tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62426313641816282802024-03-14T08:54:41.186+00:00The Library Ninja!Throwing really great books at your face since 2013.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-26171313051284190862014-12-16T23:14:00.000+00:002014-12-16T23:18:47.368+00:00The Book With No Pictures <div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE56f4SPedn2VuYfWgdrVkF3HptHUeGjTI1S8Xwb8eh10koOgKyVRD9Y68calfl3akFi97qEi7igVE6L-JwAQIFyND5rD_orA6ADxcllJ36HGALMfD-WNFYxI8FzcMwlwI9rXn6dXgw3KH/s1600/20821299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE56f4SPedn2VuYfWgdrVkF3HptHUeGjTI1S8Xwb8eh10koOgKyVRD9Y68calfl3akFi97qEi7igVE6L-JwAQIFyND5rD_orA6ADxcllJ36HGALMfD-WNFYxI8FzcMwlwI9rXn6dXgw3KH/s1600/20821299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE56f4SPedn2VuYfWgdrVkF3HptHUeGjTI1S8Xwb8eh10koOgKyVRD9Y68calfl3akFi97qEi7igVE6L-JwAQIFyND5rD_orA6ADxcllJ36HGALMfD-WNFYxI8FzcMwlwI9rXn6dXgw3KH/s1600/20821299.jpg" height="320" width="257" /></span></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE56f4SPedn2VuYfWgdrVkF3HptHUeGjTI1S8Xwb8eh10koOgKyVRD9Y68calfl3akFi97qEi7igVE6L-JwAQIFyND5rD_orA6ADxcllJ36HGALMfD-WNFYxI8FzcMwlwI9rXn6dXgw3KH/s1600/20821299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"> </span></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-rtrj2qXm854uMChOHBqfhdOdThwNjbrZHMLYCa0HKvk79M8wdTam9euLGLlTfvSZQjCg8pJFg1GTaeLnzhl_GmHC5FwmhpsNsBg3HqtPgtTIJpPjkEuWW7VApKVtSxnV-QsMg-3l3HH/s1600/Book+With+No+Pictures+Warning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-rtrj2qXm854uMChOHBqfhdOdThwNjbrZHMLYCa0HKvk79M8wdTam9euLGLlTfvSZQjCg8pJFg1GTaeLnzhl_GmHC5FwmhpsNsBg3HqtPgtTIJpPjkEuWW7VApKVtSxnV-QsMg-3l3HH/s1600/Book+With+No+Pictures+Warning.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It may not be much to look at, this book is comedy dynamite! Open book for explosions of laughter. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Books may not seem much fun if they don't have any pictures, but the person reading the book has to say the words in the book, no matter how silly they are! This was written by the American <em>Office </em>star BJ Novak, and cause a big social media stir when it was released; largely due to this video: </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got my library to order a copy straight away, because I could see straight away this would be storytime gold! It's been a loooong wait, but it finally arrived today! I read it to my 6 year old boy, and then had to read it again straight away. He was howling with laughter! It's not the ideal thing to read if you want them calm for bed, but it's the perfect thing to read if you want to help make your children enthusiastic about words and books!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Arial;">Here's my son's reaction to the book, after its second consecutive reading: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span id="goog_137267489"></span><span id="goog_137267490"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-54404850493534947122014-01-23T12:06:00.000+00:002014-01-23T20:37:12.260+00:00Fortunately, the Milk... A Hilarious Time-Travelling Adventure by Neil Gaiman!<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="http://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FortunatelytheMilk_HardbackUK_13654403762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FortunatelytheMilk_HardbackUK_13654403762.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a>Lots of children's books are fun. But some <em>Peter Pan</em> did it, with its cast of pirates, lost boys, Indians (even if I do cringe at that phrase), a fairy, a crocodile, mermaids, and a Nana that's a dog called Nana. <em>On the Way Home </em>by Jill Murphy did it, with a girl who may or may not have been attacked by a gorilla, a crocodile (again), a witch, a giant, a UFO, a snake and a ghost. <em>The Boy Who Cried Ninja</em> by Alex Latimer did it, with a boy troubled by a ninja (I approve), an astronaut, a pirate (again), a crocodile (again), and a time travelling monkey.</div>
manage to cram the cast full of the characters that kids love, and elevate it into a cornucopia of children's booky pleasure. <br />
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<a href="http://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/p31low1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.boingboing.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/p31low1.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a>But Neil Gaiman's latest quite possibly tops all of them (yes, maybe even <em>Peter Pan</em>), with his hilarious, bonkers, time-travel-adventure shaggy-dog story. It's the funniest <em>Doctor Who </em>episode you'll never see. When Dad pops round the corner to buy some milk, he's delayed. When he comes back, he claims it was because he ran into: a UFO (again) driven by big snotty aliens who want to redecorate the world; pirates (again); Aztecs; vampi - I mean, <em>wumpires;</em> Splod, the volcano god of people with short, funny names; a paradox in the space-time continuum; intergalactic space police; and a time-travelling dinosaur named Professor Steg, who rides a 'floaty-ball-person-carrier' (it's <em>not</em> called a balloon)! Oh, and some sparkly ponies. And piranhas.</div>
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All that would make it worthwhile anyway, but the fact that the British copy of this book is illustrated by my all-time favourite illustrator, the wonderful Chris Riddell, makes it <em>even better</em>. His drawings are so fun and quirky, so detailed, and so full of character. They're a blessing to any book they appear in.</div>
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All in all, <em>Fortunately, the Milk...</em> is a perfectly-plotted, great-looking, laugh-out-loud gem of a story. And one that would only take an hour for an adult to read to a child, which surely makes it an absolute must-read book for children of any age over five. And that includes one hundred and five. Seriously, a book like this can nudge a child that doesn't like reading towards being one that does.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-16889154828729918312014-01-16T12:30:00.000+00:002014-12-16T22:45:57.626+00:00The Best Five Books I Read in 2013<div style="border: currentColor;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodbye, 2013. Actually, we're all getting quite used to 2014 now really, aren't we? But seeing that I never quite finished this post on time (shame on me!) here are my five favourite books I read last year. And soon to come, my books to read <em>this</em> year! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><em>The Knife of Never Letting Go</em>, Patrick Ness (Ben's book of the year!)</span></u></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK8iuXiZ5UXRJTTJuvL1XvE0UE8j_p0YHdaX-2v3OcIylTJoegLrVjQo6gAdd1RBenyn4NUaa1bcpKTe45Jb3R2lDgC5yrtn9XB-6NpLHYslfeejXSlwPye7RRv_cvAdbrQS88ar4ssgw/s1600/the-knife-of-never-letting-go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_712442="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXK8iuXiZ5UXRJTTJuvL1XvE0UE8j_p0YHdaX-2v3OcIylTJoegLrVjQo6gAdd1RBenyn4NUaa1bcpKTe45Jb3R2lDgC5yrtn9XB-6NpLHYslfeejXSlwPye7RRv_cvAdbrQS88ar4ssgw/s320/the-knife-of-never-letting-go.jpg" height="320" hua="true" width="207" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Was there ever any doubt? This masterful, original, beautiful, ugly novel has been the gateway drug to reading <em>six</em> Patrick Ness books in 2013. Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men; Prentisstown, where everyone can hear each other's thoughts, whether they want to or not. But when Todd discovers that his life is a lie, the only thing he can do is run. However, Prentisstown is far from finished with Todd.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ness manages to get into his protagonist's head like few authors manage, and Todd's relationship with his two companions are strong and real and heartbreaking. The trilogy - scrap that, his books in general - aren't the chirpiest you'll read (in fact, some of it's pretty damned bleak), but they're original and utterly, utterly gripping. Bravo. There's a possible film being talked about, and I can't wait to see what they do with it. For more on this book, read my original review <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-knife-of-never-letting-go-and.html" target="_blank">Here.</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><em>The Ocean at the End of the Lane,</em> Neil Gaiman</span></u></span></div>
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<a href="https://dyn0.media.forbiddenplanet.com/event/2013/05/31/Ocean.jpg.size-230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_712442="null" hua="true" src="https://dyn0.media.forbiddenplanet.com/event/2013/05/31/Ocean.jpg.size-230.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">Gaiman is an absolute master of fantasy for both children and adults: but although this book is about childhood, it's definitely one for adults. The narrator, as an adult, revisits the Hempstock farm near where he grew up, and recalls the time he needed their help as a child. When something malevolent and supernatural broke into our world and into the boy's home, he turned to the three generations of Hempstock women, and there was something mighty strange about them: the youngest says their duck pond is an ocean, and the oldest says she can remember the Big Bang.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This book is an interesting creature, as it's similar in many ways to Gaiman's much-loved story <em>Coraline</em>. But whereas Coraline is filled with near unlimited levels of courage, determination and pluck (like most children's</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> heroes), this boy feels rather more like us. He's brave, but not <em>that </em>brave. He spends much of the middle section powerless and locked up in his own house by the beautiful but terrifying monster that's posing as an au pair, and has the rest of his family in thrall. Coraline gets the book's title, but we don't even learn the boy's name.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The story is melancholic, and as tender and painful as a fresh bruise. Read it, and it will haunt you for a long time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><em>World Without End, </em>Ken Follett</span></u></span></div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/58/World_Without_End-Ken_Follet_Cover_World_Wide_Edition_2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_712442="null" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/58/World_Without_End-Ken_Follet_Cover_World_Wide_Edition_2007.jpg" height="320" hua="true" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">'Epic' is a word that'd bandied about thoughtlessly (yes, I'm thinking of you, <em>Money </em></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Supermarket</em>), but Ken Follett's books are the real deal. Framed against the backdrop of the 14th Century, <em>World Without End</em> features the usual power, corruption, murder, sex, love and treachery, with an unhealthy dose of Hundred Year's War and the Black Death.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The opening chapters see four children witness a brutal attack on a knight, and the incident has a profound affect on their lives. The two boys, brothers, see their lives take very different paths, as Ralph becomes a squire and seeks to restore his family's fortunes, whereas Merthin suffers the ignominy of becoming a builder's apprentice. Caris is a young woman who seeks to revitalise the city of Kingsbridge, and Gwenda is a serf who will do whatever it takes to survive. Their lives are intertwined with the each other's, and with the priory that rules Kingsbridge.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The central story, ultimately, is the love story surrounding Merthin and Caris, and they're very much portrayed as the visionary heroes, pitted against various small-minded, beauracratic foes. It's perhaps tempting to write off the story as formulaic in the sense that you know there's going to be another villain to stand in our heroes' way, but to dismiss it in that way doesn't do justice to the sheer breadth and <em>majesty</em> of the saga. Bravo, sir. Bravo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><em>Storyteller: The Life of Roald Dahl,</em> Donald Sturrock</span> </u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u></u></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There can be few nowadays who have never read a Roald Dahl story. He remains one of the few sure bets among children, and his darkly delightful short stories are a favourite among many adults. And here is an involving, detailed, masterpiece of a biography that does the great man justice.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And he <em>was </em>great, there's no doubt about that. I was astonished at what he had accomplished, after his well-known but short lived time as a fighter pilot for the RAF, he became an intelligence officer in America, feeding them pro-British propaganda. He became a friend of presidents and film stars, and his very first story, about gremlins (a name he didn't coin, but popularised), very <em>very</em> nearly became a Disney film. He saved his son's life (and many others') by helping invent a valve to drain excess fluid from the brain. He rehabilitated his wife, actress Patricia Neal, to a near-full recovery after a stroke left her unable to even walk or talk. It seems that he was able to accomplish anything he set his mind to - except, perhaps, write an adult novel.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dahl's biography is as fascinating as his stories: being his friend could be a risky business, as he could be cruel and rude, and several long-lasting relationships blew up in a terrible row, never to be fully reconciled. But he was extrordinarily kind and generous, too, and would happily help out his friends if ever they needed it.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sturrock has done an excellent job. His approach is scholarly, yet never dry. This is quite possibly the best biography I've ever had the pleasure of reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><u><span style="font-size: large;"><em>More Than This, </em>Patrick Ness</span></u></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><br />
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<a href="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1365542595l/17262303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_687011="null" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1365542595l/17262303.jpg" height="320" hua="true" width="196" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">I'll stop going on about Ole Nessy in a moment, but his second book published this year (the first was also good, his adult novel <em>The Crane Wife</em>) was the excellent teen novel <em>More Than This</em>. The opening pages see teenager Seth drown in the sea, and smashed against the rocks. It's a brutal opener, and indicative of the story to come.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Seth reawakes an indeterminate time later in his childhood home, thousands of miles away from where he died. The town is a ruin, and absolutely deserted. The grass is taller than he is. And every time he sleeps, he dreams vivid flashbacks of the life he lived. And his life was a painful one: Seth was responsible for a traumatic event that left his younger brother <em>not right</em>, broke his family, and prompted their relocation. But what event led to Seth's death in the sea?</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And More Than That, where is he now? Is he being punished in Hell for his terrible role in the family tragedy? Is it real life, somehow, and if so, what on earth has happened here? Or is this some form of Heaven teaching him the significance of his life? Answers are revealed, and when they are, wow, what a ride! As with Ness' other books, this can be a painful read at times. But utterly thrilling, too. For more on this, read my original review <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/more-than-this-new-book-by-patrick-ness.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Here,</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Well, that's one last goodbye from 2013.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-76919025447362195472013-12-16T21:17:00.000+00:002014-12-16T22:41:49.113+00:00The Best Christmas Scenes and Stories!Christmas is coming, the goose
is getting fat, but there’s nothing quite as Christmassy as a Christmas story:
Christmas how it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> be. Where it
snows, and Father Christmas brings presents. And so to get you in the mood,
here are my selection of Christmas scenes and stories from (mainly) children’s
books. Do you agree with the list, or have I missed something? Leave a comment,
and let me know!<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wind in the Willows,</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Kenneth Grahame</b> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qElEztQ9WGQOSJ6KjXHiRsPW370oLsTX0cqakbZsmAYfZK8LCZdPqmuVeFSPGNVOWnauNWFXtAkQMcjnYwvMnW1E35wqsrdKaP5QZVel2OiYFCHmNCLzhW6yZ5Lu5pRGiVZZS3ZhdAw/s400/Wind_in_the_Willows+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qElEztQ9WGQOSJ6KjXHiRsPW370oLsTX0cqakbZsmAYfZK8LCZdPqmuVeFSPGNVOWnauNWFXtAkQMcjnYwvMnW1E35wqsrdKaP5QZVel2OiYFCHmNCLzhW6yZ5Lu5pRGiVZZS3ZhdAw/s320/Wind_in_the_Willows+christmas.jpg" height="320" width="309" /></a></div>
There can be few things as
quintessentially English as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wind in
the Willows</i>, and here Kenneth Grahame delivers a very English Christmas
indeed. Mole and Ratty are taking a winter’s walk, when Mole smells as scent
that’s familiar yet lost: his little house that he hasn’t returned to since the
day he met Ratty. He’s filled with both homesickness for Mole End, and shame at
its dreary shabbiness. Ratty is (as ever) the steadier of the two, and calms
and comforts Mole, whilst praising his home. They’re then joined by some
field-mice carollers, who accompany them for a miniature feast and mulled ale:
“soon every field-mouse was sipping and coughing and choking (for a little
mulled ale goes a long way) and wiping his eyes and laughing and forgetting he
had ever been cold in all his life.” The scene raises Mole’s spirits from
despair to joy in the company of friends, and in home comforts, which are the
twin pleasures of all sensible animals in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wind
in the Willows</i>. It also nicely shows the underlying structure to Mole and
Ratty’s bromance. A lovely scene, and one that will never cease to make me
smile. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.soundonsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Flying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.soundonsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Flying.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Snowman,</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Raymond Briggs</b><o:p></o:p><br />
There are very few cases where
an adapted film is superior to the original book, but I think in this case, the
wonderful cartoon definitely manages it. It’s never been bettered (sorry,
Snowdog; although you are cute). The book is very charming however, and like
the film, is entirely wordless. The tragic final picture will haunt snowy days
forever, but my favourite part is the sudden run, jump and soar into the air.
Absolute magic. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Christmas Carol,</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Charles Dickens</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/muppet-christmas-carol-w-we.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/muppet-christmas-carol-w-we.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a>If you don’t count that one with
the baby, this must be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the </i>Christmas
story. It’s a great tale of redemption: we can really enjoy Scrooge’s miserly
villainy, because we know he’ll come good in the end. Once he’s met the lovely
Ghost of Christmas Past, the jolly Ghost of Christmas Present, and the deeply
scary Ghost of Christmas Future, he repents of his meanness and starts to care
about others. Mr Fezziwig’s party is a fun Christmassy scene, but the classic
moment <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">has </i>to be when Scrooge awakes
on Christmas morning: “What’s to-day, my fine fellow?” asked Scrooge. “Why,
CHRISTMAS DAY.” “Do you know the Poulterer’s? Do you know whether they’ve sold
the prize Turkey that was hanging up there? Go and buy it. I’ll send it to Bob
Cratchit’s!” whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands and splitting with a laugh.”
What a classic. And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Muppets Christmas
Carol</i> is of course the best film version.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">,
CS Lewis</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101012031623/narnia/images/c/c5/Father_christmas_lucy_cordial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101012031623/narnia/images/c/c5/Father_christmas_lucy_cordial.jpg" height="135" width="320" /></a><em>The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe</em>
is a controversial one. Tolkien hated it, and one can see why: having Father
Christmas (or indeed, Christmas at all) in a world without humans is rather a
surprise. But give logic a rest, and enjoy the fairytale magic of the scene. In
the bewitched land of Narnia, where it is “Always winter, and never Christmas”,
the goodies are trying to reach Aslan in order to defeat the White Witch, and
rescue their turncoat brother Edmund. Are the sleigh bells they can hear the
White Witch’s? Don’t worry, it’s just Father Christmas! Peter gets a sword and
shield (“Tools, not toys,”), Susan gets a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a magic
horn, and Lucy gets a healing potion and a dagger. Poor Edmund never gets a
thing from Father Christmas, who never seems to make a repeat appearance, so it
just goes to show – if you make his naughty list, even becoming a king and
being titled “the Just” isn’t enough to get you back on the nice list.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPtJSltnx7_9I3nUu0GZssliy8VSXTfIYZOr9TOg_8izxG4LkTWczJFGNuNvXMoIjLckwI413FicuglMf7mr6JR15v9EX91EVY0ic2fHzWyeBeorQISPfwW-FJUdoimHWinLNOoIceUsF/s1600/empty%20stocking%20d-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPtJSltnx7_9I3nUu0GZssliy8VSXTfIYZOr9TOg_8izxG4LkTWczJFGNuNvXMoIjLckwI413FicuglMf7mr6JR15v9EX91EVY0ic2fHzWyeBeorQISPfwW-FJUdoimHWinLNOoIceUsF/s1600/empty%20stocking%20d-large.jpg" height="320" width="259" /></a>It may be tempting to dismiss the Father Christmas scene as silly, but it shows that the
White Witch’s power is waning – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i>
it’s an essential plot device for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prince
Caspian</i>. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And</i> it’s nice and
Christmassy. So there!<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Empty Stocking,</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb</b><o:p></o:p><br />
Speaking of naughty lists, Richard Curtis, he of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blackadder</i>
fame – alright, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four Weddings </i>and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Notting Hill</i> – has written a
picturebook. And the result is as fun as you’d hope, even if it isn’t an out
and out comedy. Santa is coming, which is fine for Sam, who is a good little
girl. But what about Charlie, who can be really <br />
rather naughty? Santa comes,
and this being a story, things don’t turn out quite as they should do. Which
twin will wake up to an empty stocking? The illustrations are lovely, with
pictures by Rebecca Cobb, whose story <em>Aunt Amelia</em> was included in my <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/bens-best-picture-books-of-2013.html" target="_blank">Top Picturebooks of 2013</a>.<br />
<br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4RAdNiz2VwavR4MR0LQC3G4E7m-mc0Go8BRgbV6NXbFom0EyKZmhq0jDMwCB5OAkERYjLy1yVarsPledPned1kv_t0FN-T8fGxLIRKEpwovwSmnLGQvsg2mawoHAAXwuIGFM0vAN6rER/s1600/jesusxmas2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4RAdNiz2VwavR4MR0LQC3G4E7m-mc0Go8BRgbV6NXbFom0EyKZmhq0jDMwCB5OAkERYjLy1yVarsPledPned1kv_t0FN-T8fGxLIRKEpwovwSmnLGQvsg2mawoHAAXwuIGFM0vAN6rER/s1600/jesusxmas2.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">J</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">esus’ Christmas Party</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">,
Nicholas Allan </b><o:p></o:p><br />
And yes, another Nicholas Allan
picturebook! His book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heaven</i> appears
on my <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/four-great-picturebooks-dealing-with.html" target="_blank">‘Picturebooks dealing with death’</a> post, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Royal Nappy</i> is on the <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/whats-with-all-royal-baby-books.html" target="_blank">‘Royal baby’</a> post. But what can I say, he
makes good books! Here, the Innkeeper is trying to have a good night’s sleep,
but keeps getting interrupted. Firstly by Mary and Joseph, then some shepherds,
and three kings – and as for those angels…! Nicholas Allan sometimes deals with
serious topics, but is always fun – and this is as fun and humorous a nativity
story as you could want. NB: His book "Father Christmas Needs a Wee" doesn't count as a serious book, though it probably feels pretty serious to him.<br />
<br />
<o:p> </o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hogfather,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Terry Pratchett</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://static.tumblr.com/e89de613eec5c3f1477827a030a46edd/qzcyiwb/5Hsmx0cm7/tumblr_static_hogswatch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://static.tumblr.com/e89de613eec5c3f1477827a030a46edd/qzcyiwb/5Hsmx0cm7/tumblr_static_hogswatch.jpg" height="320" width="274" /></a>Alright, this one isn’t even Christmas, actually. Because on the Discworld,
people celebrate Hogswatch, when the Hogfather rides his magical flying pigs,
and delivers presents. But the Hogfather has disappeared, and the one person
who can take his place for the night is… Death, with the help of his
granddaughter, Susan. Even though Death is, well, Death, he’s a decent sort of
chap. He cares. And he knows that if he fails his mission – then the sun won’t
rise the next morning. As funny, inventive and insightful as ever, this
Discworld novel makes for a great alternative seasonal treat. The standout
scene isn’t especially… Hogswatchy, but a discussion between Death and Susan on
the nature of the Hogfather (or indeed, Father Christmas):<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans
need... <em>fantasies</em> to make life bearable."<br />
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE
HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.<br />
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"<br />
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE <em>LITTLE</em>
LIES.<br />
"So we can believe the big ones?"<br />
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.<br />
"They're not the same at all!"<br />
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND
SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN <em>SHOW</em> ME ONE ATOM OF
JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS
IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME <em>RIGHTNESS</em>
IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.<br />
"Yes, but people have <em>got</em> to believe that, or what's the <em>point</em>—"<br />
MY POINT EXACTLY.”<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<o:p> </o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lollipop and Grandpa’s Christmas Baby,</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
Penny Harper and Cate James</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i><br />
<a href="http://www.waterstones.com/wat/images/nbd/m/978190/791/9781907912276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.waterstones.com/wat/images/nbd/m/978190/791/9781907912276.jpg" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lollipop and Grandpa </i>is a fairly
new picturebook series, and a thoroughly charming one, too. They introduce
childhood experiences (going swimming, exploring the back garden, having a
wobbly tooth etc) and use imagination to turn the day into an adventure! This
book manages to combine two picturebook staples: Christmas, and babies.
Lollipop is sure that her new baby brother is going to ruin Christmas. But
Grandpa is on hand to help out, and even if they can’t cook a turkey, they can
still make it a fun Christmas! And does the baby spoil Christmas? What do you
think?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter,</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">
JK Rowling</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CJNYxeqXEBLY8li_fZiuo2WGlWf5KeMskDHCRxD8M-_GaToD3DAE3vNYZ7CojChWuR-WDp9JVj5_rwtB3ETvgYlq10zHa9DjyCNjFR_RyxGFkbmHX9pqD2RHI1dEcSgQr8UEs3W9lz00/s1600/mirror-of-erised-harry-potter-19898092-500-417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CJNYxeqXEBLY8li_fZiuo2WGlWf5KeMskDHCRxD8M-_GaToD3DAE3vNYZ7CojChWuR-WDp9JVj5_rwtB3ETvgYlq10zHa9DjyCNjFR_RyxGFkbmHX9pqD2RHI1dEcSgQr8UEs3W9lz00/s1600/mirror-of-erised-harry-potter-19898092-500-417.jpg" height="266" width="320" /></a>Thanks to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter’s</i> annual structure, it fits nicely with special times
of the year (Hogwarts students: be extra careful in Spring Term, as the story’s
climax will be approaching), which means that there are lots of Harry Potter Christmasses
to choose from. But as wonderful as Hogsmeade is, the one that sticks in my
mind the most is his very first Christmas at <br />
Hogwarts (in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Philosopher’s Stone)</i>, where Harry discovers the Mirror of Erised.
Erised – desire, backwards – “shows us nothing more or less than the deepest,
most desperate desire of our hearts.... However, this mirror will give us
neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what
they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or
even possible.” Harry aches to be in a loving family with his parents, and you
can feel his heart breaking. Beautiful but melancholy.<o:p></o:p><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://phoenixweasley.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dh1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://phoenixweasley.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dh1-1.jpg" height="190" unselectable="on" width="320" /></a><o:p></o:p>Compare that with Harry’s final
Christmas in the series, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Deathly
Hallows)</i> where Harry returns to the house his parents died for the first
time. Standing in the graveyard, he discovers their graves, whilst Hermione
hears the carol concert inside the church, and realises that it’s Christmas
Eve. The (once again) beautiful melancholy is interrupted by one of the creepiest
passages in the whole series: Bathilda Bagshot turning into scary snake lady.
After a frantic battle for their lives against Voldie’s snake and Horcrux
Nagini, Harry spends Christmas Day out cold. Not a good one.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Nativity Play</i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">,
Nick Butterworth & Mick Inkpen/ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Christmas Show</i>, Rebecca Patterson</b><o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://images.scholastic.co.uk/assets/a/b4/ea/38905-ml-40162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.scholastic.co.uk/assets/a/b4/ea/38905-ml-40162.jpg" height="175" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="200" /></a>Both of these picturebooks are a
fun look at children’s nativity plays. Butterworth’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nativity Play</i> sticks more closely to the story of Jesus’ birth, but
with bad donkey outfits. Patterson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Christmas
Show</i> doesn’t go into the details of the Christmas story, because the
narrator isn’t really listening, and isn’t sure which part he is. But it doesn’t
matter if he sings the wrong lines – because his Granny thinks he was
brilliant! <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Nativity Play</i> is
perhaps the better one for families looking at the story of Christmas, but they’re
both good entertainment.<o:p></o:p><br />
<a href="http://www.panmacmillan.com/devpanmacmillan/media/panmacmillan/Books/width220px/best-thing-in-the-show-978023076720101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.panmacmillan.com/devpanmacmillan/media/panmacmillan/Books/width220px/best-thing-in-the-show-978023076720101.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
It’s a long list, but there are plenty of others. What are your favourite
Christmas scenes and stories? Should I have had <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Night Before Christmas?</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How
the Grinch Stole Christmas? The Nutcracker?</i> (There’s a gorgeous pop-up
version, that’s almost like being at the theatre!) Raymond Briggs of course did
a good Father Christmas – and so did Tolkien. What are your favourite Nativity
stories? Do leave a comment and let me know!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-705767363020258582013-12-05T22:46:00.002+00:002013-12-05T22:46:57.520+00:00Nelson Mandela's "Long Walk to Freedom": The Picturebook<a href="http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/cover1/9780230013858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/cover1/9780230013858.jpg" /></a>Nelson Mandela will be mourned around the world. He was a great man who inspired world change in a way only a few in a century manage; a man who united people in peace rather than war.<br />
<br />
His death will no doubt cause some children to wonder who he was: knowledge one generation takes for granted becomes vague the next. If children want to find out more about him, they may like this picturebook for older children, based on his acclaimed autobiography, <em>Long Walk to Freedom.</em> It's an easy to read but informative book, and is a great starting point for children who want to learn more. Or for people who won't get through the 800 page book.<br />
<a href="http://www.nbp.org/nbp/images/book_photos/THEESING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.nbp.org/nbp/images/book_photos/THEESING.jpg" width="149" /></a><br />
And if they like that, then they could find a worse book to follow it up with than Barack Obama's inspiring <em>Of Thee I Sing</em>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-40943681103530198232013-11-27T13:41:00.001+00:002013-11-27T16:02:26.568+00:00SJ Bolton made me "Dead Scared". #ALLD13<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://shereadsnovels.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/dead-scared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_571271="null" dua="true" height="320" src="http://shereadsnovels.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/dead-scared.jpg" width="210" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aylesbury Library is holding its first ever Literary Day on 30th November, which will be host to several great local authors. One of them is award-winning, bestselling crime-writer SJ Bolton...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Some crime novels are as cosy as tea and cake by the fireside; where everyone ends up happy (except for the deceased, presumably), and the world is a happy, bubbling place. And then there are crime novels that snare you like a fishhook to the mouth; where you know you shouldn't continue reading past dark, but you <em>just can't put it down</em>. Books where no one survives unscathed, and the world is a fearful place that ends ultimately in death.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Guess which sort of book SJ Bolton writes? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was thirty pages into my first SJ Bolton book, when I realised I should have paid more heed to the title: <em>Dead Scared</em>. You know a writer is good when a table covered with pine cones is enough to give you goosebumps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /><em>Dead Scared </em>sees a surprising number of young, attractive and fragile Cambridge students committing suicide in a number of ghoulish and inventive ways. Student councillor and psychiatrist Evie Oliver is suspicious that these deaths are more than they appear - and she's also certain that someone keeps breaking into her house...</span></div>
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Lacey Flint, a young police officer with a past, is drafted in to pose undercover as a student so that she can observe the campus, and keep an eye out for any secretive suicide death cults. Of course we know that things don't go to plan - in fact, Bolton makes that plainly clear by her prologue: Lacey standing at the top of a building, dead-eyed and suicidal. And about to jump. The rest of the story is a countdown to this ending, and each new day in the story gives a heading of how many days to go to this cataclysmic event.</div>
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<a href="http://djskrimiblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/blood-harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_571271="null" dua="true" height="200" src="http://djskrimiblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/blood-harvest.jpg" width="127" /></a>This is a modern gothic thriller that really knows how to deliver both the thrills and the chills in the story. It feels as if the story has been well-researched (hopefully not <em>too </em>deeply researched), and Bolton has a good understanding of the effects of the both media and social media. The characterisation is good - Lacey and Evie particularly have distinct, believable personalities and voices. Both characters had appeared in previous SJ Bolton novels: Lacey in Bolton's previous novel, <em>Now You See Me</em> (no magians here, but a Jack the Ripper copycat fixated on Lacey) , and Evie in <em>Blood Harvest</em> (a disturbing thriller revolving around the discovery of two children's bodies). Despite this, you don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy this one - and you learn Lacey and Evie's backstories as you get to know them better. As Evie pines for her lost love Harry, there's a good building romance between Lacey and her DI, Mark Joesbury, who's clearly in love with her. All the recurring characters are truly human, and are still dealing with the fallout from the earlier novels. </div>
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But it's as a crime nasty where the book really stands out. The inventive suicides (I won't spoil them for you here, but one in particular was jaw-dropping), the pervading sense of fear and dread (I had to make sure my door was locked and the curtains were pulled tightly across the window!) and the clues, red herrings, and plot twists work really well. Of course, savvy crime readers watch out for the red herrings, but there was one clue in particular that I just couldn't decide upon. Some of the scene-setting descriptions were exceptionally creepy, and I couldn't help but repeat it out loud to my fellow library ninjas. Lines like, "The January chill comes drifting over the Fens and wraps itself across the city like a paedophile's hand round that of a small, unresisting child." And a villain who clings to her boyfriend "like a bad smell around rotting meat." The book opens with a graphic, detailed description of what happens when a person falls a long distance to their death, and despite the factual, deadpanned tone, I can imagine SJ Bolton cackling with glee as she wrote it. This is an author who knows how to scare people, and likes it.</div>
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If you don't like being scared, then keep away from this book. But if you like authors like Mark Billingham or Phil Rickman, or are on the lookout for a well-written, original thriller, then SJ Bolton is a must read.</div>
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I'm currently reading her latest novel, <em>Like This, For Ever</em>. It's about a serial killer targetting ten year old boys, and draining their blood. I don't think it's going to end well...</div>
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Don't forget, you can meet SJ Bolton at Aylesbury Library this Saturday (30th November), at 12.50, where she'll discuss the art of a good scare. Her Twitter page (@AuthorSJBolton) describes her as "Nice Author. Nasty Books. (Or should that be the other way round?)" I sure hope not, because if she's as nasty as her books, I don't think I'd survive meeting her!<br />
Literally.</div>
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-58254185656607771742013-11-12T06:56:00.000+00:002013-11-12T11:02:49.220+00:00Ben's Best Picture Books of 2013!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtnCGBdaIcCCMa2xT6jLqvOK-66cscrMB7C4bIlGgQuvIDdF1Qx1e3X3WzmDKMtN-FWSWF8_-ipxG1qWZsJz0ZVV1zdUhJVJEzcZFXGaOqBz7ZHL9wYSEsnmeIUsmhnVu05HlX2iGBi3M/s1600/biggestrat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtnCGBdaIcCCMa2xT6jLqvOK-66cscrMB7C4bIlGgQuvIDdF1Qx1e3X3WzmDKMtN-FWSWF8_-ipxG1qWZsJz0ZVV1zdUhJVJEzcZFXGaOqBz7ZHL9wYSEsnmeIUsmhnVu05HlX2iGBi3M/s200/biggestrat.jpg" width="200" /></a>There's just a few weeks to go until Christmas, and if you're wondering which Lego set to get the kids, or whether to buy a Furby instead, <em>[helpful hint: don't] </em>I'm offering my choices of the best picture books released this year, in case, y'know, you think they'd like a nice book too. My criteria - as a library ninja, and above all as a <em>Dad</em> - is that it looks good, it reads well, it's fun, and um, it's not overly long. (You know the sinking feeling you get at the kids' bedtime, when you're dying for a cup of tea, and they get out a rubbish, over-wordy picture book tome!) Oh, and they must be ones that stands up to re-reads, obviously. And preferably ones you can do good voices to!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FbkFLkM3eyIsgJP-RpOj2QElB4pYxrAH1aWKkdEWkaQd-2U1mgkZqbzklwpBx9Kz6-HNe2N2ybDNhb9WSMedThX4XzGJJXTF1NhOIJi9owYtJZx0WDFtLNXC9e_fQWbzZM0lHH-II3zF/s1600/Cheese+Belongs+to+You.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FbkFLkM3eyIsgJP-RpOj2QElB4pYxrAH1aWKkdEWkaQd-2U1mgkZqbzklwpBx9Kz6-HNe2N2ybDNhb9WSMedThX4XzGJJXTF1NhOIJi9owYtJZx0WDFtLNXC9e_fQWbzZM0lHH-II3zF/s200/Cheese+Belongs+to+You.png" width="193" /></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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My stand-out favourite is <em>Cheese Belongs to You</em>, by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwartz. It's a really simple book, that explains that This is Rat Law: CHEESE BELONGS TO YOU. But what if there's a bigger rat? Or a stronger rat? Or a faster rat? Then the cheese belongs to them. The calibre of rat keeps on escalating - but who will get the cheese in the end?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The text and pictures combine to make an erratic, messy marvel of a picture book. It's quirky. It's bonkers. And it's pitch perfect.</div>
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<a href="http://randomhousechildrens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Very-Little-Red-Riding-Hood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://randomhousechildrens.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Very-Little-Red-Riding-Hood.jpg" width="177" /></a>A close second is <em>Very </em><em><span style="font-size: 10pt;">little</span> Red Riding Hood</em>, by Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap. Traditional retellings of fairy tales have gone out of fashion, but as this story shows, a twist done well is a good tale indeed! The major change here is Very <span style="font-size: 10pt;">little</span> Red Riding Hood herself. No longer a meek, rather stupid girl, she is transformed into a bold, charismatic, irrepressible little girl, aged two or three. Foxy - I mean, the Big Bad Wolf - doesn't stand a chance. Great fun, and definitely one to read aloud.</div>
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You may think that my five year old boy liked <em>Cheese Belongs to You</em> with the squabbling rats, and my two year old girl liked <em>Very </em><em><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Little</span> Red Riding Hood</em>, and not the other way round. But both children were really taken by both kids, and enthusiastically chose them multiple times.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD1ak6sNRMUA2GvGJyzLWiTk-kcjzYcti5XqQSAdtIthIWRzBvq-o6hDAheQpiq2l06NJiAEpkyTy4GbfHtOSCcfUa-K88J02in6BtGVPhyMkb9P7-qWgq9HQ9SMRMIWT2fn4XgEFGUbf/s1600/Midnight+Library.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwD1ak6sNRMUA2GvGJyzLWiTk-kcjzYcti5XqQSAdtIthIWRzBvq-o6hDAheQpiq2l06NJiAEpkyTy4GbfHtOSCcfUa-K88J02in6BtGVPhyMkb9P7-qWgq9HQ9SMRMIWT2fn4XgEFGUbf/s1600/Midnight+Library.png" /></a>Here are some other really good books from this year...<br />
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<u>If you're looking for something charming, try these three:</u><br />
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<em>The Midnight Library</em> by Kazuno Kohara. If it's 'charming' you want, then you can't get better than Kazuno Kohara, whose books are ridiculously lovely. It features a library that's open every night for the woodland animals. The little librarian and her three owls will do whatever it takes to serve their borrowers. Sweet, and perfect for library lovers of all ages!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_9Y46qDMnk4eCYhmohZFQWSWnSgZVrD4mKiuGP_VhdTdwkS-qvja6wzlCf190Xr23rO4mdgL3Y7sQ_2jdH-wyf86TJrMEoc1MX6SaOmIqDuklM5ZTwEuxY5mkFw4RL-l3pOW8ytLsQK-/s1600/owl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_9Y46qDMnk4eCYhmohZFQWSWnSgZVrD4mKiuGP_VhdTdwkS-qvja6wzlCf190Xr23rO4mdgL3Y7sQ_2jdH-wyf86TJrMEoc1MX6SaOmIqDuklM5ZTwEuxY5mkFw4RL-l3pOW8ytLsQK-/s1600/owl.png" /></a><br />
<em>The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat </em>by Julia Donaldson and Charlotte Voake. As the title suggests, this story continues the tale of the Owl and the Pussycat, told in the same verse structure as in Edward Lear's original. Julia Donaldson is a master of verse and rhyme, and takes Lear's mantle seamlessly. In my opinion, Charlotte Voake is at her best when illustrating animals, and the result of this collaboration is a really lovely book.<span style="mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=s-N1Y46Rmt_TzM&tbnid=XuTnSiX2DteTjM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpenguinbooks.co.za%2Fbook%2Ffurther-adventures-owl-and-pussycat%2F9780141332888&ei=872BUsGoOunE0QWloYGQDA&bvm=bv.56146854,d.ZG4&psig=AFQjCNFjnlRWDIOnrGo7t9ub0sQmnro4Vw&ust=1384320769617978"><u1:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f" u2:preferrelative="t" u2:spt="75"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></u1:shapetype></a></span><br />
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<em>Abigail</em>, by Catherine Rayner. Abigail the giraffe loves counting, but everything keeps moving! Will she ever be able to get her friends to do some counting with her? This is a really nice story - counting 1267 stars made my son go "Woh!" - but with Catherine Rayner, her gorgeous animal artwork is the true star.</div>
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<u>If you're looking for something a bit raucous and anarchic, try these four:</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6XAR-s9XJzatV7r4CYOXd5i5G09VCSZxEvSoUcYqyuXzSxy6CtR3sCe6tPwAZXG9sHOSnzyDsXN4XRWBJRJ-ug2_57LXpH0tqVa61MkpYsxAn717DV19d4m6MrB-hxcqQqM5Ut8bH4MV/s1600/aunt+amelia.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6XAR-s9XJzatV7r4CYOXd5i5G09VCSZxEvSoUcYqyuXzSxy6CtR3sCe6tPwAZXG9sHOSnzyDsXN4XRWBJRJ-ug2_57LXpH0tqVa61MkpYsxAn717DV19d4m6MrB-hxcqQqM5Ut8bH4MV/s1600/aunt+amelia.png" /></a><em></em><br />
<em>Aunt Amelia</em>, by Rebecca Cobb. Mum and Dad are away for the night, and the children are dismayed that Aunt Amelia is looking after them. She even has a list left by the parents: don't let the children get muddy, don't let them play by the pond. Only, Aunt Amelia is a crocodile, and the lists of <em>Don'ts</em> make good inspiration for a fun day out! Rebecca Cobb is a fairly new author/illustrator, but has already worked with some big names, such as Helen Dunmore, Richard Curtis, and Julia Donaldson, for last year's <em>The Paper Dolls</em>. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3EOR4jXbJHBLsG-UziBdyNpgjku4ZgBUHHcH2qf9rocP6L0M7PhsMlsTvd67WV2RvFa4sYb8tpUWtIZPx9GmEIP0_H28YwjuGAW53lqvgPYDe6zHF4v5ZMnRMTBG06Hi_gVQJyEgM9QZ/s1600/ding+dong.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3EOR4jXbJHBLsG-UziBdyNpgjku4ZgBUHHcH2qf9rocP6L0M7PhsMlsTvd67WV2RvFa4sYb8tpUWtIZPx9GmEIP0_H28YwjuGAW53lqvgPYDe6zHF4v5ZMnRMTBG06Hi_gVQJyEgM9QZ/s1600/ding+dong.png" /></a><em>Ding Dong Gorilla</em>, by Michelle Robinson and Leonie Lord. This absolute hoot of a story is a boy's explanation to his parents of the bad news about the pizza they ordered for dinner. Because when the doorbell <em>ding-donged</em>, the boy answered it, but it wasn't the pizza - it was a gorilla! The gorilla causes chaos in the house, making mess after mess. The story builds up to the punch line about the<em> bad news</em>. The fun-filled pictures are a perfect match for the text, written very much in the boy's voice. Read it, but eat your pizza first.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB48BJCEJ-gYUFQ0elHGol2pms1jSjdO_XgtdV3kuIqwFmxI_nQc9T3wyBIGCNjthM2msJpirwHVVMMWkCzKTHp87OubClbIH7t6C7IzSmnEPmRXZr0ZydIJmxh5DThPs4KGRYbCTzYSGj/s1600/too+noisy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB48BJCEJ-gYUFQ0elHGol2pms1jSjdO_XgtdV3kuIqwFmxI_nQc9T3wyBIGCNjthM2msJpirwHVVMMWkCzKTHp87OubClbIH7t6C7IzSmnEPmRXZr0ZydIJmxh5DThPs4KGRYbCTzYSGj/s1600/too+noisy.png" /></a><br />
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<em>Too Noisy! </em>by Malachy Doyle and Ed Vere. Sam and his family are Bungles, and are always making loads of noise. But Sam, the middle child prefers to sit quietly and daydream and rhyme. So he wanders off into the woods. But when he can't find his way back, he realises that a bit of noise is a good thing! The text of the story is full of good noises for reading aloud, and Ed Vere's artwork is, as ever, great fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUytQqt3TEOPWJrRuyBnfuogeL2-li-8kmhyphenhyphen9FyNsJLmK7q8qS9HFAN4UT9aewJ2Rq8p5HM6I-J_n9-z9x_cH3WOv8SBmZM_T4PlDJoWzQJHgRM8VKgueC1g84Wi8I1a_E22HGl8m_VC2S/s1600/primrose.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUytQqt3TEOPWJrRuyBnfuogeL2-li-8kmhyphenhyphen9FyNsJLmK7q8qS9HFAN4UT9aewJ2Rq8p5HM6I-J_n9-z9x_cH3WOv8SBmZM_T4PlDJoWzQJHgRM8VKgueC1g84Wi8I1a_E22HGl8m_VC2S/s1600/primrose.png" /></a></div>
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<em>Primrose</em>, by Alex T Smith. Primrose is a princess who wants to have fun; climb trees, play dressing-up, and bake cakes. But she's always told that "Princesses <em>don't </em>act like that!" The King and Queen don't know what to do with her, so they ask the prim, bossy Grandmama to help. Grandmama knows <em>just</em> how to fix things - but not in the way the King and Queen expect! This book has proven very popular with my daughter, in particular.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<o:p>So there's my selection for the year - of course, there's still plenty of time to discover lots more lovely picture books! Have you discovered any good picture books this year? If so, let me know!</o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-78370949879898013362013-11-01T21:27:00.002+00:002013-11-01T21:32:53.230+00:00"Slated" by Teri Terry - British Dystopian Teen Fiction #ALLD13<a href="http://www.publishedworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Slated-front-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.publishedworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Slated-front-cover.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the 30th November, Aylesbury Library are having their first Literary Day, playing host to loads of great local authors. One of them is teen author - and ex-Princes Risborough librarian - Teri Terry...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Think of the modern trend of (often excellent) dystopian thrillers, you'll think of <em>The Hunger Games </em>(The film of part 2 - <em>Catching Fire - </em>is out in November). You may think of <em>Divergent</em> (film out next April), or <em>Wool</em> (film on its way). What you don't normally think of is the Buckinghamsire countryside! But that's what you get in <em>Slated</em>, the first of a trilogy by Bucks author Teri Terry. And yes, it's begun the long process of being made into a film, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><em>Slated</em> is set fifty years in the future, in a Britain where child and teen criminals have their memories wiped - <em>slated</em> - and are given a second chance in life. They have to relearn to walk, talk and re-adjust to life, and are given a new name and a new family. 'Slateds' are naive, trusting, incurious. They are happy, by and large - and a good thing too, because they wear levos, which monitor their mood, and causes blackouts and even death if the count drops too low.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://u.jimdo.com/www62/o/s47b8a17dcf0c66a4/img/i517066ff177846da/1349895302/std/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://u.jimdo.com/www62/o/s47b8a17dcf0c66a4/img/i517066ff177846da/1349895302/std/image.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">A 16 year-old girl is slated, renamed Kyla, and given to a new family (in the Chiltern countryside). But Kyla finds she is not like other slateds - she has terrifying nightmares that may or may not be old memories. Extreme anger should make her black out, but it doesn't. And she begins to question things that mustn't be questioned. What happened in her old life? Why was she slated? These are dangerous questions, for the country is policed by the ominous Lorders, agents who bundle away undesirables, and the slightest misstep could see her "returned" - whatever that means.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Kyla soon finds that her questions are as dangerous to those around her as they are to herself. She quickly grows close to slated heartthrob Ben, and her indignant curiosity sparks changes his accepting nature, taking him on a path Kyla can't control.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The book is at its most intriguing when Kyla is trying to sort out the puzzle of her mind and her identity. The book explores muscle memory - her body knows how to do things she can't consciously do, and subconsciousness, and by the start of <em>Fractured</em>, it's sequel, it is dealing with something akin to multiple personality disorder. Kyla, herself, is fractured.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://u.jimdo.com/www62/o/s47b8a17dcf0c66a4/img/i9f1b4b32353ed0d3/1379102622/std/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://u.jimdo.com/www62/o/s47b8a17dcf0c66a4/img/i9f1b4b32353ed0d3/1379102622/std/image.jpg" width="209" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">It's a lazy comparison to call <em>Slated </em>a British <em>Hunger Games</em>, and inaccurate for several reasons. The world of <em>Slated</em> is actually a lot more lifelike than most dystopias. It's governed by the Central Coalition (sound familiar?), and the changes within Britain are ones you could genuinely see become an issue, if we had the technology. But also, <em>Slated</em> is more of a slow burner than <em>Hunger Games </em>and the others. This isn't exactly a criticism, but it doesn't have the epic-ness of some other dystopian fiction. Not because it tries but fails, but because so much of the story is about what's going on within Kyla. <em>Slated</em>'s climax is insular to Kyla - it will be intresting to see if they pull it off in the film (assuming - and hoping - it gets made). But be in no doubt, this is a great piece of fiction. It's</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> clever, it's original, it's engaging. <em>Slated </em>sows the seeds for <em>Fractured, </em>which has more action in, and is bigger scale. And I can't wait to see how it all turns out when the final part of the trilogy, <em>Shattered</em>, is released next year. <br /><br />And don't forget, you can meet the author Teri Terry as she discusses the books and the role of dystopian fiction in general at the Aylesbury Library Literary Day on 30th November!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-33601785269952603082013-10-30T10:41:00.001+00:002013-10-30T12:45:19.707+00:00"More Than This" - the new book by Patrick Ness<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>A teenage boy is alone in the wild sea. The furious waves drag him under, and the biting cold steals his strength away. Yet still he fights. Fights to live.</o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://thebooksmugglers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/More-Than-This.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_577084="null" height="400" src="http://thebooksmugglers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/More-Than-This.jpg" vsa="true" width="245" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>He dies.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>The eagle-eyed among you may notice that this is the second book I'm reviewing on <em>The Library Ninja</em> that's written by Patrick Ness. I wrote about <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-knife-of-never-letting-go-and.html#!/2013/05/the-knife-of-never-letting-go-and.html" target="_blank"><em>The Knife of Never Letting Go</em></a> some months ago. Maybe I'm just unimaginative! Well, before you start getting judgemental, let me tell you that I read the two other <em>Chaos Walking</em> books, <em>The Ask and the Answer</em> and <em>Monsters of Men</em>, and I held back writing. Same with <em>A Monster Calls</em>, and with his recent adult novel <em>The Crane Wife</em>. I didn't want to repeat myself. (Yes, this is my sixth Patrick Ness book this year, and to be honest, I'm starting to develop something of a man-crush on him!) But <em>More Than This </em>is a new release, and it deserves to be written about. And it's quite simply a stunning piece of fiction.</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><em>More Than This </em>begins with death, and moves on from there. Seth, a teenage boy, dies alone in the turbulent sea; his body dashed against the rocks, and his bones shattered. Some time later, he awakes in the worst place possible. Not Hell - not an obvious Hell, anyway - but the home of his childhood. Seth grew up in Britain until the age of ten, when the tragedy that tore his family apart - a tragedy that is somehow <em>his fault</em> - prompted them to uproot themselves and move to America. But this is not his neighbourhood as Seth remembers it: the entire area is deserted. Grass and weeds have grown as tall as him. There's a crater in the middle of the high street. What is this place? Is it his real childhood home, or something that his mind has somehow recreated? Is any of it real? And why are his dreams as vivid as real life? Could it be there was more to his life than he had ever fully realised?</o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p>Ness is a master of creativity, plot twists and ambiguity. You never know what's coming next. </o:p></span>If you're worried this could be a heart-warming, life-affirming drama (perish the thought!), it's not. This isn't Mitch Albom, or Paulo Coelho, or <em>It's a Wonderful Life</em>. The story is painful and biting. Through Seth's dreams, we relive his life, and see what led to this point. But what <em>is</em> this point? Now THAT'S the question! Is there <em>More Than This</em>, and what is the 'more' that Seth has perhaps arrived at? The answer is one of the most breathtaking, boldest novels of the year.</div>
</o:p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-36242364843939115272013-10-14T22:23:00.001+01:002013-10-14T22:23:48.662+01:00What's With all the Royal Baby Books?Prince George (the Baby of Britain) is being christened next week. Hurrah and huzzah! I'm assuming you've bought the plates, the <a href="http://www.royalmint.com/shop/The_Christening_of_HRH_Prince_George_of_Cambridge_2013_UK_5_pound_Platinum_Proof_Piedfort_Coin" target="_blank">£6,400 coin</a> worth £5... the <a href="http://www.ivypress.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Complete-Royal-Baby-Pattern1.pdf" target="_blank">knitting pattern</a> (from the author of the cult hit<em> </em><a href="http://www.ivypress.co.uk/books/knit-your-own-royal-wedding/" target="_blank"><em>Knit Your Own Royal Wedding</em></a>)...<br />
<a href="http://s1.v2img.anobii.net/edition/pifdf6ea6493743b2d@large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://s1.v2img.anobii.net/edition/pifdf6ea6493743b2d@large.jpg" width="130" /></a>After spending all that hard-earned dosh on royal knickknacks, why not read some royal baby books? You can always save the money, by borrowing them from the library!<br />
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<u><em>Alexandra the Royal Baby Fairy</em> by Daisy Meadows</u><br />
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Hot on the heels of topical bestseller <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Wedding-Fairy-Rainbow-Magic/dp/1408315246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381782737&sr=8-1&keywords=kate+royal+wedding+fairy" target="_blank">Kate the Royal Wedding Fairy</a></em>, 'Rainbow Magic' is back. Fairyland is so excited about the coming of the new royal baby, but when it goes missing, Alexandra recruits loyal fairy friends Rachel and Kirsty to help find the vanished tot. Hmmm, I wouldn't be 100% surprised if that pesky Jack Frost has something to do with it.<br />
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Now, for (in my opinion) two rather more charming royal baby books...<br />
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<u><em>Baggy Brown and the Royal Baby</em> by Mick Inkpen</u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Mick Inkpen, the creator of <em>Wibbly Pig</em> and <em>Kipper</em>, and the illustrator of <em>Percy the Park Keeper, </em>is practically picture book royalty himself, and any story by him is him is a sure joy. This one was actually originally released five years ago, simply as <em>Baggy Brown</em>, but has been cunningly repackaged to fit with the birth of Prince George. It features the teddy Baggy Brown, who is born at Better Bears Ltd as the ultra-special edition teddy Number One, who is to be presented to Princess Sophie, the new Royal Baby of Thingland. But due to a mistake, a factory worker gives it to his son Alfie. When Alfie discovers the Number One bear has gone missing, he knows he has to return it - whatever it takes.<br />
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It's a fun, sweet novel that, in a turn of events, has Princess Sophie marry Alfie years later. Sophie - who is in fact a toddler for the bulk of this novel - is not the royal baby on the front cover. That's their son Jack. With that in mind, it has been <em>slightly</em> shoehorned in to fit the occasion, but it's still a warm, comfy fit.<br />
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<u><em>The Royal Nappy</em> by Nicholas Allan</u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In <em>The Queen's Knickers, </em>we learnt that the Queen has knickers for all sorts of occasions. If she has an important meeting, she'll have knickers to match. If her plane crashes, she's got the knickers to deal with it! <em>The Royal Nappy</em> (by the author of previously reviewed <em><a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/four-great-picturebooks-dealing-with.html" target="_blank">Heaven</a></em>) is a sequel of sorts to <em>The Queen's Knickers</em>. Here, we discover all the different nappies that royal babies need, with the right flags for meeting heads of state, or super-slippery ones for skidding about Buckingham Palace when seeing his Great-Grandmother. We also learn that royal nappies are produced at the Royal Mint - and that sometimes, that can cause problems!<br />
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Unlike <em>Baggy Brown</em>'s kingdom of Thingland, <em>The Royal Nappy </em>makes no attempt to hide the fact that this is Britain, and <em>our</em> royal family. The baby's father even looks like William! This is bonkers, laugh-out-loud funny, and as with <em>The Queen's Knickers</em>, it's one that's sure to make children laugh for a good many years to come. Of the royal baby books, this is my favourite, I think. I liked seeing the First World War royal baby in a pram-tank.<br />
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I haven't read any others, but <em>The Royal Baby</em>, by the Two Tonys (I mean, Tony Bradman and <em>Little Princess </em>creator, Tony Ross) is bound to be good. And <em>Shhh! Don't Wake the Royal Baby!</em> by Martha Mumford and Ada Grey looks fun too.<br />
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Is that enough royal baby books? It's <em>not</em>? Fine, have <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Princess-Katies-Kittens-Royal-Baby/dp/1848123523/ref=sr_1_22?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381785164&sr=1-22&keywords=royal+baby" target="_blank">Ruby and the Royal Baby</a>, </em>from the <em>Princess Katie's Kittens</em> series, and have done with it!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-42152397720154769732013-08-10T21:17:00.000+01:002013-08-10T21:30:58.077+01:00Tea with Terry Pratchett<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXk0s3CZqHxomRDSBhyngjcQ1Pgx3WEg0kdIrRvGMvswuKKpXRPzQJnjcFHDstMRhPOoydkh0J9qUr94-6BesKHFxbosaT8cU-T0AuNdsoEsDXKGBhFtPUGkshIFDWtYZdgVFyBUQC14N/s1600/Terry3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXk0s3CZqHxomRDSBhyngjcQ1Pgx3WEg0kdIrRvGMvswuKKpXRPzQJnjcFHDstMRhPOoydkh0J9qUr94-6BesKHFxbosaT8cU-T0AuNdsoEsDXKGBhFtPUGkshIFDWtYZdgVFyBUQC14N/s320/Terry3.jpg" width="213" /></a>A couple of weeks ago, I had a cup of tea with Terry Pratchett at Beaconsfield Library.<br />
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OK, I'll come clean... there was Terry and me - and about a hundred other people there, all eagerly gathered to see one of the greatest names in modern British fantasy. "I can tell by your shining faces that you're fans", he quipped as he arrived on stage. For many of us there, Terry's link with Beaconsfield Library was familiar: he grew up in the area, and spent many happy hours as a child in the library. As a teenager, asked if he could work a few hours there every week in return for borrowing some extra, adult books (which normally wasn't allowed at the time). There was a very real sense that this was a homecoming for Terry, and he seemed quite moved to return to the library where he spent so much of his childhood. I actually wondered at one point if he was going to shed a tear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimevpYeS9VXQByHyPdHJwwMyg_uifdBtykx7adkXJkaKZiQ9hSEX5V5zew49EorWj-48yaLXxWA0jzo-V9ezm0oBT05oC2p9tTi8xA6uLUVFw-y2Or_HgJM-AIL_vFVDESmJ2GVlq_QHT1/s1600/Terry4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimevpYeS9VXQByHyPdHJwwMyg_uifdBtykx7adkXJkaKZiQ9hSEX5V5zew49EorWj-48yaLXxWA0jzo-V9ezm0oBT05oC2p9tTi8xA6uLUVFw-y2Or_HgJM-AIL_vFVDESmJ2GVlq_QHT1/s320/Terry4.jpg" width="320" /></a>He was accompanied onstage by his personal assistant Rob Wilkins, who gave Terry a hand every now and then, and provided several Terry-related anecdotes that they shared. It was fun seeing him wince every now and then when Terry said something gleefully un-PC, such as the time he charged at a bully at school and smashed his face in, or how the Luggage (one of Pratchett's barmiest creations - a travel chest on legs) was perhaps inspired by experimentation with marijuana! Well... who didn't suspect?<br />
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a2/The_front_cover_of_the_book_Raising_Steam_by_Terry_Pratchett.jpg/250px-The_front_cover_of_the_book_Raising_Steam_by_Terry_Pratchett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a2/The_front_cover_of_the_book_Raising_Steam_by_Terry_Pratchett.jpg/250px-The_front_cover_of_the_book_Raising_Steam_by_Terry_Pratchett.jpg" width="208" /></a><br />
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For a while now, Discworld has been an increasingly modern fantasy land. It's seen telegraphs, stamps and bank notes. The wizards at the Unseen University have built themselves a computer; albeit one made out of an ant colony, a mouse and a ram's skull. And Pratchett's next book, <em>Raising Steam, </em>features the Disc's first steam engine. We were lucky enough to hear a reading of part of it, much to the excitement of one eight year old train lover in particular! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://forwinternights.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/the-long-war-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-baxter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://forwinternights.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/the-long-war-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-baxter.jpg" width="207" /></a>Terry took questions from the audience, and I felt a rush of adrenaline as he answered mine. I asked him about his recent collaborations with sci-fi heavyweight Stephen Baxter in their <em>Long Earth </em>series.<em> </em>Inspired by Pratchett's short story <em>The High Meggas</em> written thirty years ago (and recently published in <em>A Blink of the Screen</em>), it explores the discovery of millions of parallel Earths, and mankind's attempts to travel them. I asked him what drew him back to the story after all that time, and why he worked with Baxter. He replied that he always thought the story had legs, but didn't feel he had the sci-fi chops to handle it. Fortunately, Baxter liked the story, and was happy to work with Pratchett. They must have enjoyed it - a second has just been released, with two more to follow. He then elaborated on his most famous working collaboration: working with <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/booky-hero-2-neil-gaiman.html" target="_blank">Neil Gaiman</a> on <em>Good Omens</em>. Apparently Gaiman was reading through a draft of the novel, and laughed out loud at a passage, which he complemented Pratchett on. "But I didn't write that!" Terry said. "I thought you did."<br />
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<a href="http://thebooksmugglers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Tiffany-Aching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://thebooksmugglers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Tiffany-Aching.jpg" width="193" /></a>We learnt who Pratchett's favourite Discworld character is: Tiffany Aching, the star of the relatively recent mini-series, featuring a young trainee witch, and her adopted protectors the Nac Mac Feegle (they're small, blue, violent and (seemingly) Scottish - like Smurfs crossed with <em>Trainspotting</em>). Tiffany's clever, brave, and carries the powerful pragmatism shared by Pratchett's other great characters, Granny Weatherwax and Sam Vimes. [Actually, my favourite <em>Discworld</em> line is hers. It's from <em>Wintersmith</em>, after her mentor has died: "<span class="st">Tiffany sat on a stump and cried a bit, because it needed to be done. Then she went and milked the goats, because someone had to do that too."]</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0q2Zl5wbMwx3szsnuZve3_K9YNziCuNDux5_JJqqQKY-CInLHFlp6DVu82wX5yJ5d4M5d1zmb_27-RcjjQYq1LoELURLDwoHv6kJgoH_r6pZSxzsTyqI9BE3V0DFVEz_mQLRVDUC_agA/s1600/Terry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0q2Zl5wbMwx3szsnuZve3_K9YNziCuNDux5_JJqqQKY-CInLHFlp6DVu82wX5yJ5d4M5d1zmb_27-RcjjQYq1LoELURLDwoHv6kJgoH_r6pZSxzsTyqI9BE3V0DFVEz_mQLRVDUC_agA/s320/Terry2.jpg" width="213" /></a>Terry told us about the books that shaped him as a boy at the library. <em>The Wind in the Willows </em>and <em>The Moomins</em> were particular favourites, as well as the 19th and early 20th Century back catalogue of <em>Punch</em> magazine, which he says taught him everything he needed to know about being funny. He was dismayed to learn that the library no longer stocked <em>Punch</em>, but that wrong was righted when a lady from the audience returned to the library afterwards to donate her late husband's collection! What a lovely lady. Another very kind donation came from Terry himself. When asked which charity he wanted the proceeds from the ticket sales to go to, he replied that it was all to go back to Beaconsfield Library - all £600 odd of it!<br />
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<a href="http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/city-watch.jpg?f6a06b" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/city-watch.jpg?f6a06b" width="239" /></a>Speaking to Rob afterwards, I asked about the mooted <em>Ankh Morpork City Watch</em> TV series, based on mini-series featuring the wonderful Sam Vimes. He confirmed that it is going ahead, and that it fills the crime-of-the-week format, rather than being a straight adaptation of one of the stories. There's a lot that's uncertain at th<br />
e moment: they were on their way afterwards to London for a meeting with the TV studio about it. He couldn't tell me who they were, but said they'd announce it in October. It'll presumably be a year's wait at least before we can see it, but it'll be worth the wait, I've no doubt of that!<br />
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Of course, Terry Pratchett isn't just known for his writing anymore, sadly. He's the Famous Author With Alzheimer's, and an outspoken advocate of the right to die. I saw him speak eight years or so ago, a good couple of years before he was diagnosed, and it was truly sad to see the ways he's deteriorated in that time. He needed helping getting on the stage, and frequently took a little while to gather his thoughts before answering. But one thing was certainly clear: his mind is still sharp and gleaming as a knife, and as funny as a... really good joke. Pratchett's still writing one or two books every year, and by jingo, he's still got it. He hopes to return to Beaconsfield one day, and I hope he does too! In the meantime, I'll keep reading everything I can of his.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aKaz7daNq3BDiw0BcixmjRnTH0puBkNdoh_jVMiP-b94W_zC3DFGf7Qe4OS81njeUCO47mJge_uDxU1NSYRqW6roJJ_gQPhwOEzNOlWTePpknoPZve9oCVGP7Tz4gvH8C__gwcYBU9w6/s1600/Terry1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7aKaz7daNq3BDiw0BcixmjRnTH0puBkNdoh_jVMiP-b94W_zC3DFGf7Qe4OS81njeUCO47mJge_uDxU1NSYRqW6roJJ_gQPhwOEzNOlWTePpknoPZve9oCVGP7Tz4gvH8C__gwcYBU9w6/s320/Terry1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I'm a librarian because I'm passionate about books, particularly fiction, and particularly fantasy and children's fiction. That probably doesn't surprise you, seeing that I write this here blog. But Terry's... special. I'm not yet thirty, but he's been a part of my life for over twenty years! (Yes, longer than my wife has!) So what I'm trying to say is, Terry... thanks for the stories.<br />
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<span id="goog_2071542800"></span><span id="goog_2071542801"></span>His newest book, <em>The Long War,</em> co-written with Stephen Baxter is out now, and his next Discworld book, <em>Raising Steam</em> is out on 7th November.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-23187142109261321252013-08-04T22:22:00.001+01:002013-11-26T13:25:47.080+00:00Great book for 6-11s... "The Abominators and My Panty Wanty Woos!"<a href="http://imgv2-4.scribdassets.com/img/word_document/111565748/255x300/daae188c9f/1366113919" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://imgv2-4.scribdassets.com/img/word_document/111565748/255x300/daae188c9f/1366113919" /></a>I run a children's book club at my library, and recently, we were lucky enough to have a visit from a great up-and-coming children's author, Jenny Smith. She's the author of <em>The Abominators</em>, a really funny new series for 6-11 year olds that is perfect for fans of <em>Horrid Henry </em>or <em>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</em>.<br />
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The Abominators are a gang of the naughtiest children in school. There's Mucker, Boogster, Cheesy and Bob (she's the girl), and they love nothing more than to play practical jokes on the teachers, and cause mayhem throughout the school. But their lives are turned upside down by the new boy at school: Cecil Trumptington-Potts, the poshest - and nicest - boy they've ever had the misfortune to meet. He's polite, he's odd, and he wears frilly, girly "panty wanty woos"! Cecil immediately wants to befriend the gang, and will do <em>anything</em> to be allowed to join.<br />
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And that's just as well, because he can't join unless he completes three near-impossible challenges. The Abominators are sure he won't manage it, but they don't know Cecil...<br />
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The Abominators may get the series title (and fair enough, because it's a good name!), but they never really became fleshed out in the first book, to my mind. Each character is summed up in a couple of sentences, and don't really progress from there. But that's alright, because their main roles are to be foils for Cecil, as well as people for him to aspire to - and it's Cecil that the books belong to, because he truly is laugh-out-loud comedy gold. Cecil owns (and wrestles ) a pet bear named Boris. His father is a bankrupt aristocrat with the longest beard in the world. And the pair of them make the story zap with comic energy. <br />
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<a href="http://www.lbkids.co.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/3-189x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lbkids.co.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/3-189x300.jpg" /></a>The stories are enriched by brilliant illustrations by Sam Hearn, whose work I can imagine adorning many more book series before too long. They're full of madcap humour of their own, and compliment the story perfectly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfyUGaJLAEbyQOcn5vv4rgduzdSYxZ8bU3Kl6bCwwzpYV6BAmLYTfkZmGrRHRB90Ca9r92TgLVpBj7H3vPesR3Io-lj5ddUAb5xhFd_tS3IYAEmzRxHjj_XZ14Ufzww-uG5a6VIv5H4yb/s1600/abominators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfyUGaJLAEbyQOcn5vv4rgduzdSYxZ8bU3Kl6bCwwzpYV6BAmLYTfkZmGrRHRB90Ca9r92TgLVpBj7H3vPesR3Io-lj5ddUAb5xhFd_tS3IYAEmzRxHjj_XZ14Ufzww-uG5a6VIv5H4yb/s1600/abominators.jpg" /></a><a href="http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Publication/v4/0c/cb/9c/0ccb9c56-506b-e9ff-aeb7-a4758d648d64/9781405514347.340x340-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a4.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Publication/v4/0c/cb/9c/0ccb9c56-506b-e9ff-aeb7-a4758d648d64/9781405514347.340x340-75.jpg" width="203" /></a>I've only read the first story so far - <em>The Abominators and my Panty Wanty Woos</em> (I read it all in one day during my breaks at work, but my afternoon break ended with about five pages left! So at the very end of the day, when everyone else was just about to get their things ready, I snuck into the toilet so I could finish it! Thankfully no one saw <em>my</em> panty wanty woos!) - but the sequels, <em>The Abominators in the Wild, </em>and <em>The Abominators and the Forces of Evil</em> have also been released this year, and I'm looking forward to reading them. But what <em>really</em> matters is that several of the kids from Chatterbooks have read the series, and absolutely love them. Not just because they've met the author (though they're thrilled about that, too), but because the series is really REALLY <strong>FUNNY.</strong> Just in case you hadn't got the message.<br />
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Oh, and when she visited Chatterbooks, Jenny Smith made us randomly pick words to get a new name for ourselves. Mine was Silly Bongo Thunderpops.<br />
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You can find out more about Jenny Smith <a href="http://www.jennysmithonline.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, and read her own lovely comments about the Chatterbooks visit <a href="http://writingaboutpants.wordpress.com/2013/06/07/chatterbooks-in-aylesbury/" target="_blank">here.</a><br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> Having read the two sequels, I can very happily say that they both improve upon the already really good first novel. You get to know each of the Abominators much better, and the laughs don't stop! I'd thoroughly recommend them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-85220823364740933232013-06-26T14:28:00.000+01:002013-06-26T14:31:22.037+01:00Beyond Beast Quest... Fantasy Books for Kids<u>Fantasy: From Toddlers to Teens</u><br />
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Sorry about the slight delay in getting this post out; it's been very busy of late in Library Towers. So, as everyone knows, kids love fantasy. Whether in play, books or films, magic makes great stories, and great fun! But what if your boy won't read anything other than Beast Quest, or your girl won't read anything other than Rainbow Magic? (sorry to generalise there, but I've never seen a boy read Daisy Meadows) Here's a selection of brilliant fantasy books, both new and old. I'm assuming you've heard of the ones about Harry and Bilbo...</div>
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<a href="http://imagesbk.bookadda.com/images/bk_images/665/9780140349665.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://imagesbk.bookadda.com/images/bk_images/665/9780140349665.jpg" width="123" xya="true" /></a><u><em>The Ice Palace</em> by Robert Swindells</u></div>
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I read this when I was 6 or 7, and I genuinely believe it steered me on to fantasy. It's the tale of a boy, Ivan, whose little brother is kidnapped by the terrifying Starjik, who comes in the night with his wolves. Ivan decides to rescue his brother, and so sets off alone in the snow to find Starji</div>
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k's ice palace. On the way, he's beset by wolves, the cold, and hope-destroying hallucinations. Looking back on it now, it's surprisingly dark for a book for quite young children, but it's a wonderful adventure. And through it I learnt about bravery, determination, love and redemption.</div>
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<a href="http://www.kidsmomo.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/BFG_Roald-Dahl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.kidsmomo.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/BFG_Roald-Dahl.jpg" width="128" xya="true" /></a><u><em>The BFG</em> by Roald Dahl</u></div>
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The lovely image of dreams being blown through your window by an old man with a trumpet, is countered by the nastiness of the big giants blowing nightmares at you. And what nasty giants they are! But surely the little girl Sophie and her new BFF the BFG (that's Big Friendly Giant, of course) can stop their evil plan - perhaps with a little help from the Queen... From Snozzcumbers to Bone Crunchers, this story will have you whizzpopping til bedtime!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeKo2_q86Xuk4I-PoCouuF0lVtqbIpzDUP3f0OQECUMKjQbNoDSnj-YeW0B8AnuN_Ln-VZdIRwZcyy7tCkXNzdwf9C31Vy2TVXVUELdZ8IE-p2mq8Ewq93XtAif2ApuSy0w59DsbOtv4_/s1600/The+Silver+Chair+by+C.+S.+Lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeKo2_q86Xuk4I-PoCouuF0lVtqbIpzDUP3f0OQECUMKjQbNoDSnj-YeW0B8AnuN_Ln-VZdIRwZcyy7tCkXNzdwf9C31Vy2TVXVUELdZ8IE-p2mq8Ewq93XtAif2ApuSy0w59DsbOtv4_/s200/The+Silver+Chair+by+C.+S.+Lewis.jpg" width="124" xya="true" /></a><u><em>The Silver Chair</em> by CS Lewis</u></div>
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If your kids are ready for slightly larger books, then <em>The Chronicles of Narnia</em> are a must-read. They're wonderful adventures of children getting transported to the land of Narnia, fighting evil, and meeting Aslan the Lion. Most people start with <em>The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe</em>, which is a very good starting place (and the best known), but my personal favourite is <em>The Silver Chair.</em> In a series of fantasy books, this is the most fantastic of them all, as Eustace (who's been to Narnia before) and Jill arrive in Narnia with a mission to find the lost Prince Rilian, the only heir to the throne of Narnia. But to do that, they must face a paliament of owls, avoid getting eaten by giants, and defeat the sinister Lady in the Green Kirtle. Accompanying them on their quest is Puddleglum, a marshwiggle whose gloominess cannot quite overcome his loyalty and steadfastness. The three main characters have a really good chemistry: whether bickering with or supporting one another, they have well-developed and individual personalities. And the climax, deep, deep underground is just thrilling.</div>
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<a href="http://www.usborne.com/images/covers/eng/width_223px/book-of-three.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.usborne.com/images/covers/eng/width_223px/book-of-three.jpg" width="131" xya="true" /></a><u><em>The Book of Three</em> by Lloyd Alexander</u></div>
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This book is the first in the <em>Chronicles of Prydain</em> series. It's inspired by Welsh mythology, and it's perfect for Narnia fans. In fact it's frequently called <em>Lord of the Rings</em> for kids, and justifiably so (the 'for kids' bit doesn't degrade it. No sirree!). You may be more familiar with its sequel, <em>The Black Cauldron</em>, which was a Disney film in the 80s. It's not got a great reputation with either <em>Prydain </em>fans or Disney fans, which is a shame, because I think it's a really good film, and true to the books (and I only saw it recently).</div>
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<a href="http://d3gtl9l2a4fn1j.cloudfront.net/t/p/original/zAVFiWqc042EvsWzfW2md93koSA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://d3gtl9l2a4fn1j.cloudfront.net/t/p/original/zAVFiWqc042EvsWzfW2md93koSA.jpg" width="133" xya="true" /></a>Taran wants to be a hero fighting glorious battles, but instead he's an Assistant Pig Keeper. Even though the pig can see the future (yes, that's right), he's still longing for an adventure. Which is exactly what he gets when the ferocious Horned King comes to take the pig. The heroic Prince Gwydion sends Taran on a quest of his very own, and the fate of all Prydain depends on it. Along the way, he meets the odd creature Gurgi, the aspiring bard (without the talent) Fflewdur Fflam, and the wonderful Princess</div>
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Eilonwy. She's a perfect (romantic) foil for Taran: he's an Assistant Pig-Keeper, and she's a magical princess, who can be opinionated and sarcastic. As with the best love stories (that barely counts as a spoiler), they rub each other up the wrong way for a good long time, before finally, finally admitting their love for one another (much later on in the series).</div>
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The book does share a lot with Tolkien: Gurgi is terribly good-Smeagolly, and Prince Gwydion is very Aragorny, but none of that matters. If you read this five-book series, you'll fall more and more in love with it, and the emotional payoffs in the last book are the sort that makes life better for having read them.<br />
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<u><em>The Edge Chronicles</em> by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell</u><br />
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<a href="http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/Qm9va3MvRmljdGlvbg==/the_edge_chronicles_beyond_the_deepwoods_frontcover_large_fN2pvgOFWKENOin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/Qm9va3MvRmljdGlvbg==/the_edge_chronicles_beyond_the_deepwoods_frontcover_large_fN2pvgOFWKENOin.jpg" width="150" xya="true" /></a>How do I describe this series? A brilliantly imaginative and adventurous saga set on the Edge (of the world), with three trilogies within the series, spanning three generations.The first (and original) trilogy features Twig, a boy raised in the Deepwoods by woodtrolls. After straying off the path, he's thrown into adventure after adventure, until he meets his father, the dashing skyship captain, Quint (the ships fly in this series). And that's only the beginning. The other trilogies follow Quint as a <em>Beyond the </em>Deepwoods. </div>
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boy, and Twig's protegee Rook, and they're just as good. Try Twig's first book, </div>
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I could say far more about this, but the wonderful Paul Stewart (writer) and Chris Riddell (illustrator) are dead certs for a Booky Hero post someday, because that's what they are. </div>
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<u><em>Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief</em> by Rick Riordan</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6nXKctxMxMNkqfWWyFsFPlNWsnRqlpxm3zlZZdsJ6AY-rYEgsgh0eMpg_KxGjX8J0GUufvU2mDCFO22dEDnnIR3fvbjCEmrWq9W6lw1rPppnrhAAVzc1TdemMoitfago8jwu_W2RcfE/s1600/percy-jackson-and-the-lightning-thief.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6nXKctxMxMNkqfWWyFsFPlNWsnRqlpxm3zlZZdsJ6AY-rYEgsgh0eMpg_KxGjX8J0GUufvU2mDCFO22dEDnnIR3fvbjCEmrWq9W6lw1rPppnrhAAVzc1TdemMoitfago8jwu_W2RcfE/s200/percy-jackson-and-the-lightning-thief.jpg" width="129" xya="true" /></a>If you like your stories spiced up with a bit of mythology, then <em>Percy Jackson</em> is the series for you! After a teacher turns into a monster and attacks him, Percy Jackson discovers that he is the son of the Greek sea-god Poseidon, that Greek gods are alive and well in America (they reside in the current cultural power of the western world), that the children of such gods live in relative safety in Camp Half-Blood, and that mosters are real and want to kill them.</div>
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And more than that, the slain father of head god Zeus - Percy's Grandfather - is reawakening and plotting to destroy the world. But Percy is a hero, and with his friends AnnaBeth (sassy and strategic daughter of Athena) and Grover (a satyr), he's the world's best hope! At first I dismissed this series as wannabe <em>Harry Potter</em>, but this series is exciting and original enough to stand on its own two feet. It's sequel-series, <em>The Heroes of Olympus</em>, is just as good if not better.</div>
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<u><em>Artemis Fowl</em> by Eoin Colfer</u></div>
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<a href="http://www.westexetc.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/artemisfowlbookcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.westexetc.devon.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/artemisfowlbookcover.jpg" width="126" xya="true" /></a>This action-packed series is as much sci-fi and action as fantasy. Its (anti)hero, Artemis, is a boy who believes in fairies - and he's also a criminal genius. His first adventure sees him attempt to steal fairy gold, after kidnapping fairy police officer Holly Short. The fairy seige that takes place afterwards earned the book the marketing accolade "<em>Die Hard</em> with fairies". Artemis is brilliant, exact and ruthless - but is there any good in him? Holly packs all the punch of a trapped John McClane (but shorter, and with wings), and the supporting characters - hulking manservant Butler, tech-genius centaur Foaly, and mud-tunnelling, farting dwarf Mulch Diggums compliment the story perfectly. It's always witty but never an out-and-out comedy, this unique adventure series will have you on the edge of your seat. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-84582479931937472362013-06-15T23:31:00.000+01:002013-06-15T23:31:06.670+01:00Father's Day #2... Exclusive Dad Story, "MetamorHorses"
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<u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">The Day My Dad Turned into a Horse</span></u></div>
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<u><span style="font-size: 16pt;">(MetamorHorses)</span></u></div>
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<em>Here's a story I've written that I'm hoping to have turned into a picture book at some point. I hope I'm not too unfair or judgemental to Sam's Dad - I know I've got some of his faults!</em><br />
<em>Despite the obvious lack of pictures, I hope you enjoy...</em><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span><o:p></o:p> </div>
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Before Sam’s Dad turned into a
horse, Sam and his Dad didn’t get to play together much. They did love to play,
but his Dad always had a bit more work to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[Sam is playing, while his Dad is on the laptop.]<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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One Sunday afternoon, Dad
promised to take Sam to a riding lesson, so Sam could be like a cowboy. But
just as they had their coats on, Dad got a phone call from work. Sam waited and
waited at the door, but it was too late. They had missed the lesson.</div>
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“Sorry, Sam… maybe next week,”
his Dad told him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sam went to bed feeling sad.<o:p></o:p></div>
But the next morning, something
magical happened.<o:p></o:p><br />
Sam came down to breakfast, and
found…<o:p></o:p><br />
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“Neigh!”<o:p></o:p></div>
His Dad had the head of a horse!<o:p></o:p><br />
Breakfast was messy because of
Dad’s new head. And Dad couldn’t get his shoes on, because his hands and feet
had turned into hooves.<o:p></o:p><br />
Sam’s Dad was a horse.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Dad trotted down the garden path,
and waited for Sam. Sam grabbed his cowboy hat, and jumped on.<o:p></o:p></div>
Sam and his Dad galloped along
the street, past the cars and the houses and the children going to school.<o:p></o:p><br />
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They raced the train, and chased
the sun, and rode the world and back.<o:p></o:p><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[Wide pic of having left the town, racing over meadows and towards the
beach.]</i><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They charged
down the hill onto the sand, and let the waves splash over them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sam bought
two ice creams, and they sat happily on the beach.<o:p></o:p><br />
Sam couldn’t remember spending
this much time with his Dad: No mobile, no emails; just the two of them.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sam and his
Dad had a wonderful day riding together. Sam didn’t feel scared on the horse –
he was with his Dad, and he was safe.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When the
sun was sinking in the sky, they finally headed home.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When they
arrived home, tired but happy, something strange happened.<o:p></o:p><br />
Dad didn’t go inside to check his
emails.<o:p></o:p><br />
Instead, he nudged a football
towards Sam.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Sam booted the ball, and his Dad
tried to kick it back –<o:p></o:p></div>
POP. The ball had burst, and now
the flowerbed was a mess, too.<o:p></o:p><br />
Never mind. They went indoors.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a tight
squeeze in the living room. Still, they could always buy another armchair.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>At bedtime,
Sam wanted his Dad to read him a story. But his Dad wouldn’t fit up the stairs,
and he ate the storybook.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sam’s Dad
made a good horse, and the horse made a good Dad. But he wished his Dad was a
man again.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The next
morning, Sam brushed his Dad’s coat, and fed him an apple for breakfast.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“ ‘Ank
‘oo,” said Dad.<o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It wasn’t
long before his human arms and legs and body grew back.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Once he had
a good wash and got dressed, Sam’s Dad opened his laptop. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Actually… that can wait,” he declared,
snapping it shut. “I’ve got better things to be doing with my day!” Sam’s Dad
declared. “Let’s see about those riding lessons!”<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And from
that day on, Sam’s Dad was never too busy for his son. He played games with
Sam, and read stories to him, took him horse riding…<o:p></o:p></div>
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And sometimes let Sam ride on his
back, too!<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-79821406330689943462013-06-15T23:07:00.004+01:002013-06-15T23:07:57.631+01:00Father's Day #1: Great Dads from Books<a href="http://www.westovergallery.co.uk/getattachment/250ded91-c586-4b8d-afb5-838313897aac/Fantastic-Mr-Fox-(1).aspx?width=468" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://www.westovergallery.co.uk/getattachment/250ded91-c586-4b8d-afb5-838313897aac/Fantastic-Mr-Fox-(1).aspx?width=468" width="320" /></a>Father's Day is here, and to celebrate, we're having an interlude to the month-long series "Fantasy: From Toddlers to Teens". Instead we've got a selection of great dads from children's books - as well as a few rotters! Do you agree with the list, or have I left out one of your favourites? Have your say on the comments area at the bottom of the page, or on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheLibraryNinja" target="_blank">Facebook page.</a><br />
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<u>Mr Fox from <i>Fantastic Mr Fox</i> and</u><br />
<u>William from <i>Danny, The Champion of the World</i> by Roald Dahl</u><br />
Everyone knows that Roald Dahl writes distinctive characters, but some of his lovliest, most wonderful characters are fathers - this despite the fact that his own father died when Dahl was 7. Mr Fox and William have a lot in common, even if their books are rather different. Both of them are poachers, who bring their children into their battle with villainous land owners. And they're both without a doubt, their children's heroes.<br />
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It may have been Mr Fox's poaching that got his family (and all the animal families in the area) in to trouble, but it's his love for his children that strengthens his resolve to save them. Even though we never act<br />
ually learn his cubs' names, Mr Fox is always referring to them as "my darlings".<br />
And William may not have Mr Fox's swagger, but he's certainly just as devoted a father. He's a protective Dad - after Mr Hazell, the local landowner, threatens Danny, William will no longer serve him at the petrol station, no matter what trouble it causes. And he's an exciting dad; stealing forth in the night to poach pheasants away from Mr Hazell. It's because of his Dad that Danny is able to be "the champion of the world". Both are good dads to have in a tight corner!<br />
<a href="http://www.katrinagermein.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Untitled1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://www.katrinagermein.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Untitled1.png" width="200" /></a><br />
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<u>The Dad from <em>My Dad Thinks He's Funny</em> by Katrina Germein and Tom Gellett</u><br />
A rather more normal dad, here. This is the dad who points at a cake and says, "There's my piece. What's everyone else having?" Or who doesn't have sugar in his tea because he's sweet enough. He thinks that jumping in the shower "sounds dangerous." In short, he's every dad, because none of us are <em>quite</em> as funny as we think we are! <br />
<a href="http://shropshirelive.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/guess-how-much-i-love-you-400x160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://shropshirelive.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/guess-how-much-i-love-you-400x160.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<u>Big Nutbrown Hare from <em>Guess How Much I Love You</em> by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram</u><br />
<u></u>Because Little Nutbrown Hare may love him "to the moon", but he loves Little Nutbrown Hare "to the moon... and back".<br />
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<u>James Potter and Sirius Black from the <em>Harry Potter</em> series by JK Rowling</u><br />
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42431000/jpg/_42431724_harry_sirius_imagenet_gall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42431000/jpg/_42431724_harry_sirius_imagenet_gall.jpg" width="320" /></a>Neither Harry's Dad or godfather get to spend as long with Harry as any of them deserve, but in their brief times, they have an indelible affect on him. Harry shares his recklessness and appetite for adventure with James and Sirius, and also his dedication towards his friends. Both James and Sirius die saving Harry, in the ultimate sacrifice of love. It's very moving seeing Sirius' gruffness slowly turn to affection towards Harry, and the Mirror of Erised scene from <em>Philosopher's Stone</em> and Harry's long walk to the Forest in <em>Deathly Hallows</em> - both of which, scenes where Harry meets his parents - are two of the most tender and heartbreaking scenes in the whole series.<br />
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<u>The Prodigal Son's Dad from Luke's Gospel (in the Bible - Luke ch.15)</u><br />
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The Prodigal Son (as he's known) was one bad kid. He practically tells his father he wishes his dad was dead, so that he could get his share of the inheritance. His father somehow graciously gives it to him, and the son goes and blows it all on parties. But then a credit crunch hits, and he's made penniless. He gets so hungry, he gets a job working with the pigs - a massive no no for Jews like him! So he decides to return home, and beg for a job as a servant.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZpxT83vNlG0VUYHAYivPiuiOUTOmSwVtzUkGPi0WRJkPIznY_ehetN40peMiRAibSNa3C2DTFY73ZD_h4ezrFLA11vbkMZOe9ec2K28tDTlez9h4beKPkRW4NOzjRirbKZwZXEzM6YoD/s1600/MrStink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZpxT83vNlG0VUYHAYivPiuiOUTOmSwVtzUkGPi0WRJkPIznY_ehetN40peMiRAibSNa3C2DTFY73ZD_h4ezrFLA11vbkMZOe9ec2K28tDTlez9h4beKPkRW4NOzjRirbKZwZXEzM6YoD/s320/MrStink.jpg" width="197" /></a>But the Father is the hero here; the Father who gave his son the freedom to leave, but searched the horizon every day for his return. When he finally sees his son approach, he runs out of the house, and embraces him. This is a culture where the wealthy were dignified above all else - imagining Alan Sugar running down the high street, sobbing and laughing, is only the start of how shocking it would have been. Then he welcomes his son back, gives him his cloak and ring (signs of family and authority) and throws a party for him. What a hero.<br />
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<u>Mr Crumb from <em>Mr Stink</em> by David Walliams</u><br />
Until Chloe makes friends with Mr Stink, her only real ally is her father, Mr Crumb. He's a kind, caring man, but lives in the shadow of his overbearing wife. One day, Chloe finds him hiding in a cupboard, too scared to tell his wife he's lost his job. But despite that, he's a source of encouragement for Chloe. And he's got a really cool secret in the shed.<br />
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<a href="http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads//2011/02/atticus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads//2011/02/atticus.jpg" width="252" /></a><u>Atticus Fitch from <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> by Harper Lee</u><br />
It's not quite a children's book, this, but it nearly counts, and Atticus is often cited as the best father in fiction. He's quiet and bookish, he's a lawyer, and his children think all the other dads are more exciting, but he's the best man there is in Maycomb. He's a sharpshooter who doesn't like harming others, and he refuses to bow to pressure to racial prejudice. He's Jem and Scout's heroes, and teaches them compassion, and to see the hypocrisy around them. He's a great dad, but Jem and especially Scout are amazing characters, too.<br />
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And some terrible dads...<br />
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<u>Mr Wormwood from <em>Matilda</em> by Roald Dahl</u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMfCQvsNtXUq5N_1ijO5eLOMaN-WRwoE33QGEQc1EgtVWBKj1h1wRt3vnEVrffwEx8r97QhXmcEUHOhviDo7r5p2dxBqVV9wGf630-oo1GcZ9JyHWonGr9BsjaXoAdTVvauDWvseqjuk/s1600/matilda-blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMfCQvsNtXUq5N_1ijO5eLOMaN-WRwoE33QGEQc1EgtVWBKj1h1wRt3vnEVrffwEx8r97QhXmcEUHOhviDo7r5p2dxBqVV9wGf630-oo1GcZ9JyHWonGr9BsjaXoAdTVvauDWvseqjuk/s320/matilda-blog.JPG" width="236" /></a>Like I said, Roald Dahl does great characters, but Matilda's Dad is a true rotter. He's one Dahl's more believable villains; not as fearsome as Miss Trunchbull, but is mean, selfish and small-minded. He dotes on his lazy, stupid son, but wilfully refuses to see the warmth and genius in his daughter. The only thing he actively tries to teach his children is how to scam customers through his car business. He well and truly deserves the practical joke that Matilda plays on him, and moving in with Miss Honey is the best thing that could have happened to Matilda.<br />
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<u>Lord Asriel from <em>His Dark Materials</em> by Philip Pullman</u><br />
Lord Asriel spends a fair amount of time as a distant hero-figure to Lyra, but his detached love for Lyra doesn't stop him mercilessly kidnapping and murdering her best friend Roger. He's just as bad as the despicable and manipulative Mrs Coulter, but at least they come good, in the end, in their own ways.<br />
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<u>The Father from <em>Hansel and Gretel</em> by the Brothers Grimm</u><br />
Really, he let his his new wife lead his children into the forest to die? It makes little difference that he was pleased to see them return alive, he still let it happen!<br />
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<u>Cassy's Dad from <em>Wolf </em>by Gillian Cross</u><br />
Cassy lives with her sensible grandmother, and occassionally with her flightly, childish mother. Neither of them will tell her about her father. But something starts stalking Cassy: is it her father, or a wolf? It turns out it's both (well, the wolf is metaphorical). Her father is actually a terrorist for the IRA, and wants her to stash some plastic explosives. Bad dad indeed.<br />
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So what do you think? What dads have I missed off the list? Is Lord Asriel as bad as all that? Have your say just below, or on the Facebook page HERE! Oh, and if you like cinema's most famous father and son (that's Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, sorry Don Corleones), then check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-St6ogOIzw" target="_blank">this short Father's Day video.</a> It's really funny!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-19465724800291132472013-06-10T21:50:00.002+01:002013-06-16T19:47:36.571+01:00Five Brilliant Fantasy Picturebooks<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Fantasy: From Toddlers to Teens</u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Magic, adventures, monsters… There's nothing like fantasy to fire your child's imagination. Of course, it could easily argued that the majority of fiction is fantasy and wish fulfilment, (from <i>The Tiger that Came to Tea</i> to <i>The Man With the Golden Gun</i>) but for my second fantasy installment, I'm sticking with it as a genre. Whilst I could pick loads and loads, here are five excellent fantasy picturebooks that young boys and girls alike should enjoy.</span></div>
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348206848l/1110034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348206848l/1110034.jpg" width="270" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>T<u>he Kiss that Missed, </u></i><u>by David Melling</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">When a busy king blows his son a hasty kiss goodnight, the kiss <i>misses</i>, and flies out of the window. And so it's up to the king's loyal knight, and the knight's loyal horse, to go and retrieve the royal kiss, which is busy zooming around the forest. On their quest, they face swoopy owls, dribbly wolves, and growly bears… and a gigantic DRAGON! They may have been searching for the royal kiss, but it's the kiss that saves them in the end. This story is great fun, and never waivers in being warm, cuddly, and entertaining. And Melling's illustrations are a real treat! Perfect bedtime reading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">And if you like this, don't miss its two sequels, <i>Good Knight, Sleep Tight</i> and <i>The Three Wishes</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u><i>Room on the Broom</i>, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler</u></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.gruffaloshop.com/media/AbstractArticleBigData/image/WarehouseArticle-10152/Donaldson-and-Scheffler-Room-on-the-Broom-Hardback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.gruffaloshop.com/media/AbstractArticleBigData/image/WarehouseArticle-10152/Donaldson-and-Scheffler-Room-on-the-Broom-Hardback.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">"I am a dog as keen as can be, is there room on the broom for a dog like me?" A witch is riding her broom with her cat, but keeps dropping things! She makes friends with the animals who help her - a keen dog, a green bird, and a clean frog - and lets them accompany her on her broom. Which is just as well, because there's a dragon coming, who fancies witch and chips for tea…<br />Whilst this story isn't quite as ingenious as their mega-hit <i>The Gruffalo</i>, the rhyme, rhythm and illustrations are the real stars here, and they make the book a joy to read (yes, and re-read).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u><i>On the Way Home</i>, by Jill Murphy</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">A young girl, Claire, has hurt her knee, so walks back home to her Mum. But on the way home, she keeps bumping into her friends who keep asking her how she hurt her knee. And so she tells them. But was it a crocodile attack that hurt her knee? Or being carried off by a flying saucer? What about the dragon or the giant or the witch that all tried to carry her off? The story of how Claire hurt her knee grows in the telling, and the punchline - that she simply fell off a swing - rounds it off perfectly. Claire's such a fun, imaginative, <i>realistic</i> child (by which I mean her stories are completely over the top!) that you can't help but overlook the fact that she's basically been lying to all her friends. It is, after all, a story about telling stories: it may not strictly speaking be 'fantasy', but the whole story is <i>about </i>fantasy. Jill Murphy may be better remembered <i>for The Worst Witch</i>,<i> </i>her <i>Large Family </i>books or <i>Whatever Next!</i>, but this is a classic story - fun, exciting, and just a little bit spooky - that I loved as a boy, and my children still enjoy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u><i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>, by Maurice Sendak</u></span><br />
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<a href="http://geektyrant.com/storage/2011-post-images/where-the-wild-things-are%202.jpeg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331841578163" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="http://geektyrant.com/storage/2011-post-images/where-the-wild-things-are%202.jpeg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331841578163" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Apart from Eric Carle's <i>The Very Hungry Caterpillar</i>, there probably isn't a picturebook with a higher, more ingrained place in children's picturebook literature. They're the books that children's parents had read to them as children. And whilst <i>The Very Hungry Caterpillar</i> now has a massive merchandising presence, <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i> now has a critically acclaimed feature length film and spin off adult novel.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">You probably know the story. When Max acts like a wild thing, he is sent to bed without any supper. There he travels in and out of days, to the land where the Wild Things are. They make him King of the Wild Things. Let the wild rumpus start!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjms6T0tGoB1sV54hutJu6IpxkpAracUzwdnCfCnBl49rus8VUtcGvofYjKbgIzOfROaAlzawpkHNgWUGZvBMjM-2_LAMZhpDzA9ZQc3ZsN0C0t1XxwN3MsCrmX0cHt1EQPsGLD9CJi4Mhn/s1600/Maurice+Sendak+Google.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjms6T0tGoB1sV54hutJu6IpxkpAracUzwdnCfCnBl49rus8VUtcGvofYjKbgIzOfROaAlzawpkHNgWUGZvBMjM-2_LAMZhpDzA9ZQc3ZsN0C0t1XxwN3MsCrmX0cHt1EQPsGLD9CJi4Mhn/s320/Maurice+Sendak+Google.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's testament to this story how popular it still is (and how much has been written about it), despite the fact that it's only a few sentences long, and it doesn't waste a single word (very much unlike the film, which I wanted to love, but couldn't bring myself to). This is very possibly the perfect picturebook. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Also, two fun facts: 1. This is the only book on the list not to feature a dragon. 2. Whilst Maurice Sendak died last year, today would have been his 85th birthday, and Google are celebrating...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><u><i>The Snow Dragon</i>, by Vivian French and Chris Fisher</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This story is the biggest step into epic fantasy for children, with a prologue, and everything! The north used to be ruled by the peaceful snow dragons, and the south by fierce, cruel fire dragons. In the middle lived the two-legs, humans. After hearing a doom-laden prophesy from the magical, living Book, the King of the Fire Dragons wages war on snow dragons and two-legs alike. Soon, the two-legs are left hiding in caves, and the snow dragons are little more than legend. But when a young boy discovers the long lost Book, they go on a quest together to find the last ever snow dragon, to get her to defeat the fire dragons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Seeing that I've only just described the plot summary there, you can see that this is a big'un. It's two or three times the length of most picturebooks. It's not one for very little kids, but I know several boys who have really liked it from the age of three-ish. Make sure you've got time to actually read this before you start - I've got in trouble with the wifey before for reading it and sending the kids to bed late! But if you have enough time, enjoy it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That's it for now - see you in a few days for a Father's Day post: Great dads from stories, and also a 'Dad' story of my very own. 2 bits of literary news: very sad to hear of the passing of the amazing author Iain Banks. But congrats to Malorie Blackman, the new Children's Laureate. She may not be <a href="http://thelibraryninja.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/booky-hero-1-nick-sharratt.html" target="_blank">Nick Sharratt</a>, but she's an excellent choice! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-62723243818656291062013-06-05T09:10:00.000+01:002013-06-05T09:10:33.012+01:00Booky Hero #2... NEIL GAIMAN!<u><span style="font-size: large;">Fantasy: From Toddlers to Teens</span></u><br />
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Our Booky Hero this month is Neil Gaiman, fantasy extrordinaire. There's no one quite like Gaiman, a masterful modern-day weaver of fairytales. Writing-wise, he's done it all: picturebooks, children's storybooks, adult fiction... He's written two recent <em>Doctor Who </em>episodes to date, and he made his name writing the <em>Sandman </em>graphic novels for DC comics, and that showcased the fantasy he's become known for; dark and rich, sometimes horrific, and always wonderful. He's releasing a new and eagerly anticipated novel for adults this month, named <em>The Ocean at the End of the Lane </em>(find out more about that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15783514-the-ocean-at-the-end-of-the-lane" target="_blank">here</a>), and to celebrate, I'm holding a month-long series called 'Fantasy: From Toddlers to Teens'. If your kid loves dragons, or if you can't wait for your child to read <em>The Happy Life of Ned Stark</em> but figure that all that sex and violence is a bit unsuitable for your three year old, then this blog is the place for you this month!<br />
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I'm not going to simply pick my favourite Neil Gaiman books to showcase this time, because his works are too varied for my favourites to show the whole picture. Instead, I'm showcasing five books of his to appeal as many people as possible, starting at the ones aimed at young children, and working my way up. Let's get cracking!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/vo9EWCVNDjTrSzkEWM9hOu-l3IZP99cOGrpegkaxikvL8WrILWCJPHWrnJN6tXHrNyd9nvVu1OExjxdTFcwBP330CdCAbIoe5ffDadY9l2W2IhlCVzRtglbhknwJz0CLXA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/vo9EWCVNDjTrSzkEWM9hOu-l3IZP99cOGrpegkaxikvL8WrILWCJPHWrnJN6tXHrNyd9nvVu1OExjxdTFcwBP330CdCAbIoe5ffDadY9l2W2IhlCVzRtglbhknwJz0CLXA" width="320" /></a><u>1. <em>Chu's Day</em></u> (Illustrated by Adam Rex)<br />
This is one of Gaiman's most recent books, and it's his first picturebook for very small children. Chu is a little panda, with a terrible problem: when he sneezes, bad things happen! His mum takes him to a dusty library. Will he sneeze? His Dad takes him to a peppery cafe. Will he sneeze? His parents take him to the circus. Oh no, HE'S GOING TO SNEEZE! This is a light, fun read that all children will enjoy, and it's strengthened by some great illustrations. If you enjoy this, watch out for the sequel, <em>Chu's First Day of School</em>, out May next year.<br />
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<u>2. <em>The Wolves in the Walls</em></u> (Illustrated by Dave McKean)<br />
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Inspired by his young daughter's nightmare, this award-winning classic is great for slightly older children, and one that adults will enjoy, too. Lucy can hear noises in the walls of her old house, and she's convinced that there are wolves living in the walls. Her family don't believe her, saying it must be mice, rats or bats. After all, as everyone knows, "when the wolves come out of the walls, <em>it's all over</em>!" But what will happen when the wolves <em>do</em> come out of the walls? This tale is a little bit creepy, but it's funny too. I'm not always a big fan of Dave McKean (which is probably a big faux pas, as he's Gaiman's biggest collaborater... I recognise his talent, but I often don't connect aesthetically with his work), but his art compliments the creepiness and quirkiness of the story perfectly! <br />
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Ask different people, and they'll give you a different age recommendation for this book. I've seen some people call it 9+, which I think is a bit excessive. I wouldn't suggest that under 5s read it, as they'll probably get freaked out! But although the book is about fearing wolves, it's ultimately about defeating wolves, and that's a valuable lesson for everyone.<br />
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If you like this, why not try <em>The Day I Swapped Dad for Two Goldfish</em> by Gaiman and McKean, or for another creepy, older children's picturebook, try <em>The Lost Happy Endings</em> by Carol Ann Duffy and Jane Ray.<br />
<a href="http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97814088/9781408818626/0/0/plain/coraline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97814088/9781408818626/0/0/plain/coraline.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
<u>3. Coraline</u><br />
A much loved book made into a much loved film. Just stay away if you don't like buttons...<br />
When Coraline and her parents move home into an old house, she discovers a locked door in her bedroom. Coraline is filled with curiosity about tlhis door, and when she manages to unlock it, she discovers a long tunnel, leading to an identical house, occupied by her Other Mother and Other Father. Her Other parents and Other home are like mirror images of her real ones, except for one thing: her Other Mother and Other Father have buttons for eyes. Coraline's welcome to stay in this wonderful Other world - but only if she'll sew buttons into her eyes too. Apalled, she comes back through the tunnel to her real house... only to find that her parents have been captured by the Other Mother. Can Coraline free her parents and deafeat the Other Mother? Or will she become the Other Mother's next victim?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP3VKtVdBpyIW6eCDPU_tWa2jVmX8nRfGf9bH525YcqsJWzDYyRStwcenU42nUML_qHu_HIO70MoVC2MPPqXnDIKZfsCIFieqBTxGfsQELDSDXkldQ2ZKAXlvnpy8cpbZ2Xn6gM46Ow6q/s320/other+mother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHP3VKtVdBpyIW6eCDPU_tWa2jVmX8nRfGf9bH525YcqsJWzDYyRStwcenU42nUML_qHu_HIO70MoVC2MPPqXnDIKZfsCIFieqBTxGfsQELDSDXkldQ2ZKAXlvnpy8cpbZ2Xn6gM46Ow6q/s320/other+mother.jpg" /></a>As with <em>The Wolves in the Walls</em>, (<em>Coraline </em>is a year older<em>)</em> this story features a young girl fighting to save her family in a house taken over by a monster. That said, it has a more adventurous feel to it, and is a complete and utter joy to read. A hero may only be as good as its villain - and the Other Mother is a fantastic, unforgettable baddy - but Coraline's bravery, cleverness and resolve, coupled with her little-girl silliness, makes her a truly great heroine. Parents may think it'll scare the children, but trust me - the kids will love it!<br />
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If you like this, try Gaiman's <em>The Graveyard Book - </em>inspired by <em>The Jungle Book,</em> but featuring a boy raised by ghosts. If you want see another bizarre departure from the 'real world', read Lewis Carroll's <em>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland</em> if you haven't already. And if you want another irrepressable fantasy heroine, who better than Lyra from <em>Northern Lights</em> by Philip Pullman?<br />
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<u>4. Neverwhere</u><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510J9VGDFPL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510J9VGDFPL.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="195" /></a>Venturing into adult fiction here. My head tells me to go with <em>Stardust</em> here, a superb fairytale, and already a popular film (note of caution to parents: the movie was a family film, though the opening scenes of the book contain a not-too-explicit sex scene). By my heart will always ultimately go with <em>Neverwhere</em>, my first Neil Gaiman love. Originally written for a 1996 BBC TV series (back when TV wasn't generally a good place for sci-fi/fantasy), and then released as a novel, <em>Neverwhere</em> takes us on a journey to London Below, the world, um, below London. It's a world of people fallen through the cracks; of magic and danger, wonder and horror. A world where the Earl holds Court on a train, there's an Angel called Islington - and where the two undefeatable assassins stalk a young woman with an extrordinary power. Into all this is dragged Richard Mayhew, a kind-hearted, out-of-his-depth young man from our London. Because he's slipped through the cracks, too, losing his fiancee, flat and job - and Londoners Above can't even see him. So the only way of getting back his own life is to help the Lady Door escape her would-be assassins, and reach the Angel Islington. If he can live that long.<br />
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Gaiman himself has called <em>Neverwhere</em> a boys-own adventure (it's been described as 'Narnia on the Northern Line') with stock characters, but what characters they are! Reading it as a teen clearly left its mark on me, and now Richard has become for me the quintessential everyman hero. But the supporting characters...! Was there anyone ever as charismatic or enigmatic as the Marquis de Carabas? Or a double act like the two killers, Croup and Vandemar? And Door? Aah, Door!<br />
Read this and you'll never view the Underground in the same way again.<br />
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If you like this, try the TV series, or this year's excellent Radio 4 adaptation (with a great, truly all-star cast). Read <em>Stardust</em>. Read <em>American Gods </em>and <em>Anansi Boys</em>. Read <em>Good Omens</em>, co-written with Terry Pratchett. Move on to his short stories. And when you can, read <em>The Ocean at the End of the Lane!</em><br />
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<u>5. <em>The Sandman</em> Graphic Novels</u><br />
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This graphic novel follows the Endless, a family of immortals who are perhaps the most powerful entities in the universe. Most of the time, the main protagonist is Dream (aka Morpheus), though all siblings play their parts (not least the surprisingly lovely goth-girl Death). The stories are multi-layered and thoroughly imaginative. If you thought comics were just for super heroes, then this will change your mind!<br />
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But <em>Preludes and Nocturnes </em>has a proper nasty scene!<br />
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After this, try the (slightly lighter) <em>Fables</em> by Bill Willingham.<br />
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And there you go. That's (finally) it for now. <br />
See you soon as we explore some great fantasy picturebooks.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-56981174782267341212013-05-28T17:58:00.002+01:002013-05-28T18:02:37.296+01:00Seen Iron Man 3? Read Iron Man: Extremis!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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Meanwhile, Dr Aldrich Killian [Guy Pearce in an enlarged role in <em>Iron Man 3</em>], a scientist who worked on the Extremis drug, commits suicide after admitting that he stole the drug and passed it on. The colleague who finds him, Maya Hansen, [Rebecca Hall in the film] is a former lover of Tony Stark's and calls him for help. She explains that Extremis is nano-technology: microscopic machinery, capable of rewriting and enhancing a person's DNA. Tony is determined to stop the super-soldier, but is nearly killed in a fight with him, despite wearing the Iron Man suit. It seems there's only one way to stop him...</div>
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<a href="http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/chunkyzergling/fc0ee81cef8292685d12f717e1edc03f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/chunkyzergling/fc0ee81cef8292685d12f717e1edc03f.jpg" width="300" yya="true" /></a><em>Extremis </em>is often hailed as one of the best <em>Iron Man</em> storylines ever, and that's quite likely a fair accolade. The plot itself is something of a turning point for <em>Iron Man</em>, and it also does a good job of exploring Stark's character. Tony Stark started out an arms dealer, but changed his company's direction when he became Iron Man. But is Iron Man itself just a harbinger of violence? But the standout scene for me doesn't involve Tony Stark. It features Mallen, the extremist, extremis-enhanced terrorist, travelling outside a small town on his way to his next target. There he meets a teenage girl, who's something of an outcast in the town. She doesn't think like the others there, and she doesn't trust the government. Mallen suspects he's found an ally, but when he reveals his identity, she is sickened. "You're just as bad as they are!" she yells at him before he incinerates her with his fiery breath. She's only in three or four pages, and we never learn her name, but that girl sticks in my mind months after I've read the book, in an extent that rarely occurs. </div>
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If you like the <em>Iron Man</em> films, but don't normally read graphic novels, why not give this one a go? And if you read comics anyway, but haven't read this yet, hurry up and get a move on!<br /><br /><br />Next month sees the release of the new books from both Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, so to celebrate, this blog will host the series "Fantasy: From Toddler to Teen". See you then!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-31873003369380085792013-05-24T15:10:00.002+01:002013-05-24T15:10:50.230+01:00Four Great Picturebooks Dealing with DeathDeath is that most sensitive of subjects, and a particularly confusing one for children, too. If you ever need to talk to a young child about death, or if someone close to them has died, then maybe one of these books can help. I'll admit that story-wise, I've never gone deeper with my kids than Judith Kerr's <em>Goodbye Mog</em>, which will bring a smile to your face, and a tear to your eye. The four books below may well do that and more, but are told mainly from the point of view of those left behind (unlike <em>Mog</em>). They're accessible and tender introductions to the theme of death.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxKoZKdGo7GjRB9Lv8hmi3YJQFZT8i7Q-ZaqVFUpRp5aHxwRW2tUtqACvC7JJmcwDGGdlw7OhNPWR_mkrW8ZUHU_pk4kOj9OW_dhzvjeyjj9N6kJ1KNzofUGgONiFy8P1__aM1Ma1nZdd/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-07-15+at+12.47.46+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxKoZKdGo7GjRB9Lv8hmi3YJQFZT8i7Q-ZaqVFUpRp5aHxwRW2tUtqACvC7JJmcwDGGdlw7OhNPWR_mkrW8ZUHU_pk4kOj9OW_dhzvjeyjj9N6kJ1KNzofUGgONiFy8P1__aM1Ma1nZdd/s320/Screen+shot+2010-07-15+at+12.47.46+AM.png" width="265" ya="true" /></a><u><em>Grandma's Gloves</em>, by Cecil Castelucci and Julia Denos</u></div>
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A young girl loves spending time with her Grandma: getting squirted by the hose, drinking jasmine tea, but most of all, gardening. Grandma is teaching the girl everything she knows about gardening, when she takes ill and dies. After the funeral, no one but the girl notices that Grandma's plants are wilting. She realises that she can teach her Mum about gardening, just as Grandma taught her.</div>
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This story is beautiful, both in words and picture - lovely coloured sketchwork that you don't seem to see so much anymore. It's incidentally the only story out of the four that features humans dying, rather than animals. It's very much set in the real world, but is infused with warmth and hope.</div>
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<u><em>Heaven</em>, by Nicholas Allan</u><br />
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Lily's dog Dill has packed his suitcase for a very long trip - and it's one that Lily can't go on just yet. But what is it like in Heaven? Lily's idea is of rollercoasters and sweets, but Dill is sure Heaven is full of bones and lampposts and smells. Lily misses Dill terribly, but she later befriends a stray puppy, filling his life with bones and lampposts and smells. As Dill reflects from his cloud up above, he must think he's in Heaven already!</div>
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This is certainly the most humourous of the four (Nicholas Allan is the author of <em>The Queen's Knickers</em> and <em>Cinderella's Bum</em>,so that's perhaps to be expected), but is wise, moving, and thought-provoking just the same.</div>
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<a href="http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97805525/9780552567657/0/0/plain/always-and-forever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97805525/9780552567657/0/0/plain/always-and-forever.jpg" width="317" ya="true" /></a><u><em>Always and Forever</em>, by Alan Durant and Debi Gliori</u></div>
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Otter, Mole, Fox and Hare live together as a family in their house inside a tree. Fox is very much the father of the little family, and when he dies a gloom settles over the others, like the snow outside. Even talking about the good times just hurts too much. But as Spring arrives and the snow melts, Squirrel visits them, and helps pick them back up. He helps them remember and laugh at funny, silly memories of Fox - the time he built a chair, which broke straight away; the time he did the weeding, but dig up the carrots instead; the time he baked a pie and burned it all. This lightens their spirits and brings healing to them. They decide to honour and enjoy Fox's memory by building a new garden bench, planting more carrots and baking a pie.</div>
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Debi Gliori's illustrations are always a pleasure and very child-friendly, but this book deals with the lingering, debilitating effects that grief can have if left unchecked. Yet despite that, even in its darkest times, it is never too despairing for most children, and shows that joy can return.<br />
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<u><em>Badger's Parting Gifts</em> by Susan Varley</u><br />
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<a href="http://images.betterworldbooks.com/068/Badger-s-Parting-Gifts-Varley-Susan-9780688115180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="http://images.betterworldbooks.com/068/Badger-s-Parting-Gifts-Varley-Susan-9780688115180.jpg" width="320" ya="true" /></a>This picturebook classic is still Susan Varley's best-known book, though it was written way back in 1984. It looks at first glance like a <em>Wind in the Willows</em> type of story; and indeed it is - until Badger dies. Badger finds himself walking down the Long Tunnel: slowly with his stick at first, and then running, as the strength returns to his old legs. But all his friends know is that their friend is dead and gone, and will be with them no more. In time, each of them are able to recognise a strength or skill that they have, which Badger helped them to develop - the "parting gifts" of the title. Making use of those gifts both honours Badger and helps each other.</div>
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It's not hard to see why this book is so well loved, and both the text and artwork have a style to them not often seen in newer releases. This book (as with <em>Heaven</em>) will comfort the young reader by lingering slightly on the dying beloved before returning to the bereaved friends. Badger's run is as lovely an image is you could hope for.<br />
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I'm struck in reviewing these four books together that although they are each different, they have a common theme: remembering the deceased, and making use of what they have taught you. This way, we honour our friend, and bring something of them into ours and others' lives. I hope that one of these books can be helpful and a comfort if ever you need them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-86564799988535985872013-05-17T00:55:00.000+01:002013-05-17T01:01:03.075+01:00"The Knife of Never Letting Go", and a terrible secret revealed.Ok, third feature... so before we get too chummy, I've got a confession to make: I'm a 28 year old bookaholic (or bibliophile if you want to play it classy), with an affinity for Young Adult fiction, but I only read <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> earlier this year, to the shock (and perhaps disgust) of some of my colleagues and library borrowers. What's more, to force myself to start reading it (continuing reading it was easy!). You see, when I get told too many times that I <em>have to</em> read a book, it turns me off it. I'm not quite sure why this is, but it does. On the plus side, it's given me further cushioning from reading Dan Brown or <em>Fifty Shades</em>, but it also nearly stopped me watching <em>The</em> <em>West Wing</em>, reading <em>Mockingbird</em> - or reading Patrick Ness' <em>The Knife of Never Letting Go.</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.walker.co.uk/walkerdam/getimage.aspx?id=9781406320756-1&size=webuse" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.walker.co.uk/walkerdam/getimage.aspx?id=9781406320756-1&size=webuse" width="260" /></a>Because Patrick Ness and his recent novels for Young Adults have received an awful lot of acclaim. His <em>Chaos Walking</em> trilogy (of which <em>Knife</em> is the first, followed by <em>The Ask and the Answer</em>, and <em>Monsters of Men</em>), won him oodles of the top book prizes (including the Carnegie). His follow up - <em>A Monster Calls</em>, based on an idea from YA fiction wunderkind Siobhan Dowd before her death - if anything earned more praise, and a second Carnegie Medal. Finally, I gave in, and read a book I knew logically that I should love.<br />
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And boy, did I love it. Here's the basic plot, with mild spoilers:<br />
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Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown, the one surviving settlement on New World. There are no girls left, no women; just men. Todd and the men of Prentisstown are infected with a virus that produces "Noise", meaning that everyone can hear what all the men are thinking. And yet, days before the birthday that will make Todd a man, he discovers that Prentisstown has been lying to him his whole life. When Todd discovers that most impossible of things - a <em>girl </em>(and what's more, one without Noise) - they must both run for their lives. Because Prentisstown wants them, and it won't stop until it gets them.<br />
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The narrative is present-tense and first person, getting you well and truly into Todd's head - and unfortunately into the head of everyone else he can hear. The characterisation is masterful, and everyone you meet feels real and alive. This makes Aaron, the town's malevolent and imposing preacher, a terrifying character to behold. But it's also one of the things that elevates the book from being a really good adventure, to being a multi-layered masterpiece. The building relationship between Todd and Viola, from reluctantly protecting each other to... well... willingly, determinedly protecting each other, is perhaps the strongest YA book coupling since <em>His Dark Materials</em>'s Will and Lyra (though Katniss from <em>The Hunger Games</em> is probably the best heroine since Lyra). In fact, Ness seems to write with a similar scale of ambition to <em>HDM</em>'s Philip Pullman, and with as electrifying results.<br />
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Oh, and Todd's devoted dog Manchee (who also has Noise) really does show that a dog is a man's best friend. Not that Todd's a man yet. Or is he? What it is to be a man is a major theme of the novel, as is war. Are there times when the stronger man in fact lets go of the knife? And what dark secret is compelling Prentisstown to chase Todd and Viola?<br />
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You may have been one of the lucky many who were given a free copy of the book in this year's World Book Night. But either way, I urge you to read it, whether you're 13, or 83. It's not a particularly happy book, or a hope-filled one. But my goodness, it's a stonker of a story.<br />
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I hope saying that doesn't put you off.<br />
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Patrick Ness' new book for adults, <em>The Crane Wife,</em> is out now.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-85860734484172365632013-05-13T00:20:00.001+01:002013-05-14T20:30:39.080+01:00"Tales from Mudpuddle Farm" - Michael Morpurgo's Animal Fun!Michael Morpurgo has been writing stories for over thirty years, with the likes of <em>Kensuke's Kingdom, Private Peaceful </em>and of course, <em>War Horse</em> (published in 1982, it's finally a mega-hit, thanks to the recent success of the National Theatre production, which in turn paved the way for the Spielberg film last year). A good many of his most successful books fit into three categories: animal books, war books, and animals at war books. Well, it's safe to say that these books fall into the first category. Morpurgo's <em>Mudpuddle Farm</em> stars a whole range of farm animals in a series that children aged around 4-7 will really enjoy. And for those of you that are familiar with Michael Morpurgo's work, this may be a surprise... it's actually quite funny!<br />
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Gone are the tales of surviving adversity (am I being a tad stereotypical here?). Instead, there are short chapter-stories such as <em>And Pigs Might Fly!</em>, where Pintsize the piglet decides he wants to fly like a bird. When the other animals get sick of having to save him from his near-lethal attempts to get airborne, they decide to take matters into their own hands - um, paws - um, hooves - um, trotters. Talons. Wings? Whatever. How can they stop Pintsize from getting himself killed - or getting themselves squashed by him? Or there's <em>Albertine Goose Queen</em>, (which we got free from McDonald's, in a growing trend of theirs of giving away books in Happy Meals; which makes it harder to dislike them!) which features a fox loose on the farm. But when he needs help hiding from a hunt, should Albertine the goose trust him, or is this another cunning fox trick?<br />
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<br />The stories are warm, humorous, very child friendly, and occasionally quirky in a rather British way, and all of this is aided by Shoo Rayner's funny, slightly manic illustrations. There's a good few to choose from, so if your kids have tried the younger Dick King Smith books, or you want a break from Animal Ark and the like, then these are well worth checking out!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-22201845974457721972013-05-07T23:57:00.003+01:002013-05-14T20:34:19.227+01:00Booky Hero #1... NICK SHARRATT!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You've perhaps heard of Nick Sharratt. He's very popular with kids. But I feel pretty sure that whether you know the name or not, you'll be familiar with this work. You know Tracy Beaker - the book version, not Dani Harmer? She's drawn by him, as are pretty much all the Jacqueline Wilson books, giving them their distinctive style. (In fact, Wilson and Sharratt are one of the top author/illustrator teams alive today). He's done the Jeremy Strong books, too. And several picture books with Julia Donaldson. In fact, his website lists over 200 books that he's illustrated! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, if you've got kids, there's no escaping the almighty Nick Sharratt; whose work, to my mind, sits alongside Quentin Blake and Tony Ross (though Sharratt's work is perhaps brighter, cleaner and neater). All three draw with real childlikeness: it's not how children draw, it's how children <em>think</em> they draw, and that's what's so incredibly appealing about them.<br /><br />And whilst his work illustrating novels is brilliant, it's his picture book work I'd particularly like to draw your attention, because they showcase his skill, talent and humour much more than small black-and-white pictures are able to. Here are my three favourite picture books of his, all repeatedly enjoyed at storytimes, both at the library and at home with my kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This funny book answers questions about knights' lives, in humourous, catchy verses. Read this book to find out whether knights had TV, what they wore, and how they beat the dragon and the Bad Prince! It's not informative, but when it's this fun, it doesn't have to be. Sharratt is the perfect illustrator to show knights who are fearsome warriors on one page, and on another, tucked into bed by their mums for a nap!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.illustrationcupboard.com/uploads/illustrations/5bc3ae60-b655-4775-9846-4e4ee284c77f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://www.illustrationcupboard.com/uploads/illustrations/5bc3ae60-b655-4775-9846-4e4ee284c77f.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.twinkl.co.uk/image/book/eat-your-peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://www.twinkl.co.uk/image/book/eat-your-peas.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <em>Eat Your Peas</em>, by Kes Gray.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBR46AWxKGaCwx3gsxcTuFuo5UEmq7gIBz-_vw2z6WY_6xw4LjBE8X7zjGarBkf0s7sieCzbTnJ0SHnX6Xd5KlFpfeu0DBJF6PIBJf0EUYWHmfMtBFCehf7BHBONMuBDcFzluKPgY0-HM/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBR46AWxKGaCwx3gsxcTuFuo5UEmq7gIBz-_vw2z6WY_6xw4LjBE8X7zjGarBkf0s7sieCzbTnJ0SHnX6Xd5KlFpfeu0DBJF6PIBJf0EUYWHmfMtBFCehf7BHBONMuBDcFzluKPgY0-HM/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="306" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This laugh-out-loud hilarious tale is about a mum trying to get her daughter to eat her peas. But Daisy doesn't like peas, and has no intention of eating them... no matter what her Mum bribes her with! It's deceptively simple (both the text and the art), and that rare find: a conversational picture book! (See also: The <em>Baby Owl</em> books by Jonathan Allen)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mum's list of treats she'll give Daisy if she'll <em>just eat her peas </em>grows and grows (from sweets and staying up late, to chocolate factories and not having to go to bed <em>ever again</em>, to Africa and the Moon and stars!). The picture of Daisy zooms in as she gets more stubborn and cross. Parents may disapprove of the ending perhaps, but it's the <em>right</em> ending. In lesser hands, this could be so dull, but as it is, it's a comic masterpiece. And the good news is that it's just the first of a growing number of Daisy books, that are just as fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Number 1....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>You Choose</em>, written by Pippa Goodhart</span><br />
<a href="http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n558/pikuneko/9780552547086.jpg?t=1301305818" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n558/pikuneko/9780552547086.jpg?t=1301305818" width="279" /></span></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAs2uReO5SUx49SRtI2kKD0nKZWfYOL7Thpg5ZbyBT4vtLzbXzb_roTsSDa3ShKu9S3HZohJhmFMilbe0D5NTh8elf-uACRSc77-LeUSrTanr9N6P-LLte7nALKj9El-EcJHoGhI_dXw/s1600/you+choose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAs2uReO5SUx49SRtI2kKD0nKZWfYOL7Thpg5ZbyBT4vtLzbXzb_roTsSDa3ShKu9S3HZohJhmFMilbe0D5NTh8elf-uACRSc77-LeUSrTanr9N6P-LLte7nALKj9El-EcJHoGhI_dXw/s320/you+choose.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>You Choose</em>, along with its sort-of-sequel <em>Just Imagine</em>, are a different type of picture book. Instead of one that tells a story, they get the reader to decide the details for themselves. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Well, anywhere you like! City, seaside, jungle, desert, volcano, space... there's the choice of all that and more, with a picture to accommodate you. Where would you live? If you could choose your family and friends, what would they be like? What would your dream job be? These books are jam-packed full of more ideas than any book that size has any right to be! And whilst my eldest son (still only 5) is apt to pick some selections and stick with them for repeat readings, it doesn't detract from his enjoyment of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sequel, <em>Just Imagine</em> does further into the world of imagination as it invites you to consider the pros and cons of life as a giant or the size of a mouse; what if you were made out of jelly, or were magical; what if you lived underground, or in another period of history? My two year old daughter loves the books, and so do the eight year old school pupils who visit the library on trips. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Clearly lots of other children love it too, because it's just won the York Libraries Best Picture Book Ever Award, beating the likes of <em>The Gruffalo</em> and <em>The Very Hungry Caterpillar</em>! High praise indeed, and a fitting winner.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4Ux1YtnWD1Ip3iVdb7Z7orJWcrl_NWVulMFlfbrKag12rsnSYtOjLp8ccHSf-02DXfTUWr0-LcWdzduqGSNKdWrPhGxXfAeyi7oP8OIBkEz1bVNvdy4piGbE-_TU_icuURB8L3Nkxrk/s1600/imagine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4Ux1YtnWD1Ip3iVdb7Z7orJWcrl_NWVulMFlfbrKag12rsnSYtOjLp8ccHSf-02DXfTUWr0-LcWdzduqGSNKdWrPhGxXfAeyi7oP8OIBkEz1bVNvdy4piGbE-_TU_icuURB8L3Nkxrk/s320/imagine.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that's it for now. And I didn't even get to mention <em>Pants</em>, or <em>The Foggy, Foggy Forest</em>, or <em>What's in the Witch's Kitchen?</em>! With a great back catalogue like his, there's always more to enjoy! Long may he continue - and he's surely a good candidate for Children's Laureate once Julia Donaldson ends her reign.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out Nick Sharratt's website </span><a href="http://www.nicksharratt.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">here.</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And of course, all these images are copyright Nick Sharratt.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242631364181628280.post-41797038467823408152013-05-07T22:07:00.002+01:002013-05-08T00:01:26.519+01:00Hello, Here's a Book Blog.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello.<br /><br />I'm a librarian who loves good books. I love children's books. I love young adult books. And hey, every once in a while I enjoy a full-blown grown-up book too! As I was recommending another book to a friend, she suggested I started a book blog. Maybe that was just her attempt to shut me up. But either way, I thought that I could share some of my best reads with Johnny Internet. You may like some of them.<br /><br />And so, once a week or so, I'm going to throw a great book in your face. (Not literally; that'd be weird. And more hassle than it's worth.) Children's and YA books mostly, because I specialise in that area at my library, and it makes sense to give this blog a bit of focus. But hey, parents need books too, so every so often I'll be highlighting some excellent books just for them, too. There'll be some books that you'll definitely know (just because everyone's talking about them, doesn't mean they don't deserve people talking about them!) and hopefully some undiscovered gems that deserve more attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every month, I'm going to be showcasing a children's author or illustrator whose breadth of work deserves applause. Again, sometimes they'll be well-known, other times,they may be new to you, but either way, they'll be superb masters of their field (because when do you get a mediocre master?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And the first Booky Hero (right, that's what we're calling them, then?!) is...<br /><br />Nick Sharratt.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03908841344649585848noreply@blogger.com0