Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780733642517.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: Thriller, Kidnapping, Murder,
Mystery and suspense. What a roller-coaster of a ride is The chain,
which has a thrilling and unique plot line: Listen carefully . . .
Your child has been kidnapped.
You must abduct someone else's child to save your own.
Disobey. Break the rules. Go to the cops. Your child will die.
Your victim's parents must kidnap another child before yours is
released.
You are now part of the chain. (Publisher).
Rachel Klien is recovering from cancer and a divorce when she is
told that her 13 year old daughter Kylie, has been kidnapped and she
is now part of The Chain. Unless she finds the ransom and kidnaps
another child Kylie will be killed and dreadful things will happen
to anyone she loves. Can she survive the recurrence of her breast
cancer and rescue Kylie?
McKinty has written a riveting and unique plot that will keep any
reader on the edge of the seat through the tense machinations of the
evil people who operate The Chain. Many readers will be familiar
with the idea of a chain letter from their youth, and the belief
that bad luck will follow if the chain is broken, and this idea
translates well into an unusual plot. It is very difficult to
predict what is going to happen next with McKinty adding many
unexpected twists and turns into the story.
McKinty's characters are very relatable. Rachel's hard time with
cancer and a divorce are easy to identify with, and the strength
that she has is great when she does decide that she will have to
break The chain. Her daughter Kylie is strong and feisty as well and
Pete, a recovering drug addict, proves that he can help out when he
has to.
A very compulsive and enjoyable crime story that lovers of mystery
and suspense are sure to enjoy.
Pat Pledger
Where are the five frogs, Spot?: A numbers book by Eric Hill
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241383964.
(Age:1-4) Recommended. Boardbook. Themes: Counting, Numbers. With
the addition of felt flaps for little hands, this numbers book is a
bright addition to counting books for the very young. Spot has lost
his five friends the frogs, and is trying to find them. He looks
behind the gate, but there is 1 duck with 2 ducklings, behind the
log are 3 nibbling rabbits, 4 chirping birds behind the bush to
finally 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 frogs splashing in the pond.
The left page contains simple text in large, bold black print asking
who is hiding and the right side of the page has a felt flap that
lifts up or across to show what is behind it. The felt is easy to
manoeuvre for little fingers and is coloured in rich tones, giving
the reader an opportunity to learn colours as well as have fun
lifting the flap. The pages are painted in scenes of purples and
lilac, orange and brown, tones of greens and blues giving lots of
occasions for the young child to learn that there are different
shades of colours and perhaps learn new names for them (aqua blue
and emerald green).
Young readers will also be introduced to new vocabulary, 'nibbling
ribbbeting' rabbits, 'chirping birds' and 'splish, splashing' frogs.
This is a brilliant boardbook, robust and strong, which is ideal for
learning both counting and colours and will be appreciated by fans
of Spot and those new to the character. Sure to become a favourite
with the young child.
Pat Pledger
Dolores by Lauren Aimee Curtis
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781474611930.
(Age: 16+) Recommended.Themes: Identity, Sexuality,
Convent life, Suffering. Dolores is written by an
Australian author but the book has a distinctly European feel to
it. It tells the story of a young girl who turns up at a convent
in Spain with a lace tablecloth pinned to her head and a Bible in
her hands, then faints at the gates. This is the beginning of the
story, but as the nuns take her in, and she adjusts to the austere
life, we gradually learn about her past and how she has come to
this point.
It is a tale told with a strange detachment as though recounted
from the outside - almost cinematic, as Dolores describes the
scenes and where people stood and what they did. We guess at the
emotions that are suppressed, of the yearning of unrequited love,
and the loss of a sense of self.
Yet Dolores is a strong person - she changes from being the person
who seems to drift with whatever happens to her, and finds a way
to shape her own life.
It is an unusual story, the language spare but poetic, and the
reader is drawn in, intrigued to find where it leads. It is not
much more than a short story, a novella - Curtis has previously
written short stories - but it is intense and stays in the mind
long after reading. I am sure that readers of this work will be
searching out more from this author.
Helen Eddy
Everest by Sangma Francis
Illus. by Lisk Feng. Flying Eye Books, 2018. ISBN: 9781911171430.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Themes: Mount Everest, Mountains,
Environment, Climbing. Everything you ned to know about the
magnificent Mount Everest is told within the covers of this highly
readable book. Aimed at mid to upper primary, as an older adult, I
found it riveting, using the contents pages to go back and glean
further bits of information, following the references given to find
out more and reading the glossary enthusiastically. I missed having
an index. From its start 300 million years ago when the huge land
mass, Pangaea was formed, to 50 million years ago when the Eurasian
and Asian continents pushed against each other to form the Himalayan
Mountains, the history of Mount Everest makes fascinating reading.
Supported with lots of diagrams, illustrations and maps, the book is
informative and highly illustrated.
Chapters on the mountain's environment includes facts about the
flora and fauna, and this then goes on to what lures climbers to try
to climb the mountain. Readers will find lots of stories of the
attempts to climb Everest plus a short story about the first
climbers who made it, and a fascinating double page about inventions
that have been made for climbers on this mountain. The trail taken
by most of the climbers is detailed, followed by several pages
looking at the mess they leave behind, now a problem which other
people have to clean up.
For people like me who wanted to know about deaths on Everest see here
for the story of the 200 plus bodies left on the mountain. The
mountain's part within the two religions of Buddhism and Hinduism is
outlined as is the part played by the Sherpa, a Buddhist group of
people who live in the Khumbu Valley and have led many expeditions
to the mountain because of their extraordinary skills at surviving
all that happens there. A double page is devoted to the Story of
Shambhal, while the myth of the Yeti is also discussed.
All in all a fascinating and informative read, one the holds
interest with its stories and illustrations. I can imagine many mid
to upper primary people poring over it.
Fran Knight
The Queen's resistance by Rebecca Ross
The Queen's Rising book 2. HarperCollins Children's Books,
2019. ISBN: 9780008246013.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Themes: Fantasy, Coming of age,
Conspiracies, Betrayals, Dissent. I loved The
Queen's rising and its sequel is equally as riveting. Brienna
and Cartier, now known as Aodhan Morgane, must take up new roles and
responsibilities as Queen Isolde takes on the reins of ruling
Maevana, and metes out punishment to the Lannons, the family that
had ruled so unjustly. The Queen's resistance is different to many fantasy sequels
in that it concentrates on the difficulties of restoring justice to
the land and the problems that a new ruler faces after overthrowing
a tyrant. The great moral dilemma of whether all the Lannons should
be executed for treason (even the children) is one that is faced by
the Queen and her entourage and raises tricky questions of whether
everyone should be judged on their bloodlines and whether children
have been forced to act in evil ways by their parents. There are
scenes of dark dungeons and it is not difficult to imagine the
torture that has occurred in the cells deep underground.
Brienna faces the challenge of fitting into the MacQuinn household
when there are whispers about her background. She must prove herself
worthy of the MacQuinns and of her Queen's trust. Cartier too faces
difficult times especially as he has taken an orphan boy, Tomas,
under his wing and put his trust in him. Brienna and Aodhan's
feelings continue to bloom although having time to spend together is
almost impossible with Brienna's duties to the Queen and Cartier's
rebuilding of his estate.
The story is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of
Brienna and Cartier and the reader will find the action described
engrossing and the tasks that face them often seem herculean. The
notion of the traditional family is questioned as Brienna is taken
in by the MacQuinns and Cartier is prepared to look after a homeless
boy.
Even though the first book, The Queen's rising, could easily
be read as a stand-alone and will be enjoyed by fantasy lovers, The
Queen's resistance makes a fascinating and engrossing sequel.
Pat Pledger
I don't want to be small by Laura Ellen Anderson
Bloomsbury 2019. ISBN: 9781408894064.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Size, Difference, Body image. With the word
'small' in large letters on the front cover and a small boy
measuring himself with a frazzled look on his face, children picking
up this book will know it's about a boy who is displeased about his
size.
In rhyming lines, the boy tells us of his problem, being so small
that his friends forget him, or that he is not allowed to go on the
bigger rides at the fair. He is so cross that he throws his bear up
into the air and it becomes stuck on a higher branch of the tree.
Now he is really cross that he is short, because no matter what he
does, he cannot reach his bear. He tries a long stick and stands on
a box. He ties his socks together to make a rope, even eats all his
greens and then gets into a flower to to see if he can grow quickly
like a plant. But nothing works.
A taller girl comes by and offers to help get the teddy out of the
tree, but even she is not tall enough. They have an idea, and the
boy gets onto her shoulders with just enough reach to get the bear.
Together they have solved the problem and worked out how he can be
taller. A story promoting satisfaction with what you are, of loving
who and what you are, will be a great discussion starter in schools,
where body image is often talked of. A charming tale too of
supporting each other, of two people able to solve a problem
together, will also initiate discussion. The funny illustrations,
like those in her first book, I
don't want curly hair (2017) will cause readers to laugh
out loud while reading.
Fran Knight
Bear out there by Jacob Grant
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781526607416.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Friendship, Difference. Bear
just loves being at home, where he can spend the day cleaning his
house and then sit in an easy arm chair reading a book and having a
nice cup of tea. His friend, Spider, on the other hand, loves the
outdoors. He makes kites and needs to go out into the wind to fly
them. But one day his kite is lost. He asks Bear to help him find
the kite. Bear is not sure, he tells Spider that although he wants
to help him find his kite, he does not like the forest. He does not
like the dirty ground or the prickly plants and pesky bugs, but he
still goes with Spider on his quest. The forest with its noise does
not appeal to Bear and when it starts to rain he is even less happy.
He determines that he will go back home to his easy chair and cup of
tea, but seeing Spider's dejected look, decides that he will keep
looking. When the sun comes out he finds the kite in the tree and
all is well. Bear goes back home to his warm bath, easy chair and
cup of tea, while Spider flies his kite, outside with Bear looking
on. The two friends could not be more different: readers will see
that being a bear and a spider are two quite different animals, and
not only are they different in what they are, but also in their
habits and what they like to do. But friendship overcomes their
difference.
This charming tale, following on from the equally engrossing Bear's
scare (2018) when the fastidious Bear finds a cobweb in his
house, is accompanied by bold brightly coloured illustrations, pared
back to the basics, but with enough difference to ensure readers
will hunt out the detail as they turn to each new page with a
different layout from the one before.
Fran Knight
The Good Son by Pierre-Jacques Ober
Illus. by Jules Ober and Felicity Coonan. Candlewick Studio, 2019.
ISBN: 9781536204827.
(Age: Upper primary +) Highly recommended. Themes: War, Patriotism,
military history, toy soldiers. A story from the First World War
told in miniature as the sub-title suggests this beautiful
picture book re-creates realistic scenes from the First World War
using miniature soldiers. Also it tells the story of the little
soldiers in the Great War, caught up in a conflict where they joined
as patriots, to make their families proud but as the war progressed
it became clear they were pawns in a larger game. The monochrome
images of the war torn countryside and the narrative ribbon stating
the bleak facts about WW1 bring us to young Pierre, locked up in a
barn. What unfolds is his story from when the world had colour, with
emphasis on the red white and blue of the French flag. He joined up
to stop the Germans, and marched through the beautiful countryside
dreaming of glory but when they finally saw battle 'we won . . . it
was terrible.' Pierre has a friend, Gilbert, who stands by him
throughout. When the Colonel comes and tells Pierre he will be shot
for desertion it is Gilbert who brings him food and companionship.
His commanding officer is sympathetic but tells Pierre morale is low
so he is to be made an example of to deter others from walking away.
Pierre's crime? To slip away for three days to be with his mother
over Christmas. He writes a letter to his mother recounting an
incident where he was commended for bravery he felt he didn't earn,
whereas he is to be shot for desertion for wanting to spend two days
with his mother. He promises to wear the socks she gave him 'Maman
those were the best two days of the war.' Gilbert comes before dawn
bringing food and comfort and he talks of a younger brother killed
in the first week of the war. Gilbert promises to deliver the letter
to Pierre's mother.
In a note from the author we learn that the idea of using WW1
figurines to create a series of images was originally a gift for his
father's 80th birthday and the centenary of the start of WW1. The
project 'developed into an homage to all the men who fulfilled their
patriotic duty unprepared for the horror unleashed upon them'.
A highly recommended but harrowing story that would make an
excellent history teaching aid for upper primary or middle school
students, younger students might need to read this with a
grandparent or adult.
Sue Speck
The guardian of lies by Kate Furnivall
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9781471172328.
(Age: 16+) Historical fiction. Furnivall's novel is set in 1950s
France during the Cold War. American air bases are being established
around the country to protect Europe from the growing threat of the
Soviet Union. France is divided between those who view the American
presence as a necessary protection against the reach of Communism,
and those who resent American capitalism and the development of
nuclear weapons.
Wanting to follow in the path of her elder brother Andre, Eloise had
applied to become a secret agent with both the French Intelligence
Service and the American CIA but following rejection by both, she
embarks on detective work in an agency run by Clarisse Favre.
Eloise's detective skills are turned to her personal life after her
faulty decisions see her brother crippled in a car smash and she
learns that her father has sold part of their precious family
property to the American air base in the south. The burning
questions are: Who tried to kill her brother? And why would her
father part with the land that he loves?
Returning to her home in the Camargue, Eloise is drawn into a
tangled web where it becomes hard to work out who can be trusted and
who is an enemy. Someone is leaking top secret information about the
American secret weapons to Soviet Intelligence, the MGB. And someone
is determined to stop Eloise from finding out what is going on.
Caught in the lies and deception, there seems to be only one person
she can turn to - her childhood friend Leon Roussell, now the local
police officer, but how much can she tell him without endangering
members of her family?
Eloise is a strong determined woman, extremely resourceful and well
trained by her brother to consider the evidence . . . and then to
also consider the impossible. But as she gradually uncovers the
secrets, she knows that she herself is drawing closer and closer to
danger.
Readers will find themselves carried along with the fast moving
plot, wanting to know who is the spy and who the counter-spy, but
also ultimately which world view one should trust.
Helen Eddy
The time travel diaries by Caroline Lawrence
Time Travel Diaries book 1. Piccadilly Press, 2019, ISBN:
9781848128002.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Themes: Time travel, Boys, Roman Britain.
'There are three rules of time travel, a naked entry and exit, only
drink don't eat and keep interactions to a minimum!' Billionaire
inventor Solomon Daisy needs a willing subject to travel back to
Roman Britain and find the blue-eyed girl with the ivory knife. Only
pre-adolescent children without piercings or fillings can enter the
portal and twelve-year old Alex Papas fits the criteria. He loves
Latin Club and can speak the language too, it's like Greek which he
speaks with his grandma who cares for him, as well.
Alex weighs up the consequences and considers the benefits of the
million pounds reward, four million extra, if he finds the blue-eyed
girl. (Daisy's fascination is borderline obsessive.) Alex uses his
wits, prior knowledge of Londinium to navigate out of the dark
Temple of Mithra into the streets. Chased by a mad woman, traversing
the Thames in a coracle, stealing a knife, sleeping beside a warm
kiln, losing Dinu, the first day and night is problematic for Alex.
At the marketplace, he uses the tune of 'Greensleeves' and his
schoolboy Latin to inform the crowd of his goal.
Fortuitously, Lollia the knife-carrying girl finds Alex. She is
pretty but rather spoilt and treats her slave girl, Plecta, badly.
There's a budding romance that develops when Dinu reappears, as he
falls for Plecta. Do the boys return unscathed to modern day London?
How does Alex ensure the safety of the girls as well?
Carolyn Lawrence's rich background knowledge of Roman life, the
nitty-gritty, sights, smells and sounds, make this a thrilling
novel. She includes 'Ten Things You Didn't Know About Roman London'
to ensure the readers understand the differences between the
realities and representations glamorised in Hollywood movies. The
time travel diaries is a fast-paced junior novel perfect for
sharing with classes studying Ancient Roman history.
Rhyllis Bignell
The sharp edge of a snowflake by Sif Sigmarsdottir
Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781444935301.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Nordic mystery, Thriller, Iceland,
Murder, Social media, Sexual abuse. Lovers of Nordic noir and
mysteries will be thrilled to pick up this gripping thriller set in
the snowy cold of Iceland. Hannah has been sent to live with her
father, a man she barely knows after the death of her mother. She is
to work as a trainee journalist at her father's paper. On the way
from the airport she witnesses the body of a man who has been
murdered and becomes embroiled in finding out what has happened.
Meanwhile Imogen Collins is also coming to Iceland. She is a social
media influencer and works for a company that manipulates sales. She
is also haunted by the man she calls the Beast. Hannah and Imogen
meet and secrets start to spill out as the action speeds up.
This book was very hard to put down. It ticks all the boxes on many
levels - the mystery of the murder is quite riveting, and is central
to the story, but the background of both Hannah and Imogen give the
story depth and interest. What has happened to Imogen in her past?
Will Hannah inherit the mental problems that plagued her mother?
Both young women are feisty characters that readers will identify
with, while the manipulative aspects of social media are thoroughly
explored and Hannah's comments on Instagram are amusing and
relevant.
This is a really engrossing mystery with psychological overtones and
is sure to appeal not only to teens but to adult mystery readers as
well. And the unexpected cliff-hanger at the end suggests that
readers may see more of Hannah's investigative powers in the future.
Pat Pledger
The good thieves by Katherine Rundell
Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN 9781526608130.
(Age: 9+) Extremely highly recommended. Themes: History, Family,
Friendship, Acceptance, Thieves, Disability and Disadvantage.
Vita Marlowe's grandfather's house has been taken by a conman and
she is determined to get it back. After arriving in New York by boat
from England, Vita sets out to get her family home back for her
grandfather. Although Vita, a master planner is the main character,
she enlists the help of some unlikely children: Arkady, whose father
runs a Russian circus, dreams of working with animals; Samuel, the
apprentice to the circus's animal trainer wants to fly; and Silk who
just wants to belong, fit together in an unlikely group. Although all
of the members bring special skills to the group they also bring
their backgrounds in prejudice and this helps them to work together
to stand up for themselves, fight against the prejudice each faces
and challenge the status quo that stops them from following their
dreams.
As the story progresses, the reader is pulled into the lives of not
just the children but the people around them as they are confronted
by the worst that society has to offer and the problem of being a
child in an adult world. This is a brilliant book for all children
and will not disappoint those who have read Rundell's other novels,
as it is exciting, adventurous and thrilling while still showing
that just because you are different doesn't mean that you can't do
what you dream about doing.
Mhairi Alcorn
Contender: The chosen by Taran Matharu
Hodder Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444938975.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. The chosen, first in the Contender
series by Tara Matharu (author of the Summoner
series) was a convoluted trip to a world where the suspension of
disbelief is entirely necessary. With a higher power taking control
of the lives of six boys from reform school and the evident
resurrection of more than a few prehistoric species, Cade Carter's
world is about to change irrevocably.
Convicted of a crime he didn't commit and losing not only his
full-ride scholarship but the trust of both of his parents, Cade is
sentenced to twelve months in a detention facility with other
delinquent juveniles, forced to live in fear and silence - anything
to keep the target off his back. But things are not as they seem
when he is wrenched yet again from life as he knows it and
introduced to a never-before-known level of terror - that of being a
contender. Just what that means, Cade doesn't know and he doesn't
have much time to think given he's too busy fighting for his life as
monsters emerge from the deepest recesses of his mind. Seeing living
dinosaurs might be a palaeontologist's dream, but for a boy
desperate to keep his life it's more of a nightmare. Separated from
the others, Cade must exercise his intellect as well as his physical
endurance in order to save his own life, and possibly even that of
the Earth itself.
With high stakes and misunderstood young offenders, Matharu presents
an action novel very similar to a video game. As the novel goes on
the characters become more fleshed out and their problems more
familiar. Eric, the broodiest and most frightening guy in the school,
softens, revealing his story and how he ended up in the misfit
school. Jim, always having been under Finch's power, finds the
courage to stand up for his beliefs. Cade, always blending into the
background in an effort not to be noticed, assumes the role of
leader - his intellect and strength guiding forces for the group in
the battle to come.
I would recommend to boys aged twelve and up interested in video
games and history.
Kayla Gaskell
The wych elm by Tana French
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN: 9780241379516.
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Themes: Murder, Psychological thriller,
Bullying. What an unusual stand-alone mystery - who put a body found
deep in a wych elm? Toby was a lucky man, handsome and popular,
until one night he was assaulted at home and left with brain damage.
Recuperating in his uncle's home, his idyllic view of family is
shattered when his nephew finds a skull in the huge wych elm in the
back garden. The Wych Elm is the first book by Tana French that I have
read for a long time. I was quite happy to read a stand-alone as I
had no previous connections to the author's popular detectives.
Toby is the sort of man that the reader easily identifies with,
casual and often thoughtless. His confrontation with how his cousins
view him and his past actions, as well as his attempts at coping
with his disabilities from his attack, make for a challenging and
interesting background to uncovering who the murdered person is and
why he was put into the wych elm.
It is a long book and often the murder takes second place to the
personal trials of Toby and the family dramas that are uncovered
along the way but fans of psychological thrillers with complex plots
will find it a rewarding read. It was also interesting to later read
about a real unsolved
murder that had taken place with the body found in a witch
elm. The Wych Elm is definitely a novel for those who enjoy a long
novel with many subplots of bullying, family dynamics and thought
provoking actions.
Pat Pledger
Spot's fire engine by Eric Hill
Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780241382486.
(Age: 1-4) Recommended. Board book. Themes: Fire engines. Subtitled
Sound book with flashing lightSpot's fire engine is
described as a book and toy in one by the publisher. It is a very
robust book featuring the ever popular Spot, this time visiting a
fire station with his grandfather who is a firefighter. The
illustrations which are done in very bright colours, show the fire
station, and what is inside. Spot has a lot of fun going down the
fire pole and giving the engine a wash, as well as pretending to
drive the fire engine. There are lots of funny little details that
the reader will enjoy as Spot splashes his Grandpa when washing the
engine and makes the fire siren blare. Other details about fire
stations like the equipment and uniforms also create interest for
the young reader. All are vividly coloured and the expressions on
the dogs' faces are delightful.
There is a battery operated siren and flashing light which will be
sure to entertain the young child. It comes with a warning,
'hazardous if swallowed', so this is a book that should be handled
with an adult present. The battery can be turned on and off at the
back of book, if the noise becomes an issue for the adult reading
the book!
A hard-wearing, robust board book, its familiar characters and
vibrant illustrations are sure to delight the very young.
Pat Pledger
