LAST TRAIN FROM KUMMERSDORF by Leslie Wilson. Reviewed by Ann Turnbull.

Germany in 1945 was a nation in defeat, broken by war and lost illusions.  This powerful novel, shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize in 2004, is a story of two 14 year olds trying to find their way home across their war-torn country.  Hanno is a young soldier drafted into the Home Guard.  He has just seen his twin brother killed in action.  Effi has no one left except her father, who is in the US Army.  They are without food, shelter or help.  All that keeps them going is the natural optimism of youth.

These two children tentatively reach out, form a bond, and experience the beginnings of love.  But both are damaged by their experiences and are unwilling, at first, to reveal to each other the extent of their pain.

They meet up with a group of refugees and continue their journey with them, dogged by hunger, exhaustion and constant danger.  All the refugees have experienced horrors.  And yet the narrative is far from grim.  There is humour and kindness in the interaction between people - and in the middle of the book there is a delightful, almost surreal section in which the refugees discover an abandoned train full of luxurious goodies intended for Nazi officials.

Hanno and Effi seem so real you feel you know them.  Their youthful love for each other is tender and heartbreaking in the midst of so much evil, and the climax of their story is perfectly judged and unsentimental.

It's rare to find a novel about World War II written from a German perspective, and for that reason, as well as its fine writing and gripping story, this book should be widely read.

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Amber, by Julie Sykes: reviewed by Sue Purkiss

What if a girl survives a terrible car accident which results in the death of the driver of the car in which she was a passenger - but finds she has completely lost her memory? What if, although she still remembers nothing, she finds there is something she can do which no-one else on Earth can? What if...?

Well, I can't tell you much else because it would spoil the story. That's always a problem with a review, but it's much more of an issue with this one because it develops in such unexpected directions. To begin with it seems as if it's going to be about the girl's search to discover her identity - and you soon realise there's going to be some romance along the way. But then it darts off in an unexpected direction - and then, very swiftly, in an even more unexpected direction. At first I wasn't sure if this was going to work. But it did. The book opens up like a flower and reveals all sorts of extraordinary things - and makes you think about some very important ideas: loyalty, trust, the relationship of the individual to society - not to mention the future of the planet.

But as well as all these things it's about a charismatic girl - the Amber of the title - and about first love. You want things to work out for her and for Dan, the boy she meets in her new life; but there comes a point where you can't see how they can. And at this point it becomes very difficult to stop reading.

There was only one little bit of it that I found a bit difficult to believe, and it wasn't any of the bits you might expect it to be. I wish I could discuss it, but I don't want to spoil the story - so you'll just have to read it  and then we can compare notes!

This book is an excellent, thought-provoking read - beautifully written as well - and I think teenage girls will love it. Will there be a sequel? There certainly could be!

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AFTER THE SNOW by S.D.Crockett. Reviewed by Pauline Chandler.

Not another dystopia story! Not another tale about a hopeless future, after we’ve destroyed the planet!  Yes, “After the Snow” is set in a harsh future, but don’t miss it:  it’s a deceptively simple adventure story, highly enjoyable as a quest story, which yet highlights deeper issues about types of government, survival skills, trade, barter, money, justice, as well as fundamental human relationships.  

Told in the distinctive voice – part boy, part primitive hunter - of the main character, Willo, the story follows Willo’s quest to find his family, who have been taken away, by harsh government forces. Kidnap and death are commonplace, in this snow-covered world, and Willo is frightened, but, with great courage and resourcefulness, he sets out to find them.  “After the Snow” is really the story of Willo’s coming-of-age on this quest.

Born after ‘the sea stop working and the snow fall and fall and fall’, Willo doesn’t know much about the world ‘Before.’ His skills are making fire, storing food, trapping animals and, especially, in making fur clothes, something which stands him in very good stead on his quest.  I always enjoy scenes where people are working and using their hands to make things, so this part especially appealed to me.

I also loved Willo’s character, his resilience and also his very human doubts, that make him so appealing. Early on in his quest he comes across two abandoned children, who will certainly die without his help. His head tells him that he will have to leave them behind. He doesn’t have enough food to share and they will hold him back on the trail, so he moves on, but his heart makes him go back for them. By this time the younger one is dead and the older one, a girl, has difficulty leaving him. These are harrowing scenes, but the author handles them with fine sensitivity.

There are other scenes in the book, also not for the fainthearted. At one point Willo is thrown into prison, cruelly treated and made to witness an execution, but the emphasis is on Willo’s refusal to give in to tyranny, a strength he needs to fight the regime.

Willo’s father appears only in memories and words in the book. Willo remembers that his dad called him a ‘beacon of hope’. It’s not until the surprising ending to the story that Willo, and the reader, knows why.  

A thought-provoking and exciting story, which gripped me from the start. 

‘After The Snow’ – S.D. Crockett     Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2013-09-22

Recommended for able readers aged 10+

Pauline Chandler  

www.paulinechandler.com 

 

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THE QUIETNESS by Alison Rattle - reviewed by Dawn McNiff

THE QUIETNESS  by Alison Rattle

Reviewed by Dawn McNiff

An historical YA novel, published by Hot Key Books in 2013.

This grippingly-told story is set in Victorian London in 1870, and like Jamila Gavin's Coram Boy, its subject is harrowing and shocking - the underground, murderous baby-trading of centuries past.

So unsurprisingly, there are some pretty adult themes in this book - prostitution, child-birth and infanticide. It's full-on, but without being graphic. An affecting but unsentimental depiction of life back then.

And the novel is all the more compelling because it's based on a true story. Alison was inspired by an actual court record taken at the trial of two 19th century baby-killers. Here she came across a first-person account by the accused women's 15 year old assistant, and this became the voice of Queenie, one of book's main characters.

So the novel is a troubling read at times. A scene when a newborn is taken from its mother against her will made me go cold and goose-bumpy - you really feel the girl's wild, desperate panic. Ugh, so chilling. Such misery. But VERY well-done.

The story told from perspective of two teen girls - Ellen and Queenie - as dual narrators in alternate chapters. I think this works very well to keep the reader guessing until the stories finally converge. I did see a few of the twists and turns coming, but not many (and definitely not the ending) And I didn't get into the book straight away, but before long I was whipping through the pages, hungry for the story.

There are some well-used, story motifs in this novel - rich girl/poor girl; reversal of fortunes; characters unknowingly sharing a secret past. But Alison's direct, unblinking style, vivid scene-setting, and compelling voices means the novel feels fresh.

And it leaves us with some serious questions - about the responsibility of minors and by-standers. I think it's a clever study of denial, and also shows us how extreme adversity can sit us on the sharp point of difficult, moral choices.

But there is a dose of hope too, and some happier themes- family loyalty, forgiveness, friendship and transcending love.

It is in essence a story about women - and their struggles and deep bonds. The men in the book don't get great press. They are nearly all cruel, self-serving and manipulative. The best of the bunch are Queenie's brother, who's a decent sort, if only briefly sketched at the end; and Queenie's father, who is flaky in the extreme, but affable and big-hearted.

And the ending?... Well, I threw myself back on my pillow with a wail...it's not a happy-ever-after for everyone.

This is Alison's debut as a YA author, and I say - hats off and hurrah. Looking forward to many more.

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Twisty Tales - Damian Harvey

Books for young readers seem to get very little attention in the media despite the important role they play in a child's reading development, confidence and enjoyment of reading. Books often fall into a few small categories - picture books for the very young, school reading schemes and then they make a leap ahead into longer books - often leaving children with little to go at for pleasure. The Franklin Watts Hopscotch series are extremely popular in libraries as they provide a nice little skip and a jump across some of these gaps. It's a pity they aren't more widely available in shops, nevertheless, their appearance on the library shelves is very welcome and the books are greatly borrowed and eagerly read.

One of the more recent additions to the Hopscotch Range - which spans Adventures and Fairy Tales etc - is the Twisty Tales series. Simply told stories with twists on existing and familiar tales...

Sleeping Beauty - 100 Years Later by Laura North and illustrated by Gary Northfield is, as you would rightly guess, a twist on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. The story begins in the familiar way with the Beautiful Princess pricking her needle on a spinning wheel and falling into a deep, 100 year sleep - only to be awoken by the kiss of a prince. Then 'One hundred years later,  Prince wearing sunglasses drove up to the castle.' Rather than the old Prince Charming of the familiar story, this prince talks on his mobile phone, listens to music in his headphones and wears jeans. A lot has changed since the princess fell asleep. Prince Harry asks the sleeping beauty out on a date and off they zoom in his car. He sweeps her of her feet at the fair and gives her a single red rose... but when the Princess pricks her finger on a thorn she worries that she will fall asleep for another 100 years - Can Prince Harry help? Of course he can... but I'm not telling you how.

The Emperor's New Kit by Maureen Haselhurst and illustrated by Kelly Kennedy  is a delightful twist on The Emperors New Clothes and will instantly attract young boys with its football theme. Enrico Empery is the ace footballing captain of Bootsville United. He is so good that 'his fans nicknamed him "The Emperor".' As with famous footballers today, Enrico loves clothes almost as much as he loves football. His jealous teammate - Frankie Foulo decides to teach The Emperor a lesson and gives the vain Enrico a special football kit for the final... a kit that will be invisible to everyone except the 'top football players'. Will the vain Enrico get his just desserts or will there be an extra twist to this twisty tale (yes there will)... A great little twisty tale with delightfully modern illustrations that will instantly appeal to boys.

Rumpled Stilton Skin - written and illustrated by Daniel Postgate gives a funny twist on the familiar tale of Rumplestiltskin. This story tells the tale of a young girl that owns a cheese shop....She loves all sorts of cheese - even Stilton with its strong smell. The only thing she hates is the thick bit of skin on a Silton cheese... she gives this to her much loved dog. In Cinderella fashion, the girl receives an invite to a party. She can't go of course as she just doesn't look the part. Luckily for her... up pops a strange little man that can help her prepare for the grand party. He will ask for payment later of course. After a wonder party the little man returns and demands payment... Refusing the Prince's offer of land, horses and the like, the little man asks for the girls dog. Yum, yum he says... rubbing his tummy... unless you can guess my name of course. The girl tries in vain to guess his name then lose her temper and declares that he is worse than a piece of Rumpled Stilton Skin. You'll have to read the book to see if she's right... A delightful little Twisty Tale...

It's interesting to see the different approaches that authors have made in creating these Twisted Tales - some give them a slight twist by bringing them into the modern day like Sleeping Beauty 100 Years Later, and Rapunzel and the Prince of Pop (not reviewed here) which readers will love and instantly recognise the Simon Cowell link, others are firmly placed in the modern day like The Emperors New Kit, and others keep their more traditional settings like Penny Dolan's delightful twist on The Ugly Duckling in which all of the ducklings are born a little bit strange - except one that's called Beauty...

All a must for young and developing readers that want to visit the library and get a book they can enjoy on their own... 

Damian Harvey - www.damianharvey.co.uk

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THE WEIGHT OF SOULS by Bryony Pearce: reviewed by Gillian Philip

Bryony Pearce does a very good line in unstraightforward heroines. Her debut novel Angel's Fury featured the anything-but-easy Cassie Farrier, a tormented and difficult teen making what she could of a bad deal in life (and not always well); this of course is exactly what a lot of teenagers can relate to even when their lives aren't complicated by family curses, unfortunate bloodlines and tetchy gods. Pearce has pulled off the same success with Taylor Oh, the thoroughly imperfect heroine of The Weight of Souls.

Every teenager knows that there are things in life more important than school, homework or your parents' opinions. Taylor's problem is that having inherited a curse down her mother's bloodline, she's fated to avenge murder victims; this would be stressful enough in itself, but if Taylor ever fails to pass on the Mark (a kind of infectious Black Spot) within a certain time limit, the Darkness that's meant to swallow the murderer will come for her instead. (I've got three deadlines at the moment and I knew how Taylor felt.)

The book is interspersed with entries from The Diary of Oh Fah, the journal of the tomb-raiding ancestor who managed to inflict this fate on his own firstborn and every generation since. Oh Fah was the only survivor of an archaeological expedition that ended badly for everyone. What's more, Oh Fah only got away with it because the god Anubis was in need of a weapon in the mortal world. The curse seems to be all about divine vengeance; but never try to second-guess a god, because there may be mixed motives involved. This is the second time Pearce has made terrific use of mythology (Egyptian this time), in a modern context but without sacrificing any of the ancient horror.

Anyway, Oh Fah is not the most sympathetic character, but he's downright adorable next to some of the men in the story. I've got to say it: I wanted to slap Taylor's father, hard and regularly. Left in a wheelchair by the same accident that killed Taylor's mother – an accident directly related to the family curse – he spends his life bull-headedly denying said curse, telling his daughter she's mentally ill (and so was her mother before her), drawing blood from the girl's bruised arm, and taking everyone's side but hers. It's no wonder Taylor is a snippy verbal match for the bullies who torment her at school; her father's worse. It may be realistic parenting, and he may be showing his love in the only way he knows how, but really. *SLAP*

There comes a point, however, when the bullies do cause Taylor more harm than her father. And it starts when the worst of them, Justin Hargreaves, turns up at school dead. Unintentionally he passes the Mark to Taylor, which causes worse problems than usual... because Justin insists he wasn't murdered. It's at this point that the story spirals into an absolutely nail-biting tale of lies, peer pressure, and Truth Or Dare.

There's a lovely sinister heartbeat running through the book, and it belongs more to the malevolent V Club than it does to the god Anubis. The dares Taylor has to go through at the Club's bidding – because it's her only way of getting to the truth about Justin's death – are heartstopping, and I caught myself reading much farther into the night than I should have. Gripping too was the developing relationship between Taylor and the dead Justin. I do like an antihero, but I liked this one a lot. I grew very fond as well of Hannah, Taylor's long-suffering BF-possibly-not-F (though her ex-friend Pete was another slap-magnet. Really, the men don't come out of this very well).

The Weight Of Souls ends on a satisfying climax, but it hints very strongly at a follow-up. Taylor has tried never to wonder what exactly happens to the souls who are engulfed by the Darkness, but... oh, that would be spoilers. Go and read it. I'll certainly be reading the sequel.*

The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce; Strange Chemistry £7.99

www.gillianphilip.com

*(Tell me there's a sequel?)








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SOULMATES by Holly Bourne, reviewed by Tamsyn Murray

I'd be the first to admit I'm a romantic. I love the idea of there being a true love out there for each of us, someone who is the ying to our yang, the cream to our strawberries, the bubbles in our bath - The ONE. I'm also intrigued by the science of love - the physical reactions in our bodies when we fall head over heels for someone, even if all the evidence suggests that they are bad for us. So when I heard about Holly Bourne's debut novel, which combines all these things, I knew it was a book I would enjoy. What I didn't expect was to have my expectations flipped around and questioned. And I didn't expect to like the main character quite as much as I did.

Poppy Lawson has all the trappings of typical teenage life; she's got good friends (some better than others), loves going to gigs and hates her home town. But before you go thinking she's all fluff and no substance, she's snarky (and I am a sucker for a sardonic heroine) and sniffy and struggles with severe panic attacks. Oh, and she doesn't believe in romance, doesn't do relationships - until she meets Noah, who she has an extreme emotional and physical reaction to. Noah is in a band, gorgeous (of course) and has his own problems. I knew from the blurb that their relationship wasn't going to be straightforward; they might be soulmates but we learn almost immediately that this isn't actually a good thing. In fact, their relationship is something a shadowy international agency is working very hard to prevent, because if Poppy and Noah stay together, the consequences will be catastrophic.

Soulmates rattles along at an incredible pace. I started it one afternoon and only reluctantly put it down to sleep, finishing it the next morning. The plot swoops and climbs around the main characters, weaving an intoxicating tale of wanting what you can't have and growing up faster than you should. I was amazed to discover that this is Holly Bourne's first book - it's a skillfully-told story. I loved the idea that finding your soulmate could be the very worst thing that could happen to you, and I liked the way the cataclysmic events circling Poppy and Noah slowly tighten until there's no way they can avoid facing up to the truth. I liked the stark reminder that love has consequences - for most of us, that isn't the end of the world but Poppy and Noah might not be so lucky.

A word on the cover, which could have been black and red but seems to make a conscious effort to move away from the more traditional paranormal romance covers of recent years and I think it helps to distinguish the book as a superior example of the genre. Overall, I found Soulmates to be quirky and funny and gorgeously heart-rending. It's romance, Jim, but not as we know it. More, please!





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LITTLE EVIE IN THE WILD WOOD, by Jackie Morris and Catherine Hyde. Reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

• Author: Jackie Morris
• Illustrator: Catherine Hyde
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books (1 Aug 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847803717
• ISBN-13: 978-1847803719

A new Jackie Morris picture book is always something to look forward to.  Her texts, often lyrical and always evocative, have a haunting quality that stays with you for a long time. Her exquisite, detailed, jewel-like illustrations match the text completely, usually providing an extra layer of meaning to the story.

In Little Evie In The Dark Wood, she excels herself with a simple story that takes Little Red Riding
Hood as its starting point but moves in an unexpected and beguiling direction.  Little Evie, dressed in a red coat, skips over the stile at the end of the path and enters the unchartered territory of the wild wood.  She has with her a picnic basket.  The animals in the wood all sound a warning, but who is Evie likely to run into and what will happen when she does?

The beautiful text is a perfect foil for Catherine Hyde's illustrations, broad canvasses full of earthy tones that hum with life and colour.  A perfect little treat of a book.  Read it at bedtime or take with you on a picnic and share in the great outdoors.

Saviour Pirotta

www.spirotta.com
https://www.facebook.com/spirotta

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BLOOD FAMILY by Anne Fine Reviewed by Adèle Geras

WRITTEN ON AUGUST 28th.

I realize, reading through the review below that I might be taken to be saying: stay away from this book because it's too much in all kinds of ways. It wasn't my intention to say any such thing and indeed it ought to be required reading for anyone who has dealings with adoption services or who wants to understand the difficulties faced by many children. The picture of adoption that comes out of the book is a wonderful one, I think and very sensitively done. What I meant by 'hard to take' is that the book is written so well and at such a finely tuned emotional pitch that it will leave you thinking about it for a long time afterwards and you are not likely to forget it as you are many more trivial works where bloodletting and all kinds of horror are rife. Children who read it will see they are not alone and don't have to be...there are ways of surviving and being helped. Adults who read it will learn much that could prove most useful in their dealings with difficult adolescents....In short, a smashing book and one you should seek out!

Anne Fine has been writing books for children of all ages and for adults for a good many years and her work for readers of every age is marked by its elegance, its humour and its honesty. She also does a good line in spooky, as witness her book of last year, to which this novel is a companion piece, THE DEVIL WALKS. She is also, I have to confess, an old and good friend of mine. Quite a number of my best friends are writers and I'm afraid I can't help it if they're the kind of writer whose books I want to shout about. Am I biased? Well, maybe, but I have no qualms at all in promoting novels I think are good and which many people will enjoy.

"Enjoy" is not perhaps the word to use in the case of this book. It's very hard-hitting and readers of a delicate and easily-upset disposition would be well advised to steer clear of it. Parts of it are difficult to read. Parts of it are so eye-wateringly appalling that I can well imagine the odd person putting the book aside thinking: this is too much for me.

Eddie, four years old, lives with his mother and an abusive man and it's only thanks to the intervention of a nosy and kind neighbour that he is rescued and eventually both fostered and adopted. His foster and adoptive parents are lovely, but by then much damage has been done to Eddie and his mother has been so badly beaten that she can barely talk, much less relate to her son. Eddie, however, as he grows up, has problems of his own. He comes to think that maybe the abusive man who brutalised his mother is his own father and that maybe, as they say, blood is thicker than water and he is in danger of turning into the Beast he so fears and loathes. What he does is take to drink and Fine provides a clear and depressing picture of exactly what this can lead to.

The novel is told in the voices of its protagonists and everyone has a part in the narrative patchwork. This allows Fine to vary the tone and the inflection, and makes the book easier to read as well as moving it along at a cracking pace. You won't be able to put it down, once you begin it. The only person who is never heard is Eddie's mother and that's because she's been beaten to such degree that she can no longer speak or think in any coherent way. Her silence is the saddest thing in the whole novel.

Many people help Eddie along the way and Fine is very good at finding silver linings in the most impenetrable of clouds. There is a happy ending, but prepare to be soundly harrowed on the way there. Teenagers should read this book and so should their parents and carers. When real-life children like Eddie are not as fortunate as he is, our newspapers fill up with tragic stories like that of Daniel Pelka.

Perhaps not a book to recommend as an easy beach read, but one which will stay with you for a long time after you've closed it.

Published by: Doubleday Books in hardback Price: £12.99 ISBN: 9870857532404

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The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

Reviewed by Jackie Marchant

This is classed as an adult book, yet, as I read it, I found myself wondering why.  It’s told from the point of view of 17 year old Alex, who has just been arrested while trying to enter the country at Dover with the remains of Mr Peterson plus some cannabis in his car.  He hasn’t improved his situation by ignoring officers banging on his door while playing loud music and then calmly informing them that he shouldn’t be driving.  Oh, and the fact that the whole country has been on the alert for him . . .

But Alex’s deadpan delivery of his story is both humourous and endearing as he goes back to when he was aged ten and struck by a meteor.  That led to a series of events, which culminated in the unlikely friendship that ended up with him brining Mr Peterson’s remains into the county.  We go with him through his fraught relationship with his unconventional mother, phantom father, school bullies and the tricky situations he finds himself in. 

So why isn’t this a teen book?  It could well be, but it is slightly long for that category and it takes us through several years of Alex’s life.  Also, he does at times seem to be recounting this from an older age and looking back.  But that aside, I think that teens would love this book if they thought to give it a try.  Perhaps there should be the reverse of the ‘cross-over’ genre, ie books that are written for adults, but are perfect for teens as well?  It’s a great book and would be a shame for teen readers to miss out.

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On A Beam Of Light by Jennifer Berne with pictures by Vladimir Radunsky. Review by Penny Dolan.

I’ve chosen this most remarkable book because it is a current favourite with two young girls, aged eight and four. This picture book is a biography, written in simple and poetic text  in parise of the power of simply thinking. 

But who's the hero?

The story opens like this:

“Over a hundred years ago, as the stars swirled, as the earth circled the sun, as the March winds blew through a little town by a river, a baby boy was born, His parents named him Albert.”

The illustrations, by Vladimir Radunsky, are rough child-like drawings - in chalks, ink and paint – on a variety of pale wrapping-paper brown pages, with arrows and words drawn in scratchily here and there.

The young hero, however is a rather unusual (and worrying to his parents) sort of child:

 “Albert turned one year old.

And didn’t say a word.

Albert turned two

And didn’t say a word,

And Albert turned three

And hardly said a word at all.”

 Why doesn’t young Albert talk? Because he is already busy spending his time wondering and thinking.

One day, Albert’s father gives him a compass. Albert studies it and:

“Suddenly he knew there were mysteries in the world, hidden and silent, unknown and unseen. He wanted more than anything to understand those mysteries.”

And this is when Albert starts to ask questions, and to read and study so that he can find the answers to all these many mysteries – about light and sound, about heat and magnetism, about gravity.

After university, Albert takes a job in a quiet government office, where people bring their inventions, but he does not stop learning. Albert studied and wrote, and sent his letters and papers and ideas out across the word. Eventually he was, and still is, recognised as a great thinker.

The book’s full title is “On A Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein”

Einstein’s eccentricities are there in the book: his wild white hair, his love of ice-cream, how his violin playing helped him to think, his bicycle riding, and his belief that “his feet were happier without his socks.”

The pages illustrate the range of Albert’s interests: on one spread showing whirling comets, we read “He thought of very, very big things”.  

 Over the page, he is busy with a simple sailing boat. “He thought of very, very small things.” 

 Although people are shown as being amazed at Albert’s many ideas, there is no sense of our hero seeking celebrity or fame, and no mention of words like “genius” or “science” although that is implicit in the way the story unfolds. There is no earnest, off-putting mention of being clever or genius or being “stretched” or the need for “rigour” 

What the writer and illustrator capture are Albert Einstein’s sense of wonder, and his love of learning, although the book also includes a spread of additional information for anyone interested in further facts.

Page by page, this delightful book creates a wonderfully affirming story that praises wonder, and thought and the asking of questions. It shows Albert fascinated by the incredibly interesting world all around him – and what better message is there than that?

And as for that “Beam of Light” in the title? That’s the headlamp on Albert’s bicycle, the source of one of his greatest ideas. 

Originally published by Chronicle Books in America, and a Junior Literary Guild Selection, this hardback title is now available in the UK.

£10.99. ISBN 978 –0-8118-7235-5.

Note: The copy I borrowed to review was bought at the remarkable independent bookshop inside Salts Mill at Saltaire, near Bradford. Spread across one floor of the old mill, this shop has a most alluringly wide and attractive selection of books for adults and children. The photo below can be found on the author Saviour Pirotta's blog. So now you have three lovely things to look out for and enjoy - a book, a shop and a blog!

Penny Dolan

www.pennydolan.com

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Last Chance Angel, by Alex Gutteridge, reviewed by Pippa Goodhart

 

 

Alex Gutteridge’s ‘Last Chance Angel’ is a truly exceptional novel for children (particularly girls) of about ten to fifteen.

The premise of this novel is one which doesn’t feel as if it will make for a comfortable or a positive read, and yet the book emphatically manages to be both of those things.  Fourteen year old Jess is knocked off her bike, then lies in a hospital bed, in a coma, dying.  But a disorganised Angel of Death, Darren, gets the date of her death wrong, with the result that Jess is granted an extra few days in which to invisibly visit, and effectively, haunt her friends and family before her proper death day arrives. 

Those days of visiting friends and family could be morbid.  They could be sentimental.   They could be trite.  But they aren’t because of the sheer skill of plotting and character creation and writing employed.  A large cast of characters are wonderfully, movingly and humorously brought to life on the page.  Darren himself is a camp and rather spiteful jobs-worth of an angel, but even he becomes sympathetic by the end!  Jess gets insights into her group of friends, who, like her, are fallible.  She can help some, gain insights into others.  And the same is true of her imperfect, but very likeable, family.  The result is surprisingly profound, making for a compelling read as we come towards the end, and Jess is given a choice that makes us reel. 

Jess is given the ultimate moral personal dilemma.  Darren tells her that she can avoid death now, but only if she will sacrifice the once best friend who has since betrayed her.  Will Jess choose for Sarah to die so that she can live?  This is edge of the seat stuff, really exciting, but also moving and thought-provoking.   Brilliantly, the ending does surprise.

Alex Gutteridge has a rare gift for observing families and friendship, but also places, with a sure and kind eye that translates into beautiful writing.  Grounding the story with details of homes and cookery and gardening that bring it life on the page make the story all the more poignant.  This is also a love story of the very best kind.  Yes, there is a gentle boy/girl love theme, but love in so many other forms too … even love for wonderfully bracing Mrs Baxter the dreaded maths teacher! 

This is a story about understanding and forgiving, yourself as well as others.  It is, ultimately, a wonderfully hopeful story that leaves the reader a little different from the person they were when they began reading the book.  It is fresh and original, and would bear many re-readings.  Highly recommended.

 

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READING AND DYSLEXIA - A review of the use of e-readers by Cecilia Busby

A month ago, an eleven-year-old boy from our local secondary school won the CILIP Carnegie Shadowing Haiku competition ( http://www.alcs.co.uk/ALCS-News/June-2013/ALCS-News-Bulletin-June-2013/Carnegie-Winner-piece). This was his haiku:

In my possession
I have a word soup, jumbled
Into little grains

The poem is about the experience of dyslexia - apt, in a year in which the Carnegie was won by Sally Gardner, herself dyslexic, and her book, Maggot Moon, which features a main character unable to read or write. My review today relates to the same subject - its not about any one book, but about access to reading for those with dyslexia.

Sally Gardner deliberately wrote Maggot Moon with short chapters, because she could remember how frustrating it was as a child to be asked, "What chapter have you got to now?" and having to admit that she was still on the same one. It's a problem my daughter would identify with. At ten, she has not yet been diagnosed, but it's looking very much as if her reading problems are related to some form of dyslexia. When she saw James Cutler's haiku, above, she said: "That's exactly what it's like! Exactly what it feels like, looking at a page of words..." Izzy is ten, and while she loves books, her slow reading speed has made it very hard for her to access the kinds of books she would ideally like to read - the ones that engage her intellectually and emotionally. They take too long to read, the print is too small, the lines too close together. On the other hand, the books she could manage strike her generally as too simplistic, too dull, or too silly. So she tends to struggle through the longer books, but it's a painful process, and it's all too easy to give up.

Recently, however, we've discovered a device that has made a phenomenal difference to Izzy's ability to access the books she wants to read, and to successfully negotiate that 'word soup'. The device she uses is a Kindle Fire, but in fact most e-readers can perform the same functions - the key is the ability to increase font size, and the use of a text-to-voice application.  When we first got her a kindle, for its ability to increase font size, it did help her read books she otherwise found difficult - it cut down the number of times she mixed words up or skipped lines. But the biggest revelation - and one she discovered herself - was the 'voice' function. With headphones in, the rather robotic voice that 'reads' the displayed text confirmed for her what each word was as she read it. As she put it to me: "It's like using stabilisers on a bicycle." The voice supports her when she hits a word that would otherwise make her stumble, it keeps her going at a steady speed, and it allows her to 'read' at a pace that keeps the story flowing and exciting. At the moment, she's reading Gillian Cross's dystopian novel, After Tomorrow - and has amazed us and herself by how far she's got through it already.

At first, I was a little sceptical about her using the voice function - how could this monotonous voice enhance the imaginative side of reading? Was it even reading, really? But talking to her, and seeing the pleasure she's getting from the experience, has converted me. In many ways the monotone seems to act a little like the plain black-and-white words on the-page to a fast/automatic reader - just as such a reader turns that sterile code not into individual 'words' in their head but into a whole colourful scene of characters and events, so a dyslexic reader can take the monotone voice, alongside the words, and convert it into 'seen' action. In this sense it is very different to audio books (which my daughter also enjoys), and much more like the experience of 'normal' reading - with work and input required from your own individual imagination.

There are a number of text-to-voice applications for e-readers (a list is available here:
http://atcoalition.org/article/accessibility-and-e-readers) but they are mostly aimed at people with visual impairments. I've not seen them recommended for dyslexics before. I hope this review might encourage a few people to try the technology for their children - for Izzy, it's opened up a whole world of more technically difficult reads, and a hugely affirming level of personal control over her reading.



Cecilia Busby writes as C.J. Busby
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CAVEMEN STICKER BOOK by Paul Nicholls, Non Taylor and Fiona Watt. Reviewed by Ann Turnbull.

This Usborne activity book is the sort of thing I would have adored as a child.  It's perfect for quiet indoor moments during the holidays.

The book is a large paperback and consists of about a dozen scenes of Ice Age life - cave interiors, a mammoth hunt, a river with reindeer, etc. - all of them enticingly empty, ready for whatever the child wants to put into them.  In the middle of the book are pages and pages of stickers - "over 400 stickers", the cover proclaims - and they are fun.  I like the child hitting its thumb with a stone tool and wailing; the hunter going cross-eyed as he tries to mend his spear; the inquisitive baby; the mum fitting a new dress on her daughter.  There are some satisfyingly gruesome pictures of butchery, too, with blood splashing around.  There is a cave bear, and swimming deer (just back and head, no legs).  Children who like intricate things will enjoy the many very small stickers: tools, bowls of food, pigeons that can be perched on rocks or trees; even tiny beads and bones.

Scattered throughout the book is also a surprising amount of information, making it suitable for a wide age-range.  Little ones will want to talk about the animals, while older children will enjoy learning about the Ice Age and making up their own stories and pictures.  Highly recommended.



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CRUSADE, by Elizabeth Laird, and HALO, by Zizou Corder: reviewed by Sue Purkiss

I borrowed these two books from the library. The advantage of doing this is that you're selecting from an eclectic range of books, not just from recently published ones, and I had missed both these treats when they first came out. The disadvantage is that I had to take them back, so I don't have them in front of me to refer to - so apologies if there's a certain lack of detail in what follows!

Crusade is the first book by Elizabeth Laird that I've read. It features two boys, one a Christian from England, and one a Moslem from Acre. They are on opposite sides during one of Richard the Lionheart's crusades. At first, their stories alternate, but eventually they meet.

The book is a brilliant evocation of a distant time and place, with so much detail and so many vividly drawn characters - I particularly liked Dr Musa, the Jewish doctor: tetchy and immensely skilled, he has a heart as big as the planet, and Salim is fortunate indeed to be taken on by him as an apprentice. Given the subject matter, there is the opportunity for many contemporary resonances, and the author explores these thoroughly; through the character of Adam, we see how direct experience alters the way we perceive those we thought of as enemies. At the beginning of the book he has a simplistic attitude to the crusade, but by the end he is a far more tolerant and nuanced character, with a much deeper understanding of human nature and the effects of war - as is Salim, who grows immensely through the book.

Halo is set in ancient Greece, during the period of the wars between Athens and Sparta. Halo herself is a child brought up by centaurs, a kind, wise and gentle race. But circumstances force her to go on a journey which will eventually lead to her discovery of her true parentage. Along the way, she has all sorts of adventures with both Spartans and Athenians, meeting philosophers and warriors, finding herself in great danger but always bouncing out of it. This is another book with vivid, immensely likeable characters - and some nasty villains, too.

I don't know whether these would be categorised as middle-grade or YA; I found them both hugely enjoyable. Crusade is thought-provoking, Halo is enchanting. Both are beautifully written.


www.suepurkiss.com



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WE HAVE LIFT OFF, by Sean Taylor and Hannah Shaw. Reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

Title: WE HAVE LIFT OFF
Author: Sean Taylor
Illustrator: Hannah Shaw
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Format: hardback/paperback
Publication year 2013.

Mr Tanner is a farmer with no conscience.  He pollutes the land and mistreats the farm animals something rotten. No wonder they all want to run away!  But where can they seek refuge? Someone suggests the moon.  Glowing brightly in the night sky, it looks like a peaceful place to bring up the kids and chicks.

The animals build a rocket but, before they can all climb in and take off, they have to launch a test flight. A chicken, a rabbit and a sheep all volunteer as test pilots - only to crash land back on the farm with their dreams of space travel in tatters.  It looks like the poor animals will never see the back of Mr Tanner after all.  Until the greedy farmer discovers their secret and decides to appropriate the  rocket.....

This is a zany, fun story that had the three little readers I tried it on hooting with laughter and joining in.  The text sparkles with naughtiness and the comic book drawings more than do it justice. I loved the bold primary colours and the quirky angles of beaks and noses.  The ending has a satisfying twist in the tail and, like all good pictures, leaves the reader wanting more.

There are two versions of the book, one in a big picture book format and a second which is part of the I Am Reading Series, created in consultation with literary expert Prue Goodwin.

A must for all bookshelves!


Review by Saviour Pirotta
website:  www.spirotta.com
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From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg reviewed by Lynda Waterhouse

A copy of this book literally fell into my hands whilst I was browsing in a bookshop. The title intrigued me and the opening sentence; Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old -fashioned kind of running away, lured me into the story. As soon as I returned home I read the novel in one sitting. I loved its quirky characters, its hilarious dialogue and surreal situation. It was first published in 1967 and in the following year it won the prestigious Newbery Medal.

Claudia Kincaid and her second youngest brother, Jamie are running away from home so they pack their pyjamas in their violin and trumpet cases and to take up residence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. They dodge the guards and decide to spend the night in the rooms of fine French and English furniture. During this adventure something happens to them,

What happened to them was: they became a team, a family of two...Becoming a team didn’t mean the end of their arguments. But it did mean that the arguments became a part of the adventure, became discussions not threats

The novel is narrated by Mrs Basil E Frankweiler who is a cranky, witty and wealthy octogenarian who finds a kindred spirit in Claudia Kincaid. It is she who has sold (she doesn't like donating) the mysterious Angel statue to the museum.

Claudia is determined to unearth the secret of the statue and prove that it is by Michelangelo because if she makes this discovery she will know how to go back home, I, Claudia Kincaid, want to be different when I go back home. Like being a heroine is different.

My edition also contained a delightful afterword instead of a forward because ‘I myself never read forewords until after I have read the book, and then I read them only if I really liked the book and want to know more.’  I read the afterword and I'm sure you will too.

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PLUNGE INTO THE PIRATE POOL by Caryl Hart and Ed Eaves, reviewed by Tamsyn Murray

Young Albie gets home from a long day at school and no sooner has he settled down to read his book than Mum tells him it's time to go swimming. But this is no ordinary trip to the pool - when Albie dives down into the dark depths, he discovers the seaweed is hiding all kind of watery delights. Soon, he's hunting for treasure with Captain Cuttlefish and his crew in a shark-shaped submarine and whooshing around on a sea-scrambler.

Plunge Into The Pirate Pool is the fourth picture book offering from Caryl Hart and Ed Eaves to feature the adorable Albie and the fun just keeps on coming. Kids will love the colourful illustrations, full of piratical and undersea detail, and the text doesn't skimp on the action. Fans of Albie will be glad to see that he's making more new friends and exploring his fertile imagination in a new and exciting adventure. My little one certainly loves seeing the same character across the different books and the first book in the series, Supermarket Zoo, is a firm favourite in our house. I have no doubt that Plunge Into The Pirate Pool will soon become just as well thumbed and look forward to seeing what this pairing come up with next.

Aimed at 3+ years (although my 20 month old loves it)



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AESOP'S FABLES: Michael Rosen, with illustrations by Taleen Hacikyan, Review by Penny Dolan

Aesop’s Fables so often appear in guises and re-workings, but here, in this bold collection, one can see their importance as a literary form. Collected together, these stories show “how a fable works”. they introduce the child to purpose lying behind story, to truth within a fantasy setting, how animals can depict humans and how story – and real life - characters must be understood through action as well as speech. Such stories encourage the reader to listen well,  to think - and to learn that words can be tricky things.

Michael Rosen’s thirteen retellings are vivid and clear. They are not over-wacky "modern” versions, but the original tales retold with exactly the right mix of description and lively speech. 

Wisely, Rosen lets the tales talk for themselves. He writes so the fables read simply enough for a child to enjoy but the pieces are also perfectly voiced for reading aloud. With tales so short and neatly written, this feels like an ideal collection if you are encouraging storytelling work among children. 

Of, course, there's the essential moral at the foot of each story. These are told in a direct way that children  - and others - can understand: “Don’t get carried away when people tell you that you’re brilliant or beautiful. They maybe saying it just so they can get something from you.” As the cheeseless Crow now knows!

I did like holding this particular hardback collection. It is very satisfying when a book is a comfortable size to hold, especially when you are reading with or to children.  The layout is pleasing too. The font is elegant, there is space on the page and every illustration gets full attention. The spreads consist of one full-page picture and one story, set out page by page, which would also make the book work well on a stand or as part of a display too.

Taleen Hacikyan, the Canadian illustrator, has made the book both beautiful and rather unusual. Her leafy endpapers introduce the reader to the strange dark natural setting of Aesop’s tales. Within, Hacikyan's rich palette and dark backgrounds make striking, “ageless” pictures, ren=minding the reader that these fables are for far more than nurseries. The semi-primitive drawings have a dream-like quality, lightened by a sense of movement and humour. So the Cockerels are undeniably bright and cheery on their dark background, while the lean and hungry Fox yearns upwards towards a Bunch of Grapes so desirable that they almost fill the page. In the clever illustration of the Wolf and Lamb, conversing on the river bank, the reflection of the wolf already shows the lamb within its belly. “Moral: People who are out to get you will come up with all kinds of excuses for bringing you down. But at the end of the day, they’ll try and get you anyway.”

I don’t want to come over all Gove-alike here, believe me, but I do think that Aesop’s fables are a part of core cultural knowledge, whether heard or told or read. Vivian French and Korky Paul’s “Aesops Funky Fables” has long been a favourite version, particularly because of the clever wordplay, but  Rosen’s clear and beautiful Aesop’s Fables will certainly become part of my school & storytelling collection as well.

I rather wished there could have been a List of Contents although not having one does mean a reader might read the whole book, but there is a nice biography of Aesop at the back. There's also information about how this book was funded by the Canadian Council for the Arts and the British Columbia Arts Council. So nice to know such things happen somewhere, if not here . . .

To ned with, here’s a delightfully confident Mouse – as well as a flavour of Rosen’s confident telling.

Mouse was scampering to and fro, back and forth, fetch and carry: too busy to notice that he’d run over Lion’s tail. Lion woke up with a roar and seized Mouse in his great paw. He was just about to pop Mouse into his mouth, a tasty little nibble, when Mouse called out: “Don’t eat me, Lion. If you let me go, I promise I’ll do you a favour one day. Believe me, I will.”

Lion roared out laughing. “You? A little scrap of a thing? You couldn’t help a massive beast like me. Now off you go, you cheeky little critter, before I throw you down my throat.”

Good, eh?

AESOP’S FABLES. Michael Rosen, with illustrations by Taleen Hacikyan

Tradewinds Books. £9.95

Penny Dolan

www.pennydolan.com

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PHOENIX YARD BOOKS by Adèle Geras

Phoenix Yard Books is a new publishing house, and a winner of the IPG Award for Best Newcomer Publisher. Its speciality is books in translation. They have published some British writers, such as Geraldine McCaughrean and........... but in general their output is from abroad. They do bring out fiction for younger readers, such as the delightful ARTHUR series by Johanne Mercier, translated by the redoubtable Daniel Hahn, and are set to publish more in future, I believe. I'm concentrating on three picture books, because in this field and for those who are unfamiliar with illustration styles in other countries, their list is an education. To a British eye, even one trained up in graphic innovation by artists such as Lauren Child, the look is one of utmost sophistication and also subtle difference from our output in this field. The images in the three books highlighted below are beautiful. Whether they will suit children who are used to prettier, less edgy fare I'm not clear about, but I loved them and thought it worth while bringing the whole list to your attention.It should be said that one characteristic of these three books is that they are for really rather older children and their parents and not the very youngest readers. Phoenix Yard Books have a website, which is well worth a visit.

First up is MR.LEON'S PARIS by Barroux, who's responsible for both text and pictures. Sarah Ardizzone is the translator. The endpapers in themselves are marvels. The whole of the inside front cover is scribbled over with Parisian street names. If you had a magnifying glass and knew the city at all well, you could spend many happy hours looking for places you might recognize. There's not a scrap of white space anywhere to be seen. The inside back cover is a beautifully-drawn map of the city with the (real) streets Mr Leon visits highlighted in red. In between, Mr Leon takes strange people - the Devil, lovers, angels, ordinary mortals from all over the world - to appropriately-named streets. Henry the Handyman wants to go Hammer Yard and Jeanette the hairdresser lives in Scissor Row. The journeys might be real or maybe they're imaginary or symbolic or six of one and half a dozen of the other. What Barroux is saying is: Paris encompasses the whole universe, real and imaginary and there are many kinds of people in it, from every corner of the globe. The end of the book is enigmatic. Mr Leon stops driving his cab and sets off in a ship to Liberty Street and possibly the moon. His last passengers are angels. Does that mean he's dead? Or simply retired? It's not often a picture book can generate a philosophical discussion but this one will. Through the windows of the cab, as it drives through Paris, we get tantalizing glimpses of the streets. Just the thing, this book, for anyone older than about 8, setting out for a holiday in the French capital, who enjoys maps, magic and unusual journeys.

Next comes HAPPINESS IS A WATERMELON ON YOUR HEAD by Stella Dreis from Brazil. Daniel Hahn is the translator and he's done a grand job of expressing a mad, colourful, whirling dervish of a text. The pictures explode in colour and movement all through the pages and the cartoon-like people are outlandish, strange, and manage to be both beautiful and ugly at the same time: a winning combination. It's the style we're somewhat familiar with in certain advertisements on television,(Lloyd's Bank, eg) and they're either your thing or they're not but in this context, they work very well indeed. It's worth going to a well-known online books website to take advantage of the LOOK INSIDE facility in the case of all these books.

Then we have I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A CHILD by Alain Serres and translated by Sarah Ardizzone.

This book is intended, say the publishers, to be a resource for discussion but it's a lot more than that. It outlines the rights of children and illustrates them most beautifully. Of all the books I've discussed, this is the one most likely to appeal visually to most people. The colours are rich, the illustrations have a touch of the Jane Rays about them and every spread is worth lingering over and looking at and thinking about. Amnesty International endorses the book's message, that of course children have rights and they must be upheld in every country. I think this book should be there on every school library shelf and in every possible home. It's a tremendous piece of work and congratulations to Phoenix Yard books for this and the rest of its chic, unusual and interesing output.

ALL THREE BOOKS: Published by Phoenix Yard Books in pbk.

MR LEON'S PARIS: £6.99

ISBN:9781907912085

HAPPINESS IS A WATERMELON ON YOUR HEAD: £6.99

ISBN:9781907912054

I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE A CHILD: £7.99

ISBN:9781907912115

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