Stay tuned for our review of The Emerald Atlas tomorrow. If you think it sounds like a book you would love to read, make sure you enter our Week 2 Reading Crusade Challenge for your chance to win a copy (we’ve got 5 copies to give away).
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The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens
Do you miss Harry Potter and wish that there was another series you could read that’s similar? Look no further thanThe Emerald Atlas by John Stephens, a magical new fantasy story and the first in The Books of Beginning Trilogy.
Kate, Michael and Emma have never really known their parents who disappeared in the dead of night 10 years ago. They were taken by a mysterious stranger, left at an orphanage and have been moved around ever since. When the children are sent off to another orphanage in Cambridge Falls they think this place will be the same as the last, but they are very, very wrong. No-one seems to have heard of Cambridge Falls, and they discover that it is kept hidden from the world by a magic spell. In their new home they meet the mysterious Dr Pym, who Kate seems to recognise. While exploring their new home, they discover an old leather book and set in motion an ancient magical prophecy which will take them on the adventure of a lifetime.
The Emerald Atlas is a fast-paced, magical adventure through a world filled with dwarves, horrible creatures, a beautiful but sinister witch, and a mysterious book with the power to change the world. The story will suck you in and keep you guessing to the very end. I loved the dwarves who always seemed to be cursing and arguing, but pulled together to help the children. If you love stories like Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Series of Unfortunate Events and The Golden Compass, then you’ll love The Emerald Atlas.
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The Travelling Restaurant by Barbara Else
In the land of Fontania magic has been outlawed. Ever since The Great Accident, even uttering the word ‘with five letters that began with ‘m’, had a ‘g’ in the middle and ended with ‘c’ was completely and utterly forbidden.’ The land is ruled by the Provisional Monarch, Lady Gall who keeps herself beautiful by injecting a special fluid called Beauteen into her wrinkles. Jasper’s father, Dr Ludlow, is the inventor of Beauteen and works for Lady Gall, but when Jasper discovers that his sister, Sibilla was poisoned by Lady Gall, the family must escape. When Jasper falls asleep on the docks, his family leave him behind. While he’s looking for their ship he finds the Travelling Restaurant, a colourful ship run by Polly and Dr Rocket. On the Travelling Restaurant, Jasper embarks on a wild adventure across lakes and oceans. He faces raging rapids, troublesome monkeys and hungry pirates in the search for his baby sister, who might just be the key to saving Fontania.
The Travelling Restaurant is a magical story, set in a magnificent kingdom filled with colourful characters. My favourite character was Jasper, who is an incredibly brave boy who gets into some dangerous situations, in the hope of finding his sister. The descriptions of the food that they prepare on the Travelling Restaurant will make your mouth water and your stomach grumble. Barbara Else has created a world that you will never want to leave. Recommended for 9+ 9 out of 10
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It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Super Finn!
Finn Marsh is just an ordinary kid who’s not very good at most things. When his class has to do a homework assignment about what they’d like to be when they grow up, Finn decides he’d like to be a superhero. But to be a superhero there are a few things you need, like superpowers, a nemesis, a costume, and you need to save someone’s life. To finish his homework Finn needs to become Super Finn and, with the help of his friend Brain, he must figure out what it takes to be a superhero. When Finn’s mum tells him and his brother that they can’t afford to sponsor their World Vision child, Umbaba anymore, Finn realizes that it’s up to him to raise the money to save him. After their experiments to try and get super-strength and night-vision powers don’t go as planned, Finn and Brain turn to doing dares for money and running a black market junk food business during their lunch break to raise money to help sponsor Umbaba. Are their crazy schemes enough to help save Umbaba’s life and become a superhero?
Super Finn is the funniest book I’ve read in a long time. Finn and Brain are cool characters and you might even have kids like them in your class. The things that they get up to are hilarious and one part of the book, when Finn is in assembly with bags of lollies strapped to his body, made me crack up laughing. I loved the character of Finn because even though he keeps getting in trouble he doesn’t give up his mission to help Umbaba. Super Finn is Leonie Agnew’s first book and I can’t wait to read what she writes next. Recommended for 7+ 10 out of 10
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Congratulations to Shaun Tan!
Shaun Tan, the award-winning author of some of the most amazing picture books, has won the biggest prize for children’s books. The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was set up in memory of Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking, and is awarded every year to authors, illustrators, oral storytellers and those who promote reading. It is the richest award for children’s literature, with a grand prize of close to $NZ1 million!
If you’ve never read or looked at a book by Shaun Tan you don’t know what you’re missing out on. He has illustrated more than 20 books, including The Lost Thing, Rabbits, The Red Tree, The Arrival, and my favourite, Tales from Outer Suburbia. His illustrations are weird and wonderful, and he can tell an amazing story without using words. Shaun Tan has been super lucky recently because his short film of his book, The Lost Thing, won an Oscar at the Academy Awards.
Congratulations Shaun!
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My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher
Ever since I saw the book trailer for Annabel Pitcher’s debut novel, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. When I started reading it I knew that it was one of those special books that only comes along now and again.
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece is about a boy called Jamie and his family, who are still trying to cope with the loss of his sister’s twin, Rose who was blown up by a terrorist bomb in London five years ago. Jamie, his dad and sister, Jas decide to move to the Lake District for a ‘fresh start.’ Jamie’s parents are still grieving – his dad has turned to drink and his mum has run off with the support worker. His sister Jasmine turns to dying her hair, piercing and stops eating. Jamie however doesn’t really remember his sister and he hasn’t cried at all. Jamie is more interested in his cat, Roger, his Superman t-shirt, and keeping his new friend Sunya a secret. Sunya is Muslim and Jamie’s dad keeps reminding him that ‘Muslim’s killed your sister,’ so he must never find out about her. Jamie’s one wish is that his mum will come back to them and he’ll wear his Superman t-shirt until the day that she does. When he sees an ad for a TV talent show, he comes up with a plan that he is sure will get his family back together again.
Annabel Pitcher has created a lovable character in Jamie that everyone can relate to. Even with everything that is going in his family, Jamie holds onto the hope that he can fix things and get it back to the way it was. He has a mind of his own and stands up for what he believes is right and wrong.
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece will make you laugh and cry and leave you smiling. It was the perfect book to read post-earthquake as it cheered me up and left me with a sense of hope. It is definitely one of my top books of the year.
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The end is nigh for Alex Rider – Scorpia Rising
Want to find out what happens to Alex Rider? Check out Scorpia Rising, the shocking conclusion to the Alex Rider series. Due out 31st March 2011
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My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece book trailer
I’ve just started reading this and it’s absolutely fantastic! I wanted to get my hands on a copy ever since I watched this amazing book trailer.
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Scare yourself silly with the Invisible Fiends
Did you have an invisible friend when you were younger? If you did you probably can’t remember what they looked like now. Kyle had an invisible friend when he was younger whose name was Mr Mumbles. Mr Mumbles lived in the loft and would come and tap on Kyle’s bedroom window when he wanted to play. Kyle had completely forgotten about him until, one night, Kyle hears the tapping on his window. This time though, Mr Mumbles doesn’t want to play, he wants to kill Kyle and he’ll stop at nothing to do so. With the help of a mysterious girl called Ameena, Kyle races to escape his invisible fiend. Kyle realizes that the only way to defeat Mr Mumbles is to use the thing that created him – his imagination.
Mr Mumbles is the first in the series of Invisible Fiends books by Barry Hutchison. The second book, Raggy Maggie is also out, with the third book due soon. These books are great for anyone who likes creepy horror stories, especially fans of Skulduggery Pleasant. They’re creepy, gruesome, suspenseful and action-packed. Invisible Fiends is definitely my new favourite series! Recommended for 9+ DON’T READ AFTER DARK! 10 out of 10
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Farewell to Brian Jacques and Redwall
I was sad to learn today that the author of the Redwall series, Brian Jacques, died on 5 February 2011. Brian has written many books in the Redwall series, including Rakkety Tam, The Legend of Luke, Marlfox, and The Pearls of Lutra, as well as the fantastic Flying Dutchman series. Here’s some interesting facts about Brian Jacques:
- He was caned by a teacher, who could not believe a 10-year-old could write so well, when he wrote a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile’s teeth.
- He left school at 15 and traveled the world as a merchant seaman.
- He wrote his first story, Redwall, for children at Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool. Because the children were blind, he made his writing as descriptive as possible, painting pictures with words so that they could see them in their imaginations.
- He has worked as a railway fireman, a longshoreman, a long-distance truck driver, a bus driver, a boxer, a bobby (Police Constable), a postmaster, and a stand-up comic.
- He has sold over 20 million books worldwide and they have been translated into 29 languages.
What’s your favourite Brian Jacques book?
My Best Friends Are Books 