House of Secrets by Chris Colombus and Ned Vizzini is released in May by HarperCollins NZ. Chris Colombus is the creator of some of my favourite kids movies, including Goonies, Home Alone and Mrs Doubtfire, so I’m really looking forward to reading his first children’s book. The idea of the story sounds really interesting so I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be great!
Cattra’s Legacy by Anna Mackenzie
Risha is strong and outspoken, and at 16 has developed into a leader of men, a strategic thinker, and a woman — one can imagine — who will assume the legacy left by her mother.
The story begins with 13-year-old Risha living a simple life in the mountains with her father. When her father suddenly dies, Risha is left alone, an outcast of her village. Disguised as a boy, Risha leaves the village with a group of traders, on a quest to find out the truth about her mother and her heritage.
Here begins a grand sweeping adventure as Risha is caught up in dangerous pursuits, intrigue, trickery and betrayal. She is left for dead, confused by the actions of many, and is made to hide from those who wish her harm.
She finds out by chance that she is Cattra’s daughter. Who is Cattra — and why do so many wish Risha harm?
Cattra’s Legacy tells of the journey of Risha, not only across the wild land in which she lives, but from timid young girl to fierce and powerful young woman. Risha’s world is full of secrets, lies, promises, danger, strategy, rescue missions, and plenty of fighting. Anna has created Elgard, a world that is both beautiful and harsh, and she takes Risha from one corner of the land to another. From her rocky mountain home of Torfell where she has grown up, Risha travels through the busy city of Caledon, the Lacstone Marshes and the Citadel at LeMarc. As you delve further into the story you discover the politics of Elgard, the struggle for power between the various rulers, and the enormity of the task that Risha has ahead of her. There was one particular part of the story, when Risha and Torfell are going through the marshes, that reminded me of the Swamps of Sadness scene from one of my favourite movies, The Neverending Story. It’s a heart-breaking part of both the movie and Anna’s book, and I’d love to know if this part of the story is a tribute to that movie or just a coincidence.
Risha is a wonderful character who grows so much throughout the story, and she grew on me more and more as the story progressed. She starts off as a timid young girl who lives a quiet life with her father in the mountains of Torfell, but the events of the story mean she has to grow up fast. She grows in to a fierce and powerful young woman, who is very self-assured and you wouldn’t want to cross her. You know that she is going to become a strong, but kind leader of her people and will do everything in her power to unite the people of Elgard. One thing I really like about her is that she’s really focused on her duties. Even though she could have her pick of the males around her, romance isn’t her number one priority. I’m sure that romance will come in to the other books that are to follow in the series.
Between Cattra’s Legacy and R.L. Stedman’s A Necklace of Souls, there certainly isn’t going to be a shortage of strong female main characters for the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards next year. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and see how Risha develops even further. I certainly know that Risha is ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
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Department 19: If you go down to the woods…
Tom Percival is the brilliant artist that creates the amazing Skulduggery Pleasant covers. He’s also an animator, and an author and illustrator of his own picture books. Tom created this very cool video to promote Will Hill’s Department 19 series.
The latest book in Will Hill’s Department 19 series, Department 19: Battle Lines is out now. Department 19 is one of my favourite series and I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to this latest book. Keep an eye on the blog for my review and your chance to win a copy.
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Win the Dinosaur Rescue Megasaurus Mash-up 1
The Dinosaur Rescue series by Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley is one of my favourite New Zealand series for kids. Each of the books are chock full of prehistoric adventure and fun facts, as well as plenty of dinosaur farts, poo and vomit. All of this makes for a hilarious read.
Scholastic New Zealand have just released the Megasaurus Mash-up of the first 4 books in the series, which includes T-wreck-asaurus, Stego-snottysaurus, Velocitchy-raptor and Diplo-dizzydocus. The eighth book in the series, Salto-scaredypus was also released last month and there is an exciting announcement about the series to come later in the year.
Thanks to Scholastic New Zealand I have a copy of the Megasaurus Mash-up 1 to give away. All you have to do to get in the draw is enter your name and email address in the form below. Competition closes Wednesday 17 April (NZ only).
Thanks to everyone who entered. The winner is Angela.
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2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Finalist: The Nature of Ash by Mandy Hager
Mandy Hager’s The Nature of Ash is one of the finalists in the Young Adult category of the 2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards. It was one of my favourite Young Adult books of 2012 so I’m really glad to see it as a finalist. I reviewed it back in June last year, so if you want to hear all about it and find out what makes it such a worthy finalist, read on.
I love books with lots of action, but I also want to read about characters that I care about and can relate to. Those books are the ones that make me keep reading furiously, just to make sure the characters make it to the end of the book alive. I love books like Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner for this very reason, but there aren’t many books like this for teenagers set in New Zealand (Fleur Beale’s Juno series and Brian Falkner’s Tomorrow Code are the only ones that come to mind). Mandy Hager has set a new standard in thrilling, action-packed stories for NZ teens with her new book, The Nature of Ash, and I’ll say it can proudly stand alongside these international, best-selling dystopian thrillers.
Ash McCarthy thought he finally had it made: away from home and all its claustrophobic responsibilities, he’s revelling in the freedom of student hostel life. But life is about to take a devastating turn, when two police officers knock on his door. Their life-changing news forces him to return home to his Down Syndrome brother Mikey, and impels him into a shady world of political intrigue, corruption, terrorism and lies . . . so many lies. As if this isn’t bad enough, the whole country is imploding, as the world’s two greatest super-powers start a fight that leaves New Zealand ‘piggy-in-the-middle’ of their deadly games. While trying to protect Mikey, along with strangers Travis and Jiao, his fight to uncover the truth turns into a nightmare race to save their lives and stop the destruction of all the principles he holds dear.
The Nature of Ash is an exciting, explosive, action-packed thriller that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. From the first page I got caught up in Ash’s life and the horrific situation he finds himself in. Mandy Hager has painted a picture of a future New Zealand that you could imagine turning from fiction into fact. Our country is caught in the middle of a conflict between the two super powers of the world, the Western Alliance (USA, UK, Australia, Taiwan, Malaysian Federation, Republic of Indonesia, Peru) and the United People’s Republic (China, East Russia, United Korea, Japan, Republic of Indochina, Fiji, Chile). Our Prime Minister is corrupt and will sell his loyalty to the highest bidder, there are protests, riots and looting breaking out all over the country, and food is running low. In short, the country is falling apart and things keep getting worse. In the middle of it all is Ash, who had gone to study in Christchurch, but gets called back to Wellington when a bomb explodes at his dad’s office.
In my opinion, Ash is one of the most authentic male teen characters in New Zealand fiction. Mandy Hager is absolutely spot-on with Ash’s voice, his actions and decisions. Sure, he swears, he drinks, and smokes some weed, but in the crappy situation that he’s in you can completely understand why he talks the way he does and makes those decisions. He’s fiercely loyal to his family, especially his brother Mikey, who has Down Syndrome. Even though it’s hard to look after Mikey and keep him calm and happy, Ash does all that he can to help him and protect him from harm. I also loved Jiao and Travis, the other teenagers that escape from the city with them. Jiao is an Asian girl who often looks after Mikey and is someone that he trusts (and has a bit of a crush on) and Travis is the son of policewoman Jeannie. The group have some tense moments but they pull together when they need to.
The adult characters are a real mixed bag. Ash and Mikey’s Dad is a very loving parent who really cares about his kids. He’s always telling them he loves them and provides them with what they need. Ash is left with no doubt that his father loves him and does all he can to protect them, even hiding secrets from them so they don’t need to worry. There are many other adults who help them along the way, including Jeannie, Lucinda, Simon, and one of my favourite characters, Erich. Then there are the immoral, sadistic characters, like the members of Muru, whose actions made me so angry.
Mandy Hager has created a story and characters that will stay with me long after I’ve put the book down. I’m sure that teenage boys in particular will relate to Ash and his struggle to do what’s right.
5 out of 5 stars
Please note: Ash uses some quite strong language (which I think is perfectly acceptable because of his situation) so please consider this if buying for your school library. I would recommend the book for 13+. Teaching notes are available through the Random House New Zealand website.
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The Sleepwalkers by Viviane Schwarz
Do you have a bad dream that will not go away?
Are you afraid to sleep at night?
Call the Sleepwalkers!
Write us a letter, put it under your pillow…and we will come a save you!
Have a good night!It is almost time for the old and tired Sleepwalkers to return to the waking world. But before they go, they must conjure and train three new replacements. For who else will look after the Sleepwalking House and be there to answer the call of a child frozen stiff with fear, trapped in a nightmare? This is the story of the NEW Sleepwalkers.
I’m a huge fan of Viviane Schwarz’ books (There Are Cats in This Book, Cheese Belongs to You) so you can imagine how excited I was when I read on Twitter that she was working on her very first graphic novel.
The Sleepwalkers is a unique and delightfully strange story about a group of creatures who protect children while they sleep. The Sleepwalkers are conjured from socks, a bedspread and even a quill and are tasked with saving children from their nightmares and bad dreams. When they are created, they find themselves in the Safe House, a many-roomed house that exists in the world of dreams. They leave the Safe House when they are needed and return here after they have completed their mission. When the Sleepwalkers meet the children they are having a nightmare (being chased by rats or falling from the sky), and it is the job of the Sleepwalkers to help them overcome their fears. A nightmare about falling from the sky turns into a dream about flying on the backs of dinosaurs. The story is weird and wonderful, and it’s filled with action and adventure.
Viviane’s style of illustration translates well to this graphic novel format and she lets her imagination run wild in the dream world. One of the reasons I like her illustrations so much is the wonderful expressions she gives her characters and this really shines through in The Sleepwalkers. I love Bonifacius, the bear-like character because he’s got such an expressive face. There are times in the story where doesn’t talk for a page or two and you can tell exactly how he’s feeling because of these expressions.
My favourite thing about The Sleepwalkers (and the thing that makes this graphic novel really special) is the added extras that Viviane has put in the book. You can learn how to make a sock monkey and a banana milkshake, and she’s drawn a detailed diagram of the Safe House and the Turtlemobile.
If you know a kid that’s looking for a new and exciting comic of graphic novel, with plenty of action, adventure and a little bit of magic, then grab a copy of The Sleepwalkers.
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Picture Book Nook: Bad Dog Flash by Ruth Paul
I’m a sucker for a good dog story, especially when it features a very cute dog who you can’t help but love. Bad Dog Flash is New Zealand author and illustrator Ruth Paul’s dog story. Like her previous books, including the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards finalist book, Stomp, Ruth has proven that she can tell a fun and entertaining story using very few words and her delightful illustrations.
Bad Dog Flash is the story of a playful puppy whose games keep getting him in to trouble. Whether it’s chasing the cat, digging a hole in the garden to hide his bone or chasing the washing on the line, he always gets told off. However, as all dog lovers know, you can only be angry with your dog for so long, and then it’s back to giving them lots of love and affection.
Bad Dog Flash is a wonderful picture book, full of mischief and humour. It certainly has the cute factor because I just want to pick the wee guy up and give him a cuddle. Ruth Paul’s illustrations are soft, making Flash look fluffy and adorable, but she’s also given him loads of character. Ruth has made Flash bouncy and full of energy (as all puppies are) and you can tell by the expression on his face and the curl of his tail that he’s happy. Flash also has a really good guilty face. You can tell by the way that Ruth has illustrated Flash and his actions that she is a dog person. The way that Flash plays with his stick and the shoes is absolutely spot on.
The thing that I love the most about Ruth’s books is the way that she can tell such a wonderful story with so few words. The text on the pages with Flash and his stick is ‘Push stick, poke stick…chew stick, chuck stick…’ Ruth could have used more words, but these eight words work so well just by themselves. All you need are these action words and you can fill in the rest yourself.
The rhythm and rhyme of the text make the story a lot of fun to read aloud and I’m sure you’ll find the children joining in with you as repeat ‘Bad dog, Flash!’ Grab a copy of Bad Dog Flash from your library or bookshop and meet this loveable little troublemaker.
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Tina Matthews reads A Great Cake
Tina Matthews is a finalist in the 2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards with her book, A Great Cake. I’m a huge fan of Tina’s books, which she both writes and illustrates. This video is Tina reading her wonderful book, and she tells me that there will be more videos to follow of her other books.
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Light by Michael Grant
CAUTION: May contain spoilers
I need to get this out of the way now: OMG! This book is AMAZING! Michael Grant, you are brilliant and I bow at your feet! OK…calming down now.
Ever since Michael Grant launched his Gone series I have been wondering how the series would end. With each book, the situation in the FAYZ (Fallout Alley Youth Zone) has got progressively worse. When you trap a bunch of kids inside a dome (some with super powers), with no adults, limited food, disease, and no idea if or when they’ll ever get out, you know it isn’t going to end well. After the previous book, Fear, I have to say I had no idea how the series was going to end. One of the things I love about Michael Grant is that he certainly keeps you on your toes and isn’t afraid to shock you. He certainly does this in the final book in the Gone series, Light.
All eyes are on Perdido Beach. The barrier wall is now as clear as glass and life in the FAYZ is visible for the entire outside world to see. Life inside the dome remains a constant battle and the Darkness, away from watchful eyes, grows and grows . . . The society that Sam and Astrid have struggled so hard to build is about to be shattered for good. It’s the end of the FAYZ. But who will survive to see the light of day?
Light is everything I hoped it would be and much, much more. It is a truly EPIC conclusion to the series and the way in which Michael wrapped the series up left me totally satisfied. I won’t go in to any details because I’d hate to spoil the ending, which fans have been waiting years for. Michael had me on the edge of my seat and it was nerve-wracking from beginning to end. I read it over a couple of days and found that I could think of little else but the story. As soon as I put it down I wanted to know what was happening to the characters. By the time I’d read the final page, I felt like I was a survivor of the FAYZ who had to adjust to normal life again. You’ve been with these characters through the whole experience so you really feel like one of them.
Everything that I love about Michael Grant’s books is here in Light. There is plenty of violence and gore (including some cannibalism), the action is non-stop, the suspense makes you tear out your hair and chew your fingernails, and there are the characters you love (and those you hate) fighting against incredible odds. There is also plenty of death and destruction, and not all of the main characters survive the ordeal. I found myself saying ‘Oh no Michael, not them!’ several times during the story.
Out of all the things I love about this series, it’s the characters that have made me keep reading. Michael has created so many great characters in this series and they get a lot thrown at them. From the very first book, I’ve wondered who would make it through to the end, and I’m pleased to say that Michael totally surprised me. It has been really interesting to see how the characters react to different situations, and seeing their true nature shine through. None of the characters have made it through unscathed and I’ve loved watching their development throughout the series.
Thank you Michael Grant for creating this incredible series and these memorable characters that I’ll never forget. I absolutely found it worthwhile and I had so much fun getting lost in your crazy world.
Even though this series has ended, we still have much more of Michael Grant to look forward to, with his BZRK series, The Magnificent 12 series (for younger readers), and hopefully more of Eve and Adam (with his incredibly talented wife, Katherine Applegate).
5 out of 5 stars
Win a copy of Light
I have a copy of Light to give away to one lucky Gone fan. All you have to do is enter your name and email address in the form below and tell me who is your favourite Gone series character. Competition closes Wednesday 10 April (NZ and Australia only).
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The 2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards Finalists
The finalists in the 2013 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards were announced this morning. There is a great selection of books this year, by some of our best authors and illustrators. I think that the picture book and junior fiction categories are particularly strong and the judges have got a huge job ahead of them. I’m aiming to read all of the finalists before the week of the Festival this year so I’ll be sharing my thoughts on each book here. I’m also the Canterbury coordinator of the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Festival and we’ve got some great events in the pipeline.
What are your favourites?
Picture Book
A Great Cake, written and illustrated by Tina Matthews- Melu, written by Kyle Mewburn and illustrated by Ali Teo and John O’Reilly
- Mister Whistler, written by Margaret Mahy and illustrated by Gavin Bishop
- Mr Bear Branches and the Cloud Conundrum, written and illustrated by Terri Rose Baynton
- Remember that November, written by Jennifer Beck and illustrated by Lindy Fisher
Junior Fiction
The ACB with Honora Lee, written by Kate De Goldi and illustrated by Gregory O’Brien- The Queen and the Nobody Boy by Barbara Else
- My Brother’s War by David Hill
- Red Rocks by Rachael King
- Uncle Trev and His Whistling Bull by Jack Lasenby
Young Adult Fiction
Earth Dragon, Fire Hare by Ken Catran- Into the River by Ted Dawe
- The Nature of Ash by Mandy Hager
- Reach by Hugh Brown
- Snakes and Ladders by Mary-anne Scott
Non Fiction
100 Amazing Tales from Aotearoa by Simon Morton and Riria Hotere- At the Beach: Explore and discover the New Zealand seashore by Ned Barraud and Gillian Chandler
- Kiwi: the real story by Annemarie Florian and Heather Hunt
- Taketakerau, The Millenium Tree by Marnie Anstis, Patricia Howitt and Kelly Spencer
My Best Friends Are Books 