Gordo

by Jasper Cooper

This is a good page-turner for the dark months of February after the blue moon. It’s by the same author as the King of Gems Trilogy, which I quite enjoyed but I consider this much better (only because I’m a little tired of the magic stuff). It’s a stand-alone story that is based on a true event in the 1950s: the first monkey in space. In the story, Jamie, who is 13 years old) befriends a squirrel monkey where he lives. To his amazement, he soon discovers he has the ability to communicate with the monkey and, along with his cousin Rachel, they have a series of adventures with the cheeky Gordo. However, the monkey soon draws the attention of the rich and unscrupulous – people like Mr McMurphy who is the head of Cape Canaveral Space Centre in Florida. Gordo is too valuable to ignore and Jamie and Rachel realise the danger the monkey is in. It’s an unscrupulous world and people aren’t about to let a couple of kids get in the way of the space race…

Gordo is funny and gripping. It is action-packed, but it also makes a point. Even if the themes have been explored a few times before, it still seems fresh. The real star is Gordo, so if animals are your thing then this one is perfect. It is also illustrated by the author.

I would recommend this book for competent readers of 9+ (although 10-13 is probably ideal).

My Parents are Driving Me Crazy

by Pete Johnson

This is a very funny book and perfect for encouraging reluctant 10 year-old-readers. However, underneath the humour there is subtle emotion and poignancy that most parents will tap into.

In Louis’ family, his mum and dad have just changed roles. His dad has lost his job and is now staying at home while his is mum working. Unfortunately, his dad is a hopeless cook, lazy, a post-it-note fiend and, worse, he even expects Louis and his brother to tidy their own room (bring back mum!). Louis decides enough is enough. His Dad has to go (back to work, I mean, nothing sinister). But how to do it? Then Louis discovers that his dad can do his homework…

This book has some very funny moments and some gross ones. However, there’s a strong sense of being a real family with real problems to solve in the awkward way most parents of early teens will recognise. In fact, I think the parents emerge as the most believable characters in the book and this gives it a certain understated charm. Better still, it makes it fun to read aloud – it’s even good enough to keep our reluctant-reader of a son asking for more.

Ideal for 9-11 year olds. Boys will love it.

The Explorer

by Katerine Rundell

Let me begin by saying that I loved this book. It’s a mystery set in the Amazonian rain forest. This is a great alternative to Journey to the River Sea and much more likely to entertain… especially boys. Gripping, yes. Full of atmosphere, yes. Poignant, definitely. After an Indiana Jones-style moment in a pre-war aeroplane, Fred, Lila, Con and Max crash-land in the jungle. They are forced to adapt quickly to their new surroundings in order to stay alive. You name it, they face it: piranhas, wild animals, ants, fire… The children need to get out of there fast; the only question is – how? This doesn’t turn out to be too distressing (it isn’t a Lord of the Flies style book) so no need to worry about content for younger children with an older reading age. Great characters (I like Con) and beautiful descriptions of a wonderful (but sadly endangered) place. It’s clear that the author knows her stuff in that regard. The descriptions of the rainforest are vivid and detailed. There’s all the adventure of trapping animals, spearing fish and generally surviving the wild, but at the centre of this book is the mysterious explorer. On this I must remain silent, except to say this adds another rich theme to the book. This should grab young readers and not let them go.

Suitable for all nature-loving, action-loving children aged 10+ with the added bonus that they’ll learn about the rainforest too.

The Last Chance Hotel

by Nicki Thornton

When a book is described as ‘Harry Potter Meets Agatha Christie’ I must admit it immediately makes me want to avoid it. In fact, I only read this because I felt sorry that the author, after all her hard work, had been saddled with such a banal advertising strap line. (Note to publishers – resist the temptation to try and make money by comparing any book with Harry Potter). And I’m so glad I did (read it, I mean). This serves up a starter of Masterchef, a main course of magic and a dessert of murder mystery. Seth is the kitchen boy with ambitions to be a chef. He is also an orphan, taken in and exploited by the Bunn family in their hotel (I must admit there are echoes of early Harry Potter here). It isn’t called the Last Chance Hotel for nothing – but I’ll leave you to find out why – and Seth works for the chef Henri. His only friend and companion is a black cat called Nightshade. This sets the scene for the main action. A strange gathering of magical and mystical people takes place at the hotel. I really liked the descriptions: the eeriness of the hotel is enhanced by characters that are interesting and unusual. They all come for dinner, but one, Dr Thallomius, is poisoned. Spoiler alert! I can’t tell you how this happens without ruining some of the surprise, but Seth is the main suspect because of his culinary skills. He has to prove his innocence – a job made all the harder by the Bunn family and the powers of dark magic…

This is a great read for both boys and girls of 10+. Recommended reading for après ski.

The Murderer’s Ape

by Jacob Wegelius

Now, I’m a bit of a fan of writers from the Nordic countries, perhaps because my ancestors were from that part of the world, but more likely because they seem capable of weaving a thread of melancholic mystery into their stories that only seems to come from the land of the midnight sun. If you give your 11-year-old (boy or girl) no other book this year, make it this one by the Swedish author Jacob Wegelius. It was a best seller in Germany and Sweden and won the Best Children’s Book Prize last August. It’s a mystery and an adventure and has that mystical fable-istic (sorry to invent a word, but it’s so hard to describe) quality. However, it does need careful reading. Sally Jones is a gorilla. Not just an ordinary gorilla (if there is such a thing) but a highly intelligent one that can think like a human. She is engineer (yes, you read that right) and a friend of Chief, a cargo boat operator. They make a great team, until Chief is wrongly accused of murder and so begins Sally Jones’s quest to clear her friend’s name. The only trouble is, Sally can’t speak. It’s no mean feat for an author to have a silent protagonist that is so integral to the whole story and for it to work so well. It’s a great book, a long book, a thought provoking book with some major themes (courage, corruption, fairness, resilience to name a few) but, above all else, it’s a page turner that keeps you reading and guessing to the end. I can see this being used in comprehensions texts in years to come.

We recommend this book for competent readers of 9+, both boys and girls, but it is ideal for 10+.

Flamingo Boy

by Michael Morpurgo

Now, at first sight the plot seems to borrow a great deal from the classic story The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico. And in a way it does, but then Michael Morpugo works his magic. I often find his books almost painfully sad, but sad in the right sort of ways. To achieve the level of emotion in a reader (that he achieves) is no small feat of writing. It’s written up as ‘a landmark new novel from the nation’s favourite storyteller’. Well, yes and yes… I think it is an excellent story,that explores some interesting themes (such as, not all the Germans were bad people in the war. This is shown through the character of Willi Brenner). To do this, the author has counter-balanced the ‘real world’ with a boy who lives predominantly in his own. In effect, this is the pure natural thought of an autistic child meets the mindless thoughtlessness of so-called grown-ups and the Nazi war machine. It is set in the Camargue in the South of France (down at the bottom of France in the Rhone delta). This is another watery salt marsh setting (the wilds of Essex were already used by Gallico) but it is the perfect setting for this story as it unfolds in the troubled days of World War 2 in Vichy France. It’s about resistance (both physically and in the mind) full of action, interest and. of course, his trade-mark emotion.

This is suitable for competent readers of 10+, but there are some themes that may be tough for younger-minded readers. So to be safe: 11+.

The Snow Goose

by Paul Gallico

I’m going back to a classic here with the Snow Goose mainly because, at the time of this review, it is the ‘Dunkirk Year’. This is a story set in the wilds of the Great Essex Marsh just before and during WW2. It is often used as a source for comprehensions. A lonely hermit, Philip Rhayader, lives alone in a tumbledown lighthouse (the author lived in a lighthouse too) rejected by local society because of his scary looks. One day a young girl called Fritha finds a wounded snow goose on the marsh. Not knowing what else to do, she takes the bird to the hermit. At first she is frightened of him, but as he cares for the goose she sees a different side of him. Fritha begins to visit the marsh regularly until the snow goose flies north for the summer. Once the bird has gone, Fritha no longer needs to come and the hermit feels his loneliness again. The following winter, however, the bird returns to the lighthouse and Fritha comes back. As time passes, Fritha realises that she has fallen for the strange, lonely man on the marsh. However, war comes and in 1940 Rhayader answers the call to sail his boat to Dunkirk to help the soldiers that are trapped on the beaches. It is a sad, poignant story (worthy of Michael Morpurgo in content and poignancy) and well worth reading… and reading again if you’ve already read it. This version includes a second short story THE SMALL MIRACLE about a boy’s love for his dangerously ill donkey. However, watch out for the version illustrated by Angela Barrett. The illustrations are stunning.

Suitable for readers aged 10+, but some of the vocab is very challenging. A good one to read for comprehension practice.

Bad Hair Days

by JM Forster (author of The Shadow Jumper)

This book was put forward for all sorts of awards, so I must admit I chose it thinking it might be more hype than substance. However, I was immediately gripped. Mallow (14) has a great deal to cope with. She has alopecia (something that has affected a member of our family, so I know something of the distress caused) and wears wigs to cover it up. If that isn’t enough, she is also faced with being bullied and having to move schools. A new town, a new school, a new start… or so she thinks. She is desperate to keep her secret, but when she starts to receive creepy texts, she realises that someone else must know. The thought of everyone finding out, drives her into a determined search for the identity of the person behind the messages. Unfortunately, she can’t be sure of anyone and this compounds her loneliness. This is a well-written and sensitive book about issues surrounding hair loss. It’s tied in with important themes on family, friendship and coping with life in general. There are also valid observations on bullying and social media. In fact, it’s all about the problems and stresses of modern life mixed with an intriguing mystery.

It has had a lasting impact on me and is a great read for 11+ (perhaps girls more than boys). Teens will love it and I think parents will benefit from reading it too. There are some major themes in this book, so it’s not for the very young (no matter what their reading age or ability).

Boy Under Water

by Adam Baron

First of all, let me say that this is one of those sad/happy books, but don’t let that put you off. I think it is one of the most interesting books I have read throughout these reviews. I had visions of the Hugh Grant film About a Boy at times during this. The book follows Cymbeline Igloo (I’m not sure why writers choose names like that, I think it’s something to do with trying to make the book seem mystical and I never think it works… but that’s just a personal observation). It is life seen through a ten-year-old’s eyes. Cymbeline or Cym (which does work better) is trying to make sense of it all and this book captures that sense of struggling to ‘know the unknown without knowing why it’s important’ perfectly. Got that? Good. I loved the idea of Cym challenging the school bully to a swimming race when he didn’t know how to swim. It sums up Cym’s frustration and what happens next changes his life completely. Suddenly up pops a mystery, that needs to be solved to understand everything else, but it’s the point of view that makes all the difference. As readers, we struggle along with Cym, because we see it all from his perspective. To stand back would be to permit the reader to wonder why he had never been allowed to go swimming before – but that is from an adult view point and not his. Strangely, it didn’t occur to me to question it – and other things in the story – until the character does… which is why this book is, in my opinion, one of the best of recent years. I recommend you read it, but let me also remind you it has sadness in it.

The humour in it works to sweeten the bitterness. So, for a reader of 9/10+ (boy or girl) who is not too sensitive or going through too much in life, with a good sense of humour and an enquiring mind, this is a must read. It is the very essence of empathy.

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright

by Christopher Edge

I’ve just finished reading The Infinite Lives of Masie Day by the same author and was about to review it, when I realised it would be better to start at the beginning here. These books (there are three of them) are excellent, so I’m starting with Albie Bright. I haven’t yet read The Jamie Drake Equation, but I will and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. In this book, Christopher Edge manages to drag us away from the endless diet of magic and into the world of science. It’s this blend of rational thought and emotion that makes these books so readable for me and, I believe, ideal for both boys and girls. In The Many Worlds of Albie Bright, the loss of a parent is sensitively handled (but be aware that this is integral to the story). Somewhere, in a parallel universe, Albie’s mum is alive – or so his dad says. It’s a statement designed to comfort, but Albie, being Albie, sets out to find her. He uses Quantum Banana Theory and his mum’s old computer to reach beyond the veil. It’s a little bit slow to begin with, but I urge you to stay with it because it’s well worth it. There’s so much in here that’s both educational and entertaining. It’ll bring a tear to your eye, but in a good way.

Ideal for Year 5/6. Buy all three for those summer reads!

Finance 101 for Kids

by Walter Andal

My BoM for the New Year is more practical than imaginative. I chose this book because I was looking to introduce the concepts behind money to our own children. It is an ideal introduction to a subject that is encroaching increasingly on young lives.

Talking about money tends to be put off until later and by then it’s much harder to get teens enthused when they’d rather be in bed sleeping. So start them young, when they have the interest and energy, by giving them an insight into how finance fits into their lives. It’s too important just to leave it to Kidzania!

Walter Andal has put together the information in an entertaining way that will appeal to kids and will help parents talk things through little by little.

In fact, I think the subject is so important I would like Yellowbird to add a ‘Kidscoin’ course to our range of courses in 2018. Watch this space.

This book is suitable for children of 10+.

Letters from a Lighthouse

by Emma Carroll

I read Emma Carroll’s first novel, Frost Hollow Hall, and loved it. It was clear then that she was destined for great things as a writer. This is a story set in World War II, but it isn’t just another ‘evacuation’ novel. It is great for background reading of the events of the time and it touches on some deep themes that are very relevant today. You find yourself drawn to the characters because they are so well-rounded and believable. This is a book with everything for the young imagination: a mystery, the drama of war, evacuation to Devon and a lighthouse! I wouldn’t mind betting that this book becomes a rich source of texts for comprehensions of the future.

A modern classic and a great summer read for competent younger readers aged 8/9 -11.

The Book of Dust

by Philip Pullman

Volume One. La Belle Sauvage

First let me explain that I liked Northern Lights (Book 1 in His Dark Materials trilogy) right up to the penultimate chapter. After that I found the end a bit disappointing, mainly because I felt that Philip Pullman had his eye too much on writing the series rather than a novel that would work well in itself. I know I’m probably in the minority, but I found the subsequent books in the series didn’t have the same magic as that brilliant parts in the Jordan College and at Oxford. Having said that, this prequel to the His Dark Materials trilogy tells how Lyra ended up in Oxford. It’s fast paced and carries the reader along (so it’s good for boys as well as girls). It also has a boy as a main character. Malcolm Polstead (and his dæmon, Asta) lives with his parents at the Trout Inn near Oxford. So the book is set on the River Thames, where Malcolm has a boat called La Belle Sauvage. He soon discovers that the nuns in Godstow Priory, on the other side of the river, have a guest: a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua. The action follows Malcolm, Alice and Lyra as they grow older. There is a mysterious place known as Oakley Street, and the League of St Alexander opens up a number of side themes to help the series later; I cannot say more about either of these without spoiling the read. This is not ‘more of the same’ (although the daemons lose some of their originality because of Dark Materials) and it keeps you reading right up to the end… where, once again, I found it a little bit frustrating for the same reason as above.

The book is suitable for all readers of 10 years+.

The Nowhere Emporium

by Ross Mackenzie

If you missed this book when it came out – as I did – it won the Blue Peter Best Story Award 2016, the Scottish Children’s Book Award 2016 and the North East Book Award 2015, so it’s well worth taking a look at it now. This is a stand-alone story, so there’s no need to search out the rest of a trilogy. Daniel Holmes finds the Nowhere Emporium almost by accident. Daniel is an orphan living in the city of Glasgow and he is soon entranced by the mystery of this wonderful shop. Its owner, Mr Silver, draws him in and reveals a world filled with enchantment. The Emporium is a huge maze of passageways and rooms and Daniel soon begins learning its magical secrets. Each room can contain unlimited imaginings; he only has to write them into the Book of Wonders for them to become real. Daniel’s weary life is transformed. He becomes Mr Silver’s apprentice and all goes well. He meets Ellie, Mr Silver’s daughter, who believes that she can’t leave the Emporium. Soon, however, the past catches up with the present and when Mr Silver disappears, disaster threatens in the form of Vindictus Sharp (Mr Silver’s nemesis). It’s up to Daniel and Ellie to save the ever-moving Emporium before it is destroyed for all eternity. The action moves at a good clip, going back and forth between the present and the past, revealing the history of the Emporium and the relationship between Mr Silver and Vindictus Sharp. The author lets his imagination run riot and has created a page-turning adventure that will appeal to Neil Gaiman fans. It could have gone a little further in terms of themes, but that would have, perhaps, lost something in the pace of it… As it stands, it’s a great read for competent 8 year olds.

Ideal for the 9-12 age range.

Who Let the Gods Out?

by Maz Evans

This is Maz Evans’s debut and it’s great. Who Let The Gods Out? is a funny adventure story that will keep both boys and girls gripped. The story in brief: Elliot is in trouble. His mum isn’t well, he’s in trouble at school and they have fallen on hard times. Things don’t look good for Elliot, but then a strange star crashes to earth. It turns out that the star is Virgo. She is a goddess on a mission to Earth. Elliot teams up with her, but they accidentally release Thanatos. Thanatos is a wicked daemon that has been imprisoned under Stonehenge. So they turn to the old Olympian gods for help. Zeus and the other gods are enjoying retirement, but they return to help save the world. But can they still do that and can they solve Elliot’s problems while they do?

Yellowbird Education recommended read for 9-12 market.

The Knights of the Drop Leaf Table

by Kaye Umansky

This April, it’s great to find a book we can recommend for reluctant readers and also for young readers with English as their 2nd language. This one will suit boys particularly. King Arthur is having trouble with his knights who are always pestering him. It’s a funny clash of personalities with a slight elbow in the ribs to the self-important. Barrington Stoke is an excellent publisher of dyslexia-friendly books and also for reluctant readers. It’s worth checking this publisher’s list out.

8+ Reading Age 8.

Unreal

by Paul Jennings

This is a book of short stories in the ‘Un’ series of books by Australian author Paul Jennings (some other books in the series are: Unbearable, Unbelievable, Undone). These books were published in the 1990s, but are still easily available and they are just as appealing to young readers today. The stories are funny and irreverent, but, above all, they are great examples of well-crafted short stories. There’s a lot to be learned from the (seemingly) effortless way Paul Jennings structures the story… something that may help with compositions at school.

Ideal for competent readers aged 9 up to 12 (and beyond).

The Light Jar

by Lisa Thompson

This book is by the same author as Goldfish Boy. I must admit that I haven’t read Goldfish Boy and I really only picked this up because of the reviews and the subject matter. However, having read it, I will certainly be reading more of Lisa Thompson’s books in the future. This is the story about Nate and his mother (but mostly Nate) and it starts when they are forced to make a hasty escape from everyday life. There is good reason behind their sudden flit, but this isn’t explained very clearly to Nate by his mum. They go to a house in the middle of nowhere, a place Nate has spent holidays before (which ties in later with the mysterious girl in the woods). The house is safe, but they need food and when Nate’s mum goes to stock up, she doesn’t return. Alone, Nate has to face uncertainty and fear, as well as some more mundane things (watch out for the cameo appearance of the pooing chicken). He relies on his predicting ball for answers that never quite come. He defeats the shadows with a light in a jar, but as hours turn to days it is the reappearance of his old friend, Sam, that helps most. Sam is his imaginary friend of old. The mysterious Kitty appears and refuses to leave Nate alone. At this point two mysteries become entwined to provide a book full of intrigue and suspense. It is easy to spoil the surprises, so I will say no more on this. It is worth noting that there are a number of themes in this book that are definitely challenging. Gary is emotionally abusive towards Nate’s mum and sometimes this can feel very painful. Having said that, it is sensitively handled by the author and integral to the plot. As the book goes on, however, I was filled with a sense of hope for the characters. It shows the need to hang in there and have faith.

Owing to the serious themes in the book, this isn’t one for the very young (whatever their reading ability). So 10+ and all the way up.

Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories

by R J Palacio

I had to recommend this book! It’s great. As I’m sure you know, the film Wonder has been out over the summer and these stories are a great follow up to it. I read Wonder some time ago and Auggie (the main character with the ‘interesting’ face) has remained with me ever since. So if you – like me – read Wonder and you were left wanting to read more…then here it is. First published only in ebook format, these three stories have been complied in book form and are now out in paperback. Auggie’s story continues in three stories through the eyes of three main characters: Julian (the bully) Christopher (Auggie’s oldest friend) and Charlotte (Auggie’s new friend at school). The action mainly takes place just before Auggie starts school and during his first year at Beecher Prep. It’s interesting to see the different points of view and the characters seem to jump off the page. It isn’t always easy to walk at Auggie’s side, but it certainly is an experience and one I would recommend.

Age range: competent readers of 9 and beyond that for readers of 10 – 100.

The Nine lives of Montezuma

by Michael Morpurgo

If you have read Shadow, Mr Skip, Butterfly Lion or the War Horse (or any of his other animal stories) you will know that Michael Morpurgo writes brilliantly about animals. His main strength lies in his ability to write with warmth and feeling, but without sentimentality. He has written at least two other novels about cats and he clearly knows his subject. This is another good one. It is a story about Montezuma, a feisty ginger kitten that grows up to have many adventures. Some of those experiences are good, some are bad, and it’s fortunate that Montezuma has nine lives (that doesn’t give the plot away). I found myself believing totally in Montezuma and I lived each thrill right to the end. A good book by a very skilful author… whose brilliance lies in the tender and touching way he brings stories like this to an end. You don’t need to be a cat lover to like this one.

Suitable for readers 8 – 80. Beware, of a happy/sad ending.

DOTTY and the Calendar House Key

by Emma Warner Reed

This is a magical, fantasy adventure for 8-12 year olds (although the young at heart will love it too). It is the first in the DOTTY Series (paperback – Nov 2016) and it is a great read. I think it works for both boys and girls, but especially girls.

Story in brief: tragedy strikes and poor Dotty is sent away to live in a huge, sprawling mansion in the depths of Yorkshire. It’s set in the winter around Christmas time and the early evenings add to the sense of gloom. The house is a spooky place with strange scratching noises coming from the fireplaces and out of the dark in the chimneys.

It’s a fun book, though, and Dotty is a strong character. She explores on her rollerblades and Mrs Gobbings (the housekeeper) is also a great character. Cooking scenes are fun too. However, it’s the mystery that holds the reader. It is scary at times as Dotty tries to work out what’s going on. I won’t say more, because I don’t want to spoil a very enjoyable read. It was Yellowbird Education’s book of the month.