Fiction: April 2007 Archives

“We’d had enough of cleaning and cooking while the men went off and had all the fun. So Ivy called a meeting of all the pirate wives, and we decided to become pirates ourselves. The first all-lady pirate crew in the world. And we’ve not done any cleaning since!”

Found encased in a solid block of ice on the Himalayas, Charlie Small’s second journal recounts our heroes detainment and endeavours to escape the treacherous gang of lady pirates who have become his captives.

This second exciting adventure sees Charlie do battle with a deadly sea slug, become the most wanted felon on the high seas, attempt a rescue attempt from the clutches of Turncoat Craik, pit his wits against a crew of ghost pirates and find cunning use for a puffer fish.

Still unclear as to the exact nature or cause of his current predicament and term of leave from home, Charlie strives to regain possession of his mobile telephone, the only device via which contact with home – albeit a somewhat repetitive and unfulfilling contact – is made…

“I heard a hiss. Then a low, menacing snarl. And as the clouds cleared again and the moon shone down, I found myself staring into a pair of blazing yellow eyes.”

Proving once more their exceptional talent for realising their own worlds down to the most minute, vivid and therefore utterly convincing detail, “Barnarby Grimes”, the first book in a new series, sees their work and unique collaborative techniques transposed from the fantasy oeuvre to a more historic setting.

The eponymous Barnaby Grimes is a ‘Tick Tock’ lad, a delivery boy of sorts, whose method of ambulation is across the roof-scapes and skyline of the city. This provides ample helpings of cliff-hanger suspense and tensions in addition to providing spectacular striding panoramas across the city.

The city is replete in its surface veneer of finery and elegance, yet throbbing beneath it is a seedy underbelly of deep, dark secrets, of corruption and power-struggles that has the transformative powers to imbue readers with the sensibilities of an intrepid explorer and an astute sleuth.

The prose is almost poetic, imbued as it is with rhythm and pace and a crystalline crispness. The narrative is lithe and lively. It leaps and bounds as does the lyncathrope that tears at the heart of the novel. Interplay between story and illustration brings to mind a more dynamic version of the dialectic between Harry Furniss and Charles Dicken!

Rich in literary allusion, the book has shades of Stephenson’s “Jekyll and Hyde”, a tinge of Barrie’s dark humour with the ‘Tick Tock’ referencing Hook’s nemesis, the crocodile that swallowed the clock thus emphasising the importance of time in delineating childhood, societal cross-sections that bring to mind Dickens and of course the werewolves themselves, a construct of European folkloric legends with possible literary originations in the Icelandic Volsunga Saga. A thought-provoking and highly engaging new read penned by the hands of one of the most exciting creative collaborations in children’s literature.

When trying out a raft that he and his father built, Charlie gets struck by lightning. From here-on-in, Charlie’s adventures begin as he befriends a wonderfully inventive Steam Rhinoceros, is attacked by a monstrous giant snake and finally is kidnapped by a gang of gorillas who hold the expectation he might present marital material!

A rip-roaring, page-turning adventure that will leave readers wondering, just what has happened to Charlie, what misfortunes will before him in the next thrilling instalment, just where that instalment might be found and… whether he will ever return home in time for tea! Serialised young adventure of the most imaginative and exciting, but also reassuring type, look out for episodes recounted through the journals of Charlie himself...

Ottoline, daughter to two adventurers, finds that her parents' activities influence her twofold. Firstly she has inherited a sizeable portion of their curiosity and intrigue as to the world that surrounds her in and around the pepperpot shaped P. W. Huffledinck tower. Secondly, sustained absence of her parents constitutes an ideal base from which exploits, mystery and escapades are able to be had in the firmest traditions of children's literature!

Accompanied by the solemn, unbedgrudging constancy of the sombre, but ever-true Mr. Monroe, Ottoline finds herself embroiled in attempts to uncover the strange happenings that are afoot concerning the disappearance of the city’s dogs.

Utilising cunning, guile and the skills and specialties of the various employees who cater to each of her needs during her parents’ absence, Ottoline exposes the plots and ploys of the phantom pooch pilferer whose influence has outstretched across the city.

Opulent in feel and imaginative in focus, this makes a welcome addition to any bookshelf and, like its eponymous protagonist, readers will doubtless find themselves subject to similar collecterly urges! A crisp, clear and affectionate prosaic style belies the immediacy of Riddell’s inspiring illustrations – reproduced here in a striking red and black two-tone print that harkens back to the earlier reprographic production of children’s comics.

Exceptionally high production values, a format that is ideal for small hands and a loving attention to detail give a solid backbone that bodes well for the future of the series. Secrets, surprises, style and sophistication make this a superbly special story of sleuthing… a standing ovation for the astounding Ottoline!

“If ever a kid could look after himself, here he was. Stanley could box like a champ. A proper little jack-rabbit he was, and like all true champs he had the heart of a lion along with that mane of stringy blond hair.”

With its nuances of shadow and uncertainty, darkness pervades throughout Chris Mould’s new book, “The Wooden Mile”. The first in a series, ‘Something Wickedly Weird’, featuring the unlikely hero Stanley Buggles, these books mark Mould’s first full length fictional offerings.

Following the death of Admiral Bartholomew Swift, Stanley inherits the Estate of Candlestick Hall on Crampton Rock. A peopled by a peculiar populace, Crampton Rock is cut off from the mainland by a mile long jetty that is only traversable at low tide, meaning the community harbours more than its share of dark secrets...

Bringing together a brigand of pirates, a prophetic pike, a lycanthrope in the guise of a sweet-shop owner in addition to a hoard of treasure, “The Wooden Mile” is a faster-than-light, highly paced exciting story for newly independent readers.

Illustrations are carefully interwoven and add a brilliant visualisation to the sense of shady, brooding menace… As much weirdly wicked as wickedly weird! With its discernable rhythm and pace, here is a story that rises above mere words, it is a symphony of shadows – music for the mysteriously minded, a masterpiece in miniature!

“You shot a man at point-blank range. That took guts. Most people would have chickened out, but not you.”

Jack Jennings’ father has debts that are crippling both him and his family. Driven by desperation towards loan shark, Tony Mullen, his father suffers an error of judgement when he gambles this borrowed money unsuccessfully.

Answer to the families financial problems seems to come through the door when a card for ‘Trouble Fix Ltd’ is posted through the door. Jack takes the decision to contact the company, who inform him that his father’s debts and problems might be solved if Jack is able to take on the problems of another client by ‘killing their problem dead’, in return for which that client will reciprocate by eliminating Jack’s problem.

A lithe twist in the tale forces readers to reassess Jack’s actions, the measure of desperation he has felt and the moral rectitude of his choice as it becomes apparent that Jack has been a pawn in a much larger game. A chilling portrayal of behaviour driven by extremity.

Mary Arrigan, author of “Hard Luck” describes the poignant memory of a school visit to the theatre and meeting a homeless boy outside prior to and following the performance… This becomes the base for “Hard Luck”.

Constant spats and feuding with his mother’s new partner, Bill means that tensions have risen high for Matthew at home. As the situation worsens, Matthew makes the decision to leave home and to take to the streets. A chance encounter with one of his teaches at the supermarket leads to his being given a blanket and it is this that forms the centre-point of the story.

Outside the protected environs of his home, Matthew suffers at the hands of bullies and thieves, but contrary to this, also experiences kindness and support from Gentleman Jeremy who befriends him. Resolution is eventually found as Matthew’s school teacher recognises not only the blanket she had given to Matthew but, in a surprise ending, also Gentleman Jeremy’s true identity which comes as something of a revelation!

Strong depictions of the emotional and physical space a home provides in formative years make this a notable gritty and contemporary tale.