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| Dominic Barker |
| Bloomsbury |
| 074758074X |
| Feb 2006 |
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Irresistibly irreverent, “Blart” is one of those all-too-rare, laugh-out-loud books. A hapless sort of a chap, Blart, our eponymous protagonist and unlikely hero is a pig farmer by trade and all things porcine certainly form the basis for his comfort-zone. Together with the cantankerous wizard, Capablanca, blowhard warrior, Beowulf and petulant Princess Lois, Blart unwillingly becomes a part of the motley crew who aim to do battle against evil over-lord Zoltab and the minions and Ministers who seek his return.
Wreaking havoc at every point of their voyage and leaving in their wake a trail of, for the most part accidental, death and destruction – quarterised pet dragons and a couple of very flat dwarves - one would be forgiven for imagining the future of the world not to beentirely within safe hands. Despite the varied and various misfortunes that befall our heroes, through a series of coincidences things amazingly fall together towards the end of this misadventure in a way that has to be read to be believed. Whether in the Cavernous Library of Ping, or the Even More Cavernous Library of Zing, Blart is the most unlikely hero you’re likely to read about any time soon – essential reading for anyone with fantasy leanings and a sense of humour!
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Humour: January 2006 Archives
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| Rodman Philbrick |
| Usborne |
| 1904442714 |
| Oct 2005 |
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Rodman Philbrick has a talent for painting a panoramic view of life without excess. His descriptions have a raw, organic feel that belie their crafting. Fire Pony sees Roy and his tempestuous brother Joe Dilly arrive at the Bar None on the run from a secret they share. This secret is central to the novel. Issues of trust and of the need to contend with one’s past are constantly the ground-base for the races Roy runs with pony Lady Luck, the battles against fierce cougars and the fiery drama of the novel’s eventual climax.
Trademark short, well-paced chapters and the trusting narratorial voice of its protagonist Roy make this an ideal novel for boys who have perhaps not yet been introduced to the type of book that might wholly capture their minds and imaginations. Usborne should be applauded for bringing into print within the UK a stable of quality American novels for young people under their Fabulous Fiction range. Here’s hoping another Philbrick book, “The Last Book in the Universe” will find itself featured shortly…
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