Starboard - Nicola Skinner

I am a big fan of Bloom and Storm, so the thought of a third book from Nicola Skinner filled me with joy.  Then I was invited to review the book, which meant that I got my hands on an early copy and also got the opportunity to host Nicola, who has written a special piece for me about the SS Great Britain!  How lucky am I?!

So, here's my review, followed by Nicola's piece on the inspiration for Starboard.

Kirsten Brambles is an eleven year old pupil at Brimmerton Primary School in Bristol; she also happens to be the star of a popular reality TV show, where she is looking for true love for her adopted dad.  A school trip takes Kirsten and her class to visit the SS Great Britain, a once magnificent ship built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel; however, things don't go quite as Kirsten or her ex-best friend Olive had expected, and the pair find themselves thrown back together on the ship as it comes to life and sails out of dry dock and straight out to sea.  With the ship talking to Kirsten, mannequins coming to life and a map writing messages about where they are heading, it's up to the girls to discover why this is all happening.

Starboard is a book that will sweep you away from the very beginning with its imaginative and unusual plot.  From Bristol to the Falkland Islands via New York, this is a voyage with a difference as, along with Kirsten and Olive, the main characters are actually inanimate objects.  Having typed that, I actually feel quite bad using those words as you very quickly forget their status and see them as the living, breathing beings that they are.  By the end of the book, I felt that I really knew them as people and, in fact, can safely say that they stole the show!  Flatty is the most magical map (with just the right amount of attitude) and I have to give a nod to the captain's chair (is it wrong that I want to hug it?!)  But the real star (apologies to Kirsten!) is the ship herself, the SS Great Britain - majestic and wise but with so many hidden depths (and a few secrets), she'll make you dare to hope, she'll make you cry but, most of all, she'll make you fall in love with her. 

With a nod to the illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino, Starboard is a wonderful adventure of hope, friendship and finding yourself when you think you are lost at sea, and I'm sending thought telegrams to you all to tell you to go out and buy a copy, and a special thought telegram to Nicola to say thank-you for writing yet another brilliant book.

Now, find out exactly why Nicola was inspired to write about the SS Great Britain...

When I first clapped eyes on the most beautiful ship known to humanity (not hyperbole, FACT) and decided to write a children’s book about her, did I have any idea she’d be a perfect icon of survival for these troubled times?

No.

Yet was it inevitable she’d inspire me, every day, to keep going, given how clearly amazing she is?

Yes.

Can I stop asking myself theoretical questions and get to the point, given I only have a few hundred words for this post?

I can try.

When the SS Great Britain was designed in the mid 19^th century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel created her to be the most perfect ship of all time.

And she was – for a bit.

But the world doesn’t always know how to treat its superstars, and it didn’t take long for her to be mismanaged, grow shabbier. After serving her country for forty years, she was damaged in a storm and dragged to the Falkland Islands where – (wobbly lip) – she was not repaired. She was mutilated.

This is where I start to cry, look away now.

She was stripped of anything that might turn a profit – sails, wood, fittings – then dragged to a lonely cove, scuttled, and left to rot.

She did not rot.

She held on; wrecked, damaged, neglected – but she endured. Partly, I think, because she had been built and designed with so much love. It was impossible for her to fully collapse. But also because I think some mysterious power kept her intact; like the universe knew her time wasn’t quite up.

In 1967, a group of people came together and decided, with a fierce and admirable conviction, to join forces and bring her back to Bristol, the city where she had been built.  With funding from philanthropist Jack Hayward and the concerted efforts of salvage experts, her wreck was lifted from the sand and carefully taken the 8,000 miles back to the city of Bristol, her home.

Here she was restored entirely. Now she is as beautiful as the day she was launched – if not more so, because she looks like such a survivor.  

              I find it astonishing that a ship should make me feel so emotional but in 2021, her story is the one I cling to for hope. I think about her eighty years of decline out in the Falklands and the people who believed she deserved to be rescued, and how this belief spread, and made the impossible finally possible.

As we emerge, limping, from the strangest twelve months, it’s easy to feel wrecked and washed up too. Covid has crowbarred some pretty gaping holes into all our lives. But I am confident we can repair our world and what matters.  One day, we will be restored. The SS Great Britain did not break, and neither will we. 

Starboard is published in hardback on the 1st April.

My huge thanks go to Jessica Dean at Harper Collins for this opportunity.

Digger and Me - Ros Roberts

 

James is trying to navigate a world where his parents are divorced and have new partners and in school, his class are on their third teacher of the year.  Digger, his dog, is the one thing he can rely on and is his best friend.  However, when he finds a lump on Digger's leg, things become very different. James becomes terrified that Digger will end up dying like his Uncle. 

James lives with his Mum but struggles with her partner Dave, who seems to have moved in and doesn't seem to like Digger as much - he's no longer allowed to sit under the table during dinner and James really resents that.  He knows that things are strained between his parents and, much as he wants to spend time with his dad, he knows that his mum finds it difficult; add to that that his Dad's new partner, Kathy, doesn't seem to want to spend much time with him, and he has much to navigate.  Digger is a much needed constant in his life so finding the lump is a terrible blow to him.  He is terrified.

At school, the class are getting used to yet another new teacher; however, it quickly becomes apparent that Mr Froggatt is different from their previous teachers, using poetry as a way to get to know the children, to allow them to think about themselves more, and his 'no pressure to share' means that the children don't feel any pressure. The use of poetry throughout the book is lovely and the whole idea of the poetry book homework is one I particularly like and one I may try with my class!  He has a relaxed manner with the class but they know exactly where they are with him - he is a great character!

Digger and Me covers a host of topics that will be relevant to many children: parental divorce, changing teachers, grief, illness of a pet, and is perfect for fans of Carlie Sorosiak.

Released on 13th May, I can't wait to share this with my class (it will go in to school on Monday and I know it will be snapped up as soon as it leaves the necessary quarantine period!

Twitch - M.G. Leonard

 

Twitch, as his name suggests, is a keen bird watcher, which doesn't make him overly popular at school.  In fact, he counts his pet pigeons and chickens as his friends, and plans to spend his summer holidays at his makeshift hide in Aves Wood, spotting kingfishers and other local birds. His plans don't start well though when he finds Jack and a group of boys from school threatening to kill a pigeon. Unable to walk past, Twitch steps in but suffers the consequences and is about to be force-fed a worm when Billy steps in. A burly man who has come from nowhere, he rescues Twitch and the pair get talking about bird watching - what luck that Billy also likes to watch birds and just happens to be looking for somewhere quiet to stay. The following day, Twitch heads to Aves Woods but his bird-watching plans are scuppered as Robber Ryan has escaped from prison and is reportedly hiding out in the woods.  Consequently, the police are swarming all over the place, scaring off the birds. Far from being scared off, Twitch decides that his bird-watching skills could be useful in more ways than one in helping the police to catch Ryan, but will he be successful and who are the girls he keeps seeing?

This is a wonderful book for so many reasons: it's written by M.G. Leonard and I've loved all of her books so far (in fact O wrote a review for Beetle Boy that appeared in the window of Watertsones Newcastle for a month so we have a real soft spot for all Maya's books!); it has a main character that you are going to just love and the ending ... oh, just wait till you get to the ending!!!  It's Enid Blyton meets Bugsy Malone and you'll not want it to finish!!!

Twitch (Corvus Featerstone), as a main character, is somebody you are going to warm to! His love of birds is his passion and he isn't afraid to be himself. Despite being bullied, he won't walk away when the bullies are in trouble; he is trusting and just seems to want to see the best in people; but above all else, he cares about people and animals. He's the sort of person you want to get to know and you'll be sad to say goodbye to at the end of the book.

As well as a celebration of nature, this book is a wonderful adventure that will keep you guessing as to what is behind characters' actions - are people hiding things?  Is that little voice at the back of Twitch's head right? And what on earth will happen in the end?  The book will leave you wondering but I have to say that the ending is truly superb! You'll want to jump into the pages and join in!

From a teacher's point of view, I can see this book being a wonderful class reader: be it simply as a book to read for pleasure to your class, or one to use as a basis of a unit of work - there are so many possibilities and I found myself thinking about different writing opportunities and discussion points right the way through.

UPDATE: Since writing this blog in March, Twitch has become quite the talked about book in school!  The proof copy has been read by a few of my book group and feedback meant that my class chose it as their current book I read to them for pleasure.  When they heard I was taking part in this blog tour, they were very keen to give their opinions and many of them decided to pretend they were writing a quote for the front of the book!  Here's what they had to say:

'Twitch is an exciting book filled with mountains of surprises.'

'Twitch is a different book with an amazing storyline.  If you like birds, mysteries and laughs, this is the book for you.'

'I like all the different birds in Twitch.'

'I love this book!  It's full of nature, action and love, showing how people can get along, no matter what.'

'I like how, in the book, it doesn't go straight to the action and provides a bit of backstory.'

'I like Twitch because the storyline is very creative and it comes with a strong meaning.'

'Twitch is inspiring people to help life and save the animals.'

'I love how you can try and figure out who Robber Ryan is without reaching the end.'

'I like Twitch because the author gives each bird a personality and also puts in a bit of mystery with Robber Ryan being on the loose.'

'I love the tension in this book.'

'I really like the book Twitch because it is very adventurous and is just a really good book.'

'I am enjoying Twitch because of the suspense of the girls, Robber Ryan and the 5 million pounds.'

'I enjoy Twitch because it's an adventure with a twist of mystery.'

'Twitch is filled with excitement and bird facts and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in birds and adventure!'

'I am enjoying this book because they are making friends and looking for 5 million pounds.'

'I am really enjoying this books as it is quite suspenseful.' 

And finally, from me, their teacher: 'In short, this is another master-piece from the wonder that is MG Leonard.'

Harley Hitch and the Iron Forest - Vashti Hardy

 I'm a big Vashti Hardy fan so news of a book for slightly younger readers caused me much excitement; especially when an early copy arrived at home (many, many thanks to Harriett at Scholastic for that!).

Harley Hitch lives in Forgetown, which is part of the city of Inventia where mechanics, robots and inventing are part of daily life.  Harley is full of good intentions, so when the first lesson of the new school year involves designing and building miniature working models of a new watermill for Rusty River, she is determined to do the best she can - after all, she is desperate to be awarded the prestigious honour of being Pupil of the Term. She reluctantly teams up with new student Cosmo and their design looks to be one of the best until it explodes and Harley realises that her classmate, Fenelda ( who was last term's Pupil of the Term, ad is desperate to repeat the honour) hands Harley liquid fire instead of  liquid light.  As a result, Harley and Cosmo are forced to spend after school in detention, in the Iron Forest, collecting cogs, and it's here that they discover what appears to be a new fungus growing on one of the trees.  Excited, they rush home to tell Harley's two grandpas, who suggest they tell their teacher the following day.  This results in a trip to the Iron Forest where the class discover that the fungus has grown quite alarmingly over night, and if the forest is in danger then the mechanical parts that everyone needs are also in danger.  Whilst their teacher reports the issue to the Horticultural Society of Forgetown, Harley decides that this is the perfect opportunity to prove her worth as Pupil of the Term and sets about trying to rid the forest of the fungus herself. But will her efforts succeed or will she just end up in more trouble?

Harley really is a rather wonderful character: from the second we meet her, you see that she is well-meaning, trying desperately to make it to school without being late; however things seem to always conspire against her.  Combine that with her individual dress style (who wouldn't want to adapt your outfits so you can carry useful tools?) and you have a brilliant character. I also like her imperfections though: she makes mistakes, she's often impulsive and she definitely gets things wrong!  She realises, sometimes, when she needs to ask for help and when she needs to apologise.  In short, she's human and readers will warm to her immediately - I know I did!  Cosmo; however, is rather the opposite: very neat, rather quiet (probably shy on his first day), determined to make a good impression and keen not to upset his mum.  Together, they make a great pair, even when they aren't speaking to each other!

The world that Vashti has created here is simply wonderful!  (although I shouldn't be surprised having read her previous books!). The entire place is based upon technology and the robots are rather wonderful. Harley's pet, Sprocket, is just a delight and has his own huge personality, so much so that you may forget he's a robot! I particularly love the modifications that allow him to bring Harley a cupcake at the end of the day!  And, please, if I ask nicely and promise to be polite to it, can I have my own tidy-bot, please?! The STEM theme that runs through the book, as well as the female characters taking the lead in technological creations, is bound to inspire young, female readers, and I love that!

Ooh, and I have to mention the illustrations by George Ermos, which are just a joy to find dotted throughout the book.  And please ... that map at the beginning ... I love it!

With messages about friendship, learning from your mistakes and not giving up, this is a great adventure that will introduce younger readers to the wonderful writing of Vashti Hardy and I can't wait to see what Harley, Cosmo and Sprocket get up to next!

The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne - Jonathan Stroud

The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne is set in a future England where cities are not as we know them: many have been wiped out and London has become fragmented by a lagoon filled with dangerous creatures. Outlaws and fortified towns are the order of the day and every town runs on its own strict rules - fall foul of those and you will be persecuted, or even killed. It's everyone for themselves and this is how we are introduced to Scarlett McCain, the main character who survives by robbing banks, being ruthless with her weapons and being self-sufficient ... and then she stumbles across Albert Browne who, at first, seems to be a rather naïve young lad who has survived a brutal crash and doesn't appear to stand a chance of survival on his own.  Scarlett agrees to get him to the nearest town but, as they get to know each other, can they go their separate ways?  And what secrets is Albert harbouring?

Stroud builds a world that is very different from the one we know today and there's a strong feel of the wild west about it: lawlessness, fortified towns where laws are localised and cages in the centre for those who break those laws.  Gun slinging and banks heists are common-place; yet there's also an element of the future hidden in there as well. I don't want to give too much away but there are creatures lurking in lagoons; people with secrets they don't want to reveal and evolved beasts that lurk in the shadows.

Scarlett is a fiercely independent young woman who relies on nobody but herself. She is adept with both a knife and a gun, and sassy enough to waltz into a bank and steal their money. She reacts on instincts and knows where she is going. In short, she is surviving in a world that's very different to ours in the only way she knows how: by never looking back.  In contrast, there's Albert Browne who Scarlett stumbles on, hiding in a toilet after his coach has been attacked. He seems weak and unable to fend for himself and relies heavily on Scarlett, but the more I got to know him, the more he grew on me, in particular his ability to make me chuckle. His attitude and speech will make you smile.

Fast-paced and gripping, this is an action-packed adventure that is the very thing the YA market is crying out for. The leap from MG to YA is a difficult one as the majority of YA seems to be romance based.  This is going to tap into that missing link in the YA market.

O's Additional Opinions:

From the start, I enjoyed the independence and resourcefulness of Scarlett, and her perseverance was especially prominent throughout the novel. I think her principles are definitely things to be copied and replicated in the real world, just not in the way she carries them out! Her level-headedness helped her out in tricky situations as well. This was useful, especially with Albert in tow! Scarlett will definitely be a role model for independent children everywhere, but also for those lacking confidence.  As a teenager, I loved having something different to read and this novel, as Mum has already said, will fill a big gap in the market. A book that will be enjoyed by many.

Due to release 1st April.

When The Sky Falls - Phil Earle

 

WWII is raging and whilst most children are being evacuated to the countryside, Joseph is being sent to the city by his grandma who can no longer cope with his angry outbursts.  There he moves in with Mrs F, a woman who spends all her time trying to maintain the rundown zoo that she owns, in particular Adonis, a silverback gorilla.  Sent to the local school, he meets Syd, who also helps Mrs F out at the zoo, and who is keen to help Joseph when the others in the class begin to bully him.  You see, although Joseph's maths skills are beyond his years, he struggles to read as the words dance across the page every time he tries.  Mrs F is determined that Joseph will help out at the zoo and reluctantly he begins his quest to find food for the animals, especially for Adonis.  But with Hitler's bombs raining down every night, Mrs F gets no rest as she needs to be at the zoo to protect the animals. As the weeks pass, Joseph and Adonis grow closer and he quickly becomes the friend Joseph's never had. But what will happen if the bombs directly hit the zoo?

Now I'm partial to a WWII book so when When The Sky Falls dropped through the door I was intrigued, especially as it's based on a true story.  Although the book never actually states which city it's is set in, I imagine it to be London and you soon appreciate what people must have gone through during the Blitz.  Night after sleepless night of bombing, not knowing whether their house (or zoo) would still be standing in the morning. Having to carry on despite the exhaustion because you know everybody's in the same boat, all the while, struggling to get food for the table, let alone food to feed animals in a zoo that's had to close. Life was hard and the book clearly illustrates that but the joy of this book is the relationships that are portrayed throughout the story: Joseph and Mrs F, Joseph and Syd, but most of all Joseph and Adonis.

Joseph clearly hasn't had an easy live (did anybody growing up during WWII?): his mum left and his dad is fighting abroad, so it's up to his grandma to look after him. Full of anger and convinced that nobody really wants him, he is sent to live with Mrs F in the hope that she can help. I feel so much for Joseph: it's clear that he wants and needs love and attention but is terrified to let anybody in; anger is his defence and his automatic go-to, which just ends up getting him into more trouble, especially at school. He is obviously dyslexic in a time when this was unheard of and when nobody knew how to help. For My Gryce, the headteacher, the answer to everything is Clarence (his cane) and there was more than one occasion when I wanted to reach into the book and do horrible things to him and his cane! At first, Joseph's incredibly reluctant to help out at the zoo, but, as his friendship with Adonis grows, that changes.  And it's this friendship that is the key to everything in the book. Adonis is grieving the death of his daughter and the fact that his partner has been rehoused elsewhere, which means that he doesn't behave in the way he normally would. Terrified of him at first, Joseph begins to develop the friendship more out of defiance (he isn't prepared to let his fear get the better of him).  There are some truly touching moments between the pair at various points in the story and, at times, it's easy to forget he's a gorilla and not human.  

Although Joseph is the main character in the book, and your heart will go out to him on many occasions, it's Adonis who is the star. Rarely has a character in a book been able to say so much without ever uttering a word.  His mannerisms, behaviour and emotions show him to be so much more than an animal and the bond that builds between the pair is truly touching - the scene at the end of chapter 38 will warm even the hardest of hearts (I defy you not to shed a tear or two).

I have also also mention Mrs F, who is a force to be reckoned with. Her no-nonsense approach to Joseph (and indeed it seems to everything in life) at first rubs him up the wrong way, but with time, they begin to get along. She's obviously struggling with many things, not least of which trying to keep the animals fed and safe at an incredibly dangerous time. It's clear for everyone to see that she is devoted to the animals and her zoo, but Adonis seems to hold a special place in her heart, which is why she spends every air-raid at the zoo instead of in a shelter. She is dedicated to her cause but also to those around her. But she also has secrets she's keeping...

This is a truly wonderful and powerful book that is beautifully written and covers some weighty topics in a sensitive way. Death, grief, bullying and the upheaval of war are all tackled expertly in a must-read story that shows us that friendship can be found in the most unlikely of places and creatures. When The Sky Falls is an emotional rollercoaster of a read that will take your breath away and leave you hugging the book at the end (and, yes, Phil, you made me cry!)

Due for release in June, I cannot urge you enough to pre-order this book.

How To Be Brave - Daisy May Johnson

 

Elizabeth North had an unusual childhood: after the sudden death of her parents, she was sent to The School of the Good Sisters, a boarding school where she adopts a duck, nurses it back to health and then releases it back to the wild. This starts her love of ducks and she dedicates her life to researching them. As an adult, however, this means that she has trouble making ends meet which means that there are days when she and her daughter Calla have to visit the food bank to eat and use candles to light their home.  So when Elizabeth suddenly gets a job offer involving ducks that will solve all their financial problems, she jumps at the chance, and, much as she will miss Calla, she knows exactly where she has to send her: The School of the Good Sisters. Everything seems to be working out perfectly until Calla arrives at the school and things don't seem to be as perfect as Elizabeth portrayed them.  Then, when Elizabeth goes missing and the head teacher seems to be changing the school completely, Calla decides that she needs to take action.

How To Be Brave is a slightly different take on a girls' boarding school story: it has everything you would want from a boarding school: dormitories, hidden passages to creep along, rooftops where you can have midnight feasts, but it also has the most evil head teacher who will stop at nothing to get what she wants - can you believe she even bans fiction books?! However, the other nuns at the school are rather different to the nuns you may expect: they are happy to organise clandestine book deliveries; have a constant supply of biscuits and teach aircraft maintenance - they made me wish I'd been to boarding school!  

Although flighty Elizabeth is initially the main character in the book, it's her daughter Calla who who is actually the protagonist and, in complete contrast, is a sensible, determined and rather independent young lady. Along with a group of like-minded girls she meets at the school (Edie is très magnifique!), they help create quite the adventure within the confines of the school grounds.

It would be remiss of me not to make mention of the use of footnotes within the novel; something I don't think I've ever come across in MG fiction but enjoyed.  They help to add to the humour that runs through the book and also enhance the narrator's voice - the rather exuberant Good Sister June whom I loved!

All in all, How To Be Brave is a great adventure for those who love a good boarding school story. There is a traditional feel to the story but with a modern twist. Throughout, the theme of good versus evil is evident but there are also themes of family struggle, grief, bravery and friendship all perfectly wrapped up within the pages. Perfect for fans of Robin Stevens, this is a heart-warmingly funny book that will make a wonderful new series (will there be more?  I hope so!)