Small Wonder - Ross Montgomery

Tick lived a quiet life in the forest with his grandfather and his brother Leaf.. After his grandfather's death, Tick takes over responsibility for the care of his younger brother; after all, his grandfather taught him well how to protect himself and Leaf and this is useful when the Hunter from Drenish arrives at their cabin.  Tick knows he has to flee, so with only their horse Pebble and a knife, the trio head out into the winter forest.  With the Hunter and his hawk on their tail, Tick is intent on getting the trio to the King's Keep, a castle in the mountains where Tick believes they will be safe.  However, time is not on their side as he knows the gates of the castle soon will close as the Drenish draw in.  With danger lurking at every bend, Tick is going to have to draw on all the skills his grandfather taught him if he is to reach his destination safely and on time.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Ross is a versatile writer whose work I always look forward to reading; whether it's scaring me with Christmas Dinner of Souls (which famously kept me awake in a hotel room on my own!), to the magic of Spellstone or the mystery of The Chime Seekers; not to mention his picture books.  I Am Rebel saw him travel back in time and write from the perspective of a dog, and his first novel for adults The Murder At World's End is a triumph.  He is a writer who seems to be able to create magic whenever he puts pen to paper, so I was utterly thrilled to get home from my recent holiday to find a signed copy of Small Wonder waiting for me. I'm sure it will come as no surprise that the book completely by-passed my tbr pile and I began reading it on Sunday evening.

Can I say from the start that the book is just wonderful?  In his foreword, Ross talks about his desire to write a book with a simple story and to tell it well and I can uncategorically say that he has absolutely done that.  Small Wonder (the name his grandfather used for Tick) is an epic adventure of good versus evil and a classic story set in a time when knights and kings ruled their castles and bandits stalked the land.  

Told from Tick's point of view, the book is all about the journey that he and his five year old brother make on their horse, Pebble.  Faced with having to flee the only home they've ever known without warning, Tick needs to rely on all his strength and the lessons his grandfather has taught him (I love that you get his grandfather's voice throughout the book through Tick's memories of what his grandfather had told him).  Danger lurks at every turn and it's impossible for Tick to know who to trust, and readers will find themselves rooting for Tick and willing him on.  He is a character who is both brave and tender, loyal and fierce, but most of all, he's a boy who's simply doing everything he can to keep his brother safe.  

Publishing on the 28th September, Small Wonder is a timeless tale of bravery and finding inner-strength that will have readers desperate for 'just one more chapter'.  My class are going to love it!  

Champions of the Galaxy - Tola Okogwu

 

When a spaceship arrives over the Houses of Parliament in London, everyone expects the worst and a taskforce is set up to make contact; however, they are rather surprised to learn that the Onni are there to help Earth, informing them that they are about to be invaded.  The Onni take 91 children from across the planet to prove that Earth is worthy of their help.

Kola is 12 years old and has, until the invasion, been preparing to be part of the first team from the new UK Space Agency to include a child to head on a 3 month mission to orbit Earth; however everything changed when the Onni arrived.  So he is surprised to discover that he is one of the 91 chosen children.  But can he and the other children prove their worth and save Earth?

TolÁ's Academy of the Sun series is absolutely brilliant and I have been privileged enough to hear TolÁ speak at the Simon and Schuster bloggers brunch in the past so finding Champions of the Galaxy on NetGalley met with sequels of delight last week, especially as it's a sci-fi book and I love a bit of sci-fi.

The book is pacey and the action starts from the very first line:

Usually with sci-fi novels, the plot revolves around aliens descending to invade Earth so I really liked the idea of the Onni being there to help humanity.  

The plot quickly moves to space, to the Onni craft where the children have to prove their worth but the group Kola is put into comprises a group of children who are very different and it quickly becomes apparent that they could lose everything if they don't learn to work together.  It's a fast-paced, action-packed story that readers will struggle to put down.  With a host of fab characters, the book is guaranteed to be a big success with readers as it feels like a new kind of sci-fi and one that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

There are strong themes in the book about understanding people's differences and learning to work together, and about friendship and family which will make wonderful discussion points in school or at home.  

Publishing on the 25th September, Champions of the Galaxy left me desperate for a second instalment!

  

Swanfall - Sophie Kirtley

Pip struggles at school, especially when it comes to concentrating; he's also worried that his best friend is finding new friends.  The one thing Pip loves is nature, particularly birds. As with every winter, Pip is excited about the annual swanfall, a time when the arctic swans make their way back to the wetlands where he lives with his mum.  It's his mum's job, with him, to record the arrival of the birds and catalogue exactly which birds arrive, using their distinctive markings to help.  But this year, Pip's mum is called away and Pip is inadvertently left home alone when the swanfall begins.  And along with it comes a feeling that Pip is being watched.  Something is different and feels wrong and it's going to be up to Pip to discover exactly what is going on.

I love Sophie's books, a quick flick back through my blogs will show you that (in fact, I remember reading The Haunting of Fortune Farm whilst on holiday this time last year, so I was thrilled when I stumbled across Swanfall on NetGalley whilst on holiday last week.  

Sophie has a way of writing books that link so nicely with folklore which gives her stories a timeless fell to them and Swanfall is no exception.  The links with the poems in the book Pip finds, the songs and the legends that are woven into the plot all contribute to creating a novel that will definitely stand the test of time.  

I love Pip as a character, especially his love of nature and the way he embraces what he loves; however, I also like the exploration of friends expanding their friendship circle whilst others feel left behind - it's natural for Pip to worry about Tommo; this is something that happens in school and in life) and it was lovely to see it explored here; it will open up discussions and will help readers to understand that it's ok. 

Swanfall is a beautifully woven story that embraces legend and nature in a plot that will captivate readers.  It's a story about being brave, being yourself and trusting your instincts. 

Publishing, 6th November, Swanfall is the perfect book to curl up with when it's cold and wintery outside. It's another guaranteed hit for Sophie that will warm your heart. 

The Bother With The Bonkillyknock Beast - Karen Foxlee

Mary-Kate is back in her third monster-hunting adventure and this time she's off to stay in a very quiet castle in Scotland with her Granny, so Mary-Kate is convinced that absolutely nothing dangerous can happen there.  However, when she reaches the castle which is located on the edge of a Loch in the village of Bonykillyknock, she discovers that her granny has actually taken her to the 93rd World Society of Monster Hunters' Conference! It isn't long before thing take a turn and Mary-Kate is once again in the thick of things hunting for a monster.

This is such a delightful series and I was thrilled to see Mary-Kate return in a third adventure.  She is such an endearing character and a rather unlikely hero.  Her desire for routine and her anxieties make her a most thoughtful detective and that's what I love about her.  As well as making new friends, she catches up with some familiar characters which is nice to see.

In a world full of violence, terror and war, this series of books is a welcome rest-bite with a gentle feel to them.  They're a big hit in school and I know this one won't be on my office bookshelf for long next term. 

The Last Wish List - Jacqueline Silvester

Life hasn't been the same for Nadia since her best friend, Lizzy, died and she can't even bring herself to tick off much of the wish list Lizzy left for her.  Nobody in her family seems to understand except her Auntie Larrisa. So when Nadia is suspended from school for fighting, Larrisa decides it's time to take action and books Nadia a flight to New York so she can tick off one item on the list (get her pyjamas signed by a godlike pop star).  But things don't quite go as planned, and what should have been a short weekend trip to New York becomes a much longer trip across America.  But maybe this is just what Nadia needs to help her find closure and learn to move on.

The Last Wish List really is just the most heart-warming book that will make you laugh and cry (oh how I cried! All I can say is thank goodness for sun glasses!).  It was a truly gorgeous read and one that will stay with me.

Nadia is having the most awful time: losing your best friend at any age is awful, but as a teenager is just heart-breaking; then factor in that your Russian parents think that the best way to help you is to ignore how you're feeling and carry on as normal... I honestly don't know how she kept going.  Her emotions are bundled up inside her so it's no wonder she gets into trouble at school - something always has to give.  This is what leads to her Auntie Larrisa finally listening to her and bundling her on a plane to New York so she can meet her pop idol and get her pyjamas signed.  But of course, that goes wrong. 

Although she doesn't think it, Nadia is brave. It takes guts to step out of your comfort zone and it takes guts to abandon your plans to travel across America ... guts or a loss of hope.  The trip is unlike anything she's ever done and you know that the consequences when she gets home will be severe (hence her ignoring the millions of messages on her phone).  But this is exactly what she needs to help her heal.  What ensues is a wonderful story of losing yourself in order to find yourself again and I adored everything minute of it.

The Last Wish List is a book a bout grief and learning to accept and live with grief; it's about being brave and taking a leap of faith when you least feel you can; it's about embracing emotions (all of them) and it's about opening up your heart.  Beautifully written, the book sensitively looks at grief as well as mental health issues and family relationships.  It's a wonderful read that will leave you sobbing and uplifted and I adored every page - it's undoubtedly going to be one of my favourite reads of the summer. 

Gloam - Jack MacKay

When Gwen's grandmother dies, she discovers that her house has been left to Gwen and her siblings: Roger, and the twins Hazel and Hester. With their mother having recently died as well, the kids' step-father Henry moves them all to the house, which is located on a quiet island accessed only by a causeway.  With Henry needing to be on the mainland for work, he decides to employ a childminder to look after the children during the day; however, as soon as Esme arrives, Gwen knows something is not right.  The question is can she figure out what and convince her siblings to her way of thinking before it's too late?

Gloam is one of those books that is deceptively but genuinely creepy because for a great part of the story, everything is perfectly believable in a real-life setting.  It's a book that will give you chills and I'm really quite pleased I read it in the sunshine whilst on holiday!

The children have had such an awful time of things, having lost their grandfather, their mother, and their grandmother all in quick succession.  The house should be a safe haven for them and Henry is determined to build that for them, which is why he thinks that hiring Esme is the right thing to do.  Gwen has spent so long looking after her younger siblings that he feels it's time for somebody to take the responsibility from her.  But despite her grief, or perhaps because of it, Gwen is instantly on edge and knows there is something not right when Esme arrives.  

Gloam is ultimately a fight against the monsters under the bed and the daemons in our heads.  It's a story of love and loss, of learning how to grieve, of trusting your instincts and learning how to be brave.  It's creepy and unputdownable, but be warned... it's likely to leave you with a lump in your throat and a tear in you eye (thank-goodness for sunglasses!).

Gloam publishes on the 14th August.  Read it whilst the nights are still light and the monsters don't lurk under your bed!

Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King - Katherine Rundell

When Christopher is called back to the Archipelago to help the dragons, he jumps at the chance and, after scribbling a note for his dad, leaves immediately.

Meanwhile, Anya's life is changing in ways she never thought possible.  When their lives collide, the pair must work together to fight for truth, justice and the fate of the islands and their inhabitants.

Ok, so even writing the synopsis was tricky as I really don't want to give anything away about this book.  Having loved the first book in the series, it was with huge amounts of joy that I found myself able to read an early copy of The Poisoned King.  I knew it would be good (has anything Katherine Rundell has written not been?!) but I have to say that it blew me away and is quite possibly even better than the first book!

As you would expect, the world building is extraordinary and you find yourself completely transported to the Archipelago and immersed in its world.  It was lovely to catch up with familiar characters but also wonderful to meet new ones.  Christopher continued to show his allegiance and commitment to the islands and it was great to see him again, however, for me, Anya stole the show (actually I think Jacques may have done that!).  She is strong, fierce, determined, and loyal in a way that will fill readers with hope.  She is a character that readers are going to love.

The plot itself is completely immersive and I'm so pleased I was able to read the book in only 2 sittings (I started it on a flight and then promptly ignored my family the following day whilst reading it in the sun!).  At the end of term, there were parents and children at school who were rather jealous that I'd been able to read this before its publication date and I can say to them (and indeed everybody) that the book is absolutely worth the wait.  It's a masterpiece in storytelling that will leave readers desperate for book 3 (coming next year) and with a desperate urge to head to Scotland to see if, just maybe, they can find the waybetween themselves.

Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King publishes on the 11th September and is a book you have to pre-order. 

Hero The Highway Girl - Penny Chrimes

Hero is a young girl who has lived a life of luxury; however, all she has wanted is freedom.  She was taken away from her mother as a young child and her grandmother has never shown any love towards her. At her next birthday, her 13th, she will be forced to sign a betrothal which will legally bind her to marrying a stranger, and it is for this reason that she is determined to run away and become a highwayman.  When Jack hijacks her carriage, he is surprised to discover that not only is Hero willing to hand over her jewels, but also insists upon Jack kidnapping her so she can escape and achieve her dream of freedom along with her wolf. But the life of a highwayman is plagued with danger and isn't quite everything Hero thought it would be.  How long can she, Wolf, Jack, and his horse Diablo live this life of freedom?

Told in dual narrative, this is a book that gives you insight into Hero and Jack's perspectives on the plot as it unfolds, and they are very different at times.  Whilst Jack has lived a hard life and has had no choice but to become a highwayman, Hero has lived the life of a 'toff'; whilst her life has had its difficulties, she has had the comfort of money, food and a roof over her head.  The pair have had very different upbringing but both crave companionship and despite their differences, I think this is what keeps them together. 

Hero is a character I know people are going to love - I absolutely adored her! She's fierce, headstrong, determined and hugely resilient.  At a time when women had no voice or power and were brought up to be subservient, she is a breath of fresh air and I found myself willing her on, even when she didn't always get it right.  

Ultimately, this is a gripping adventure about finding yourself, chasing your dreams and finding family in whatever shape that may be.  It's a reminder to fight for truth and never to take people at face value - you never know what's going on behind the scenes.

Publishing on the 4th September, Hero The Highway Girl is a book that will gallop its way into readers' hearts. 

When The Storm Comes - Polly Ho-Yen

Mali finds school tricky, especially since his newly made best friend, Shiyoon, has had to move.  In an attempt to help him, his teacher Ms Devine has signed him up to an after school book group.  Mali is reluctant but has no choice but to attend.  However, things begin to take a downward turn when he discovers that there are only three others in the group and one of them is Petey who regularly bullies him.  Things get even worse when the group realise that the storm that has been raging for the past few days has got steadily worse; so much so that the power goes out leaving them trapped in the library with nobody around to help them.  As flood waters begin to rise, Ms Devine, heavily pregnant, begins to feel twinges.  It's up to Mali, Peter, Jones and Fara to get help.  But can the quartet actually pull together and work as a team when they need to?

I've been a fan of Polly's books since reading The Boy In The Tower when it first published back in 2014, and I was also lucky enough to hear her talk many years ago and can highly recommend her visiting school if you ever get the chance. 

When The Storm Comes is one of those books that I just knew I was going to enjoy before I even opened it so, with much difficulty, I resist reading it until I knew I had the time (whilst on the beach in Biarritz) and I'm pleased I did as a I couldn't put it down and gobbled it up in one sitting!

Mali has had a tricky life, named by his mother who died giving birth to him, he feels plagued by his full name (Amaryllis) and it's only the arrival of Siyoon who helps to change his perspective on things.  When Siyoon is forced to move again after only a brief stint at Mali's school, he regresses and really struggles to find himself again.  We live in a time where families do move to new towns, cities and even countries for work and I see this at my school sometimes, so I liked seeing this perspective in a book.  We often look at this from the point of view of the child who moves but looking at how this affects those who stay behind is interesting and will definitely help children in a similar situation.

Being trapped in school is something I think every child will have imagined so this premis is one that will excite many.  I know whilst reading I found myself wondering where my children would go to forage for food (definitely my office as they know there's always a secret stash of chocolate there!) and considered the events in the book from the perspective of my own school (How would we get out? Where would we go for different items? Which rooms would be best for different aspects of the plot? ...).  The book would be a brilliant daily class read and would definitely provoke discussion.

The four main characters are very different people and seeing their personalities emerge was interesting.  You never know what is happening in people's lives and this book is a good reminder of that.  Again, it will prompt discussion in class.

When The Storm Comes is a book that will grip readers.  Is it a high action thriller? No, but it's real-life setting and believable context is one that will engage readers instantly.  You will absolutely find yourself immersed in the plot and routing for each character for very different reasons.  Is it unputdownable? Absolutely yes!

When The Storm Comes is out now and I loved it, and can't wait to share it with my new class in September. 

The Changeling Child - H.S. Norup

It's time to head back to the land of Faerie to catch up with Alfred and Saga. Mayor Underwood is launching the Underwood Cavern Grand Opening but this will put the Faerie world in danger once again.  Whilst Alfred is able to head back into the land of Faerie, Saga can't, so they are forced to divide in order to thwart the mayor, but this will involve discovering who the land belongs to and putting things to right before the world of Faerie decides to fight back. 

I adored Into The Faerie Hill (you can read my review here) so I was thrilled to discover I could read an early copy of The Changeling Child (it was just what I needed whilst hopping between towns in France!).  It was wonderful to catch-up with Saga and Alfred, and to see them grow further as characters.  Whilst Saga continues to be determined to protect the Faerie land, she has to do it differently this time as heading back is dangerous for her. Alfred, on the other hand, is free to head back in.  He is eager to help but definitely gets side tracked by life beyond the boundaries and discovering more about himself. Although the pair are still strong in their friendship and joined in their determination to protect Faerie, I really liked seeing Alfred exploring more of his heritage (and I liked the dual perspective of the chapters for this too). 

There are twists within the book that will definitely raise eyebrows and the plot is one that turns pages as magic once again meets reality.  As with Into The Faeire Hill, The Changeling Child has environmental messages woven through the plot and examines family in various different guises (which I loved) and, of course friendship.

It's been a really privilege to shout about Helle's books; they are always wonderful reads and are popular in school, so it was an honour to have found my name in the acknowledgements - thank-you, Helle. 

Publishing on the 14th August The Changeling Child is a wonderful sequel to Into The Faerie Hill; I sincerely hope there will be more to come from Saga and Alfred. 

Fear Files: Hide And Seek - Christopher Edge

Adam really isn't enjoying his camping trip with Sol and his family: what he thought was going to be a glamping weekend turned out to be a night or two in a dingy tent where he couldn't sleep. So Adam suggests walking to the nearby village  which turns out to be no better as it's apparently deserted. But when he suggests a game of hide and seek to Sol, Adam gets far more than he bargained for.

Oh my goodness, this book is aptly named! There is something incredibly spooky about it that means fear and apprehension lurks at the turn of ever page.

With the book put together as the first case in Darkdive, a database for first hand accounts of unusual experiences, the book catalogues Adam's account of his game of hide and seek.  I really don't want to give anything away so I'm not going to say too much more about the plot. What I will say though, is that I would hate to be in Adam's shoes; nothing seemed to make sense but everything felt so horriblly real and believable at the same time. I could feel my heart-rate rising just reading the book and the element of the unknown really does build the tension.

I love Christopher's books for the elements of science and the way he can twist plots to really make readers question their opinions and their understanding of what's happening, and Fear Files absolutely does this again.  I finished the book just before lunch and I was still lost in Adam's world hours later, mulling over the events and trying to come up with an answer to what actually happened! 

Publishing 25th September, Fear Files: Hide and Seek will certainly grip you and will absolutely make you think differently about a game you no doubt played countless times as a child.  Perfect for fans of Dan Smith and Jennifer Killick, I'm already excited for the next book in the series.     

How To Get Magically Popular - Radhika Sanghani

Sabina has just moved from central London to a small village so her mum can set-up her own beauty business.  However, Sabina is finding the move much trickier than she expected, especially trying to fit in at her new school, Marston Girls' School, where everybody seems so very different to her. She's also missing her best friends, Harry and Ria, terribly.  So when a meditation class leads to Sabina discovering she has psychic powers, she quickly becomes the most popular girl in school but even then, things don't seem to be working out quite how she expected.  The question is, can she sort things out before it's too late?

This is a wonderfully readable story about friendship and learning to be yourself, and I just know that children in my school are going to devour it when they get their hands on my copy next term.  

Like The Girl Who Couldn't Lie ( you can read my review here), How To Get Magically Popular takes an ordinary school girl and looks at what happens when something quite out of the ordinary happens to her (it was lovely to see a subtle nod to TGWCL in this book).  It incorporates family life with negotiating friendships and school which are things readers will find very relatable. 

Sabina feels that everything has changed for her, and right now she doesn't feel it's for the best. With Freya she finds somebody she can be herslef with, but then the lure of popularity rears its head when the Leeshes notice her, but is their friendship real or are they just using her?  The book would make a brilliant reading for pleasure book in my Y6 class next term and would definitely spark some interesting discussions.   

Publishing in the 14th August, How To Get Magically Popular is a book about friendship, family and finding out how to be true to yourself, and I loved it!

Bury Your Friends -Benjamin Dean

Woodthorn Academy is a school full of elite teenagers, including children of the Prime Minister, children of famous actors, and even a budding tennis star destined for Wimbeldon.  A summer party results in two of the students, Noah and Patrick, going missing,  but Noah reappears several days later, in dramatic fashion at a memorial service for Patrick, with no recollection of what happened.

Despite Patrick still being missing, the rest of the group decide to go ahead with their A-level results party at the country house of the now ex-prime minister. However, during the evening, it becomes clear that things are about to take a very dramatic turn for the worst when they discover a killer in the grounds of the house; one who has control of the central electronic operating system for the house, and who is demanding that the friends evict one person every hour or someone inside the house will die.  Suddenly, the party atmosphere is gone and everyone is fighting for their lives. With no phone signal and no way out, how many will survive until morning?

I have to admit that I'm a little biased when it comes to Benjamin Dean's books, especially his YA novels as I absolutely love them. Finding Bury Your Friends on Netgalley was a huge plus for me, especially as it fell at the start of my holiday so I could read it almost uninterrupted round the pool!

The book is a dark and brilliantly gripping who done it with great dollop of scandal and twists thrown in for good measure (imagine Made In Chelsea on a murder weekend!).  The ten friends realise that this could be their last hurrah together before they all go their separate ways so had planned to reveal their results and onward plans together at a dinner at the country pad of triplets Hugo, Verity and Wim, whose father just happens to have been Prine Minister until a recently leaked video of Wim forced him to resign.  Although Patrick remains a missing person, the group are determined to go ahead with the celebrations.  There is money in this group (with the exception of Noah who won a scholarship to the school) and this is evident from the start.  Their privilege oozes from the page in and there are characters you will love, and definitely some readers will find themselves shouting at!

The book is gripping and creepy, and you never know quite what's going to happen.

Once the 'game' has begun things ramp up and you definitely won't want to put the book down but equally may find yourself reading from behind one hand whilst screaming at the characters on he page!  With elements of humour woven in, this is a book that will enthral and captivate readers in equal measure. 

However, it's not one to read in a house alone on a dark night unless you're feeling brave.

Publishing on the 14th August (just in time for readers to gobble it up before A-level results day!) , Bury Your Friends is another guaranteed hit for Benjamin Dean... just don't read it alone in the dark!