Did the Great Brain ever have his palm read?
February 10, 2011 12:13 PM Subscribe
Can you think of any children's books in which palm-reading is a plot point? I'm looking for books for kids about 7-12, so not primers, but not young adult, either.
One of the chapters in Elizabeth Enright's The Saturdays deals with a friend of the family who had her fortune told and was then kidnapped.
posted by brujita at 12:39 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by brujita at 12:39 PM on February 10, 2011
I'm sure this comes up in more than one Zilpha Keatley Snyder book... The Headless Cupid definitely has some. I think the prophecy scene in the beginning of Black and Blue Magic might use palm reading as well?
posted by anaelith at 1:22 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by anaelith at 1:22 PM on February 10, 2011
OK, remembering more, so not so much a plot point in THC, and more of a minor one in B&BM, but a full scene in The Gypsy Game (which otherwise gets mixed reviews)...
posted by anaelith at 1:24 PM on February 10, 2011
posted by anaelith at 1:24 PM on February 10, 2011
I was going to mention the scene in The Saturdays too.
posted by Ellemeno at 12:04 AM on February 11, 2011
posted by Ellemeno at 12:04 AM on February 11, 2011
The short story "The Forgotten Island" by Elizabeth Coatsworth starts with the main characters, a brother and sister, having their fortunes told. I believe this is done by palmistry at a church fete. They are skeptical at first because they have both been given the same fortune, but of course it turns out that they are to share the adventure that was predicted for them.
The story is available in the collection Alfred Hitchcock's Haunted Houseful: there is a description of the stories in it here.
It's not a huge plot point, but it is important to the story, so I hope this is useful.
Thanks for asking this question, by the way. You motivated me to actually look up a story I read when very young and remembered only a few details about. I've been wondering about it for years!
posted by daisyk at 2:05 PM on February 11, 2011
The story is available in the collection Alfred Hitchcock's Haunted Houseful: there is a description of the stories in it here.
It's not a huge plot point, but it is important to the story, so I hope this is useful.
Thanks for asking this question, by the way. You motivated me to actually look up a story I read when very young and remembered only a few details about. I've been wondering about it for years!
posted by daisyk at 2:05 PM on February 11, 2011
Jacqueline Wilson has palmistry in the first book of her Is There Anybody There? series, Spirit Raising. I think there may have been palm reading in the first Bagthorpe book, Ordinary Jack.
Both books are about overlooked middle children in large families who turn to the occult as a way of getting some attention.
posted by the latin mouse at 12:44 AM on February 12, 2011
Both books are about overlooked middle children in large families who turn to the occult as a way of getting some attention.
posted by the latin mouse at 12:44 AM on February 12, 2011
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posted by milk white peacock at 12:25 PM on February 10, 2011