The Bird Singers - Eve Wersocki Morris

 

Layah and Izzy are spending the summer in the Lake District with their mother, whilst their father is away for work (again). Staying in Rook Cottage which is owned by one of their mum's old college friends, Henry Westwood, the girls aren't looking forward to the summer and intend to take solace by working their way through the cake and scone menus of all the local coffee shops.  However, sinister things start to happen, and Layah is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on.  Why is their mum suddenly behaving so strangely?  Where are the unusual feathers coming from? And what is the link between everything?

Over recent years, Eve has sent me many books to review so being able to review her first novel feels like a real privilege and I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I found it difficult to believe that The Bird Singers was Eve's first novel! The plot grips from the beginning and instantly creates tension and anticipation which contrasts perfectly against the time of year and the lazy lanes of the village.  The lure of the plot is thoroughly engaging and the drip of information is tantalising and utterly gripping!  

The addition of a sub-plot, woven in throughout the main story, and identifiable by the slightly greyer pages and italic writing, only adds to the mystery and darkness that oozes from the pages and means you are constantly trying to decide how the two plots are connected.

Strong characters (I love Layah's determination and completely connect with Izzy's bookishness!), polish heritage, mythology, family, food (I craved scones whilst reading this!) and bravery shine through in this stunningly captivating debut novel which is guaranteed to be a huge hit with it is released in February - it will definitely be on my recommendations display in Waterstones Newcastle!

The Bird Singers is a beautifully woven story and I couldn't put it down.

Loki A Bad God's Guide To Being Good - Louie Stowell

 

Loki has been a bad god one too many times so Odin has banished him to Earth to live as an eleven year old boy in order to learn how he should behave.  The instructions are simple: go to school, do good deeds and learn how to put up with Thor who has also been sent down to Earth as an eleven year old.  Along with their fake parents (Heimdall and Hyrrokkin), they have to live on Earth for a month without telling anyone who they really are.  During this time, Loki needs to keep a daily diary to prove that he is improving; however, the diary is intelligent so knows when Loki is lying about his day and corrects his entries (much to his annoyance!).  He will gain points for every good deed but will loose points for anything bad; his starting score is -3000 with a target of +3000. At the end of the month Odin will read Loki's diary and decide his fate: return home or be condemned to eternal torture!  

This was a brilliant read and just what I needed! It's funny and clever, and hugely appealing to children (and child-like adults!). The diary format, with the illustrations makes the book accessible to even the most reluctant reader, and Loki's sarcasm and observations about life on Earth as a child, make the book engaging and highly entertaining. 

Loki, as the god of mischief, is determined to rebel against his fate: he can't stand being in such a wimpy body, he doesn't see the point of school and certainly doesn't understand the need to be nice to others.  Yet, there is another side to him, one he needs to access if he is to avoid eternal damnation; he just needs to be able to access it. Can he be the hero he needs to be?

A fab introduction to mythology, Loki A Bad God's Guide To Being Good is Who Let The Gods Out meets Wimpy Kid and will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Marvel.  A guaranteed hit when it's published in February, I just hope there is more to come!

The Forgotten Crown - James Haddell

 

The Forgotten Crown is the much anticipated second novel from James Haddell and the second in the Tales of Truth and Treasure series. 

After the exciting ending to The Lost Child's Quest, Tia is keen to try to uncover more of the secrets about her past. Through her investigations, she discovers more of why she was left on the steps of an orphanage as a baby, but will this lead to more questions?

Starting in London, The Forgotten Crown takes you straight to the action and Tia and her sister, Megan, realise they are not alone in their quest for clues... and these treasure hunters will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. 

Stormhaven Castle, where the Trevelyans live, is still the main setting for the family but the endeavours in The Forgotten Crown take them out and about and it is Tia and Megan who take the lead this time, with Pasco staying at home.  The vivid settings within the castle as well as the Tower of London and Glastonbury Abbey create an atmospheric and immersive read. 

The pace is fast from the start and you will be gripped as the perilous plot unfolds, with the Legend of King Arthur coming to the fore. There is just one problem: the end leaves you desperately wanting more!

When The War Came Home - Lesley Parr

 

World War I is over but the after-effects are still evident and when Natty moves to a new village, she meets two young men who are still adjusting to post-war life. Huw is finding it difficult to forget what he has seen and heard, whilst Johnny has been left with no memory of his past.  As she settles in to her new life and tries to unravel a mystery, Natty learns how to fight for what she believes in. 

Set in a small Welsh village where everyone knows everybody else, When The War Came Home is full of a host of wonderful characters. Nerys is feisty, head-strong and determined to get what she wants but often rushes in with words before thinking.  She always means well but needs to take a moment.

Natty is understandably upset at having to leave her home and that her mum has lost her job whilst trying to support one of her colleagues.  She doesn't want to be living with family she's never met so is resentful, especially of her mum.  She's quieter than Nerys but it's this and her ability to listen and not judge which serves her well with Huw and Johnny who are both suffering in different ways - she cares about them both.

I read When The War Came Home just before Remembrance Sunday (apologies for the delay in the review: COIVD hit and took its time to leave) and it was a timely reminder that war being over doesn't mean that soldiers are no longer suffering.  DTSD and grief are experienced by so many soldiers and this book looks at the issues sensitively, whilst also weaving poverty into the plot (something many families experienced after both world wars). 

As with The Valley of Lost Secrets, When The War Came Home is a beautifully and sensitively written book that will draw you in from the very first page. With family, friendship and resilience at the forefront of this post-war novel, I guarantee that this will be an other hit for Lesley.

Due for release on the 6th January, When The War Comes Home is the post-Christmas hug you need.

Sisters of the Lost Marsh - Lucy Strange

 

Milla lives on the farm with her 5 sisters, their Dadder and their Grammy. Life is tough and the sisters live in fear of their father who believes that the family are cursed. Grace, Milla's oldest sister is set to be married off but, when the Full Moon Fayre comes to town and Grace's fortune is told, she vanishes, leaving the family in turmoil. It's up to Milla to bring the family back together; something which entails her making a long and sometime dangerous journey in search of answers. 

Set during a time when women were trialled for being witches, daily life is clearly tough. All 6 sisters sleep in one room and take it in turns to have the scratchy blanket. It is their Grammy who provides the love, stability and strength whilst their father spends much of his time drinking and threatening them. The arrival of the fayre provides a stark contrast and the heady mix of crowds, stalls and mysterious acts is a far cry from the girls' usual routine. Then, of course, there is Milla's journey which takes her to some dark and sinister places. 

The book is dominated by strong female characters, lead by Grammy whose fierce love of her girls guides them. She has an inner strength that is powerful to read and which is clearly borne out of the love she has for her girls. I think that it is this that gives the girls their strength.  They live in a time when superstition dominates and girls are oppressed, but Milla is strong and won't give up on her sister. She is determined to do everything she can to find her. However, it is Darcey who I believe is one of the strongest of the girls: despite all her father's actions (I won't spoil things), she knows herself and isn't afraid to be herself - I had huge amounts of admiration for her (and for Grammy too).

I have loved all of Lucy's books so being sent a copy of this by Chicken House was a huge thrill. I'm sure that authors must get nervous when a new book is released into the wild, but with Sisters of the Lost Marsh (as with all of her other books), Lucy has absolutely nothing to fear!  Quite the opposite in fact!  This is a triumph of a book. Dark and sinister, this is a powerful story of family, magic and myth that combines vivid story-telling with strong and engaging characters (I have to mention Flint!). You will quickly find yourself lost in this story ... just make sure you don't get lost in the marshes!

Sisters of the Lost Marsh is available to buy now and is perfect for curling up with on these dark, wintery nights. 

Vi Spy Never Say Whatever Again - Maz Evans

 

Vi is back (woo hoo!) and is studying at Rimmington Hall but she isn't doing very well, and unless things improve, she runs the risk of being thrown out at the end of the year (this is made worse by the fact that Russell is doing exceptionally well).  Vi decides that she has no other choice but to try to successfully track down Umbra and finally reveal who Umbra is. But can she do what she couldn't do in book 1?  Will Umbra's identity be revealed? Will Vi succeed at Rimmington Hall? Will Easter and Robert ever be able to be together without fighting?  You'll just have to read the book to find out!

Vi Spy Licence To Chill is a brilliant book and proved incredibly popular in school during lockdown 2 where I read it during our daily live whole-school story-time. The characters were wonderful and I relished the variety of accents I was able to use whilst reading (although I'm not certain how successful they were or how well they went down with the children!) so I was very excited to see the return of some of my favourite characters (cue my breathy Joanna Lumley impersonation for Siren!) as well as the introduction of some new ones (Missy Fit made me giggle but I would hate to be Janet!).  Vi is just as feisty and determined as she was in Licence to Chill. We see that from the very beginning of the book and it continues throughout with varying degrees of success. She thinks she always knows best ... but does she?

Maz Evans is a master of comedy and she's absolutely done it again with Never Say Whatever Again, and you will find yourself laughing out loud throughout.  However, what Maz also does brilliantly, is to weave serious issues into her plots in a way that children will find relatable, will understand and will help them to process things that may be going on in their own lives. Once again, divorce and the issues that can surround new families are seamlessly interwoven into the humour and you will go from crying with laughter to shedding a quiet tear and wanting to hug the characters the next minute. I've said it before, but anybody who can write like that, deserves all the awards in my eyes.

Action-packed, fast-paced and laugh-out-loud funny, with an ending that will leave you immediately wanting to get your hands on book 3 (even though I don't think it's actually been fully written yet!) so you can see how the series ends, Vi Spy Never Say Whatever Again has already caused huge excitement in school (there was actual screaming!) and one girl politely asked me every day after if I had finished it so that she could read it! (She read it in under 24 hours once she got her hands on it!). Due for release in February 2022, I guarantee that this will be as big a hit as book 1, but don't take my word for it; the reviews have already started coming in from school:

'I think this was an amazing book!  I loved how there was a plot twist at the end.  It was incredible and I can't wait for the next one.'

‘I haven’t read many books that are better than this, if any!’

Let's Get Festive - 12 Days of Christmas Blog TOur

It's my turn today to celebrate everything festive in children's literature so, on the 9th day of the Let's Get Festive blog tour, I am sharing one of my favourite Christmas books, Tinsel.

 'It's the tiny, ordinary things that snowball to make life truly magical.'

Blanche Clause is living on the streets of Victorian London and hates Christmas: she's alone and spends the day counting down the seconds until it's over.  But then a stranger gives her a red Christmas bauble, her first ever Christmas present, telling her: 'Never underestimate the gifts you are given.  What you see inside might surprise you.'  Shortly after that, she meets a young girl called Rinki who is thrilled to have found somebody she can call a friend and their friendship becomes something that will change the world forever.  Determined to have her own sleigh and to deliver a present to every child in the world, Tinsel, is the story of how Santa and the Christmas traditions we know and love today came to be.

Ok, so, disclaimer: I love Christmas!  I put the tree up at the beginning of December, play Christmas songs at full volume and will happily read any book to do with Christmas at any point in the year, so I was very much looking forward to diving into Tinsel and starting the festivities early this year (goodness knows, we need it!).  And oh boy, what a book this is!  From learning about the elves to discovering how Santa met Rudolf; from the creation of Tinsel to why Santa dresses in the red suit and beard, this book puts a rather wonderfully feminist twist on things that just make complete and utter sense when you read them!  And as for Santa ... well, I should have known: we women always do have the best ideas!!!

Blanche is a wonderful character, full of spirit and determination, and somebody who knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid of hard work in order to get there.  She's prepared to take chances and is a wonderfully feminist protagonist who will inspire girls and make them want to go out and change the world.

To be fair, this book is full of wonderful characters: Rinki is a delight and full of positivity; Teddy is following his own dreams of creating costumes and being his true self; Cook is everything you could want and a little bit more (Brussel sprout brew anyone?!) , and as for Mr Krampus - well he's just the bad guy you're going to enjoy! OOOh, and I have to mention the Carols and, most of all Eggnog, who is quite possibly the best Christmas tree in the whole history of Christmas!

I read Tinsel to my class last year and was then thrilled that, during an outdoor activity day, whilst groups were collecting bits of wood, the cry of 'Jolly holly!' went out from one of the boys and, before long, the entire class were using it to communicate with each other! It was magical and truly shows the power of a good book.

From mince pie picnics (yes, they are a thing and I desperately want it to snow so I can enjoy one!) to climbing up and down chimneys, this book oozes festive spirit, is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face, make you laugh and leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.  Full of magic, Tinsel is like a hug in paper format, a cosy blanket you'll want to wrap yourself in and is an absolute must read over the festive season!

Don't forget to join the rest of the tour and check-out everybody else's festive recommendations.