Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon - Nick Tomlinson

The sequel to The Ghouls of Howlfair is a book I have been anticipating for just over a year so it was with great delight that I opened Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon last week and moved it straight to the top of my TBR pile!

Molly is back and she is all too aware that her mum is struggling to keep the Excelsior B&B afloat so, when when journalists from Country Wonders magazine arrive in Howlfair to write a piece that could paint the town(and the Excelsior) in a better light and attract more business, Molly feels she has no choice but to help them; however, the journalists, Lucinda and Orson Corches, aren't quite what Molly was expecting.  They unnerve Molly and seem to be obsessed with the legend of The Silentman - a legend that could bring about the end of the town if the hidden crypt is ever opened.

Just perfect for this time of year, the book starts with a night time visit to the local infirmary by Death, involves several ghouls and ghosts, dips into some Indiana Jones-esque scenes, spends time in eerie graveyards in the middle of the night and concludes in rather dramatic fashion!  What more could you want from a book as the darker nights descend and Halloween approaches?

It was great to be reunited with the old gang: Molly is as feisty as ever but is clearly carrying the weight of her mom's worries on her shoulders which is why she ends up embroiled in the Corches' bidding.  Her desperation to save her home and her mum's business, as well as the memory of her father, is clearly at the forefront of her mind with everything she does (thankfully as, without that, I fear we would not have had the book!).  Her friends Lowry and Felicity, have also returned and their differing characters are great to read (particularly Lowry's who does make me chuckle!).  And then there's Carl, seen less than the others but still with an integral part to play; thank goodness he's around!  And, of course, I have to mention Lucinda and Orson Corches who are deliciously devilish and characters you will absolutely love to hate, particularly Lucinda (I'm picturing a mixture of The High Witch from the Roald Dahl film and Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada).

The plot builds steadily from the very beginning of the book, with twists along the way that will keep you on your toes and culminates in an edge of your seat finale that will leave you wanting more!  With family and friendship very much at the heart of this book, Molly Thompson and the Crypt of the Blue Moon is definitely a book to curl up with this autumn.

Zombierella: Fairytales Gone Bad - Joseph Coelho

Having read a sampler of this, I was very excited when the full book landed on the door mat and, by goodness, I wasn't disappointed!

The first thing you notice are the wonderful illustrations throughout the book that Freya Hartas has so lovingly created (please remember to lift the flaps on both covers to reveal even more art work).

And then you begin reading and The Librarian draws you in with his knowledge of all sorts of books, and this begins to give you a taster of what's to come when you hear about what happens to old, unread and unloved books - they go bad, which is what has happened here, and we discover that the tale we know as Cinderella has actually become ZOMBIERELLA! But we are warned that as the librarian began to read this version, he began to change!  It is then that the story of ZOMBIERELLA begins to unfold on the pages.

Told in verse, the tale closely follows the original Cinderella tale but with some oh so deliciously creepy and frighteningly funny twists! As we are swept along with the tale, we encounter an old abandoned mansion, a prince who isn't quite what he may seem, the three FAKE sisters and a FAKE mother, not to mention Death in many different guises (I won't spoil things for you!) and, of course, we find out just exactly how Cinderella becomes ZOMBIERELLA!

This is the sort of book that I think so many children will relish and devour for many, many reasons.  The darkness of the plot and the creepiness of the tale is something that children love to dive into.  They're familiar with the traditional tale but this is a new twist that will capture their imaginations and get them thinking about so many other tales that could receive the same 'gone bad' treatment (teacher hat on here: I can see some wonderful discussions and creative writing being inspired by this book!).

It would be incredibly remiss of me not to mention the vocabulary and the description that has been woven into every part of this book (again, my teacher hat is firmly on here!).  There is a richness that oozes out of the pages from the vocabulary as well as the figurative language, and it is just a joy to read.  It most definitely gives the story an extra quality and allows your imagination to devour the story in a way it may not otherwise be able to.  It's a story that I will definitely be reading in school, both as a reading for pleasure book as well as a book that I can use in various lessons.

ZOMBIERELLA is a feast for the senses in a plethora of ways: the visual aspect is a joy to behold on its own; the story is a new and welcome twist on a tale that I have always loved; the language oozes out of the pages and the deliciously dark and gory nature is a frighteningly pleasurable experience that I want to revisit again and again!

I know, through Tiwtter, that Joseph is already writing the next Fairy Tale Gone Bad and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Zombierella is perfect for this time of year, as the evenings draw in, the curtains are being closed once again, the lights are turned on; there's a chill in the air and Halloween is just around the corner and I urge you to go out and buy a copy - you won't be disappointed!

Sona Sharma Very Best Big Sister - Chita Soundar

This is a wonderful story about Sona and her family who are preparing for the birth of their next child. Sona has enjoyed being the only child in the family and clearly doesn’t want to share them with a new sibling. The story follows Sona on her journey and shows us what happens once the baby is born, including coming up with the perfect name for the baby.

Set in India, Sona’s house is clearly a busy and happy one, full of chatter and laughter. As well as her parents (Amma and Appa), she also lives with her grandparents (Thatha and Patti), with her other grandmother (The President) living just down the road. The book is full of culture and tradition (showing how they are preparing for the imminent birth) which I really enjoyed reading about. It’s a wonderful way to introduce younger children to different cultures as well as helping them get used to the changes that are to come.

The family are very gentle with Sona, sharing every stage of the preparations with her. It was also good to see Sona’s reluctance to accept what was about to happen as I suspect that this is something many children go through - it will help them to understand that thy are not alone in these feelings. 

I also loved the fact that Sona’s companion was a cuddly elephant named Elephant that spoke to her. I liked the interaction between the two as it allowed the reader to understand her thoughts but I loved it more for the fact that my son had a cuddly elephant named Elephant when he was young who went everywhere but school with him! It brought back many happy memories!

I also cannot fail to mention the illustrations by Jen Khatun, which help bring the characters and the setting to life and add a wonderful visual element to the story.  The glossary of terminology at the end of the book is also incredibly useful as it will not only help children to fully understand the story but will also introduce them to vocabulary in Hindu culture.

This is a brilliant read for younger children, either alone or as a shared read with parents who are preparing for the arrival of a new baby.

 

The Night Bus Hero - Onjali Q Rauf

Hector spends most of his life getting into trouble, both at home and at school; in fact, it's safe to say that he's a bully, and the worst kind - he terrorises children for their sweets and money, he's rude to his nanny and he doesn't care about how others feel about the way he treats them.  But then, when Hector tries to move a homeless man from his bench in the park, things go wrong and suddenly Hector is worried about the consequences.  At the same time, life for the homeless people of London is taking a turn for the worst as parts of famous monuments are being stolen and the homeless are being blamed.  But then Hector sees the homeless man from the park involved in a theft and reports it.  But is he sure that he has the right person?  What if he's wrong?

Having thoroughly enjoyed Onjali's previous books, The Boy at the Back of the Class & The Star Outside My Window, I was very excited to receive a proof copy of The Night Bus Hero and I most certainly wasn't disappointed.  Onjali has a knack of writing books that tackle serious issues in an age appropriate and sensitive way, and she's done it again with this book.  Told from the point of view of Hector, this book gives a real insight into what it's like to be a bully.  We generally see books written from the point of view of the victims, yet we rarely see how the bully is feeling and Onjali allows us to both dislike and then begin to like Hector as the story progresses.  He learns that his actions have consequences and also that the homeless are still people with lives, feelings and a past - something he clearly hadn't thought about (Thomas and Catwoman are wonderful characters).  We see him struggle to negotiate friendships and also his desire to tell the truth.  

Kindness, looking beyond first impressions, friendship & family are all explored within this wonderfully written book that readers will not be able to put down.  A great book that will help readers to see that there is always more to people than we may first see.

 

The Invasion of Crooked Oak - Dan Smith

 

It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Dan’s books (as are many of the children at school), and I’ve been patiently waiting for the release of The Invasion of Crooked Oak for a long time, so it was with much excitement that I opened the parcel from Barrington Stoke the other day.

Something very strange is happening at Crooked Oak and it all seems to have started with Nancy who noticed that her parents had been acting strangely since the local fracking site, where her mum worked, closed. At first, Nancy’s friends, Pete and Krish, don’t believe her when she tells them but after a visit to her home, their minds are changed. Determined to get to the bottom of exactly what’s going on, the friends decide to visit the fracking site ... at night, but what they discover leaves them in shock. They have to act quickly, but can they sort things out before the parents of everyone in school meet that same evening?

I loved everything about this book! It’s fast-paced, will have you utterly gripped, it’s scary enough to have you hiding behind your teddy at times and its zombie-esque/sci-if/horror theme is just perfect for this time of year: the nights are drawing in, Halloween is coming and you just know that children will gobble up this story.  Add to that, the atmospheric illustrations by Chris King, and the fact that Dan manages to cram all of this into just 97 pages, wrapped up in Barrington Stoke’s brilliant style, this has major hit written all over it and I can’t wait to share it with the children next week when we’re back at school.

My Life As A Cat - Charlie Sorosiak

Leonard is an alien who, like every other member of his hive community, is allowed to spend one month in Earth when they turn 300 years old as whatever creature they would like to be. Leonard has chosen to be a ranger at Yellowstone Park; however, on his way down to Earth, something goes wrong and he ends up as a cat. Rescued by Olive, this is the story of Leonard’s time in Earth.

This is a simply delightful book, full of warmth, charm and humour. I love the attention to the way Leonard perceived things and also the distinction he makes between memories and the emotions linked to them.  The fact that Leonard narrates the book also helps the reader to fully understand everything he is going through and you can’t help but fall in love with him.

Olive is clearly in need of a friend and Leonard fits the role perfectly; she doesn’t feel she fits in, she enjoys wearing overalls as there’s plenty of storage space, and she has a love of animals. She is struggling at the beginning of the book, staying with Norma, her paternal grandma, whilst her mum spends the summer with her partner.  Norma and Olive haven’t spent much time with each other so are really just getting to know each other, so the Leonard’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time for her. 

Relationships are key within the book - Olive wouldn’t be where she was if it weren’t  for her mum’s relationship with her partner; the relationship between Olive and Leonard is so rich, warm and funny and clearly helps Olive to develop her relationship with her grandma (as well as as well as accept herself for who she is), and let’s not forget that the friendship that builds between the two main characters helps Leonard to do what he always wanted to: to truly understand what it is like to be human.

My Life As A Cat is full of love, loyalty and learning to live in the moment and I defy you not to be filled with a warm glow once you’ve finished reading it.

When Life Gives You Mangoes - Kereen Geteen

12 year old Clara lives in Sycamore and is spending the long days of summer playing with her friends, including her best friend Gaynah. The story follows Clara through these days, introducing you to life in Sycamore; however, all the time, you are aware that something has happened that has changed Clara but she is having trouble with her memory and cannot remember what occurred.

Set in Jamaica, the backdrop is that of glorious sunshine, sandy beaches and small-town life on the island; however, you also get a glimpse of the effects of a tropical storm and I feel that the contrasts in weather reflect Clara and her varying emotions: she is clearly a young girl with a lot of anger and she really isn’t sure why, or how to control it.

Towards the end of the book there is a twist in the story that made me gasp and I defy anybody to say they predicted it - I know I didn’t! It helps to explain everything g and draws you even further into the plot.

Friendship and community are at the heart of this novel, but there is also a strong message about accepting yourself and letting go of the past. It portrays Clara and her struggles so well and with such compassion (using the first person narration certainly helps with this).

There’s a real warmth to this book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Pages & Co Tilly and the Map of Stories - Anna James

                  ‘Seek happy nights to happy days ... and good ends to good books.’

Tilly and Oskar are back and are heading to Washington to try and stop Decima and Melville Underwood from preventing children from book wandering forever.  To do this, they must follow a set of clues which they believe form a map that will help them find the Archivists.

I have absolutely loved the Pages & Co books so was absolutely thrilled to get my hands on the third of the series before its release.

Tilly is a bold and brave character who is fiercely determined to do the right thing - I think she’s amazing and a character so many children will aspire to be like. I have to admit that I am very envious of her book wandering ability (especially in this book and knowing the people she meets!) and would love to have her skills! Tilly is half fictional and this is something the Underwoods are desperately keen to get hold of - they are determined to get their own way but Tilly, Oskar and Tilly’s mum have other ideas.  Tilly always gets upset when people treat her as a child and this is reflected in Anna’s writing: there is so much respect for the reader reflected in the writing; she treats her audience as equals, regardless of their age.

With Oskar, Tilly ventures on her most dangerous journey yet which will mean they encounter some of literature’s most famous authors ... with the most wonderful results.  From the first book, Anna has created stories that are vivid and full of the most amazing characters - both those she created for this series and those we already know from other books that who pop up.

This book takes the action and suspense up a notch and readers will be completely gripped by the plot and the vivid worlds that Anna creates - I know I was!