Glister: The Faerie Host by Andi Watson

4th January 2010, Walker

80 pages, Paperback

Review Copy

Children's, girls 8+

Clouds: 3

Cushions: 1

Smiles: 3

Tissues: 3

Yunaleska's recommended rating:♥♥♥♥♥

Summary from Walker Books

The third book in a delightfully quirky and funny series for girls told in comic-strip and featuring Glister Butterworth – girl-magnet for the weird and unusual.

It is coming up to Halloween and already Glister's father is bustling around getting ready for Christmas! The Butterworths are putting up decorations for the tree and making preparations for the big day, but Glister is sad – her mother is missing and Christmas just wouldn't be the same without her. She is determined to find her mum and solve the mystery of her disappearance. However, boundary changes in the area mean Faerieland and Whixleyshire's borders now meet right outside Glister's front door. Once Glister has ventured into Faerieland in search of her beloved lost mum, very strange things start to happen and her biggest challenge will be finding her way home again.

Purple cover, title includes the word faerie - I had to get this. I whooped with glee when I opened the book -it's set out in graphic novel style! (although it reads left to right like normal novels.)

This is a new series for me, and I absolutely adore it. Glister's father is Christmas mad - the decorations become more abundant with each passing year, and he starts preparing very early on, so by the time Christmas does come round Glister isn't all that excited. However, this year she gets a present from her mother - who is missing. I nearly cried when the present arrived, for its something Glister has wanted for so long. The present pushes Glister into searching for her mother - which means she must go to the forbidden Faerieland. Her father wouldn't approve - so naturally she doesn't tell. She wasn't to know that while off on her adventure time outside Faerieland passes at a faster rate. Thankfully her father's concern for her well being doesn't last forever. Glister manages to bring back a very special animal to their home, whose power can be discovered at the end of the book.

Glister's adventure is a heart-warming tale full of love and magic. There is mild peril for Glister, but she's always able to overcome the obstacles, with a bit of help from those in the magical realm - and from a gift from her mother. The drawings are cute and funky: Glister's personality is visible before any words are said about her. I'm a huge fan of graphic novels, and this is a great introduction to the style of book for young girls. There is more than just a story to this book: at the back and front are two craft activities, written with diagrams and step-by-step instructions. It will encourage the reader to get creative and have fun with friends and family after finishing the book.

Andi Watson has his own website, full of info on Glister and other books.

Liked this? Try Glitterwings Academy 1: Flying High by Titania Woods

The Breakfast Museum by Andrew Matthews

2003 & 2009 (new edition), Red Fox

122 pages, Paperback

Review Copy

Children's, 9+

Paperclips: 0.5

Smiles: 5

Tears: 1

Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥

Summary from Random House Children's Books

Tod stretched out his hands. 'Shall we go and celebrate?' 'Celebrate what?' I asked.'That we're three unique individuals in a world of clones.' Andie reckons the Breakfast Museum - a greasy spoon caf- - is the perfect place to hide out in when her boyfriend dumps her and she spur-of-the-moment bunks off for the day. Only losers and drop-outs go there, don't they? Wrong! For it's there that Andie meets Tod and Rally and discovers that the Breakfast Museum can provide much more than a plate of egg and chips and something that pretends to be coffee.

I do confess to originally think 'Ooh! Fragments! Pots!' when I saw the title. Upon reading the blurb I realised it wasn't about a museum with ancient artefacts. The Breakfast Museum is a cafe where items of the only dishes on the menu are displayed in the window. All products are under 24 hours old. And yes, they do look worse as the day goes on (congealed grease, anyone?) Yet this isn't what attracts the customers to the cafe.

Andie normally doesn't skip school. She feels heartbreak is a good reason to do so. (Can't say I agree with this, but it does lead her to learn a few things about life.) She bumps into a fellow student from school, who doesn't always turn up. Somehow she finds herself explaining what led her to the Breakfast Museum. There are many rumours about Tod. Andie discovers that not all the rumours can be true, and that Tod is good at magic tricks. Turning down his offer of being an assistant on his show doesn't mean she escapes being a part of his magic act. However, the magic isn't the only thing which Tod shows her. Tod offers friendship when she needs it. Through Tod she meets Rally, a boy with strange marks on his arms and neck. Andie learns fast that you don't ask questions at the Breakfast Museum - details are revealed only if the person wants to talk about the subject.

I like how the issue of self-harm is addressed. Such a sensitive subject can be hard to tackle without sounding preachy. The way Rally slowly opens up, and the reasons why he self-harms (which leads to drama near the end of the book) is all realistic. Andie learns more about the value of friendship, and how life can be tough for other people (tougher than being dumped). Plus, through it all she actually does find love again. The way that happens is really funny, and I had guessed the identity of the person she likes before it was fully revealed at the end. (No, I'm not telling who is involved).

Liked this? Try The Stone Menagerie by Anne Fine

Gargoylz Get Up to Mischief by Burchett & Vogler

2009, Red Fox

128 pages, Paperback

Review Copy

Children's, 6+

Smiles: 5

Pencils: 5

Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary from Random House Children's Books

In this book the boys meet Theo, the gargoyle with the power to turn into a fearsome tiger - if he can only learn to get it right. And there's trouble for Toby when Max's gran mistakes him for a garden gnome! More fun and hijinks abound in the second of this fun and funny series for young readers.

I knew that not all the Gargoylz had been introduced in book 1, because my favourite Gargoyl who can turn into a cat (in truth a kitten, but he is under 500 years old), Theophilus, hadn't had his debut. I can happily announce the mischievous pair of friends Ben and Max finally meet Theo. Yay!

Now, poor Theo desperately wants to be a fearsome cat. He ends up being a cute kitten who wouldn't scare anyone. He's a little disappointed about this, but it turns out that he can still help Ben and Max without acting fierce. Being cute and fluffy is an advantage if there are females to be distracted. Ben and Max use Theo as a distraction when they deal payback to a school bully.

There is one Gargoyl I'm not so keen on. I feel sorry for Eli whose trick is to turn into a grass sn*ke. The illustrations add an extra dimension to the Gargoylz. They look really cute - all apart from Eli. There is no way on this planet I will find a Gargoyl with sn*kes coming out of its head cute. It isn't. I shivered with fear when some of the girls in Max and Ben's class had to deal with an invasion of worms. Boys and worms really do go together. Last year a 5 year old thought it was funny to try and bring a jar full with a few worms into the house - it was even funnier when I sprinted as far away from him in the house as possible. I'm just glad his mother was able to keep him outside - most of the time. So, apologies Eli, but you are my least favourite Gargoyl. I'm glad the sn*kes don't look too realistic, but they still give me heebie-jeebies.

Gargyolz make great companions for Ben and Max, but they also cause a bit of trouble. Max nearly gets into a lot of trouble at home when Toby the Gargoyl discovers the delights of Max's home. Gargoylz seem unable to help themse Thilves near food and water (just like Gremlins).

An entertaining theme which is carried on throughout all the novels is spying. Ben and Max's favourite game is to pretend they are spies. Everyone they know - teachers and classmates has a codename. I think this captures how rich the imagination of children is: there is no such thing as an ordinary day when they can be thwarted by the enemy at any time. That's one of the greatest pleasures of being a bookaholic - my imagination expands with each page I read.

Gargoylz are still loose on the net here.

Liked this? Try book one: Gargoylz On the Loose.

Gargoylz On the loose! by Burchett and Vogler

2009, Red Fox

128 pages, Paperback

Review Copy

Children's, 6+

Smiles: 5

Pencils: 5

Yunaleska's rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary from Random House Children's Books

When Max and Ben discover that the ancient stone figures on the church next door to their school actually come to life, they are delighted! School will be much more fun now that the boys have the gargoylz to help them play pranks and wreak havoc. And when they discover that the gargoylz all have special powers too, they realize that the possibilities for mischief are endless!

Gargoyle Toby can fly, Barney can make terrible smells, Bart burps spiders and Zack can turn himself invisible - and those are just the four gargoylz that Max and Ben meet in book one! Imagine the fun and chaos that ensues once the gargoylz and the boys are working together...

Having thoroughly enjoyed Gargoylz Put On A Show, I was eager to learn exactly how Ben and Max met up with the creatures that can turn into stone, but in reality are alive. Garygolz On the Loose is the very first book in the series, telling how the two friends slowly get to know the different Gargoylz.

I think the Gargoylz suit the mischievous friends very well. With each of the abilities the boys have a whole load of new tricks up their sleeves. Sure, sometimes the Gargoylz play the trick too soon, or a little earlier than planned, but it means Max and Ben's lives are far from dull. In some ways I'm amazed at how much trouble the boys get into - but then I haven't any brothers so haven't had first-hand experience with young boys. These two friends are certainly lively, but they are kind at heart because none of their tricks would ever seriously hurt someone.

My favourite Gargoyl isn't introduced in this book, so my second favourite is Zack, who can make himself invisible. It comes in handy when Max and Ben want to get out of doing their homework - its not their fault if Mr Oldart doesn't read what he believes is his handwritten assignment on the board. Let's just say the children end up doing homework which Mr Oldart wouldn't endorse, all thanks to Zack's ability to write while being invisible.

I'll be discussing the illustrations and spy names in the review of book 2, Gargoylz Get Up To Mischief.

Gargoylz are loose on the net here.

Liked this? Try another in the Gargoylz series: Gargoylz Put On A Show.

Small-Minded Giants by Oisin McGann

2007 edition, Corgi Children's

368 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Children's 12+ Thriller

Cushions: 4

Daggers: 4 (death, violence, peril)

Paperclips: 1

Smiles: 1

Tissues: 2

Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary from Random House Children's Books

Beyond the huge domed roof of Ash Harbour, a city built inside a hollowed-out mountain, deadly storms and Arctic temperatures have stripped the Earth bare. Resources are limited and access to power is all-important. Sinister bodies reign supreme, undercover operations are rife and every move is monitored by the Clockworkers and Dark-Day Fatalists. When sixteen-year-old Sol Wheat’s father goes missing and is accused of murder, Sol sets out to find out why, and in doing so uncovers the harsh reality behind Ash Harbour.

Apocalyptic thrillers rate highly on my reading radar. There's something about watching how people adapt to survive in a harsh environment that makes a pleasant read. I would hate to be in the situation where Sol is, trapped in the confines of Ash Harbour forever because the world outside is inhabitable. It's bad enough being snowbound for a day (or more) in the house. It isn't surprising that people in Ash Harbour turn to illegal forms of entertainment (drugs, mostly). A lot don't appear to have much hope of ever getting outside. Sol knew what his friends did, and he knows that some areas are out of bounds. What he doesn't know is just how quickly he'll become apart of the shadier side of Ash Harbour.

One of the many highlights of this action packed story with plot twists at almost every page, is the enormity of imagination used. I love the idea of how people have to travel in a certain direction to keep gyroscopes beneath the city working. This in turn provides power for everything. If they stop - well the city stops. Quite a dangerous prospect in an already harsh world. Everyone's life evolves around moving. School timetables change so that there's always some people at school on weekends (and also at work), so the city isn't in danger of stopping. Well...that's until Sol gets pulled into the darker depths of Ash Harbour. Because then he learns the truth: how closely monitored they all are. How those in charge, the Clockworkers will do anything to keep the city working - even if it costs lives. After all, most people's lives are expendable - especially those in areas which don't see sunlight.

I really could go on about all the clever details of Ash Harbour's workings - but then that would spoil the surprises in the story. I grew quite attached to Sol, who has a fair amount of people working against him. His dad disappears, he gets attacked as he's sneaking back home (turns out they weren't thieves). He does get help from a mysterious stranger, but that help still leads him to a life-threatening adventure, involving the Dark-Day Fatalists, the Clockworkers, killers in the underworld, debt-collectors, dangling from heights...and so forth. His brush with the darker side of humanity changes him, but I like how those changes are explored (a little like the changes to Will in The Returners)

There are other characters whose viewpoint gets examined. Sol's classmate Cleo (short for Cleopatra) is a singer. Unfortunately her band's lyrics prove a bit too controversial for the authorities, so they get banned from performing at a gig. Just because they are expressing their opinion on life in Ash Harbour. Cleo's life becomes entwined with Sol's: she already dealt with the underworld due to her drug habit (it's not a major one, but it is present in the story), but there are shadier characters than the drug dealers. I like her relation with her sister, and how even when her own life is at risk she does all she can to keep her sister safe. There's a certain point in the story which has her making a difficult decision. In reality I believe she made the right choice, although the consequences will haunt her forever.

I really liked seeing the story from Sol's teacher's point of view. Ana, being an adult, looks at life a little differently to the teenagers. She cares about them and is willing to stand up to the police for Sol. I'm glad that she looks out for him, and saves him (a few times) from corrupt officers. Having someone like her in the story supporting the main protagonists emphasizes how much danger Sol and Cleo are in: yes, Ana helps Sol out a little with the police, but compared to the other dangers that Sol comes up against, the police begin to look as innocent as fluffy rabbits.

Liked this? Try Gone and Hunger by Michael Grant.

Merlin: The Mark of Nimueh by Various

October 2009, Bantam Books

208 pages, Hardback

Review Copy

Children's, TV tie-in

Cushions: 2 (even if you've seen the TV episode)

Smiles: 5

Tissues: 1

Yunaleska's recommended rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Summary from Random House Children's Books

A deadly plague is rife in Camelot and Gwen is suspected of witchcraft. Merlin must help Gaius find a cure and save his friend from execution...

Once more the world of Merlin - and Arthur - is brought to life, something which can't be said for some of the characters in this tie-in with the popular BBC series Merlin. An evil sorceress has conjured up a plague for Camelot, determined to watch the town die, and to make Uther suffer. I agree with the making Uther suffer (he isn't the kindest or most compassionate person in the land), but making other people suffer is wrong.

People close to Merlin's heart suffer. Poor Gwen's father is sick. Merlin likes her (as a friend - although Arthur believes otherwise in this story) and can't bear the thought of her father suffering. So, against the orders of Gaius he dabbles with magic. He may have saved Gwen's father, but he has condemned her death because he does something foolish. He endeavours to find a way to save her, and everyone else.

Once again I enjoyed getting further insight into the characters. More time is given for the sorceress, which makes me hate her even more. Having watched the series, I have a clear image in my head of what everyone looks and sounds like. This adds to the fun of the story. I could see the TV episode clearly in my mind, and knew the expressions Arthur and Gaius were pulling at certain points. It's a good reminder of what happened in the TV series - until I read the summary I had forgotten what this episode was about. Even if you haven't seen the TV series, this is a great book to have.

Liked this? Try the earlier books in the Merlin series of The Dragon's Call and Valiant.

What are you Reading? #5

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

Yes, I'm aware it is Sunday. Presence of germ gremlins means no review today, so figured I'd do this post now, and a review tomorrow.

The reason I no long do 'In my mailbox' meme is because everything that comes through my mailbox gets read and reviewed. IE it already has pictures in 'What are you Reading' (or will do from now on). I'd rather not duplicate posts :)

Also...do you like the new style of having pictures of everything? My line of thought is that it is easier to remember if you've seen a book if you see the cover. Just seeing a title and an author doesn't help me remember books.

Finished this week

(great, would have liked bit more action with shadows throughout the whole book. There will be a competition for this book (I'd forgotten I'd requested it...won it in a competition too so have 2 copies)

(Took my right back to this particular episode in BBC1's tv series (yes, there will be a competition for this book)

(3 heart touching stories about fishing communities in England)

(Very funny and sweet, tissue worthy, nominated for The Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010)

(Great crime novel, heaps of action near the end, I thought the terrorists were idiots)

(This rivals my 2nd favourite knight children's book, whose title I shall reveal in the review)

(How one, overlooked crocodile brings life back to a fairground ride)

(Loved this! Check out the review and the interview with Joe Layburn)

(Loved this, check out the review)

(Great apocalyptic story)

Still reading/started

• Oh look...that book isn't here anymore. And yet it still hasn't been finished...

]

(Written by creator of The Trouble with Dragons - this is sooo funny!)

Planning to start/read (yes, last week didn't get through all planned books due to arrival of tall ARC stack). I intend to read the first 5 or 6 today. (These particular children's books are very thin, which in no way detracts from the story).

(This sounds like fun!)

(One of the earlier stories in the Gargoylz series)

(I believe this is the first Gargoylz book)

(Purple + mention of faeries + cool girl = I had to have it!)

(Another purple cover - this one sounds entertaining)

(have you noticed that vampire/angel books (ok, now have the image of a vampire angel in my head which is making me laugh) are becoming more popular on my TBR pile?)

(I didn't know this author was the lead scriptwriter for BBC1's Spooks! Should definitely be a good read (we ignore the fact that somehow I've lost interest in Spooks. I blame anime entirely))

(I don't think this is going to be a happy book. I think I'll need a lot of tissues.)

(Pretty cover! Mine is pinky-purple - I got a proof copy! Yay! (Yes, I prize these more than a finished copy. Didn't expect this because the book has been published, so it was a bonus.))

(This is 1.2k pages long. I did go o.O...until I saw it was actually 3 books in here!)

Reviews needed to complete:

• All the books on the Read list, apart from Ghostscape and Evermore.