A Year In Books

Ok, so I've tried to come up with a list of favourite books I've read over the past year and I just can't narrow it down without feeling guilty about the authors and the books that I'm leaving out, so this year I just want to say a HUGE thank-you to the authors of the 127 books I've read in the last 12 months.  The work you do is amazing and it's an absolute pleasure to read the finished products you  pour your blood, sweat and tears into.  We most definitely live in a golden age of children's literature which makes it a joy to recommend books in school.  Please keep doing what you're all doing!

Personal highlight of the year:

My top highlight has to be being given my own display stand in the basement at Waterstones Newcastle!  It's genuinely a privilege to have been given this opportunity and I love making the choices every month.  I still get a thrill every time I walk down the stairs and see it, and a little bit of me (actually, a big bit of me!) is utterly thrilled when a child from school comes in to tell me they've been to see it, they like the books I've recommended or they've bought a book from the display.  I feel so honoured to be in a position where I can share my love of reading with so many children, and the joy of witnessing children loving a book, discovering they love reading and coming back to me to continue to get recommendations once they've left school will never grow old for me - in fact, I'd go so far as to say it's one of the best parts of my job!

Author Highlights of the year.

There are so many here!

O and I attending the launch of Dan Smith's latest novel, She Wolf at Seven Stories.

Attending the NEBA in May and seeing O being awarded a prize for his blog on all 6 books on the short-list (does this make our blog an award winning blog now?!)

Meeting Anna James last week in Waterstones and chatting books.

Author visits in school.  In the past 12 months, I've had the pleasure of welcoming 5 wonderful authors into school (Michelle Harrison, Chris Callaghan, Vashti Hardy, Sophie Anderson, Maz Evans), all of whom have enthralled, inspired and encouraged a love of reading in the children.  I just wish I could bottle the buzz you all create!  (I'm very excited that Ross Welford and Dan Smith are visiting next term!).

I cannot recommend author visits in school highly enough.

 

Looking Forward:

This blog will be 2 years old in February and is evolving as O gets older and his reading tastes change.  He stills enjoys MG fiction but is venturing into YA as well.  He's discovered a love of Shakespeare and Agatha Christie and, this Christmas, is devouring every cricketing biography and book he can get his hands on! I think we can look forward to some different books entering the blog in the next 12 months (O is promising a cricketing book blog amongst other things!) and I'm looking forward to seeing where we go.

There are already many, many books I'm looking forward to reading in the coming year which will feature on the blog, in my classroom and on the display in Waterstones and I'm looking forward to opening each and every one!

Happy New Year to you all!

Darkwhispers. A Brightstorm Adventure - Vashti Hardy (Release Date: 6th February 2020)

'It's all right not to understand things... The acceptance of not knowing, saying you don't know, is what opens the pathway to knowledge.'

Maudie and Arthur are back and off on their adventures on the Aurora again. Explorer Ermitage Wrigglesworth (what a wonderful name!) is missing and Eudora Vane is leading a team of explorers to search of him. The Aurora is amongst the team but the twins are suspcious: why was Eudora's assistant stealing books from a neighbouring house? What is the significance of the ring Harriet's great aunt gave them and why is Eudora so keen to find Ermitage? 

K's opinion

It was great to be back in Lontown with Maudie, Arthur and the rest of the Aurora crew, and then to join them on their exciting journey East, venturing into new, intriguing lands with a whole host of creatures and people for them to discover and experience (I desperately want my own Valiant!). It's a thrilling adventure with plenty of characters to love and hate! (I'm pleased to see Eudora up to her old tricks again!) and leaves things with just the merest hint that there could be more to come (just the way I like a book to end!).

The attention to detail throughout the book, in inventions, ideas and lands, helps the reader to clearly picture each and every world, and experience it alongside the twins. From the Geographical Society and Lontown to the Aurora and the many creatures they meet along the way, the book is full of exciting ideas for readers to discover.

The twins clearly have a very strong bond but it's also good to see them finding their own strengths in this book. Maudie's love of engineering makes her a perfect STEM role model (along with Harriet) and it's great to see her making the most of every opportunity afforded to her; however, as with Brightstorm, it's Arthur who tugs at my heart a little more and I was thrilled to see him discovering his strengths in difficult situations and refusing to allow his arm to get in the way of anything he did: he strikes me as a dreamer but one with a determined side to his nature as well - my kind of character! I must also mention Felicity, the ship's cook: her warm, caring nature and positivity make her one of the book's hidden gems in terms of characters and I love her! 

As expected, Darkwhispers is an action-packed adventure just waiting for reading explorers to dive in and board the Aurora for another thrilling journey into the unknown.

O's opinion.

From the very beginning, I was hooked on every page, excited at being back with Maudie and Arthur on the Aurora. I loved how adventurous the twins were and how they were ready to learn from Harriet and Welby. I found the way that Harriet taught the twins how to be great explorers to be inspiring and it shows young people that they can be anything they want when they grow up.

This is a stunning sequel to an absolutely amazing book. I loved it!

A Sprinkle Of Sorcery - Michelle Harrison (Release date: 6th February 2020)

'Everyone's dealt bad luck at some point ... It's how you cope that counts.'

Earlier this week, O and I bid a welcome return to the Widdershins as we headed back to Crowstones.  Here's what we thought:

Whilst out in the yard of The Poacher's Pocket one night, Charlie discovers Willow hiding.  She and Betty take pity on her, bringing her in to the pub, only to be disturbed by two prison wardens who are looking for two escaped prisoners.  Hiding Willow, the sisters try to protect her, however, Charlie is then mistaken for one of the escapees, arrested and taken away (along with their granny).  Willow then explains that her father has been wrongly imprisoned for murder and is due to be executed if she cannot prove his innocence.  Determined to rescue their sister and also help Willow, Betty and Fliss head off (with Willow) on an adventure that will take them over marshes and seas to an island that doesn't exist according to the maps.

K's opinion:

It was so good to return to The Poacher's Pocket and to catch-up with the Widdershins, to be welcomed by the shabbiness of the pub and to sit next to Fingerty with a  wee nip of port - it felt like heading back to somewhere warm and familiar.  The book is wonderfully written with a flow the to the description that carries you along effortlessly through the pages (particular shout out has to go to the place names used (Nestynook Green, Great Snodbury & The Snooty Fox are all places I now feel the need to visit!).

This is a roller-coaster of an adventure that grips from the very beginning (I literally couldn't put the book down!).  We see, once again, Charlie's feisty nature and Fliss' ability to charm (which can come in handy!) but it's Betty who leads the way, showing strength and determination in everything; driven by doing the right thing but, ultimately, by her love for her sisters.  There are a host of characters that will enthral and that you'll love and also hate but it's the mystery, magic and wonder within the plot that truly captured me, from the mystery of the pirates to the unknown islands and the sense of anticipation.  A Sprinkle of Sorcery is a brilliant and fitting adventure for the sisters that will have you utterly gripped.

O's opinion:

What a sequel to an already amazing book. I love how Betty's courage is always showing, even when times are hard and she is alone and afraid, and that the girls were kind enough to hide Willow, even if it meant putting their freedom at risk. Even though they were without Charlie, Betty and Fliss were still powerful together in order to help Willow and save Charlie. Michelle writes such wonderful books, and I couldn't put this down. An amazing book to finish off an amazing year (or to start the new year with!). Well done!

The Mercies - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

It's not very often that I review books for adults but when an ARC copy of The Mercies landed in my lap, I was only too happy to break with tradition (in fact, such is my love of Kiran's writing, that it went straight to the top of my TBR pile whilst I danced round the room in happiness!)

The book is set in the 1600s in Vardo, Norway, a small town where the men are all killed in a devastating storm, leaving the women to fend for themselves ... which they do successfully.  However, this causes its own problems in a time where women weren't supposed to be strong, and so a commissioner is sent in to over-see everything.

The story centres around Ursa, the new wife of the commissioner, Absalon, and Maren, who lost both her brother and father in the storm.  Ursa, used to the finer things in life, struggles in Vardo and it is Maren whom she befriends, to teach her how to cook, keep house and survive.

It is clear that Absalon is there to seek out anybody who does not share his own, strong religious beliefs and to try them as a witch.  As a result, an air of speculation, mistrust and fear descends.  He is a character whose true purpose will make you shudder; he was somebody I hated, who made me squirm and I found terrifying. He was brilliantly written.

Having read all of Kiran's MG novels and loved the seemingly effortless beauty of her writing style, I was keen to see how she translated that into an adult novel.  I was not disappointed!  The same elegance remains, creating a calm poise whilst telling an incredibly powerful tale of strength.  The book gently builds a tension that grips; the characters will get under your skin (either through love or hatred) and this haunting book reflects the hardship of its female characters and quickly becomes a compelling read.

The fact that the book is based on the true story of the Vardo witch trials, makes it all the more haunting and powerful, and the bleakness of the setting reflects the events as well as the grief and strength in all the female characters.  It pains me to think that these events actually happened, that people could be so cruel; yet in the darkness, love, kindness and friendship still rise: the friendship that builds between Ursa and Maren gives warmth and hope.

A novel about fear, grief, loss, love, hope, friendship and, above all else, strength; the storytelling in this book shows Kiran at her best.
(Release date: 6th February 2020)

November Round-Up

November's been a busy month with plenty to keep us occupied but there was one absolute highlight:

The day the deliciously funny & wonderfully friendly Maz Evans visited school ... the children & parents are still coming up to me now telling me how much they enjoyed the visit and how excited they were to talk about it at home. To me, this just proves what I already knew: author visits in schools are one of the best ways to hook children into books, to get them excited about reading & to promote a love of reading. 

Now to look to next term with visits from Ross Welford and Dan Smith already lined up. Should be an exciting term!

So, what have we been reading?

The Girl Who Stole An Elephant - Nizrana Farook

(Publication date: 9th January)

Chaya is a thief who has stolen some of the queen's jewels.  Hiding them in a carved box in her friend Neelan's store, she believes all is well until Nour, whilst shopping with her father, insists on having the box in which the jewels are hidden.  When the king discovers the theft, Chaya, Neela and Nour's lives are changed forever.

The three main characters are all strong in their own right but are very different to one another which helps to enrich the story: 

Chaya is feisty, brave and refuses to be beaten (what a great message to send out) and is somewhat of a modern-day Robin Hood; she's somebody you warm to very quickly (despite her thieving ways!).

Neelan is a proud young man who is fiercely loyal to his friend, even if it results in his death (I'm not advocating the death bit!) - I just wanted to hug him! 

Nour is a lonely but proud girl who is desperate to be liked and accepted but feels very different & struggles to know how to fit in; especially with Chaya and Neelan.  

Together, they are wonderful to get to know and you very quickly find yourself routing for them.

A stolen elephant, an adventure through the jungle and a race to save their town; this is a wonderfully written book from which you can feel the warmth of the Serendib landscape and the riches of the jungle radiating from the pages.  The Girl Who Stole An Elephant is a story of friendship, loyalty, of challenging stereo-types, resilience and determination, and I highly recommend it!

Christmas Dinner of Souls - Ross Montgommery

I bought this after hearing Ross speak at Reading Rocks North & was very excited to read it, choosing it to be my travelling companion on a train journey down to London.

       Lewis has been in trouble: caught throwing stones at the window of the crumbling Soul's College, he's now being made to work there on Christmas Eve as punishment.  However, when he arrives, he quickly realises that all is not what it seems and he is being forced to serve dinner whilst 7 rather chilling ghost stories are told around the table.

       An eerie read in which each of the ghost stories are woven together by Lewis and the dene of the college who is hosting the meal. The joy of this book is in the storytelling which will leave readers just wary enough to remember not to throw stones when out playing with their friends! This is definitely not your usual Christmas novel and I highly recommend it (just perhaps not when you're staying in a London hotel on your own!)

The Afterwards - A. F. Harold.

Ember and Ness are best friends, but when an accident at the park kills Ness, Ember feels lost and very alone ... until she finds a way to get to the Afterworld and back to her friend, and is determined to bring her back.

       This is a beautifully written book which explores death and loss in a thoughtful and different way.  Ember will do anything to get her friend back and she's so desperate to see her again and to bring her back to the real world, she'll do just about anything.

       The use of illustrations in this book is incredibly powerful with the contrasts of colour and grey reflecting the actions and feelings in the story - it really brings the characters to the forefront of the reader's mind.

       Yes, there's a darkness to this book (Ember is first lured to the Afterlife by her uncle) but dealing with death/grieving is a dark time in anybody's life and this story shows children that there are many emotions linked to death.

       A superb book that made me cry in the classroom during our private reading session (!); I would recommend this book to age 11+.

Jelly - Jo Cotterell.

Jelly lives with her mum and is a witty girl who is well-known in school for her impressions, so much so that this is what she decides to do for the school talent show. What most people don't realise, however, is that, Jelly is also using humour to deflect the hurtful comments she hears everyday about her weight.  But what will happen when Mum's new boyfriend comes along?

       This is a simply wonderful book that looks at the many different things 11 year old girls have to go through (changing bodies, periods, people behaving differently towards you, family life, friendships, how what you say can have consequences ...) in an honest way.  Jelly is very easy to relate to and will help many children realise they aren't alone in their changing emotions and body, and will help them to realise that the impression people give on the outside isn't always the way they're feeling inside. 

        A book about growing-up, family, friendship, body image and accepting who we are; this is a wonderfully written book which teaches us the importance of being kind to those around us. 

YA

The Beginning Woods - Malcolm McNeill

Max was found abandoned in a bookshop as a baby. Nobody knows why, or how. All they know is that when he appeared, the Vanishings started. Suddenly people just vanished and never came back, leaving only their clothes. To find the answers, Max needs help from the Dark Man, a sinister figure who has been following him everywhere. Together, they enter the Beginning Woods, a magical realm. But how will Max stop the Vanishings? Will he ever find his parents?

A steadily paced book, McNeill writes careful descriptions about Max's journey through the Woods, and always keeps the topic of stories vs science; fact vs fiction. McNeil writes about how Max is always wavering between the two sides, not knowing which way to turn until the very end. This topic has always been debated, however McNeill writes this in a way that shows the best of both worlds.