Monday 30 November 2009

Another Merlin book signing event!



Whoohoo! For those of you who couldn't attend the London Book signing of BBC One's smash-hit drama The Adventures of Merlin, there is another chance to get Merlin books signed, this time by Colin Morgan (Merlin) and Bradley James (Arthur).

When? Tuesday 8th December From 5pm-6pm
Where? WHSmith, Lakeside, Essex

Full address: WHSmith Lakeside Shopping Centre (event to be held outside of House of Fraser),
West Thurrock
Grays
RM16 3BG

Remember, tickets are free but you need one to attend. Get your ticket by phoning this number: 01708 869175

Go join in the magic!

Winners of Competition 4

Apologies for being almost a week late in posting this. Life threw curve balls last week which entailed delays in all areas of life.

However, I can announce the winners of the Merlin Competition! Drawn through random numbers by a friend of mine.

RoseWorksJewelry who likes the Arthurian legend and wants to get to know Merlin.
GMR who adores the show.

Congratulations to both our winners! I'll be in touch for your addresses, books might not arrive until the new year, but they will be winging their way to your shortly. I'll use the highly scientific method of 'eeny meeny miny mo' to select who gets which book.

Due to the holiday period, there will be no more competitions until the new year. Well, there may be one or two, but the deadline won't be until January.

My Magnetic Space Station by Joy Gosney


October 2009, Campbell Books
Components: 30 magnets, 4 small books with 8 pages each, Board book
Review Copy

Children's, contains small magnets

Clouds: 3
Pencils: 5
Smiles: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

Apologies - I haven't got a bigger picture of the book and blogger is being awkward with resizing.

I think every child will like this brightly coloured interactive book. The book opens out in the middle, revealing a large space for the magnets (explained below) and on both of the flaps are colourful holders for the four books.

First of all I'll talk about the stories themselves. The hardback books are sturdy enough to withstand lots of battering from children. Just like the space station they are brightly coloured, using people and objects from the selection of magnets. The stories include:
  • Alien Hide-and-Seek
  • Dogs in Space
  • Cosmic Cookies
  • Robot Rex
The stories provide a great starting point of ideas for what children can do with the magnets. While the story is being read they could put act it out with the magnets, or just play with them afterwords. They are cute stories which made me laugh.

The best part of the book is the magnets and the magnet area. The 30 magnets include characters from the books (including little green aliens!), gadgets, vehicles and a fridge. There is lots for children to play with. Yes, they are a little small so children will need to be old enough not to put the magnets in their mouth, but they stick on well to the board. When I mean well, I mean really well. I put all the magnets on the board (in a random order), turned the whole thing upside down, shook it violently, and none of them fell off. That impressed me.

On the back of the book there is a small checklist of what the book should achieve:
  • Develops manual dexterity - yes, playing with magnets, opening the book, opening the magnet box.
  • Introduces new environments - um I guess space is a new environment? And maybe specific areas of the house? Not entirely sure on this one.
  • Encourages creative thinking - definitely! No doubt about that.

The only small downside is that children might find it a bit tricky to get the magnets out - I suggest putting them in a separate pot so children can access them easily. Other than that, this is really good value for money and will provide hours of entertainment.

Check out Joy Gosney's website, which includes the other magnetic books available.

Like this? Try Pull Out Pals: Snowy Fun! by Stephen Gulbis

Saturday 28 November 2009

What's Ukrainian For Fooball? By Helena Pielichaty


November 2009, Walker Books Ltd
112 pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Children's, girl's, 7+

Cushions: 3/5
Smiles: 5/5
Tears: 3/5
Yunaleska's recommended rating:

The spirited under 11's female team named The Parsnips, are back. This time they are off taking part in a version of the world cup. The story is told from Nika's point of view, a girl from the Ukraine who is relatively new to England. Her football skills have earned her a place in the Parsnips, a place where not all the young vegetables (couldn't resist that remark) are happy.

It's a little tough being disliked by someone when you're both on a trip together. At least Nika doesn't have to share a room with JJ. Sadly that doesn't confine the bad atmosphere between them. It ends up affecting all the girls, and even jeopardises their chances in the world cup event. Nika believes it's because the Parsnips ended up being named Ukraine instead of England. She understandably thinks JJ has an issue with her being 'foreign'. The misunderstanding is resolved at the end of the book, with a surprising reason behind JJ's attitude. The tale which makes JJ listen to Nika brought tears to my eyes.

I love how although these books are about football, a sport which I know little about, I enjoy reading the books. Yes, there are football terms, but the stories are about friendship - the ups and downs - amongst the Parsnips. It's very much about how characters interact, and demonstrates that lack of communication can lead to huge assumptions and misunderstandings. Hopefully the books will teach readers how to sort some problems out - talking to people always helps. Even if it's hard, it ends out working out fine in the end.

I would urge everyone, even those who don't like football (me included) to read this series. Plus the covers are pretty funky!

Helena Pielichaty has her website here.

Liked this? Try the first book in the series - Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras?

Wednesday 25 November 2009

On my wishlist #1

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. This idea is brought to us by Book Chick City.


This is taken from an unpublished blog of mine where I keep an eye on what books I'm after. This initial post is likely to be long. Gaze longingly at all the *shiny* books! (To avoid making this post really long, I'll be putting up another one later on today. Now...I must head for work).


City of Ember (and the others in the series) by Jeanne Du Prau


The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K Paul
The Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan


Zel and all other books by Donna Jo Napoli


Rose Daughter and all other books by Robin McKinley




The Princess and The Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison


Palace of Mirrors by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Monday 23 November 2009

Pull-Out Pals: Snowy Fun by Stephen Gulbis



November 2009, Campbell Books (Pan MacMillan imprint)
12 pages, Hardback (board type book)
Review Copy

Children's, Picture book

Clouds: 5
Pencils: 5
Smiles: 3
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

With a toddler in the family, the strength of a book can be important. Books with pop up flaps that are easily torn are not always a good idea. I believe Snowy Fun is sturdy enough to survive the toddler's grasp. I'm not sure whether he could work out to pull the flap without being shown. I think the last few pages, which cleverly come out of the book by pulling a tab, are sturdy enough to survive life with the toddler (a very young toddler)!

Snowy Fun follows Benjamin Bear in the hunt for a perfect hill to use his sled. The world is full of snow, and it's sledging time! Unfortunately, for one reason or another a lot of hills are unsuitable for him. Just as he's about to give up, he spies his friends enjoying the snow with their sleds. He rushes to the hill, but they aren't there. All is now lost, and the pull out flaps show just how much fun Benjamin has with his friends.

I think this book has a friendship theme: although it shows that conditions have to be just right for sledging, Benjamin had the most fun when he joined in with his friends. The illustrations are bright and colourful, a must when it comes to children's books. Additionally the illustrations are extremely cute. I say this because my favourite characters (no, there is not a typo) isn't Benjamin, but the group of very small mice who follow him around. I loved it when they built a snowmouse (they are rather plump mice wearing tiny scarfs - I think they've eaten a lot of cake!), and how they followed Benjamin with their own sleds. Secondary characters in a story often add a deeper dimension to a story. The mice are not including in the story itself, but they are present in almost every picture and made me smile a lot.

There's a small check list at the back of the book.
  • Provides fun and entertainment = definitely! The mice have the cute factor for me.
  • Encourages interaction = yes - children can pull out the flap at the end of the story
  • Introduces new experience = um, I think so. I mean it teaches about sledging, and different types of terrain, and perhaps pulling out the end pages is a new experience (I'm a little puzzled on this one).
Snowy fun is a cute, entertaining read and one I recommend for the winter, regardless of whether the audience ever sees real snow.

Liked this? Try Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara

Great competition on a different blog!

Bookshelf Muse is celebrating 100,000 hits with an awesome competition. Go check out the prizes!!!!

Thursday 19 November 2009

Winners of Competition 2 and 3

Apologies for not sorting this out yesterday - was busy fighting monsters (my type of R&R).

Anyway, the winner of Competition 2 is....

Jo!!!!

My random way of picking this week was 'eeeny meeeny miny mo'. A very sophisticated method of random selection. (Me? Laughing? No. Come on how else was I going to pick a winner from 3? I don't have a friend on hand to pick a number).

Jo those 3 Kate Elliott books will be winging their way to you...soon.

Winner of the two books by B R Collins in Competition 3 is....

Raelena! (throuthehaze)

I will be in touch with you shortly :)

Competition 4 to win Merlin books is still going. New competitions will be posted in the next week or two.

Anyone still waiting for a prize - well most of you live in America and sea mail takes time :)

I'm here!

r I just might be a few days in posting and reading :)

I had a car accident yesterday. I'm fine, wasn't my fault. Other party taking liability. Still getting over the shock I think. My car needs repairs, so I'm having courtesy cars. The garage didn't have a spare, so I've got one for 48 hours....it's a mercedes!!!!

This could be the only time I drive one and I love it. It's quiet, very responsive...I love my little Ford Fusion but oh wow this car is awesome!

Maybe if I get published and earn enough I can get one...

Tuesday 17 November 2009

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler


2004, MacMillan Children's Books
32 pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Children's,

Clouds: 5
Pencils: 5
Smiles: 5
Tissues: 0.5 (it has a happy ending)
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

No, it isn't a typo. I really did request a book from 2004. Ok perhaps I didn't realise it was quite that old, but it looked a nice story. And it is :)

The title says it all, but the story follows an adventurous snail who wants to travel the world. Naturally the other snails don't understand her. Yes, I was very pleased that the snail is a girl. For some reason, a lot of picture book I've read either don't say if the animal is male/female or it ends up as a male. We need more female characters.

Anyway, back to the story. This snail has an ingenious way of attracting attention of someone who can help fulfil her dream. Along comes a whale, and together they travel the world. I can quite easily spend a long time looking at the illustrations through their travels: they are rich in colour and every animal has its own personality. The personality isn't written in words, but it was easy to imagine whether the animals were cheeky, a little slow, jokers etc just by the way they are drawn.

Unfortunately for the travelling duo not all goes as planned. The whale gets beached. Now, logically a little snail won't be able to help a huge whale get back into the water when there is no water nearby. If the snail had carried water herself, the whale would have expired by the time the beach was full of enough water for it to return to the sea. Thankfully, the clever snail is still getting clever ideas. In the same way that she caught the snail's attention, she ventures off and gets help for the whale.

The funny part was at the end when the other snails decide that they too would like to see the world. I think that the whale will have a job for life!

The text is written in rhyming verse, which would make it ideal for children to learn, and follow on their own after the story has been told a few times. The pictures inspire the imagination and might make the reader laugh (I laughed quite a bit - I think the snail is plucky).

The author Julia Donaldson has her own website here, where you can check out her latest books.

Liked this? Try Lucy Goes to Market by Imogen Clare and Sanchia Oppenheimer

Monday 16 November 2009

Feast of Souls by Celia Friedman


November 2009, Orbit
608 pages, Paperback
Review Copy (chained to my bookcase)

Fantasy

Cushions: 5+
Daggers: 1
Paperclips: 3 (adult content but not that often)
Tissues: 3
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

As I sit here typing with a sore head (head + shelf = ouch in a way that's not quite a headache, but still painful) I'm smiling at this book. I want to read it again right now!

Note: I wrote this review before reading the cover details of the second book, Wings of Wrath. I came up with the price of magic information without seeing any other review of this and the second book. I just don't want anyone to think I stole their ideas.

This is a page-turning new fantasy trilogy from Celia Friedman. I haven't read any of her other work, but I plan to. Before I get into the story, I'd like to say that this book is about the price of magic. At least that's how I view it. Magic has to cost something, even if it's just the caster getting tired or needing to eat more. Feast of Souls has a clever concept about what the price of magic is - I won't spoil it for you, but it is something which initially didn't affect me as a reader, but as the story progressed with more emotional attachment to the characters, I needed a lot of tissues at the end.

The world within Feast of Souls has magic. People called witches can use magic, but not on a grand scale. Oh and witches are both male and female. Magisters, an elite male group (no females allowed) have a lot of power. They don't even really pay directly for the price of magic. I think the only mini-spoiler I can give is one word: 'consort'. The consort pays the price.

Feast of Souls follows several characters. The first is Prince Andovan, who is technically dead. He embarks on a quest to find out the identity of who he believes is a witch involved with the disease he is afflicted with. Now, for almost no real apparent reason I imagined that Andovan was a spoilt brat with airs and graces. His actions really prove otherwise, and unlike his father who is going mad, he cares about people. He wants to help them, when he knows that he himself can't be helped.

The king, traumatised by his son's death banishes the Magister who was close to him, and hires one who no one has heard of. This particular Magister needs watching in the story. Evil is a word which only begins to describe Magister Kostas's true motives. Poor Queen Gwynofar has to deal with Magister Kostas. Again, I had an image of her in my mind which got shattered when I read the chapters in her point of view. Her marriage was one of convenience. She belongs to a race who have powers as Protectors(some latent) that played a part in the previous war where horrendous creatures roamed the earth. After the birth of her children she was pretty much allowed to do her own thing - the king was happy with this arrangement. Unfortunately, with the arrival of Magister Kosta comes dark times for the Gwynofar. Her own family do what they can, but they can't openly protect her from the king and his new Magister. Can she live up to her duties as a Protector? Hers isn't the only sad tale in this story.

There are other characters, but the one main one I'm keen on is Kamala. A child coming from a horrific background, she knows she has powers. She sets off and forces herself on a hermit Magister, who trains her up as a student. This in itself is unusual, because women just aren't Magisters. The moment when a student becomes a Magister is particularly trying, and women (apparently - the Magisters have a dim view on this) aren't strong enough to face it. Let's just say that Kamala is different. She becomes a Magister, but has to keep her powers hidden from other Magisters because they probably won't accept her in the positive manner which the hermit Magister views her. The problem is, she ends up drawing attention to herself which she's the witness (and also the perpetrator) of an incident involving another Magister. This is not a good thing. Not only is she different in being female, but she wants to discover the identity of her consort.

What I love about Feast of Souls is the concept of the price of magic, how much the characters change and grow (and this is just the first book in the trilogy). It's interesting watching how people, with the wrong influence, can unleash their darker side. And equally, how with keeping the right type of company and gaining encouragement people can find an inner strength to face hardships straight on.

I can happily note that content wise, although there are a few instances of adult relationships (not all consenting adults) it isn't that often and is done tastefully. The title fits the story perfectly, especially once you've finished it and reflected on it. I'm delighted I have the second book which I'll start reading tonight. For magic, intrigue and danger, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Like this? Check out Wings of Wrath, the second book in this Magister trilogy.

Celia Friedman has her own website here.

Sunday 15 November 2009

Rocks and Minerals by Dan Green and Simon Basher


October 2009, Kingfisher
128 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Non-fiction

Ease of reading: 5
Level of information: 5
Pencils: 5
Smiles: 4
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

Why do I want to know about rocks and minerals? For that, you'll have to ask my Muse. This book has a key stage 3 & 4 rating (for those outside England that is the level of education for secondary school pupils (and sixth form), which tells me the intended target audience is school children. Keeping that in mind, I believe Rocks and Minerals is suitable for all readers.

This is a subject which could be quite dry, but one that had me laughing away. First of all there are the cool illustrations - as a manga/anime/video game fan, that's the type of style which came to my mind. Each rock and mineral has a picture generally on one page of the book. On the other page the details are as follow:

  • Name of rock/mineral
  • The group it belongs to
  • 3 facts about the rock/mineral in bullet points
  • A paragraph or two about the rock/mineral. This is the entertaining part. It is written in first person, using humourous language. Usually there is a brief yet detailed mention of how the rock/mineral is formed, which other rocks/minerals it can be found with and what it is used for.
  • At the bottom are 6 small bullet points (not numbered in the book) covering the following
  1. What the rock/mineral is made of.
  2. Symbol [possibly from the periodic table) or grain size or chemical formula
  3. Hardness (using a scale explained in the book)
  4. Colour
  5. Origin or common name or deposits (where its found) or what is a source of or pressure and temperature it is formed by or crystal system.
  6. Lookalike
What makes the book even easier to use and cross reference is the colour coding system. Each of the eight sections have different colours. This are depicted in a row of small coloured squares at the top right of each page full of information. There is a small blob in one square on each page, relating to which section the page is in. Additionally this colour coding system is applied to the background of all the pictures, and on the edge, in the centre of both pages there is a large square, colour coordinated with a simple line drawing of the particular rock/mineral that is on the page.

This is great for ease of reference, and also if students need to learn about the rocks and minerals. They would instantly know which section they are in, which narrows down the type of rock or mineral they could be looking at.

For most people this small book probably holds all the information they would need on rocks and minerals. I like the pull out chart at the back which shows the hardness grading, with a rock or mineral for each level. It is also a good starting point for those interested in exploring the topic further. I wish more reference books could be written in this fun way.

There are other topics in the series including Astronomy, Biology, The Periodic Table and Physics by the same authors. I've got my eye on the Astronomy one, thanks to the fun I've had with this one.

Liked this? Try Children's Atlas of World History by Simon Adams

Friday 13 November 2009

Thirsty Thursday *7 (a day late)

Yup, I do realise it is Friday.

Books I have had in the post the past week or so....

  • Orbit:
  • Mirror Space by Marianne de Pierres (reviewed here)
  • Feast of Souls by Celia Friedman (1/3 of the way through)
  • Wings of Wrath by Celia Friedman
  • Prospera Publishing
  • The Littlest Detective in London by Suzy Brownlee (reviewed here, link on their website is here)
  • The Dressmaker by Mary Naylus (reviewed here)
  • Angry Robot
  • Sixty One Nails by Mike Shevdon (read 1 chapter so far)
  • Orion Children's Books
  • Scat by Carl Hiaasen
  • MacMillan Children's Books (and imprints) - I have read them all I just need to review them
  • Rocks and Minerals: A Gem of a read! by Dan Green and Simon Basher
  • Pull out Pals: Snowy Fun! by Stephen Gulbis
  • My Magnetic Space Station by Joy Gosney
  • Aladdin Jigsaw Book by Richard Johnson
  • The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Just one or two books to keep me occupied in this rainy weather! (It has rained for the past 2 days - welcome to winter in England).

Monday 9 November 2009

The Littlest Detective in London by Suzy Brownlee


April 2009, Prospera Publishing
192 pages, Paperback
Review copy

Children's

Cushions: 3
Smiles: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Just because Clemmy is under four foot tall doesn't mean she is short on ideas. Life has been a little strange since her mother disappeared a year ago. Her father hasn't really done anything about it (a big clue that he knows something he's not letting on - the bigger clue is in the prologue, told from Clemmy's mother's point of view as she is kidnapped). Clemmy wouldn't have known where to start looking for information, if it hadn't been for the uber-rich, beautiful 14 year old Natasha's mobile phone. Well, perhaps I'm jumping ahead a little.

It all really begins when Clemmy has to go and stay with Mrs Mac, her permanent babysitter after school and in the holidays. Mrs Mac adores food, so much so that what could have been swear words get turned into phrases like 'Cranberries and custard' (pg 39). There are worse things to put with, like having to hide in a bathroom and think up a way to make the smoke alarm go off so the crime lord's daughter won't capture her. I was stumped for ideas of things to burn in a bathroom, but 9 year old Clemmy finds a way.

Every young detective needs help. The way Clemmy teams up with Japanese Pete, who loving calls her Short Stuff-chan, is entertaining and memorable. Swans have an extra reason for making me smile now. Fortunately Pete doesn't take Clemmy as seriously as he should, leaving Clemmy with opportunities to find out more about the mystery which began in Mrs Mac's knitting club. I've been to knitting clubs, and where I live there are no spies, no diamond encrusted mobile phones and no rat-like cats.

Natasha wouldn't be caught dead in a knitting club - why bother when she can buy a £5000 outfit? She loves her father dearly, and is doing all she can to get him out of prison. Strange as it may seem, he didn't deserve to be there for the particular crime he was accused of. Clemmy's acquisition of her phone enrages Natasha. Out comes a plastic spider to help Natasha get her precious phone back. Trust me when I say that fake spider is more productive than her henchman who should never have arrived in England. Igor, Natasha's underling back home (well, technically her father's but she's in charge now) makes a mistake. Poor Hench (seriously, that is his name) and his silver tracksuits make the wrong impression on Natasha. She's resourceful, and manages to outwit poor Clemmy - but not for long.

It's not as if many issues get resolved by the end of the book. I suspected the sequel would be a carry over of this story, and I was right. I checked out Suzy Brownlee's website for The Littlest Detective, and discovered that the series is currently planned to span 8 books - including a trip for Clemmy and Natasha to Tokyo! (The significance is that I love anything to do with Japan so am eager for that installment of the series).

The Littlest Detective in London is a hilarious, fun adventure story which everyone can enjoy. I like the music video (check out the Littlest Detective website) which intrigued me before reading the book, and makes more sense now I've read it. Additionally the realistic pictures inside the book really bring out the emotion in the story - the look on Clemmy or Natasha's face either has me laughing or wanting to cry. Amidst the laughter there is a subtle pain and anguish for both girls. Having Natasha's point of view shows that evil villains aren't all bad, and they have their own worries too. Yes, I feel a bit sorry for Natasha, but only a little.

Details of Suzy Brownlee's sequel The Littlest Detective in Paris (which will hopefully be reviewed here) can be found on her website and also at Prospera Publishing's website.

The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus (Young Adult, 10E/10E)


30th November 2009, Prospera Publishing
238 pages, Paperback
Review Copy


I'm pretty sure most of people at some point in their childhood played dress-up - be it with their parents' clothes, siblings wardrobe (which later in life is no longer dress-up) or a box with costumes in. The thrill of wearing something different didn't exactly touch Picky (Penelope) in her dementia suffering grandmother's attic. Being locked in there by her grandmother, without food, water, mobile phone or bathroom facilities has Picky searching for something to sleep on. The old clothes she found weren't the warmest, so she put one dress on. That was the moment which changed her life forever.

Taken back in time, Picky takes on the persona of a rich 13 year old called Amelia. Aside from the fact that someone murders Amelia on that first time travel incident, leaving Picky covered in fresh blood which isn't her own (yes her mother asked a lot of questions), Picky likes Amelia's life. For a girl whose skin isn't perfect and whose figure isn't seen as anorexic, Picky loves Amelia's smooth face and hair. But she can't stay in Amelia's life - she has her own to lead.

Time travelling proves entertaining as she finds excuses for appearing in the same place in the house of Mrs Malik the seamstress. Most people might burn the dress after nearly dying in it. Not Picky. She wants to stop Amelia's murder taking place. She doesn't love the sights and smells of 17th century London, but the people touch her heart. Some are more similar to her friends in the modern world than she originally imagined them to be. There are some positively evil men (who don't look or smell nice), one of whom poor Picky (as Amelia) is doomed to marry.

Written in first person, The Dresskeeper took me away to a complicated world. Life isn't easy for Picky, having to keep an eye on her little brother Ollie (who isn't all that polite to people), helping her mother out by looking after her grandmother (who can't help being ditzy), and dealing with her moron of a father who appears in her life when feels it's best. Top that with constantly fighting against the Demon and the Demon worshippers (not in the literal sense of the word) at school (anorexic smokers) who take bets against other pupils (Picky and her friends), Picky has a tremendous amount of courage to get through normal life, and heaps of guts for risking her life in the past to help a girl she doesn't even know. I related to her tale on a lot of levels - apart from the time travelling.

Picky's voice is really funny. All the details she notices about people in her own time, are the kind of details she notices about people in the past (what they look like, how they smell (taken in context it isn't all that weird)). Aside from the distinct lack of underwear and washing facilities, I'd love to try on the dresses Picky gets to wear. I could do without the madman putting a knife to her throat. Blood might be thicker than water, but it won't come out easily of dresses in a time without washing machines or reliable detergent.

What she does at the end of the book, after her escapade in the past is finished, is really sweet and has me desperately hoping there might be a sequel to this. It isn't completely out of the question - she could find time travelling clothes in another place, leading to further adventures. And the end itself leads me as a reader to question what does happen next.

Only a few minor areas had me going 'hm' when Picky magically transfered from the past to the present, but I understand that it's not exactly exciting to learn of every time she sneaks in/out of the past (or present). I love the cover art for this book - simple yet effective, making me wish for a copy of that particular dress.

The good news is that Mary Naylus has written another book. The bad news, The Plaguemaker isn't due out until 2010.

For more information on The Dresskeeper, check out Prospera Publishing's website.

Sunday 8 November 2009

Mirror Space by Marianne de Pierres


5th November 2009, Orbit
394 pages, Paperback
Review Copy

Science Fiction

Cushions: 4
Paperclips: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥

Sci-fi with jellyfish! Not literally jelly fish, but jelly fish type beings are keeping Mira Fedor. imprisoned. All because she's pregnant. Apparently they are interested in the regeneration abilities she possesses, and her fetus has them in a higher ability. It's a good thing for her that she's got a few mercenaries looking to rescue her. Although she was doing a good job on her own, by befriending one of the jelly-fish like creatures she escapes her prison. Or tries to. You can only get so far when a planet is in the process of regenerating.

The story follows the point of views of the other characters, including the evil man Tekton who raped Mira and is in love with himself, the female mercenary Rast who is looking to save Mira for what appears to be similar reasons as Jo-Jo, and Thales who learns a few things about a friend which he'd rather not know.

I didn't get much further into the highly imaginative world of alien beings in different worlds - I stopped at half way. The content had a few blushables up until then, but the S&M content wasn't for me.

Marianne de Pierres has written several series, which can be found on her website. I'll be checking them out when I can.

Like this? Try Nova War by Gary Gibson

Wishing For Tomorrow by Hilary McKay (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)


September 2009, Hodder Children's
265 pages, Paperback PROOF copy (missing illustrations plus some content could be a bit different to the published copy. Published copy is a Hardback edition)
Review Copy

The story of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett was published 1904. I never realised it was so old. It's a timeless tale of how a rich girl, Sara, enters Miss Minchkin's boarding school. Spoilt rotten by her father, she ends up as a maid when her father dies leaving behind a legacy of debt. Her imagination gets her through the tough times, as does the mysterious appearance of luxury in her pokey attic room. It turns out that her father's riches still exist, and upon regaining her status she leaves the school.

Hilary McKay, like many readers and writers wondered what happened next to the girls left behind at Miss Minchkin's. Thus Wishing for Tomorrow was born, detailing the story of the girls. Primarily the story follows the life of Ermengarde, who befriended Sara at the school. It includes a look back of how Ermengarde felt when she first met Sarah. She was happy with Sara, and now her friend is gone she gets a bit depressed. Through lots of letters she keeps Sara informed of her current life, letters which are written in a different font and that are highly entertaining. By the end of the book Ermendgarde has matured a lot. She realises how she acted towards Sara was a little childish.

However, no one can be more childish than the tearaway Lottie! I haven't been able to re-read A Little Princess, but I remember Lottie being a handful. That is an understatement to how she acts in Wishing for Tomorrow. Ermengarde has been asked by Sara to keep an eye on Lottie, and to try and keep her out of trouble. I nearly had tears pouring down my face at Lottie's behaviour. She's a little minx!

A funny snippet is when Ermengarde listens to Lottie praying.

Page 68 [Ermengarde writes in her letter to Sara] 'And so I went up and she was hopping around on one leg saying she was a flamingo and her prayer was:

Dear God
I think I would rather be the only green flamingo in the world
Than pink.

[Lottie carries on saying:] Nothing happened to her! I am sure if I ever prayed a prayer like that I would be struck down dead.
I said this to Lottie.
'God is used to me,' said Lottie. [End of quote].

I'm sure you're smiling after reading that line! The charming Lottie causes the incident at the end of the book, not that anyone really blames her for it - accidents happen. As a result of the accident bossy Lavinia turned bookworm gets what she wants (a private tutor), and the girls end up a lot happier outside of Miss Minchkin's.

From the entertaining Jessica (who I didn't remember at all from A Little Princess), to the new maid Alice who cuts corners in her duty, the characters are all memorable in their own way. Hilary's depiction of Bosco the cat is a must read. This cat sees humans as his slaves - which is exactly how cats behave in real life. Here's a small extract of Bosco's view of life:

page 227 (page numbers may be different in the published copy) 'Bosco could light fires by willpower. [No, he doesn't have a special ability. He is just a sensible cat] He could also fill food dishes and empty his favourite chair by the same useful force. His method was simple: he sat and gazed at the object to be controlled. It always worked; sooner or later, some human slave would come along and notice his implacable, golden stare.'

Sara does make an appearance, mostly through letters, but also at the end during the incident which changes the girls' lives forever. Her time of being poor served its purpose and she appreciates the luxury she's now kept in.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about how the characters viewed Sara, especially Miss Minchkin and her sister. Poor Miss Minchkin feels haunted by Sara, all thanks to Ermengarde's adoption of Sara's cloak. I definitely want to read A Little Princess again with these views in mind.

Hilary McKay has done an excellent job of writing a sequel for the timeless classic A Little Princess. It's got me wondering what will happen next in the girls' lives - maybe she will write another book in this series.

Hilary McKay's website is here.

Like this? Make sure you read the original A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Friday 6 November 2009

The Wide-Mouthed Frog by Iain Smyth


October 2009, Bloomsbury
12 pages, Hardback
Review Copy

Children's, Picture book

Clouds: 4
Smiles: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

This frog really does have a wide mouth - all my fingers can fit in its mouth! The frog goes out and asks all sorts of animals what type of food they eat. It's fortunate they all eat different food, so none of them will starve. I think the frog might take a big gulp when he received the crocodile's answer. However, the frog has a handy solution for making himself disappear. Well, part of himself. It's the clever touch to the story which I'm sure will make children laugh.

The story itself is in a repetitive style which children can easily pick up and say along with whoever reads to them, or is good for when they read on their own. The illustrations are shown on white pages, with accurate portrayal of the colouring of the animals. The crocodile doesn't look too scary, so hopefully children wouldn't get nightmares from looking at it. It is a cute crocodile!

Liked this? Try The Trouble With Dragons by Debi Gliogi

Thursday 5 November 2009

Boom! by Mark Haddon


September 2009, David Fickling Books
195 pages, Hardback
Review Copy

Children's

Cushions: 4
Smiles: 5
Yunaleska's recommended rating:♥♥♥♥♥

Titles that give a suggestion of an explosion get my vote. As does the bright orange, almost glow in the dark cover. I say almost because I'm writing this as the dusk is starting to fall, and while everything on the table looks a bit dull, the book stands out beside my laptop.

Something does indeed go boom (near the end). Several people, including a secondary character end up with sore heads/hands. There are spiders, of varying sizes in the book. And lots of humour.

After an incident involving a sandwich falling from a great height, Jim is concernced, thanks to his sister, that he might be getting kicked out of school and sent away to one where he'll be reformed. His best friend Charlie, ever supportive of Jim, suggests they plant a walkie-talkie in the staffroom. Everything goes to plan, neither get caught. However, they discover two of their teachers speaking a different language after everyone has gone.

At this point I thought 'spies!'. Jim and Charlie investigate further - although Charlie's investigation might equate to stalking. My poor stomach somersaulted as the duo sat in one teacher's loft when she entered the house. What they find in the loft is curious - although not have as interesting as being threatened by a mysterious person with flashing blue eyes.

Not ones to give up after a small threat involving a damaged table, Jim and Charlie continue their investigations, which lead them far away from home. It also bonds Jim with his older, rebellious sister. I like a girl who happily whacks the enemy on the head with a stick. (don't worry, they live. Unfortunately) I didn't like her choice in boyfriend - and neither does the rest of her family. He gets what he deserves too.

This humourous tale is enhanced by the entertaining chapter titles - e.g. chapter 6, captain chicken. Also the simple illustrations which divide up a chapter, usually corresponding to what happens within the story there. The aubergines made me hungry (and wanting aubergines).

All the characters are memorable - including Charlie's mother, a quick-tempered cook known to throw breadboards when angry, Jim's father who transforms into a gourmet chef, and the spiders who carry orange coloured toilet plungers.

I feel it important to note that this book has been in print before: as Mark explains in the foreword, it bore the title Gridzbi Spudvetch! which quite rightly makes zero sense unless you read the book. Boom! - well that title intrigues the imagination readily enough, and I think is selling more copies than the original.

Mark Haddon's website, full of humour found in his work, is here.

Like this? Try Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Wednesday 4 November 2009

Thirsty Thursday #7 a day early

This is a day early because today turned out differently than planned. Due to this wonderful thing called life, I'm looking back on October AND September. The months were interesting.

  • I got new donators: Orbit, Prospera Publishing
  • I've also been asked by an upcoming author to review their work. Expect more info next year (but the news happened recently so I'm going yay!)
  • I've branched out into holding competitions, which seems to be going well.

Books reviewed over the last two months:

  • Non-fiction
  • Terra by Richard Hamblyn
Wow. 50 books. In two months (less than expected due to various gremlins). Just wow.

I posted about a semi-new idea of a protection policy for those entering competitions


I also won the following awards (yes...I'm only just putting them up now!)

I held the following competition

And no author interview but I got interviewed!

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Z. Rex by Steve Cole


September 2009, Doubleday
283 pages, Hardback
Review Copy

Children's, action

Cushions: 5
Daggers: 1
Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

No, you aren't seeing things. Steve Cole is also the author of the series Astrosaurs and Astrosaur Academy. He is one prolific writer who is worth watching. Steve handles the different genres well - Astrosaur and Astrosaurs Academy has mild peril, lots of laughs and a happy ending. Z.Rex is full of suspense, very few laughs and the ending is good, but not quite a happily ever after.

The Z in Z Rex isn't a typo. If you look at a keyboard, you'll see the T is reached using a different finger to the Z (I touch-type). Plus there is a reason for it being a Z Rex, one which is a spoiler so my mouth is firmly closed. It's a clever reason, I promise you.

So what is Z Rex about? A dinosaur mostly like a T-Rex. I say mostly, because as far as I know dinosaurs in the past didn't have wings. I confess to laughing at that point in the story. It's not really a laughing moment when teenager Adam, after being on the run from men involved with his dad's work, realises the dinosaur who he's tried to escape from can fly. I read wings and instantly doubled over with laughter of the following image: a ferocious dinosaur with shimmery fairy like wings, possibly pink, definitely sparkly. I won't try and explain how I came up with that image, not when the description in the book is as follows:

page 77: "Adam gasped as the dinosaur's back split open, revealing something dark and ridged underneath. The next moment, two huge spiny sails of gnarled flesh unfolded impossibly outwards...'Wings,' Adam breathed in utter disbelief. You're a dinosaur...and you've got wings!'."

As well as the wings, there's the Z.Rex's ability to talk, to dissemble and reassemble bombs - this is one clever creature. Why was it created? Why is it after Adam? Well, you'll have to read the book to find out. Adam is linked through it all via his father, who disappears for longer than planned on a trip to his new job. When the evil henchmen (my terms) come looking for Adam, Adam flees on his bike, from them and the awful monster that is hunting him down. Little does he know that in order to survive the experience, he and the 'monster' aka Z.Rex will become closely acquainted - I don't mean in the Z.Rex's stomach. Adam does live until the end. And beyond that.

I for one am hoping that there might be a sequel to Z.Rex. The level of action is high, the concept is a relatively new one for me. Dinosaur + wings = funny with my imagination. The true nature of Z.Rex is clever: both it and Adam are engaging characters. After the death of his mother, Adam hasn't really had a stable home. It's only when his world gets turned upside down and crushed (literally) that he finally bonds with his father. The antagonists had me on the edge of my seat, I wouldn't want them chasing after me. The ringleader of it all was a total surprise - I'm sure there was a red herring put in on purpose. There are enough twists in the story to keep me more than happy - I didn't see several of them coming.

Steve Cole is showing his strength as a writer in this distinctly different book from his other work. If you're after action, suspense and intrigue, go and read Z.Rex now. Where else will you see a dinosaur with wings?

Liked this? Be sure to check out Steve's other series: Astrosaur Academy: Deadly Drama and Astrosaurs: Megabookasaurus!

Monday 2 November 2009

No review tonight because...

...I'm on the monthly 'find books to request' hunt.

There won't be a lot in December...but come January there could be heaps if the publication schedule is anything to go by.

Long live books!!!