Book Review: The Ice Children / M G Leonard / 8 – and upwards…

Published by Macmillan Children’s Books

Well, she’s done it again. Without any doubt you can be certain of a good read if the author happens to be Maya Leonard (M G Leonard).

This is perhaps different from her usual – definitely a Christmas book (available now from ‘all good bookshops’ – it is a hardback, but beautiful with wonderful illustrations throughout too.

Almost a modern fairy tale – the story of Bianca and her little brother Finn – he frozen – caught in ice…a magical tale of the Snow Queen as you have never known before. It’s a tale of Winter, of frost, snow, hail and sleet. Winter as it used to be…

Buy it – read it.

With apologies…I haven’t been reviewing as I should be, especially at this time of year – but life has been more difficult on a personal level. I intend to get through the pile of good books that you can purchase from all good bookshops, as soon as I can.

This is a Sue Stupendous and a must buy.

Truly a story for Christmas.

Maya will be at the Christmas Book Festival (Sunday 19th November 2023 Waterstones Finchley Road O2) – get your copy signed and dedicated!

Book Review: Thornyhold / Mary Stewart / YA / Children’s books: 8 – adult.

Published by Hodder

I think this is going to be more of a review of an author and her books in general, though I do thing that this one is, perhaps, my favourite Mary Stewart title. Originally published in 1988 and republished by Hachette in 2011.

I have just read nearly all of them, one after the other – which is a bit of a nuisance as I usually spend my reading time consuming Children’s books, so I can review them. I have, however, found I have become a fan of Mary Stewart. Her English is by turns sublime – a real pleasure and the plots are classic, the books are beautifully written. All in the first person and they are books in which you can disappear, only to finish and be sorry there isn’t more.

This one has a cat (which is always a bonus) and is a tale of a wise woman…perhaps a witch.

The other titles are: Madam will you Talk, followed by: Wildfire at Midnight, Thunder on the Right, Nine Coaches Waiting, My Brother Michael, The Ivy Tree, The Moonspinners, This Rough Magic, Airs above Ground, the Gabriel Hounds, Touch Not the Cat, Stormy Petrel and Rose Cottage.

She also wrote five Arthurian novels, a book of poetry and thee books for children: The Little Broomstick (we have stock of that at Finchley Road O2) – which is wonderful, Ludo and the Star Horse, which was a gift to me by my Godmother, many years ago and A Walk in Wolf Wood (which I haven’t read, yet.

#LudoandtheStarHorse #AWalkinWolfWood – books you won’t want to finish.

Book Review: Turtle Boy / M. Evan Wolkenstein / 8 and upwards

Published by Usborne

RJ’s bucket list, is now my bucket list…

Drumming! Music. Turtles…and so much more. A story of a friendship, a bucket list. Of taking chances, living life. This is a story with resonance. Depth. It’s a story of real friendship that only comes to the fore when the shit really begins to hit the fan. If you will pardon my colloquialism. This book has power.

There are books that are just a story. A pleasant way to while away an afternoon. There are some though with a message. I haven’t finished this one yet, but have just spent two hours in the garden, reading (with a short break to save a shrew my cat brought home) – when I should have been inside cleaning the shower – amongst other things. I’m now writing this review…I’d prefer to read all day – but other things need to be done today – and they won’t get done if I spend my time finding out whether Turtle Boy fulfils his commitments, his forty hours, and goes out to swim where the leaches are…

There are things in life that you just have to do.

Book Review: A Kind of Spark / Elle McNicoll / 8 through to adult

Published by Knights Of

“The ocean needs all kinds of fish,” Keedie says quietly. “Just like the world needs all kinds of minds…”

I picked this small volume up yesterday and dipped into it and found myself reading about a teacher and a young girl whose writing was “…utterly disgraceful.” I suppose the start resonated with me. I was bullied by a teacher too. I never thought of it quite that way – till I read this.

This is about how everyone of us is, in one way or another, different from everyone else. Some are autistic. Others colourblind, most are left or right handed and a few are ambidextrous. We are all as unique as each other. Never-the-less we seem to want everyone to be the same – whether in ability, skin colour or shape. We aren’t. Each of us has talents that others don’t, looks that are individual. Have distinctive, often beautiful skin tones. We are though all the same in that we have joys, hopes, dreams and loves. As well as fears, trials and the odd hang-up too.

I wasn’t supposed to be reading this, I was at work. Though at the moment it can’t be said that we are exactly busy – so I found myself quietly reading… My duty manager was quite understanding (I did stop, when I realised I had got to chapter two) and I took it home, reading it on the train, in bed last night and I finished it this morning…when I should have been sorting out the kitchen…

This is the story of a young autistic girl who makes a stand. It’s about history and the persecution of witches. Persecuted for being different. It’s about bullying and friendship, families and sisters. Oh – sisters. There is something wild about having a sister…

It’s about being different… How we don’t know, unless we take the time to find out, to ask, exactly why someone might be behaving the way they are – how they are different. What we can do to help. It’s about how small things can grow into terrible actions as well as into beauty.

Everyone should read this.

I will not let people use my difference, as a stick to beat me with.

Book Review: Demelza & the Spectre Detectors / Holly Rivers / 8 and upwards

Chicken House

Demelza is into inventing. In a big way. She can be found late at night, with a torch fine tuning her latest project, tinkering away until her grandmother hears her walking across the floor and demands she settles down. She’s being doing it for years. Then one night she is woken by weird noises. There seems to be something in her room, something live…

Demelza is not exactly the most popular girl at school – and her only real friend is a boy who is home schooled not far from her. He, though deemed delicate by his father encourages Demelza’s more wild escapades and they both set about investigating what is happening…

A fun tale of inventions, magic and the dead… I was entranced by this brilliant tale with a twist…

 

Book Review: The Highland Falcon Thief / M. G. Leonard / Sam Sedgman / 8 and upwards…

Published by Macmillan Children’s Books

NY Published: Thursday 5th March

M.G. Leonard – the author of the phenomenal Beetle Boy series has collaborated with Sam Sedgman for this new book – a proper adventure – of the old school. Just as good as Beetle Boy – but about steam trains. 

Stupendous – a crime / adventure story for all of  M.G. Leonard’s fans, but also for those out there who are ‘into’ steam trains… It is the start of a series of four books – and you really need to get on to this from the beginning.

Harrison’s adventure starts as he joins a royal train, taking its last run through Scotland, before being retired. He is the only child on the train – and initially he’s really not that interested.

All that changes as the journey progresses and a bracelet goes missing…

You can pre-order copies of this now. It’s brilliant.

 

Book Review: Frostheart / Jamie Littler / 8 and upwards

Published by Puffin Books.

Initially I was disappointed. Not by the story – which is full of adventure, bravery, excitement and friendships made (and lost) – but because of the binding. Somewhere a mistake has been made. This is a paperback with a double front cover. The outer with a hole to see through, to the second. Which can be a lovely device, however, the second ‘board’ is too thick, which means that unless careful, the spine and hinge can be damaged.

That said the essential thing is the story – and that is a rollicking piece of fantasy fiction – a place of ice, snow and lurkers…

The creatures were wet, sleek and serpentine, longer than two men, with six frost-white eyes that blinked, slightly out of order*, and gaping jaws filled with ice-sharp fangs and drool-slick tongues…’

Our hero is Ash, young, alone and a Song Weaver…

The Fira, the people Ash had been left with are so scared of signing and Song Weavers in particular that singing has been banned.

All Ash wants to do is to sing – to develop his strange powers, that might just have an affect against the lurkers. Not being allowed to sing, however, means that he doesn’t know, can’t find out…and then, after his last bout of illegal singing Alderman Kindil persuades Tobu, the mysterious yeti-outsider, to take care of him, outside of the village. Away from everyone and his friends.

A brilliant wild adventure – a book that is the start of a series…as Ash joins the Frostheart – a type of ship crossed with a sleigh in the hope of finding his parents…

This is the book of the month for October. Visit Waterstones Finchley Road O2 – and I will ensure you will benefit from this promotion…

*I thought that was a lovely touch…blinking slightly out of order is even better than blinking out of order…wonderful.

Oh – I forgot – the book is illustrated throughout – superbly…

 

 

Book Review: The Dead World of Lanthorne Ghules / Gerald Killingworth / 8 upwards

Published by Pushkin Press.

Two headed creatures with long investigating tongues…

The tongues explored Edwin’s legs slowly and carefully, peeling themselves away after each touch. They moved up to the hollows at the backs of his knees and then curled themselves around each knee, squeezing it tightly.

A baby kidnapped in the depths of the night.

A jealous sibling, furious and hurt.

Diets of raw and over-ripe food…

A dim world with little colour. Apart from shades of grey.

A people who have a taste for the unusual…especially at times of celebration…

This is a gloriously Gothic, but fun adventure.

A warning to those who think a pen-friend might be just what they want – they may get more than they bargain for.

I loved it – Edwin and Lanthorne are brilliant characters and Aunt Necra – well… I am glad she wasn’t an aunt of mine! I would love, though to have a tame snarghe – I suspect one would be a very useful addition to a household…

‘They can work things out. Good boy.’

One of the heads stopped snarling and fixed Lanthorne with an unfriendly stare.

‘ Good girl, too. Good boy and girl.’

The two heads went back to snarling…

Due to be published October 2019 – just in time for Halloween.

Place your orders now.

 

 

 

Book Review: The Land of Roar / Jenny McLachlan / 8 upwards

Published by Egmont

I think most people at some point in their lives, have dreamed about another world…some are famous and are often quoted in books – the idea of going through a wardrobe into another country…

This though is a little unusual – Arthur and Ross used to imagine another world – The Land of Roar, but they haven’t thought about it for years and it is only when they begin to clear out their grandfather’s loft that they begin to remember their imagined adventures. The old rocking horse in the corner…no a little battered and worn…and the fold-away-bed…

Or were they? Should imagination be just brushed aside, as some sort of ephemeral thing? Imagination is a very strong talent and is likely to get you into trouble as it is to get you high marks in English exams. That a whole world might be reliant on your belief, your imagination, is a little disturbing…though wonderful too.

The Land of Roar. Things are different and not for the better…

Book Review: Boot / Shane Hegarty / 6 & upwards

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Boot: Silvery-green and shaped like a light-bulb. Belly round and tough, yet soft to touch or hug. Four chunky fingers. No toes. Head an oval with a small screen along the front with colourful dots that flow together to make a face. Boot is a robot.

This is a lovely positive tale about a robot who has, it seems, lost his owner. He has only three memories to help him find her, and those aren’t exactly the most detailed or helpful. Whilst obviously a story of friendship and determination, with a brilliant villain in the piece, it also touches on memory loss and dementia, but without that taking over the book. On the way to finding his young owner Boot meets various other robots, some of whom have taken refuge in a fun-fair…

This is lovely – a great story about why we hold on to things and what is important.

Shane Hegarty is also the author of the Darkmouth series for older readers.