This is a lovely introduction to the country of Sri Lanka, seen through the eyes of a young British Asian girl who goes to visit her pen-pal in that country. It is 
part of a series which follows the main character called Maya as she travels across the world having lots of adventures on the way. There is a real feeling that the stories are based on the author’s own experiences, as she has travelled to over 40 countries. I am delighted to be part of this blog tour as it has enabled me to learn more about Sri Lanka, especially from the viewpoint of young people who live there.
The book is aimed at the lower end of KS2 if you look at the size of the print and it is also highly illustrated, although this is something that it attractive whatever the child’s age. The intensity of the colours really adds to the sense of the exotic that we feel when contemplating where we are. The author, as narrator, is talking directly to their audience which really helps to draw them in to the adventure that is happening.
In this book, Maya goes on a visit to stay with her pen friend Ramy in Sri Lanka. The fascinating thing is that after her parents take her to the airport, she does the whole journey on her own. This means that she is probably 12 years or older as there are rules about unaccompanied children. What really comes across is how similar are the lives of the two girls, but also how there are tremendous differences. We learn about the families and about the cuisine that Maya has heard so much about. We also see the girls try their hand at surfboarding and swimming, enjoying the wonderful coastline and climate of the island. However, central to this story is the fact that Ramy helps out at a local dog shelter and dreams of being able to adopt a dog called Mimosa, but her parents are not sure she can truly care for a pet. Finally Ramy is able to persuade them that she is ready for the responsibility of a dog and the girls are overjoyed.
The final part of the story is very different and really brings us face to face with the reality that the world suffered through the COVID pandemic in 2020 and beyond. We can really feel the fear, not only of the disease itself, but also the thought that Maya could find herself unable to get back to her family; luckily this did not happen and her return flight to the UK was able to take off. Of course the world had become very different in the crisis and the girls understood that the animal shelter would struggle without the visitors that it relied on; so they set up an online charity and undertook fundraising to help with the fees. The story finishes on a very positive note as the girls’ friendship grows and strengthens and they learn about how helping others can strengthen their own friendship. This book can be read as a wonderful adventure, but it is also something that can act as a focus for discussion about the various topics that are mentioned.
not really helping them. The story follows the children as they overcome prejudice, fire and a mysterious character who tries to kidnap their bird for King Charles II. the story is told chronologically and we follow the action as the flames spread over the days, always at the mercy of the wind direction.
those who might be Catholics or foreigners at least. I love the way that the author has included several well-know characters from the period, so we see the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas Bloodworth, who did not do well and also the diarist Samuel Pepys, who was much more pro-active and involved in trying to save areas of the city. We also get the fact that the many bookshops and printers near to St Paul’s did store their stock in the crypt, only for the fire to find a way inside and destroy almost everything.
grade book — word of mouth bestseller Darwin’s Dragons — has been published across the world and is commonly read in British classrooms. She presents lively book events for all ages, calling on 20 years teaching experience. When not working, she enjoys long shore-side dog walks with her family, and the occasional sea swim.
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.
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.
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.
Eva, the thirteen year old heroine of this story, has a lot to put up with; her mother died when she was young, she is a type 1 diabetic and she has the dubious distinction of being the first human to be born on Mars. As she faces discrimination by some of the other children, she relies on the support of her father and her AI companion to help her cope. So, when her father and his team go missing she decides she has to go and find them. Linked to this we have the ‘ghosts’ that Eva starts to see, one of who looks remarkably like her late mother, the question is, are they hallucinations or are the real? If they are real, then who are they and why are they trying to make contact with Eva?
Creative Writing and founded, and now runs, WriteMentor. In 2020 and 2022 he was placed on the SCWBI Undiscovered Voices longlist and named as an Honorary Mention for his novels ‘Ghosts of Mars’ and ‘Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time’. In 2023, he won the WriteBlend award for his middle grade debut, Ghosts of Mars.
Most of us assume that we have a right to self-determination and the idea that we are restricted by a fate that is given to us at birth, is something that we might have real problems with. This is the idea behind the adventures of the feisty Ember Shadows. In the first book she is looking forward to receiving her fate card, which will decide if she can follow her dream of being an inventor; however, things do not happen as she hopes. Firstly, there is no fate written on her card and then her younger sister receives her card, saying that she only has a short while to live. This leads to a fantastic adventure as Ember tries to change the way that the fates work.
safety in the old system and they have problems coping with having choice. Someone is taking this fear to an extreme and they are gathering the strands of fate and cutting them, so that the owners are killed. Ember and her brilliant sidekick Hans (yes, he is a hand from a clock, brought to life by magic) decide that they need to try and stop any further disasters taking place. They meet a wide variety of characters on the way, from giant spiders to mon-keys (who manage the weather patterns), but there is always the lurking menace of the line cutter. The author manages to throw a lot of red herrings in our path and especially in Ember’s way, so that she is often caught out in her thinking about the culprit. The denouement sees an unexpected villain and an upsetting discovery about someone she had thought was a friend.
return. Oh, how I wished that I had taken it with me (the explanation will follow shortly.) I had the great pleasure of reviewing Holly’s previous book about “The Boy in the Post” and so it was delightful that I would be able to enjoy the new adventure featuring the three Shalloo siblings, Orinthia, Seafra and Taber.
Norway, starting at Bergen. The story brought back so many lovely memories, especially of the Funicular and the amazing views that you get from the top, but it also reminded me of the arrival into Bergen and the astounding scenery surrounding it. Thank you Holly for creating such a wonderful story and for giving us an insight into the beauty of another country.
Jones. She spent her childhood in Wales, wishing that she was Pippi Longstocking, and after graduating spent time working as an actor, broadcaster and cheese-seller, until one day she had the idea to pen a story about a tenacious young inventor named Demelza. Holly’s days are now spent penning new stories as well as leading drama, craft and bushcraft classes for children. She lives in Brighton with her girlfriend and still wishes that she was Pippi Longstocking.
writers have a variety of stories they want to tell. I did enjoy being released from detailed factual research and building the world of the highly anthropomorphised Dockland Rats.
Tilbury’s world, following him on his adventures, the twists and turns of the story happening organically as I wrote. I think I needed a change from my usual stories that are based in the real world, and to travel to new unexplored worlds. The infinite realms of the imagination were my portals out of reality. Lockdown also made me feel a little institutionalised, and anxious to venture out when Lockdown was lifted. A trip to London seemed a huge undertaking. I really felt I understood Tilbury’s paradoxical desires for adventure and yet to stay at home and never leave.
turn up before dark or for tea. I think parents are more worried by stranger danger and dangerous traffic on roads these days. But also sadly, a problem of modern life, especially in urban areas is that are fewer places to play outside as many places may be developed for housing. My own children grew up in a rural area, but the small roads were so busy, and used as cut-throughs for local traffic, that cycling and walking were not very safe. Like all mothers, Tilbury’s Ma wants to protect her little son as much as she can, but of course, she cannot protect him forever. She must be brave and let him begin to find his way in the world, letting him test his own boundaries. Even Tilbury’s Pa must remind Ma that they were young rats once in search of adventure. But Ma will always there for Tilbury with a hot dinner and a warm bed if he should need it.
this a very exciting prospect indeed. For those who have not read the first book, it follows the adventures of the four Santander children as they go in search of their explorer father, who has disappeared on his latest expedition. They undertake a gruelling challenge called the “Mapmakers’ Race”, hoping to win enough money to continue their search. Despite dastardly competitors (not quite Whacky Races) they actually win and thanks to some teasing information they start out on a new adventure.
have been possible, but we just didn’t know how to go about it. Once, we persuaded our mother to drive us a long way from home and leave us to get back on our own with just our pocket money. It was exciting to be in an unknown street, miles from anywhere familiar, but then we turned round the first corner and there was the tube station by our mother’s work. We were home in less than an hour. Why did we go on the tube instead of, say, seeing where the first bus that came along would take us? Tragic.
This is the second book about Pirates that I have had the pleasure of reading in the last few months. this one is aimed at a slightly older audience, age 8 years and above and definitely makes it onto the reading list for “Talk like a Pirate” day.