Here's our round-up of the books we've read this month...
K's books:
Dust Road - Tom Huddleston
Having loved FloodWorld, I was thrilled to receive a copy of DustRoad from Nosy Crow and wasted no time diving in.
Kara and Jo are back in London and we catch-up with them exactly where we left them at the end of FloodWorld where they are still determined to destroy the Mariners and their adventure leads them to the United States where they meet up with some old friends as well as a few new enemies.
The book is straight into the action and is a page-turner of a read. The characters are gritty (as they should be under the circumstances) and the strength of the females again were great to see. After the cliffhanger of an ending, I'm looking forward to seeing where the adventure takes us in book 3!
The Vanishing Trick - Jenni Spangler (Release date: 30th April)
Leander is an orphan, hiding out in the great house where his mum worked, living hand-to-mouth in order to survive. When he stumbles across the mysterious Madame Pinchbeck, his life changes for ever ... and all he has to do is hand over the only possession he still has: his mother's locket. Now his soul is trapped for ever within the locket, along with his new friends, Felix and Charlotte, destined to be used to convince people that Pinchbeck is communicating with the dead, vanish into their Cabinets when she commands. But can they escape Pinchbeck's control?
This is a book set in times when seances and communicating with the dead was popular and is a dark and mysterious tale with a sinister main character and three determined children, each with their own agenda. With eerie plot twists and chapter titles that lure you in, The Vanishing Trick is a gripping read.
The Ghost Garden - Emma Carroll. (release date: 15th July)
I love Emma Carroll's books and also love the way Barrington Stoke adapt their books so to get a Barrington Stoke book written by Emma Carroll is just the icing on the cake!Fran lives on the grounds of Langbarrow House and when she finds a bone in the grounds, she thinks nothing of it until Leo breaks his leg. Whilst she is wheeling him round during his recovery, several more strange things occur, but are they just coincidences or is the garden trying to tell them something?
Emma Carroll writes the most wonderful historical fiction and this novella is no exception: in just 78 pages, she manages to capture the essence of pre-WWII Britain whilst creating a tension that must have been felt by the entire country. With two spirited main characters to get to know, this is a great read with the most poignant and fitting last line of a book.
Orla and the Serpent's Curse - C. J. Haslam (Release date: 2nd April)
Orla, her brothers, her mum and her pet dog, Dave, are beginning a week's holiday on the Cornish coast in what appears to be a shack. When they first arrive, Orla goes exploring and discovers a necklace when a giant oak tree is uprooted ... and it appears she may have discovered an ancient witch's curse, one which is poisoning the land and everything it touches. But can she stop the curse?
Orla is a strong character with a determined nature and a keen drive to follow her own path - she's happy going off on her own and she certainly isn't afraid of danger. However, there are a host of other great characters, from the mysterious goth Raven, to Orla's brohters Richard and Tom whose roles grow as the book develops. But it's Dave the dog who creeps up and steels the show - he really is a star!
Full of sinister magic, this is a great mystery with plenty of twists in the plot and a host of great characters, this is a great book and then end in particular will have you gripped. Orla and the Serpent's Curse is perfect for fans of Michelle Harrison's books.
Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball - Laura Ellen Anderson.
Amelia is a vampire who lives in the world of Nocturnia; she and her friends go to Catacomb Academy and love goblin tag. Her parents are about to host their famous Barbaric Ball which is the event of the year but it's one Amelia never looks forward to as it's full of grown-ups; however, this year, she gets excited when she hears the king and his son will be coming ... that is until she discovers that Prince Tangine is spoilt. How will Amelia cope> Especially when she discovers all is not what it seems.What a great book this is! Full of wonderful characters and a nocturnal world I'd love to visit. Definitely the perfect pick-me-up at a time when we need cheering up! I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series and can't believe it's taken me so long to read the first one!
Bloom - Nicola Skinner.
I have to admit that I'd looked at this book several times when I saw it on the shelves but hadn't got round to buying it so I was pleased when Harper Collins sent me a copy to celebrate the paperback release and now, having read it, I'm kicking myself for not having read it earlier!
Sorrel Fallowfield lives with her mum in a cottage in Little Sterilis, and she's a good girl; such a good girl, in fact, that she's convinced she'll win the schools competition to be the 'most amazing Grittysnit star of the entire school and Little Sterilis' despite the many strict rules about obedience and conveying the norm that govern the place. But then Sorrel discovers a packet of 'Surprising Seeds' hidden below the patio of her house and all sorts of strange things begin to happen, but can Sorrel and her friend, Neena, figure out exactly what's going on?
Sorrel is a wonderful character: convinced she knows who she is and that being a good girl, and fully obeying every rule is always the right thing to do. She believes it's her responsibility to make her mum happy and so it's great to watch her as she battles with the challenges she faces through the story. And then there's Neena who's a little bit feisty and determined to be her own person - despite what anybody else thinks. I like her spirit and her love of science. Together they make a great pair in this rather wonderful book.
Bloom is a wonderful story about finding nature, the power of nature and the wonder that it holds. It's about finding yourself and being true to who you are, and it's about the power of just a little bit of magic.
Agents of the Wild Operation Honeyhunt - Jennifer Bell and Alice Lickens.
Agnes Gamble lives with her uncle of the 26th floor of an apartment block but she loves nature and wildlife, and longs to be closer to it. So, one day, when an elephant shrew called Attenborough (Attie for short) arrives in her bedroom insisting she go with him, how could she refuse? Suddenly she is plunged into the world of SPEARS (the Society for the Protection of Endangered & Awesomely Rare Species) where, after being trained, she is sent on a mission to rescue a bee named Elton from the Brazilian rain forest.
With a host of brilliant animal characters (I particularly like Elton and his love of dancing!) and a determined main character in Agnes, this is a great book that is perfect for children in lower KS2.
O's Books:
Kevin Pietersen Autobiography
This man is one of the best English cricketers, and whilst he polarised opinion more than any other, he is considered as one of the most talented batsmen ever to wear the three lions. This is his story, from his upbringing in South Africa, through to Natal and then his journey through the Birmingham League and county cricket with Notts and Hampshire, all the way to England and the IPL. Even through Textgate and the clique in the dressing room, he was an amazing batsman, from the 2005 Ashes match at the Oval, to the 2013-14 Ashes series. A true legend and his story is amazing.Shakespeare's Sonnets
This is a book with all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets in. Simple as that. I have always loved Shakespeare, and this is no exception. He is amazing and I love reading his work.Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman (YA)
Callum is a nought. Sephy is a cross. They can't be seen together, but they are best friends and when Callum gets a chance to go to Heathcroft, Sephy's cross school, he can't wait. But it's not as simple as that. Noughts are fighting for their independence and crosses are trying to contain them. How will they find a way?
This is an interesting book that covers a lot of themes, from the racial divide between noughts and crosses, to the young love story. I loved how Callum never gives up fighting for the greater good, and the writing style shows this as well. I found it interesting that Blackman wrote the novel from two voices, and therefore two perspectives, and that helped show the different lifestyles.
This is a very interesting book, and I would recommend it to people who want a good read, and to people who enjoy well written books. I loved it.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
This is the story of the Earth being destroyed, and one man (Arthur Dent) being left to remember it. He will have to travel with his friend (Ford Prefect), who is writing about Earth for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is a book within the book. They journey across the galaxy, hitching rides from many different creatures, and they make friends along the way. This is a very funny book, and I loved the story and the main characters. A really funny and interesting book, I loved it.
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