Tag Archives: MG

January 30, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Sorrowline by Niel Bushnell.

SorrowlineThe past is not a frozen place. Graveyards are not dead ends. And if the Sorrowline lets you in there is a hidden world of adventure waiting behind every gravestone.

Just when 12-year-old Jack Morrow’s life is falling apart he discovers his natural ability to travel through Sorrowlines: channels that connect every gravestone with the date of the person’s death. Confused and alone Jack finds himself in 1940. He embarks on an adventure through London during the Blitz with Davy, his teenage grandfather, to find a mystical Rose that might just save his mother’s life, a mother who he has already seen die. But the terrible power of the Rose of Annwn, is sought by many, and the forces of a secret world are determined to find it first. With a league of Undead Knights of his trail, commanded by the immortal Rouland, can Jack decipher the dark secret hidden at the heart of his family? Can he change his own destiny and save his mother?

Prophecy and history collide in this epic new children’s fantasy adventure series.

This is one of the debuts I was really excited about for 2013, when I first heard about the concept I knew it was something I would probably really enjoy. Within the first few pages I knew I’d been right – I sat down to read just a few pages and the next thing I knew the afternoon was gone and I’d reached the last page.

The story is a really good thriller with cleverly created time-travel elements. I’m a big fan of time-travel stories, but they can make me feel a bit like my head’s spinning – particularly when you start to get into the area of paradoxes and the like. In Sorrowline the time-travel is handled really well, it all makes sense and the questions that arise during the book are answered and in a way that fits well with the plot.

The thriller aspect of the plot is also well developed, at times there is a real sense of peril for the main characters and I felt as I read like my heart was in my mouth! Despite the book having the time-travel element there is never the feeling that it must turn out alright because this the story is happening in the past, a couple of times I found myself wondering how the future might unravel if things went so very wrong.

The main three characters, Jack, Davy and Eloise are all brilliant, but I have to admit to having a favourite and that was Eloise. She’s such a great female character, what we know of her origin story is fascinating and her actions throughout the story made me love her.

I really loved this book, I’m very pleased that there is a teaser snippet included at the end for the next book in the series, Timesmith, I’m already looking forward to reading it even if there is a whole year to wait!

Sorrowline is published by Andersen Press in the UK. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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January 16, 2013 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Wonder by R. J. Palacio.

WonderI won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

Last year it felt like the book I talked about the most was Wonder. Whether I was meeting up with a fellow book blogger, chatting about books online or with youth librarians it was the one book that everyone wanted to know “have you read it?” and “what did you think of it?”. The more I heard about it the more I felt reluctant to read it – I’m very good at avoiding things I know will make me cry, and I always get scared when something is so hyped that it just can’t possibly live up to it. When it was discussed at the Wales YLG nominations day as a potential CILIP Carnegie Medal nominee I knew I needed to give it a go and so requested it from my library, it’s clearly still very popular – I had to wait more than 2 months for it and have to take it straight back as there are people below me in the list!

The book is about Auggie, a boy with a combination of syndromes and medical conditions that have resulted in him having a severe facial deformity. He’s been home schooled up until the time the book starts, partly because of all the medical procedures and appointments he has had and partly because it has protected him from the potential horrors of school and mixing with lots of kids. The book starts with the decision being made that this year is the year he will integrate into school, and it follows him through that first year and all the ups and downs that come with it.

The book is told from a number of different perspectives, Auggie of course gets to tell a good proportion of the story but his sister Olivia and a couple of the children at Auggie’s new school are amongst the narrators who join Auggie. I thought this worked really well for the book, getting to see both Auggie and things that happened through different sets of eyes really allows the reader to get a good impression of everything. The whole book is based on the idea that appearances don’t actually tell you anything, and getting to see multiple perspectives helps to show this. It also allows the reader to really see how things aren’t black and white, some reactions the first time you read them seem downright unthinking and awful but once you get to see another perspective on them you realise how wrong that initial impression can be.

I liked Auggie a lot, he’s a warm and interesting character. I loved how knowing he was at times, he is so aware of his situation and also of how he doesn’t always do the right thing as a result of it – he acknowledges on more than one occasion that he could be behave differently but doesn’t really want to. I think he’s a well created character, he could have been irritating and whiny but instead has a good attitude without coming across as precocious. I also loved Olivia, she has a real story of her own – whilst Auggie’s starting school for the first time she is starting high school and having to navigate the difficulties of friendships and growing up along with being Auggie’s sister.

One of my favourite characters was Mr Browne, the English teacher. He reminded me a bit of my English teacher through high school, though even cooler. I loved his idea of a precept a month and of adding that deeper thinking to the children’s schooling.

There’s no doubt about it this is a moving book to read. There are moments that will leave you thinking about the book for ages after you’ve read it and there are moments that will make you stop and think about your own actions. I can certainly understand why this book was talked about do much last year and why it made the long list for the CILIP Carnegie Medal. When the short list is announced in March I wouldn’t be remotely surprised to see this book on it.

Wonder is published by Bodley Head in the UK.

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December 14, 2012 · 11:09 am

Book Review : Mr Stink by David Walliams.

MrStink“Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well…”

It all starts when Chloe makes friends with Mr Stink, the local tramp. Yes, he smells a bit. But when it looks like he might be driven out of town, Chloe decides to hide him in the garden shed.

Now Chloe’s got to make sure no one finds out her secret. And speaking of secrets, there just might be more to Mr Stink than meets the eye… or the nose.

After reading and enjoying The Boy in the Dress I was really looking forward to reading Mr Stink. I got caught up in the story really quickly, and finished the book in one sitting.

The story is one big moral story about appearances being deceptive and how important it is to look more deeply at people rather than just accepting them at face value and making judgements about them. It never feels preachy or like a moral story though, this is all cleverly woven into the story. I loved the way that over the course of around 270 pages all of the key characters go on a real journey, with the exception of Raj (who should never change), they all end the book very differently to how they start it.

Chloe is a lovely main character, there were parts of her that really reminded me of me when I was 12. I loved her creativity and her focus on doing the right thing even when it was hard for her to do so. Mr Stink is a great creation though at times some of the descriptions of him or the things he did were a little on the gross side for me – I’m sure young readers will absolutely adore him. I was so pleased to see Raj featured in this book as well as The Boy in the Dress, I’m looking forward to seeing whether he appears in Walliams’ other books.

Mr Stink been adapted by the BBC and will be shown over the festive period with Hugh Bonneville playing the title role, I couldn’t quite imagine how this would work before I started reading but within the first couple of chapters I could see that the casting is perfect. The adaptation also stars Sheridan Smith and Johnny Vegas with an appearance from David Walliams. I have it highlighted ready in my festive TV guide, I can’t wait to see it.

Mr Stink is published by Harper Collins Children’s Books in the UK.

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December 13, 2012 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Granny Samurai, the Monkey King and I by John Chambers.

GrannySamuraiEccentric young wordsmith Samuel Johnson finds himself home alone while his diplomat uncle is off diverting a crisis in Azerbaijan. As Samuel sits penning his memoirs and wondering how to divert the crisis in his own life – namely the big, hairy brute that is Boris Hissocks – he spots the little old lady next door acting very strangely. Is she actually chopping wood with her bare hands? Then the Monkey King comes knocking, and suddenly Samuel’s whole world is turned on its head…

Wow, I’m not entirely sure where to begin with talking about this book. I can definitely say it’s a funny, pacey read that will keep readers of all ages engaged, but to try and describe why is going to be a challenge – I really think this is one of those books that’s best discovered by reading. That won’t however make for much of a review so I’m going to do my best to talk about why I enjoyed it so much.

The plot is twisty and turny but is basically a story of goodies, Samuel and Granny Samurai, battling baddies who come in the form of school bully Boris Hissocks and the evil Monkey King who naturally has evil minions in tow. Poor Samuel is never quite up to speed with what’s going on, Granny Samurai is a lady of relatively few words and she certainly doesn’t waste them on explaining everything to him. This works really well for the reader, you’re as in the dark as Samuel is – I found myself coming up with all sorts of theories for what might be happening.

Samuel is an interesting lead character. I found that whilst I liked him and sympathised with his frustrations at not knowing what was going on I did also wish sometimes I could give him a little shake and encourage him to stand up for himself a little more. I imagine that the target audience won’t have any such feelings towards him. Granny Samurai, probably as expected, steals the book. She’s a larger than life, mysterious figure who comes out with absolute gems of dialogue. The book as a whole made me smile, most of the times that it made me laugh it was Granny Samurai who was responsible.

The book is illustrated, every double spread has at least one small drawing, on some the picture covers both pages and the text takes up only a small portion of the space. The pictures are all in grayscale and add a lot to the reading experience. Instead of a traditional chapter format the book is structured as Samuel’s memoir which means it has lots of short sections – I think this always helps books to feel like they’re zipping along when you read them.

Throughout the book the thing that kept coming to mind was how much I’d like to read this aloud to a group – I think it would work really well for this and will be passing my copy onto a friend who’s a teacher so that she can do just this. I don’t know if there are plans for another book featuring these characters but if there is one then I will definitely read it.

Granny Samurai, the Monkey King and I is published by Walker Books in the UK from 3rd January 2013. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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December 11, 2012 · 9:30 am

Book Review : The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams.

TheBoyInTheDressThe sparkling debut children’s novel from David Walliams, co-creator and co-star of the multi-award-winning Little Britain.

Dennis was different.

Why was he different, you ask?

Well, a small clue might be in the title of this book…

Charming, surprising and hilarious – The Boy in the Dress is everything you would expect from the co-creator of Little Britain. David Walliams’s beautiful first novel will touch the hearts (and funny bones) of children and adults alike.

Over the course of the placement I did in the summer I learnt that David Walliams’ books are hugely popular (along with Jacqueline Wilson, Andy Stanton and Jeff Kinney his books were the most requested by the children visiting the mobile library) so I knew I had to investigate for myself and find out what all the fuss was about. The fact that the BBC adaptation of Walliams’ second book Mr Stink is due on telly in the next few weeks prompted me to get and request a couple of books from the local library, I thought I’d start with The Boy in the Dress as it was the first book he’d written.

The fact that the illustrations in the book were done by Quentin Blake made me wonder whether Walliams could be taking the place of the current generation’s Roald Dahl, but I was pleased to discover within a few pages that actually Walliams is simply this generation’s David Walliams – a skilled, humorous, thought provoking storyteller. There was a real depth to the story that I really hadn’t been expecting, whilst there are lots of funny bits there are also many bits that make you think and may well encourage discussions with young readers.

Dennis is a lovely lead character, I found I was really rooting for him from the very start of the book. His friendships with Darvesh and Lisa are so well created, I could imagine them clearly. I found Dennis’ dad and brother to be really interesting characters, I liked the way that the less positive characters were portrayed over the course of the book in a sympathetic manner rather than as pantomime style villains.

My only slight misgiving with this book came with the resolution of one part of Dennis’ problem. Without wanting to spoil the plot for anyone all I’ll say is that I felt that Dennis and Lisa’s treatment of one of the adult characters didn’t really feel to me like it fitted with the rest of the book which was a real shame. It didn’t spoil my overall experience of the book however, I’ll certainly be recommending it to other people and am looking forward to reading Mr Stink very soon.

The Boy in the Dress is published by Harper Collins Children’s Books in the UK.

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December 5, 2012 · 9:30 am

Book Review : Poison Most Vial by Benedict Carey.

Book cover for Poison Most Vial by Benedict CareyMurder in the lab! The famous forensic scientist Dr. Ramachandran is stone-cold dead, and Ruby Rose’s father is the prime suspect. It’s one more reason for Ruby to hate the Gardens, the funky urban neighborhood to which she has been transplanted. Wise but shy, artistic but an outsider, Ruby must marshal everything and everyone she can to help solve the mystery and prove her father didn’t poison his boss. Everyone? The list isn’t too long: there’s T. Rex, Ruby’s big, goofy but goodhearted friend; maybe those other two weird kids from class; and that mysterious old lady in the apartment upstairs, who seems to know a lot about chemistry . . . which could come in very handy.

I finished reading this book a few days ago, and I’m still not entirely sure what to make of it. I definitely enjoyed it, it’s a fun read that whips along nicely, but it’s also a little odd and I didn’t feel properly satisfied by the time I put the book down.

The plot is quite a traditional whodunnit, Ruby is trying to find out who committed the crime her father is currently being accused of – she knows he’s innocent and wants to clear his name. There’s a real emphasis on problem solving and deduction, I think young fans of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy this aspect of it a lot.

Ruby, and her best friend Rex are decent leading characters, their friendship is well created and feels really genuine. They get help from two of their classmates, I liked the range of investigative skills that these teens had – that the hacker was a girl pleased me a lot.

I think my main difficulty with the book was that I wanted a bit more of everything. I wanted to understand the characters more, I wanted to get my head round the slightly odd school that Ruby attends more and I wanted to understand the town that the book’s set in more. I never felt like I’d got a complete grasp of things which left the overall reading experience lacking a little. There’s definitely a lot of promise in the book, I just wish it had lived up to it.

Poison Most Vial is published by Amulet Books in the UK. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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November 19, 2012 · 5:34 pm

My Week In Books. [6]

Each Monday I review the books I’ve read in the previous week in mini reviews.

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby. Bloomsbury Childrens.
I liked the way this book throws you right into the action from the very beginning, the reader is introduced to the main character – teen paparazzo Jo – as she tries to get photographs of teen heartthrob Ned. I found that I liked Jo straight away, and then as the book progressed there was more and more to like. When she’s sent undercover to try and get highly private pictures of Ned at a rehab retreat her dilemma over whether she can bring herself to invade his privacy for the amount of money being offered feels genuine and draws the reader in.

I often find books where one character is hiding a pretty big secret from the other really stressful to read. There was a small part of this book that had me feeling a bit stressed but the way the plot is handled and evolves meant that I found myself really enjoying it. There’s a lovely blend of humorous moments and more thoughtful moments, the latter in particular may well leave readers thinking about our current celebrity culture and its cost.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Sourcebooks Fire.
I absolutely loved this book. I expected it would be one that I would really enjoy, I’m a huge sports fan so the idea of a book about a female quarterback trying to lead her high school team to the championship final sounded like something I’d really enjoy. I was hooked within the first chapter and I didn’t put it down until I’d read the final page. The plot is wonderful, yes it’s a story about high school football but it’s also a story about friendship, about love, and about family.

I loved Jordan and found that I could really identify with her, despite the fact I’d never been remotely sporty let alone so entirely sport driven. The various team mates who played significant parts in the book all made me smile, they really came across well as a group of friends who all cared for and supported each other. I found myself wishing I was part of their social circle! I have a feeling that when I’m deciding on my top ten reads of the year this book may well make the cut.

Love at Second Sight by Cathy Hopkins. Simon & Schuster UK.
I hadn’t read anything by Cathy Hopkins before but I knew lovely Liz from My Favourite Books is a big fan so when she offered me a copy of this to read I snapped it up. I have to admit that before I started reading I wasn’t 100% sure about it, the plot surrounds a teen girl being told by a clairvoyant that her true love from a former life is someone she knows in this life so she has a second chance of love with him. I needn’t have been concerned though, the plot is well constructed and really works.

Jo, the main character, is a lovely character. She’s a little bit different to a lot of the girls who get to take centre stage in YA fiction and I found this refreshing. Her friendship with Effy and Tash is lovely, I particularly liked the way that they complemented one another without having to agree on everything. I also liked the focus on genealogy within the plot, it was good to see it described well.

I enjoyed this read so much that I already have my next Cathy Hopkins on reserve at my local library.

Sammy Feral’s Diaries of Weird by Eleanor Hawken. Quercus.
This book is a lovely, quick, funny read that I’m sure middle grade readers will love. Written in diary form this is a really entertaining read about a boy whose family are all turned into werewolves at the zoo they run. After discovering his family’s misfortune Sammy is desperate to find a cure and to get them all back to normal. He’s helped along in his quest by the mysterious Donny and Red, a team of cryptozoologists who arrive at just the right time.

There are plenty of laughs in this book along with some moments that I’m sure the target audience will be appropriately scared by. I think this book has a lot of potential as a read aloud book, I can imagine a group listening very attentively to it. There are plans for a second book in this series, I’m looking forward to it already.

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October 30, 2012 · 10:27 am

My Week In Books. [4]

Each Monday I review the books I’ve read in the previous week in mini reviews.

Brotherhood of Shades by Dawn Finch. Authonomy.
This book has a really strong plot pulling lots of historical fact into a fantasy plot filled with great tension and intrigue. Within a few pages I realised that this was the sort of book you could really sink your teeth into, it’s intelligent and densely plotted with lots of detail and lots to make you think – I found a couple of times I had to put it down for a while so I could ponder some of the more philosophical discussion. There were times where predictions I’d made about what would happen came true, but the ending of the book took me completely by surprise.

Finch has created a really intriguing cast of characters, I felt particularly drawn to D’Scover, the “Keeper of the Texts” who plays a central role in the book. The whole time that I was reading I felt that information, and knowledge were held in very high esteem within the book, it was a delight to discover when I reached the end, and Finch’s biography to discover she was as I hoped a librarian. This shone through in the book and only added to my enjoyment.

The Falcon Chronicles: Tiger Wars by Steve Backshall. Orion Children’s.
This was a thrilling read from start to finish, I had to stop reading at one point to answer the phone and spent the whole time wondering what was happening whilst I wasn’t reading! Backshall has used knowledge that he’s gained on his travels as a naturalist to create the world of these books making it jump vividly off the page. There’s a clear conservation message running through the book but it never feels preachy or shoehorned it, instead it’s fully part of the plot and will be all the more effective.

I loved the two lead characters, Saker and Sinter, and the way their relationship develops over the course of the book. I really loved that there was no hint of any romantic link between them, this felt very refreshing. As I was reading the book I found myself imagining reading it out loud, I think it would work really well as a class book for most year 5-7 classes – it would certainly keep the children wanting the next chapter, and there’s lots of potential for really good discussions of plot points. I’m really pleased that this is the start of a series, I’ll certainly be picking up the next book.

Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan. Templar Publishing.
Whilst I’d known of Shaun Tan’s work for a few years now I’d never got round to actually reading any of it. After being introduced to The Arrival at a conference I attended (I’m still sad that only the first 20 pages or so were read, I wanted to listen to the whole story being told) I knew I needed to start catching up with his work and Tales From Outer Suburbia became my first port of call. As soon as I started reading I realised there’s something very special and magical about Shaun Tan, and then realised that in my new review everything approach I was going to have to find a way to talk about this book.

It’s hard to explain why this book is so lovely, and such a magical read. It’s a collection of short stories, they cross genres, they vary in length but they all captivate the imagination. The illustrations that go with the stories are beautiful, I spent ages poring over the detail in some of them. I liked each and every story, though there were of course stories I loved more than others, my favourites included Eric, No Other Country and Alert But Not Alarmed. This is a really lovely book, I know I’ll be recommending it far and wide.

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The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that it’s Tuesday rather than Monday, the weekend was rather hectic and I just didn’t have time to finish this post yesterday. Also I’ve switched to mini reviews as I felt sticking to 100 words was just too constrictive and I was having to leave things out that I really wanted to say.

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October 15, 2012 · 10:00 am

My Week In Books. [2]

Each Monday I review the books I’ve read in the previous week in drabble form – exactly 100 words excluding title and publishing details.

Kill All Enemies by Melvin Burgess. Puffin Books.
This book tells the stories of three troubled teens, the sort of kids a lot of society just dismiss and look down on, and gives them a voice to tell their side of the story. Burgess doesn’t try to excuse the things they do but instead offers an explanation for their behaviour and shows that people aren’t simply good or bad. The teenagers feel very authentic, I could relate their behaviour to a couple of teens I know. This book is funny, poignant and thought provoking and a real page turner, I will be certainly be reading more by Burgess.

Big Change For Stuart by Lissa Evans. Doubleday Children’s.
I loved Small Change For Stuart and was looking forward to reading about Stuart’s next adventure. I wasn’t disappointed, this book is full of magic and mystery as he and April search for his Great-Uncle’s will to prove Stuart is the rightful owner of the magician’s workshop. I liked the way some of the minor characters got a bigger part to play in this book, particularly the other two triplets and Stuart’s dad. I really enjoyed the tasks Stuart had to complete and the worlds they were set in, Evans clearly has a wonderful imagination. A lovely middle grade read.

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean. Katherine Tegen Books
This book, aimed at the 8-12 market, is a deceptive read. Its title suggests it’s going to be a sweet animal story (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but it’s so much more. It focuses on how Cally and her family are adjusting to life without her mother but with the introduction of other characters shows how important it is to look beneath the surface of people. There are some lovely characters, I particularly liked the sensitive way Cally’s grieving father was portrayed and the friendship developed between Cally and Sam. This is definitely a book I’ll be recommending.

Cracks by Caroline Green. Piccadilly Press.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it combines dystopia with thriller really well, both aspects of the plot feel very well balanced. For me the best dystopias are those that you can imagine happening, where you can see how our society could disintegrate to that point, and Cracks definitely ticks this box. This is a fast-paced read, I couldn’t hit the page forward button on my Kindle quickly enough at times. I didn’t always buy how Cal who’d missed the last 12 years and the changes in society accepted this new world, but that was my only niggle with the book.

The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord Brown. Corvus.
I’d put off reading this book for ages, I’d heard it was a beautiful and emotional read and I needed to be in the right frame of mind (and have a good supply of tissues) and it never felt like the right time. I’m really glad I waited, a book like this deserves some proper indulgent reading time. It’s a truly wonderful read, I’m not sure I have the superlatives for it. Steeped in history, filled with the wonderful women of the ATA this book has it all – hard work, friendship, laughter, tears and love. An absolute must read.

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I did also read a few picture books this week but I’ve decided I’ll do a monthly round up of picture books or these posts will end up ridiculously long!

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February 23, 2012 · 10:00 am

Book Review : Opal Moonbaby by Maudie Smith.

Martha’s decided friends are stupid. She never wants another one. Ever.

So when Opal Moonbaby comes along, with her mad hair and huge violet eyes, claiming to be an alien and wanting to be friends, Martha is definitely NOT interested. But Opal isn’t the kind of alien who takes no for an answer…

Sparkling with originality and charm, this is a heart-warming, hilarious story about friendship.

From the very first pages of this book the author grabbed my attention and she kept it right through until the last page. The plot is one that I think readers of all ages can identify with, Martha is finished with the idea of friends after her friend let her down so badly – she knows she’ll be better off going it alone. Even meeting the rather odd Opal Moonbaby won’t change her mind.

I must admit I had an idea in my head of how the plot was going to play out, with Opal being an alien from another planet, but I was pleased to be entirely wrong. I’d expected Opal to need to be introduced to everything in our world, but the author avoided that and instead allowed Opal to be knowledgeable but for this knowledge to be flawed. To me this resulted in a far funnier and more enjoyable book.

There’s so much to love about this book, Opal, her adorable companion Garnet, and lovely brother and sister Martha and Robbie are all characters I really enjoyed reading about. The ‘bad guys’ are well created too, the author takes real care to show why they are acting the way they are.

Reading this book I was transported back to the books I’d loved as a child. The illustrations help with this I think, at times they really reminded me of the art work by Quentin Blake that adorned the pages of the Roald Dahl books I adored. I think this book will go down really well with young readers, and they’ll probably learn a thing or two about friendship whilst they read without even realising it.

Opal Moonbaby is published in paperback and eBook by Orion in the UK. Whilst I was provided with a review copy of the book all of the opinions expressed are my own.

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