The Haunting of Aveline Jones - Phil Hickes.

When Aveline Jones discovers she has to spend October half-term with her slightly aloof Aunt Lilian in Malmouth, a deserted seaside town, she’s far from happy; however, her love of ghost books and all things spooky is fed when her aunt leaves her at a musty old book shop. Here she discovers a book of local ghost stories that once belonged to a girl from Malmouth, Primrose Penberthy, who went missing on Halloween many years ago. After finding the final story in the book blacked out, and then being given Primrose's diary by Mr Lieberman who found it in his shop, Aveline is convinced there is more to her disappearance than meets the eye, but can she discover what happened? Is there a link to the past and why on Earth do so many of the locals have creepy child-like scarecrows in their gardens?

The setting for this book is just perfect for such a spooky story: a deserted seaside town with stormy, roiling seas; an old musty bookstore piled with long-forgotten second-hand books, and old cottages that creak and groan with age. If you then add into the mix Aveline whose love of ghost stories means she reads more into bumps and knocks in the night, you've got the perfect setting for a ghost story!

The tension and suspense builds from the very beginning of this book and doesn't let up. I read it I one sitting as I couldn't put it down! I was desperate to discover what was going to happen next and yet, at the same time, had my fists clenched in fear and was hugging the nearest cushion!

At 224 pages, this book will be perfect for children who like shorter novels yet still like thrills and brilliantly written plots. I'd recommend The Haunting of Aveline Jones for those aged 9+, as well as those who enjoyed VE Schwab's City of Ghosts, Ross Montgommery's Christmas Dinner of Souls and Jennifer Killick’s Crater Lake.  

The Haunting of Aveline Jones is brilliantly eerie and deliciously spooky and a book to read in a stormy night by torch-light ... if you dare!

The Good Bear - Sarah Lean (Released October 2020)

Thea loves Christmas and the traditions she and her mum have developed over the years; however, this year things will be different as she is to spend Christmas with her father and his new family in Norway.  Thea is anxious about the visit (having not seen her father in years and having been disappointed he didn't send her the typewriter she asked for in her letter) but hopeful that the visit will help to bring them closer together.  However, things don't go well in Norway: Henry, Thea's father, is distant and the rest of his family don't seem to want to know her.  Upset, she flees to into the woods near her father's home only to come face to face with a bear; a bear in need of her help.  As Thea and the bear grow close, can she help protect him against the entire town?

Thea is desperate to forge a relationship with her father who seems to want very little to do with her - it broke my heart to see her feeling so alone and isolated, especially at Christmas; however, without this, she would never have met the bear, nor the wonderful and rather enigmatic V who accepts her and allows her to explore her desire to be a writer.  It's the father-daughter relationship that's at the heart of the book and I suspect is something many children experience when parents are no longer together.  The relationship between Thea and the bear is one of trust and love; exactly what she is craving from her father.  She feels very isolated but it is good to see her eventually be able to reflect on her own actions and behaviour.

The Good Bear is a heart-warming story of the bond that can grow between humans and animals.  It's a huggable feast for the soul and most definitely a book to curl up with on a dark winter's night.  It has a timeless quality to it - in the writing and the fact that it's a flashback to Thea's childhood - making it a book that you'll most definitely pick up again and again.

The Castle of Tangled Magic - Sophie Anderson (released October 2020)

O and I are big fans of Sophie Anderson's books and we've been waiting with much anticipation for her latest book so we were hugely excited to receive an e-copy of The Castle of Tangled Magic last week and, oh boy, we most certainly weren't disappointed!

Olia and her family live on the edge of the village in Castle Mila that has been in their family for 500 years.  Its sprawling hallways and many towers are a huge source of enjoyment for Olia who spends much of her time exploring the hidden parts of her home, intent on discovering every last secret and hidden room, and dreams of being able to show her baby sister the castle as she grows up.  However, one day, a storm erupts over the castle which damages one of the towers and Olia's investigating reveals that there is much more to this tower and indeed the entire castle than she had ever realised, and it's up to her to save her family and their home.

K's opinion:

From the very beginning, the images created within this book are enticing and vivid, enhanced by the rich and beautiful language and description that Sophie weaves through every page  - the castle sounds enchanting and I was desperate to climb into the book and explore with Olia.  There's a sense of anticipation that tantalises and builds  as the story progresses and you are lead willingly along with Olia and her friends (I'm not going to say too much as I don't want to spoil anything but it's safe to say that the setting is truly an immersive experience).

Olia is a character that people will undoubtedly fall in love with and is a true heroine.  Full of life and enthusiasm, determined to do the right thing yet not without her doubts and fears, it is the love for her family that drives her on.  She is definitely somebody that readers will want to emulate.  And it would be remiss of me not to mention some of the other characters, namely Babusya, Olia's grandma, who emits a sense of calm and whose belief in magic is instrumental in the story, and also Feliks who is the truest of friends.

Sophie has a way of writing timeless stories that incorporate traditional values in a way that is both appealing and relevant to the world today and The Castle of Tangled Magic is no exception: there's very much a fairytale feel to the plot yet woven into it are messages about it being ok to make mistakes and that it's important to believe in yourself; she also touches upon the fact that we shouldn't forget what our ancestors did but should learn from that - hugely poignant at the minute.  Family and a sense of belonging have been strong themes in Sophie's first two books and they resonate again strongly here in The Castle of Tangled Magic: it's clear that this is something that is strong in Sophie's life and the love and attention that is paid to the writing throughout this book shows how much this means to her.  

Magic is woven into this book from the very beginning and it's the magic that draws you in.  The Castle of Tangled Magic is undoubtedly Sophie's best book yet.  It's a delicious journey through magical lands that will leave you with a warm glow in your heart (and, in my case, a tear in my eye!)

O's opinion:

When I was told we had access to a proof copy of The Castle of Tangled Magic, I stopped everything to read it, and I was not disappointed when I opened it! Olia is a brave character who just wants to save her home and family, and I loved how courageous she was, especially when she left her Babusya to enter the other world. Feliks is an amazing character, helping Olia along the journey, however, my favourite character has to be Babusya: she is full of wisdom and stories, and I adored her. I always like Sophie's books, and this one is her best yet. This is a must read, and I loved it.

The Griffin Gate - Vashti Hardy (Released Autumn 2020)

Grace and her family are wardens of the Griffin map, a map that helps them know when people need help across Moreland.  Grace is desperate to be a warden just like her mum, Ann, and her brother, Bren; however, she's still too young, a fact that frustrates her immensely, meaning that, when she finds herself alone with the map, and a call for help comes in, she just can't resist jumping to the rescue - after all, what could go wrong?

'Rain dribbled down the windows of Griffin House and the skies were dismal

grey.  The weather perfectly matched Grace Griffin's mood.'

With opening lines like that, who could resist being sucked into the story?  The plot is fast-paced and exciting as you quickly become acquainted with Grace, her feisty determination and her ability to think logically in times of trouble - I love her spirit (even if it gets her into trouble!).

I was also struck by how enticing the worlds that are created are; in just 94 pages, you are completely immersed in a wonderfully vivid new world, from the mayor's office, to being teleported into Celia's shop - the images that are created  are just captivating.

With map travel, a talking mechanical raven and spyglasses that enable you to communicate with others, this book has all the magical charm I know and love from Vashti Hardy bound up in Barrington Stoke's wonderfully accessible way.

I defy you not to be swept away by this brilliant book.

The Silent Stars Go By - Sally Nichols (YA) (Release date: November 2020)

The Silent Stars Go By - Sally Nichols (YA) (Release date: November 2020)

I was thrilled when The Silent Stars Go By dropped through my letter box!  having read and loved Things A Bright girl Can Do, I was keen to dive into Sally's latest offering ... and I wasn't disappointed!

It's the December of 1919 and Margot ( a respectable vicar's daughter) is heading home for Christmas and to face Harry, the fiancé who'd been MIA in WWII.  She'd presumed, after many months that he was dead; however, several months after hearing he was alive, she will see him again ... but she carries with her a life-changing secret. 

This is a gentle YA novel that will sneak up on you and draw you in so that, by the end of the book, you won't want to leave Margot and her family!  This story is set in a huge time of change for everyone: men were coming back from the war and the country was getting back to normal, and for Margot and her family, there is so much more for them to get used to.  Margot is struggling: she has this huge secret, known on to her family and to 1 or 2 very close friends.  She desperately wants to change things and to tell Harry but that will shatter so many lives so she must decide what to do.  All this, in a time when family values were very different to today and the world moved at a much slower pace, where correspondence with Harry is via letter and they are chaperoned when they are together.  I just wanted to reach into the book so many times to hug Margot.

The story is set around a traditional family Christmas without modern commercialism; where courtship and the thrill of stolen moments will keep you hooked and hoping for a happy ending.  It's a warming tonic and you should read it curled up somewhere cosy with a mug of hot chocolate and allow yourself to be transported back in time.  

Sky Pirates - Alex English Blog Tour

It's no secret that I'm a BIG fan of Sky Pirates, Alex English's first MG novel, and have been since I read the proof copy that came my way in April.  You can read my original blog post here: https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/sky-pirates-alex-english-released-date.html?spref=bl).

When Year 6 came back to school after May half-term, there was no question about what I wanted to read to my bubble class (6Calm, affectionately known as 6Giggles).  Luckily they didn't take much persuasion so we headed in, and they were completely hooked from the beginning!  They asked me to read more whilst they ate their lunch, they groaned when I had to stop reading so they could go out to do sport and they have hung on every word!  There are a few cliff-hanging moments in the plot and it's been a joy to see their faces as I either leave them hanging or get to that moment where there's a big reveal, so you can imagine the excitement when I said I had the opportunity to interview Alex as part of the launch of the book and I wanted them to create the questions!

Below, you will find a mix of questions from them and also a smattering from me, along with Alex's answers.

Enjoy!

1. Where did the inspiration for Sky Pirates come from?

It’s hard to say really, as so many things influence me. I’ve always been a keen reader, and reading widely is very important to me. I also love watching films and TV – Studio Ghibli films are some of my favourites. The idea for the city shut off from the rest of the world originally came from Brexit though. I couldn’t have predicted the current situation with lockdown! 

2. If you could be any character from Sky Pirates, who would you be and why?

   

I would definitely be Echo, because she’s brave and daring. Plus I’d love a pet lizard like Gilbert.

3. Which character are you most like from the book?

I’m probably most like Lil, although sadly I don’t have a cutlass (yet).

4. If you had your own sky ship, what would it look like?

I’d have one with billowing sails and plenty of cannons, like the Scarlet Margaret. 

5. What do you hope readers will take away from Sky Pirates?

I hope they’ll take away a taste for adventure. That there is a world out there to explore and differentness isn’t something to be afraid of.

6. Echo spends the novel feeling very different to everyone else and also searching for her mother. How important to you was the difference between Echo and the other characters from Lockfort?

It was very important that Echo felt different as that is what drives her to find her family and the place she belongs. 

7. How did you come up with the names for the characters and the places?  (We especially like Professor Daggerwing!)

I have a special notebook where I collect juicy words whenever I see them. Mangrove and daggerwing were two words that happened to end up next to each other - I thought they sounded like an eccentric character’s name and the professor was born! I often use real words, for example I named Port Tourbillon after part of a watch mechanism.

8. How do you imagine the characters would sound if we could hear them talk?

I think Echo would be a fast talker and Horace would be a bit of a whinger. I’ve always imagined that Michael Sheen would play Professor Daggerwing, so he might have a Welsh accent.

9. What’s next for Echo, Gilbert and Horace?

I’m currently writing Echo, Gilbert and Horace’s next adventure, which involves dastardly rival sky pirate crews, a kidnap, an underwater library and dragon treasure! Today, Echo and Gilbert were dangling from a rope beneath an enemy pirate airship. Who knows what they’ll be up to tomorrow!

10. Did you read a lot as a child and who were your favourite authors?

Yes, I was an avid reader as a child. Some of my favourite authors were Joan Aiken, Eva Ibbotson and Enid Blyton.

11. What inspired you to write books?

I’ve always loved reading children’s books and had been writing as a hobby for a long time. When I was on maternity leave with my son I did a writing for children class at CityLit in London and that inspired me to try writing a whole book. After that, I just didn’t stop!

12. Were you good at writing at school and what advice would you give us?

I did really enjoy writing at school. I think the most important thing is to read lots and to read lots of different authors and styles of stories. Also, writing ideas down in a notebook whenever you think of them is really useful, as it means you have a bank of material to draw from when you need to write a story.

13. What made you make the leap from picture books to MG fiction and how did you find it?

I had always wanted to write middle-grade fiction, but it took me a little longer to learn the craft and get good enough at it to get something published! So I had been working on both at once, but my picture books were published first.

14. How do you find living in Paris? (asking because I’m a little bit envious!)

I really love living in Paris. There are loads of cool museums and art galleries, plus plenty of cafes to write in, and of course the food is great. It has been tricky learning the language, but I count myself very lucky to have the experience of living somewhere new. I only have one more year left here before returning to the UK, so I’m going to be making the most of it. It might even inspire another book, who knows!

Huge thanks to Alex for taking the time to answer these questions. Sky Pirates is officially out in the 23rd July but is available in some book stores already.

Agent Asha Mission Shark Bytes - Sophie Deen (illustrated by Anjan Sarkar)

This afternoon it's my turn on the the Agent Asha blog tour and I'm very excited to tell you all about this wonderful book.

Asha Joshi is a girl with a love of technology and coding.  She spends her time inventing things and has even hacked into her teacher's emails and it's this that leads her to being recruited by the CSA (Children's Spy Agency), who send her on her first mission to help save the world from a failing internet due to sharks who are destroying cables.  Her mission means that she needs to infiltrate and hack the offices of Shelly Inc, run by trillionaire inventor Shelly Belly who is suspected of training the sharks to cut the cables so everybody will subscribe to her new internet.  Can Asha, her coding know-how and her gadgets succeed before everyone succumbs to Shelly Belly's devious ways?

  

'A mole's bottom is a dark place to be.  A duck's bottom is a wet one and a hippo's bottom is a dangerous one.'

 

From the very first page, this is a book that grabs your attention (who wouldn't want to read on after that?!), and is a fast-paced novel full of exciting adventure and with a brilliant role-model as the main character.  Asha is a strong and determined girl whose love of coding and inventing shine through at every stage of the book, and I'm thrilled to have such a different character to be able to introduce to the children at school.  Asha's side-kicks are also brilliantly different too: Tumble is a hamster-like toy that Asha invented when she was only 6 years old, and Drone is a nannybot that has been with Asha all her life - supposed to be there to look after Asha, her parents are unaware that she's been hacking Drone for years in order to get round the parental controls!  Both are quirky characters in their own right who enhance the story even further.

Coding is woven into every section of the story, using coding that is taught in school and, throughout the book, pages of coding, fact-files, case files and illustrations all make for an interactive experience, helping the reader feel even more part of the adventure (hats off to Anjan Sarkar for her work on the illustrations).  

The combination of coding, tips on having secure passwords and information on how to spot fake news all go to make this a relevant read as well as a thrilling adventure.

What's not to love about this book?  Female spy, strong characters, STEM, action and adventure...This is a new type of secret agent novel with so much more to it and I guarantee that children (and adults) will love it!  I can't wait to be able to share it with the children in my school and am already looking forward to reading the next in the series.

As part of the blog tour, we were asked to think of our own secret agent gadgets (we see Asha using the what-a-bottle and the mega fart selfie stick) so I asked the Year 6 currently in school what they would create and here's some of the inventions they came up with: