January/February Mash-up

Ok, so I may have just realised that we forgot to post January's blog so it's now become a mash-up of January & some of our February reads that we haven't yet posted about...

The Kid Who Came From Space - Ross Welford

When Tammy goes missing on Christmas Eve, the entire village is devastated, but nobody more-so than her twin brother, Ethan.  Whilst the village mobilises to search for Tammy, it's Ethan and his friend Iggy who discover the truth: that she's been abducted and is being held as an exhibit in a human zoo on an other planet.  It's up to Ethan, Iggy and their new friend, Hellyann, to try to save her.

This is a great book that shows what the disappearance of a child can do to a family and how heart-wrenching it is.  However, it also shows the power of sibling (and twin) love,as well as friendship (from whichever planet your friends may come from).  What a brilliantly different story this is that reminds us of the importance of our thoughts and emotions, and prompts us to always do our best.

North Child - Edith Pattou

Rose was born facing north, something her mother tried to hide to stop the prophecy that all north born children need to wander and explore.  When her sister becomes very sick, a white bear arrives and offers to heal her if Rose leaves with him.  She agrees and so begins an extraordinary journey to a mysterious castle and then onward, for Rose and the bear are destined to be together ... aren't they?

Beauty and the Beast meets The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, with a very definite sense of a traditional tale in the writing and the way it's told.  I really enjoyed this book and it's perfect for curling up with this winter.

The Highland Falcon Thief

Harrison Beck is being forced to spend 4 days on an old steam train's final journey with his Uncle Nat whilst his mum is in hospital having his baby sister.  It's fair to say that Harrison is fed-up with this and really isn't looking forward to his time on the Highland Falcon.  However, when precious jewellery goes missing, things take a definite turn for the better (for Harrison anyway!).  But can Harrison and his new friend, Lenny, get to the bottom of the mystery before the end of the journey.

Harrison is a bold and adventurous young man who very quickly begins to appreciate his uncle's love of trains and I can imagine readers wanting to be in his position!  It's an unputdownable book & the perfect combination of old-world train travel with a modern day adventure; it's gripping and utterly readable, and the illustrations enhance the story perfectly (& are just wonderful to look at).  This will be a guaranteed hit at school.

The Bigwoof Consipracy - Dashe Roberts

Lucy Sladan is convinced there are alien life-forms out there & often heads out looking for them in her hometown, with nothing to show for her efforts ... until one night when she believes she's stumbled on a 'big hairy creature that might have been a Sasquatch' or Bigfoot.  She also meets Milo, a very well-spoken, slightly strange boy; however he may have captured the Bigfoot on his camera-phone, and so begins an unlikely friendship as the pair attempt to discover what on earth is going on in Sticky Pines.

This book is full of quirky characters, from Lucy and her purple hair & conspiracy theories, to Milo & his rather formal attire & a host of others - they are bound to keep readers entertained.  It's full of action and twists & turns that will keep you on your toes and biting your nails.  Think The X-Files meets Gravity Falls; this is the first in a new series and people are going to love it.

The Adventures of Harry Stevenson Guinea Pig Superstar - Ali Pye.

Join Harry and his owner Billy on two new adventures.  In the first, Billy takes Harry to school as his show and tell; however, when one of his classmates also brings a pet, chaos ensues.

In the second, Harry and Maya end up in a rather fancy hotel whilst Maya's parents are guarding Sparky FC's league winning trophy.  Somehow, Harry manages to tag along which causes all sorts of troubles - but can he also save the day?

The Monster In The Lake - Louie Stowell

Kt is back, along with her friends Alita and Josh.  Kit is learning how to be a wizard with Faith by her side; however, things start to go wrong, such a talking animals, and when Lizzie, a Lesser Nessie, turns up in the lake at the local park, the children and Faith set off on an adventure up to the lochs of Scotland to help put things right.

What a great sequel this is: magic & mysterious occurrences that will keep readers hooked.

I'm also adding the link to O's cricket book blog onto here, in case there are any other readers who are as cricket mad as he is!!

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2020/02/os-cricket-books.html

We'll do a post about our half-term reads at the end of the week.

O's Cricket Books

This is a post all about cricket books - how much better can it get?!

Be warned: there are 11 books coming your way and they are all about cricket so pull up chair and enjoy!

Cricket - Know the Game

This is the 5th edition of an amazing book that introduces you to cricket, from the rules, to the skills, all the way to the equipment and training routines. The best part about it is that it is easy to understand and anybody of any age can pick it up and understand the game and how to play it. A great read if you are new to the game and want to know more.

Penguins Stopped Play - Harry Thompson

This is a novel written by an amazing cricket fan all about his trip round the world playing cricket with his team, the Captain Scott Invitation XI. The dream of a lifetime for any cricket fan: travelling round the world with your mates playing a game you love; the only catch is that you aren't very good; half your mates are desperate to try to get your whole team out so you can head to the pub and teams are no longer playing you because you are too bad. Can anything get better?

When I got this book for Christmas, I was immediately intrigued and excited and I was right to be: it's an amazing novel written by an amazing man about an amazing journey round the world. How much better can it get?!

The Wit of Cricket - Many Authors

How many times have you heard this joke: "the bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey"? In this collection of stories and jokes, there are more where that came from! Join various cricketing characters such as Henry Blofield, Brian Johnston, Shane Warne and many more. You'll find yourself on the floor with tears in your eyes laughing your head off at some of these jokes. I won't spoil it for you, but there are many hilarious mistakes from bowlers, batsmen, umpires and commentators, and they are all crammed into this book. Hilarious!

The Times - England's World Cup
This is a book that is dedicated to the Cricket World Cup 2019. With The Times newspaper articles for all 48 matches, and analysis for all of England matches, this is a book for the cricket fans who always want to relive that amazing summer.

Playfair Cricket Annual 2019 - Edited by Ian Marshall
Many cricket fans will think of Wisden when I talk about stats books however, this is just as good. With highlights from the season, all-time Ashes records, all-time records for everything and many matches from the summer, this book encompasses everything that happened in 2018. Can't wait for the 2020 edition to be released on April 1!

Test Match Special Diary
When we talk about TMS, we can expect some jokes will be involved, and sure enough, whenever Phil Tufnell and Jonathan Agnew are involved, there's more than enough laughter in this book. As we follow the team through the summer of joy, there are smiles and tears throughout the journey. An amazing read for the most avid of fans.

Now onto the biographies:

Moeen - Moeen Ali
The most wickets taken by an England spinner since Graham Swann, Moeen is one of the most successful all-round spinners in the modern game. He has been up there in the mix in the 2010s, along with the likes of Ravi Ashwin and Shakib Al Hasan. This autobiography talks through his life, starting out in Birmingham where he played with his mates in the streets, and moving to his short Warwickshire career before moving to Worcestershire and being spotted for England. A very interesting read.

Joe Root - Bringing Home the Ashes
Ever wanted to know the secret of becoming England's current test captain, taking the Ashes and being considered as one of the most dangerous batsmen in the modern game? The secret's in this book! Man of the series in the Ashes 2015, the man is 35th on the all-time test match runs list! Along with all that, he's taken 57 wickets as well! All this whilst just 29 years of age. That is impressive. Find out all about how he does it in this amazing read, including his triumphs in South Africa and just disappointment at the T20 world cup. Amazing.

Alastair Cook
When somebody talks about Ali Cook, many pictures come to mind: 5th on all-time test match runs scored ever; most prolific England test batsman; played in over 1/4 of England's test matches. However that's not the whole story. Behind an amazing batsman is also an amazing man. Even though there have been bumps in the road, he has always kept going. A truly amazing man who has done amazing things and will still be a figure for young players to look up to.

Now we come to perhaps the most well-known cricketer of the modern game: Ben Stokes. These are his books:

Firestarter
His journey started in New Zealand and, at a young age, he was into all sports. His father, Ged, was very supportive. When he moved to England, he gave up rugby league to pursue his cricketing career and boy we are glad he did! This book journeys with him across the globe and continues up until his unfortunate meeting with Carlos Braithwaite in 2016. However, let's not forget his achievements:  the fastest ever hundred at Lord's; an amazing quick-fire 258 against South Africa and THAT CATCH to dismiss Adam Voges in the Ashes 2015 to produce one of the most famous poses of cricketing history. He's had many obstacles, including many meetings with Marlon Samuels, but he's pulled through and become one of England's best all-rounders ever, even being compared by many people to the great Beefy Botham. An amazing cricketer and that's not the last of him.

On Fire
If the topic of England's summer comes up, all there is to talk about is one man: Stokes. What started with an INCREDIBLE catch against South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup, to an amazing knock in the final against New Zealand (ball deflecting off bat to go for 6, whole country roars with relief) and then to go straight into a home Ashes series with Steve Smith and David Warner back from Sandpapergate, but that didn't bother him. In fact, it inspired him to go and get that 135* in Headingley, with probably Jack Leach's most important 1* that will go down in history. Ben has had a terrific summer and has followed it up with a century in South Africa in the 3rd test. There will be more to come from this incredible man.


That's all for the moment (half the readers sigh with relief) but wait! There's more! I have Shane Warne's autobiography on the shelf and have been promised Wisden 2020 when it comes out in April. So be on the lookout for future cricket posts!!!

Lost - Ele Fountain (Published 12th March 2020)

Lola and her brother Amit live in a flat with their father; however, when he has to go away overnight for work, Lola is left in charge.  Unfortunately, a week later their father still hasn't returned and their landlord is growing impatient: he wants the rent which was due weeks earlier.  Forced to move out, the siblings end up on the streets and, too afraid of what her rich friends will think, Lola won't ask for their help.  Then Lola and Amit are split up and Lola is forced to fend for herself, whilst never giving up hope of finding her brother.

K's opinion:
Having read and been gripped by Boy 87, I was thrilled to have been sent a copy of Lost and was keen to dive in; however O nabbed it first so I was forced to wait!  It was worth the wait though, as, when I eventually got hold if it, I read the entire book in a day!

Everything changes so suddenly in Lola's life and, having been a normal school-girl, worrying about what others think of her, she suddenly finds herself with nothing: no home, no family, no money and no clothes except the ones she's wearing.  She has to learn quickly how to survive on the busy streets, to stay safe and to feed herself.  This is a character who's stronger than she thinks and it's her inner strength that is inspiring - she remains a caring, compassionate person despite everything and never loses hope - she teaches us that, no matter what your situation, it's always possible to care and that love is a powerful thing.

Lost is a story of contrasts: privilege versus poverty, love versus loss, solitude versus family and friendship, but, above all Lost is a story of hope.

O's Opinion:
From the very first page, I found the courageous nature of Lola to be very compelling and her perseverance to find her brother was inspiring. I loved the fact that she kept hope of finding her dad and brother, even when all hope seemed lost. Lola's is an amazing character and I thoroughly enjoyed travelling on this journey with her.
This is a wonderful book: real, gritty and gripping.