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You are here: Home / Archives for BookOfTheDay

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott ill. Sydney Smith

January 21, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 22 Jan 2021

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After a day of being unable to speak when asked, and of being stared at, a boy and his father go to the river for some quiet time. “It’s just a bad speech day,” says Dad. But the boy can’t stop thinking about all the eyes watching his lips twisting and twirling. When his father points to the river bubbling, churning, whirling and crashing, the boy finds a way to think about how he speaks. Even the river stutters. Like him. “I talk like a river,” he says.

Lyrical, painfully acute language and absorbing, atmospheric illustrations capture, with startling clarity, this school-age child’s daily struggle with speech. Free verse emulates the pauses of interrupted speech while slowing down the reading, allowing the words to settle. When coupled with powerful metaphors, the effect is gut-wrenching: “The P / in pine tree / grows roots / inside my mouth / and tangles / my tongue.” Dappled paintings inspire empathy as well, with amorphous scenes infused with the uncertainty that defines both the boy’s unpredictable speech and his melancholy. KIRKUS

An incredibly moving picture book that offers understanding rather than a solution, and which will resonate with all readers, young and old. Masterfully illustrated by Sydney Smith, winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Follow the illustrator on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneydraws/

Filed Under: BookOfTheDay, Illustrated Tagged With: difference, disfluency, speech, stammer

Freddy vs School – The Awesome Robot Chronicles 1 by Neill Cameron

January 20, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 21 Jan 2o21

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A fully illustrated novel from comics creator Neill Cameron – the first title in a new series from David Fickling Books.

POW! PEW! FWOOSH! Meet Freddy – the most super-amazing superhero robot EVER. His unbelievably Amazing Robotic Abilities are mind-blowingly cool. But it turns out that teachers get really angry when you use your rocket boosters in class. Which is rather a problem for Freddy…

Adored comics creator Neill Cameron has written and illustrated a hilarious, heartfelt novel, with an unforgettable protagonist. Freddy vs School is guaranteed to make readers of all ages laugh out loud, while also providing an insightful look at diversity and celebrating children who are different. Fully integrated illustrations make the book perfect for more reluctant readers. This is the story of one superhero robot’s quest to stay in school, save his friends from disaster, and – hardest of all – stay true to himself.

See also:
How To Make Awesome Comics
Tamsin And The Dark

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neillcameron/


 

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, Humour Tagged With: comedy, series

Over The Shop conceived by Jonarno Lawson ill. Qin Leng

January 20, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 20 Jan 2021

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“A wordless, singing infusion of love and energy into a home.” KIRKUS

In this bustling wordless picture book, JonArno Lawson’s touching story and Qin Leng’s gentle illustrations capture all angles of the building’s transformation, as well as the evolving perspectives of the girl and her grandparent. A wordless picture book that celebrates the power of community, the joys of new friends and the magic that happens when you open your heart, and fill your home with love and joy.

Leng uses unbordered panels, sometimes full-page, sometimes small and square, sometimes horizontal. Her ink-and-watercolor paintings are gentle and dreamy, with a real beating heart. KIRKUS

A lonely little girl and her grandparent need to fill the run-down apartment in their building. But taking over the rooms above their shop will mean major renovations for the new occupants, and none of the potential renters can envision the possibilities of the space – until one special couple shows up. With their ingenuity, the little girl’s big heart, and heaps of hard work, the desperate fixer-upper begins to change in lovely and surprising ways. 

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, Illustrated Tagged With: grandchild, grandparent, wordless

Ana on the Edge by A. J. Sass

January 19, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 19 Jan 2021

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After all those years of hard work and her single Chinese-American mother’s many sacrifices, 12 yr-old Ana-Marie Jin, reigning U.S. Juvenile Figure-Skating Champion, is determined not to let anything spoil her dream of achieving another national title.

But she is far from thrilled to  learn that the new choreographer has designed a skating program that requires her to portray a princess. She’s just not a frilly-dress princess kind of girl! 

When  Hayden, a transgender boy new to the rink, mistakes Ana for a boy she decides not to correct him, and soon settles into a comfortable, boyish identity whenever he’s around. As their friendship develops, Ana realises that it’s not easy to juggle two different identities on one slippery sheet of ice and, with a major competition approaching, she must decide whether the truth is worth risking everything they’ve trained for.

The novel provides a behind-the-scenes look into the world of competitive figure skating, while also giving readers a nonbinary protagonist to root and cheer for along the way.

The author comments: “It was an intentional choice to include two trans characters because I wanted to highlight how no two trans experiences are the same. Hayden’s known who he is for a while by the time he and Ana meet, whereas Ana is just starting to explore the layers of her identity. As I touched on in an earlier answer, I think it can sometimes be a revelation to see an aspect of yourself reflected in someone else. That’s what happens when Ana meets Hayden: Hayden’s identity doesn’t match Ana’s precisely, but she recognizes a shared commonality, one that spurs her to dig deeper and learn more about herself.”
extracted from an online interview

The author has a highly informative website: https://sassinsf.com

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, Fiction, YA Tagged With: binary, competition, identity, LGBT, skating, trans, transgender

Robin Hood 2: Piracy, Paintballs & Zebras by Robert Muchamore

January 17, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment


ACHUKA Book of the Day 18 Jan 2021
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Second in this new, action-packed series from an author with an avid following.
The first title – Hacking, Heists And Flaming Arrows – was a Book of the Day last April (2020).

When Clare Gisborne and Little John return to school after the Locksley Riot, there’s rebellion in the air and Robin Hood’s name graffitied on every wall. Power dynamics are shifting – now, instead of being a feared bully, the daughter of Locksley’s most hated criminal finds herself shunned by classmates and pelted with yoghurt and rotting fruit. Meanwhile at Sherwood Designer Outlets, Robin has plans of his own. He is determined to hack Sheriff Marjorie’s office so that the rebels know her every move – and to work with animal rights activists to end a cruel trophy hunt inside the grounds of Sherwood Castle.

MUCHAMORE.COM is an excellent author website, designed by himself, using Squarespace.
His Wikipedia entry is full and up-to-date.
The most recent press profile appeared in The Times (Sunday Times Culture 17 Jan 2021)

This, I believe, was ACHUKA’s first mention of Muchamore, when he won one of the book categories at what-was-then the Red House Children’s Book Awards in 2005, and I commented: “Not only was The Recruit by Robert Muchamore the biggest suprise on the shortlist, it went on to win the Books for Older Readers category, which made me wonder why none of Darren Shan’s titles have ever made it on to the CBA shortlist. The Cherub series, of which The Recruit was the first title, is picking up an avid following, with a website – www.cherubcampus.com – that is a model of how a site can be used to nurture and sustain a readership. Muchamore was there, enjoying the limelight, as well he might, in a Cherub T-shirt, thanking his mum for bringing him doughnuts while he worked, and thanking everyone else for coming.”

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, Fiction Tagged With: action, thriller

The Boy Who Met a Whale by Nizrana Farook

January 15, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Jan 2021
Independent Booksellers Children’s Book of the Month, Jan 2021

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From the author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant comes another brilliant escapade. A thrilling adventure set in fictional Sri Lanka, jam-packed with peril and kidnap and a huge blue whale! Razi, a local fisherboy, is watching turtle eggs hatch when he sees a boat bobbing into view. With a chill, he notices a small, still hand hanging over the side… Inside is Zheng, who’s escaped a shipwreck and is full of tales of sea monsters and missing treasure. But the villains who are after Zheng are soon after Razi and his sister, Shifa, too. And so begins an exhilarating adventure in the shadow of the biggest sea monster of them all…


 

Filed Under: BookOfTheDay, Fiction

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

January 13, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 14 Jan 2021

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“A resounding success.” KIRKUS

With his King Lord dad in prison and his mom working two jobs, seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter helps the only way he knows how: slinging drugs. Life’s not perfect, but he’s got everything under control. Until he finds out he’s a father…

US cover

Suddenly it’s not so easy to deal drugs and finish school with a baby dependent on him for everything. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. But when King Lord blood runs through your veins, you don’t get to just walk away.

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, YA

Edgar & Adolf by Phil Earle & Michael Wagg

January 13, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment


ACHUKA Book of the Day 13 Jan 2021

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Based on a true story…

When he inherits a special football badge, German teenager Adi sets off on a mission to fulfil his grandfather’s dying wish and return the badge to its rightful owner, former England footballer, Edgar Kail. After tracking Edgar down, Adi gets the chance to learn more about the achievements of his grandfather, Adolf Jager, and the story unfolds of a special friendship that spanned twenty years and survived the horror of the Second World War. Edgar Kail and Adolf Jager played for their respective clubs in the early twentieth century and they remain folk heroes even now. Perfect for less-confident readers, this is a fictional tale of two real-life footballing heroes, and the moving story of a friendship forged by the beautiful game.

The cover illustrator is Tom Clohosy Cole, also responsible for the excellent covers on Tom Palmer’s Armistice Runner and D-Day Dog.
Follow Tom Clohosy Cole on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomclohosycole/

Super-Readable Rollercoasters is a new series of titles resulting from a collaboration between Oxford University Press and specialist publisher Barrington Stoke, expertly edited to remove barriers of comprehension and printed in Barrington Stoke’s dyslexia-friendly font, designed to build reading confidence and stamina.
Other titles in the series”
Rat by Patrice Lawrence
I Am The Minotaur by Anthony McGowan


 

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, Fiction Tagged With: football, friendship, Germany, quest

Uki and the Swamp Spirit – The Five Realms by Kieran Larwood ill. David Wyatt

January 11, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment


ACHUKA Book of the Day 12 Jan 2021

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Cover design by Fernando Juarez, inside illustrations by David Wyatt (both artists are amazing).

The fifth title in a a high-quality animal fantasy series handsomely published in hardback by Faber. Kirkus described the first book, Podkin One-Ear (a Bluie Peter Book of the Year),  as “an original fantasy with warrior rabbits, fierce foes, sibling loyalty, riveting adventure, and genuine storytelling.”

Uki and the Swamp Spirit is set in the world of Podkin One-Ear. Uki had the sensation of a sickly green light, spreading out through the networks of water. Of tendrils connecting all the creatures of the marsh in a web . . . Linking itself so it could poison it all and destroy it. Uki and his friends have two more spirits to find and capture. After defeating Valkus, they make for Charice, who is spreading disease through the swamps. Can Uki and his friends outwit him – all whilst they themselves are being chased by the Endwatch and Jori’s clan of assassins?

Book 6 in this highly collectible series is publishing in October 2021.

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, Fiction Tagged With: fantasy, rabbits, series

Gone To The Woods by Gary Paulsen

January 11, 2021 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 11 Jan 2021
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“A rich, compelling read that is emotive and expressive without forcing empathy from the reader. Both brightly funny and darkly tragic, it is fresh in its honest portrayal of difficult themes.Readers will fall into this narrative of succeeding against overwhelming odds amid deep trauma.” KIRKUS
“Beautifully written, Paulsen’s memoir demonstrates that good can triumph over bad beginnings.” BOOKLIST
“Read like a wolf eats. Read when they tell you not to read, and read what they tell you not to read.” Gary Paulsen

If not for his six-hundred-mile journey from the busy Chicago city to a captivating Minnesotan farm aged five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book aged thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his daring teenage enlistment in the army, he might not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller.

Gone to the Woods: A True Story of Growing Up in the Wild is the  true story of Gary Paulsen’s childhood, of grit and growing up, and is Paulsen at his rawest and most real.


 

 

Filed Under: Blog, BookOfTheDay, Books, NonFiction, YA Tagged With: au, memoir

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