Books like Stig of the Dump

This book surprised me. I was expecting it to be a simple, fun, mildly enjoyable read, which I would have better appreciated had I read it at 9 years old (which is when everyone else seemed to read it). Instead, I was wowed by the levels of humour and social commentary and astute observation and depth within this story.I love it when children's books show insights into how kids' minds work - so often they are so focused on the child being a strong person that the odd little quirks and vulnerabilities and irrationalities of childhood are overlooked. But Barney is a simply an incredibly believable child, clearly written by someone very familiar with children. For instance, he hides in a tree one day, finding great amusement that his grandmother and older sister can't find him - he keeps silent when they call for him, and then, when they go out without him, he gets very indignant, blaming them for being mean and leaving him out. This whole random hiding just for fun, and taking offence at something that was really his fault - that just struck me as so very typical of a child, and not the sort of thing that is normally included in kids' books. You'd never see a 'decent' Enid Blyton character acting in such a silly way! And what really impressed me was Barney's reaction when no one believes him about Stig. There are lots of children's books about kids who find something magic and the adults don't believe them, and the children are indignant and they know without a doubt that they are right and the adults are wrong. But Barney - he starts to doubt himself. If adults are telling him it's his imagination, well maybe it is - maybe it's possible for an experience to be imagination. He really doesn't know - and I liked that aspect, because I fnd in reality children do doubt things if everyone else is convinced that they are mistaken, or that such thiings aren't possible. I knew beforehand that this was a book about a boy who finds a caveman in a dump and they become friends - it's quite a well-known book. What I wasn't expecting was how creatively the author would use this whole concept. Stig has built himself a den and he uses the things people throw onto the dump. Barney is fascinated at how old junk can be used in completely different ways from how it was intended. Stig also doesn't talk, so Barney has to find ways to communicate with him. Meeting Stig causes Barney to start to think in new, creative ways - he wants to help Stig build a chimney and windows, for instance, and has to think of an unconventional way to do this. It's also a bit strange and amusing for him that Stig is so tough and strong on the one hand, but also so unfamiliar with everyday things on the other hand, so Barney starts to see things from a new perspective as he has to explain them (and without words) to Stig.The social commentary is very entertaining. Barney is clearly a bit of a posh boy, from an upper middle class family. There's a fox hunt, which he's too young to join, but he decides to go unofficially with Stig. Things don't go to plan when Stig kills a pheasant, but refuses to kill a fox when he has the chance. Barney is worried because killing pheasants isn't very sporting, but Stig communicates to him that foxes don't taste good, whereas pheasants do. And of course Stig's logic makes more sense - he kills for food, not for sport.And then there's a scene when Barney sees some other boys playing in the dump - rough boys whose clothes are more tattered than his, who have long hair, and who talk with a Cockney accent. Basically, boys of a lower social class than his, who have a reputation for causing trouble. I wasn't sure what to expect here - I wondered if it would descend into stereotypes, but in fact it deftly turns the stereotypes on their head. The boys start chasing Barney and threatening to hurt him - but then, the reason they are doing this is because Barney started it. He wasn't happy that they were in the dump, and threw clods of earth onto their little hideout. What I really like is that the author never comments on whether characters have been good or bad or to blame for something (neither directly nor through a favoured character who speaks on his behalf) - he just tells the story. And Barney is always uncertain - are these mean boys or are they just playing? Now, of course, Stig gets involved in the spat, to stand up for Barney, and on the one hand Barney is delighted to have such a strong, scary friend, but on the other, he realises that Stig could really hurt them, and they are just little boys. And he realises too that Stig is actually a lot more 'rough' than these boys!I found the ending rather bizarre - but not in a bad way. It was definitely a unique story and I really enjoyed it - lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Stig experiencing jelly babies for the first time was great!