Taiwan Modern Children's Literature Award · Library Sprites

Author: Lin Youru Ma Xiaofeng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Stories about spirits possessing people may be numerous, but The Library Spirit achieves greater refinement and warmth in its approach. Set against the backdrop of a library and the internet, it aligns with the lives of modern teenagers, while the fantastical atmosphere further showcases the author's creativity. – Review by renowned writer Fu Lin
The Library Spirit: Starting with learning to fish and hunt alongside his father, the growth story of the Tayal Ba-lon actually encompasses the culture and customs of the entire Tayal people. What’s rare is that, despite being serious in intent and structurally complete, the novel is written vividly and paints a picture-like scene. Tayal customs such as face tattooing, marriage rituals, agriculture, harvests,, and hunting, even the mysterious witches, offer readers a richer understanding and enjoyment. – Review by renowned writer Liao Huinying
The Tayal Teenager Ba-lon: Kafka’s The Metamorphosis transforms an adult into an insect, while Lawrence’s children’s picture book Kafka Turns into an Insect transforms a child into an insect. Both involve transformation, but in The Cat Woman, Liu Bilin transforms a human into a cat. Unlike the first two, the cat woman retains a human form but her behavior degrades into that of a cat. The contraction of a child, the awakening of an adult—the turning point between the two, the author depicts it skillfully. Her handling of the arrangement of the surrounding environment and the mastery of the atmosphere are also well-executed. – Review by renowned writer Xia Wan-yun
The Cat Woman: The Taiwan Modern Children’s Literature Award. This award is guided and sponsored by authoritative institutions in Taiwan, organized by the Taiwan Jiuge Cultural and Educational Foundation, and co-hosted by Jiuge Publishing Co., Ltd., a major hub for children’s literature publishing in Taiwan. It aims to encourage writers to create children’s literature, enhance the literary skills of young children, improve their appreciation, inspire creativity, cultivate a broad worldview, and foster their concern for society and life.
I float lightly on the sea, the sky like a beautiful rainbow curtain, with meteor showers constantly streaking across it. Those aren’t meteors, but books that emit light, flying in groups across the horizon. – The Library Spirit