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In the years I've been reading Pratchett's books I've generally avoided the ones for children/YA readers. I've read one or two, but the ones set in the discworld just never appealed to me.
In desperation, having run out of Granny Weatherwax stories, I decided to listen to the Tiffany Aching series. The story of a young witch, beginning when she is 9 years old and before she has realised her talents, and going through four books to her as a 15-16 year old.
What totally delightful books. Dark and funny and centred in humanity. Not childish. This is an author who treats children as intelligent, curious and creative readers. The only thing that marks these as 'children's books' is the fact of a child protaganist, and a sensitivity to some of the issues that might concern a youngster. Beyond that they are no different to the other Discworld books. If anything, I think they're a little darker in places. They certainly expect an ability to handle some quite heavy concepts. I mean heavy in a real way, not heavy in a theoretical multiverse kind of a way. Human nature, red in tooth and claw. Particularly in the last two books (I'm almost done with the final one). It's also laugh out loud funny in places.
I'm almost done with my discworld quest, unless the man writes another novel set there (he's got several books coming out but they're not DW). And I will be sad when that is finished.
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