Easter Holiday Reading

 I know that, going back to school on Monday, there will be the inevitable questions about what I've been up to over the holiday, to which I will no doubt reply, 'Not much really.'

Having said that, I have read one or two books (14 to be exact!) so I thought I do a quick summary in the order in which I read them:

Boy, Everywhere - AM Dassu Technically, I started reading this before the end of term, but I finished it at the start of the holiday so it counts!  I'd been recommended this book by so many on Twitter but I don't think I was prepared for how much this book touched me.  The story of Sami and his family who flee from Damascus after his mum and sister are caught up in a bombing in a shopping centre, we follow their harrowing journey via Turkey to Manchester where the family endure more heart-ache and upheaval.  Told from Sami's point of view, this was a truly unforgettable story which had me in tears on several occasions as I travelled alongside the family and endured the challenges they had to face.  It's an eye-opening book that will help children to understand exactly what people go through as refugees.  It's a book that will stay with me for a long time to come and I'm very pleased I read it.

How I Saved The World In A Week - Polly Ho-Yen (released 8th July) https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/04/how-i-saved-world-in-week-polly-ho-yen.html

Buck 'N' Bronco - Guy Bass Mascots at the Happy Ranch Theme Park, Buck & Bronco suddenly find themselves jobless and homeless when the park is shut down so they head out into the real world to prove they still have what it takes.  Full of Guy Bass' humour and wrapped up in Barrington Stokes' Dyslexia friendly style, this is a book that will make you chuckle.

One August Night - Victoria Hislop One of 2 books I read over the holiday that weren't MG!  Having loved The Island when I read it years ago (I can highly recommend a trip to Spinalonga if you are ever on the island of Crete), it was a joy to head back to the island to catch-up with Maria and Anna in Plaka now that the colony has closed.  If you loved the first book, then I guarantee you will will in love with this.  For me, the joy of being able to wander back through the island in my mind, and imagine myself alongside the characters was almost as good as heading back there in person!

The House of Serendipity Sequins and Secrets - Lucy Ivison (released 6th July) https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-house-of-serendipity-sequins.html

Another Twist in the Tale - Catherine Bruton This is the unknown story of Twill Twist, twin sister to Oliver Twist. Separated at birth, we follow her through the streets of London and out into the world. Full of adventure through Victorian London, readers will be reacquainted (or indeed, introduced to) all the familiar characters from Oliver Twist, as well as getting to know a host of new ones (I particularly like the Artful Dodger's portrayal).  Twill is a marvellously, feisty character whom I adored and was rooting for with every turn of the page.  

Five Hundred Miles From You - Jenny Colgan The second of the non-MG books I read!  I always love losing myself in a Jenny Colgan book and this was no exception.  The story of a job exchange between nurse practitioner liaisons Lissa, in London, and Cormac, in Kirrinfief, on the edge of Loch Ness, Scotland, this is a wonderfully heart-warming, feel-good novel.  Reading Jenny's books always makes me want to head back up to Scotland where I spent much of my childhood and this book was no exception.  Jenny's descriptions of village life sounds idyllic and the perfect escape.

Mystery of the Night Watchers - AM Howell (Released 8th July) https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/04/mystery-of-night-watchers-m-howell.html

Skyborn - Sinead O'Hart  (Released 9th June)   https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/04/skyborn-sinead-ohart.html

This is Your Time - Ruby Bridges (Released 6th May) This is a short but incredibly powerful book (55 pages) which takes the form of a letter from Ruby who was, at the age of 6, the first black child to go to an all-white school in America. With pictures to accompany the letter from the 60s to the present day, they help to create a thought-provoking message about racial equality.  Aimed at 10 - 14 year olds, this is a book that should be read by teenagers and adults of all ages.

Show Us Who You Are - Elle McNicoll Oh, wow!  What a book this is!  Combining the story of Cora and Adrien, with Artificial Intelligence and the ethics around this, whilst championing Neurodiversity, this is a must-read book. The strength of Cora and Adrien's friendship is absolutely at the heart of this book and something I can imagine everybody would aspire to. Cora is one of the bravest characters I have read in while with a strength that seemed to seep from the book towards the end. This is a book that will blow you away and will reminds us all that we should never be ashamed of who we are and that our differences are what make us wonderful.

Bridge of Souls - Victoria Schwab The third book in the City of Ghosts series that follows Cass and her best friend Jacob, who just happens to be a ghost.  This book sees the pair in New Orleans with Cass' parents who have their own TV series about ghosts.  As with the previous two books, the ability to visualise the city they are in was part of the joy of the book (I even found myself Googling each of the places to find out more!).  This entire series are very readable, completely immersive and have just the right amount of spooky/ghostly goings on to keep readers spooked but not too scared to read on!  I love this series, and highly recommend them!  Perfect for those who love The haunting of Aveline Jones. 

Rumaysa - Radia Hafiza A lovely retelling of three fairy-tales (Rumaysa, Cinderayla and Sleeping Sara) with Rumaysa at the heart of them. She is the main character of the first tale (a retelling of Rapunzel) who then appears in the second and third tales. I liked the fact that it's Rumaysa's hijab that helps her to escape and the feminist twist on each of the tales.  Aimed at younger readers, this is a book that will be equally enjoyed by children of any age.  

The Weather Weaver - Tamsin Mori A wonderful story set on Shetland about a girl, her grandfather and her newly discovered ability to weave the weather.  You'll be spell-bound with the magic of this book and, if you are anything like me, will find yourself suddenly wanting your own cloud!  Nimbus absolutely steals the book, without saying a word!  I can't wait to see what they get up to next.

Skyborn - Sinead O'hart

The prequal to the The Eye of the North, Skyborn allows us to get to know Thing, who was Emmeline's close friend.

Born into the circus, Thing, or Bastjan as we quickly discover he is known, is the son of Annabella, the greatest aerialist the circus has known; she felt she was born to fly and nicknamed Bastjan her little Skyborn and would take him up with her as part of the act.  However, her untimely death means that he is now alone, sharing a caravan with Crake, the strong man.  With the circus losing customers, Cyrus Quinn, the ring master and Bastjan's step-father, decides it's time for him to live up to his nick name and learn how to walk the high wire. During their meeting, Quinn eludes to Bastjan's mother's trunk in which Bastjan discovers a locked box, which he takes.

During Bastjan's training, Quinn introduces the troop to their benefactor, the mysterious Dr Bauer, who has funded the circus, providing the high-wire act is up to his expectations.  This also leads the circus to move rather abruptly to Oxford.  During their move, they meet Alice who is on the run with her dog Wares.  With the help of Bastjan and Crake, she hides in the circus and agrees to help Bastjan keep his mother's box safe.  However, it quickly becomes apparent that Dr Bauer is actually after the box and its contents, which hold secrets that need to be kept hidden. Can Bastjan and his friends evade Dr Bauer and can they keep the box and its contents safe? 

I first read The Eye of the North back in March 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was very excited to read the story that lead to Emmeline and Thing's meeting. I liked the fact that this gives you the insight into Thing's life without being too constrained to The Eye of the North (you could easily read this as a stand alone book); however, the hints of what is to come are rather wonderful (and nicely subtle) and I was left at the end wanting to head back to reread The Eye of the North!

Bastjan is a rather wonderful character. Alone in the world, with just his friend Crake to support and guide him, he is stronger and braver than he thinks he is, and this becomes ever more apparent the further into the book you go. He is faced with several tough decisions but seems guided by his moral compass and his loyal friend.  He is a character readers will love getting to know.

I also like the circus setting!  Ever since reading Enid Blyton's Come To the Circus as a little girl, I have had a love of books set in the circus (the idea of the flamboyant costumes and camaraderie really appeals!) so the setting is a big plus and allowed me to tumble and walk the wire alongside Bastjan! (Anybody who knows me will find this revelation quite a shock!) 

Skyborn really is a wonderful book that readers will thoroughly enjoy, either because they want to get to know more about Thing or as a book on its own; I know it will be a big success in school once it is released on June 9th.

Many thanks to Little Tiger for the opportunity to read this book before its publication date.

An Alien In The Jam Factory - Chrissie Sains

 

Born with cerebral palsy, Scooter McLay has 'hyper-creativity', meaning that his brain is full of ideas and inventions all the time, which comes in handy in the family jam-making business. As a result, McLay's jam is the best there is; however, the family have to be incredibly secretive about everything they do as their neighbour, Daffy Dodgy, who owns and runs the doughnut business next door, is desperate to get her hands on the secret of their success. Having tried in vain for years, she hasn't given up and gets the chance to fulfil her dreams when she spots a whole in a window made by an alien who has crashed into McLay's and into Scooter's life. What on Earth does the alien want and will Daffy finally learn the secret of McLay's success?

This is a wonderfully funny and imaginative book and is most definitely a world I would love to dive into and explore!

I adore Scooter as a main character: he is makes the most of his imagination and doesn't let his cerebral palsy get the better of him; however, he is a character of layers because it is clear that he is lonely.  His parents need to be completely secretive about anything to do with the factory, which means that he cannot share his passion with his friends, not can he invite any of them back to his home above the factory. So when Fizzbee comes along, it seems like the perfect solution.  Fizzbee is a rather cute and slightly excitable who causes chaos with her unusual reactions to jam but also clearly rather likes Scooter - they make the perfect pair! And it would be rather remiss of me not to mention Daffy Dodgy who makes a fantastic 'baddy', dressed in her velour tracksuits with 'Dodgy' displayed all over her bottom, she made me laugh right the way through the book!

Now I must mention McLay's factory: that very secretive place that nobody is allowed into. I would absolutely love to get inside there and explore; who wouldn't when there's a rollercoaster to help you get around?  Not to mention Scooter's inventing room with his Hand-Bots that help him to create a world of different jams - personally, it's the Cherry Candyfloss Jam I most want to try!

With an accompaniment of fabulous illustrations by Jenny Taylor, this is a fabulous book that will make you want to eat jam (although perhaps not the sprout variety!).  I have a feeling that there will be more books in the series and I can't wait to see what sticky situations Scooter gets himself into next!

Mystery of the Night Watchers - A. M. Howell

It's 1910 and, with Halley's Comet visible in the sky and only days away from reaching its closest point to Earth, Nancy and her sister Violet are surprised that their mum is taking them from their home in Leeds to Suffolk to stay with a grandfather they didn't know they had.  And once they arrive, things get even more surprising: the girls are forbidden from leaving the house and must remain away from the windows; they are not allowed to go to the room at the top of the house, and their grandfather's apothecary shop never has any customers.  The girls are confused and Nancy, in particular, is determined to find out what is going on.  Why is her mum behaving so strangely, why are there late night trips out of the house and what are the secrets her mum and grandfather are keeping hidden?  With the help of her new friend, Burch, it's up to Nancy to negotiate the dangers and uncover the truth about what is going on.  

AM Howell is a master of historical fiction and I always find curling up with one of her books rather comforting, and Mystery of the Night Watchers was no different. She has a way of drawing you in from the very beginning that makes you feel like you are part of the family, and I quickly felt as though I was travelling along with Nancy as she journeyed from Leeds to Suffolk.  She mixes historical fact with fiction seamlessly which transports you back in time and will no doubt make readers want to discover more about Halley's Comet (the Usborne Quicklinks at the back of the book will be invaluable for this: you can browse photos of the comet from 1910, see inside the observatory in Bury, see women protesting for the right to vote...).  The book will inspire children to want to know more about the science behind the comet as well as equal rights for women. 

For me, it was Cupola House that captured my imagination: the idea of this seemingly grand house that is dusty and neglected and linked directly to Greenstone Apothecary, the family business, had me wandering the corridors as if I was there.  I could imagine evenings spent in the very top tower, sipping a blend of herbs from the shop below.  The house sounds as if it is in dire need of love and life and there was almost an eeriness about it that hinted at the secrets that are begging to be revealed.

Nancy is a character that many readers will be able to relate to: at the beginning of the book she is rather irritated by her younger sister, Violet, but time and her change in circumstances mean that she quickly becomes keen to help in any way she can.  Although she gets it wrong at times (who doesn't?), her determination to help her family is what drives her on and why I admire her, not least for her desire to be a solicitor like her father.  Burch, meanwhile, has strength of a different kind: from the beginning, we discover that he is delivering to Laurence Greenstone in secret as he knows nobody else will help him.  There's a kindness and sense of knowing his own mind that is apparent from the first time I met him - he may be my favourite character!

Mystery of the Night Watchers is guaranteed to be another resounding hit for AM Howell; combining history with mystery in a way that will keep you guessing until the end.  This is a book you won't be able to put down.   

Write Like A Ninja - Andrew Jennings

 

I am a big fan of the Vocabulary Ninja and have seen great results having introduced the Word of the Day into my classroom. So it was with much excitement that I opened up a copy of Write Like A Ninja last week.

As you might imagine, it it full of useful lists and tips that will help children to develop their writing skills and is divided into clear sections: grammar essentials, exciting sentences, awesome alternatives, setting vocabulary, character vocabulary, general vocabulary and a final section where children can note down their own words and phrases.

Every page is presented in an aesthetically pleasing way that will appeal to children, and definitions and examples are included as well as lists that are easy for children to use whilst they are writing.  My particular favourite is the setting vocabulary section where you can find adjectives, nouns and verbs that will inspire children to write about range of places, with a tips page at the beginning of the section.

This is definitely a book that will be useful in the classroom and I can't wait to get back after Easter to see how the children will use this.

How I Saved The World In A Week - Polly Ho-Yen

Billy's life is different to everybody else's in school: he and his mum never spend too long in one place before moving on, he calls her by her first name (Sylvia) and he spends all his time with her learning about survival skills.  At the beginning of the book, Sylvia's behaviour becomes more and more erratic as she desperately tries to teach Billy everything she knows, insisting that he always live by the 5 rules of survival. 

However, when one of their survival sessions goes wrong, Billy is sent to  live with the father he hasn't seen for the past two years, whilst Sylvia is hospitalised for psychiatric treatment.  It is during his time here that he sees a man outside his bedroom window fall and die, but then later sees the same man walking down the street again. Confused, he confides in Angharad, his Dad's girlfriend's daughter and together they begin to investigate; only to discover that a mysterious virus is infecting people and turning them into zombie-like creatures who seem to infect other people around them.  Billy, his friend Anwar and Angharad call them 'Greys' but find it difficult to prove they exist to Billy's dad who believes that he is still under his mum's influence.  However, a trip out changes everything and, in an instant, the world changes for ever as they Greys begin to take over and it's up to Billy to finally put his survival skills to the test and save everyone. 

I have always been a fan of Polly's books so was thrilled to hear that she had a new book coming out ... and even more thrilled when Simon & Schuster sent me a proof copy (huge thanks to them for that).  I have to say that the book didn't disappoint.

Billy has never really had friends. Their constant moving around and his mum's increasing paranoia seems to alienate him from everyone else and this is quickly evident at the beginning of the book. It is clear that the teachers and children at school see him as different from the reaction when his mum arrives to pick him up in the middle of the day, and why ... to practise survival skills, of course.  Billy is loyal to his mum but he's lonely, so when he moves in with his dad and meets Anwar, the development of their friendship is good to see.  His relationship with Angharad gets off to a very rocky start as the pair clearly don't want to be in each other's company, but their parents' perseverance and a common cause quickly brings them together.  Their perseverance and determination to prove themselves right is what shines through.  

This is a sci-fi story in disguise! A modern day setting (London and Bristol), in a world the readers can relate to, and the virus element will definitely resonate with readers in the current climate (although, thankfully, COVID doesn't currently seem to lead to a world of zombie-esque creatures!).  It's only when the virus takes hold that a more sci-fi feeling becomes apparent which leads to an gripping end to the book (I couldn't put it down and read late into the night in order to find out what was going to happen!). 

This is a wonderful adventure story that combines survival skills with family, hope and never giving up.  It will have you gripped and will teach you that it is important to always be prepared!

How I Saved The World In A Week is due for release on the 8th July. If I would were you, I would pre-order it today to give you time to get your survival kit ready!

The House of Serendipity Sequins & Secrets - Lucy Ivison

It's 1926 and Mrytle Mathers loves to sew, creating her own dresses inspired from Chanel creations she sees in magazines; however, her father has died and her mother became sick, which means that the family's tailoring business has been sold and, as we start the book, Myrtle is heading to work as a maid at Serendipity House in London.  It's here where she meets Lady Sylvia Cartwright who has a passion for drawing dresses and costumes. When Sylvia's sister, Delphine, is distraught at the dress she is due to wear to her debutante ball in a few days time, Sylvia persuades Myrtle that the pair can create the perfect dress for her.  Working through the nights, the pair create the most spectacular dress which creates quite the stir at her ball; so much so that Agapantha Portland-Prince not only wants the girls to create a daring dress for her ball, but also wants them to help her escape her life so she can hunt for new species in the Amazon. But can the girls pull this off without anybody else discovering; after all, Myrtle's job and her dreams could be at stake.

Having been a huge fan of the BBC drama The House of Elliott in the 90s, I was very excited about this book and rightly so!  From the very beginning, readers are treated to a feast of 1920s description, as well as some gorgeous illustrations which will make you want to travel back in time so you can dress in the most decadent outfits.  

This has all the hallmarks of a great historical fiction novel, but with all the glamour of the 1920s also thrown in.  It's set in a time when women were beginning to realise they could make choices for themselves and could lead more independent lives, and the two main characters epitomise this completely.  Whilst Mrytle is having to take a position as a maid in a London house, she dreams of earning enough money to buy her own tailoring business.  She is prepared to work hard and is even earning money making outfits for the other girls who work in the house with her.  She is a strong young lady with a determination that will inspire.  Then there's Sylvia (Lady Sylvia Cartwright) who is bound by the conventions of society but spends her time dreaming of dressing up in costumes and has books of her own designs.  She is fearless and full of spirit, but has so much less than Myrtle to loose; it is her fearlessness that persuades Myrtle to follow both of their dreams.

The setting for this book plays into everything I love about the past: glamour, elegance, beautiful dresses, the richness of society contrasting against those who make it all possible for them behind the scenes.  It's The House of Elliott meets Downton Abbey, meets Katherine Woodfine and Robin Stevens.  There's a thrilling ending to enjoy that will leave you wanting more and I can't wait to discover what the girls get up to next.  The House of Serendipity is guaranteed to be a hit when it's released in June and I can't wait to share it with my class.