war

Metawars: Fight for the Future by Jeff Norton

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Sometimes it would be nice to be able to escape your own life and pretend to be someone else.  What if you could connect yourself to a virtual world, where you could do exactly that and look completely different.  You could have a different face, a different body, and you could even be a unicorn or a dragon.  In this virtual world, everything is clean and bright, and you can work, shop and play.  Enter the world of the Metashpere in Jeff Norton’s new book, Metawars: Fight for the Future.

Jonah Delacroix can’t stand the real world – so he lives most of his life inside a global computer-based virtual world called the Metasphere, where everyone is represented by an avatar. When he discovers the avatar of his dead father, and assumes his online identity, a series of events are unleashed that compel Jonah to race across the real world with a secret society to protect the freedom of all mankind…

Fight for the Future is the first book in Jeff Norton’s action-packed science fiction series about the fight for cyberspace.  The real world has fallen into ruin and humans now spend most of their lives in the Meatasphere, a virtual world full of life and colour, where people work, go to school and socialise.  There are two warring factions fighting for what they believe is right.  The Millenials believe that the Metashphere should be controlled, but the Guardians believe it should be free.  Matthew Granger, the creator of the Metasphere and leader of the Millenials has just escaped prison and will stop at nothing to take back his creation, one piece at a time.

The main character is Jonah Delacroix, a teenager who lives on a bus in the real world with his mum, but like most people, prefers to spend his time in the Metashpere.  His father, who was once Matthew Granger’s personal pilot, was killed when a Guardian bomb blew up the airport.  Jonah knows where his loyalties lie, but these loyalties are constantly tested in the story.  Who do you trust when everyone thinks they’re right?  One thing I really liked about the story was that there are no clear villains.  They may seem like villains but they’re only fighting for what they believe is right.  Matthew Granger’s character was really interesting and I’m looking forward to seeing how Jeff develops his character in the next book.

Metawars is a real boys story and the perfect book to hook reluctant readers.  There are heart-stopping action sequences, spies, terrorists and cool characters. It’s sure to grab those video game addicted teens as they’ll understand the allure of wanting to be constantly plugged into the virtual world.  To hook them in, all you need to tell them about the book is it’s like Alex Rider crossed with The Matrix.  Once they’ve read Fight for the Future they’ll be hooked and eagerly awaiting the sequel The Dead Are Rising.

4 out of 5 stars

 

Shirley Hughes talks about Hero on a Bicycle

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Hero on a Bicycle is the first novel from children’s literature legend, Shirley Hughes.  I grew up with Shirley Hughes’ wonderful picture books about Alfie and Annie Rose, so I can’t wait to see how she writes for an older audience.  Hero on a Bicycle is out now from Walker Books.

My favourite Anzac novels

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In my other Anzac posts I’ve highlighted some great new Anzac books from New Zealand authors.  In my last Anzac post I want to tell you about a couple of my favourite Anzac books, The Ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound by Sandy Nelson and A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French.

The Ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound by Sandy Nelson

What would you do if the ghosts of World War Two were stuck inside your head and wouldn’t leave you alone?  Paddy is an ordinary New Zealand kid who becomes obsessed with a book that he gets from the library about the wrecks of warships sunk in World War Two at Guadalcanal.  This book is special – the ghosts of men who were killed in these battles are trapped inside and they want everyone to remember why they died.  The ghosts call out to Paddy but only he can hear their voices.  Whose voices are they and why are they reaching out to him?  The ghosts tell him he has to ask his grandfather about the battle at Guadalcanal, but his grandfather has never talked about the war so how will Paddy get him to tell him his story?

The Ghosts of Iron Bottom Sound is a fantastic and unique book about the horrors of war and how it affects people.  The ghosts of the war talking to Paddy is a really interesting way to tell the story and Sandy Nelson makes you really care about what happens to the characters.  This is now one of my favourite war stories. Sandy Nelson joined us on the Christchurch Kids Blog in 2011 to talk about her book and the research she did before writing her story.  Her posts are really interesting and well worth checking out.

A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French

The ′War to end all Wars′, as seen through the eyes of three young women

It is 1915. War is being fought on a horrific scale in the trenches of France, but it might as well be a world away from sixteen-year-old New Zealander Midge Macpherson, at school in England learning to be a young lady. But the war is coming closer: Midge′s brothers are in the army, and her twin, Tim, is listed as ′missing′ in the devastating defeat of the Anzac forces at Gallipoli .

Desperate to do their bit – and avoid the boredom of school and the restrictions of Society – Midge and her friends Ethel and Anne start a canteen in France, caring for the endless flow of wounded soldiers returning from the front. Midge, recruited by the over-stretched ambulance service, is thrust into carnage and scenes of courage she could never have imagined. And when the war is over, all three girls – and their Anzac boys as well – discover that even going ′home′ can be both strange and wonderful.

Exhaustively researched but written with the lightest of touches, this is Jackie French at her very best.

The reason I love A Rose for the Anzac Boys is because it tells history from a female perspective.  In this case it tells the stories of a group of Australian girls who travel to France to do what they can for the war effort.  Jackie French is an amazing writer and she always tells a good story. Jackie also provides detailed historical notes at the end of the book so you can see how historically accurate her story is.

  • I’m currently reading David Hill’s My Brother’s War and Ken Catran’s Earth Dragon, Fire Hare, both of which are shortlisted in the 2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.  I’m sure I will be able to add these two to my list of favourite Anzac stories too.

Win a copy of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse

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I’ve been a huge fan of Michael Morpurgo for years.  Every single book of his that I’ve read has been brilliant.  His book, War Horse, was one of them that I hadn’t read until recently but I wanted to before I saw the movie.  I’m one of those people who has to read the book before I see the movie otherwise the book is ruined for me.

I can’t wait to see the movie because it looks like Steven Spielberg has stayed true to the story and the cast looks amazing.  Just watching the trailer nearly made me cry so I’m sure the movie will be a tear-jerker.

I have a copy of the movie tie-in edition of Michael Morpurgo’s book to give away.  All you have to do to get in the draw is tell me what is your favourite kids/family movie based on a book?  Just leave a comment on this post with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win).

Thanks to those who entered.  The winner of the copy of War Horse is Clare.

If you haven’t seen the trailer yet check it out: