Bank Holiday Reading

The Eye of the North - Sinéad O'Hart

The book begins in Widget Manor, the rather dangerous home (full of strange and unusual creatures) that Emmeline shares with her often absent parents.  Convinced that her parents are trying to kill her, she has spent her childhood preparing herself for every danger imaginable and never goes anywhere without her trusty satchel which is filled with equipment. It is here that Emmeline receives the news that her parents have mysteriously disappeared and are probably dead. 

And so begins the adventure: Emmeline is whisked away by boat to stay with people in Paris who have vowed to protect her; however, inevitably, she never arrives.  Instead, during the sailing, she befriends Thing, the boy with no name, who helps her when unwanted visitors raid her cabin.  She then meets Edgar and Sasha who know her parents and determine to help her to safety.  But things don't go according to plan and Emmeline is kidnapped by Doctor Bauer who is on his own journey to the ice fields of Greenland where he plans to summon, from the depths of the ice, the mystical kraken which is said to be so powerful that whoever controls it, will control the world.  He's not alone in this quest, as we soon discover that The North Witch also has designs on releasing the kraken, craving the immortality that this will bring.  

Will Emmeline and Thing remain safe?  Will they be able to halt Doctor Bauer and The North Witch?  Will they ever discover what happened to Emmeline's parents or will the kraken be awakened, changing the world as we know it?

O's opinion:

I liked the fact that Emmeline was brave enough to go on a ship on her own and do all of the things she does at the age that she is. I would never be able to accomplish what she has in this book. Thing was my favourite character because he is very adventurous and he helps Emmeline through a lot of tricky situations in the story as it goes on. He journeys to try to save her from the Dr and he meets a lot of brave people along the way. Thing is very inspirational for me as he can do all sorts of brave acts and he still has problems of his own that he has to sort out. That makes him a hero to me. I like the fact that the narrative kept switching from Emmeline to Thing in chapters and that created a lot of suspense for me in a lot of different places.

K's opinion:

'For as long as she could remember, Emmeline Widget had been sure her parents were trying to kill her.'

One of the best opening lines I've read!  Such a gripping start and the action never abates.  Emmeline is a strong, independent girl (she has to be as her parents have been absent for large parts of her young life) and I love the strength of her personality and the determination she possesses in everything she does in the book.  This really is an action-packed book with many a twist and turn along the way - be warned though, if, like me, you tend to read to the end of the chapter and then vow to stop/go to bed/go to work or school, you may find this difficult, as the end of a chapter invariably leaves you desperate to know what will happen next!

I enjoyed this book so much, I used chapter one with my class and devised comprehension questions for them to answer!  They loved it and are now queuing up to find out what happens to Emmeline!

After reading the book, I was surprised to discover that this is Sinéad O'Hart's first novel. If this is what she produces as a first book, I can't wait to see what comes next.  O is adamant there should be a sequel...

More of Emmeline and Thing's adventures ... it's a yes please from us!

Robins and Crows

Robins and Crows.

O and I are always thrilled to meet authors and are rather proud of the growing collection of signed books that adorn our shelves at home. And this week was no exception, in fact, I’d go as far as to say it was a highlight as Robin Stevens joined us in school on Friday afternoon.  There had been much excitement in the build up to the afternoon and it's fair to say that the children were giddy at the prospect of meeting their favourite murder-mystery writer. As  we entered the dinner hall for lunch, there was actual shrieking and what can only be described as pop-star style fan moments.  Robin took this in her stride and spent time before her talk with the students, enthralled everybody in school with her presentation and then her stamina knew no bounds during a mammoth 1 and 1/2 hour signing session which saw 2/3 of the school bring books (on many occasions piles of them) to her table.  It was a truly memorable afternoon and a wonderful way to end the week.  Late room was littered with children reading Robin Stevens books and next week will no doubt see classes filled with her exciting novels. 

Our first blog was dedicated to A Spoonful of Murder; however, we couldn't not mentioned the Murder Most Unladylike series in this post ... we both agree that they are exciting books with action-packed plots and are never the easiest 'who dun its' to guess (which we like!). Most of all, though, we love Daisy and Hazel for their daring, their friendship and their differences. We can't wait to see what happens next!

From robins to crows ...

Our book for this week is Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan 
Crow by Jessica Townsend.

Morrigan Crow is a girl who believes she's cursed (as does everybody else in Jackalfax who blame her for everything) and she also knows exactly when she is going to die: on her eleventh birthday.  Jupiter North, however, has different ideas and, as the clock strikes midnight, he arrives to whisk her away to Nevermoor - a secret city where magic abounds.  Through Jupiter, she is invited to take part in trials to join the Wundrous Society. There are four trials in total, all of which seem impossible to Morrigan who needs to use an exceptional talent to pass them - something she doesn't believe she has. How many trials will she manage?  Will she discover her talent? Who is the Wundersmith?

K's opinion: 
Without a doubt, this a feel good book with magic and strange events around every corner.  Even as an adult, I was desperate to delve into Nevermoor: to visit the Hotel Deucalion and stay in one of its rooms to discover how it would change for me and to travel by umbrella!  

Morrigan is a great character and I particularly like the contrast between her (her black clothes, her pessimism and her self-doubt) and Jupiter (his colourful outfits and his optimism).  This is a book that allows you to escape into a world that is partly reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and also has a feel of Harry Potter about it.  

O's opinion: I loved the language used to describe the surroundings and the characters. Watching them delve into adventure filled me with anticipation for what would go wrong. It always turned out that I was wrong and they got into trouble and sorted it out. I loved how Morrigan usually had a lot of time to herself as Jupiter had other stuff to do. It ended up with her being told off and getting into a mess. This is why I loved the book.

It's a wonderful book that will be enjoyed by many so "Step boldly" into the Nevermoor and get lost in its pages.

Mum's the word.

Mum's the word!

What a week it's been for females!  With International Women's

Day on Thursday and Mothers' Day today (in the UK at least), it seemed only fitting that this week’s blog has a female focus to it.

As a girl, I loved to read (no surprise really!) and I can think of several books with strong female characters that helped me when I was growing up, however, What Katy Did (Susan M. Coolidge) and Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) were by far my favourites, were frequently reread and are books I regularly recommend to my class today.  In fact, the latter was the first book that made me cry (but not the last I hasten to add!).

O and I had originally decided that this week we should review different books with the theme of the strong, female character and I was mulling over what to choose (for we really are spoilt for choice these days) when O brought me in my Mothers' Day present ... it turns out he had dragged his father to Waterstone's in Newcastle yesterday and bought me books (he knows me so very well), one of which was Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girsl 2!  My search was over ... and, it turns out, so was his as he has decided to add his comments on his choice of book for me!

K's review of Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2.

Like the first one, this is a beautifully presented book which is dedicated to telling the world all about the wonderful girls and women who have gone about doing life-changing things in their lives.  Everybody has a double page spread, with one side containing an illustration whilst the other page tells the tale, each one told simply and clearly and it is this that I like the most. There's no need for elaborate retellings for what each of these women/girls has done is amazing in its own right. The power comes from their actions and that comes across in every page of this collection.  

I know that the first book was popular in schools across the country and that this one will be equally as popular - my copy will take pride of place on my desk first thing tomorrow morning - however, like the last one, I’ll be encouraging the boys to read this as well (O and I have already curled up together with it this morning) for there are lessons for everybody to learn from these stories:

It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from or what sex you are ... what does matter is that you believe in yourself and your dreams.

O's Opinion on Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2.

I chose this book because I think my mum is a strong woman who dares to be different. I know she bought Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls for my cousin for her birthday, having previously read and loved the copy she'd bought for school. I thought she would enjoy this one as a gift for Mother's Day. 

The illustrations go very well with the descriptions of the lives of these women and I loved the fact that women from all kinds of time periods are in this book.  I haven't read all of the stories yet, however, my favourite so far is Billie Jean King because she was told she couldn't play tennis by Bobby Riggs as he said, "A woman's place is in the kitchen, not on the tennis court." She played a match against him (known as the Battle of the Sexes) and beat him in straight sets! I find this very inspirational because she didn't give up trying to do the thing she loved and proved that she was just as good as a man.

We're now heading back to curl up and finish the book but not before mentioning that Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different is due to be released next month and we'll be the first in the queue to buy it!

Brilliant Books For Blizardy Weather.

Brilliant Books For Blizardy Weather.

What a week! The Beast from the East has had us well and truly in his icy grasp whilst storm Emma has also made her presence known; it's certainly been a fun-filled time with inches of snow falling, causing havoc everywhere we turn. In fact, it's now Sunday morning and, as we sit typing this, it's snowing again!

There seemed no question, therefore, as to the books we chose to review this week:

Sky Song - Abi Elphinstone

Set in the kingdom of Erkenwald, amongst icebergs, the Nevercliffs and in the shadow of Winterfang Palace, we find Eska trapped in a music box, held captive by the evil Ice Queen whose sole aim is to become immortal and to rule the lands.  Eska is a feisty and determined character who manages to escape the music box (with the help of Flint) and then sets out to try to defeat the Ice Queen and to free all the tribe-members imprisoned within Winterfang Palace. With Eska's determination and Flint's magical inventions, they embark on the adventure of their life-time ... but can they succeed or will the Ice Queen steal all the voices (including Eska's most powerful voice) before the midnight sun rises?

K's opinion: I have to admit that I was a little tentative when I began reading this as I'm not a huge fan of books set in mythical lands; however, I have had my opinion well and truly changed by this book!  This is a beautifully written novel which uses vocabulary so wonderfully to paint its pictures that I found myself quickly drawn into the plot and to rooting for Eska and for Flint and his sister.  This is a novel about belonging - Eska has no memories of her past when Flint rescues her from the music box and, in a world where tribes are everything, she is desperate to find herself and her tribe; however, she quickly discovers that tribes come in all shapes and sizes and that belonging can mean so many different things. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, especially as I finished it whilst the snow fell this week. I also love the fact that the main character is an independent female.

Favourite lines in the book: 
" 'I don't think you have to fight with weapons to be a warrior,' Eska whispered, 'You could fight with love and tears and inventions instead.' "

" 'I think gentleness is a mighty word because you have to be strong of heart to be kind.' "

They sum up the book for us and are lessons we could all do with learning.

O's opinion:  The characters made this book come to life for me. Eska's inability to remember anything about her past made her an interesting character. Flint was my favourite character as he is very adventurous and he showed me that I am allowed to be different to everyone else around me. 
This book was amazing to read and I would read it again and again.
I would recommend this book to children aged 9-13, in particular fans of books like The Hobbit.
I'm looking forward to Abi Elphinstone's next book.

Below Zero - Dan Smith.

12 year old Zak Reeves and his family have travelled to Outpost Zero (a station in Antarctica, for eight families who are training for life on Mars); their St Lucia holiday dramatically cut short so that his parents can fix a problem with the spider drones they invented.  It's supposed to be a quick visit before heading back home so that Zak can start treatment for his brain tumour.  Nothing is supposed to go wrong ... but then they crash land on arrival, all the lights are out and not a soul is to be found. From the second they arrive, they realise something is wrong, very wrong, and it quickly falls to Zak and his strange visions to discover what's happening, what is hiding below the ice, where everybody is disappearing to and to try to save everybody in time.

K's opinion: From the very first page, this book had me gripped! It's fast paced and full of suspense and action. I often find that suspense in books comes in waves, giving the reader rest-bite in between, but not this one - and I liked that!  There are hints and clues dropped as to what is actually beneath the ice but you are kept guessing.  
As a class, we always read during afternoon registrations and that includes me as the teacher.  During one registration, whilst reading this book, I looked up to discover that none of the class were reading but, instead, were watching me gesticulate to the book in a state of panic about what was happening!  From that instant there was a queue of children desperate to get their hands on the book as soon as I was done and they have loved it too! 
A definite recommendation for Y5&6 children, I think this would appeal to more reluctant readers as well as bookworms as the action and suspense will carry them along.

O's opinion:  I loved the original idea of the story and the characters, and by 10 pages in I couldn't put the book down! The characters were so interesting in their perspective and how they conquered the challenges they faced, in particular, Zak who was determined to do his best to save everybody and not to let his brain tumour get in the way. He's not scared of dying so I think this meant that his tumour helped him try to come to the rescue. 
This story is full of adventure but scary at times. I liked the setting as being in a big empty space meant that nobody else was going to come and help. 
This book should empty the shelves in minutes. Below Zero is truly a great success!