Childrens’ – Page 8 – My Good Reads

‘The Shrunken Head (Curiosity House)’ – Lauren Oliver and H.C. Chester

I know people say not to judge a book by its cover, but the artwork is a major part of this novel and it adds another dimension to what is a well-written and exciting mystery. Perhaps this book is not for everyone, but I think it’s perfect for the 9-12 age range as it delivers on adventure, a great cast of characters and it isn’t patronising to the reader.

The blurb promises something a little different and, in my opinion, firmly delivers.

The story is set in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities and Wonders. It focuses on four extraordinary children – Thomas, Sam, Pippa and Max – whose abilities make them quite unique. Just how special these children are isn’t revealed until later.

Our mystery concerns a shrunken head, a rapidly increasing death count and the childrens’ determination to find out the identity of the killer.

There was a real sense of historical interest in this novel, and, while all the characters were interesting, it is the bond between the four children that stands out.

This first in the series sets up a number of strands that you are likely to be enchanted by. I can’t wait to see where the writers go with part two. The test of this book’s appeal for me will be whether my middle child – a rather fussy reader – will want to finish it. He’s already spotted the cover and read the blurb…the signs are good!

‘April Raintree’ – Beatrice Culleton Mosionier

A revised version of the novel In Search of April Raintree, written specifically for students in grades 9 through 12. Through her characterization of two young sisters who are removed from their family, the author poignantly illustrates the difficulties that many Aboriginal people face in maintaining a positive self-identity.

I knew nothing of this story before I received a digital copy from NetGalley.

This is a fictionalised exploration of some of the issues faced by the writer, her family and other Aboriginal people.

Perhaps this will have more resonance with readers who are aware of the Métis people, but I was fascinated by this story. We see the two sisters taken into foster care and, in their own way, dealing with prejudice and fear. April gets married and spends a lot of her life avoiding her cultural background. Her sister, who spent her younger years proudly announcing her heritage, becomes trapped by a lot of her own prejudices and fears.

Certain scenes within this novel were unflinching in their honesty and violence, yet they are vital for readers to gain any sense of understanding. This novel raises so many points for discussion and was an absorbing read. I think I will have to try and track down the original version.

‘The Shadow Queen’ – C.J. Redwine

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic…

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and, despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

Yes, this is a reworking of Snow White and it is as odd as it sounds. There’s some great action and the magical elements will really captivate readers. I found it a quick and fairly exciting read, but it wasn’t quite what I hoped. I think the moment Kol was identified as part-dragon and I realised Irina would use him to try and defeat Lorelai was the moment when I lost a little interest. It all seemed rather inevitable, and I feel it could have been much darker.

‘We Are All Made of Molecules’ – Susin Nielsen

This novel uses humour to mask its more hard-hitting messages, but it’s an entertaining read for those just starting to make the leap into more adult ideas.

Ashley Anderson, 14, is the original Mean Girl at the start of the novel. She is at the top of the social chain in her group of friends, and is put out by the news that her mother’s new boyfriend has been asked to move in. Given that Ashley is still trying to come to terms with the fact that her dad is gay, she is less than pleased by this news. As if this weren’t bad enough for Ashley, mum’s boyfriend has a son – Stewart – a gifted, but socially inept, thirteen year-old.

The story is told from alternating points of view, and this gives us valuable insights into the way each character feels about events. Both the main characters are great, but for very different reasons.

While I found this all a little conveniently resolved, it will certainly get younger readers thinking about the key ideas within its pages.

‘The Imaginary’ – A.F. Harrold

‘The Imaginary’ is a curious book; intended for children, but definitely one that adults will love.

It tells the story of Amanda Shuffleup and her imaginary friend, Rudger. Amanda, an only child, has a vivid imagination and her utter belief in the existence of Rudger was great fun to read. At times, she is very self-absorbed and her behaviour towards Rudger was almost cruel. She shows little regard for his feelings, and this was a fascinating look at how children make sense of their world.

One day the sinister Mr Bunting appears at Amanda’s door. He has caught the scent of Rudger and needs to feed off him in order to keep alive. This character is more than little creepy, but in the ‘Coraline’ sense rather than out and out scary. As Mr Bunting and his own imaginary friend pursue Rudger, we witness some fairly harrowing events.

For me, one of the most satisfying parts of the experience was looking at the illustrations by Emily Gravett. They perfectly complement the events and ideas within the novel, and make us address our own fears about growing older and losing the people important to us.

‘Truthwitch’ – Susan Dennard

‘Truthwitch’ seems to be a book that is dividing people. I’ve heard lots about it – mostly gushing praise it has to be said – but those who don’t like it seem to really dislike it. I’m not entirely sure why there is such antipathy to it; nor do I really fall into the category of regarding this as an ‘instant classic’.

There is no doubt that there is much about this novel to appeal to readers of all ages. It’s a richly imagined world, with lots of action scenes and there is the obligatory romance, though this at least is bubbling under the surface for most of the novel.

Initially I was a little put off by the relationship between the central characters of Iseult and Safiya, who seemed to be looking for trouble for no obvious reason. One seems to lead the other into trouble and yet nothing is said. However, they are strong characters and I grew to admire them as the novel progresses.

The world in which these two girls live is a little hazy. We’re told that there are three empires in power, and that the end of a truce period is drawing near. Some are doing well under this regime; others are not.

What we’re told from the outset is that there are many types of magic in this world. Each witch has power of a different type. Safiya is a Truthwitch, meaning she could be a valuable commodity in the wrong hands. Iseult is a Threadwitch, meaning she can see the ties that bind people together. From the outset we are given clues that, together, these two girls might be very important. Certainly, their skills put them at risk.

The plot is fairly straightforward. The two girls are being pursued by a number of people, and it’s a desperate battle to get the right people to the right place at the right time. Along the way, we get hints of past intrigues, political events and some interest to come. While it might have been helpful to have this fleshed out little more, it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the story.

For me the most interesting characters were Iseult and Aneudin, the Bloodwitch. The scenes where Iseult returns to her family were captivating, and I loved the fact that the bad guy wasn’t quite as bad as we’d been led to believe. I found that the parts of the story featuring these two characters were far more entertaining to read than those involving Safiya and Prince Merik.

At times during reading I have to confess to being both confused and even a little bored. However, on the whole I felt I couldn’t wait to find out more about how these events would be resolved and think this is definitely a series to stick with.

‘Knightley & Son: K-9’ – Ronan Gavin

As with the first book in the series, this is the kind of book that I think you’ll appreciate if you’re at least familiar with the original Holmes stories.

I enjoyed this, but not as much as the first book. For me, it was difficult to ignore the fact that Darkus and his father are not really working together in this novel. It felt like there were a number of characters running around doing their own thing who would, occasionally, meet up and share what they’d been doing.

I didn’t particularly like the subject, which I think was my key issue with the novel, and there were one or two coincidences too many for my taste.

On the positive side, you got to see a little more of Tilley and there is definitely a sense of Darkus’s growing confidence.

‘White Lies, Black Dare’ – Joanna Nadin

Asha Wright has a lot to deal with. Her mum has got cancer and has been forced to give up work and move back in with her step-father. Asha has had to give up her place in private school, and she now has to work out how to fit in at her new much tougher school.

Fairly early on it is made clear that Asha is a bright girl, with a future, and we know we’re meant to be rooting for her. She has a couple of close friends, and does find herself back in touch with people she knew when she was much younger. Unfortunately, Asha is drawn to Angel Jones, the brash and beautiful girl who seems to rule the roost. Asha, even though she knows it will cause trouble, cannot resist the lure of something different.

There are what I would regard as some fairly stock characters, and I felt this was a pretty straightforward look at teen relationships, peer pressure, coming to terms with yourself and doing the right thing.

If I’m being honest I felt the book was, at times, a little too simple. I think people are often more complicated than this suggests, though it was an enjoyable read and would definitely prompt some discussion with younger readers.

‘Knightley and Son’ – Rohan Gavin

Trying to find books to engage some of our more able readers – without them suddenly having to jump into ‘The Classics’ – is an ongoing issue for me as a teacher. Giving some of our younger students YA titles that deal with more mature themes can be a little off-putting for them. I’m not saying we have to start policing students’ reading material in the way that some condone, but I do feel there is something of a missing market so it is always exciting when someone recommends a new author/series.

Described as a Young Holmes for our times, this series by Rohan Gavin looks like it could form an ideal bridge between two quite distinctive groups of readers.

In this novel we are immediately introduced to the mystery surrounding best-selling book The Code perfectly. It is just macabre enough to pique your interest, without straying too far into gruesome description and putting people off.

When we first meet Knightley he is waking from a coma. We are told he is London’s top private detective so it is understandable that one of the first things he does is get back into trying to solve crimes; only this time he has the help of his thirteen year-old son, Darkus. A curious combination, but it works. Well.

For me this was a cracking read that keeps the reader interested and provides plenty of action. Of course, there are some wildly over-the-top moments and some of the villains could be regarded as pantomime but this is all part of the charm. Great fun.

‘My Name’s Not Friday’ – Jon Walter

This reminded me quite a lot of ‘Buffalo Soldier’ by Tanya Landman (the 2015 CILIP Carnegie winner) as it focuses on a child gaining freedom in Southern America, but it has a more warm-hearted feel in many ways.
When Samuel is sold as a slave he isn’t sure why. He knows he trusts in God, but can’t work out where he is or what is happening to him. We follow him on his journey to his new home, where we gain some insight into the lives of slaves. I felt this was, to a degree, quite sanitised – Samuel is lucky enough to end up bought at auction by a fairly progressive plantation owner. The experience of Samuel was probably not common to many of the time, though there are some graphic descriptions that might be off-putting for younger readers.

Over time Samuel teaches the slaves of the house to read. There is talk of freedom, but things don’t quite turn out as they expect. Eventually Samuel finds his way back to his brother, and there is a wonderful closing scene where he is reunited with some characters from earlier in the novel and we gain a small sense of the hope, optimism and fear that these newly-emancipated people would have experienced.

With such subject matter it seems odd to describe this as an enjoyable read, but it drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it.