Author: margaretpemberton

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Nocturne with Gaslamps by Matthew Francis

Apart from books for children, my other favourite genres are fantasy and crime novels, but I don’t usually include those in my blog.  However I was asked to take part in this blog tour and felt that this would fit into the KS4 level of a school library.  This is very much in the vein of Victorian melodrama mixed with a bit of Gothic and will be appreciated by fans of the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ school of crime story.

Neem Tree Press, 9781915584236

There is a fairly small cast of characters, but three of them are central to the plot, with another couple being very important to the story.  The main character is Hastings Wimbury, a ‘wannabe’ young actor who has managed to get a job as part of the lighting team at a London theatre.  We also have  Cassie, a young assistant to a spiritualist, who lives in the same boarding house as Hastings and finally there is Flora, who is the secret fiancee of Hastings. They are brought together by circumstances and a mysterious figure called ‘The Count’, who persuades Hastings to provide him with gas which is used in the theatre lights.  The plot thickens as Hastings is kidnapped and the two girls find themselves working together to try and find him.  But who is the sinister Count and does he have any connection to Cassie’s employer?

This is a complex story and conveys the atmosphere of the late Victorian world and central London in particular, very well.  the descriptions of the boarding house and the life within is enough to chill any prospective tenant.The date is set to 1883, with an epilogue set 20 years later, so we are in a period where new technologies are being invented and women are starting to want more freedom, as well as often needing to earn a living.  This is a story that can be read from KS3 and above, as there are no issues with the content or language.  It could prove useful for discussions about women’s rights, the Victorians and about theatre.  I wish that I had found the central characters more appealing, but perhaps that was the intention of the author.  However, there is plenty of action and even a murder to delight those fans who want as much crime as possible.

About the Author

Matthew Francis is Professor Emeritus in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. He read English at Magdalene College, Cambridge University. He writes novels, short stories, and poetry collections. He has won the TLS / Blackwell’s Prize for Poetry and the Southern Arts Literature Prize, and been shortlisted twice for the Forward Prize, twice for the Welsh Book of the Year Award and once for the Ted Hughes Award. In 2004, he was chosen as one of the Next Generation Poets. He is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy. Matthew lives with this wife in Aberystwyth, Wales where he enjoys playing chess, cooking and playing the ukulele.

 

 

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The Beanstalk Murder by P G Bell

As a great fan of the author’s previous series, “The Train to Impossible Places”, I was thrilled to hear that he had a new title, but was also worried in case it was not as brilliant.  Well, my concerns were definitely NOT founded.  This is a fabulous book and is definitely in my listing of 5 star titles for this year.  The author has taken the world of “Jack and the Beanstalk” and then twisted it around and added in a touch of “Murder most Foul” and “Gulliver’s travels” for good measure.  This absolutely hits the spot as far as crime lovers are concerned, yet it also manages to include a lot of humour.

Anwen is an apprentice meadow-witch, who has an on-going feud with Cerys, who has won a place to train as a sorceress in the city.However, things take a sinister turn during market day, as something very big falls from the sky!  It is a rather well dressed giant and not unexpectedly, after his fall, he is a very dead giant.  Some investigation by Anwen and her grandmother discovers that this was not a natural death,  the victim had been MURDERED.!!    The problem is that there has been no contact between the Giants’ kingdom and the human world since the end of the Great Beanstalk War, many years previously.  However the villagers decide that they have to try and send a message to the Sky Kingdom, unfortunately Anwen and Cerys find themselves caught in the beanstalk that has been especially grown, but which starts to decay after they have reached their destination.  What they discover is that the dead giant was actually the king and they want to help find who the murderer was, but their own lives are in danger, as they are so small.  Look out for an unexpected villain who reveals himself at the climax of the plot

I really think this is one of my favourite books this year, with some fantastic characters, both big and small.  The way that the fairy tale has been twisted really adds to the world building.  In this story the humans live in a world where magic is real but the people are not particularly well off; whilst in the Sky Kingdom, there is no magic, but gold is quite commonplace, so there is a lot of wealth on show.  Being stuck in the sky palace, the two girls have to find some way of working together, not something they are very good at, but gradually they begin to understand that it is teamwork and sharing their individual magical skills which is their best hope of getting home.  What an absolutely five-star read.

 

Author Information
P.G. Bell is a native of South Wales, where he was raised on a diet of Greek mythology, ghost stories and Doctor Who. He’s had all sorts of jobs over the years, from lifeguard to roller-coaster operator, but has always wanted to write stories. He lives in Wales with his wife Anna and their two children.
The Train to Impossible Places, P.G.’s debut series, has enjoyed widespread success, including shortlistings for the Branford Boase Award, the Crimefest Awards and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/pgbellwriter
X: https://twitter.com/petergbell

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The Tangletree mysteries: Peggy and Stu play the wrong notes by Steve Roberts and Joel Stewart

It is really great to see this fantastic series of full colour comic style books, for the younger reader.  As a reader in the 1960s and 1970s, I remember the adventures of characters such as Rupert Bear, Danger Mouse and then later Asterix and Tintin.  However, these were all created as annuals or as large format books and it is only in recent years that we have seen the arrival of graphic novels in a smaller format.

This series feature a dog called Peggy and her friends in the animal village of Tangletree, but especially her young sidekick Stu.  I particularly enjoy the fact that there are two separate adventures in each of the two books so far, which makes it a pleasure to read with the younger audience.  In both of the books Peggy is going for her morning walk with her owner, who then throws her ball into the woods, with Peggy going to retrieve it.  However, when Peggy enters the wood everything changes and she becomes a sleuth who help the other animals solve the crimes and mysteries in their village.  It also seems to have a different time zone, so that when Peggy leaves, little or no time has passed in the real world.

Peggy and Stu Investigate  volume 1

Slime Time

Welbeck Children’s Books, 978-1801300735

When Peggy arrives in Tangletree woods, she is hoping for more mysteries to solve, but does not imagine it would involve all of her friends.  She finds that everyone is extremely sleepy and covered in a really foul smelling slime. can our intrepid investigator find the culprit behind all of these events and can they be stopped?

Mud Race

This episode involves the animals taking part in the annual mud race, only this year the route is being created by a new design of track laying machine.  When the machine appears to go out of control, without its driver and creates a dangerous route for the race, the investigators have to save the day and prevent anyone getting hurt.

Peggy and Sue Play the Wrong Notes   volume 2

Trumpet Trouble

Welbeck Children’s Books, 978-1801301534

On this occasion, Peggy arrives at the village to find everyone preparing for the spring dance that evening, but then Joan, the squirrel arrives with her trumpet that is not playing properly.  Then the trumpet takes flight and the investigators have to race after it; but who has ever heard of a trumpet that can move by itself?  Of course there is a solution and it consists of a tiny creature, called a Peskie, that has hidden in the instrument and has been attempting to take it to its own home, for their own party.  As with all of these stories, all’s well that ends well and everyone has a great time.

Cake Crimes

When Peggy arrive at Tangletree village she discovers that it is the grand unveiling of a new statue to the mayor and a party is going to take place.  To help in this, a pop-up bakery has set up in the square and everyone thinks the cakes are fabulous.  Unfortunately, they eat so many sweet things that they all start to get toothache; then a dentist sets up and is willing to treat them, but is this too much of a coincidence?  It is up to the intrepid Peggy to save the day and find out what has been going on.

What a delightful series of stories for those who are just starting the reading journey.  The comic style illustrations provide an excellent flow to the stories and there is just enough text to keep the plots going at a quick pace.  I love the way that the illustrator has varied the layout of each of the frames and also the dazzling array of colours that we see.  The books combine adventure, friendship and a lot of humour, whilst also providing lessons about acceptable behaviour.  These are very highly recommended and I look forward to the next in the series, coming in June 2025.  It is called “Peggy and Stu hear something strange”

 

About the creators
Joel Stewart and Steve Roberts collaborate closely, both writing and illustrating the Tangletree series
together. Previously they collaborated on TV animation including Abney & Teal and BOT and the
Beasties.
Steve has also created DipDap and Twirlywoos for Ragdoll, which both won Children’s BAFTAs. Before
his work in television Steve was a freelance illustrator in comics.
Joel has also illustrated for Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen, Michael Bond as well as his own picture
books.

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Let Sleeping Gods Lie by Thiago de Moraes

David Fickling, 9781788453202

I was thrilled to be asked to host this article by Thiago de Moraes.  I absolutely loved the first story, “Old Gods, New Tricks”, which introduced us to Trixie and a host of Gods from around the world;  notably Loki, who has actually turned out to be a good friend, despite his tricks.  In this second book, the world is having to get used to the fact that magic has started to re-appear and that creatures from mythology are turning up and causing havoc.  When Trixie’s grandmother dies, the family travel to Norway to sort things out, but there are some unusual changes going on and a large metal cauldron has gone missing.  The issue is that the family legend says that water from the cauldron can bring people back to life, so Trixie decides to try and find the pot and use it to bring back her grandmother.  With the help of her friends Loki, the Monkey King and Exu she embarks on a dangerous journey though the underworlds of several mythologies in the hope of solving the problem.

This is an absolute roller-coaster of a story that has the reader holding their breath as we meet some really frightening characters.  We are familiar with some of the underworlds, but we are also introduced to others, all of which have extremely daunting gods in charge of them.  Once again the author has produced a tour de force which will only increase the fan base for these books and I can’t wait for Trixie to have some more adventures.

My thanks to the author Thiago de Moraes and the publisher David Fickling Books for the article about the different versions of the underworld; it makes fascinating reading

 

From the author

On Underworlds and Afterlives.

Awful Afterlives and Dreary Underworlds

I love a good mythological afterlife. I don’t mean good as in cosy and quiet, but good as in exciting and unexpected. The most uncomfortable, outlandish and baroque these afterlives are, the more I enjoy reading (and writing) about them. Still, I wouldn’t want to end up in any of them.

Most cultures have a view on what happens after we die. Often the deceased person, or a part of them (soul, spirit, ba, etc,) travels to a place whose main purpose is housing the dead. In some mythologies these places can be happy and joyful but, in many others, they are either miserable or downright horrid.

Laverna, goddess of thieves

Trixie, the protagonist of Let Sleeping Gods Lie, travels through many afterlives of myth in a quest to save the world from a horrible fate. Whilst developing the book I researched many realms of the dead from different ancient mythologies, and picked a few for the settings of the story. Trixie spends quite a lot of time trying to get into and, inevitably, trying to escape from these places in the book. Here we’ll go on a whistle-stop tour of a few:

Hel

Ancient Norse warriors who died in battle could expect to end up in Valhalla, Odin’s great hall, and spend the rest of their lives feasting and fighting (which we can only hope was their idea of a great time). Almost everyone else ended up in Hel, a dark, grey place, where the shadows of the dead crept, moaning among swirling mists. Hel is ruled by Hel – daughter of the trickster god Loki (one of Trixie’s good friends). The name thing can be confusing, but the ancient Norse underworld is also sometimes called Niflheim. Whatever we call it, it wasn’t super fun.

Kur

Some ancient Mesopotamian cultures believed a person’s soul ended up in Kur. It was a long journey, down a very long ladder and past many gates where fearsome guardians – huge half-man, half-beast creatures – were posted. You’d imagine that, after all this hard travelling, Kur would be a place worth arriving at. It wasn’t. The dead spent their days covered in feathers and starving (unless their relatives offered them food in the living world). If that wasn’t enough, a scary goddess called Ereshkigal was in charge. Not worth a visit.

Mictlán

In ancient Aztec mythology, most of the dead went to live in a place called Mictlán. Like Kur, getting there was a bit of a palaver. The dead person had to cross lots of dangerous places: crashing mountains, winds of whirling knives, and a bloody river filled with jaguars. Unsurprisingly, all the effort led to a rather dreary place too. Skeleton god Mictlantecuhtli and his wife Mictecacihuatl ruled over the land with little joy. It wasn’t all bad, though. Once a year the gods let all the dead residents out so they could visit their families in the world of the living.

Duat

Osiris, Egyptian ruler of the underworld

The afterlife of ancient Egyptian belief looked very much like the world of the living, a landscape of sands, rivers, houses and all sorts of other everyday things. Some other aspects of Duat weren’t usual though. On arriving, a soul would be judged by dozens of gods, one for each possible misdeed they committed in life (anything from killing someone to talking too much counted). After that their heart would be weighed on scales against a feather. If the weights didn’t match, the heart would be eaten by a creature called Ammit, who was part-lion, part-hippo, part-crocodile (that’s three scary animals into one). Osiris, the King of the Dead and the first mummy, was the top boss of it all.

There are other underworlds and plenty of dead, undead and almost dead gods and monsters in Let Sleeping Gods Lie. I really enjoyed imagining these worlds and creatures, and I hope readers enjoy reading the book as much as I did writing it.

 

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The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y Chan

Aladdin,978-1665937320

Over the past few years there has been a growth in the number of books featuring sports.  At one time it seemed to be mainly team sports such as football, but nowadays there is a much greater range.  With the advent of the Olympic Games, every four years, there is always a sudden spurt in the number of books written and recently we have had titles about gymnastics and swimming among others.

In this book, the heroine Mo Seto is fanatical about her martial art and the fact that she is less than 5 ft tall should not really matter.  However when she applies for a part in her hero’s next film, she finds that she is too short, but Mo is nothing if not determined and goes to extraordinary lengths to try and achieve her dream. This is also a story about family and the hidden world of Chinese secret societies; so when Mo’s father disappears and someone is trying to steal an ancient family heirloom, things take a very dangerous turn. This really is a book about determination, hard work and following your dream.  However it also shows us some lessons about  those we choose to admire; very often they have ‘feet of clay’ and are not the shining hero that you imagine.  What a truly fabulous heroine we have in Mo, but she needs help from some unexpected sources in order to achieve her dreams and solve the mysteries around the book.  A truly fantastic read, that will be popular for both boys and girls.  There are such positive role models and some strong messages, but above all this is a truly rip-roaring adventure that will have the reader hanging on to every word.

The Author

A.Y. Chan is the author of The Legendary Mo Seto, a story about a 12-year-old female martial artist who auditions for a movie role opposite her favourite martial arts movie hero—only to find out she’s too small for the role. Growing up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area, A.Y. read all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favorite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored a range of other types of martial arts, and she draws upon her experiences in learning new techniques and philosophies to inspire her writing. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.

Why I wrote this book:
I started training in taekwondo when I was six and, growing up, I longed to read books about kick-butt girls doing kick-butt things, but there really weren’t as many as I had hoped for. The idea for this book has been percolating in my head ever since. I wish to inspire kids not only to be brave and never give up, but also to be proud of who they are.

My inspiration for my story came from a real city-wide competition, where, like Mo, my protagonist, I faced off against a bigger, stronger boy during the final match. At that time, pairings were determined by belt-level and age, not by weight class. I ended up losing. I remember feeling so crushed by my second-place finish, and I kept replaying the fight in my head, wondering what I could have done differently.

I was also inspired by martial arts movies—especially the stunt actors and body doubles, and the thugs in the background serving as punching bags for the protagonist. As an introvert, I never wanted to be the main character…but to get beat up by the main character? That seemed awesome. After achieving my black belt in Taekwondo, I explored other types of martial arts and came away with an appreciation for the similarities and differences in the different forms, and how each has a unique philosophy linking the physical to the mental (and spiritual). Martial arts is about discipline and practice, but it’s also about respect (for oneself and for others) and integrity. And, of course, indomitable spirit, the all-encompassing light within us all that shines with determination and hope and an unshakable optimism for a brighter tomorrow.

Best,
A.Y.

Author Socials:
Twitter/X: @aychanwrites
Instagram: @aychanwrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560087155240

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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

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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)

 

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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.

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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.

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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)