Category: Age 9+

The Wind Child by Gabriela Houston, reviewed by Leontine

I really liked The Wind Child because it was fun to learn about all the gods and goddesses of Russian mythology throughout the story.

It has lots of adventure and magic in it. The main character Mara is brave and determined and with her best friend Torniv the bear-shifter she’s unstoppable. Mara is also very cunning and that was really good because she would have probably died without it.

This is the story of how Mara sets on a quest to save someone she loves.

The ending is great because it’s really suspenseful and makes you really curious about what was going to happen next.

I would recommend it to all my friends.

About the book

Packed with a colourful Slavic cast of tempestuous gods and frightening monsters, The Wind Child is above all a story about friendship, and how far you would go and what you would sacrifice to avoid saying goodbye to someone you love. 

No human has ever returned from Navia, the Slavic afterlife. But twelve-year-old Mara is not entirely human. She is the granddaughter of Stribog, the god of winter winds and she’s determined to bring her beloved father back from the dead. Though powerless, Mara and her best friend Torniv, the bear-shifter, set out on an epic journey to defy the gods and rescue her father. On their epic journey they will bargain with forest lords, free goddesses from enchantments, sail the stormy seas in a ship made of gold and dodge the cooking pot of the villainous Baba Latingorka. Little do the intrepid duo know of the terrible forces they have set in motion, for the world is full of darkness and Mara will have to rely on her wits to survive.

Danger at Dead Man’s Pass by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, reviewed by Aysha

(This great book is a part of a series so if you like this book maybe consider reading the series! Now back to the book review!)

I loved this book! It’s in the area of mystery and adventure, that I like to read about and it tops the category.

It’s all about a boy called Hal who is a (train) detective along with his Uncle Nat. They are investigating Alexander’s Kratzenstien’s death in Berlin undercover. What’s spooky in this book is that there is an Old Kratzenstien curse at Dead Man’s Pass where Alexander was killed. Do you think that was the curse? (Well obviously I know if it was the curse or not but do you?) While Hal is there, Hal finds out more about Uncle Nat, could it be related to the death and the
curse?

This book is good for people who like Adventures, Murder and are 9+
Hope you liked the book review
See you next time!!!

Aysha’s illustrations blow us away every time!

About the book

Embark on a thrilling fourth adventure in the bestselling, prize-winning Adventures on Trains series – Danger at Dead Man’s Pass , from M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, as Harrison Beck investigates an ancient family curse high in the German mountains. Illustrated in black-and-white throughout by Elisa Paganelli. 

A mysterious letter from an old friend asks Hal and Uncle Nat to help investigate a spooky supernatural mystery. Legend has it the Kratzensteins, a family of rich and powerful railway tycoons, are cursed, but there is no such thing as a curse, is there . . .?

Hal and Nat take the night train to Berlin and go undercover. From a creaking spooky old house at the foot of the Harz mountains, they take the Kratzenstein family’s funeral train to the peak of the Brocken Mountain. Can Hal uncover the secrets of the Brocken railway and the family curse before disaster strikes?

Danger at Dead Man’s Pass can be read as a stand-alone novel, or enjoyed as part of the Adventures on Trains series. Join Hal and Uncle Nat on more stops in this thrilling series with: The Highland Falcon Thief , Kidnap on the California Comet , Murder on the Safari Starand Sabotage on the Solar Express.

The Great Fox Illusion by Justyn Edwards, Reviewed by Rosa

This book is about a girl called Flick (short for Felicity) Lions. Her dad ran away so she entered a magic competition to win the thing that will get him back. It is set in the Great Fox’s house in Devon, he is a rich magician who has mysteriously disappeared. On the way she teamed up with Charlie, who is a real chatterbox sometimes. The ending is very, very unexpected, I loved it.

It took me no time at all to get into the Great Fox Illusion. The main character is truly brilliant, she is a one legged, girl magician. The way the author wrote made me feel sympathy for the characters on the other team, even though they were mean to Flick. Though this book wasn’t a thriller it had me eating it whole! 

This is the perfect mix of magic and adventure. I give it five stars. 

About the book:

Secrets and illusions abound as a group of young magicians competes for the prize of a lifetime in this gripping adventure, the first in an enthralling new series from debut author Justyn Edwards.

“Magic is about dreaming what is impossible and making it possible. It’s the innocent young mind in all of us that loves it. We want to be filled with wonder. We want to believe. I want the winner of this competition and the recipient of my legacy to dare to dream big.

So, let the Great Fox Hunt begin.”

Thirteen-year-old Flick Lions has won a place on a new television show, in which young people compete to win the legacy of The Great Fox, one of the world’s most famous magicians. But Flick isn’t interested in uncovering the Great Fox’s tired old magic tricks – she’s after something much more important. The magician destroyed her family, and this is Flick’s only chance to put things right.

Inside the Fox’s house is a secret that will change the world of magic for ever, and Flick will go to any lengths to find it.

Locked out Lily by Nick Lake and Emily Gravett, reviewed by Leontine

Locked out Lily is really good because the book makes you feel like your [sic] inside the book having the adventure Lily has.

Locked out Lily is a story about belonging and about accepting things about life.

Lily is a great main character, loyal, courageous and hard-working. By the end of the story Lily is prepared to do anything to save her family.

Lily’s adventure consists in learning how to claim back her house from devils with coal eyes and banishing them to protect her family from harm.

It’s a really amazing book and I think it’s good for all age groups.

About the book

A startlingly original, stunningly-illustrated modern classic about learning to face your fears from the multi award-winning partnership of Nick Lake and Emily Gravett. Lily just wants things to go back to the way they were: before she got sick, before her parents decided to have another baby. So when she’s sent away to stay with her grandmother while her mum has the baby, Lily is determined to go home.

But she doesn’t expect to find people in her house – people who look like her parents, but definitely aren’t … Together with some unlikely animal companions, Lily must face her fears and summon the courage to break into her own house, and defeat ‘The Replacements’ before the night is out.

Nick Lake’s atmospheric story of family and friendship is brought to spectacular life by Emily Gravett, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.

‘A book of such wit and flair and delight: the kind of book you finish and immediately begin again, so that you can live again alongside the characters’ Katherine Rundell, bestselling author of The Explorer  

The Great Fox Illusion by Justyn Edwards, reviewed by Niamh

The Great Fox Illusion is the first book from Justyn Edwards and the start of a new exciting series, featuring Flick Lions and the world of magic tricks.

13-year-old Flick takes part in a new television programme, where she pairs up with a boy called Charlie Lopez and competes against siblings Harry and Ruby Townsend to win the legacy of a famous magician, called The Great Fox. 

Everyone competing holds their own secret that makes winning the most important thing to them, including Flick’s search for the mysterious Bell System trick to bring her dad back.

I think The Great Fox Illusion is an amazing book, filled with excitement, mystery and an intriguing insight into the world of magic and magicians. It’s also very inspiring that the main character has a prosthetic leg and the story tells you about the challenges of having a disability.

I absolutely love that it explains magic tricks that happened in real-life as part of the plot. After reading about magician David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear, it inspired me to watch a video of the trick!

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysterious, adventure stories and learning new interesting things as they read. It’s a must-read for 2022 and I’m going to suggest it as a class book to my teacher because my friends would love it.

I’m really looking forward to reading the next books in the series and I think the next one should be called The Great Lion Illusion! 

Perfect for fans of: The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie; Escape the Rooms by Stephen Mangan; and Escape Room by Christopher Edge. 

About the book:

Secrets and illusions abound as a group of young magicians competes for the prize of a lifetime in this gripping adventure, the first in an enthralling new series from debut author Justyn Edwards.

“Magic is about dreaming what is impossible and making it possible. It’s the innocent young mind in all of us that loves it.

We want to be filled with wonder. We want to believe. I want the winner of this competition and the recipient of my legacy to dare to dream big.

So, let the Great Fox Hunt begin.”

Thirteen-year-old Flick Lions has won a place on a new television show, in which young people compete to win the legacy of The Great Fox, one of the world’s most famous magicians. But Flick isn’t interested in uncovering the Great Fox’s tired old magic tricks – she’s after something much more important. The magician destroyed her family, and this is Flick’s only chance to put things right.

Inside the Fox’s house is a secret that will change the world of magic for ever, and Flick will go to any lengths to find it.

Rules for Vampires by Alex Foulkes, reviewed by Sophie

Gripping, comical and adventurous, presented all in one halloweeny sweet bucket.

About the book

Straighten your cape and sharpen your claws . . . being a vampire is harder than it looks!

The spookiest story you’ll read this year from Alex Foulkes, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie.

There are highs and lows to being a vampire. On one claw, you get cool powers like beastly strength and hypnotism and the ability to GRIMWALK. On the other claw, however, vampires are bound by the Vampiric Laws: rules to protect the balance between the worlds of the Living and the Undead. And unfortunately, 11-year-old Leo has just forgotten rule number one . .

The Rules for Vampires don’t tell you what to do when you make a ghostly enemy, or accidentally restart an ancient war. But Leo and her very unusual family are more than up to the job.

A monstrously funny and devilishly dark new adventure from debut talent Alex Foulkes, illustrated throughout by the award-winning Sara Ogilvie, Rules for Vampires is the series that fans of Lemony Snickett and Skulduggery Pleasant will devour for breakfast. 

Pax: Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker, reviewed by Mia and Kate

Mia says:

We received ‘Pax – Journey Home’ to review and so we read Pax first! They really need to be read in order. 
Peter is a young teenager whose mum died when he when seven. He had a pet fox, Pax, who he raised from a kit, but was forced to abandon when his dad went off to war and Peter was sent to his Grandfathers. He then goes on a journey to find Pax.  Along the way, Peter meets a special person who helps him when he gets injured, but who also needs Peter’s help without knowing it. 
Peter later finds Pax, who he realises is better off in the wild. 
In Pax – Journey Home, Peter feels like he loses everyone he loves, thinks things are his fault, and that it is best not to let anyone get close to him or to care about anyone.
Peter travels with the Water Warriors who work hard to put the rivers and reservoirs right after the war poisoned the water, while planning a life alone. Along the way he has to visit places with difficult memories from his past. 
Pax is making a similar journey for his family.

I loved these books. They describe feelings so well. They show how people can change and get over bad times, no matter how old you are. 
I really loved that the chapters alternated between  Peter’s point of view and Pax’s point of view.  
It was really interesting to see the world through the foxes’ eyes; how they would describe the things we do (which can seem really odd); how they sense feelings and danger through smells; and how they’d find our ‘dens’ strange. It also made me think a lot about how destructive people can be to the world and wildlife.
We couldn’t decide when the book is set – past, present or future, but it could be anytime as it is everyone’s life journey that matters.
The books gave us lots to talk about, 
A five star rating from me!

Mum Kate says:
These were wonderful books to read together and I think they’d be a great choice for a class. 
The books deal with a lot of trauma, without being traumatic – they are simply honest, in a very clear way. They offer so much opportunity for discussion about loss, emotions (a lot of anger, fear and sadness), human impact on the world, and connections and bonds. Also, if and when wild animals should be captive. 
The setting both in place and time is hard to gauge which puts more emphasis on the journey and bond of this boy and his fox.
A brilliantly told story which we couldn’t put down, and will revisit.

About the book

From bestselling and award-winning author Sara Pennypacker comes the long-awaited sequel to Pax; gorgeously crafted, utterly compelling with stunning illustrations by award-winning author and illustrator Jon Klassen.

It’s been a year since Peter and his pet fox, Pax, have seen each other. Once inseparable, they now lead very different lives. Pax must protect his litter of kits in a dangerous world. Meanwhile Peter, orphaned after the war, has left his adopted home and joined the Water Warriors, a group determined to heal the land from the scars of the war.

When one of Pax’s kits falls desperately ill, he turns to the one human he knows he can trust. And no matter how hard Peter tries to harden his broken heart, love keeps finding a way in. Now both boy and fox find themselves on journeys toward home, healing – and each other.
A breathtaking novel about chosen families and the healing power of love.

A Whale of the Wild by Rosanne Parry and Lindsay Moore, reviewed by Evie-Belle

This book is emotionally amazing! I love the unique and eye catching pictures in the book making it even more heartfelt.

This story is written in first person, and that “person” is Vega or Deneb – two young Orca sibling whales. You learn about how Orcas live in the wild and how how they breathe for air. I felt sad for the poor ancestors of Vega and her brother Deneb,on the ocean bottom rotting away. It also teaches you about how they must hunt for their food for survival. 

At times it made me tearful – which is because it is so descriptive and believable as you follow their journey onwards. I recommend this book if you want to be transported into a watery world, with seals and sharks and killer whales through the eyes of the two beautiful Orcas.

About the book

In the stand-alone companion to the New York Times-bestselling A Wolf Called Wander, a young orca whale must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to be reunited with their pod. This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family bonds, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. Includes information about orcas and their habitats.

For Vega and her family, salmon is life. And Vega is learning to be a salmon finder, preparing for the day when she will be her family’s matriarch. But then she and her brother Deneb are separated from their pod when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable.

Vega must use every skill she has to lead her brother back to their family. The young orcas face a shark attack, hunger, the deep ocean, and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she’s destined to be? A Whale of the Wild weaves a heart-stopping tale of survival with impeccable research on a delicate ecosystem and threats to marine life.

New York Times-bestselling author Rosanne Parry’s fluid writing and Lindsay Moore’s stunning artwork bring the Salish Sea and its inhabitants to vivid life. An excellent read-aloud and read-alone, this companion to A Wolf Called Wander will captivate fans of The One and Only Ivan and Pax. Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout, a map, and extensive backmatter about orcas and their habitats.

Adam-2 by Alastair Chisholm, reviewed by Ben

Adam-2 is book based on a robot that has been built with the ability to learn and feel pain. He has been told by his creator to stay in the basement but when two human kids enter, and he realises they need help, Adam-2 makes the decision to go out to find a vastly different world than he had last seen it. 

I thought it was very cleverly written as the fact the author did not give anything away at the start of the book made it a gripping read. The ending was very interesting as Adam-2 has a conflict of interests either side of the robot – man war that ripped the world apart; both sides are counting on him to destroy the opposition. 

This book would be great for 8- and 16-year-olds alike and although the concept of it was clearly sci-fi, it had real connections with the real world and how the advancements in technology are likely to replace many people’s jobs with robots. 

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi. I thought the characters were very realistic in the way they thought.

About the book:

With incredible twists and turns and an action-packed story, this is a thrilling, unputdownable adventure.

The robot Adam-2 has been locked in the basement of a lost building for over two hundred years – until one day he is discovered by two children, and emerges into a world ruined by a civil war between humans and advanced intelligence.

Hunted by both sides, Adam discovers that he holds the key to the war, and the power to end it – to destroy one side and save the other. But which side is right?

Surrounded by enemies who want to use him, and allies who mistrust him, Adam must decide who – and what – he really is.

From the author of the highly-acclaimed Orion Lost, Adam-2 is an exciting and hugely gripping science fiction thriller – perfect for fans of Eoin Colfer, Anthony Horowitz, and Philip Reeve.

“Brilliant – one of the best middle grade books I’ve read this year … Action, tension, a marvellous mix of characters, and incredibly thought-provoking while being huge fun to read. What more could you want?” – Jennifer Killick, author of Crater Lake

Fledgling by Lucy Hope, reviewed by Evie

‘Fledgling’ is a story that will suck you in from the very beginning, and make it very hard for you to put the book down.

About the book

A dark, gothic adventure set deep in a Bavarian forest, with angels and owls and magic and a boy who isn’t all that he seems to be…

A cherub is blown into Cassie Engel’s bedroom during a thunderstorm, triggering a series of terrifying events. Cassie must discover if its arrival was an accident or part of something more sinister.

With a self-obsessed opera singer for a mother, a strange taxidermist father, and a best friend who isn’t quite what he seems, Cassie is forced to unearth the secrets of her family’s past. As the dark forces gather around them, can Cassie protect all that she holds dear?

The fantastic debut novel from Lucy Hope, with cover illustration by Anna Shepeta.