MG Review: Rainbow Grey Battle for the Skies written and illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson

Cover illustration by Laura Ellen Anderson, published by Farshore, 2nd February 2023.

The third and final book in the Rainbow Grey series is an epic final showdown between the good rainbow magic of Ray Grey and the dark, monotone forces of Weather Rogue, Tornadia Twist. Readers will be swept up in the story as easily as a leaf in a hurricane, there is destruction and peril to leave you clinging to the arms of your reading chair, but tempered with the humour, hope and honour that make a perfect read for children of 8 years and above.

Laura Ellen Anderson has written the perfect ending to Ray Grey’s journey from outsider to fully-fledged heroine in a series which introduces readers who are growing in confidence to the delights of following a character through a story arc across multiple books. However, knowing that purchasing books is likely to become a luxury for many families, I particularly applaud the succinct review of previous storylines in the opening chapter. This is so important when children are relying on library or classroom book collections and cannot always obtain books from a series in the correct order. Another great joy of all the Rainbow Grey books is the magnificent artwork on every single page, whether the borders decorated with weather symbols or the half- and full-page pencil illustrations which perfectly complement the energy of the text. The map of Celestia on the opening pages along with the magical descriptions of the setting brings the fantasy setting to life to such an extent that it becomes another character in the story.

Battle for the Skies begins with Ray and her two best friends, Snowden Everfreeze and Droplett Dewbells celebrating Pitter Patter Pancake Day in the canteen of Sky Academy where all the young Weatherlings are educated. Despite the festivities and utterly delicious pancakes, Ray is totally pre-occupied with the threat of Tornadia Twist. However, in an early illustration of her character, she doesn’t hesitate to show kindness to outcast twins Frazzle and Fump, demonstrating empathy in action to young readers, as she recalls her own recent “outsider” status. When the light is suddenly cut accompanied by purple lightning flashes and the destruction of the great sunflower and Sun Citadel, Ray realises that her worst fears have been realised. But even in the darkness there is hope, as the increasingly visible bright star, which embodies her former teacher La Blaze Delight, reminds Ray that she should never give up.

With the unfailing loyalty of her great friends, plus Nim the cloud cat, Coo La La the haughty pigeon who formerly belonged to La Blaze and new-found allies, Ray Grey embarks on her mission to end Tornadia’s quest for ultimate power over the weather. The page-turning action, hilarious meteorological wordplay, weather events which include snot-nados and relentless onslaught of Tornadia’s destructive powers make this a book that young readers will not want to put down. For those who care to examine the deeper layers of meaning, there is a supremely well-crafted message of the power of the natural world and the destructive forces that can be unleashed by the actions of the greedy and power-hungry. As I read of the razing of the sunflower fields and severing of the Cloudimulus Suburbs, I couldn’t help my mind turning to the images we are presented with daily from Ukraine. This is the superpower of great children’s literature, the ability to create empathy by engaging the imagination in an age-appropriate manner.

If you wish to put an immersive, satisfying adventure story into the hands of a reader of 8+, get hold of a copy of Rainbow Grey Battle for the Skies, it will be published on 2nd February 2023 and is available for pre-order from all good bookshops and hopefully can be borrowed from a public library near you!

I am most grateful to Farshore Books and Liz Scott for sending me a review copy ahead of publication.

My review of Rainbow Grey Eye of the Storm can be read here.

Review: The Lost Diaries of Charlie Small Vols. 1 & 2 by Nick Ward

Cover images by Nick Ward, published by Guppy Books
2nd February 2023

The Lost Diaries of Charlie Small, discovered by author and illustrator Nick Ward, are due for release in paperback by Guppy Books on 2nd February 2023. Aimed at children of 7-9 years old, they will make a great addition to any classroom or primary school library collection. Filled with doodles, maps, technical diagrams and riotous imagination, they are sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, the diary format being particularly accessible and enjoyable to read in those short bursts often encouraged in classrooms between blocks of work.

The first volume of Charlie Small’s lost diaries, Gorilla City, introduces us to twelve year old Charlie, a boy who clearly loves adventure given that he keeps a pre-packed rucksack loaded with all the essentials for a budding explorer. The stripy, ferociously strong humbugs, turning slightly sticky in their paper bag, will prove to be more useful than expected later in the story! Encouraged by his mum to make use of a break in the stormy weather and get some fresh air, Charlie sets out on the home-made raft moored on the brook at the bottom of his garden and is swept away on the rushing water into unknown territory…

As I mentioned in the introduction, the imagination runs wild in this adventure. Charlie encounters crow-sized dragonflies, a ravenous crocodile, an imperious silverback gorilla, a welcoming troupe of younger gorillas and a steam-punk rhinoceros invention designed by Jakeman’s Works, an entity which seems to be a recurring mystery in these books. The detailed schematics which Charlie has pasted into his diary will intrigue children with an interest in STEM subjects and the fast-paced, perilous encounters that Charlie describes will keep young readers turning the pages. At just over 130 pages, Gorilla City is an ideal length to give readers of 7 years old and above the satisfaction of reading a complete book independently. It ends with Charlie being hurled into a new environment and sets readers up to seek out the next set of diary entries…

Pirate Galleon, The Lost Diaries of Charlie Small Vol. 2 takes up at exactly the cliffhanger on which Gorilla City ended, with Charlie in the vice-like clutches of a crew of female pirates!

Escaping their first demand upon his life, he joins them as the captive cabin boy aboard the pirate ship The Betty Mae and is kept constantly exhausted from his duties cleaning and cooking for the motley crew. Despite his disapproval at their lifestyle, Charlie becomes an asset to Captain Cut-throat and her crew, fending off a variety of foe which include: a monstrous sea slug, a giant octopus and most fearsome of all, Thief-taker Craik who puts a huge bounty on Charlie’s life. Another invention from Jakeman’s Works makes a crucial appearance in this story, and once again the book is laced with fabulous illustrations, ingenious inventions and swashbuckling fun.

Will Charlie Small ever manage to free himself from his seafaring shackles? You will have to read his second volume of lost diaries to see where the ocean currents carry him.

I am most grateful to Liz Scott and Guppy Books for my gifted copies of these two books ahead of publication on 2nd February 2023.

Chapter Book Review: Kate on the Case – The Headline Hoax by Hannah Peck

Cover image by Hannah Peck, published by Piccadilly Press, 12th January 2023

Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis will know just how much I love a good whodunnit, give me a novel with a mystery at its centre and I will generally read the book in one sitting. This was certainly my experience on picking up The Headline Hoax, the third mystery in the Kate on the Case series! I adored every single aspect of this book!

Let’s start with the fact that Hannah Peck both writes and illustrates this series and performs both of these tasks with elegance and panache. The beautiful pen and ink artwork which is liberally highlighted in a golden yellow, perfectly combines with the precisely worded text to invite the reader into the offices of The Lookout Post and does not allow you to leave until the mysterious hoaxer has been uncovered. The Lookout Post is a grand old newspaper and the publisher of undercover scoops by famous investigative reporter, Catherine Rodríguez, Kate’s ultimate idol. Visiting as a birthday treat with her Dad and faithful mouse sidekick, Rupert, Kate finds herself invited to the luxurious top floor offices of Figgy Fitzharris III, the CEO of the grand publishing institution. There she is tasked with a mission; to uncover the hoaxer who is sabotaging the newspaper which has resulted in some seriously embarrassing headlines.

As she carries out her investigation from editing suite to printing press, Kate meets an intriguing cast of characters, all of whom are brought to life with subtle wordplay. From Hilda Hoop the fashion editor, through Smarty Jones the sports correspondent to Penny Press the eagle-eyed proofreader, each employee has their own quirks and distinctive personalities which emerge through the narrative and illustrations. Referring frequently to extracts from The Special Correspondent Manual, written by the aforementioned Catherine Rodríguez, Kate demonstrates logic, rigour and single-mindedness to sift the clues and discover the villain, aided by her small but essential friend.

In a week when I have seen and heard reports about the essential need to encourage children to read for pleasure, I can only encourage you to offer Kate on the Case: The Headline Hoax to a child of 7 years+, whether in a home, classroom or library. Although it is the third book in the series it can absolutely be read as a standalone story. I think this is so important as many children in this time of economic difficulty have to rely on libraries or classroom collections to obtain books and very often find that they cannot read a favourite series in the correct order. Independent readers will find this book an utter joy to read, with its short chapters, playful font effects and generous helping of illustrations; if you are an adult sharing the reading of this story with a less confident reader, I hope that you find as much to enjoy on its pages as I did!

I am most grateful to Antonia Wilkinson and Piccadilly Press for my gifted copy. The Headline Hoax was published on 12th January 2023 and is available from all good booksellers.

You can read my review of the opening book in the Kate on the Case series here.

MGFiction Review: The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze

Cover image by Paddy Donnelly, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books,
19th January 2023

The Storm Swimmer is a contemporary Middle Grade novel with a fantasy element which explores issues of homelessness, family secrets and the importance of communication.

This is primarily the story of Ginika, an eleven year old of Nigerian heritage who in the summer between primary and secondary school finds herself unexpectedly ripped away from her familiar London landscape and sent to live with her maternal grandparents at their boarding house, Cormorant Heights, in Bridleways Bay. She had been looking forward to a carefree summer in the shadow of the Docklands Light Railway, rehearsing dance routines with her best friend Alisha, but now must adapt to life in a seaside town three hundred miles away. Moreover, she fails to understand why she cannot live with her parents in their camper van after their eviction from the flat that she has always known as home, and feels that she has been abandoned rather than given a chance to escape some of their hardships. Ginika realises that her parents are in more trouble than they are telling her, but the lack of communication results in fractured trust between her and the adults caring for her, leaving her full of frustration and resentment.

Spending the first day of her enforced “holiday” lying on the sand close to the water’s edge, Ginika spots a strange looking boy gliding through the waves with the ease of a dolphin. As subsequent days pass, she begins to develop a tentative friendship with this boy who appears to live in the sea, communicates in clicks and odd sounds, is dressed in seaweed and has webbed fingers and toes. A conversation with her grandad introduces her to the local legend of sea people who are said to visit the bay and thus begins aa adventure with Peri which will force Ginika to confront her deepest fears.

Integral to the narrative are two other tweens; Scarlett whose parents run the holiday park and Ted who is on an organised holiday at the park with other young hospital patients and their families. Ted is using a wheelchair as he recovers from treatment for a tumour on his spine and can empathise with Ginika’s feeling of being “other” in the small seaside community where she is the only person with black skin and Afro hair. On the surface Scarlett appears overly confident, always talking, always surrounded by a posse of three Olivias who are all on holiday at the caravan park and manipulating them and Ginika for her own convenience. However, as her story is explored, readers begin to see that she is probably quite lonely, with her parents and older sister working non-stop all summer to put on the best service for their guests; reliant on temporary friendships with holiday makers and manifesting her own rejection in controlling behaviour. We get a glimpse into her underlying kindness when she reprimands the Olivias for their inappropriate behaviour in commenting on and touching Ginika’s hair in one incredibly claustrophobic scene.

My impression is that the novel is written in an interestingly fractured style which I think highlights the sense of dislocation that Ginika is experiencing and that Peri must encounter to a far greater degree when he is transported from his usual environment to explore the town’s attractions with his human companion. (The book designers have kindly provided a map – always a positive feature for me – which is helpful during this section of the story). The slow process of working out how to communicate is a reflection of the need for Ginika to work out a way to communicate with her own family and the best friend that she has left behind in London. The undercurrents of secrets and unspoken fears swirl around the story and are as likely to knock the protagonists off balance as the undertow in Bridleways Bay. I liked the way that Ginika’s fears about predators which might harm Peri ran in parallel to her parents’ problems with loan sharks. The tension in the final third of the story blows up with the rapidity of a summer storm and the resolve of all three young protagonists is stretched to the limits as they try to reunite Peri with his family.

This is a story which is ideal for children of 11+ and really nicely fills the crossover gap between the final terms of primary school and the first year of secondary school. I would recommend it to Year 6 and Year 7 teachers for classroom book choices and the both primary and secondary school librarians. There is a short section at the end of the story where author Clare Weze provides background information on the natural history and science which underpins the adaptations that could allow Peri and the sea people to survive in a saline environment. This is pitched at just the right level to be understood by children in Year 6 and above and I am sure will interest those readers who have a fascination with science and the natural world.

I am most grateful to Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Liz Scott for sending me a copy of The Storm Swimmer in advance of publication on January 19th 2023.

Chapter Book Review: Two Sides by Polly Ho-Yen and Binny Talib

Cover image by Binny Talib, published by Little Tiger, January 2023

This is an absolutely gorgeous book for readers of 5-7 years old, beautifully illustrated in colour throughout with Binny Talib’s distinctive and appealing artwork. Her expressive drawings of Lula and Lenka, with so much emotion portrayed through their eyes, perfectly complement Polly Ho-Yen’s tale of the ups and downs of friendship.

On the surface, Lula and Lenka are polar opposites: Lula is loud, disorganised and a dog-lover; Lenka is introverted, tidy and a cat-lover. Lula loves to talk; Lenka loves to observe and then draw whatever she has seen. Despite their differences, they have literally been best friends forever, as their mothers were in adjacent beds on the day they were born. However, on the day it all goes wrong, their differences lead to the big fall-out. Lenka finally explodes out of her usually reserved persona when Lula, due to her usual last-minute dash out to school, fails to return the precious pencil case that she reluctantly lent her the previous evening. Accusations of selfish behaviour are hurled and despite an immediate sense of regret at hasty words, somehow neither girl can find the courage to apologise. Subsequent pages beautifully and gently show the utter loneliness of a broken friendship in a way that will be perfectly comprehensible to young readers. When the reconciliation comes, as it must in a story for this age group, it joyously bursts from the page!

I cannot recommend Two Sides highly enough. Its subject matter is of great importance to key stage one children, where playground falling out can be frequent and where stories that show the power of an apology and the importance of friendship for general happiness are to be welcomed. The design of the book is wonderful. Firstly it is a perfect size for little hands. The font is clear for early readers, with some interesting text effects. I particularly liked that Lula’s viewpoint was printed in a standard black font, whilst Lenka’s viewpoint was printed in a lighter grey font in sympathy with her quieter character. I have not seen this done in a book before and I thought it worked very well as a device to aid comprehension. There is not too much text on any page which makes it an ideal book to encourage early readers, it would be a perfect shared read with an adult for an emerging reader. I think that this is the third book I have read from the Collectible Stories range from Little Tiger and I know that if these had been available when one of my own children had been in key stage one, this is certainly a series she would have wanted to collect and re-read.

I am most grateful to Little Tiger for my review copy of Two Sides, which was published in this format on 5th January 2023.

Beat the Backlist Challenge 2023

Image created by Austine Decker

I read about the Beat the Backlist Challenge on Mary’s Book Craic blog at the turn of the year and thought that the relaxed rules and chance to read the books that are still sitting on my shelves from last year sounded very appealing! The challenge was created in 2017 by Austine Decker and the full details are laid out in this blog post.

These are the essential rules:

The book must be published in the previous year or earlier (for the 2023 challenge, anything published in 2022 or earlier counts).
You have to start and finish the book in 2023.
And that’s it!

Sharing on social media? Don’t forget the #BeatTheBacklist tag!

The challenge runs from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

I’ve decided to concentrate on one shelf of children’s books, the majority of these are books that I purchased but haven’t managed to read as I prioritised books sent to me to review. The second shelf are adult books which are approximately a 50:50 split between purchases and gifts. I belong to two book groups; three of the above books are on one of the reading lists for this year, so I should at least manage these!

On with the challenge!

Non-fiction review: Shadow Monsters & Courageous Hearts by Hayley Graham, illustrated by Tor Allen

Cover image by Tor Allen, published by Little Steps Publishing

As we see increasing reports in the media about the numbers of children suffering with mental health disorders, I am sure that this accessible text by experienced child psychotherapist, Hayley Graham, will be welcomed by many professionals working with children and young people, as well as parents and carers. This book is aimed at adults to enable them to start conversations with young people about mental health issues and is designed in a way that makes its use straightforward and accessible.

In the preface, the author is candid about experiencing her own mental health issues in her teens, following the loss of her mother, and how this has shaped her desire to help others. The book is in part a distillation of her own experiences combined with her lifelong love of stories. The format is interesting and I think many readers will find it easier to use than ploughing through a jargon-heavy psychotherapy text. Hayley Graham presents five emotionally meaningful short stories, each one carefully constructed to help children and their significant adults make sense of particular aspects of mental health. They are gentle stories, featuring animal protagonists and unpick the triggers to certain behaviours in an easily comprehensible way. The distinctive watercolour illustrations by Tor Allen add greatly to the experience of sharing these stories with a young person. Each story is followed by some suggested questions to encourage an open conversation. Then at the end of the book each story has a corresponding chapter which clearly explains the neuroscience behind each of the featured mental health challenges, providing practical techniques to help manage the issue.

The topics covered by the stories are: trauma, anxiety and OCD, attachment, shame and loss. There are top tips on how to begin talking about difficult topics and each of the stories provides the vocabulary which enables feelings and experiences to be expressed. At a time when mental health services are stretched and school staff are often left to try to deal with issues for which they have little or no training, I think that Shadow Monsters and Courageous Hearts will be a valuable resource.

You can view teachers’ notes for this book on the Little Steps Publishing website here.

I am most grateful to Little Steps for sending me a copy of Shadow Monsters and Courageous Hearts which I am very happy to recommend to teachers, librarians, school nurses and counsellors and anyone working to help children find the language to talk about mental health issues.

MG Review: Drumendus by Andrew Ashwin

Published by The Book Guild, autumn 2021

Drumendus is a fantastically imaginative middle grade, story bursting with musical references which whisks readers on a sci-fi voyage pulsating with sonic energy.

Twelve year old Ella Crinkle is held in higher esteem at her school for being the niece of famous astronauts Belinda and Otto Crinkle than for her musical performances on the trombone. Her relatives were the first humans to set foot on Earth’s sibling planet Drumendus, and now that strange weather events visible on the neighboring planet seem to be altering Earth’s meteorological conditions, her own obsession with Drumendus is growing even more intense. Fortunately, after one final excruciating assembly performance on her trusty brass instrument, the school holidays have arrived and that means the traditional week’s visit to eccentric Aunt Belinda’s home, Racket Lodge, where she will meet up with her best friend Freddie.

As the two friends explore Belinda’s latest collection of bizarre inventions they find her most ambitious project to date in the greatly extended workshop – a spaceship in the shape of a grand piano, named Hammerklav. Before you can say “Holst’s Planets Suite”, the trio have blasted off through the workshop roof and set off on a mission to find Uncle Otto who was left behind on Belinda Crinkle’s last visit to Drumendus. What follows is a fast-paced, immersive adventure where every detail resonates with sound and music; names of people and places, the arrangement of tree house pods on ropes which resemble musical staves, and even the “sonorance” superpower that Uncle Otto has learnt how to harness to exert power over the native population.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story which I read in two sittings. The combination of the author, Andrew Ashwin’s musical knowledge with a beautifully imagined fantasy planet, a storyline of colonisation and resistance by a brave rebel tribe and some comedy set pieces featuring King Otto’s incompetent senior guards, Treble and Cloff make this a book that will grab the attention of middle grade readers. I can imagine that my own children would have enjoyed this had it been available when they were attending music lessons in primary school and I would encourage primary school teachers and librarians to put Drumendus into the hands of those pupils who enjoy music as well as those who enjoy an exciting fantasy adventure.

The author has a website dedicated to Drumendus available here where you can find out more about the musical inspiration behind the book. I am most grateful to Andrew Ashwin for sending me a copy of Drumendus in exchange for an honest review.

MG Review: Albi the Glowing Cow Boy by Georgia Byng, illustrated by Angela Cogo

Cover image by Levi Pinfold, published by Uclan Publishing,
5th January 2023

This novel written for a middle grade readership defies categorisation, encompassing themes which encourage all readers to think about the way we treat our planet and the life forms on it. The unusual dual narrative takes readers on a year long journey in the company of Albi, the glowing cow boy of the title and Rufus, a twelve year old human boy with a heart-breaking back story. Georgia Byng has written a beautiful tale which transported me into the minds of two very different protagonists, leaving me with much food for thought.

The story begins with magical snowflakes descending from a cold January night sky and infusing the earth with a glittering of magical energy, some of which is absorbed by an albino new-born calf, Albi. In the opening chapter we are given an introduction to Albi’s herd of cows and through their voices learn about the sadness of cows and calves when they are separated as a routine part of the food industry. In contrast to the close maternal relationships exhibited by the cows, a human family living just a few miles away demonstrates the awful situation that arises from rejection and neglect of a child by his parents. Rufus Chumley is a twelve year old hunter who has learnt to survive independently since early childhood. He has been rejected by his affluent parents, his teachers and the other children at school because a metabolic disorder has caused him to grow far larger than his peers, resulting in complicated expectations and misunderstandings of his abilities. He lives an isolated life, shooting and cooking small mammals and dreaming of winning the Worldwide Hunting Association’s hunting competition in America to prove his worth to his parents.

These two narratives are intertwined when Albi responds to a magical sixth sense after eating milky white mushrooms, and leads the young bullocks in a breakout from the slaughterhouse owned by Mr Chumley. Rufus spies the glowing albino calf crossing a field in the moonlight and decides to run away from home, track the otherworldly animal and turn it into his hunting competition trophy. Thus begins an epic journey which takes the hunter and his prey on a journey across Europe and Asia, encompassing encounters with aurochs; visits to ancient sites and caves; and encounters with people who both love and exploit animals. The brutality of the traditional running of the bulls in Pamplona is shown in marked contrast to the treatment of cows in India.

The interconnectedness between all life on earth is represented in this story by the milky white mushrooms which infuse Albi with his luminescence and his intelligence and fill Rufus with self-esteem for the first time in his life, gradually changing the way he thinks about other creatures. The tendrils which connect all life forms and create ecological balance are surfaced in this magical tale which encourages readers to think about the way that industrial scale farming damages the environment. The power of kindness is shown as a superpower in the words of one of the mother cows:

The more you care about others, the stronger you get.
Page 244

Publishing in January, a time when we are often encouraged to think about reducing the amount of meat in our diets, I think this story will encourage debate around animal welfare and meat consumption in upper key stage 2 and key stage 3 classrooms and I would highly recommend it to all school librarians. Aside from this, it is a story that I am sure will be enjoyed by many children who love animal stories and for whom it can sometimes be difficult to find books in this genre once they move beyond the early chapter books.

I am grateful to Uclan Publishing and Antonia Wilkinson for my review copy received in advance of publication on 5th January 2023.