Titles for
Younger Readers
Meet the Weirds
Written by
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated
by Chris Mould
ISBN:
978-1781120743
This
is an excellent reprint of Kaye Umansky’s first story about Pinchton Primm and
the wonderfully strange family called the Weirds. Printed on cream paper with a carefully
chosen font and clear spacing, it has a ‘dyslexia friendly’ sticker on the
cover and has been tested by young readers. Pinchton leads a sedate and
organised life with his parents who only eat fish and a lot of radishes and are
very tidy. When a new family moves in
next door Mrs Primm is dismayed to see the garden full of boxes and crates and
even more concerned to learn that Ott and Frankly’s mother is a stunt woman and
their father an inventor. Pinchton meets
Ott over the garden hedge and is surprised by her strange clothes. She is very persuasive and he finds himself
next door eating chips from newspaper, wedding cake and pink custard. But, when
he sees that his mother’s flowers have been picked, the gnomes’ fishing rods
have been broken and worse of all, the two goldfish are missing, Pinchton
begins to worry. The language is clear and unambiguous and is lively and
descriptive too, whilst the illustrations are full of detail and humour and
compliment the story well. The ending leaves the reader, and Pinchton, guessing
about many of the weird goings on next door but thankfully there are more
stories in the series to be enjoyed.
Louise Stothard
Written by
Kaye Umansky
Illustrated
by Chris Mould
ISBN:
978-1781120767
If
your friend next door has a mad inventor dad, a stunt woman mum and a grandma
who never stops cooking chips over an open fire in the kitchen they may be a
little unusual themselves. If their last name is Weird and their house is a
mess, they may not be the safest houseguests when your parents are away for the
day, especially if your parents like things ‘just so’ with not a speck of dirt
on the cream rugs. This is just the situation that Pinchton Primm finds himself
in. In no time there’s a pile of mud in the kitchen and a hole in the ceiling.
Kaye Umansky has years of experience writing funny stories for children. Here,
most of the humour is derived from the contrast between Pinchton’s rigid home
life and the relaxed attitudes of the Weirds. Chris Mould’s style of
illustration compliments the story perfectly as his line drawings add to the
eccentricities of the characters. Published as it is by Barrington Stoke, the
Weird series is printed in a dyslexia friendly font on buff paper with the text
well-spaced. Good fun for newly independent readers that can work their way
through the series.
Annalise Taylor
Leave it to Eva
Written by
Judi Curtin
O’Brien
(eB) £6.99
ISBN:
978-1847173478
Eva
wants to help everyone who might need her to sort out their lives. This book
recounts two, seemingly separate, stories about Eva and her efforts to help her
friends and their families. At the beginning, each story stands alone and flows
along with barely a pause for breath, but there is a tenuous link which becomes
clearer as the book progresses. It is a
very enjoyable book to read, but it also touches on issues that are very much
current in our society today; care of the disabled and separated families.
Pat Thompson
Written by
Jonathan Rock
Red Fox
(eB) £5.99
ISBN:
978-1862309678
Connor
and his friends are members of the Sixth Matfield Scout Troop’s Tiger patrol,
and they love adventures! This story is about their cycle trip to Wales
Liz Dubber
Retold by
Sarah Lowes
Illustrated
by Miss Clara
Barefoot £6.99
ISBN:
978-1846866616
Another
beautiful book from the Independent Reading Series; one of the great
traditional tales of Hans Christian Anderson is retold here for confident
readers. Gerda’s best friend Kay is enticed away by the evil Snow Queen and
Gerda sets off across the world to find and reclaim him. Sarah Lowes rises to
the challenge of the inevitable constraints imposed by a scheme. Her style is
lyrical and understated, and she keeps the old-fashioned, storytelling tone of traditional
versions. French illustrator Miss Clara gives us beautiful pictures to match
the power of the text. The doll-like characters have the air of not quite
connecting with the sumptuous, vibrant warmth of their backgrounds – echoing,
perhaps, the tensions between the Snow Queen’s icy world and the warmth of
Gerda’s love. This is, all round, a lovely book to put into the hands of a
young reader, to take off into a quiet corner and be transported.
Yvonne Coppard
Written by
Nancy Hartry
Tundra (R)
(eB) £6.99
ISBN:
978-1770493605
The
narrator of the story is Carolyn, whose friend Jimmy has been brain-damaged due
to an ‘accident’. Weekly visits of Jimmy’s Uncle Ted haunt Carolyn, as she
knows Ted’s secret and shares it with the reader at an early stage in the
story. Eventually the truth emerges and
Uncle Ted is discredited. This is a great little story, set in Canada
Liz Dubber
Written by
Tom Avery
Frances
Lincoln (eB) £6.99
ISBN:
978-1847803894
This
sequel to Too Much Trouble follows
both Prince and his brother, Emmanuel, who together have escaped from danger in
the Democratic Republic of Congo and are trying to adapt to life in the UK Tanzania
Nigel Hinton
Written
by Malachy Doyle
ISBN:
978-1781121375
This is a new ‘dyslexia friendly’ title from
Barrington Stoke and it is yet another book written with an Olympic theme. Pete is a gifted young man. He can run, then
jump, then fly, but he has kept his astonishing jumping ability secret until
now. As the London Olympic Games approach, Pete dreams of being the youngest
ever athlete to win a gold medal, or even three, and so he starts to get
himself noticed at local athletic events and then at regional and national
level. Other more experienced athletes have their own dreams and, after years
of training, they are not about to let a young lad from nowhere spoil their
chances of glory. This short tale about sporting ambitions is easy to follow
and, if the Olympic theme isn’t already out of date, it may well appeal to
teenagers with dreams and ambitions of their own.
Jan Lennon
Retold
by Kathy McEvoy
Book
House £12.99
ISBN:
978-1908973030
This
volume contains graphic versions of Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Romeo and
Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Story panels include excerpts of original
Shakespearean dialogue with accompanying captions to interpret the action.
These captions act almost as a translation, and helpful footnotes explain the
more challenging language. Each play has an illustrated cast list at the beginning.
All these factors combine to make these stories an accessible route into the
plays proper. All in all, this could prove to be a useful aid to students who
need help understanding Shakespeare.
Annalise Taylor
Task Force Delta: Rogue Predator
Written by
Craig Simpson
Franklin
Watts (eB) £5.99
ISBN:
978-1445106946
This
book is one of a series of four created around the fictional Task Force Delta,
a Special Operations force whose work involves counter-terrorism, hostage
rescues and other covert operations. We are introduced to the Delta Force crack
team, and their first high-risk mission to locate a stolen Predator drone
aircraft. Complicating the mission is the promise that Major Nathan Connor made
to his old Afghan friend Assif to protect his son in the event of his own
death. Assif is indeed now dead,
murdered for being seen to collaborate with the occupying US Afghanistan US
Stella Maden
Titles for
Older Readers
Cat’s Cradle
Written by Nick Green
Strident
£6.99
ISBN:
978-1905537884
The
Cat Kin is an after-school club whose members possess ancient and peculiar
powers. In this third book, Tiffany is determined to stop the illegal trade in
big cat parts which threatens the survival of tigers worldwide. Ben doesn’t
want Tiffany to put herself into danger alone, but his parents have just got
back together and he does not want to put his family at risk, either. As Mrs
Powell, their teacher and mentor, is dead, Ben reluctantly joins Tiffany to
take on the followers of the ancient god Set, with the other club members
supporting. A dark and troubled tale ensues with action moving swiftly and threats
menacing the teens as those skilled in Pashki, the art of moving like a cat,
prowl the streets, warehouses and port
of London
Tina Massey
Operation Kick Butt
Written by
Niki Daly
Hodder
(eB) £4.99
ISBN:
978-1444900934
The
suggestion of community service, as part of a holiday project for school,
raises groans from Al and his friends, Sophie and Julian. However, at the
suggestion of Al’s grandmother, the trio volunteers to work at a local Care
Home, the Lady Buxom Home for Seniors, where Al’s Gran already teaches art. The
three arrive full of ideas and meet such a range of interesting and
idiosyncratic characters that they throw themselves whole-heartedly into the
task. However, all is not well at the Lady Buxom Home, with the main problem
being Mrs Black, the owner of the home. The dreadful Mrs Black is intent on
cutting care and food to the minimum and appears to be systematically robbing
the residents. Developing very strong attachments to the residents, the trio
decide, with the help of Gran and her very particular skills, to come to the
rescue. This fast moving and exciting book is a classic story of good
conquering evil. The reader becomes very involved with the characters and is
always willing for Al, Sophie and Julian to triumph.
Pat Thompson
Written by
Abby Grahame
Simon
& Schuster £6.99
IBSN:
978-0857079169
This
story is very reminiscent of Downton
Abbey, with all its Upstairs and
Downstairs characters and their very different, individual concerns. The
Darlington Family has lived at Wentworth Hall for generations, but money is
very short so Downstairs are thinking about job security and trying to make
plans for the future. Upstairs, however, have different problems: shortage of
money, trouble-making, but very rich, guests, relationships, children, and rich
potential marriage suitors. They also have their secrets which need to be
closely guarded, for, in addition, someone is writing an insider view of the
family, and although they are not named, it is clear which family is the
subject of the resultant gossip column. The book tackles such issues as the
impoverished gentry, illegitimacy, and the relationships between upstairs and down,
all happening at a time when the world is just about to be torn apart by a
World War.
Pat Thompson
Darwen Arkwright and the
Peregrine Pact
Written
by A. J. Hartley
Razorbill
(R) (eB) £7.99
ISBN:
978-1595144812
On
reflection, Darwen’s new life was not what he expected! Following his parents’
death, Darwen Arkwright moves to America Hillside ’s teachers
are not as they seem! Pre-teens will enjoy this thrilling adventure story.
Jane Hall
Shiverton Hall
Written by Emerald Fennell
ISBN 978-1408827789
Shiverton Hall, Emerald Fennell’s debut novel, is an
extremely likeable, well-written adventure story set in a creepy old school
where extremely odd things are happening. When Arthur Bannister
unexpectedly receives a letter offering him a scholarship at the boarding
school Shiverton Hall, he feels he can’t turn it down, despite the fact he
really doesn’t want to go there. He had had a
dreadful time at his previous school so going to Shiverton Hall would mean a
fresh start. What he doesn’t know is that Shiverton Hall is not an average
boarding school. When he gets there he does not see the nice welcoming place he
saw in the school prospectus but ‘a Gothic, turreted behemoth, all ridges and
spines and gargoyles.’ It is a really
hair-raising place, full of surprises and he’s glad to
quickly make some friends, despite the fact that one of them, George, delights
in telling him stories about the schools extremely
gruesome history, which make him feel a bit spooked. Soon it’s not just
Georges’ stories that are making him feel scared. Something bad is happening
and Arthur seems to be at the centre of it. Shiverton Hall is great fun. A fast paced exciting school/ghost story with engaging
and credible characters. I hope there will be more from Emerald Fennell.
Gillian Macdonald
Written by Alex Scarrow
Puffin
£6.99
ISBN: 978-0141337074
This
outstanding episode of the Time Riders
sequence begins with the 9/11 Twin
Towers London
and America
Tina Massey
Written by
Sally Prue
O.U.P.
(eB) £6.99
ISBN:
987-0192757111
It
has long been the bane of youth that grown-ups don’t listen. Go back to the era
of living in caves with flint tools and it was just the same. No! It was even
worse! Dare to challenge the way it was always done and your very life was at
risk. Being the leader meant being obeyed. For Mica this situation was
intolerable. She could see that without change there could be no future for her
little community. Starvation would surely come during the coming winter. Her
problem was that she had ideas and wanted to try something different. She was
also becoming aware that there were other people close by; people that used
their voices to make melodic sounds and people that used their hands to create
tiny creatures in stone. Such practices
were totally alien to her own experience and yet she was memorised by the
possibilities of something different. Sally Prue imagines a world in which
imagination itself has no part. Why did the Neanderthal die out while Homo
Sapiens flourished? Adaptability and creativity were always the keys to
survival and, somehow, Mica instinctively knew this. In a world where there was
no scope for imagination, Sally Prue has created a story that fully utilizes imagination
to delve into a past so very long ago.
Trevor Thompson
Wolf Princess
Written by
Cathryn Constable
Chicken
House (eB) £6.99
ISBN:
978-1908435347
This
book promises to be an exciting read, with a cover design that suggests a snowy
Russian landscape together with prowling wolves. The story revolves around Sophie, an orphan
who feels strangely drawn to join a school trip to Russia
Liz Dubber
The Last Wild
Written by
Piers Torday
Quercus
(eB) £9.99
ISBN:
978-1780878287
Kester
is captive in a prison-like institution while outside a viral apocalypse has
apparently taken place. He finds it difficult to talk to humans but he
discovers that he can have conversations with a cockroach. Yes, a cockroach.
One day a whole army of cockroaches help him to escape from his cell. Outside
the ‘prison’ he is carried away by a huge flock of pigeons to where a small
band of creatures, led by a stag, seem to have avoided the virus which has
wiped out almost all animal life. They can all talk to him. Now, if the cynic
in you is saying “Oh come on now!” – don’t listen. This epic tale is enchanting
and totally captivating. The narrative rattles along from exciting crisis to
breathless crisis and Kester is a convincing young hero whose interaction with
the animals is so well handled that disbelief is totally suspended. I raced
headlong through the book, thirsting for the denouement, only to reach the last
tantalising line: “And I realise my story has only just begun”. It’s a story
which deserves to go on!
Nigel Hinton
Written by
Sheila Rance
Orion
(eB) £9.99
ISBN:
978-1444006209
What
is young Maia to believe? Is she the
Silk Weaver’s daughter, washed up with him to live a quiet life with the Cliff
Dwellers, or does her flame-red hair tell her that she belongs to a different
people? Maia must overcome man fears and
challenges to find the answers she craves.
The first of the Storm Catcher
trilogy, this fast-paced, original tale, set in the Far
East in a bygone age, will please all who love fantasy and high
adventure.
Marianne Adey
Written by
Margaret Buffie
Tundra
(eB) £8.99
ISBN:
978-1770493582
This
is a fascinating book from Canada Canada Red River
settlement of the Hudson Bay Company.
It’s full of atmosphere, and one day Cass discovers a journal written in
1856 by a previous resident, seventeen year old Beatrice Alexander. Beatrice had also lost her mother, and her
father had remarried, and her future was uncertain. The story unfolds through
alternate chapters telling of Cass and Beatrice’s parallel lives, and their
growing awareness of each other as they occasionally time-slip between the
centuries. The historic episodes give a marvellous picture of life in a remote rural
colony with difficult communications and very different attitudes from today. The
story skilfully draws us into both households, showing family tensions and
problems as an array of well-drawn characters interact with each other in each
domestic setting and time. This carefully researched story illuminates the past
and demonstrates that while history changes, the human emotions that bind us
and our families, remain very much the same.
Liz Dubber
Written by
Elon Dann
Hot
Key £5.99
ISBN: 978-1471400957
Mo
spends his life in the Institute trying to avoid a “squeeze”, but when Mo is
caught between the opposing demands of a guard and the inmates, he’s in a
squeeze with only one answer – escape. He takes with him the one thing of value
he has, his friendship with Moth who was imprisoned to silence his parent’s
political protests. The two boys, and Moth’s other friend Harete, devise a
daring escape over the barbwire to follow a line of pylons north to safety. As
their plans unravel, so does the truth about Mo’s involvement in the squeeze
that has them running for their lives. This is a smartly written survival
adventure that crackles with word-play, sharp characters and friendships tested
to the very end. Elon Dann balances the tension of escape with a careful
flashback structure that gives older readers a more satisfying read than a
conventional narrative. He also weaves many classical and storytelling
references that add further layers to the story.
Benjamin Scott
Written by
Anne Cassidy
ISBN:
978-1408815519
This
is a sequel to Dead Time, where the
story of Rose and Joshua and their missing parents began. They were briefly
step-brother and sister after their respective parents married, but family life
was brutally interrupted after their parent’s disappearance. As Katherine Smith
and Brendan Johnson were both serving police officers with the Cold Case Ops
Team, it seems that there disappearance may be linked with the case they were
working on. The official view is that they were killed by a hired assassin, but
Rose and Joshua believe that their parents are still alive, convinced that the
story of their disappearance is a smoke-screen for more sinister activities.
The story intertwines with the death by apparent suicide of Rachel, an old
friend-turned-enemy of Rose’s at the boarding school she attended after her
mother’s death. Solving the puzzle of Rachel’s death provides further clues to
their ongoing quest, and sets up for a further book in the series. This story
balances the overarching theme of The
Murder Notebooks with a look at the darker realms of friendship between
teenage girls.
Stella Maden
Written by
Gina Blaxhill
Macmillan
(eB) £6.99
ISBN: 978-1447208068
When
Sophie finds a memory stick belonging to her cousin in an old pair of jeans, it
brings back all the horror of Danielle’s suicide. Sophie and her best friend
Reece were visiting Danielle on the weekend she jumped from the balcony of her
flat, but, having seen her only minutes before the alleged suicide, Sophie has
never been able to convince herself that her cousin took her own life. This
pacey, exciting read for younger teens flirts with danger without ever getting
too serious. The romance between Sophie and Reece, including the adolescent
misunderstandings which have lead to a breach in their friendship, is nicely
drawn, and it’s good to have an intelligent and resourceful leading character
who lives in a cared-for environment.
Stella Maden
The Power of Five: Oblivion
Written by
Anthony Horowitz
ISBN:
978-1844286232
My
initial response to Oblivion was that
it was a huge piece of work with five key characters, each with their own story
to tell. At that point I had no idea that it was indeed written as five
separate books and that this was the conclusion to so much that had gone
before. Knowing nothing of the background I read it as a standalone and, as
such, it stood up brilliantly. Of course, questions came to mind about where it
all started and what were the origins of the evil ones and powers of the five.
How had the world fallen into such a mire of corruption? But, not knowing
didn’t really seem to matter as the adventure was immediately gripping, with
the horror, brutality, carnage and the fight against impossible odds all
holding together as a work of shocking darkness. Now that I know it is the
thrilling culmination of a much longer story I am intrigued to return and
discover the whole package.
Trevor Thompson
Written by
Darren Shan
Simon
& Schuster (eB) £12.99
ISBN:
978-0857077561
Darren
Shan’s 25 million sales worldwide testify to his appeal to horror-loving
teenagers. This, the second in a projected series of twelve, is a gore-fest
which should sate even the most rabid fan’s lust for blood. Heads are severed,
eyes are gouged, arteries spurt, flesh is burned, and intestines slurp onto the
floor. One of the less traumatic moments in one scene is reported thus – “Cathy
digs the head of her chainsaw into a man’s stomach and grinds it around. Blood
and guts spray everywhere….. He shudders and spasms like someone being
electrocuted.” In the middle of all the mayhem, though, Shan crafts our
intriguing heroine, Becky Smith, a zombie who has been ‘re-vitalised’ and needs
to eat people’s brains to stay alive (or dead!). Though she is literally
heartless she has a conscience and wrestles with moral dilemmas. Like all good
sci-fi/horror, the book deals with the big issues: what makes us human, what is
life worth? Add a dash of conspiracy theory involving mysterious controlling
mutants, and a terrifying monster called Mr Dowling and you have a recipe for
another very successful series.
Nigel Hinton
Written by
Marianne Curley
ISBN
978-1408822623
Told
in the first person by two characters in alternative chapters, this is a
complex and complicated storyline complemented by a simple structure. Because of her unnatural strength and
hearing, her beauty, and her violet eyes, Ebony knows instinctively that she’s
different. Her confusion and anguish throughout the careful unravelling of her
real identity are very understandable when you realise she is a stolen angel,
hidden on Earth! Her friend Amber is a best friend in the true sense and Jordan
Gill Roberts
Insignia
Written by
S.J. Kincaid
Hot Key
Books (eB) £6.99
ISBN:
978-1471400001
Tom
Raines is a 14 year old drifter and scammer who looks set to follow the
burnt-out career of his gambling-addicted father. However, his exceptional
skills in virtual reality game playing have brought him to the attention of the
state, and he is recruited to become a Combatant, one of a group of elite teen
soldiers who fight virtual wars in space. Set in a future but familiar earth,
the story follows Tom’s progress from raw recruit to graduating Top Gun. Its
set-piece descriptions of VR game playing will thrill aficionados of computer
games. The novel contains some entertaining comic scenes illustrating just what
happens when you let teenagers loose with the ability to infect each other’s
neural processors with viruses, but it also makes some telling and serious
political points. In this world, the Combatants rely partly on corporate
sponsors, and must make devilish deals with them. The ethics of wars fought in
space, virtually or otherwise, wars fought at the behest of governments who are
effectively corporations in thin disguise, wars fought by teenagers with
computer software which belongs to the military installed in their brains are
all issues raised in this satisfyingly complex read. There is a planned sequel,
and I look forward to finding out what the author makes of these darker, more
thought-provoking strands.
Stella Maden
Written by
Sarah Naughton
Simon and
Schuster (eB) £6.99
ISBN:
978-0857078643
A
serial killer known as the Wigman stalks an impoverished riverside community in
a murky part of London
Yvonne Coppard
Steampunk!
Edited by
Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant
ISBN:
978-1406341515
Such
an exciting and varied anthology makes me wonder why more short story
collections aren’t aimed at Young Adults. With a varieties of length, style and
subject matter, older readers can explore exciting, relatively new genres as
well as discovering more about their own personal reading tastes: whether they
lean more towards the dark, with Libby Bray, the romantic, with Holly Black, or
the historical, with M. T. Anderson
Benjamin Scott
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