In between all of that, we also managed to read some books!
Troofriend - Kirsty Applebaum
(Publication date: 2nd April)
The Jenson & Jenson Troofriend 650 Mark IV is marketed as the perfect friend for children as they don't bully, harm, lie, covet, steal or envy.
What could possibly go wrong?
With Sarah's best friend away at her mum's every weekend, her parents decide to buy her a Troofriend; however, Sarah is far from impressed: she wanted a dog! It takes her several days to name her Troofriend (Ivy) and even longer to begin to interact with her, but then she realises that Ivy will tidy her bedroom and can help her gain friends &things start to look up ... for a bit ... until the reports of problems with the Troofriend Mark IV. Can an android really have human feelings?
This is a unique concept for a book and will most certainly be one that gets everyone talking for a variety of different reasons:
the great characters (it's hard not to love Ivy);
the friendship issues the book raises;
the moral issues of AI having feelings & rights;
the idea of if/when it's ok to steal or lie ... I could go on.
This book will appeal to so many children that it's a guaranteed success & (dare I say it) will be bigger than The Middler!
Gracefully Grayson
12 year old Grayson is somewhat of a loner at school, choosing to eat lunch in the library and going straight home at the end of the day instead of joining clubs, and all because he is hiding a secret: although, on the outside he's a boy, on the inside he feels like a girl. He dreams of wearing skirts and dresses but is too afraid to let anybody know how he really feels. Then Mr Finnegan (Finn) his humanities teacher announces he's directing the school play and Grayson decides to audition. A brave act for Grayson in itself but then a last minute change of mind at the audition could change Grayson's whole world.
Sometimes a book comes along that just gets to you and you can feel the heart of the book reaching out. For me, Gracefully Grayson was one of those books.
Grayson is a complex character who has to cope with the death of his parents as well as struggling with who he truly is. He's desperate to just be himself but needs support to do that, and that support comes in the form of his teacher Mr Finnegan and his uncle.
As the book unfolds, we discover how accepting people can be and also how mean. We also discover, in Grayson's aunt, how people can feel they're doing the right thing, but end up causing more hurt and pain - her actions came from a place of love but for all the wrong reasons.
This is a beautiful book that teaches us about bravery, being different and being true to yourself and who you are. Grayson's struggle is very real and leaves him feeling so very alone - as a teacher myself, it's important to understand that we don't always know what students are struggling with, so it's important to be there for them.
I'm so pleased I found this book (albeit 6 years after it was first published) and I'm pleased to see that it's a perfectly placed MG read as so many books in this genre are aimed at the YA market. This is a book I definitely recommend for children aged 9+.
The House of One Hundred Clocks - A. M. Howell
When Helena's father, a clock-winder, accepts a new job, they have to move to Cambridge and move into the house in which he is to work. However, when they arrive, they discover many more clocks than they'd expected; in fact, one hundred clocks of all shapes and sizes fill the rooms, and it's Helena's father's job to keep them running, for if just one of them should stop, not only will he lose his job but also everything they own.
Very quickly, Helena, along with her parrot, Orbit, discovers that all is not as it seems and there are secrets lurking, but can she work out what they are before the clocks stop ticking?
A great story that builds to an exciting finalé (I read the last third of the book in under 2 hours!). There are plenty of questions posed to keep readers guessing and characters who aren't quite as they may seem. I liked the strength of the female characters and the message that girls can do whatever they want - the links to STEM are also a great message to send out.
The House of One Hundred Clocks is a book about friendship and remembering the importance of family.
The Mask Of Aribella - Anna Hoghton
Aibella's life changes forever the day before her thirteenth birthday when flames shoot out of her fingers. Then, when trying to escape, she and her friend, Theo, are caught in a dense fog on the waterways of Venice and Theo is bitten by a skull. Panicking, Aribella fears the worst for her friend until a cloaked gentleman by the name of Rodolfo comes to her rescue. Curing Theo and returning him home, Rodolfo then takes Aribella to a magical and very secret organisation which just happens to be a very beautiful hotel in the centre of Venice. Here Aribella meets others who, like her, have their own special powers and she begins to learn how to control her new-found ability. However, something isn't right and Venice and its residents are in danger - can Aribella and her friends come to the rescue in time?
I really liked Aribella and her conflicting emotions: the bravery of wanting to save her friends and help her father, mixed with her self-doubt in her new-found skills and her desperate need to fit in. I suspect that there are many who read the book who will identify with this.
There's a glamorous feel to this book (set in Venice, the opulent hotel, the masks, the gondolas...) which contrasts well against the sinister mists and skulls, the threat to Venice and a mysterious death - it all makes for a delicious story that will keep you guessing and will make putting the book down virtually impossible!
The Good Hawk - Joseph Elliott.
Jamie is an Angler whose clan have arranged a marriage for him with a girl he's never seen from a neighbouring island off the coast of Scotia (Scotland). However, when things don't go as planned, he and his friend, Agatha, must set out on a perilous quest to save the rest of their clan.
The two main characters are in complete contrast to each other, however, work well: Jamie lacks confidence in himself and, as an Angler who is afraid of the sea, life isn't great; whilst Agatha is proud of what she does but can let her anger rule her emotions. She also has to cope with questions raised by members of her clan because she was born with Downs Syndrome.
This is a book full of atmosphere and bravery, told largely in dual narrative by Jamie and Agatha. It's a book about bravery, believing in yourself and proving people wrong. I'm looking forward to book two.
YA Books.
Bearmouth - Liz Hyder.
Life in the mine at Bearmouth is tough and relentless: 6 day weeks for very little other than the prospect of reward from the Mayker in the next life. Conditions are harsh and can be dangerous.
Newt has only ever known life down the mine but when Devlin arrives, things begin to change and the pair start to ponder whether escape and a new life is possible.
Written from the point of view of Newt who is learning his letters, the entire story is written as he speaks: with spelling errors and minimum punctuation. At first, it slowed my reading down but I quickly began to appreciate the unusual style and it helped me to really understand and associate with Newt. (I can imagine it must have been a challenging style to write).
It's a dark story and, in many ways, claustrophobic (long days down the mines, no escape from the constraints of the camp), yet Newt's innocence and sense of hope shines through and I felt myself rooting for Newt.
This is a great YA novel.
With the Fire on High - Elizabeth Acevedo
This story is about Emoni, a girl with an American mother who died when she was young, and a Dad who lives in Puerto Rico. She is taken care of by her 'Buela, and has a two year-old daughter. On top of all this, she is studying to try to get into college. She has a lot on her plate, and the thing she loves to do most is cooking, so when a culinary arts class starts at school and a new student arrives, her life gets even more busy. How will she cope?
This is an amazing book about a girl who wants nothing more than to cook and spend time with her 'Buela and daughter. I loved how she is dedicated to everything she does and cares about everything, even with her busy life. This is a great read and I absolutely recommend it.
Sofa Surfer - Malcolm Duffy
Tyler has everything he wants: amazing friends, lots of football and a summer holiday to look forward to. But then his parents decide to move up to a quiet part of Yorkshire from London. He is immediately bored and, with nothing to do, he starts teaching someone to swim, not knowing that she would turn his life upside down.
Malcolm's second book, this was an incredibly truthful story about homelessness and abuse. I found the way Tyler wanted to help Spider incredibly thoughtful and I loved every second of it.
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