Author: margaretpemberton

by

I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery

I am thrilled to be part of the blog tour, highlighting the amazing Top Ten books in this year’s Children’s Book Award.  Once again Ross Montgomery has produced a masterpiece that will pull at your heart strings.

 

The Children’s Book Award is the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. It is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and is highly respected by teachers, parents and librarians. It has brought acclaim and strong sales to past winners such as J.K. Rowling, Patrick Ness, Andy Stanton, Malorie Blackman, Anthony Horowitz and Michael Morpurgo, who has won a record four times. The award has often been the first to recognise the future stars of children’s fiction and has the ability to turn popular authors into bestsellers.

 

Ross Montgomery

“I’ve always loved dogs. I was brought up in a “dog family”: there was always a small amount of fur on the surfaces, no matter how many times you cleaned, and the day was broken up by taking them outside and carrying around their poo in a little bag. It meant that you really couldn’t leave food out anywhere: I left a Victoria sponge out once and left the room, and it lasted maybe ten seconds. It also meant that, no matter what, you always had a companion. At the end of the day, you could always come home to find someone who wanted to plonk on the sofa next to you and fall asleep, tail softly wagging.
I was thinking a lot about dogs when I decided to write I AM REBEL. I was thinking about how they love, and how loyal they can be, and how they want nothing more than to be with you. I was thinking about how brilliant they are at existing, at simply enjoying the moment for what it is. If a dog lived the exact same day every single day for the rest of their lives, they would be absolutely thrilled. Change a dog’s beloved routine – a slightly shorter walk than normal, a different treat, sitting on their place on the sofa – and they’ll act like their world has ended.
That’s what happens to Rebel in I AM REBEL. He’s spent every single day of his life on the farm with his young owner, Tom: he has everything that he could ever want. But when Tom runs away to join the uprising and fight against the bad King, Rebel’s whole world is turned upside down. How long will Tom be gone for? What if he gets hurt? What if he never comes back?There’s only one thing he can do: step out into the big wide world for the first time in his life, to find Tom and bring him back home for good.
It’s the first time I’ve written from the perspective of a dog, and I wanted to think about how they would see the world – with open eyes, and an open mind, and an open heart. But I also wanted to write about love: how it can be found in the quietest moments of the day, and how it can bring us strength we never knew we had. And more than anything else, I wanted to write about the power in small things: how the love between one young boy and a dog can still matter in a world that’s falling apart.
I hope you enjoy reading Rebel’s journey, and meeting all the characters he finds along the way!”

 

Children across the UK are encouraged to get involved. Copies of the books can be purchased at a discount from our partner supplier Heath Books here [link https://www.heathbooks.co.uk/federation-of-childrens-book-groups-childrens-book-award-2025/] and online voting will be opened at the conclusion of the blog tour. The deadline for voting is Friday 9th May and category winners and the overall winner of the most popular children’s book published in 2024 will be announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on 7th June, attended by representatives from all our local groups and livestreamed on the FCBG YouTube channel.

by

Unicorns in Uniforms: Dragon Inferno by Tracy Curran and Steve Wood

Uclan, 9781916747425

We have been very lucky over the last decade or so to have seen a wonderful growth in the number and quality of  chapter books, aimed at the emerging reader.  Tracy Curran’s new title is a hilarious tale of a magical place called ‘Witchy Wood’.  When two young dragons accidentally set fire to the wood (breathing fire is a hazard!) it is up to the heroic firefighter Blaze, together with her fire engine Quench, to save the day.

As part of the tour to celebrate the launch of this fantastic story, Tracy has very kindly written about five of  the books that have inspired her to write for this age group.  I was more than delighted to discover that they are all books that I have read and reviewed in the past, and I have to agree with her assessment, they are all fabulous reads.

 

MY TOP FIVE CHAPTER BOOKS

Tracy Curran

Chapter books are so much fun! I love everything from their colourful covers to their loveable characters. The joy of a chapter book series is that you can meet your favourite characters over and over again for new adventures and they are short enough to read in one afternoon.

1) Unipiggle by Hannah Shaw

Usborne, 9781474972178

It’s such a treat to read a Unipiggle book. Unipiggle is an hilarious character and Hannah Shaw has put a brilliant spin on a unicorn with stories to suit everyone: a unipig who can turn things into chocolate by touching them with her horn. What’s not to like?

As with Unicorns in Uniforms, the books are illustrated in full-colour throughout which makes them literally leap off the bookshelf. Hannah Shaw has also included seasonal instalments such as Fairy Freeze and Witch Emergency. Each story is action-packed and completely entertaining – it’s my go-to rainbow mood booster!

2) Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway

Piccadilly Press, 9781848127753

A hotel for animals is such a great concept and Alex Milway has packed this series with great characters and storylines that readers of all ages can enjoy. The main character, Anna – the girl who inherits the hotel – is full of determination and I love the charm and flamboyance of all the animal characters too, especially the flamingos. There’s some great villains in this series including the hotel inspector and the owner of a rival hotel. A special mention goes to Madame Le Pig, the chef, for being a particularly hilarious character.

 

3) Adventuremice by Phillip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

David Fickling, 9781788453288

Who doesn’t love an adventure on the high seas? Or even on the moon? This chapter book series reminds me of the books and TV programmes I devoured as a child like The Moomins and Button Moon. The mice are brilliantly resourceful, each with different personalities, and each story takes us to a new setting: underwater, into space or onto a ghostly galleon ship (my favourite). The adventures are just great fun with lots of humour and peril and yet, you kind of know that things will be okay in the end because the Adventuremice will save the day.

Bloomsbury, 9781408889312

4) Fabio, The World’s Greatest Flamingo Detective by Laura James, illustrated by Emily Fox

As you can probably tell, I love flamingos but I also love detective stories too! This series is really fun. I’m not sure Fabio is quite as clever as he thinks he is but he always gets there in the end and there are lots of twists and turns in the storylines. Animal characters are great to write (and to read about) because they often have really bold personalities and you can play around with stereotypes. For example, flamingos are usually portrayed as being very outgoing and flamboyant and lions can be quite fierce and scary. So I love it when authors play around with that and come up with something different.

5) Diary of an Accidental Witch by Honor and Perdita Cargill, illustrated by Katie Saunders

Stripes, 9781788953382

I can’t choose another animal story again! Instead, I’m tuning into my love of witches. The Diary of an Accidental Witch series, told in diary format, is a modern day Worst Witch. Bea Black is a human who accidentally ends up going to a witch school. The adventures that follow are full of hilarious mishaps and lots of problems that Bea has to overcome. It’s so well-written and hugely entertaining with great illustrations – I struggled to put the books down.

 

It’s been so hard to choose only five. There are lots of incredible chapter books out there with stories to suit everyone. Happy hunting!

by

Black History suggestions

As a judge on the SLA Information book awards for the last five years, I have noted the increase in the number of books which look at the role of Black and Asian people in the history of Britain.  The books mentioned here are just a few of the ones that have appeared in the last couple of years and which are useful for the school library, as well as introducing young people to their heritage and role in this country.  These may be the tip f the iceberg, but there are many more books which can be found on a variety of booklists, and magazines such as “Pen and inc.”, published by Cilip (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)

 

Macmillan, 9781529066203

“Black History for Every Day of the Year” by David, Yinka and Kemi Olusoga looks at events and people over each day of the year.  The book covers the whole world and also multiple periods of history.  A pot potpourri of black history that can act as a starting point for further enquiry.  This should be in every secondary school library and will be invaluable for both the pupils and the staff.

“History through the Black Experience” by Simon Hudson  is a two volume book that also covers the black experience through a daily record.  These volumes cover the first and second six months of the year and each day highlights major events through history.  It is richly illustrated and highlights the names of historical characters and events.  There is a comprehensive index.  This is accessible for upper KS2, but probably sits better in a secondary library.

Thames and Hudson, 9780500652923

“Bright Stars of Black British History” by J.T. Williams and Angela Vives  is an introduction to the role of the black community in the history of Britain.  It covers wide time periods and then looks at specific people who have played a central role in many walks of life.  A great read for lower KS2 pupils.

Bloomsbury, 9781526635716

“Brilliant Black British History” by Atinuke and Kingsley Nebechi.  This book is aimed at the lower KS2 reader and is about the history of black people and the role they have played in the creation and growth of Great Britain.  It is richly illustrated and  I particularly like the section about major black figures, who are currently making an impact in our world.

Quarto, 9780711277007

“Young Gifted and Black Too” by Jamia Wilson and Andrea Pippins is the second book about some of the most iconic black figures, both from the past and from the current period.  It also covers people across the world, rather than just from Great Britain.  It can be read by all KS2 children and although many of the people are well known, there are many that we do not know in this country, so it is good to hear about them and their contributions.

Andersen Press, 9781839133398

“Unspoken” by Kwame Alexander and Dare Coulter is a heart breaking picture book, with a poetic text which speaks of the horrors of slavery.  It looks at how the subject can be taught in schools and although it has an American setting, we can learn so many lessons in this country.  It makes a stunning introduction to the subject and is full of emotion and the need to understand and learn.

Magic Cat, 9781913520946

“Lessons from our Ancestors” by Raksha Dave and Kimberlie Clinthorne-Wong  is a broad look at the impact of cultures around the world, particularly before they were altered by the appearance of white men and so-called western culture.  It show young people that whatever their own cultural heritage, they will have contributed to the knowledge held in the world today.  It makes a good starting point when looking at the history of nations around the world.

Quarto, 9780711266933

“Hear Our Voices” by Radhika Natarajan, Chad Tayiana and Alexander Mostov. This book looks at the history of the British Empire, through the lives of 20 figures from across the world.  It is about understanding the importance of the people and their contributions to the world, despite being treated as second class by the ruling elites of their times.  It covers the period from the expansionism of the 16th century up to the present day.

by

Skyfleet by Victoria Williamson

I am delighted to see a resurgence in the number of science fiction stories being written for the middle grade reader.  The genre allows for a huge range of plots, from those set in this world, but with aliens, to those set in  worlds ‘far far away’.  Victoria Williamson has chosen to send us to an unknown distant colony, far from Earth and in this instance the colony is facing terrible danger.

The heroine of this story is twelve year old Amberley Jain, who was paralyzed in the jet crash that killed both her parents.  Her close friend is Ricardo, a young technical genius, who is blind and depends on the high tech glasses that allow him to see the world around him.  Their home colony has been under threat from giant mutant insects, that were created after a deadly meteor strike.  Because of their young age, the children are not allowed to help in fighting this threat, but they know that they need to do something.  Re-building her parents’ spaceship, the ‘Firehawk’  and its very specialized firepower seems to be the only way to save the world that they know.  However, the two young people face opposition form the adults who do not really believe that they have the skills to complete this enterprise.  But as the mutants get ever closer and even more large and dangerous, the options seems to be diminishing at a rapid rate.  Can Amberley and Ricardo defy expectations, despite the risks to themselves, and save the only home that they know?

What an absolute roller-coaster of a ride this is.  A fast paced and exciting adventure that has you hanging on to your seat.  It is one of those extremely readable stories that is as much about the action as it is about the characters.  In this case the two central characters are having to overcome physical disabilities but they are determined to still be useful, despite the misgiving of the adults.  I love the way that the book is laid out in different sections, with different fonts to designate their purpose.  Firstly there is the old type, that looks as if it is written on an old typewriter and which shows the messages being sent back to Earth from the colony.  We also have other fonts to show different members of the defending pilots and council.  My favourite sections are those where we see the images and technical data for the various ships that are used by the defenders; they feel almost like the descendants of the  Thunderbird’s rescue machines.  Overall this is a wonderful science fiction story that feels as if it reflects elements from the classical sci-fi of the 1950s and 1960s.  It is going to appeal to both boys and girls and maybe even those who have not tried this genre before.

 

About the Author

Victoria Williamson grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.
As well as degrees in Physics and Mandarin Chinese, she has completed a Masters degree in Special Needs in Education. In the UK she works as a primary school special needs teacher, working with children with a range of additional support needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities and behavioural problems.
She is currently working as a full time writer of Middle Grade and YA contemporary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on creating diverse characters reflecting the many cultural backgrounds and special needs of the children she has worked with, and building inclusive worlds where all children can see a reflection of themselves in heroic roles.
Victoria’s experiences teaching young children in a school with many families seeking asylum inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of redemption and unlikely friendship between Glaswegian bully Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.
You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

by

How to be a Revolutionary by Lucy Ann Unwin

Given the events of the last six months, both in this country and abroad, it is easy to understand that young people will perhaps wonder what the adults are doing and how it will affect them.

The heroine, Natalie, is suddenly aware that her home is being filled by an assortment of people, including her father, and they are spending hours folding leaflets and then going out and putting them through doors.  Her mother calls them ‘revolutionaries’, but as we find out during the story, they are actually local labour party activists.  The situation is not helped when her mother moves out and a couple of days later her father says that one of the female helpers, Kali, and her son Avinash are going to be moving in.    As an addition to all of this, Nat is an avid fan of Rats and all of the campaigning makes her decide to try and improve the image of her beloved pets, both at school and in the wider community.  Of course utter chaos ensues and the rats begin to proliferate at a rapid rate.  Can Natalie and friends find homes for these new additions and how will the situation at home resolve itself?

This is an extremely funny story in parts, but it is then mixed with some very serious elements.  The breakup of a family unit is always traumatic, and in this case not helped when their father springs the situation on Nat and her sister. We also have the election campaigners who are so keen to help the cause, but who were in this scenario, doomed to failure.  It is fascinating that Nat is so unaware of the  world around her;  she is only eleven years old and like many of that age, thinks that she knows a lot about life.  However, as adults we grow to realise that we are always learning something new and that youth has much lower horizons than their adults, but we should be encouraging young people to think about the world they want to live in.  This is one of those books that make a great read for young enthusiasts, but it could also be used as a discussion point for classes looking at the world of politics and how the normal citizen can get involved in a positive way.

The author

Lucy Ann Unwin worked as a music journalist at BBC 6 Music for 10 years, where she was privileged to interview the likes of Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Adele. Brought up in Birmingham, she lived for a year in the Chilean city of Valparaiso and for three years in San Francisco, where she tutored children and young adults in creative writing as part of the 826 Valencia writing programme, set up by Dave Eggers.

Now settled in Sussex, she divides her time between writing, editing and reading as much children’s fiction as she can. Her first Book, The Octopus, Dadu and Me, was shortlisted for multiple awards, including The Brilliant Book Award.

by

The World’s First Roller Coaster by Mike Barfield and Franziska Wollbacher

National Non-Fiction November has been part of the book scene for nearly 15 years  years now and its importance has grown dramatically over that time.  As chair of judges for the Information Book Award I have been very conscious of the impact that these different projects have on highlighting information books and their importance, not only in studying but also as part of Reading for Pleasure.

This book is not just about the first roller coaster, it also covers a wide range of amazing inventions  from skyscrapers to cars, but also including the domestication of wild dogs and the development of fizzy drinks.  As you can see from the illustrations, this is intended for lower KS2 readers and shows how learning about things can be enjoyable, as well as informative.  There is a real sense of fun in many of the facts and I particularly enjoyed finding this comment which is very amusing; it is definitely a case of “what goes around, comes around”, as cotton nappies were the norm until the 1980s in the UK; I am sure many people still have memories of the daily task of washing them.

The book is divided into 8 sections, which each focus on a different theme and have titles such as ‘Fun and Games’, ‘Run and Jump’ and ‘High and Mighty’.  The contents page is clear and easy to follow and when showing an article about a person, it is actually highlighted, which is very helpful.  there are two really useful sections at the back; one of them has information about inventors, many of them from around the world and very young when the first had their ideas, whilst the second gives information about how you can patent your ideas to keep them safe.

With the new report on ‘Reading for Pleasure’ from the National Literacy Trust it is even more important that young people are able to access as wide a range of reading materials as possible.  The ability to chose what you read is something that most adults take fore granted, but children are often told that books are ‘too difficult’, ‘too easy’, or even ‘not a real book’. All of these things are likely to put young people off reading for enjoyment.  Beautiful, well written and fascinating information books are a large part of the positive support that we can give children in making their reading choices and developing a sense of enquiry and enjoyment.  This is one of those great books that people love to just dip into, so that they can impress their friends with weird and wonderful facts, but it can also  be used as part of the curriculum when studying STEM topics such as friction, velocity and digital technologies.  It is very highly recommended for primary schools.

by

Ayo’s Adventure across the African Diaspora by Ain Heath Drew and Erin K Robinson

Barefoot books, 979888892120

There has been a plethora of books written about Africa in the last few years, although still a relatively small proportion of them are aimed at children.  This  book expands the understanding that people have about where they come from and their heritage, but in a very relatable and charming way.

The young hero Ayo is having trouble getting to sleep and tries to relax by counting sheep in Swahili, the language of his ancestors and starting on an A-Z book.  The next thing he knows is that he is in a dreamland that shows him how the people of Africa have moved around the world, taking their various cultures with them.  The clever way in which this has been achieved by the author, is to treat the book as an A to Z,  which gives a sub-title of ‘Afro to Zulu’.  We follow Ayo as he visits a wide range of countries and experiences the history, religions and cultures that form part of his heritage.  Although the book is arranged in this alphabetical order, we also have a note at the top of each double page spread which tells us which country is being used as the example.  I also love the map at the back of the book which shows us just how far African communities have spread, many of those as a result of the slave trade.  As you can see from the cover, this is a vibrant, colourful and  exuberant look at the world of the diaspora.  Both the author and the illustrator have undertaken a lot of research in their attempts to be accurate in their work and they have done a really excellent job.

This book is aimed at the young reader and will be great for sharing with individuals or small groups.  Although the main character is African American, the book looks at countries in the Caribbean and also to African countries that were ruled by the British in the past; this means that the cultural references can be appreciated by a British audience.  This is a book that should find its way in to all primary school libraries and will make a brilliant starting point for a whole range of discussions.

 

About the author:

Ain Heath Drew

Ain Heath Drew is the author of Ari J.’s Kinky, Curly Crown. As an educator, she uses books to expand her students’ knowledge about the world around them. Ain lives in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

About the illustrator:

Erin K. Robinson is an Emmy-nominated illustrator trained at the Parsons School of Design and the Corcoran School of Art. Erin’s illustrations have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and she has illustrated numerous picture books, including the multiple star-reviewed title A Library which was written by Coretta Scott King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni. Erin splits her time between Brooklyn, NY, and Washington, DC., USA.

About the publisher:

Barefoot Books is an award-winning, independent, women-owned and run, children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. Founded by two mothers in England in 1992, we are committed to creating visually captivating books that celebrate global awareness and diversity, spark curiosity and capture imaginations. Today, our unwavering commitment to opening children’s hearts, minds and worlds feels more important than ever. Barefoot Books was shortlisted for the Alison Morrison Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award in 2024’s IPG Awards.

On a personal note I had the great pleasure of visiting Barefoot books when they were based in Bath in the early 2000s and I was a children’s librarian in the area.

by

Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman by Alex Atkinson

This is the time of year when spooky and frightening stories come into their own.  The coming of Halloween seems to remind people of those scary stories and legends that abound in all mythologies.

Indigo Smith is the narrator of this story and lives with her parents and twin brother Rusty (Russell) in the funeral parlour that her parents run.  She is convinced that ghosts do not exist and is far more interested in the nature to be found locally.  When she accidentally discovers a hidden room in the house, she manages to knock over an old urn and releases the ashes of the Cinderman.  This is the most dangerous type of spirit and he is out to wreak revenge on the local population for what happened when he was alive.  Overnight the village becomes coated in ash and the twins discover that the Cinderman has taken control of the inhabitants and turned them into zombie like people..   At the same time that this happens the two children discover that they have the power to see and speak to ghosts, including their grandfather; he explains that they are a new generation of Spooksmiths, who can see ghosts and are able to protect the village from evil spirits.  The question is whether they can overcome the Cinderman, save all their family and friends and enable some of the local ghosts to find peace at last?

What a chillingly good story for even people like myself who are not great fans of the horror or ghost genre.  The author has managed to combine the lurking menace of the Cinderman with the delightfully funny character of Phrank, a wild pheasant that has taken up residence in the garden (and the kitchen, if he can sneak in).  However, this is also a story about family and how relationships can affect future generations.  There seems to be an assumption that twins are always very close, but perhaps that it not always the case or at least the individuals can have differing interests and temperaments.  This is a brilliant read for those who want to dip their toes into the horror genre, but it also show how aficionados of war-gaming learn strategies that might help them in other circumstances.  It is a very compelling story and I am delighted to see that there will be a second outing for Indigo and Rusty in the future.

 

The author

Alex Atkinson loves scary books filled with oddball characters. She blames her idyllic North Yorkshire childhood spent playing murder-in-the-dark and listening to her dad’s blood-curdling bedtime stories. After studying English and Politics at Newcastle University, she worked as a website content editor. She now lives in a village in Hertfordshire with her husband, kids, dogs and tortoise, but dreams of abandoned buildings, ghosts and zombies. SPOOKSMITHS INVESTIGATE: THE CINDERMAN is her debut novel.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexatkinsonstories
X: https://x.com/alatkinson

by

The World between the Rain by Susan Cahill

I was delighted to be asked to take part in this blog tour and to host this  lovely piece by Susan Cahill.  Being half Irish, I really feel the magic and poetic feel of her writing and think I might be in line to play Mrs Flynn in any future production. It is also likely that I will never think of frogs in the same way again. I will be writing my own review of the book later, but it definitely has a lot of stars attached.  Thank you so much Susan, I look forward to reading more of your work.

 

My favourite characters from The World Between the Rain

I loved writing The World Between the Rain so much, especially getting to know some of the people and animals who populate the story. Marina, my main character, shares lots of traits with me: daydreaming, hoping to discover portals to other worlds, and a tendency to notice magic everywhere. But I really fell in love with some of the other characters in the story, and I’d like to introduce some of them to you.

Mrs Flynn: Marina and her sister Seri live with their mum, Maeve, in a small cul-de-sac beside one other house that’s almost hidden behind a tangle of overgrown bushes and plants. This is the house of their neighbour, Mrs Flynn and her cat, Miss Rose. Marina and Seri always try to avoid Mrs Flynn because she talks almost non-stop, her social life is going to funerals (a very Irish trait), and she likes to discuss this at length. Their mum, Maeve, who tries to be a very tidy person, can’t handle the chaos of Mrs Flynn’s garden. However, there’s much more to Mrs Flynn that meets the eye. (As an aside, Miss Rose is named after a real-life cat. She lives with my aunt and has very strong opinions about people, mostly negative.)

I first encountered Mrs Flynn when she showed up on the page on a writer’s retreat run by the brilliant author, Rebecca Schiller. Rebecca often has us do prompts to warm up, in which she gives you a phrase and you must write for fifteen minutes non-stop, without thinking or editing. So much interesting stuff has jumped out during these prompts – if you’re a writer I highly recommend them. During one of these prompts, Mrs Flynn just started talking – and as I mentioned, she likes to talk a lot. She is inspired by some older women I’ve met in West Cork, enigmatic, full of wisdom, and hilarious. And she also has a secret, one that will be very important to the plot of The World Between the Rain and Marina’s story.

Cablo and Tuaim: I think these two might be my favourite characters of all. Cablo and Tuaim are two frogs who run The Office of the Lost and the Forgotten. It is not The Office of the Lost and Found because they have never found anything, they only deal with the lost. My friend, Gavin, once told me that when frogs are awake, they show sleep-like brain waves, and when asleep, their brains look like they’re awake. Now I know it’s not the same thing, but my brain immediately decided that frogs are constantly in a dream-like state. Cablo and Tuaim are quite dreamy and spacey and very very funny.

by

The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright by Reece Carter and Eleonora Asparuhova

This is the second in the series of books featuring the very odd seaside village of Elston-Fright.  When I started to read, I thought that this was set in the UK, but then came across names such as Kookaburras, which of course made me realise that we are actually reading about Australia.

The central character of this story is the young Flip Little, who together with his grandmother are the last members of their family; a family that for generations have been Lightkeepers, protecting the village of Elston -Fright from magical monsters.  But the other locals no longer believe in magic and are not prepared when strange events start happening.  Luckily Flip is friends with two local ghosts, Corpse (the central character from book one) and Girl, as well as a giant spider called Simon and when Simon is kidnapped they decide they need to take action to solve the mysteries.  What they discover turns Flip’s world upside down.  Beneath the coastal rocks they discover creatures called Seafoam Sprites, and their leader, Glow, says that she is the Lightkeeper; which would mean that Flip’s ancestors had stolen the ability from the sprites.  However, there is still the need to protect the locals from the horrors called Poltergusts, but will the humans and the sprites be able to work together for  common good.

What a fascinating premise  we have here, particularly the two ghosts; Girl is a ghost that cannot be seen, but she can wear clothes to show where she is, whilst Corpse has created a body for herself out of wax and is able to inhabit this shell.  The story is told from the perspective of all three young people, so you have to check the chapter heading to make sure you know the current narrator.  All three of them have issues that they are trying to solve; with the ghosts it is about trying to remember their previous lives and why they are still connected to the area around Elston-Fright.  For Flip things become really difficult as the story progresses; his belief in his family and the role they have played in the past, is completely destroyed, as he finds that his ancestor is not the hero he had been led to believe in.  As readers we find ourselves having a great deal of sympathy for the three friends and you can truly understand the anger and frustration when Flip discovers the truth.  However, he understands that he can change things and works with the Seafoam Sprites to fight the Poltergusts.

This is one of those books that leave a deep impression on the reader, based on the characters of the central figures.  The ending gives the impression that there will be at least one more title in the series and I am longing to find out what happens to this unlikely group of friends as their hidden enemy gets closer and some of the secrets might be uncovered.  It is a great read for those who like a bit of horror in their stories, but not enough to scare them too much.

The Author

Reece Carter is a high-profile Australian nutritionist who has written two non-fiction books for adults, appeared on many of Australian’s major television networks, and written for magazines like GQ. He grew up in rural Western Australia and now lives in Sydney.

 

Instagram:  https://instagram.com/herbnerdreece

X: https://x.com/herbnerdreece

 

Book Information

Title: The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright (The Elston-Fright Tales #2)
Author: Reece Carter

Release Date: 10th October 2024

Genre: MG

Publisher: Usborne