Category Archives: Book Reviews
The Glass of Lead & Gold by Cornelia Funke – Book Review
Synopsis
In a land of elves, mermaids and trolls, true magic is where you least expect it…
In the snow-covered city of Londra, young Tabetha survives by finding treasures in the mudbanks of the river Themse. On Christmas Eve, a sinister stranger asks her to keep her eyes open for a priceless, long-lost magical object: the Glass of Lead and Gold.
As word of the Glass spreads across the city, Tabetha finds herself with some unlikely companions, not least a one-armed girl and a rather impressive soup chef. But will Tabetha discover that there are even greater fortunes to be found than the magical Glass?
Author
Cornelia Funke is the highly acclaimed, award-winning and bestselling author of the Inkheart trilogy, Dragon Rider, The Thief Lord and the Reckless series which is also published by Pushkin Press. Born in 1958 in the German town of Dorsten, she worked as a social worker for a few years before turning first to illustration and then to writing. Her books have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and have been translated into 37 languages.
What I Thought
I’m not familiar with the Mirrorworld where this story is set (shakes head at neverending TBR) but that wasn’t an issue, anything that needed explaining was, and in a way that worked within the story. In fact this short tale has definitely made me want to pick up more of Funke’s work, now I just have to decide between Reckless and Inkheart.
Firstly let me just share my admiration for the presentation of this book. It is a small hardback with gold foiling that glistens and adds a magic to the glass on the front. The RRP is £9.99 for a 91 page story which includes intricate black and white illustrations by the author. This is a book that deserves to be shelved face out and one that will be bought out for bedtime reads, especially around Christmas when the tale is set.
Tabetha is an orphan who takes care of herself by mudlarking – collecting items in the banks of the river and selling them for money to live on. This is already a risky way of life so when she is tasked with finding a magical object she is thrown into more danger – both physically and ethically.
This story definitely had a fairy tale feel and reminded me of The Little Match Girl although, depending on which version of that you read, not as sad.
I enjoyed the disability representation and the variety of creatures encountered including the creepy looking Thumblings – think evil borrowers.
As all fairy tales are, this is a book exploring morals and human dilemmas – Tabetha has to decide between riches. Will she be lured by the promise of magic? The story is beautifully written and is one you will want to read over.
Thanks to Vicki and Pushkin for the copy to read for the purposes of this
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Monstacademy: The Halloween Parade by Matt Beighton – Blog Tour Book Review
Synopsis
It’s not every day that a vampire borrows your pencil. When was the last time you sat next to a werewolf in maths?
Meet Trixie Grimble, the newest pupil at Monstacademy. Unfortunately, in a school filled with monsters, she’s the only ordinary girl and when she’s asked to help prepare for the annual Halloween parade, everything starts to go wrong.
Oh, and she’s also been kicked out of her bedroom to make room for a cat circus.
Fans of Jill Murphy and Isla Fisher will adore the silly humour and loveable characters in this delightful modern classic.
About the Author
Matt Beighton was born somewhere in the midlands in England during the heady days of the 1980s and continues to spend most of his days in the same shire. He is happily married with two young daughters who keep him very busy and suffer through the endless early drafts of his stories.
When he’s not writing, he teaches primary school (Kindergarten to some of you), messes around on canals in his inflatable kayak and supports his beloved Leicester City.
Website: http://mattbeighton.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mattbeightonauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mattbeighton
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs9DBOkwtDpnTFBYZXUhUUw
What I Thought
This was lots of fun and perfectly captures the emotions of starting a new school. It’s ideal for kids to read at this time of year and especially if they are joining a new class where everyone already knows each other.
Trixie not only starts a new school but she is very much the odd one out and having to board there too. Not everyone welcomes ‘her sort’ at the school. Humans at a school for monsters, how very unusual!!!
Having just re-read all of The Worst Witch books by Jill Murphy, I can confirm the comparisons to them are well founded and luckily, like Mildred, Trixie eventually finds herself a couple of good friends to help her settle in … and save the day. There’s a nefarious plot that needs foiling and, can you believe that Monsters don’t like trick or treating?
There are some funny names included, especially for the teachers (Flopsbottom 😂) which will give readers something to giggle about. The illustrations by Amalia Rendon were great and really added to the story. I loved the picture of the school caretaker Grimsby and it was good to be able to visualise all of the teachers.
There is a subplot with Trixie’s mum and some cats, and it was good to see that this wasn’t all focused on school and I liked the hints at how their relationship developed that we got in the extra Christmas themed short story. Initially I would have compared Trixie’s mum to Mrs Wormwood!
Aimed at a slightly younger reader, I think this is the perfect gateway to Harry Potter and I highly recommend it as bedtime story material.
Author Matt is a primary school teacher and he’s included some fun activities in the back of the book too (a wordsearch and spot the difference – I’m still stuck on this btw Matt and there’s no answers 😱😂). I’m such a kid because I also loved the fact the book has its own ‘This Book Belongs to’ page.
The Halloween Parade has set things up well for an ongoing series and I’m looking forward to seeing how the characters develop. It looks like there are at least two more books in the pipeline including a choose your own adventure version (I used to love these).
Today is the last stop on the tour but do make sure you go and check out what everyone else thought. Thanks to Matt and Faye for my copy of the book which I read for the purposes of an honest review.
All of the Monstacademy series are available in both standard and dyslexia adapted format. To celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Week 2018, use the code DYSAWARE to get 15% of any Monstacademy orders at the Green Monkey Press Etsy store. Offer valid from Monday 1st October to Sunday 7th October 2018 at https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/GreenMonkeyPress
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Charlie and Me by Mark Lowery – Back-to-School Blog Blitz
The Summer holidays are over but the feelings don’t have to be when you are reading a good book.
Charlie and Me: 421 Miles From Home is a Middle-Grade novel and a poignant story of families and running away. Brothers Charlie and Martin are on a very special trip down from Preston to Cornwall. They’re desperate to see the dolphin that lives in the harbour there. But although Martin’s used to looking after his younger brother, this is a very different journey for both of them – there’s something even bigger than the dolphin waiting for them once they get to Cornwall.
If you’re looking for a book to help you rewind these last few weeks of summer holidays with empathy and joy, this is the one for you!
I’m pleased to be able to share an extract with you as part of the Back-to-School Blog Blitz.
The town was just waking up – the smell of fresh bread from bakeries. Shopkeepers dragging racks of flip-flops and beach balls out of shops called Wild Bill’s Surf Shack or Bob’s Budget Beach Hut. Street cleaners emptying bins and aiming half-hearted kicks at the cocky seagulls that scrounged around the cobblestones.
We’d been roaming about for a few minutes before we caught a glimpse of the ocean – a narrow strip of blue between two cottages. ‘Might as well have a peek,’ Dad said. We followed a steep lane until it opened out onto the seafront, and WOW!
It was incredible.
The town nestled above a bay about a quarter of a mile wide. It was a perfect semicircle, like the sea had taken a great big bite out of the land. Colourful cottages seemed to tumble higgledy-piggledy down the slope towards it. The tide was right in and fishing boats bobbed up and down on a sparkling sheet of turquoise. To our right, the bay was fringed by jagged rocks that concealed the rest of the coast. At the far side over to the left, an old stone jetty stretched out to sea, with a small white lighthouse perched at the end of it.
Dad whistled.
Mum squeezed his hand and said, ‘Beautiful.’
‘What are they looking at?’ said Charlie, squinting at a huddle of people on the other side of the road. There were about seven of them standing by the railings and pointing out to sea.
Charlie didn’t wait for an answer. He darted across the road, right in front of a car that screeched to a halt just in time. The rest of us chased after him. On the far pavement, Mum grabbed him by the arm. ‘Don’t you ever do that again. I couldn’t bear—’
But Charlie wasn’t listening. ‘Wow!’ he said, pointing past Mum. ‘Look at that!’
‘What?’ said Mum, her fingers instinctively relaxing as she turned to look.
Charlie wriggled out of her grasp, peeled off his eye patch and pressed himself up against the railings. ‘That! Behind that big blue boat. Next to the dinghy.’
kirstyes 