt. I’ll look into it. I’ve been thinking about The Clockwork Three and your future book. I was thinking what if they some how linked? just a thought you probably have a million thoughts coming to you though.

    • Well, I can tell you that THE CLOCKWORK THREE and my next novel won’t link up. But I do hope to one day return to Giuseppe’s world and tell more of his story.

    • Ah, I can’t share the title quite yet.

      But yes, I’ve been writing another book. In fact, it’s done. My editor and I just finished copy-edits. It will be released Oct 1, 2011. And as soon as I can, I’ll put up information about it (title, synopsis, etc.).

  4. Continuation of my other comment which got submitted without my approval: good luck on it!! The Clockwork Three was epic, this one will be too!

    • But since you continued it, thank you. The next book has a mythic feel to it, which might be a kind of epicness.

  5. Okay, I was reading your other comments, you’re writing about VIKINGS. If anything is epic, they are. You should read the Sea of Trolls Trilogy by Nancy Farmer. Vikings galore, awesome book.

    • Vikings are kind of inherently epic, aren’t they?

      Love Nancy Farmer. I’ve met her, and she’s gracious, and hilarious, and an amazing writer.

  6. Your book’s already written? Is it the viking one? I agree about the Sea of Trolls trilogy, by the way. Absolutely spiffing. The Clockwork Three is spiffing, too, though; don’t get me wrong!

    Yo, Jane. ‘Sup.

  7. YOU’VE MET NANCY FARMER?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?
    **zips around house, alternately screeching hysterically and hyperventilating**

    Whew, okay, had to calm down right there.

    VIKINGS ARE UNDENIABLY, ABSOLUTELY, IRREVOCABLY, DEFINITELY INHERENTLY, OBVIOUSLY EPIC!!!! (Harry Potter still reigns supreme though. Go wizards!)
    And, er, by the way, how did you happen to meet Nancy Farmer? Was it some writing thing, perchance? Cuz that’s plain cool.

    • I met Nancy Farmer at a children’s literature symposium, and she was there presenting. Before the conference began, I saw her sitting by herself and I just mustered the courage and walked over, sat down, and started talking with her. It was as plainly cool as you might imagine.

      • **squeals in a falsetto before regaining posture and dignity**
        You must have mustered an awful lot of courage; I would have either promptly passed out or ended up screaming in her face with unrestrained excitement (like Ron when he asked Fleur to the Yule Ball, remember?).
        Do all children’s authors get to go to literature symposiums? And, do forgive me if this sounds a mite too nosy, but what did she talk about and what level of awesomeness would you rate the conversation (on a scale of 1 to 10)? If that IS too nosy, feel free to tell me so because you are not by any means obligated.

      • I doubt I’ll ever know what kind of tone you said that in—exasperated yet polite, honestly earnest, sobbing with emotion, completely indifferent, slightly amused, or wholly bemused—but I’ll thank you anyway.:)

        • Ah, the vagaries of email and internet communication. All tone is lost.

          But I meant it with great amusement. The good kind.

          • First of all, I must say I was particularly delighted when you displayed knowledge–however little it may be–of my fantabulous wand. (And, yes, I tucked it away. BUT BE WARNED, JANE.)
            Secondly, YOU MET NANCY FARMER WITHOUT BEING A PUBLISHED WRITER!?!?! HOW, I ASK, HOW??? CAN ANYONE GO TO THOSE SYMPOSIUMS IF THEY LIKE TO WRITE?!? DO TELL, AT ONCE!!!
            Cuz that’s plain exciting.

            And about the vagaries of email and internet communication….well, I thought about it. And, for all I know, YOU could be Nancy Farmer. Or Matt’s third cousin twice-removed. Or someone who locked Matt in a deep, dank dungeon with nothing but mice and gruel and gleefully seized credit for his brilliant book. Or you could be some random kid who saw Matt’s computer and had a demonically, deviously, diabolically devised idea…
            The possibilities are endless.

          • Roonil,
            Yes, aspiring writers can go to conferences and symposiums. I’ve met a number of writers before I was published.

            As for my identity, well, I can’t think of any proof to offer you that I am, in fact, me. But I am.

          • That’s awesome! Tell me, how exactly do you get into these so-called symposiums?

            And I suppose I shall have to accept your identity. For now.

          • Really, all you have to do is find the conference you want to attend and pay the registration fee (sometimes they can be expensive, but it’s worth it to go listen to the writers you love).

          • That’s it? Really? That—That’s—OMG! I must–and will–do that someday! I had no IDEA that it would be quite so simple! How many people are at these symposiums, on average? How often are symposiums held? And…what if I finally go to one one day and YOU are speaking there? And I tell you that I’m Roonil and watch your jaw drop in ill-concealed amazement? How ’bout that?

          • That would be cool.

            Writing conferences are held all the time, all over the country, and there can be hundreds of people there. You can also meet authors at librarian conferences, and conferences for any professionals working in the field of children’s literature.

  8. Hey Roonil! YOU’VE MET NANCY FARMER. Of all the epic happenings…you lucky duck, you. I’d LOVE to meet Nancy Farmer. I’ve been on her website, and she was a very different kind of child. She sounds awesome!!

    Roonil, you’re a Potterhead. It’s IMPOSSIBLE to get sick of us.

  9. It’s not necessary to call the book epic. It’s already understood that the book will, in fact, be epic. BUT you must state the level of epic that’s being depicted by the author’s ingenious writing skills. In this case, and correct me if I’m wrong, I believe the correct level to be “insanely and severely extreme epicness”.

    P.S. – What does the J in Matthew J. Kirby stand for?

  10. Hello Name! Sorry to intrude, but I don’t understand…are we talking about the epicness of Nancy Farmer, Harry Potter, or The Clockwork Three? Or Matt’s next book? And I second your question…what DOES it stand for?

  11. Hi Jane. I guess all four fall under that category, and John is an interesting middle name. My parents named me as a reminder of the necessity of accurate documentation. My full name is Name Date Signature. And I look forward to the book about vikings! I’ll have to see if i can find a viking hat to wear while I’m reading it. I get really into good books..

  12. I know I’m a little late to reply to all that Elder wand stuff, but Roonil, I’d like you to know that since we’re (or rather you two) are on the topic of impersonating people, I thought it might interest you to know that since you are Ron, the Elder wand won’t work for you. I, however, am not ACTUALLY Jane. I’m Harry in disguise. As a kid named Jane. I have my reasons…so that treacherous fiends like you will rue the day you tried to pull my own wand on me!! Besides, my own eleven inch Holly one beats your silly old Spellotaped one any day. And, I may be alone in this, but when you talked of someone keeping Matt in a deep, dank dungeon feeding him nothing but mice and gruel I thought of two things: 1, Barty Crouch Jr. using Polyjuice Potion in the Goblet of Fire and locking the real Moody in the trunk, and 2, a certain Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in which Calvin composes a bed time poem for his dad to read. It had an awful lot of symbolism in it (Barney locked his dad in the cellar, and after fifty years on mice and gruel, Barney’s dad was sorry he’d been cruel). (Now, I don’t know if you’re a Calvin and Hobbes fan, but if you aren’t you should be. They’re the best comics to hit middle earth.) Vagaries of communication via technology…I’ve never heard of the work ‘vagaries’. I would probably put vulgarities, but I don’t think that works very well in that sentence…and what in the world is a symposium? Well, Matt, as you can now see, this fraud who calls her/himself Roonil (sorry Roonil, but I don’t know much about you) just pulled an Elder wand on me. MY Elder wand on me. Too much communication (through the vagaries of internet) could have GRAVE consequences. But then, as Professor Dumbledore stated to me so many years ago, “I’m not afraid, Harry. I’m with you.” So you may now put yourself in Dumbledore’s shoes and feel safe.

    • Jane, I must say your whole paragraph thing was completely and utterly pointless. First of all, who said I was Ron? I most definitely am not Ron, although he IS excessively amazing. Admit it, Jane; you have no idea who I am. As for you being Harry, I snorted derisively at the very notion; Harry would never disguise himself as girl and has no reason to call himself ‘Jane’. So, I’m afraid to say that all your, ah, logic goes down the drain, doesn’t it? Since it was all based on assumed identities (outrageously fake, in your case)? And of course I love Calvin and Hobbes! They are, without doubt, the best comics in Middle Earth, as you say, although you forgot to capitalize the two. And, Jane, no offense, but do us all a favor, and leave poor Harry alone.

      • Well, seeing as your name is ROONIL and Roonil is another name for RON then yes, you must be Ron. And I’m Harry Potter, I am awesome. I call myself a girl named Jane because Death Eaters and other ridiculously evil figures of the Wizarding Society could be lurking anywhere. Seeing as I am Harry, it would be slightly difficult to leave myself alone, do you not agree? Jane is an assumed identity, Harry is the REAL identity!! Mwahahahahahahahahahaaaa!

        • No, I am not Ron, and you are definitely not Harry Potter. If I was Ron and you were Harry, we would be best friends. And, seeing as we’re not, you simply cannot be Harry. You are some random kid on the internet, called Jane. Harry could never be the real you; so, you must dismiss such ludicrous notions.

  13. To Roonil and Matt on the subject of symposiums: that’s so awesome! I will do that one day. And I’ll see you too, Matt. And you will pass out with astonishment. As for the fees…there’s still time. The issue here is that I live in the middle of no where, so the chances of there being symposiums anywhere near me are slim. Or MAYBE, Matt, you’ll walk into a symposium and see me and Roonil up there yapping about our epic book, New York Times #1 Bestseller, winner of the Golden Newberry Award. And you will be so jelly, and then you’ll learn that it’s me and Roonil, and THAT’S when the ill-concealed amazement hits.

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