Review: Lula And The Sea Monster by Alex Latimer

Lula loves her home by the beach, but she won’t be living there much longer. Soon her family will be forced to leave and the beach will be covered over to make way for for a new highway. One morning, Lula makes friends with a little creature named Bean. To her surprise, Bean gobbles up the food Lula brings. He grows and he grows and he grows until he’s bigger than Lula’s house.

When the demolition trucks come, Bean is ready to face them with is tentacles and he chases them away. 

A delightful story about good hearts winning out over greed, with strong messages about protecting our seashore. 

Stories about children in need of help offering food to an angel in disguise are old as time, but this one feels up to date and perfect for our times. Overdevelopment is a major problem, especially the kind which is motivated by money. Lula’s appreciation for her seaside home comes strongly across and will encourage readers to look out for their wild spaces. 

Bean’s name is perfect because he grows and he grows and he grows. Looking at him when he is a full-sized sea monster made me smile because we know that really he started out as just a little blob. This is a perfect metaphor for the first person to speak out and gather support against a cause. 

I especially loved the double-page spreads which focused on Lula and Bean. From little Bean wrapped around Lula’s fingers to their shared picnics and finally Bean’s ginormous eyes peeping out of the water, the progression made this book a real joy. 

 The perfect story to give hope to even the smallest of heroes, and a lovely book about friendship and kindness. 

 

Thanks to Oxford University Press for my copy of Lula And The Sea Monster by Alex Latimer. Opinions my own.

Monthly Round-Up: June 2019

Reflections and rambles:

Summer arrived with mild and indifferent weather. WriteMentor got real as I reached halfway through a major redraft and realised I had no idea how to go forward. Talk about cresting a hill to find a mountain. My blogging and creating mojo has been low, although admitting this to people made me aware just how normal these moments are and how they are almost always signals that it is time for self-care.

Out came some old favourite novels and I was soon scribbling away about techniques I wanted to apply to my own work.

That’s June. Sounds underwhelming but sometimes we learn more from those months than we realise.

There was one special moment. I was standing in the front garden and noticed the wildflowers which spring up around this time. They were vibrating. Looking closer, I saw huge numbers of bees gathering pollen. Bee after bee after bee. With numbers of bees in crisis and the environment generally in crisis, it was lovely to see nature hanging on in there. If we allow the wild spaces to thrive, and replace what has been destroyed over the past decades, nature will come back.

What have you been up to this June? Literary or otherwise, I want to hear it.

Review Round-Up:

 

 

The Wicker Light by Mary Watson

The Cantankerous Molly Darling by Alvy Carragher

Alex In Wonderland by Simon James Green

Maresi Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

Spies In St Petersburg by Katherine Woodfine

Rumblestar by Abi Elphinstone

The Dragon In The Library by Louie Stowell. Illustrated by Davide Ortu. 

Milton The Mighty by Emma Read

When It Rains by Rassi Narika

There’s A Spider In My Soup by Megan Brewis

The Only Way Is Badger by Stella J Jones and Carmen Saldaña

The Big Stink by Lucy Freegard

I’m Not Grumpy! by Steve Smallman and Caroline Pedler

I thought I saw a … series by Lydia Nichols

The Unworry Book by Alice James

Edvard Munch Love And Angst. Edited by Giulia Bartrum

 

In other bookish news I … 

 

Watched the Mortal Engines film. 

The series I always wanted filmed and a bar of Dairy Milk Oreo. Happy night in. 

I had concerns about Peter Jackson as director (because the second Hobbit film is 2% derived from the book and 98% spinning it out. And even the road to Mordor can’t be that long) but the plot is relatively faithful to the original and any changes haven’t affected the pace. 

Every single character felt real to the story, especially Anna Fang and Shrike.

Tom and Hester look my age, and it took me until the end of the film to figure out that no, they really weren’t suggesting that actors close to thirty could play teens. In the original series, Tom and Hester are teenagers in the first book and adults in the remaining three. The film series cuts out the years between and presumably alters the timeline. 

The traction cities were everything I had ever dreamed of, and they way details from Old London [or London as we know it] have been incorporated into the great moving beast of a city is quite spectacular. Although I have wanted these films for more years than I can count, I am pleased they were delayed. Any attempt to create them with earlier CGI would have made them redundant pretty quickly.  

It is also a delight to see the books brought to a new generation of readers. 

 

Bought a storage trolley for my review books.

In the immortal words of the Toy Story crew: NEW TOY.

 

Just keep writing, just keep writing …

Dived into Writer’s HQ

At the very end of May, I had some exciting news. I was chosen for a Six Month Writer’s HQ bursary, which gives me access to online courses and writing forums.

I haven’t explored these as thoroughly as I would have expected, for various reasons, but I have logged in most evenings for a nose. Everything I’ve learned so far has helped my writing, and the material tells it like it is.  The team behind the courses understand that writing is a hard slog, that sometimes we just need to let it out, but at the end of the day, the only thing that makes it happen is maintained effort. And the odd biscuit.

I’m looking forward to getting into the serious business of working with Plotstormers and Plotstormers 2 to construct a new plot and to pull the two I have into the best shape possible.

 

What have you been up to this June? Any books stand out especially? Let me know in the comments below. Don’t forget to link to your June round-up post or reflections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson and Kate Hindley.

I am me, and you are you. We are the same, but different too. 

A rolling, rollicking rhyme explores similarities and differences between one being and another. Personality, size, abilities and emotions are all included so that this book gets readers thinking about what defines us as people. Opposites such as ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ are also explored in spreads so beautiful they would make wonderful posters.

‘All About Me’ is a favourite subject with younger children (both in school settings and at home), but sometimes it is handled in a heavy-handed way. The difficulty is helping readers identify traits without reducing diversity down to a list of options. Anyone remember, as a kid, searching for their eye-colour in an All About Me book and feeling disappointed that bluey-green with flecks of amber was missing? Right here. How very much worse if that is your ethnicity or your gender identity or your home. The Same But Different Too resists posing Are you this or are you that? questions. Instead, the rhyme opens a new curiosity about everything from height and age to the way we like to drink. 

A wide cast of children and animal friends demonstrate the opposites and traits.

The wide-eyed animals are full of life and humour comes from exaggerated differences. A calm llama turns grouchy and drags a little boy along, while an elephant sticks his trunk into a human cup. The pictures fit the text but seeing these things in life would be wildly funny, and that sense of right but odd provokes giggles. There is a sense that both author and illustrator know what will amuse their young audience well. Bold, colour block backgrounds give this a playful feel. 

A first look at similarities and differences which encourages readers to look around them and feel confident to be themselves. Bright and funny and possible to read over and over, this is a brilliant approach to a familiar theme. 

 

Thanks to Nosy Crow LTD for my gifted copy of The Same But Different Too. Opinions my own.

Review: The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie

Extract:

The two sofas and coffee table had been pushed to one side and laid out in a pile on the floor was a crumpled bonnet, a waistcoat, a long and voluminous dress and a very large top hat. 

Cassie had clocked them at the exact moment Tabby had. ‘I’m not dressing up,’ she said, backing away. ‘No way. And my allegiance lies with the Brontë sisters and only the Brontë sisters. I won’t go messing about with Jane Austen.’ 

(The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie. P55.)  

Synopsis:

Tabby may have left her hometown, but there’s no escaping Jess. Not when she’s still sending insults via Instagram and not when the bad memories are replaying in Tabby’s head.

Then Tabby sees a poster for a local teenage book club. Making new friends wasn’t top of Tabby’s agenda, but there’s something about Olivia, Cassie, Henry and Ed which draws Tabby back. Even with Cassie being awkward.

Maybe it’s the doughnuts, or banter, or the Jane Austen-themed dance parties. Or maybe it’s Henry himself, and the feeling that there’s something real.

When Jess starts targeting her new friends, Tabby is left with a choice – own up or keep everything which is going on a secret. And just hope that it stops.

The contemporary novel for bookish teenagers which everyone has been waiting for.

Review:

Welcome to the Paper & Hearts Society – a space where teenagers can discuss books, graze on chocolate and basically not be afraid to be themselves. Many bookish teenagers dream of finding the place where they belong, and their people, and the great thing about the Paper & Hearts Society is it provides a model which could be replicated up and down the country. A notice in the library or school corridor. Some snacks, a wish list of themes and an agreement that all books are great books. Lucy Powrie, who has been part of the online community for many years, knows everything there is to know about helping bookworms to socialise.

Finally, there is a novel which shows bookworms as something more than readers. The characters in this story have places they want to go and friendships beyond their book group, which makes them perfect role-models for teenagers. Reader is too often shown as a personality type when all kinds of people love to pick up a book.

Aside from anything else, this is pure bookish escapism. From Harry Potter marathon nights to Jane Austen Dance Parties and a road trip around bookish landmarks of the UK, this will give teenage bookworms great ideas for things to do, and it is a mega-nostalgia trip for anyone who grew up with a copy of Ariel in their school bag. Or Rebecca. Or Great Expectations.

Tabby’s personal storyline spoke volumes to me and will be a comfort to socially-awkward teenagers. At the start of the novel, Tabby is desperate to be worthy of her old friend Jess’s time, even though Jess has been unkind and manipulative. Tabby’s desperation leads her to say things she doesn’t mean in a bid to live up to Jess’s standards. Then Tabby meets people who treat her as a friend and suddenly her real personality shines through. It can be difficult as a teenager to accept that being liked isn’t about meeting someone else’s standards. The story nails the teenage emotional experience, which is hardly surprising given the author was a teenager throughout the writing process.

A brilliant YA novel which reinforces a sense of belonging and opens a whole world of books to read and places to visit. Lucy Powrie writes with gentle humour and empathy towards her characters and references literature as though she is talking about old friends. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and cheering on the Paper & Hearts Society as it grows.

 

Check out Lucy Powrie’s BookTube channel  and blog 

 

Review: The Only Way Is Badger by Stella J Jones and Carmen Saldaña.

One day, signs appear all over the wood with slogans like Badgers Are Best and The Only Way Is Badger. The woodland animals listen to Badger himself, who is so convincing that everyone thinks he must be right. He begins a series of lessons, teaching the animals how to be more badger, and slowly evicts those animals who don’t make the grade. 

Soon only skunk and raccoon are left, and they’re not so certain they want to stay in Badger’s domain. As badger paints the forest into a miserable black and white, everyone else enjoys the colour and diversity on the other side. 

Badger is left to apologise. Who wants everyone to be the same when they could have friends?

Nobody can miss the significance of this text to current political issues. With politicians hashing out different ideas about who belongs in which country, with far-right groups certain that shutting the doors will open up a wealth of opportunities for everyone else, it is more important than ever that we discuss the language and mechanics of hate.

How much of what Badger says is fair? Why did the other animals follow along for so long? What were they expecting at the end? Why did Badger claim to be helping the other animals even as he was preparing to shut them out? This story opens up a wealth of questions which enable conversations about hate and prejudice to happen in the safe sphere of a fictional forest. 

The story offers a stark choice – a beautiful world, a world or a world dictated by narrow ideas. 

This could also be used to discuss echo-chambers and online communication. What is the line between fair expression and hate? Has social media made us less open to other opinions?  It would be great fun to write Badger-style messages, stick them on the wall, and then walk around offering responses to other people. How should we then engage with those responses? Badger’s messages all over the trees, in his perfect forest, would make a brilliant prompt for conversation. 

The illustrations perfectly capture the contrast between a diverse world, bright with colour, or one in which the majority of animals are shouted down by a dictator. The humour in the early part of the book, with the animals trying desperately to do things they aren’t made to do, isn’t so funny at all when the message comes through. The pictures perfectly get the balance between allowing small readers a smile and showing the difficulty caused to the other animals. 

 Although this story ends happily ever after, it leaves us with any number of things to think about. This text is so much of our time and should be known far and wide as a book which promotes diversity and tolerance.  

 

Thanks to Little Tiger Press for my gifted copy of The Only Way Is Badger. Opinions my own.

Younger fiction round-up: June 2019

 

Cinders And Sparks – Magic At Midnight by Lindsey Kelk. Illustrated by Pippa Curnick.

Cinders lives a boring life with her stepmother and stepsisters. Nothing ever happens to Cinders. She’s too busy doing the jobs. That’s why it is a surprise when her wishes start coming true. Somehow, she makes impossible things happen, like turning her companion dog Sparks into a talking dog.

Her fairy godmother Brian appears to guide her, but he’s not always reliable.

When Cinders wishes to go to the ball, her magic works out and she’s off to the palace in style. However, the story is far from over as she figures out what kind of life she wants to live.

A quirky and magical take on the traditional fairy tale.

Cinders has a sweet tooth, a strange ability to make things happen and a passionate love of the outdoors, but she doesn’t know everything about herself. In this first story, Cinders figures out who she is and is given a choice about what sort of life she wants to lead. Is she destined to be the perfect princess in the tower?

Humour, friendship and a touch of magic make this story sparkle. Cinderella retellings are old as the hills but there is a sense with this one that it is only the beginning. Cinders could be the girl to marry the prince, but she’s discovering a whole other side to her personality.

Illustrations by Pippa Curnik bring out the humour, especially through the facial expressions. Even the animals manage to express their displeasure, alarm and sheer delight in a way which brings the story alive.

This would be brilliant for fans of Sibéal Pounder. It has the same quirky humour and sense of adventure as the Witch Wars series, and I can see Cinders And Sparks growing into a hit.

An Otter Called Pebble by Helen Peters. Illustrated by Ellie Snowdown.

Friends Jasmine and Tom are amazed to find a baby otter in the riverbank. Otter cubs haven’t been seen regularly in Sussex for decades. When the little cub is swept downriver, they jump in to help and take her home for some care.

Jasmine calls the little otter Pebble and wants to keep her, but Pebble needs the care of experts and to be with others of her kind. A further blow comes when Jasmine learns how difficult it will be to reunite Pebble with her family. Otters have a wide range and are hard to find. The race is on to find Pebble’s home and family before it is too late to reunite her with her mother.

A beautiful animal rescue story from Helen Peters, whose stories about the countryside are the next best thing to an afternoon ramble. Peters writes about animals with the care and attention of someone who truly cares about their conservation. They are never once treated as toys for the characters to play with. When Jasmine complains about giving Pebble up, she is gently reminded what a privilege it is to spend even a night in the company of a young otter.

This story has just the right level of information to keep readers young and old interested, and everyone wants to see Pebble safely back in the river.

Ellie Snowdon’s illustrations reminded me so much of a walk I enjoyed during the year I lived in Sussex, along the river Ouse. Whether or not Snowdon based her pictures on East Sussex, they fit so very well with the story.

As I child, I devoured Dick King-Smith’s stories, and Helen Peters writes countryside adventures which are fit for a new generation.

 

Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure by Fleur Hitchcock.

Ava, Josh, Aiden, and Chloe are a group of cousins who are ready for an outdoor adventure. Together with dog Bella they are ready to explore the countryside around their grandparents’ home.

During a picnic, they overhear a suspicious conversation which leads them to uncover a jewel heist. Twelve shining stones have been hidden inside a hollowed-out book, and a group of adults seems to be organising the book’s collection. Where do the diamonds come from and how can the cousins prevent them from disappearing for good?

Move over Famous Five. A whole new set of cousins are on the case.

A fantastic outdoor mystery adventure which will make most adults nostalgic – even if they didn’t take down a criminal gang during their childhood summers. So many people grew up reading Enid Blyton’s mysteries, and it is only fitting that new stories are written for the current generation. I love how the stories have so much of their own, yet they contain all the things we would hope to see – picnics, animal friends and some serious pedal power.

Fleur Hitchcock is an established mystery writer and I can’t think of anybody better to write a new mystery adventure series. The length is shorter than her previous books, and nothing too grizzly or upsetting happens. This is a feel-good mystery which shows how much fun can be had outdoors.

 

Beatrix The Bold And The Curse Of The Wobblers by Simon Mockler

Living in a palace should mean you have everything, but Beatrix has never been outside at all. Her aunt and uncle have always told her that there are countless dangers in the outside world. Beatrix isn’t convinced. In fact, she’s starting to think people are keeping secrets.

One day she overhears her uncle talking. Not only does Beatrix learn that she is Queen, she finds out that a terrible army from beyond the woods is willing to kill her. Not only that, but the oath her aunt and uncle swore to protect her turns out not to be so unbreakable after all.

It is up to Beatrix to protect herself, and the first step is to get out into the world outside the palace without being afraid of the Wobblers.

At last, a royal role-model who looks out for herself. No sitting around waiting for a handsome prince for Beatrix. She is far too resilient and bright enough to question what is going on around her. (That’s the trouble with princess in the tower stories. Didn’t they see it coming?) Her inquisitiveness and bravery are on a par with Prince Caspian’s.

That’s not to say there aren’t times she feels afraid. Because bravery doesn’t mean not feeling afraid.

The humour in this story will appeal to readers who like one-liners and snap jokes (Sore Bottom Alley features on the second page,) and there are references to modern day culture to keep even reluctant readers turning the page.

A Shrek-style world with a Queen for our times.

 

Special Delivery by Jonathan Meres. Illustrated by Hannah Coulson.

Frank wants to save up for a bicycle, so he starts helping with his big sister’s paper round. Along the way, he meets an elderly lady called Mary with a great cowboy collection. When Frank is playing in the park, he goes over to say hello to Mary but realises she is confused. Will she get home safely? Frank decides it is his job to make a very special delivery. 

A gentle story about dementia, responsibility and caring for people in our community. 

This is a wonderful story about the everyday world of a child. It isn’t a big adventure, but it is told in such a way that it stays with the reader and makes them question what they would do in the same situation. 

Mary’s character is shown with empathy. We get to know her as a person before she is in a situation which requires intervention from others, and Frank and his sister behave towards her as they would towards any adult. It is only when she needs help that Frank jumps in. 

A beautifully told story which encourages readers to think about who they might encounter when out and about. 

 

The Loneliest Kitten by Holly Webb. Illustrated by Sophy Williams.

Darcey’s Dad isn’t big on animals, but the new kitten Charlie is so cute that Darcey is certain he will win Dad over. Darcey spends as much of the summer holidays as possible playing with Charlie, but then school comes around and Charlie is left indoors. Why won’t Darcey play with him anymore? Charlie heads out in search of new adventures and finds an elderly neighbour to talk to.

Darcey can’t understand why Charlie keeps disappearing. Eventually, she begins a search which leads to her neighbour’s door.

A sweet story about companionship, animal welfare, and community.

Sometimes what is best for our animal friends isn’t the first thing we had in mind. Elderly neighbour Rose has time on her hands which Darcey and her family lack, and Charlie the kitten is only too happy to keep Rose company. Is this something which should continue? Darcey has to search deep in her heart to find the answer.

Holly Webb is a prolific writer of fiction for younger readers and this story lives up to her previous titles about animal friends.

 

My Babysitter Is A Robot by Dave Cousins. Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri.

Having a babysitter for a robot is rubbish. He always knows when there is homework, finds hiding places straight away and embarrasses Jess and Jake in front of their friends. Jake can’t imagine anything worse until an accident in the swimming pool changes everything. Suddenly robot babysitter Robin is badly behaved and it is up to Jess and Jake to stop him from causing absolute mayhem.

A hilarious ride of a story where the tables are turned in a big way.

This reminded me of a children’s television drama where the parents were hypnotized to behave like big children. Big children who refused to follow any of the rules. Although the real kids had to stop trouble from breaking loose, they also saw things from a new perspective. Robin the Robot is the same kind of character. He’ll end up winning you over even as he causes more trouble.

The illustrations bring extra humour as almost human-looking Robin is caught out by little details which make him different.

A brilliant, funny read and an excellent addition to a younger fiction bookshelf.

 

The Jolley-Rogers And The Pirate Piper by Jonny Duddle.

Rats. Rats have infested Dull-On-Sea and closed everything down. Luckily the Pirate Piper is here and he knows just the trick to charm the rats away. The strangest thing is Matilda sees him tucking the crates of rats away on board his ship instead of casting them out to sea. When the Mayor refuses to pay the Piper, children start walking in their sleep. Disappearing.

Can Matilda, Jim and little Nugget save the day? And what does Nugget’s horrible violin have to do with anything?

A wonderful twist on The Pied Piper Of Hamelin set in the familiar world of Dull-On-Sea.

Anyone who knows Jonny Duddle’s pirate stories will know Matilda, the girl who lives on land but has the heart of a pirate, and the crew of the Blackhole. They will also know that the stories are told with just the right level of humour.

The illustrations are more like theatrical scenes which come straight to life in the reader’s imagination. Perhaps it is the action or maybe that they often hint at what is coming next, but I often finish Duddle’s books feeling more like I’ve viewed a performance.

Jump on board and join the Jolley-Rogers in their latest adventure.

 

Magical Kingdom Of The Birds – The Silent Songbirds by Anne Booth. Illustrated by Rosie Butcher.

Maya is back with the colouring book which transports her into the Magical Kingdom Of The Birds. This time she is attending a singing concert hosted by Princess Willow’s evil uncle, Lord Astor. Willow is adamant that Lord Astor has mended his ways, but her friend Patch senses trouble. Then Lord Astor plays his flute, and it drowns out the sound of the birdsong.

Can Maya help before Lord Astor steals the voices of the birds, and of his niece Willow?

This series is a real favourite of mine in the younger fiction category, and The Silent Songbirds is another hit. It has just the right level of fantasy and conflict, but the beautiful world of the birds and the determined heroes keep the stories from being too dark for their intended audience. These are brilliant stories to share with younger readers, and they are great for older readers looking for something shorter.

The illustrations add to the magic and make the reader feel as if they too have slipped inside Maya’s magical colouring-book. I am considering a campaign for a colouring-book tie-in and would happily sneak one away for my own entertainment.

Another hit in a beautiful series about a magical kingdom which suffers from the actions of an evil Lord.

 

Thanks to Barrington Stoke, Harper Collins, Nosy Crow, Oxford University Press, Picadilly Press, Stripes Books and Templar Publishing for gifting the books in this feature.

Opinions my own.

Review: Spies In St Petersburg by Katherine Woodfine

Extract:

The Chief had just told her that Sophie was fine – that there was nothing for her to worry about. But he had lied. He hadn’t heard from Sophie in over a month – she was missing in St Petersburg, all the way on the other side of Europe.

(Spies In St Petersburg by Katherine Woodfine. P33.)

 

Synopsis:

When Lil is given her second mission from the Secret Service Bureau she finds out something alarming. Sophie’s messages from St Petersburg have stopped arriving. Nobody knows where she is. Lil is supposed to be off to Hamburg, but there’s no way she’s leaving Sophie in danger. Even if it means dragging the impossible Carruthers all the way to Russia.

Behind the spectacular jewelry shops and the excitement of the circus setting up, trouble is building in St Petersburg. Whispers of a revolution may be student gossip, or they may hint at something greater.

Once again it is up to Sophie and Lil to save the day.

 

Review:

Fans of The Sinclair’s Mysteries will remember Sophie and Lil from their days at Sinclair’s Department Store. The Taylor And Rose series follows their adventures and misadventures as they solve cases for the Secret Service Bureau and continue their quest to stop a certain group from causing trouble. Their role as secret agents takes them all over the world. This time the adventure centres on Pre-Revolutionary Russia.

Katherine Woodfine is the master of series. One end is a new beginning. The ongoing fight with a very secret society allows every book to be both its own self-contained adventure and part of a bigger picture.

She’s also good at cliff hangers and this book will leave you screaming for the next one on at least three counts.

The reader is at an advantage during this plot because, unlike Lil, we know what Sophie is up to. The question is why are her messages not getting through? The old gang comes into the story too, and there is the first hint of romance as Joe and Lil each question to themselves whether there could be anything between them. While this is no more than a hint, it made me wonder what the bigger picture is and whether Lil could have a whole new side to her life in later books.

St Petersburg is a fantastic setting, with the opulence on one hand and the fear and unrest on another, and Woodfine captures a place where everyone is looking over their shoulders. People are disagreeing about the political situation and two people in one family can have very different views. It is a time when the wrong word can be a life sentence. There are also warm homes where family and lodgers and guests live side by side and eat from the same table. It couldn’t be a better setting for this story, and I felt as if Woodfine had taken time to study and represent the historical details.

A fantastic addition to the series which sees the characters moving on internally, questioning what their moral positions would be in certain scenarios and learning ever more about their enemy. Katherine Woodfine is a confirmed genius of the mystery adventure. However long the wait for the next book feels, I know it will be worth it.

 

Thanks to Egmont UK for my gifted copy of Spies In St Petersburg. Opinions my own. 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: There’s A Spider In My Soup by Megan Brewis

Little Spider is warned about the dangers of swinging from the web. Cats, light bulbs and clumsy feet are all mentioned. There’s only one problem. Swinging from the web is so fun that Little Spider can’t stop. One day, when everyone is asleep, she ignores all the rules and swings out into the wide world … to land in a bowl of soup. 

It should be a disaster, but taking a risk isn’t always dangerous. The soup-based adventure leads to new friendships, and soon all the spiders are following Little Spider’s lead. 

Little Spider could have been eaten up. Or drowned. That’s the fact, and it is worth pointing that out to young readers. How do we know when it is safe to take a risk and when it is just plain not a good idea? Danger is a difficult subject to discuss with young readers, however, a climate where children are afraid to push themselves and explore is unhealthy too. This is a brilliant story to open conversations about danger and risk. After all, diving from a higher board at the swimming pool is a very different risk to jumping out into the traffic. Risking a grazed knee is a different thing to multiple fractures. Understanding that, as we get bigger, we sometimes have to trust our own instincts is a huge lesson.

The spiders are delightful, and not the least bit hairy or scary. Of course, I’m a spider-lover and have been since childhood, but as illustrated spiders go these are gentle enough that the story could be shared even with people who are phobic. 

 Calm backgrounds are used as a canvas for multiple patterns and colours. Different objects have their own patterns and the result is a collage picture which feels like a snapshot of a normal kitchen. 

An adventure which encourages readers to trust their instincts and to talk about different types of danger, and a wonderful spider-based story. 

 

Thanks to Oxford University Press for my gifted copy of There’s A Spider In My Soup. Opinions my own.

Review: Sophie Johnson: Detective Genius by Morag Hood and Ella Okstad.

Sophie Johnson is a detective genius. She solves crimes, studies hard and battles terrible baddies. All before bedtime. The fact that it is all a game doesn’t make any difference to her genius. Sophie also has a detective, her dog Bella, but she’s not very good at her job. She never pays attention, tries to show Sophie pointless things and pesters Sophie to play silly games … like looking at the robbers outside the window. 

Maybe, just maybe, Bella has noticed something that Sophie is missing. 

A laugh-out-loud funny picture book from the author of I Am Bat and the illustrator of Squishy McFluff. 

The Sophie Johnson series is a breath of fresh air. Sophie is, like many small children, convinced she has it all sorted. She’s the leader, the one with all the special knowledge and there is no point in distracting her from her very important buisness. She also misses things. In the first title in the series, it was a visiting and very real unicorn. This time she fails to notice a real crime. 

Luckily her unrewarded assistant Bella is on the case. 

The biggest delight in the illustrations is watching Sophie take everything very seriously, and making a huge mess of the house, while the real business creeps in and out without her noticing. It is pantomime funny, and little touches like the dog waiting to ambush the robbers bring out the humour. Young readers will either be in stitches or crying out for Sophie to turn around. 

The illustrations have just the right amount of sparkle. The covers are glittery, and Sophie is fond of rainbows and unicorns, but this is balanced by pages of blander colours and Sophie’s determination to be the boss. No gender stereotyping here – Sophie has many interests and no single one defines her. 

The stories also celebrate childhood play in a very real way. Although the joke is about Sophie taking herself too seriously and missing all the action, she’s actually set up some pretty incredible games and goes through any amount of learning without realising. These would be lovely books to open a discussion about play. Is play real? Important? Should Sophie really turn around or is she living something equally real? I would love to see these used to start a debate about the value and importance of play. 

 A new hit series and a realistic icon for children who want to rule the world – but have a couple of years to go. 

 

Thanks to Simon And Schuster for my gifted books. Opinions my own.

Review: The Wicker Light by Mary Watson

Extract:

Between the twine and hair are fingernail cuttings. 

This must be one of Laila’s spells. 

Even though I don’t believe in magic, it’s difficult not to connect this horrible thing with the strange way she died. It feels like Laila doomed herself, accidentally cursed herself, and died. 

(The Wickerlight by Mary Watson. P63.) 

Synopsis:

Living in Kilshamble was supposed to bring Zara’s family back together after her parents came close to divorce. Instead, with the death of her sister Laila, it tore them apart.

Zara isn’t buying that her sister’s death was an accident. Not when she was obsessed with all things magic. Not when there’s a strange conflict in the village between rival groups, a conflict which regularly escalates to violence.

Investigating Laila’s death brings Zara into contact with David, the troubled boy who isn’t beyond redemption. David’s family are searching for a lost family heirloom which holds far more than a sentimental value?

Is it possible Laila’s quest for magic took her out of her depth? As Zara searches for answers, she finds herself drawn dangerously close to the conflict between two rival magical groups: judges and augers.

A compelling mystery novel and companion to The Wren Hunt.

Review:

Thriller meets folklore in the second book of this extraordinary series. Imagine a world where Earth magic still exists in hidden pockets. There are two different approaches, one which is elemental and practiced by Augers, another which relies on order and is practiced by Judges. The factions who practice these related magics are part of a centuries-long civil war which centres on the Irish village of Kilshamble. This much was established in book one. Starting off two months after the events of The Wren Hunt, this story changes the camera angle to see the village through the eyes of an incomer and non-magical inhabitant.

Unlike her late sister Laila, Zara’s never believed in magic. Following in her sister’s footsteps brings her into contact with the augers and judges and puts her own life in danger. It also brings her closer to David – the Judge boy who is supposed to kill and injure on his father’s orders.

Think Capulets and Montagues in a Celtic setting. It is brooding and teenage and at the same time, these teenagers have never had a chance to be children. They’ve been shaped for war since birth.

The question of which faction killed Laila and why relates to the events of The Wren Hunt. Snippets from Laila’s diary head every other chapter and lead to a climax in a way which kept me up into the small hours. It was wonderful to read a thriller which linked into a wider fantasy plot. This merging of genres opens new ways of telling stories and Kilshamble is a setting which is at once filled with magic and grounded in the everyday.

Alongside the story of Judges and Augers is the story of Zara’s family. Her father has been caught having affairs, and Zara desperately wants her family to stay together. They’ve already undergone one huge change, moving to Kilshamble, and she’s afraid that if her parents divorce she will have to South Africa with her mother. Despite everything which has happened, Zara wants to remain in Kilshamble. The magic her sister loved is rich here and this is where Zara feels close to Laila. This is a story of grief, change and moving into new stages of life. Both Zara and David know what they want already, but owning it is another question.

Having read The Wickerlight, I am desperate to return to The Wren Hunt and to remind myself of some of the contexts of the magical dispute. Everything which takes place in these books feels as though it is grounded in something deeper, something centuries-old, as if a seed planted many years ago has grown into twisting thorns. I look forward to continuing the story when the next book comes.

A story of a feud and the young people who grow as a result of the battles. It is a haunting tale which will remain on your mind long after you close the pages.

 

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for my gifted copy of The Wickerlight. Opinions my own.