The Neverland Thieves - Katie and Kevin Tsang

 

Tom is a patient at Great Ormond Street hospital; Felix is his best friend who continues to visit him even though Tom is grumpy with him; then there's Daisy whose mum is a doctor at the hospital.  The trio end up in the garden where magic starts to swirl, creatures from the chapel come to life and the world of Neverland is calling. With the promise of returning to the hospital by the end of the day, all three dive headfirst into an adventure where they meet mermaids and pirates; they're accused of being thieves and then have to clear their names, but to do that involves taking on a terrifying Beekeeper and his army of wax creatures.

Oh goodness, gracious me, where do I begin with this book?  It's a glorious new adventure that will whisk you away to a world of magic, hope and heart.

Tom is clearly very ill and is struggling with life in the hospital, being isolated and not fully understanding what is happening.  He's even pushing away his best friend Felix.  I love that the book gives us Tom's perspective on his illness but also shows us what it's like for Felix who is trying his best to understand what his friend is going through and to support him with this.  Then there's Daisy who is desperate to spend time in the hospital in order to become a doctor like her mum, but is actually feeling very lonely.  Although they don't know it, the three really need each other and Neverland needs them, which is why a small golden dragon and a bat are woken from the chapel in order to ensure they get there; something of course they can't do without a bit of fairy dust!

Neverland itself is a joy to revisit: whilst there are a host of new characters to get to know, it is also good to have familiarity in some aspects of this magical world (both for adults who are reading it to their children as well as hopefully encouraging a whole new generation of readers to dive into Peter Pan).  Readers will delight at the map and the illustrations that are woven through the book thanks to Kristian Kister, and will take huge amounts of joy in getting lost in the pages of this truly wonderful tale.

I could think of nobody better than Katie and Kevin to take on this incredibly special book.  To honour the brilliance of the original novel as well as paying tribute to Great Ormond Street hospital takes skill and is something the couple do effortlessly and with real warmth (although I know it will have taken much time as well as many tears and rewrites!).  Their style is one that draws you in from the beginning and makes you feel part of every step of the story.  It's a book that deserves to be savoured and is absolutely one that can be read and reread - I predict it will become a classic. 

I fear that this review is never going to do this book the justice it deserves so I'm just going to end by saying: 

Publishing on the 24th September, The Neverland Thieves is a book to pre-order, a book to savour and a book to treasure forever ... and yes, I did hug the book once I'd finished reading it!

Postman Planet The Big Stink - Ben Davis

Nicetopia, as its name suggests, is a planet full of incredibly nice and polite people, but all that changes when Dr Stankenstein dumps enormous amounts of his stink potion into their water supply.  Suddenly, everyone is farting everywhere and without the antidote being administered in 12 space hours, things could be ruined forever.  Thankfully, Postman Planet is at hand to help!

This is a wonderfully light-hearted book full of laughs and adventure that is guaranteed to get even the most reluctant young person reading.  With songs, plenty of mayhem, a host of unusual characters and fab illustrations, I know it's a book that will go down well.

I wonder what adventure awaits Postman Planet next!

How Not To Be A Pirate: The Trouble With Curses - Jenny Pearson

 

Wilbur is a rather reluctant pirate and would much rather be in the kitchen than anything else; however, he needs to pass his Level One Pirate Grading.  There's just a couple of problems: he gets seasick and he's afraid of heights!  Both are an issue when he ends up sailing stormy seas with fellow shipmates and Level One candidates Ellie and Gilbert.  With the task of hunting down the greatest treasure ever known, he will need to muster all the courage he can if he is to succeed and stop the curse that threatens to be unleashed.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Jenny's books (a quick scroll through my blog will confirm that) and she's popular in school too; with two visits and a host of books sold, I already know that How Not To Be A Pirate: The Trouble With Curses is going to be in big demand come the start of term.

Shiver me timbers, I love Wilbur! He's torn between being himself and pleasing his father, Captain Woodblack who is at pains to remind Wilbur that he has 'the blood of the world's best pirates' whenever he talks about cooking.  With skills such as spitting, climbing the rigging and sword fighting to master, things are going to be tough for him, especially as he really doesn't think he has what it takes to be a pirate.

This is such a brilliant book and a swashbuckling adventure with laughs as well as thoughtful messaged woven in (something Jenny does so well).  With Paula Bowles distinctive red and black illustrations providing the perfect accompaniment, How Not To Be A Pirate: The Trouble With Curses is the start of what I know will be a fantasticly pirateastic adventure, so grab your doubloons, then batten down the hatches and be prepared to be swept away as soon as the book publishes on the 13th August.

P.S: This would make a brilliant class read aloud novel for the start of term (especially if you enjoy doing voices!!)

Tadpole Summer - Catherine Bruton

 

Summer is on the way and Frog (whose real name is Frances) is looking forward to spending it with her younger brother, Tad, collecting tadpoles and watching them grow into frogs as they have done for the past few years; however, Frog quickly discovers that things are going to be very different this year.  She has always known that Tad is unwell but when he becomes sick and is taken to hospital, it becomes apparent that things are far more serious than she thought.  Feeling helpless and unwilling to sleep in the bedroom they share whilst he's away, Frog decides to camp in the garden until Tad returns.  But once he's home, things aren't what she expected and she may need to accept that she can't fix everything.

Catherine always writes poignant books (No Ballet Shoes In Syria; Following Frankenstein; Bird Boy) and a quick read of the blurb for Tadpole Summer told me that this was going to be an emotional read and I was right (I really like the warning at the bottom of the back cover), but even thought I knew what would be coming at the end, nothing prepared me for how I felt for Frog and her family.

Frog  is looking forward to the summer with her brother.  Although she's always known that he is sick, it's not something she has really thought about until now.  Emotions and thoughts swirl around inside her but she feels she has to be strong for everyone else.  I loved that we heard all of the thoughts she had, including the difficult negative ones.  Being the sibling of someone with a chronic or terminal illness (SMA-PME in this case) is difficult and Catherine shines a light on this well; from drifting through lessons to trying to find ways to make things better, readers will begin to understand some of what many children actually go through. I'm so pleased that Frog had her Grandad whose calm and reassuring manner felt like a hug.  With her parents concentrating their efforts on Tad, she feels left out and lonely so her grandad's presence is an important one for her.  

Tadpole Summer is a poignant book full of love, the joy of nature and the power of family.  It will absolutely stay with you long after you have finished reading it and I can highly recommend having tissues handy (I cried several times whilst reading it).

We Wait For The Stars - Bridget Hamilton

When Celest's Dad dies suddenly, she feels like everything in her life is falling apart.  With her friends not sure how to behave around her, the distance between them widens and Celeste feels increasingly alone and isolated.  But can new friends help to heal her heart or will those emotions that are being bottled up find a way to come out?  

Celeste is understandably lost following the sudden death of her father who was the heart of the family; her siblings and mum are navigating their way through their own grief and Celeste feels she has no-one to turn to, so when Katie comes along their friendship blossoms as she feels Katie gets her.  They seem to share a love of the beach and she can talk to Katie easily.  Then she meets Reuben at school who shares her love of photography, but she begins to realise that her feelings are growing for Reuben but doesn't know if he feels the same way about her. 

The book feels very honest in its portrayal of Celest's emotions and her day to day feelings; she's a very relatable character which will be important for teenagers who find themselves in the same or a similar situation.  Not only is she trying to navigate her own grief and how that grief is changing the other members of her family, she is also finding her way through her final years at school, the dilemma of what to do at university - she has a lot to cope with and feels very alone at times. 

The book is set in the north-east, in a small village on the coast where Celeste and her family have spent many happy times at the beach, and it's the beach that provides comfort to Celeste throughout the book.  Being a north-east girly myself, I loved that the book is set up here and particularly liked mention of Bamburgh and trips to see Santa in Fenwick's (that really brought back childhood memories!).  The coast is very much part of life in the north-east and I love that it plays a pivotal role of the book. 

Out now, We Wait For The Stars is a beautifully written YA in verse; poignant and touching, it is a story of grief and learning to live and love after the death of a parent.  It's a book that will reach out and grip your heart, and will stay with you long after you have finished reading. 

Goodnight Silver - Abi Elphinstone

Emmy and her family have only just arrived in Mongolia when Emmy heads to collect wood for the fire but ignores her parents' warnings to stay close and quickly becomes lost in a blizzard. In her attempt to avoid a snow storm, she shelters in a cave where she meets the rarest of creatures, a snow leopard. This one is a cub who has lost their mum. Together the lost pair head out to find their way when they come across Tuli, a boy who is desperate to help.  Before long, the pair find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime, trying to avoid hunters, find Silver's mum and find their way home. 

I have a real soft spot for Abi's books and I adore the way she writes. There is something quite magical about it and that rings completely true with Goodnight Silver.  From the start, I need to say that this is a book to be savoured. It's beautifully written and transports readers to a simply magical place.

Emmy is a pessimist by her own admission and is listing everything that could go wrong in the trip before it's even begun.  It is clear that there is something awful that has happened before they came away, something that is weighing on Emmy. She is lost and is looking for answers. Quite by accident, she ends up lost in Mongolia and has no choice but to find answers. She needs to find an inner strength and positivity that she didn't know she had.  In contrast, Tuli is very much an optimist who loves poetry and finds the joy in almost everything.  These two opposites stumble across each other and become a wonderful balance. 

I remember Abi talking when she visited school about writing stories based on maps and creating stories that follow the map. Goodnight Silver demonstrates how well Abi does this, and the map of 'somewhere in Mongolia's Mountains' is beautifully illustrated at the beginning of the book (shout out to Olivia Lomenech Gill for the illustrations) meaning that readers can track Emmy and Silver's journey. And what a journey it is!  Adventure, danger and just the right amount of suspense weave seamlessly in this perfectly crafted tale of hope, finding yourself and learning to let go. 

This is a book full of magic, wonder and utter joy; it's a book to savour (although the temptation to gobble it in one sitting will be real), and it's a book you will want to hug once you have finished reading it (yes, I shed a tear!). Goodnight Silver cements Abi's place as a master of storytelling (as if we didn't already know that).

Get ready to lose your heart to Silver and Emmy when Goodnight Silver publishes on the 27th October. 

Behind The Sky - Megan Angharad Hunter

 

16 year old Deian and seventeen year old Anest meet at a psychiatric facility.  They attend the same school but their friendship doesn't evolve until they attend a birthday party.  From then, they support each other through everything but can they also find a way to free themselves from their own burdens?

Deian and Anest are two very different teenagers: he is quiet and very unsure of himself, all he want to be is 'normal'; Anest, however, is loud and talkative but hides her emotions because she doesn't want to trouble anybody.  The one thing they have in common is that they are both struggling with their mental health.  As their friendship grows, they find it easier to support each other, without being able to always help themselves.  The friendship and support that builds between the pair is lovely to see and really showcases the fact that people struggle differently with mental health issues.

Told in dual narrative, Megan cleverly distinguishes between the two main characters in the way she writes their voices, particularly Anest's.  This is a powerful book that tackles some very tricky issues (suicide, self-harm, panic attacks) and comes with a warning at the front of the book and a list of ways people can reach out if they need help (this is definitely a book for older YA readers).  Things get very dark for both characters at times, particularly Deian, and readers need to be aware of that; however, Megan does this sensitively and in a believable way.

Publishing on the 1st October, Behind The Sky is a heart-felt, powerful YA novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it.