An ovedue reading roundup!

Having a passion for anything can sometimes lead to disappointment, particularly if you have set your hopes on it and so it can be with reading.  I have a passion for reading; I want to read every book that comes my way, I then want to share the joy that I have experienced.  Rarely is there a book that I do not enjoy and because I am reading for myself as well as to share with others I am conscious of the fact that even if I did not enjoy the book others will, it may just be that it was not quite the book for me.  This happens.  Very rarely am I ever truly disappointed by a book.  Very often I love a book and the books take me by surprise with their enjoyability!

And so it is, as someone with a passion for books and reading that I read A LOT!  Usually a book a night, thus with a train journey into and out of London this week I had the chance to read more …

From Usborne and Tamsyn Murray came Tanglewood Animal Park: Baby Zebra Rescue a delightful story that is perfect for animal lovers.  Zoe and her little brother have grown up around zoo’s – that is where their parents work and now they are about to live in their own zoo, but all is not well, with poorly and injured animals, a physical structure in need of repair and a very moody vet’s son to contend with will the zoo open on time and will everything be in place?  This is a charming story for those who love animals yet at the same time also a story about friendship, understanding and learning to give and take.

Sedric and the Roman Holiday Rampage by Angie Morgan, Egmont, continues the medieval adventures of Sedric and the gang, this time trying to undo all the trouble caused by Baron Dennis’ rather unpleasant son.  Packed with humour and delightfully illustrated by the author this is a wonderful addition to the series and will have readers laughing with every turn of the page.

Moving up the age groups I came to Magrit by Lee Battersby (Walker Books).  This is a sparse and haunting tale, appropriately set in an abandoned cemetery where Magrit lives with her friend Master Puppet.  They live happily and peacefully until a passing stork drops a bundle and despite his best efforts to dissuade her Master Puppet sees Magrit growing ever closer to the new addition with unfortunate consequences.  A masterful and moving story, delicately and beautifully told.

Then the book that truly took me by surprise, Songs About a Girl by Chris Russell (Hodder Children’s Books).  As a book about a boy band and a young girl I am sure you can imagine where I thought this was going … but it didn’t.  This is an honest and truthful story about the trials and tribulations of fame, about understanding people and friends, how they work and why.  Charlie is a great character the true geek yet hiding a streak of rebellion whilst Melissa, the archetypal best friend may not be all that she seems and the same applies to the boyband.  With a rollercoaster ride of emotions this book is packed with page-turning elements and is a really good read.

Father’s Day was last Sunday and what better way to celebrate that by asking dad to read you a story about … Dad’s?

If your dad is new to his role then you could start off with School for Dads by Charlotte Guillain and illustrated by Ada Grey (Egmont) through which your dad will learn about how not to be late for pick up, how to pay attention to you and not his phone and how sometimes the children just need to take charge!  Dad’s will learn an lot from this delightful book, children will love the action in the pictures and it will have created a wonderful sharing experience too.

The Best Bit of Daddy’s Day by Claire Alexander (Egmont) anthropomorphises the roles of father and son into Daddy and Bertie, two dogs, both delightful and appealing to small children.   Bertie’s daddy is a driver of wonderful trucks and diggers and of course Bertie would love to do this too so when he discovers a special surprise waiting for him at school it seems that their days may well be just the same.  This is a lovely, simple story, about understanding, overcoming anxiety and sharing experiences.

Amazing Daddy by Rachel Bright (Orchard Books) features two pandas, Daddy Panda and Little Panda sharing a day together all their special moments.  Celebrating the special relationship between father and son this is a warm, loving book and the perfect title for father’s day.

A guest reviewer writes ...

I asked Armadillo reviewer and writer Bridget Carrington to review a book by Kathryn James so that we could mark a special event this month and link it to YA fiction.  The following is Bridget's contribution:

All over the UK June is Gypsy Roma TravellerHistory Month, and perfectly timed for this comes Kathryn James latest novel, Gypsy Girl (Walker Books). Kathryn writes from in-depth experience of this very special and widely misrepresented group, as she worked for years in a variety of jobs which supported the traveller community. 

In an interview she has written:

When I met up with the Gypsy girls we’d worked with in the past, they moaned that there’s never any books or stories about their lives. They and I both wanted a kick-ass Gypsy girl heroine. Sassy. Gypsy smart rather than School smart. And true to what the girls are really like.  

Sammy-Jo Smith is just that. She’s a prize-winning fighter, but can’t progress to the official adult fights because she’s too young. Her big sister wants a big wedding, so Sammy-Jo secretly earns money in illegal cage fights to pay for it, and remains unbeaten against all-comers. But this year when the Smith family pulls onto the field they’ve always stopped on they find they are no longer welcome, and Sammy-Jo discovers there’s far more to that than meets the eye too. And she’s fallen in love with a gorger, whose father owns the field, although she’s expected to marry a cousin, who seems to be mixed up in something illegal. Sammy-Jo is an unusual heroine, and her world will be unfamiliar to many readers, except via the discriminatory reports in certain areas of the media. Through her we learn much about the close family units, about the history of the people and their traditions, and how they’re both the same and different from us – the housed. All this comes through a fast-paced, exciting, and frequently funny, mystery-adventure-romance with an engaging heroine. 

There’s a hint that we might see more of her – I certainly hope so!

There’s an excellent Guardian picture article in which Kathryn James shows the sources for some of the ideas in Gypsy Girl, and a piece on the GRTHM site about a traveller who competed in the boxing in the 2012 Olympics.

Summer teen reads - without the angst!

I've been reading in the Bookseller magazine about concerns that many teen novels are reflecting the enormous pressures and concerns impacting on the lives of these teen readers.  Is this really anything new I wonder?  Yes, there do seem to be more books featuring 'issues' but hasn't this always been the case I asked myself?  Haven't teens always wanted to read realistic fiction alongside fantasy and adventure and all the other genres available to them.  Is this not just a way in which they can find a way to understand the issues that may face them, that they read about in the papers and may see in those around them?  Is it not safer to allow them to read about these issues and learn about them through fictional stories than in real life?  Books and their fictional characters, no matter how set into reality they are, are an escape for readers, a way to help them understand, a story for them to enjoy, a chance for them to look at concerns and issues in a safe and structured environment and hopefully realise that almost every problem in life can be solved and is not usually as bad as it seems.

A rise in dystopian fiction is not unheard of and it is a great way for teens and adults to realise what the world could turn into if we do not look after it. transgender and other gender novels are also a wonderful way for all readers to explore their sexuality and what it all means.  Teens will always need an outlet and a means to understand the complex world that they are entering into, fiction is one of the safest ways I can think of for them to do this.  Whilst I agree that they need some uplifting reading too it is all out there for them, they are free to make their choices with us as adults as their guides, one more reason why it is so important to read this all ourselves and recommend it to them - PLUS - it is all SO GOOD!  I love my teen reading as much as my picture books and junior fiction!

So rant over what teen fiction am I going to recommend?

I will start with a book that readers can get their teeth into and which will keep them going until my additional recommendations are available!

Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy (Simon & Schuster) is almost as long as its title!  At 646 pages this is not a book for the reader who is after a small volume but having said that as this is a book of the most brilliantly conceived lists.  This is the story of Darren.  Darren has had an awful year, his parents have divorced his brother has gone to college, his best friend has moved to another state and he has no girlfriend.  This is a book of teen angst, hilarious lists.  It is the story of a journey, a journey in the physical sense, on a bus, and also metaphorical all about what can happen to you in life, how it can change you as a person and why this can be hard but good.  Many pages it may have but the list format makes it highly accessible and surprisingly thought-provoking.  A brilliant creation.

Recommendation number 2 is a book in time for summer festivals.  Remix by Non Pratt (Walker Books) is Non's second title for teens, a book of friends, music and lies.  This is the story of best friends, ex-boyfriends and some great music.  Over the course of three days two friends will go to one music festival and discover whether there is any chance of things working out either how they planned or entirely differently!  I love the way that this book is written, Non has a very strong teen voice and the characters truly come to live in the mind of the reader, their voices really can be heard, their situations imagined and you can almost feel yourself shouting at them about their wrong decisions, knowing much ore than they do is the benefit of being the reader and also a drawback as you have to wait and see what the characters will do, when they will realise and how the story will unfold whilst all you can do is sit back, watch, wait and enjoy.

Finally, as always, for now only, This is Not A Love Story by Keren David (Atom) is going to be the next perfect read for summer.  Here is a story that is complicated and it not what it seems to be on face value.  First there is Kitty, a girl who lives in a suburban London and has dreams of a beautiful life. Amsterdam holds promise, here she can escape the haunting memories of her father's death and start a new life - can't she?  What she finds in Amsterdam is two boys.  Ethan, unpredictable and Theo clever but troubled.  These boys have their own secrets as does Amsterdam.  However Amsterdam is a new city, a beautiful city and as she is far from home Kitty takes advantage of the opportunity to fall in love for the very first time.  First love is never easy, being away from home can make it harder.  Will Kitty find the love that she is looking for, hoping for?  Will any of the hearts involved in the story survive intact?  A brilliantly moving, cleverly told summer love story full of angst and issues, yes, but full of hopes and dreams too.

Celebrate! Its National Non Fiction November

Educational, fun, inspiring, creative.

When  I think of non fiction books these are the words that come to mind.  Why? because it is all these things and more that non fiction books pack into their pages.

There are non fiction books for every age and every taste, even for those who claim not to love reading,I bet they love facts and they need to read in order to find these so put them in front of a non fiction book, see their faces light up and help them to realize that in fact reading is great fun, it just doesn't have to be make believe, it can be very real!

National Non Fiction month is a great opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the world around us, to learn a new fact, a new language or even a new skill.  

For me craft books are the real draw, for others it could be science, nature or even art.  In my school library it is university guides and obscure topics being researched for A Level independent study that are currently popular.

What is the topical non fiction November book where you are?

In Armadillo we make sure always to review a selection of titles for younger and older readers, it is important to remember them all and to remember that they are not just for homework they are for pleasure too.

My non-fiction book for November has to be the brilliant Yo Er San: My First Chinese Nursery Rhymes selected by Jie Mu and illustrated by Patrice Aggs (Frances Lincoln) which has taught me my very first words of Chinese thanks to the accompanying CD - I cannot fathom the text but I love the gentle illustrations.

Then of course there is also the stunning pop-up panorama of New York bought to us by Jenny Maziels and paper engineer Richard Ferguson (Walker Books).  This amazing book captures the glamour and scale of New York with its 3-D skyline and fascinating accompanying facts.  I love it!

So there we have it, a very brief look at some non fiction to help celebrate National Non Fiction November.

I hope you have found something to surprise you this month, something to love, something to learn and a new love of all books to keep you going until the same time next year!

Making May Magnificent - Brilliant Books

Over the last year there have been a number of celebrations, celebrations of book birthdays and anniversaries and in 2014 this is set to continue, as we started the year there were anniversaries for a number of books, some quite young, some much older.  Now that we have come to May it is time to celebrate 75 years of T.S. Eliot’s Mcavity The Mystery Cat (Faber and Faber)! Mcavity is probably one of the most famous of criminal cats and he has obviously been lucky enough to have more than 9 lives, being such a grand old age, which means that a new young audience of readers can enjoy his escapades as he is brought to life again with delightful illustrations by Arthur Robins. Mcavity can usually be found in T S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats but he has been given new life in his own picture book.  This is the perfect combination of pictures and poetry, the second charming picture book from the new Faber and Faber list.  It is as clever a creation as it was when T S Eliot first imagined his trickster cat and it is truly a delight.  This cat will have children and adults giggling, learning at the youngest age how enjoyable poetry can be and pouring over the glorious detail in each and every picture, not wanting to turn the page until they have drunk in every little detail – and there are plenty to see. Baffling, funny, rhyming – a delight for a new generation of Mcavity fans.

 

Whilst we celebrate the anniversary of Mcavity we should also take some time to remember those authors who are sadly no longer with us but whose books continue to inspire, enthral and touch us with their beauty.  One such book that has inspired and touched me this bank holiday weekend is Jim’s Lion by Russell Hoban and illustrated by Alexis Deacon (Walker Books).  Telling in graphic and prose the story of a little boy needing a life-saving operation and the power of dreams this is a modern fable with a dark magic that has been stunningly captured by Deacon and his pen.  I was moved by the power of the pictures and comforted by the words.  This is a winning combination of writing and drawing that is evocative and important, for children and adults alike.  This is a book to comfort those in pain and fear but to also help us all understand the importance of letting a little magic into our lives.

Then finally for today at least, there was The Duck and the Darklings by Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King (Allen & Uwin) another book with a dark heart but a light touch and an important fable to tell us all.  This is the story of a sorry and dark underground land where light is but a distant memory until a wounded duck brings hope and solace.  Mended and well she finds her wings and prepares to fly the nest but with her go the people of Dark, whose hearts she has touched and for whom she has a quite beautiful surprise.  Cleverly crafted, perfect for newly independent readers and as a moral tale this is a book to return to again and again, reiterating its message and enjoying its beauty.

The Quite Beautiful Ava Lavender

The wonderful Leslye Walton has generously written this short piece about her stunning novel, her YA debut, written when she was not busy teaching children how to read, write and be nice to each other.  Perhaps some of the inspiration from this evocative and moving story came from her teaching experiences, perhaps, as she says it cam from a song.  No matter where it came from here we have a beautiful novel about finding yourself, finding your own wings.  With its gorgeous prose, unpretentious storyline, characters that go straight to the heart there is so much to love about this book that its YA readers are quite certain to fall in love with it just as much as I did and hopefully they will spread the word far and wide too.  Now sit back, read the words of Lesley herself, read the book and then join me in waiting for her next offering ...

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender was originally inspired by the song “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” by Colin Hay. While pondering the logic—or perhaps, the lack of logic—when it comes to love, I discovered Viviane Lavender, a girl who spent her entire life pining after a childhood sweetheart. I imagined the weight of this, the immense burden of loving someone who didn’t, or perhaps couldn’t, love you back. How you couldn’t help but allow that grief to shape the rest of your life.

At this point, I didn’t think I was writing a novel, but months went by, I kept returning to this story—one I had thought I was finished telling.  Soon, other characters began revealing their place in this now-evolving tale. Henry was based on an autistic boy I taught who had a remarkable aptitude for mapmaking. Trouver was a sweet tempered Great Pyrenees I walked to earn money while in grad school. But it was Ava who changed everything. I was looking at a picture of my younger sister, taken when she was perhaps eleven. She was all long limbs and big teeth, wearing an oversize white T-shirt, and running, her shirt billowing out behind her as if she had wings. And it was in that description that I came to a stop, my fingers poised over the keyboard, and I thought No. Not as if she had wings. She has wings. And in that, I also realized I had no idea what I was writing. This wasn’t historical fiction. It wasn’t fantasy. It was something else. I didn’t write again for weeks.

I spent the next few months devouring everything I could that touched on the topic of magical realism—Isabelle Allende’s House of The Spirits, Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate, Joanne Harris’ Chocolat. Reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s glorious One Hundred Years of Solitude for the first time was like listening to someone speak a language I thought only I understood. And then I woke up one morning and found the Roux family waiting for me to tell their story, including Pierette, Emilienne’s sister who transformed herself into a canary after falling in love with a man who only had an eye for birds. Once I knew these peculiar characters, the story emerged quite easily from there.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is a story about love and loss and longing. I like to call it my love song to the strange. It’s for the lonely, the misunderstood, the unloved. Which is all of us, at some point, in some way or another. So, I guess this book is a love song to you, kind reader. May it serve as a reminder to fly with your own wings.

A Lazy Sunday Morning!

I’m having a delightful Sunday morning with a big pile of picture books, a charming way to start a relaxing day, not only can I enjoy some lovely, gentle stories that always make me smile but I can wonder and marvel at the skill of both the storyteller and the illustrator, sometimes these are one and the same person - even more to marvel about!

My skills certainly lie more with words, using them to encourage readers.  I am most certainly a reader, I am not sure I am a writer, at least not a writer of stories!  What I can do however, or at least what I try to do and especially on a Sunday is to knit and sew so of course when I looked at my pile of books today the first one I had to read was … Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Jon Klassen (Walker Books).  This has to be a book about knitting I thought to myself but how has it been written for the youngest readers?  How will knitting appeal to them?  Quite simply because it is about Annabelle, a little girl who one cold and snowy afternoon finds a box full of many coloured yarns.  What better to do then knit a jumper with this, so she does, and of course she makes one for her dog too but then there is spare yarn … so Annabelle gets knitting and soon … word has spread about all the knitting and the magic yarn.  Bring on the baddie.  Will Annabelle meet a sticky knitty end or will the yarn save the day?  A clever story with an intelligent twist and some stunning illustration.  A timeless classic.

Of course if I am not knitting I may be baking so the next title on my pile Hooray for Bread by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman (another from Walker Books) was the perfect choice.  Read this book before breakfast, in bed, after lunch, on a trip to see the ducks, in fact at any time when you would like to celebrate bread for this is the story of a loaf and how each of its slices makes someone happy.  Who would have thought that it would be possible to celebrate bread in such a delightful and fun-filled style?  A clever, captivating story for its simplicity and joy complemented by vibrant illustrations.  What is there not to love about bread!