The Invention of Hugo Cabret is one of my favourite books because of the way that the story is told. The ‘creator’ Brian Selznick uses a mixture of words and illustrations to tell the story. One minute you’re reading the words and the next you’re looking at the amazing illustrations to try and piece the story together. Brian has used the same storytelling technique in his new book, Wonderstruck.
Wonderstruck is the story of two children, set fifty years apart. Ben’s story is told using words and is set in 1977 and Rose’s story is told completely in pictures and is set in 1927. Ben has never known his father, but when he discovers some clues in his mother’s bedroom to who his father is, Ben sets out on a journey to discover the truth. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook and Brian’s illustrations reveal her own journey.
Wonderstruck is an absolutely amazing book! I love the idea of telling two different stories in two different ways. When I was reading Ben’s story I could see the images in my head, but when I was ‘reading’ Rose’s story I was putting each of the images together to figure out her story. The book looks huge but I read it all in one go because over half the book is made up of Brian’s stunning illustrations. He only uses pencils, but he creates some unbelievable effects. When you look at the faces of the characters you can see exactly what they are feeling, whether it is excitement, anger or sadness. One of the pages is just someone pointing their finger and you know exactly what it means. Reading Rose’s story is like watching a silent movie because you have to work out what is happening yourself. Wonderstruck is one of those books that leave you smiling and you’ll want to read it again and again, just to enjoy Brian’s illustrations.
Spencer Fogle is an ordinary kid who lives in the extraordinary town of Filmington. His hometown used to be called Flemington, until film and TV crews discovered its range of landscapes, from fiery volcanoes to snowy mountains and lush rainforests, and took over the town. The town’s richest resident, Jimmy Jangle, controls most of the business within Filmington and holds alot of people’s futures in his hands. When Spencer is walking home from school one day, he hears blood-curdling screams coming from one of the science labs and goes to investigate. Spencer uncovers a dark plot involving carnivorous plants, genetically modified flies and a mysterious, hidden file. However, Jimmy Jangle and his thugs are willing to do anything to keep the truth covered up.
We were first introduced to Juno and the people of Taris in Juno of Taris, what would become the first in a trilogy. I picked up Juno of Taris on a recommendation of another children’s librarian that I worked with and was blown away by the community that Fleur Beale had created. For those of you who haven’t read the first book, it’s best to start at the beginning, but one of the great things about the subsequent books in the trilogy is that you get a summary of the story so far before you start. I don’t know if this was an idea of the publisher, Random House New Zealand, or Fleur herself, but I think it’s something that all trilogies/series should have, especially when the books come out a year apart.
Douglas, the loveable bear who wants a hug is one of my favourite picture book characters. David Melling really knows how to write and illustrate for children, particularly preschoolers, and he’s created a character that every child will love. In his first picture book outing, Hugless Douglas, our bear friend just wanted a hug, but he never seemed to be able to find the right type of hug. In Don’t Worry Douglas! he’s given a special wooly hat by his dad and he goes off to show his friends. On the way out the door his dad tells him to look after it, but this is exactly what Douglas doesn’t do. His hat gets caught on a tree and slowly unravels. The other animals say “Don’t worry Douglas” and try to help him put it back together. But what will Douglas’s dad think?
Lenny the Tarantula lives at Zurlington Zoo. He’s “furry and fuzzy and hairy” and he likes to play tricks on people, especially his favourite trick, Tarantula Boo, where he jumps at people. The only thing that’s missing is a friend to share his scares with, and when a flying coconut breaks the glass on his cage, he escapes to go and find a friend. Lenny looks all over the zoo, but will he find someone who isn’t scared of him or tries to eat him?
If you’re a huge fan of Skulduggery Pleasant like me, you’ve been waiting a whole year to find out what happens next to Skulduggery Pleasant and his side-kick Valkyrie Cain. We were left wondering whether Valkyrie’s dark side would show her head and there was a feeling of impending doom. Death Bringer doesn’t disappoint and there are plenty of thrill, chills and surprises to keep you on your toes.
When I first picked up an Invisible Fiends book in my library last year I thought, ‘this is a BRILLIANT idea!’ In the past few years I’ve become a huge fan of horror stories for kids and reading the blurb I knew the Invisible Fiends series was going to be great. The mixture of horrific characters and dark humour had me hooked and I’ve loved every book in the series so far. The fourth book in the series, Doc Mortis was recently released in the UK but I couldn’t wait until it’s released in New Zealand in October so ordered it from Book Depository. I got straight into it as soon as it arrived, but took my time as I wanted to savour it.
My Best Friends Are Books 