Month: July 2024

by

Kyan Green battles the Multiverse by Colm Field

I am sure that many young gamers image themselves as heroes in a real life version of their favourite game on quite a regular basis.  But what would they do if it became a reality and the future of the multiverse, and more importantly their families depended on what they do?  This is the second book in the adventures with Kyan Green and his best friends, so for those of us who are new to the series, it took a while to get the grips with the characters and the general setting.  The original story announces itself

“When Kyan finds a battered old racing-car game in the loft, he doesn’t believe the big claims written on the box. I mean, what kind of ‘Infinite Race’ only has seven pieces of track?
So it comes as a shock when the game really does take him on the journey of a lifetime – through multiple universes! Whether he’s a space pilot on the trail of underwater aliens or an unwitting robber in a stolen police car, every adventure is more thrilling than the last”

So the follow up title has a lot to live up to and it really does not fail.  Terms such as ‘high octane action’, ‘roller-coaster ride’ and ‘mind blowing other worlds’ do not seem out of order.  Once again Kyan and his friends are give a mission by the mysterious Infinity racer Spider Ace, in which they have to charge across various universes in the hunt for Kyan’s nemesis Mr Springer.  But this time things do not always go to plan and there appears to be a mysterious character called “The Designer” who is pulling the strings in some way.

This really is an exciting story and it also shows the relationships between the friends. Kyan has a habit of thinking that he is right, but on several occasions it it his quieter friend Luke who makes everyone stop and think about what they are doing.  There is a brilliant mix of wild imagination, together with the realities of school and life on an estate.  This came as a very pleasant surprise and I look forward to more tales as the young people gradually learn from their adventures.

 

Author Information

Colm Field gets called ‘Colin’ a lot. He doesn’t help himself by mumbling his words a lot of the time, except in his job as a builder, when he winds up shouting instead. He lives in London with his three kids and his partner. Colm is happiest when he’s excitedly writing a new story on his rusty old phone and his favourite mode of transport is walking, so obviously his debut children’s novel is about high-speed multiverse-hopping on everything but feet.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/colmthewriter
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colmthewriter

Illustrator Information
David Wilkerson is a Black American illustrator who was born in Denver and is currently based in Maryland. He believes that there is healing in storytelling, and that it is the job of creatives to contribute to that cause. His career began in the animation industry, and he has worked as a designer on various projects for clients such as Hulu and Cartoon Network.
Instagram: https://instagram.com/godleehaze
Twitter: https://twitter.com/godleehaze

by

Terra Electrica: the Guardians of the North by Antonia Maxwell and Cecilia Bennett

The dystopian novel has been a major element in children’s publishing for many years, but having said that, it can be based on a wide range of circumstances which act as trigger points for the disasters.  Often, the action is linked to the concerns of the real world; so that over the years we have seen post nuclear worlds, pandemics and currently there is an ever growing understanding of the impact of climate change.

Mani has been growing up in a world that is gradually being destroyed by climate changes.  The land of her ancestors should be covered in snow and ice, so that the people can hunt for animals and fish, but over the years the snow has melted, leaving a soggy and very unhealthy environment.  However, the final straw has been the arrival of a dreadful disease that kills all of those who catch it.  The symptoms are  based on the eyes and makes the sufferer look as if they are giving off electric sparks.  The condition seems to feed of any source of electricity, so this has been turned off.  Mani and her father are the sole survivors of their community, but after her father leaves to find food, she eventually needs to try and find him, however she unexpectedly find another survivor; he is Leo, one of the scientists from the local research station, but he has the disease; then amazingly Mani reaches out to him and somehow cures him of the disease.  This sees them start on a journey to try and find Mani’s father and also to discover if others have survived.

Intertwined with this story we have the mythical world of animal spirits, which are linked to individuals.  Whenever Mani puts on a wooden mask that her mother left her, she finds herself in a spirit world, with a guardian polar bear called Ooshaka (who turns out to be the spirit version of herself) and a very sparky Crow who seems to be full of sarcasm, but with a very strong  positive attitude, which enables him to help Mani when necessary.  The author has balanced these two elements of the story by giving them separate chapters, but she has given each a very different feel, so that the reader does not get confused by the changes.

Antonia Maxwell has given us a book that really should make people think.  Every year we are seeing changes in the climate across the world and many cultures are already under threat.  It is interesting that the author has focused on electricity as being one of the danger factors, while many think that it is a solution; however, we have to remember that we need other sources of energy in order to produce the electricity itself.  This is a wonderful mix of adventure, nature and the importance of understanding the limits of science.  As the story develops, we see Leo begin to fully accept that whilst science is good and useful, it also has limits and the welfare of the natural world and people has to be the priority.  This is the first in a new series and I look forward to seeing more of Mani as she understands her place in this new world and whether anything can be done to mitigate the natural disasters..

 

 The Author

Antonia Maxwell is a writer and editor based in North Essex and Cambridge, UK. With a  degree in Modern Languages and a long-standing career as a book editor, she has a lifelong curiosity for language and words, and a growing fascination in the power of story – the way it shapes our lives and frames our experience.

Title: Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North

Author: Antonia Maxwell

Genre: Dystopian, Science & Nature, Environment

Age Category: Middle Grade

Page Count: 272 Pages

Publication Date: July 4, 2024

Publisher: Neem Tree Press

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204929195-terra-electrica

Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/0dUDASJ3 (UK)

 

by

The boy to beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe

Over the last few years there has been  a steady growth in the number of books featuring characters from particularly West Africa.  They can be set in a modern setting or perhaps in a mythical past, but they bring the culture of that part of the world to those of us who had no prior knowledge, as well as to those who want to know about their own cultural heritage.

This is a fascinating and fast paced story, based around Yoruba myths about the spirits called the Orisha.  The hero is a young boy, who is always in trouble with the village elders because he keeps trying to climb the sacred Baobob tree, which is thought to be the food of the gods.  When the Orisha attack his village and take people as offerings, including Kayode’s sister Temi, the young boy is determined to save his sister.  After managing to eat some of the sacred Baobob fruit, which the injured Orisha, Eko (the trickster god) had dropped, Kayode finds that he has temporarily gained some of the power of the Orisha.  Together with the god Eko and a forceful princess from another tribe, he sets off to defeat the other six gods and free the captives, including his sister.

What a stunningly good debut this has turned out to be, I absolutely loved the story and the characters, but particularly Eko, who is tricky, but turns out to be a very worthy ally.  This is a fabulous story for middle grade and if someone has enjoyed stories such as Koku Akanbi then they will love this as well.  I can’t wait to see what Ashley has in store for us all in the future.

 

The author

Ashley Thorpe is Black British debut author who works as an editor at Storymix , where he helps other writers to create epic stories.  His greatest wish is to bring diverse characters to life that he would have loved to have seen, but sorely missed as a young reader.  When he isn’t writing or reading, Ashley enjoys making music, outdoor pursuits, indulging in anime and gaming.  He lives in Manchester.  The Boy to Beat the Gods is his first book.

by

The Story of Evil: Heroes of the Siege by Tony Johnson

Fantasy novels have long been a classic territory for Young Adults to dip their toes into the water of more adult stories.  This genre can cover a whole range of themes, but this  story ( the first of a series) is what you might call a ‘classic fantasy.

The book is set in an almost medieval world, with a broad range of characters, from humans and elves, to dwarves and dragons all of whom are living in relative harmony; that is until a mysterious hooded person attacks the city of Celestial and destroys much of it, together with large numbers of the population.  The central characters are Stephen Brightflame, a young warrior, Tyrus Canard an experienced warrior and Kari Quinn,who is a’Halfling’ and an archer.  This is the first in a series of five books, which are set in a world split between those who follow the ‘good’ God Alazar  and those that follow his opposite.

The story itself is fast paced and full of action.  When the three heroes escape from the city of Celestial they are followed by the monster followers of the hooded killer and the usurping Prince Silas and they have to discover who are their enemies and what they are trying to achieve.  They meet with other heroic characters along the way but there is a lot of death and destruction for them to cope with.

The author has written in a very flowery way, so that you feel it might have been written in the medieval period; however as you get further into the story, the more you begin to accept this style.  This is a classic fantasy about the fight between good and evil, with the heroes being on a quest and we see the young people mature as they come to terms with some surprising facts about their families and their futures.  One of the underlying themes is about accepting people who are different; the whole sad situation owes a lot to the way different races are kept separate and the ‘monsters’ have been excluded from participation with the rest of the communities. Perhaps the only advisory note about this story is  the graphic descriptions of the violence, but I am sure that the average 14+ reader will have come across more graphic descriptions elsewhere.  This is a series that grows on you as you read the titles; the edition I read consists of all five tales, so it is easy to keep reading to the finale.

 

About the author

Tony Johnson is the author of the award-winning epic fantasy series, The Story of Evil. Tony is an avid reader. He enjoys fantasy, classics, and Christian literature. He is a fan of movies, television, music, videogames, and sports. From Batavia, NY.

by

Pirate Academy: Missing at Sea by Justin Somper and Teo Skaffa

I have been a great fan of both pirate stories and of Justin Somper for quite a few years.  I remember meeting him at a book launch, not long after the first of his “Vampirates” books was published and I have watched his career with interest ever since.  This new series about the “Pirate Academy” is aimed at an audience around the 8-12 age group and this is the second book in the series.

This really is a rip roaring adventure about a class of young pirates at the Pirate Academy, all of whom are in the Barracuda Class and about to face the first great test of their abilities; this is known as the Oceans Bound weekend and the class is divided into five teams, who are following clues to test how well they have learnt the skills of a pirate.  However things are not quite that simple; in the first story there were a range of catastrophes and then the sudden appearance of a group called the ‘League of True Pirates’, who are trying to change the ways of the pirates and not in a good way.

The three central characters, Jasmine, Jacoby and Neo, together with their classmates find themselves facing unexpected dangers as they are manipulated by members of the LOT P, including Jasmine’s own uncle.  The pace of this tale is fast and furious and  it would not be an enterprise for those who suffer sea-sickness.  However, the main lesson we get from this is about the meaning of friendship and team work.  The children are only about 11 years old and they are having to cope with some major issues in their lives, so the support  that they give each other is vitally important.

As always, Justin Somper has us on the edge of our seats as we follow the action, but he manages to include several swerves in the plot, which really shocks the reader.  I can’t wait to follow the adventures of these young protagonists in the next titles.  I get the feeling that we have got some very exciting times ahead as Jasmine, Jacoby and Neo try and unravel the secrets that have been kept from them in the past.

 

The author  Justin Somper

 

Justin Somper, author of Vampirates, introduces his brand new pirate series, Pirate Academy!

Justin grew up in St Albans and worked as a publicist for Puffin and Random House Children’s Books, before setting up a PR consultancy of his own in North London.  Vampirates was his debut series of children’s books. Then, after 30 years in North London, he and his Aussie husband moved to Perth, Western Australia, where Justin is now writing the Pirate Academy adventures.  (From Readingzone)

 

by

Terrible True Tales: Egyptians by Terry Deary

Bloomsbury Education, 9781801995047

As I have often said before when blogging, I have been an avid lover of all things Egyptian since I was a small child.  That passion has not abated over the years and I am delighted to say that the subject is also loved by millions of others, including small children.  Part of this is due to the inclusion of the subject in to the National Curriculum and hence there are a considerable number of information books published each year.  However in order to really get a feel for the subject it is important that good fiction stories are available.  Over the past few years we have seen quite a few such books, often to connect with the centenary of finding Tutankhamun’s tomb, but Terry Deary was writing about the subject 20 years ago.

This book is actually a compilation of four stories that were originally published in 2004.  They include stories about building the pyramids, stealing from Tutankhamun’s tomb, embalming mummies and finding buried treasure.  All of the stories are exciting and have a real sense that the author has done his research about the Egyptian culture.  At the end of each story there is a section which invites the reader to think about what they have read and to perhaps ask some questions.  There are also facts about real life characters, which helps to round out the stories.  The stories are aimed at the newly confident reader and the short length of each story also makes them very suitable for reading in class.  I particularly enjoy the fact that the stories are all so different, so we get a feel for different periods of history, together with jobs, status and the continuity of life within Ancient Egypt.

Although these stories are now 20 years old, they have stood the test of time and are just as exciting and enjoyable today as they were when first written.  This is definitely a book that will be a great hit for the top of KS1 and those at the beginning of KS2; not only can children just enjoy the story, but it can also serve as a springboard into learning about the subject in more detail.

 

The author   Terry Deary

Terry Deary is the author of over 300 fiction and non-fiction books, which have been published in 40 languages. His Horrible Histories series celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023, having sold over 30 million copies worldwide and been adapted as a movie, a television series, theatre tours and museum exhibitions. Terry’s non-fiction has been consistently on the bestseller lists since 1994, and he was voted ‘Outstanding children’s non-fiction author of the 20th Century’ by Books for Keeps magazine.