achukareviews

Dad is eager to enter the human bird competition that is due to take place over the river Tyne and which has attracted international interest – ‘there’s a fella from France that’s screwed wings to his bike. There’s a lass from Japan with a ten foot pogo stick. There’s a bloke from Brazil with an umbrella on his head and a propeller on his bum…’

The archetype whereby the child’s inner-imaginative world is constructed as all-embracing is reversed by David Almond in this latest work, where it is Lizzie’s dad – and his obsession with all things fowl and flight – that drive the story and the attempts to find freedom of flight.

Polly Dunbar’s vibrant illustrations make her the perfect illustrator to collaborate on this book. The building blocks of the story will feel familiar with those who have read Almond’s body of work to date, influences from William Blake continue to abound as too does a preoccupation with the human form and flight. Ultimately, however, this is an upbeat and uplifting story that transcends ideas of social norms through realising the importance of the love than underpins all of this.

There is a marvellous sense of joyous celebration towards the end of this short book as we see Ben actively engage and participate, at which points he feels valued and worthwhile. The juxtaposition between this and the opening of the books is a testament to Anderson’s very real skills as an author. In a short work she has created an entirely convincing fiction where characters develop and adapt to the circumstances surrounding them and to the altered situations facing one another when interacting.

Praise must go to Barn Owl Books – who have recently faced financial uncertainties – for bringing back into print this brilliant shot novel, first published under the ‘Mammoth Read’ imprint and given a new lease of life with superb new accompanying illustrations by Jane Ray

The highly innovative and imaginative illustrator Joel Stewart proves himself equally proficient at the pacing and plotting of fiction for young readers in “The Trouble with Wenlocks”. Travel on a train takes an unexpected turn when everyone slips into slumber save for Stanley Wells who experiences an apparition. This apparition is later revealed to have been a Wenlock, an ethereal being with the ability to remove fear and uncertainty.

With parents living apart, and voyages made between their respective home, Stanley has been the subject of great change. His train ride extends as a metaphor for the journey of his own life, one that he must travel, arriving at difficult decisions alone with regard to his outlook and intended destination...

Delightfully idiosyncratic and whimsical, Joel Stewart captures that sense of the surreal that accompanies feelings experienced for the first time. Caught, on the one hand, between the enigmatic Dr Moon's careful guidance and sage advice and, on the other, Joel Stewart's intriguing first novel, readers could not be in safer hands.

Although sometimes overt in the narrative’s placement of moral and ethical standards, the story nonetheless makes for a fast-paced, action adventure that will doubtless find a legion of fans foremost of these are likely to be those who are savvy with the fast evolving worlds of gadget and computer aided technologies. With often exotic and far-flung locations, an increasingly enticing array of spy gadgetry and the promise of top-secret assignments, this series has enough hooks to capture the imaginations of even the most reluctant of readers…

Assigned the task of looking after new pupil, Ivan, by headteacher Mrs Blaizely, Boris finds himself constantly trying to veil darkly threatening comments and a deliberate flouting of authority when translating his new class-mates comments from Russian into English for the benefit of teachers and pupils alike at the highly convivial St Edmund’s school. Throughout the course of the day, the problem escalates in magnitude, placing Boris into ever more cringe-worthy, difficult circumstances as he tries to meet and match Ivan’s menace with good manners.

Anne Fine’s trademark black humour is laced with a delicious sense of precision and of timing throughout the novel. As concurs with the author’s body of work per-se, however, underpinning this humour are keen observations as to the functionality of communication in modern life, the need for expressing one’s wants and desires across whatever boundaries we encounter in life – whether these be geographical or based around engaging with those from different ages or backgrounds to our own and a tendency for children’s voices to be marginalised alongside the egalitarian intents of those imbued with their education and wellbeing.

Publication of this admirable and compelling short novel is the flagship for Anne Fine’s revised and rejacketed backlist with Egmont books.

Books of instruction have played a seminal role in the history and development of children’s literature. Arguably, children’s literature has never – and perhaps can never – fully escape its didactic and pedagogical base. Aesop’s fables have been amongst the most enduring of fiction for children since first publication in English translation by William Caxton in 1484.

Terry Deary brings both ardour and aptitude to his new series, published by A & C Black, “Greek Tales”. Opening with morals gleaned from Aesop, the books utilise new stories to expand upon and make modern the premise of these fables.

Opening with contextual information, the book tells how Heracles won a race at Olympia, proving himself to be the strongest, fastest hero the world has ever known. Remembrance of this achievement is held through the Olympic Games.

Using the fable of the tortoise and the hare as its ideas base, Deary creates a modern fable that will resonate with many disillusioned siblings as Cypselis uses his sister as a wager on a bet that he will beat Bacchiad in the school Olympics. The trouble is, Ellie knows her brother is not a strong winner… How can they secure her safety and future?!

Witty and wise, this is a cleverly penned series for first readers that will have readers themselves racing to the finishing line…

“Okay, okay. So stick my head in a holly bush. I gave Ellie’s mother my mean look. It was her own fault. She was hogging my end of the sofa.”

Nonchalant Tuffy the cat makes his triumphant third outing in this latest tale by Anne Fine. Tuffy is fast becoming an archetype in children’s literature. In him, Fine has perfectly captured the nuances of cattish behaviour. Just as it is now almost impossible to speak of bear stories, without Pooh or his alliterative counterpart Paddington coming to mind, Tuffy is the forerunner in feline fiction.

Keen to express her creativity, Ellie’s mother experiments with photography, painting and pottery. Tuffy the cat holds little appreciation for any of this art and accidents befall all but one of the pots as Tuffy ‘biffs’ and ‘strokes’ them. Eager to be rid of the monstrous artwork, Ellie’s father tries coaxing Tuffy to smash the final remaining pot, but contrasuggestible as ever, Tuffy evades each attempt as father places a tantalisingly tempting prawn into the pot and smears it in cream. What resolve, if any, could cause Tuffy to smash the pot…?!

As with the two previous books in the “Killer Cat” series, this book is based upon an urban legend. Anne Fine has augmented this with her own inimitable wit and sense of social understanding making this a riotous, rib-tickling read.

High-jinx and japes can be traced from Mrs Sherwood’s “The History of the Fairchild Family” down through Nesbit’s well-intentioned though oft-misguided Bastable children, Blyton’s “Naughtiest Girl”, Crompton’s “William”, Dorothy Edward’s “Naughty little sister” and the recently televised “Horrid Henry”. This tradition is continued with “Dirty Bertie”.

“Dirty Bertie: Worms” is the first in a series of young fiction titles – ‘Stripes’ – published by Little Tiger Press. Indeed, ‘Dirty Bertie’ himself will be familiar to readers through his appearance in two picture books ‘Dirty Bertie’ and ‘Pooh! Is that you, Bertie?’. In this young fiction book, three tales are presented, ‘Worms’, ‘Manners’ and ‘Rubbish’. The highlight of these is definitely ‘Worms’, wherein Bertie makes a highly unusual fancy-dress appearance at next-door-neighbour Angela’s pink party. In typical irreverent Bertie style, our hero finds if he can’t wriggle out of the party, the best thing is to wriggle into it…

More endearing than a certain child-terror, Henry, these tales feel to be more led by character than by mischievous deeds alone. It is hard not to feel endeared to Bertie who, once more, is brilliantly realised in full-fiendish detail by the talented David Roberts. Fans should also look out for “Dirty Bertie: Fleas” also now available in Little Tiger Press’ distinctive new fiction label.

“By tusk and trunk”

Those who have followed Oscar and Arabella, that indomitable, woolly mammoth duo, in their picture book adventures: “Oscar and Arabella” and “Hot, Hot, Hot” will be delighted to learn that the pair have ascended to school age.

On arrival of a letter from Professor Snout at the Mammoth Academy, the pair are both advised as to the items they will need in readiness for their first school day. Use of the novel form, allows significant character development, Neal Layton includes a facsimile of Oscar’s letter – and later of his school map – both of which have been rather carelessly crumpled and smudged!

Activities take a turn towards the unexpected when Oscar discovers a set of footprints in the snow which, being the inquisitive mammoth that fans of the series will know that he is, he decides to follow...

It transpires the tracks lead to the kitchens where a thief has been stealing oranges. The mystery unravels and Oscar becomes entwined in playing out the role of detective in a furiously paced adventure that sees him do battle against the humans using a rather unwieldy prehistoric skateboard!

Worthy of particular mention is “Goodbye Joyce” where the escape of the class guinea-pig is sensitively and, in parts, hilariously juxtaposed with the decease of much loved dinnerlady Joyce. The story succeeds in embracing life – and freedom! – whilst at once grieving absence and loss.

Malapropisms and mishaps abound in these genuine, laugh-out-loud, short stories set in the modern multicultural classroom. Let’s hope another school outing is allowed for the irrepressible Purple Class!

“Each time you tell a story, the spirit of the person who told you the story is standing behind you; and behind him there’s the spirit of the person who told him the story. And each time you tell a story, they help you to make pictures in the sky.”

The potency of storytelling, its ability to traverse terrain and to cross cultures blazes strong in ‘Christophe’s Story’, an impressive, deeply thought-provoking and moving short novel whose understanding and compassion bathes readers in hope and belief that regardless of who we might be, whatever our backgrounds or beliefs, all our tomorrows might one day be better and brighter.

Removed from a landscape and populace that has been savaged by war, Christophe’s familiar homelands of Rwanda have been substituted for England. Starting at a new school, Christophe is taunted by one of his new class-mates Jeremy. These playground persecutions offer a glimpse at the dynamics of conflict that in the macrocosm of Rwanda led to Christophe’s family becoming embroiled in the programme of ethnic cleansing that was carried out there.

Accidentally revealed his war-scarred body, Christophe comes to tell his class his story of war-torn Rwanda, the death of his brother Matthieu and the burning of his house. That his class are unaware there has been a war in Rwanda is an indictment of the narrowness of focus and the Anglo-centricity of the classroom.

His storytelling constitutes a process of abreaction for Christophe who through reliving his trauma is able to begin the process of relieving that trauma arriving at resolve. Eager that the wider community should be aware of Christphe’s story, his teacher Miss Finch writes this down, an act of sacrilege for Christophe, who follows his grandfather Babi’s belief that stories begin to die when written down. Angered Christophe tears the story into pieces, however, Babi’s spirit visits him vesting within him the role of storyteller, master of words, lives and light…

Karin Littlewood’s illustrations brilliantly capture the suffering and pain surrounding the war in Rwanda yet successfully sparkle with the innate pleasures and life of childhood. To document such large political ideas, such hatreds and injustice in so short a novel and yet to leave readers awed, heartened and feeling in a real sense more tolerant is an enviable achievement and one which this exceptional book achieves with a real zeal.

“history is full of tales, and sometimes it takes bravery and pluck to uncover them.”

Bravery and pluck are the lifeblood that abound and flow so thoroughly through Czech siblings Jan and Marie Klesek who, following their father Frantisek, a maths teacher who has got a new job in England, move to a small village. Their arrival in the middle of the night is met by a welcome that is quite literally divest of any warmth and hospitality, a bull charges down the side of the car and the cottage in which they are staying – the curiously named “Shoe Cottage” – is cold, damp and in a state of near dereliction.

Bob Thomson the families new landlord is a seemingly uncaring and miserly individual who has a great nephew, Ross, and a great niece, Kerry, who both become the bane of the Klesek children’s life, taunting, teasing and being malicious to them both. On one such occasion the children take flight and come across a barn where they take shelter from a sudden storm. Lady Beddoes lives in the barn and the two children quickly befriend her.

Marie encounters prejudice and xenophobia in the guise of her new friend, Ashleigh’s mother, Carol Jillson who has a decidedly narrow outlook and small-town mentality when it comes to accepting newcomers, let alone ‘foreigners’.

What Jan and Marie find hidden in a shoe in the chimney of their cottage and that landlord, Bob Thompson, is desperate to gain possession of and thereby conceal, leads to a revelation and through a series of plot twists and turns lead to Lady Beddoe ascending to her rightful position within the village thereby setting about making things right once more! This is a real romp of a read, Jan and Marie make for particularly endearing protagonists whom it is difficult not to feel a joint affinity and affection towards…

People often attribute shared characteristics between dog and owner, here it is grandpa’s house that is painted as being similar to him – it being old, creaky and somewhat untidy! It makes a classic setting for a ghost story,

Adam plants the seed of doubt in his younger brother and sister’s minds (Ben and Susie respectively) when he suggests that the cobwebs in the fireplace are actually trails left behind by ghosts, or that the twig tap-tap-tapping on the window pane is in fact a ghost’s heart beat.

So begins a midnight mission, a dare amongst the two brothers that they should visit a nearby graveyard. Whilst there, however, a flash of intense light startles them and they immediately run for safety… Is the light a supernatural apparition or is there a more surprising ending still?! A fun book that explores the nature of bravery.

This carefree existence is shattered by the impending sense of reality that is unwittingly imposed through the concerns of Luke’s mother. “In the car, she tells Luke that he ought to help Grandad in the house more. ‘Didn’t you see the piles if dirty dishes in the sink?’” This tension between the responsibilities of adulthood and the carefree time of childhood is never resolved and highlights the ways in which children in single parent families sometimes appropriate adult anxieties.

Nonetheless, grandfather’s condition is deteriorating and he is eventually admitted to hospital. Luke makes him a promise that he will look after his pigeons, but soon after realises that his unlikely to recover. The ending to the novel is at once poignant, moving and uplifting as the pigeons fly-off into the sky and Luke and his mother move into the home where he has memories of enjoying his childhood.

“Taking Flight” forms one of the novels in A & C Black’ guided reading series “White Wolves”, this novel is a part of the “Stories that raise issues” collection for year four pupils and there is a teacher’s resource pack that can be bought alongside it to facilitate use in the classroom. The book, however, is a perfectly satisfactory read in its own right too.

Megan McDonald, author of the perennially popular Judy Moody series, has created a spin-off featuring Judy’s brother Stink. In “Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker”, Stink is disappointed to find that the aforementioned jawbreaker in fact does nothing of the sort and that his jaw remains very firmly still in tact.

Stink sends a letter of complaint to the company and receives a mammoth box of complimentary sweets. From here-on-in he writes numerous letters and receives a good number of replies, unfortunately amidst this deluge of post one important piece of mail gets lost thereby threatening Stink’s friendship with Webster… Can this be remedied?

This is a fun, easy-to-read novel that will appeal to boys, particularly those with sisters who are ardent fans of the Judy Moody titles. Peter H. Reynold’s illustrations really help to bring the book to life. Look out for another adventure featuring Stink “Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid”.

“Now let’s look at this marvellous world of ours and think where we would most like to explore.”

The twelfth book in the series about Tashi, “Tashi and the Forbidden Room” sees the hero regale his audience, within which readers become cleverly included, with two further tales from his time back in the village…

The first of these adventures is a rip-roaring, rollicking, re-telling of the legend of Bluebeard with Tashi firmly at the centre as the hero. Tashi confides in his best friend Jack that Bluebeard has been the most terrifying villain he has ever faced.

The second story “The Three Tasks” re-introduces a familiar adversary, the Baron. The Baron’s peacock has gone missing and Pongo his dog is, alas, found with incriminating feathers around him and a mouth soaked in blood. The Baron threatens him with death, but allows opportunity for reprieve provided that Tashi is able to complete three tasks.

Firstly the Baron expects to hear Tashi but not to see him. Secondly Pongo must no longer bleed and his cuts must be healed. Finally, the peacock must be back in the garden alive.

Anna and Barbara Fienberg really bring stories to life in this series of novels that are perfect as introductions to reading and to the backdrop of mythic and legendary tales. Kim Gamble’s illustrations give an other-worldy aspect to the books making for beautifully packaged collections of stories that introduce new readers to the magic, wonder and endless possibilities of story-telling and reading.

Lily faces a dilemma, it is show and tell but, as computer games are now banned, as the chocolate rabbit upon her dressing table is - or rather Lily feels should be - for the delectation of her taste-buds alone, she wonders what best to take to ensure the enlightenment and entertainment of her fellow class-mates. Solution comes in the form of the pleasingly lumpy stone, with the rich grey colour, weird little pockmarks and faint wavy lines that trips her dad up on his way home from work each day… sadly her class-mates appear to be geological philistines .

“Mrs Bentley! Mrs Bentley! Please tell us we didn’t have to get out of bed and come all the way to school this morning just to look at an old stone!”

Lily tells her peers that the stone moves – a comment that is not entirely fallacious as astute readers will discern. Some of her class firmly uphold belief in the geode’s perambulatory capabilities, others are sceptics whilst others still remain uncertain preferring to rely on empirical evidence rather than gut feeling…

The latest sees him travel to Cambodia where his contact one Kate Newington’s mother, chief archaeologist at the Temple of Angkor Wat, has been kidnapped by criminals who seek the map of the Central Well which conceals the sacred treasure of the god-king, a priceless source of power to its possessor. Will Jack be equal to this latest challenge that faces him?

With Anthony Horowitz’s first Alex Rider film, “Stormbreaker” due for general release this summer and the public library network’s theme “The Reading Mission for this year’s summer reading challenge this series is the ‘must read’ of the summer. The books’s travel-based themes also make the ideal for holiday reading.

“The Crunchbone Castle Chronicles” is a new series of engaging easy-reader novels published by A & C Black and written by Karen Wallace. This humorous series, opening with “King Cudgel’s Challenge”, marks a departure for Wallace from the deeply sensitive, character-based novels that explore issues of memory and identity for which she ha become most renowned.

King Cudgel has a problem – or rather a pair of problems – his trouble is twins, the positively petulant Prince Marvin and Princess Gusty Ox. Their reign of terror and terrorisation runs amok through the palace raining on reigning King Cudel’s parade.

At his wits end Cudgel invites his court wizard, pleasingly-onomatopoeically-named-Crackle, to set a challenge for the right royal sibling rivals and both pace and plot pick up with satisfying swiftness as completion of the challenge is attempted. Will Prince Marvin and Princess Gusty Ox ever get on? Will King Cudgel’s dream of a royal retirement to a place overlooking the sea come true and most unnerving of all, if unsuccessful in their efforts will Godric the Geek ascend to the throne at Crunchbone Castle?

Illustrated throughout by Helen Flook’s wonderfully expressive and anarchic snapshots of the action, this is a very promising start to a series aimed at engaging and developing independent reading. Fans to the series are able to eagerly anticipate the the second title “Prince Marvin’s Great Moment” which is forthcoming...

“Road Closed” takes seriously the very real and sometimes paralysing childhood fear of the unexpected and of not knowing anyone that often accompanies parties and indeed attendance at other social gatherings. It sensitively shows how being oneself, showing awareness to others and meeting the needs of those around us responsively not only helps us have a good time, but also ensures that others do too. The story here powerfully demonstrates how the situations we are placed within and our responses towards these play key roles in determining the type of person we are seen to be…

A genuinely surprising ending is not easily achieved within so short a time-span and for such a young audience, it is testament to the writer’s skill and indeed to her latent understanding of the importance of childhood to all of us that one is here posited. A book with a big heart and a bold view regarding the ongoing significance of childhood years.

“Calypsos are about serious things, they about funny things, but they are always bursting with life.”

Familiar to many as the author of the “Glory Gardens” series, cricket writer extraordinaire Bob Cattell is teamed with poetsonian* John Agard in “Butter-Finger”, the fourth book in Frances Lincoln’s new fiction list for 8 to 12 year olds.

Riccardo Small – diminutive in name, stature and the regard he is held within by Calpyso Cricket Club – has big dreams of playing with and winning alongside his team. Things do not go according to plan, however, when Riccardo is afforded the opportunity to play for the team and he misses a catch. This is compounded still further when the band strike up with a new calypso called “Butter Finger”.

This short book sensitively illustrates just how crushing defeat and petty name-calling can be for young children. It also carefully outlines team-work and the roles all individuals are able to play in contributing towards this. Sometimes serious, sometime satirical but always life affirming. A brilliant blend of poetry and prose that begs to be read aloud!

* According to John Agard, a poetsonian is a poet who feels a close connection with Caribbean calypsonians

The eight stories explore the hoodwinking, hoaxing and habits little Mmutla employs to gain the better of the larger animals; elephants, hippos, lions, giraffes and baboons to name but a few… Readers are allowed privileged position whereby they see the unravelling of the chaos Mmutla creates leading to a wonderful sense of anticipation and impatience to learn how this might all end… The language of the book is beautifully lyrical and there’s a sense of richness within the untold tales that comprise constituent parts of the landscape that lies outstretched… here is a masterpiece made in miniature!

Comprised of four short stories, this book is crammed full of zany and exuberant characters and the mishaps and mayhem that ensue in their everyday education. There is a perennial feel to the children presented here and readers will find it difficult not to relate, on some level, to at least one of the characters!

Sean Taylor casts an astute and an innately good-humoured glance at the practicalities of teaching young children and although members of Purple Class might not always take the most standard routes towards their learning, their experiences are meaningful and can only lead to heightened understanding, compassion and a resultant love of learning. Admirable in anybody’s eye surely…