Saturday 30 November 2013

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

The cover made me want to find out more about the sisters!
September 2013, Corgi, 272 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: family life, sisterly kinship, having to take turns, keeping an eye on younger sisters, inventing sensible fun rules, secret meetings, getting into scrapes, a pet dog, rabbits, a very angry bull, making things worse before making them better, brownies, baking disaster, lots of water, holiday life, only having a father, a formidable woman, a gem of a housekeeper, new friends,
 
Content: Lots of laughter, occasional major peril, lots of minor peril, mild preteen crush, a tissue is needed

The Penderwicks: four sisters, as different as chalk from cheese, yet as close as can be.

The eldest, Rosalind, is responsible and practical; Skye, stubborn and feisty; dreamy, artistic, budding novelist, Jane; and shy little Batty, who doesn't go anywhere without her butterfly wings. And not forgetting Hound, their large lumbering lovable dog.

The four girls and their absent-minded father head off for their summer holidays, but instead of the cosy tumbledown cottage they expect, they find themselves on a huge estate called Arundel, with magnificent gardens ripe for exploring. It isn't long before they become embroiled in all sorts of scrapes with new-found friend, Jeffrey - but his mother, the icy-hearted Mrs Tifton, must be avoided at all costs. Chaotic adventures ensue, and it soon becomes a summer the sisters will never forget...

Nayuleska's thoughts 
This is such an awesome read! I fell in love with the 4 sisters as soon as I started reading. I like the
chemistry between the sisters, how they all react to each other (some leave each other alone except in an emergency.) I thought the reasons behind the acronyms made sense and was really cool - wish I could attend a MOOPS meeting! (I'm not saying what it stands for- you will have to read the book!)

Hound the dog adds to the mishaps the sisters get in, especially the cute youngest Batty who gets into plenty of scrapes with her beloved butterfly wings on. Rosalind feels responsible as the eldest since their mother died, but there are times her youth means she is blind to the truth which was both funny and sad to watch unfold. Their father mostly lets them do what they want, stepping in when needed and usually saying the right thing. Mrs Tifton is a character-feel so sorry for Jeffrey & what he has to endure. I'm excited about reading book 2! I have to say I got confused in a good way-I kept thinking the story was set in England rather than the USA as only an hour and a bit away from me is a place called Arundel! And it's in Hampshire rather than the Berkshires (which is just Berkshire here in England).

Find out more on Jeanne's website.

Suggested read
For another group of entertaining sisters also with sort of only parent check out Pea's Book of Best Friends, the first in a fun series by Susie Day (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

Friday 29 November 2013

Nayu's News #98 Pomegranate Power!

Fresh pomegranate
As always, pictures are from the internet, quotes/sayings are by me.
I had a family birthday (not mine) at the weekend, and my family had sprinkled pomegranate on the top and in the middle of the sponge cake. 
It looked sort of like this, before all the paper pineapples & parasols were added by younger members of the family to cover the entire cake!
This was a big coincidence as I'd ordered pomegranate in my organic delivery order which arrived before the weekend. 
"Yay!"
I only used it after the weekend, as I didn't have time to prepare it before then.  
Thursday through to Saturday evening was busy at work & at home wrapping presents/spending time with family etc there wasn't a lot of time to do this.
So what did I do with my pomegranate? 
"Want to know what I'm making?"
 I took out the seeds, which takes an age. There's probably a knack to doing it, I just cut it in half and scooped/bashed the seeds out with a spoon & my fingers. And then...
"Hurry up & tell us already!"
 ....I popped them in my smoothies! Half per smoothie (& they kept til the next day when I whizzed the second smoothie for work). 
Mine looked green thanks to the spinach
The pomegranate added a refreshing taste to the spinach, radish and orange combo - hope to have them again sometime! I hope you like pomegranate - give it a go, it's not that difficult to get the seeds out. You can probably find them in pre-made salads, which are delicious!
"Go on, try pomegranate in your food - it's delicious!"



Thursday 28 November 2013

Book Tour - Review & Guest Blog Post: The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

These types of illustrations are throughout the book
  October 2013, Scholastic, 192 pages, Hardback/Paperback/eBook, Review copy

Themes: life on a farm, fake friends, true friends, truly evil enemies, innocence, herding sheep, hurtful truths, smart thinking, lots of manure, gnomes, Pluto (the planet), astropig,
 
Content: Some major peril, constant hilarity

Summary from Scholastic
Pig loves Farmer, and he can’t help it either. After all, Farmer gives Pig yummy slops and special back scratches. He calls him Sausage and seems to love him more, the fatter he gets. But should you trust someone who calls you Roast Pork? Pig thinks so. But clever Duck knows better. He’s determined his best friend should know the horrid truth…

Nayuleska's thoughts
It's hard to pinpoint what makes Pig's diary so awesome. The comical illustrations are perfectly placed to highlight what's happening at each plot twist, pig's semi-poor grasp of grammar adds laughter especially at the scariest moments, pig's thoughts of the other animals and humans is entertaining, and the plot twists caught me by surprise. Life for Pig is never dull! At times it is quite emotional, which was a pleasant discovery. This is a read for anyone who needs a laugh - I doubt anyone can read this book without laughing at every page!

Suggested read
For more hilarious animal antics try 

Guest Blog Post

Nayu here! This is such a hilarious book - it's been a pleasure reading it, and I've got a great treat in store for you now: Here's Emer on how farms have featured in her life! 


I grew up on a sheep farm in Devon. When I was about eight years old my parents bought a Pig to add to their large menagerie. This Pig was wittily named Salt Pork. A name that, had he understood what it meant (salt pork is a kind of bacon), would have had him running for the rolling hills.

It was this memory that inspired The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig. But Pig is not the only character I met on the farm. Farmer, Duck, Cow, the Evil Chickens and the Sheeps are also very real to me too.

Duck is Duckie, my Dad’s favorite duck. Why his favorite? Well the fox had eaten all the other ducks so dad had no option but to love him the most. He was a lovely, friendly duck. Who, in the absence of his duck family, made friends with, you’ve guessed it, Salt Pork.

My parents always kept half a dozen chickens for their eggs (my Mum loved baking). I never liked them; their beady little black eyes scared me. Every night the chickens would roost on Ruby, our cow, and every morning we would have to wipe their little poops off her lovely orange back – those evil, evil pooping chickens!!

Cow is inspired by Ruby. Ruby was a beautiful, large, orange-coloured cow who my parents bought so they could have fresh milk every morning. When I was about 5 or 6 my mum used to let me ride Ruby up the lane that ran from Ruby’s stable to the field she grazed in. Riding a cow is quite uncomfortable – they are very bony!

The sheeps? Well, they are the many, many sheep that I came across over the 18 years I lived on the farm. And one thing I remember clearest about them is that sheep like to do everything together. The phrase, ‘follow like sheep’ couldn’t be truer.

And finally Farmer. Well Farmer is based on my Dad. Not that my Dad is nasty like Farmer is. He is a lovely man in real life. But when I came to draw Farmer I thought of my Dad; his flat cap, his tired old gilet, his dirty trousers and of course his wellie boots. No farmer is ever complete without a flat cap and wellie boots!

Thank you Emer for giving us insight into your farming background - it's awesome that the characters mean so much to you!

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Basketball & Babies Blog Tour: Game Plan by Natalie Corbett Sampson Review & Author Interview (Young Adult, 10E/10E)



 19th November 2013, Fierce Ink Press, 360 pages, Paperback & ebook, Review copy
 
Themes: being at high school, having a close-knit family, the highs and lows of having a brother, loving
basketball, being blinded by what you want to believe, making mistakes, tough decisions, getting hurt badly, supportive friends, friends who become enemies, taunting, love, continuous disappointment, breaking tricky news to family

Content: teen relationships, pregnancy, having a baby, lots of tissues needed

Summary from Fierce Ink Press
Just because the play goes wrong, doesn't mean you quit the game.

Ella Parker seems to have everything: great friends, an awesome family and a star position on her high school basketball team. The only thing missing from her life is a boyfriend. That changes once she catches the eye of Sam Cleveland. With Sam by her side Ella has it all. When a drunken night results in an unwanted pregnancy, her perfect life is turned upside down and she’s faced with an impossible decision.

Katherine Frayne has always wanted to be a mother. But with the last results of her in vitro fertilization pointing to no chance of a baby, her hopes are dashed. Then her husband Danny suggests they adopt. At first Kat is resistant, but she soon warms to the idea.

Ella and Katherine must navigate their lives amidst tough decisions, the consequences of which not only affect them but those they love the most.

Nayuleska's thoughts
I've read several books which involve teen pregnancy and this is by far my favourite because I actually liked all the characters (minus the evil ones) and felt the ending was perfect. I 'm a get married first kind of girl, but I was immensely proud of how Ella handled the situation. Despite the obvious one she did make other mistakes, and for a while lost the trust of those who cared for her, but they rallied round when she really needed them. I wanted to wave my arms and direct her away from the oncoming trouble, but I couldn't. I sat and cried over several parts of both Ella and Kathryn's story. I loved how Kathryn & Danny's emotional tale was told - it brought to light how tough being accepted for adoption is and all the emotions that come with the process.

Although she starts with a sleaze Ella does get rescued by a knight who is an amazing guy (yes it takes a lot for me to say that, especially in situations I don't fully approve of). I felt that Ella's new life couldn't have got any better, barring never being pregnant. It showed how much pressure some girls can be under, from their sleazy boyfriends and also how hard it is when so called friends turn on them, and the rumours go around school. Ella was immature at times but she had good reason to be, and in the end she acted with great maturity for her age. This is such gripping read which had me constantly texting a friend saying it had made me cry again, with not too much lingering on the more adult situations.

Find out more on Natalie's website.

Suggested read
Another book which is equally touching is Instructions For Bringing Up Scarlett by Annie Sanders (Fiction, 10E/10E)

Guest Blog Post by Natalie Corbett Sampson

Nayu here! This is an awesome book, which makes it doubly special that I'm reviewing it for Natalie's blog tour, and Natalie kindly wrote a guest blog about the book! 
Natalie!
I’ve wanted to write about adoption for a while, starting with my own blog as we adopted our daughter. Instead the question may be, ‘why did you include Ella?’ because originally I wanted to write from my own experience – it’s what I knew, it’s what I was comfortable representing, it’s what was pushing to be told – so that’s where I started. One of the most important lessons I learned from my own adoption is that there are three sides to the story – the birth family, the adoptive family and the baby. Too often an adoption story is only known by one side of that triad and I didn’t want to write a one sided story – each would be incomplete without the other. Adopting a baby is a joyful, magical experience but it alwayscomes at great loss. By including Ella’s story I hoped to respect that truth and demonstrate it to readers who may have only experienced the happy part of adoptionAthe novel developed I realized Ella’s story was stronger (not more true) and more intriguing and I started to realize it was leaning towards more of a YA book. I remember charting out months of the year to follow Ella’s pregnancy and struggling to come up with something new to write about Kat and Danny for each month. In the end I cut a great deal of Katherine’s story because it was less integral to the book in the YA genre. I hope that somewhat makes sense!
Writing two stories in parallel creates a challenge of making characters that are distinct. This was particularly difficult because I wrote both Ella and Kat from my own experiences. Not only are there two parallel stories but the point of view switches between them with little formatting signals, which meant I had to be accurate and consistent with the differences between the characters. It was important that the reader not have to spend time wondering who was the subject of each segment – that takes away from the message and the story. Whitney Moran, the first editor made excellent suggestions about dialogue and actions of the characters to make them individuals – changing the slang they used, for example, or pointing out action that was more likely to be done by another character. It was helpful to have her perspective of new eyes to see where things were too similar and how to make them different – for someone unfamiliar with the characters judge how clear the voices were. I think her suggestions were paramount to the ultimate success of separating the voices in Game Plan. It just goes to show how valuable it is to have someone new, different and unfamiliar read and edit a text.
Thank you again Natalie for explaining a bit more detail about writing Game Plan - it's on my reread pile, and hopefully many more readers will see just how touching a read it is. 

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Spies In Disguise: Boys in Tights by Kate Scott (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)


 
July 2013, Piccadilly Press, 192 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: leaving your old life, huge family secrets, moving house, pretending to be a girl, stereotypes, girly girls, awesome spy gadgets,secret room, sneaking about, suspicious goings on, finding an important mission,

Content: Lots of humour, some major peril, lots of minor peril,

Summary from Piccadilly Press
James Bond never had to wear a dress!
 

Joe discovers his parents are spies – which is great. But Joe’s parents are in danger – which is not so great. And Joe has to go undercover as a girl – which is definitely not great at all.

Joe (now ‘Josephine’) is miserable when he starts his new school in a blond wig, dress and tights. But soon he has a spy mission of his own. Using a host of unusual gadgets, Joe investigates some suspicious goings on. But can he do so without revealing his true identity?


Nayuleska's thoughts 
I expected this book to be fun - what I didn't expect was to adore Joe's character and all he goes through. It makes it an ideal read for boys and girls because they can learn something about how they view each other through Joe's experience of learning the truth about girls. Truth is a big part of the story, it's not everyday you find out your parents are spies.

Joe does freak out a little bit, especially with having to leave everything he loves behind when they
move, but he understands that staying safe is important. There are a few moments in the book where the stakes are high but I really like how there is more focus on the positive side of being in a family of spies and being undercover, rather than making the enemies of Joe's parents' terrifying. Joe's interaction with both boys and girls in his new disguise isn't all plain sailing, but thankfully he manages to have some fun, and even make a new firm friend. I'm most definitely looking forward to seeing poor Joe in a dress in the next book!

Suggested read
For another book which is hilarious (nothing to do with spying exactly, but some spying does go on) try Pea's Book of Best Friends by Susie Day (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

Monday 25 November 2013

What are YOU reading? #194



What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.



Read



Finding Cherokee Brown by Siobhan Curham
Young Adult
10E/10E
(A girl being bullied goes on a journey to find who she really is...my review...) 





Finding Your Inner Cherokee by Siobhan Curham
Non-fiction
10E/10E
(A workbook and guide about being bullied - lots of positive actions which are easy to follow.  My review...)





The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp
Children's, 7 years +
10E/10E
(Pig's poor grammar adds to the hilarity of its tale...)




A Deal's A Deal by Stephanie Blake
Children's, Picture book
10/10E
(A seriously funny surprise at the end made me laugh!)







Reread



Drina Dances In Italy by Jean Estoril
Children's, 9 years +
10E/10E
(I'd been looking forward to Drina meeting her Italian grandmother again and it was as fun as the first time!) 








Watched




Winx: Season 5
REWATCH! - Anime, English version
10E/10E
(I'd forgotten how bizarre the end is...but it's still awesome because Daphne becomes corporeal!) 





Horseland: Season 1
REWATCH! - Anime, English version
10/10E
(Still on rewatch stage, but love the messages gotten across...) 





My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic:  Season 2 
REWATCH! - Anime, English version
10E/10E
(This show keeps getting better each time I watch it!) 





Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10E/10E
(Yup, I go starry eyed when I watch this show! Definitely a favourite at the moment...) 





Hanamaru Kindergarten
Anime, Japanese version
10/10E
(Totally hilarious, an easy watch before bed...)





Lilpri
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10/10E
(Had the urge to watch another ep after watching Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream, so I did! Wasn't disappointed at all...)





AKB0048
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10E/10E
(With every rewatch I understand the characters' actions a little bit more, especially Yuko's...) 




Bodacious Space Pirates
REWATCH! - Anime, Japanese version
10E/10E
(First time of watching I was a bit annoyed how long it took for Marika to get into space - knowing the story on the rewatch I'm loving the wait!) 





Winx: Season 1
REWATCH! - Anime, French version
10E/10E
(Soon I'll only watch an ep at a time as the first season gets quite dark for me...) 





Spice & Wolf
REWATCH! - Anime, English version
10E/10E
(Ah, Holo. I miss you as my Twitter avatar but love watching your attitude problem!) 





Gunslinger Girls
REWATCH! - Anime, English version
10E/10E
(Yes, I know it's about girl assassins which is morally wrong but this show is mega cool and I find it easier in English as there's a lot of difficult vocab in the Japanese version...)








Other stuff 
Being random, today as I write this I'm having 3 orange blossom tealights burn on the fireplace. 





I have done something this week! On Saturday I spent nearly all day battling with this both wonderful and frustrating Winnie-the-Pooh puzzle. 






I'm nearly done! I've just got to find homes for these pieces.... 






Saturday 23 November 2013

The Reindeer Girl by Holly Webb (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)


 September 2013, Stripes Publishing, 192 pages, Hardback, Review copy



Themes: Norway, traditional way of Sami life, reindeer herders, visiting relatives, strange dreams, learning new skills, caring for animals, living outdoors, encountering wolves, protecting the innocent

Content: lots of compassion, occasional major peril, a tissue is needed

Summary from Stripes Publishing 
One Christmas, Lotta is visiting her great-grandmother in Norway. Soon, she finds herself drawn into a magical adventure – travelling by sledge, herding reindeer from the snowy mountains to the summer pastures. But when a mother reindeer is lost, Lotta must find her before her calf starves…

Nayuleska's thoughts 
Holly's books always have a wow factor and this one is no exception. If you think the cover is cute you will adore the illustrations which are cute and cosy. As ever I love the traditional clothes Lotta gets to wear. The experience she has is unique, a little mystical and definitely riviting. My heart was in my mouth on several occasions-Lotta displays a courage and strength I don't think even she thought she had within her. The end was a true surprise and it made me teary too. I think I've seen the Sami in a documentary - their lives are harsh but they have a little fun and love their animals dearly. I will never look at my Bengalese finch Flower in the same way, now I've read about Flower the reindeer!

Find out more over at Holly's website.

Suggested read
Another cosy winter read is The Snow Bear also by Holly! (Children's, 5  years +, 10E/10E)

Friday 22 November 2013

Nayu's News #97: I like Autumn because...

 ...I love the leaves! 


I adore the shape of maple leaves. 
I'm not entirely convinced I have any on the way to work, but when I think of maple leaves, I think of red/orange colouring, which is certainly the current decor of the trees!
Where I park my car there are deep red leaves all over the grass & some still in the trees - it's extremely pretty. Equally pretty but slightly annoying is the frost on the car. I love to pretend that Tinkerbell's sister Peri & co are the ones making the car windscreen & windows look pretty! 

I hope wherever you are in the world you're enjoying the current season, be it autumn or spring! 

Thursday 21 November 2013

Finding Cherokee Brown & Finding Your Inner Cherokee by Siobhan Curham (Children's, Young Adult, 10E/10E)

 
The reason I'm reading this book is because it's National anti-bullying this week, and Siobhan's publicist got in touch because Siobhan is doing a variety of features with Netmums, including publishing a free anti-bullying guide, Finding Your Inner Cherokee. First I will review the novel Finding Cherokee Brown then I will review the guide.

March 2013, Egmont, 352 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

being bullied, family secrets, living with step-family, rebelling, resisting change, finding ways to cope with trauma, losing a friend, making a new friend, discovering the real you, 

Some severe unpleasantness, lots of humour, tissues needed

Summary from Egmont
His lips touched mine and for one split second the whole world stopped. Then every cell in my body fizzed into life . . .

When I decided to write a book about my life I thought I&'d have to make loads of stuff up. I mean, who wants to read about someone like me?

But as soon as I started writing, the weirdest thing happened. I found out I wasn’t who I thought I was. And I stopped being scared. Then everything went crazy!

Best of all, I discovered that when you finally decide to be brave it’s like waving a wand over your life – the most magical things can happen...


Nayuleska's thoughts
I need to point out that although I know Siobhan online (*waves hi*) & via snail mail, I genuinely think this book is awesome. The raw emotions from Claire/Cherokee leapt off the page straight into my head. Not every reader will discover they have a second identity, but - and this is a sad fact - loads will relate to being bullied. 

I was bullied at school for being especially innocent, for wearing super thick glasses (sometimes I did wear contacts), & for using a wheelchair. Unlike Claire I did tell my support assistants straight away, and in the worst case I managed to get the bully suspended for a week -score! Even when they were back I was never alone - it was quite funny because some of the guys in my tutor group made sure that they were always around to deter the bully.

So many people are like  Claire though and keep it quiet. I loved how slowly Claire/Cherokee realised that what was happening was wrong, and not her fault. Some of the things she does is a bit radical - but even her haircut isn't permanent, and made the statement she wanted to make. Her family do end up listening to her and each other, which makes a huge difference at the end. I did see hints for what might happen at the end, but I still absolutely loved it and was cheering inside a lot. I'm so glad the ending was positive, and that Cherokee looked forward to life.

Not only is this book great for bullying but, something which those of you on Twitter already know if you follow me, seeing Claire write in her diary every day (almost every day...) got me back to writing my novel every day. Even if it's only for 5 minutes, I'm writiing. I used to do it, but then things happened. I'm forever grateful to Siobhan for reminding me of that good practice! 

You can find heaps more on Siobhan's website

Suggested read
Check out Siobhan's other Young Adult read, Dear Dylan (Young Adult, 9/10E) 


Siobhan has released an anti-bullying guide (found on Amazon & other ebook selling sites) This is an excellent workbook to boost yourself if you're bullied - or, to be fair, even if you've got low confidence because it's an uplifting read, pointing out techniques which can sound crazy but make more of a difference than you'll first believe. I loved the power tweets! I didn't do all the exercises - I was just reading it to see what it was like, but the exercises are fun and help deal with emotions in a non-self-destructive way. All you need is yourself, some time, and sometimes an empty house. The way Siobhan phrases points made me smile and reminded me that negative thoughts are all to easy to get used to. Embrace positivity as you find your inner Cherokee!