Revisited Family Friday: Kindles and Kids

This post was originally published in November 2011, and I am pleased to say that it still holds true.

When I got a Kindle in the summer, our youngest was intrigued and shortly began announcing that a Kindle was what she wanted for her 8th birthday at the end of September. We were uncertain whether she would really use it and not miss paper books, but we let her test it out (by putting a copy of The Wombles on for her to read) and she remained firm in her plans. We both have the wi-fi only keyboard version which is no longer available (the new one came out just after her birthday).

I have to say that nearly two months on, it was definitely a good idea: she's used it every day. She asked for Amazon vouchers and cash from other people and put loads of Horrid Henry (Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire is a current favourite), Roald Dahl and various other things on there, which she's been working her way through. Since I attached her kindle to my account (and she keeps the wi-fi turned off), we can share books when I have suitable things for her (e.g. I put Lob and The Wombles on it for her straight away). We have even, on occasion, read together with her reading aloud to me and me following on my own screen - how cool are we? :-)

She has returned to some of her print books since getting the Kindle, but she is still reading on it, mostly in bed. It's also brilliant for bringing with us if we're going to be waiting anywhere, and for overnight visits she can have a choice of books. Our current shared bedtime Kindle read is Julia Donaldson's The Giants and the Joneses, which is very exciting, and she's looking forward to Francesca Simon's The Sleeping Army next. She's very excited about that one as the main character is named Freya like her, and she's hoping to learn about Norse myths, as she's always known that's where her name comes from but there aren't many younger kids books using them. [ETA: she LOVED The Sleeping Army, as did I - a great read!]

So, on the whole, I would recommend considering Kindles for younger kids. Obviously, we were concerned that it would just be a novelty thing, but it's a definite habit now and it's surprising how many books for this age group are being released on the Kindle. I don't have a worry (currently) about her merrily purchasing books on my account, so her device being linked to my account as well as mine is working for us, and I understand that it is pretty easy to change that later if need be. Also, of course I'm enjoying being able to read her books as well as my own - and if I choose to read Horrid Henry on the train, no-one will know!

Family Friday: Sixteen Years Ago Today...

This is what I was doing:

Thankfully, the picture quality is not a reflection of the quality of our marriage :)

The day itself was a real sunshine-and-showers British summer day. A highlight of the day was when there was a clap of thunder and all the lights in the Salvation Army hall went out. This moment happened just as the Major had asked if anyone had any reason we shouldn't be married. We were right to ignore the seemingly celestial intervention, it was clearly just a test.

I could never have predicted then what our lives would be like now. We had plenty of plans, but have changed almost all of them since!

Family Friday Review: Leopard Adventure by Anthony McGowan

Wonderful adventure story - a fitting tribute to the original Willard Price books

Author: Anthony McGowan
Title: Leopard Adventure
Series: This is book 1 of the new Willard Price-inspired adventures
Genre: Adventure (kids)
Publisher: Puffin
Published: 5 July 2012

Source: copy won in a Twitter competition from the publisher

Find it at Amazon UK

The blurb says...
Deep in the remote forests of Siberia, a mother Amur leopard, one of the rarest big cats in the world, senses danger. Something faster than any human and deadlier than any tiger.

Meanwhile Amazon Hunt, aged twelve, is recruited from England by Tracks in America, ready to take off at a moment's notice to rescue wild animals under threat - no matter how great the danger.

Now Amazon and her thirteen-year-old cousin Frazer must brave the Russian wilderness to save the Amur leopard, before a blazing forest fire wipes out the race - for good . . .

My verdict: Classic kid-friendly action adventure with plenty of facts about animals and the environment along the way. Highly recommended for boys and girls of around 9 and up.
As a child, I loved Willard Price's Adventure series, in which brother Hal and Roger Hunt would travel the world collecting animals with their father for his zoo, seeing off poachers and other nefarious souls along the way. I learned no end from those books about animals, about the world and about survival. I was so pleased when I heard that a new series had been commissioned with the approval of Price's estate, as the books are not so readily seen these days and some of their attitudes do feel a little dated now. I'm so glad to be able to share these with my kids.

This excellent start to the series shows that Anthony McGowan has does a fabulous job of preserving all the best things about the books whilst bringing them bang up to date. The adventures now have a more directly environmentalist agenda (they always were relatively green, but in a 1950s/60s context), and make good use of modern technology. It's also good to see female characters getting in on the action.

What surprised and delighted me, though, was that the series is a continuation of Hal and Roger Hunt's work. Amazon, the main character, is Roger Hunt's daughter and her cousin Frazer is Hal's son. There are definitely touches in there that will please fans of the original series (like the kids sharing some of their parents' traits), without at all making it difficult to start here with no knowledge of the older series. But don't worry - this adventure definitely belongs to the kids, and the parents are clearly going to feature in an ongoing subplot. I can't wait to find out more about Hal and Roger as adults, and to see Amazon and Frazer develop as a wildlife-saving team.

As an adventure story, there are some moments of peril and there is certainly plenty of action and movement in the plot. It is perfect for 9 yr olds and up, having a meaty plot and just enough danger to thrill without being too scary. Kids will learn a lot about Amur Leopards (the Fact File at the back is a nice addition, summing up some of the information scattered through the story), and probably also some geography, as I always did from the earlier novels. I would absolutely recommend this and hope that these are a big success, so that there can be many more of them.

Family Friday Review: Helen Moss's Adventure Island Series

Child investigators, a loyal doggy companion and a variety of intriguing mysteries: the Adventure Island series is great for kids of around 8 and up (and adults nostalgic for the Famous Five...).

The series is written by Helen Moss and published by Orion Children's. There are currently ten books in the series, but in a recent blog post, Helen Moss said that at least another four are planned.

The series is set on the invented Castle Key Island, which lies off the Cornish coast. This great map is typical of the lovely line illustrations by Leo Hartas which accompany the stories. As this is a nice safe island (despite the relatively high crime rate!), where everyone knows everyone else, the children can be free to roam around and investigate. 

The characters are a key strength of the series. My daughter and I are particular fans of Emily Wild, who lives on Castle Key with her parents and her lovely dog, Drift. The other investigators are Scott and Jack Carter, who spend school holidays on Castle Key with their Aunt Kate, a romantic novelist. Emily is really the leader of the group, making plans and gathering clues in her notebook. One of the great things about reading a really good series is the familiarity you get with the characters, and I saw that this week in reading book 10, The Invisible Spy, with my daughter, when Emily underlined the case's title in her notebook (twice, I believe). We both smiled, because that sense of organising ideas and being neat is absolutely typical of Emily.

Drift is great too, and I particularly like that occasionally the narration will shift to his point of view. 

"Drift shot out from the sofa. Distraction was his all-time favourite command. He just had to find something really naughty and do it! And this time he knew exactly what his Naughty Thing was going to be!" 

The point of view shifts occasionally between the characters, which helps strengthen the characterisation and is always clearly signalled like the example above.

The plots are involving and intriguing. The mysteries are real and effectively planned, with red herrings and twists to keep you guessing, while not being confusing for the child audience. In the last few stories there have been smugglers, scientists and secret agents, not to mention dinosaurs, rock concerts and wreck diving. I strongly recommend these for 8+ - and that absolutely includes adults. I love these books!

There's still a chance to win a set of the books, as well as being a character in a future story with the Operation Diamond competition, open until 23rd July. I've written about it here, and this is the offical page to get started.

Family Friday Review: The Sleeping Army by Francesca Simon

Fab mythic fantasy drawing on the Norse sagas for kids 8+.

Author: Francesca Simon

Title: The Sleeping Army

Genre: Fantasy (children's)

Publisher: Profile Books

Published: Oct 2011

Source: purchased on my Kindle

Find it at Amazon UK or Goodreads

The blurb says:
Freya is an ordinary girl living in modern Britain, but with a twist: people still worship the Viking gods. She's caught in her parents' divorce, and shuttling between bickering adults is no fun. One evening, stuck with her dad on his night shift at the British Museum, she is drawn to the Lewis Chessmen and Heimdall's Horn. Unable to resist, she blows the horn, waking three chess pieces from their enchantment; the slaves Roskva and Alfi, and Snot the Berserk. They are all summoned to Asgard, land of the Viking gods, and told they must go on a perilous journey to restore the gods to youth. If Freya refuses she will be turned into an ivory chess piece but, if she accepts her destiny and fails, the same terrible fate awaits her. Brilliantly funny, original and a wholly new take on the Norse myths - and the travails of contemporary family life.

My verdict: Flawless world-building in this marvellous fantasy. Highly recommended for myth and adventure fans of 8+
This was a bedtime read with my 8 yr old which we both greatly enjoyed. The world of the novel is exactly like ours, but with the small detail that Christianity never caught on and the established religion is Norse. This shift was accomplished thoroughly and seemingly effortlessly with little details like the days being called 'Wodensday' and 'Thorsday' etc and people saying things like "oh my gods". The story begins in the British Museum, which (as well as being integral to the story of course) allows Francesca Simon to integrate details comparing the two religious systems without it ever feeling dry or lecturing. My sleepy 8 yr old happily accepted this world and learnt loads about Norse myth without getting bogged down, confused or losing sight of the story. I particularly enjoyed the idea that the Norse religion had reached the point that modern Christianity in Britain has with relatively few actual believers, but being embedded into the culture. The idea of Viking gods being seen as part of some dry, dull institution is somehow especially amusing!

Freya is a great character. A normal modern girl dragged into an adventure with children from the Dark Ages and a berserk, she's really out of her depth and seen as slightly pathetic by her co-adventurers. The narration focuses on her perspective, although it is third-person, allowing us insight into her thoughts and feelings as she undertakes the extremely daunting challenge set her by Woden.

Aspects of myth are used and incorporated extremely well - even to the point where it is clear which parts of the story deviate from the canon of Norse myth. This is where the set-up of a world based on Norse belief that has become fairly stagnant works best, as Freya is able to question the myths she's been brought up with and compare them to the reality that she is now experiencing. As the blurb above indicates, Freya's quest is all about restoring the gods to youth, but her knowledge of mythology tells her that they don't age. Effectively, the established myths have been PR for the gods. This detail ensures that any readers who aren't greatly familiar with Norse tales will clearly know 'real' myth from what has been added for this story. This demonstrates the respect with which the novel treats the myths and, like so many other aspects of this book, is very clever indeed.

Overall, this adventure is a great addition to a child's library. Although the main character is a girl, there is nothing in the story (or the cover) to spoil boys' enjoyment of it. I would heartily recommend this to lovers of fantasy adventure stories and those who enjoy mythic tales.

Family Friday Review: Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

This hilarious book satirising TV survivalists will delight kids from 8 or so.

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Title: Chomp

Genre: comedy/adventure (kids/teen)

Publisher: Orion Children's

Published: 5 Apr 2012

Source: kindly provided for review by the publisher

Find it at Amazon UK  

The blurb says:
The Everglades at night are a tangle of waterways and slithering things. A place of moonlight, mystery and menace. Wahoo's dad is an animal wrangler (who's not quite feeling himself, after an unfortunate incident with a frozen iguana) so his boy has grown up with a menagerie, including an alligator named Alice, in the backyard. Even so Wahoo doesn't want to be here - lost in the Everglades - especially with the slightly crazed Derek Badger, self-styled star of the Expedition Survival TV show, on the loose along with 'gators, snakes, bats and a gun-toting father out looking for his runaway daughter. It's anyone's guess who will survive . . . and who will get chomped!

My verdict: crazy and hilarious fun for kids, teens and adults.

I believe this book will have very wide appeal. It is silly in a crazy-fun way and had me laughing out loud (which isn't great on the bus ...). It also doesn't have any elements which are unsuitable for the tween crowd, whilst also being likely to amuse teens as well. At the same time, it is thought-provoking about more serious themes including environmentalism and media responsibility.

Wahoo is a great character, and the story is mostly focused on him and his interactions with the world. Responsible and cautious, he takes care of his father who is not really functioning after having had a frozen iguana fall on his head. This is one of those stories where the grown ups can be less sensible and more problematic than the kids, and chaos naturally ensues.

The writing is drily witty, achieving hilarity without overdoing the silliness (I write as one who didn't enjoy Mr Gum - please no hate mail). Catastrophes are piled up with no regard to the bounds of realism, but the writing is strong enough that it really doesn't matter. Although several situations in the book are patently unlikely, I remained completely lost in its world, simply enjoying the ride.

Having been cheered up enormously losing myself in Wahoo and co's misadventures, I would urge you to read this. Boys and girls, kids and grown ups: there's definitely something for everyone to enjoy here.

Family Friday Review: A Mystery for Megan by Abi Burlingham

Magical animals, friendship and fun - this lovely read for the 6-9 crowd launched yesterday.

Author: Abi Burlingham

Title: A Mystery for Megan

Genre: fantasy adventure

Series: Buttercup Magic, no. 1

Publisher: Piccadilly Press

Published: 26 April 2012

Source: purchased

Find it at Goodreads or Amazon UK  

Goodreads description:
When nine year old Megan moves to Buttercup House, she has no idea how special the house is. With her new best friend, Freya, who lives next door, they find out all the wonderful secrets about her new home, and she meets the magical animals that live there: some very clever mice, Dorothy, the mysterious black cat, and a very special dog called Buttercup. A book about friendship and magic, aimed at 6-9 years.

My verdict: a lovely comforting read for the 6-9 bracket

My 8yr old read this in bed before I could get my hands on it. Her excited babbling about it in the mornings was a joy to hear. She reads nightly in bed, but we don't always get such a reaction. I hope this special little book gets the recognition it deserves.

Megan is a great main character. We meet her at a vulnerable point, as she's moving house, which is unsettling for many children. It's easy to empathise with her worries and her nerves about leaving her friends behind, but her new house soon begins to win her over with its mysteries and exciting features like a treehouse. Her new neighbour, Freya, tells her fantastic tales about magical mice and a cat with an extraordinary lifespan and Megan's curiosity is roused, as is ours.

The story is sweet and charming, whilst avoiding sentimentality. It will undoubtedly appeal to girls - magic and animals, what's not to love? - but it doesn't succumb to the cloying girliness sometimes thrown at this age group. Abi Burlingham respects her young readers and doesn't insult their intelligence.

As an adult reader, I was perfectly able to enjoy the story and didn't find it predictable (as you sometimes can when you're not the intended reader). It was reminiscent of my own childhood reading: plenty of Enid Blyton, sprinkled with a little fairy tale magic.

Overall I found this to be a highly successful read-alone for my 8yr old and can imagine snuggling with a younger child to enjoy it together.

Family Friday Review: The Queen by Richard Brassey

Since it's the Queen's (actual) birthday tomorrow, it seems a good time to review this lovely new children's book all about her.

Author: Richard Brassey

Title: The Queen

Genre: Illustrated non-fiction (children's)

Publisher: Orion

Published: April 2012

Source: kindly sent for review by the publishers

Find it at Amazon UK

The blurb says:
She has two birthdays, eleven corgis and a Commonwealth of two billion people. Find out what it's like to be 'The Queen'.

My verdict: Lively in both the facts selected and the illustration, this is bound to appeal to a wide range of children.

What I like most about this is that it covers the Queen's whole lifetime (and a little family history too), yet still manages in pack in all sorts of quirky facts. This is the secret of Brassey's appeal for children, and also means that the book presents the Queen as an individual, whilst also conveying something of her responsibilities. Crucially, it is also a very respectful presentation, without being sober and dull.

Children will learn some aspects of the Queen's life that they are perhaps less likely to encounter elsewhere. Brassey has taken a chronological approach and provided quite a bit of information about her childhood and young adulthood before she became Queen. For example, it's a small thing, but my youngest (8) hadn't connected WWII as being in living memory, but learning how the young Princess Elizabeth had been in the Women's Army and learned to change truck tyres really brought that home for her. This is the kind of thing children often struggle with, in learning about history - putting it all together. This book does a great job of contextualising the Queen's lifetime and her reign without feeling particularly instructive. While it clearly is a non-fiction book, it's the sort of book that kids would pick up out of interest, learn from and enjoy. The quirky yet realistic illustrations (people are easily identifiable) add to the book's appeal and to its ability to provide interesting information.

Family Friday: Re-Issue of Michael Morpurgo's Kaspar

Michael Morpurgo's brilliant story featuring Kaspar the cat who sails on the Titanic has been re-released this month under a new title and with a smart new cover, for the hundredth anniversary of the Titanic this year.

Originally titled Kaspar, Prince of Cats, this classic kids' adventure story with rich historical detail is quite special to me. It was the first book I reviewed on this blog, having enjoyed the story with my youngest as bedtime reading.



The Titanic voyage is just one exciting part of this story, in which Kaspar befriends Johnny Trott the bellboy when a Russian Countess brings him to the Savoy where Johnny works.

Would you like to read my original review?

Family Friday Review: Lolly Luck by Ellie Daines

This charming debut is a timely tale of family hardship.

Author: Ellie Daines

Title: Lolly Luck

Genre: Contemporary realism (children's)

Series: none (to my knowledge)

Publisher: Andersen

Published: Jan 2012

Source: kindly sent for review by the publisher

Find it at Goodreads or Amazon UK  

The blurb says:
'I'm Lolly Luck by name, lucky by nature. I'm the luckiest person I know, and the luckiest person everyone else knows.'

But Lolly's luck begins to turn. When her dad loses his job and the family home, Lolly thinks things can't get any worse. Then she overhears her parents arguing and learns a secret that will change her life forever...

My verdict: Realistic characters and situations make this an effective and enjoyable read.
This tale of family difficulties leading to major changes in circumstances is well told and will be enjoyed by readers of around 9 and up. Lolly is a likeable and realistic character who narrates her own story in a lively voice. The idea of her being lucky and feeling she's lost her luck adds a different angle to the story and contributes to her generally positive outlook on life, while her penchant for making paper fans is a cute and realistic quirk to her character. Her relationship with her parents and sister and others at school are believable and will have familiar aspects for many readers, including the teasing from the 'mean girl' and her hesitation in sharing some of her problems with even her best friend.

The triggering issue here - her father losing his job - will, unfortunately, be familiar to some readers who are likely to find a story like this reassuring. Lolly's resilience, especially since we see her optimism sometimes struggling, offers hope. This is no sugar-coated version of the world and Daines does not go easy on Lolly and her family, but it is all handled well for the target age group. The life-changing secret is also believable, as are the circumstances surrounding its revelation.

I enjoyed this book and my 8 yr old is keen to read it next, thanks largely to the cute cover. It's worth a mention that I probably wouldn't have noted Lolly's intended racial identity without this cover, and I think this is a good thing. It's great that there is greater representation of diversity in children's books now, and that there can be black and minority ethnic characters in kids' books without the story being somehow about their race. Any kind of family can experience what Lolly's family does, so there is no need for such stories to default to white kids any more, like they did when I was a kid.

Overall, this is a very good example of contemporary realism for the 'middle grade' reader. It doesn't shy away from difficult situations, but it isn't miserable either. Lolly is a great character who carries the tale beautifully.

Family Friday: Review of Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Families, secrets and heartbreak for Family Friday. This emotional read piles on the pressure with one unexpected twist after another.

Author: Katie Dale

Title: Someone Else's Life

Genre: Contemporary realism (YA)

Series: no

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: Feb 2 2012

Source: Kindly provided for review by the author

Find it at Amazon UK or Goodreads 

The blurb says:
When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... 

Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...

My verdict: a real rollercoaster ride. Recommended for fans of emotional realism.

This novel could well make you cry - and not just once. I found myself so involved with Rosie's world and her incredible journey that I was, at times, wiping away tears to continue reading. You should know that this is really not typical for me. I tend not to choose 'weepies' and both resent and don't respond to emotional manipulation (this was one of my big problems with The Kite Runner). In this novel, however, emotions are effectively handled. Even though the problems piling up on Rosie sometimes had me gasping in amazement, I felt that Dale never went far enough to break the spell of suspended disbelief.

The narration in this novel is first-person, switching between Rosie and another voice (it isn't confirmed who this is initially and I'm not doing spoilers!) It is easy to engage with Rosie's voice and to sympathise with her, although she is a sufficiently realistic teen under pressure that at times I was exasperated with her behaviour, particularly in the way she treats Andy, her ex-boyfriend. Given the complex and intense situations that Rosie is in, however, it's also easy to forgive her and give her a chance to redeem herself.

The novel deals well with Huntington's, which I didn't really know much about before. I'm sure it will be an effective way of raising awareness (as well as funds - a portion of the proceeds are being donated). It will achieve this because it is an entertaining story in its own right, and not just a vehicle for teaching about Huntington's.

Overall, I found this a highly enjoyable read. It's an impressive debut - Katie Dale is definitely one to watch. Celebrating the release of Someone Else's Life, she's on a blog tour at the moment (see the banner to the right) and will be visiting the Hearthfire on Feb 15th with a 'Words on Wednesday' post for us.

Family Friday: Some Recent Highlights

A few snippets of kid-related fun from the last few weeks:

• "Are they real acting meercats in the adverts?"
• 13 yr old special: "Eeew. I've just realised. You've done icky stuff (this means 'had sex') at least twice." (We have two daughters. Remember that moment of realisation? This one came in a shop - Boots. We were buying cold medicines.)
• The Tooth Fairy Visit. "My tooth's fallen out (in bed) but I don't want to leave it out tonight because I need to write her a letter." OK, letters are nice, right? Of course, she also wanted a letter back and this meant that paper needed to be left out for the fairy to use. Paper which she had decorated specially. Thankfully she fell asleep quickly, so it wasn't a Christmas Eve style event. There were considerable nerves about getting the letter right though, since there could be no second chance. And then when she wanted to take the letter to school as other kids had, we were worried about handwriting not matching, until she mentioned 'X's tooth fairy does this and Y's tooth fairy does that"...

Family Friday: Peace and Love

As we near the midpoint of the traditional twelve days, a period of 'time out of time', I hope you're all enjoying the holidays in whatever fashion works for you.

Here are some of the aspects of Christmas/Yule holiday tradition that I particularly enjoy:

• all the light/fire references, reminding us that it all stems from a celebration of the return of the sun as the balance shifts from dark to light again
• the greenery decking the halls, a lovely piece of sympathetic magic encouraging the non-evergreen life to remember that life goes on
• the rich, warming, spicy food and drink (as I write this, I can smell a ham boiling away merrily in apple and orange juices with cinnamon, cloves and allspice) to nourish ourselves for the coming winter
• the sense of self renewal which has become the tradition of New Year Resolutions, possibly stemming from a natural inward-turning impulse in these longer and darker nights

This is my last post for 2011, so: whatever holidays you celebrate, I hope you're making great memories and that 2012 will be a great and positive year for you.

Family Friday: Review of Flood and Fang by Marcus Sedgwick

A great mystery for kids, with delightful gothic touches.

Author: Marcus Sedgwick
Title: Flood and Fang
Genre: Kids
Series: Raven Mysteries (Book 1 of 6)
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2009
Source: purchased (on Kindle)

Find it at Amazon UK

The Blurb says:
Meet the wonderfully weird Otherhand family and their faithful guardian, Edgar the raven, and discover the dark secrets of Castle Otherhand. Edgar is alarmed when he sees a nasty looking black tail slinking under the castle walls. But his warnings to the inhabitants of the castle go unheeded: Lord Valevine Otherhand is too busy trying to invent the unthinkable and discover the unknowable; his wife, Minty, is too absorbed in her latest obsession - baking; and ten-year-old Cudweed is running riot with his infernal pet monkey. Only Solstice, the black-haired, poetry-writing Otherhand daughter, seems to pay any attention. As the lower storeys of the castle begin mysteriously to flood, and kitchen maids continue to go missing, the family come ever closer to the owner of the black tail...

My verdict:  Hilarious with gentle gothic elements for children. A good choice for sharing/reading aloud or for more confident readers.
There is much to praise in this book, but I think I've finally settled on its key strength being the narration. Having the family raven (called Edgar, of course) tell the story is a fabulous feature of this very entertaining book. There are aspects which I think the younger end of its target audience (8-9 year olds) might miss, but at the same time, I think there's plenty here to keep them reading while also being sharp enough for 12 year olds to enjoy. Despite the many gothic elements, the book is not scary for younger readers: this is zany-gothic rather than creepy-gothic.

The pace is lively, with short chapters and quirky illustrations, making it suitable for newly-independent readers, while the content (particularly the unreliable narrator, in that Edgar doesn't always understand everything immediately) offers enough to engage older and more experienced readers (myself included!).

The characters are wonderful. Edgar, of course, is closest to us and we learn a little of his history and that of the house. His absolute belief in his superiority is endearing (and befitting a raven), as is his loyalty. The family are, of course, hilariously crazy, and the castle itself (in fine Gothic tradition) is effectively a character too. Using an animal to narrate, and spreading the focus around the whole family means that this is easily a gender-neutral choice and will appeal to both boys and girls.

I would absolutely recommend this for anyone of 7 or over, and will be reading further instalments in the series.

This is my twenty-second British book reviewed this year. Are you signing up for next year's British Books Challenge?

Family Friday: Advent Plans

Sorry, we've no pics of our stockings

I really enjoy the lead up to Christmas. We've evolved a great family tradition that really helps to get everyone geared up for the season, using a refillable advent calendar. Ours is a pretty little series of hessian stockings with numbers printed on them, but we first did this using a stack of matchboxes which I'd covered in wrapping paper, assembled in a vaguely attractive pile, and painted numbers onto.

I have quite a lot of fun planning the filling of the stockings, and it's a great way of building up excitement. Some days I'll put chocolate or sweets in, some days it's vouchers and others little toys or (now they're older) little girly stuff like nail stickers or lip balm. If something doesn't fit, I hide it somewhere and put a clue to what it is and its location into the stocking.

The vouchers are everyone's favourite though, and I print these myself. Mostly, these are family things and mark some kind of focused time that we don't always remember to build into our busy lives. Some of the things I'll include on vouchers this year include:

• trip into town on the bus to see the Christmas lights (and get a hot chocolate in a nice coffee place)
• baking session(s)
• crafts - making decorations or gift boxes to share the baking around
• family movie night (sometimes this is cinema vouchers, sometimes a new DVD)
• family games night (again, this might be accompanied by a new board game, or Wii game, or a set of pen and paper game ideas)
• trip to the zoo (when they were younger, we took them to the local city farm to see the 'reingoats'!)

As you can see, many of these are quite old fashioned and somewhat simple ideas, but they always go down really well. I think the girls like the mixture of family stuff, weird little toys (Hawkins and Yellow Moon are brilliant for these), cutesy girly gifts and sweet stuff. It's definitely a tradition I'm glad we started and we all get a lot out of it.

Family Friday: Picture Book Nostalgia

As you may have noticed from earlier posts, I have a lovely new nephew who, following family tradition, has a library card and is enjoying being read to on a regular basis. This knowledge led us to some lovely nostalgic moments this week in discussing which to recommend, so I thought I'd share a few favourites, just because.

Many of our Children's Laureate's lovely books have seen hard service in this house, but a particular favourite that I haven't often seen mentioned is The Princess and the Wizard, which is essentially a variation on the old 'magician's duel' theme where one turns into something and then the other turns into something else. With lovely rhyming Donaldson text and sparkly Lydia Monks illustrations, this is perfect for young girls who are ready for real stories (not recommended for babies, this one!).

A series that we've loved and recommend for any child able to pay any attention to a book is Lynley Dodd's fabulous Hairy Maclary series. I personally particularly enjoy Slinky Malinki's stories (possibly due to the cute 'linki linki' pronunciation we had when the youngest was a toddler...). These books are also strong on rhythm and rhyme but are far shorter and more suitable for the youngest children. The pictures are also far more full of interesting detail than they at first appear and little ones love looking out for clues to what's going to happen next.

Another series is Julie Sykes' and Tim Warnes' gorgeous Little Tiger books. Little Tiger is a fabulous stand-in for an awkward toddler who doesn't want to go to bed or have a bath. Loving these stories led us to their brilliant Santa series (such as Hurry, Santa!), in which Santa is clumsy, noisy or running late on Christmas Day and the animals must help him. Lovely bright pictures which exude warmth and friendliness and a simple text that the kids soon learned to join in with made these books firm favourites over several years (and the board book versions, which originally came with little toys, are now a little dog-eared).

Finally (because I really can't go on forever), I'd like to mention the wonderful Oliver Jeffers, who is a relatively new picture book author-illustrator. His stories are wonderfully simple and warm and understated - oh, and bizarre. It's perfectly ok, for example, in The Way Back Home for a boy to go to a cupboard and find an aeroplane. Just lovely, imaginative stuff.

It's been a lot of fun going back through the picture books I used to regularly read to the girls and reminisce about which were our favourites. I should say that the 8 yr old does still read some of the picture books we have, especially when she's tired and wants a 'comfy blanket book'. A good picture book can be just as rewarding as a longer story.

Family Friday: Review of Dark Angels by Katherine Langrish

A great atmospheric read for older tweens and teens with compelling characters and plenty of intrigue. I was lucky enough to win a signed copy from the author by retweeting a link to this lovely trailer (which she filmed herself - everyone say "oooh").

Title: Dark Angels
Author: Katherine Langrish
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: older children's/YA
Published: 2009

Find it at Amazon UK

The blurb says:
A bad feeling hung over the place.
"I'm not going any further," Wolf said, shivering.
BUT HE DID...

Wolf is on the run, lost on a dark hillside said to be haunted by ghosts, demons and other supernatural forces. But Wolf uncovers a creature far more strange and thrilling on his journey into the shadows.

My verdict: An exciting and mysterious read, chock full of great characters. Highly recommended.
This, like Langrish's excellent Troll trilogy (see my review) is a fabulous historical adventure novel with strong fantasy elements. Langrish draws her fantasy aspects from the folk beliefs of the period she's writing in, so this novel, set in the time of the Crusades, is strongly influenced by people's fear of elves and demons.

The compelling characters are a real strength of the book, quickly gaining our sympathy and ensuring we are rooting for them. Her young protagonist, Wolf, is flawed enough to be sympathetic while being someone a tween or teen reader could admire and might choose as a friend. The book is suitable for both boys and girls, since it fits firmly into the fantasy-adventure genre and Wolf is joined by a female protagonist in the form of Lady Nest fairly quickly, ensuring both genders are represented (and eschewing the obvious 'romance' route which can alienate boys and younger readers). Nest herself is a great character, responding negatively to some of the gender-based confines of the age without standing out as anachronistic by being openly rebellious.

As the cover (and trailer) suggests, the setting is important to the novel, and the caves on the hillside feature particularly strongly, offering both temptation and threat. A chilling atmosphere is effectively created through the mystery of the setting, giving us a strong sense of place and its effect on the local residents (and again, this is something Langrish also does particularly well in the Troll trilogy).

Overall, I really enjoyed this and recommend it as a great fantasy adventure. It will definitely be a bedtime read with my eight year old in the not-too-distant-future and I'm sure she'll love it. Although this is shelved as a YA novel (perhaps because the elves are threatening and uncanny rather than sparkly and benign), I think younger children would also enjoy it, especially as a shared read.

This is my twentieth review for the Bookette's British Book Challenge 

Family Friday: We love The Wombles!

This review is a real family effort, produced with help from my littlest girl, who turned 8 yesterday.

Title: The Wombles
Author: Elisabeth Beresford
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: Nov 2010
Genre: Children's

Find it at Amazon UK

The blurb says:
The Wombles is the first ever Wombles book and introduces the stern but kindly Great Uncle Bulgaria; Orinoco, who is particularly fond of his food and a subsequent forty winks; general handyman extraordinaire Tobermory, who can turn almost anything that the Wombles retrieve from Wimbledon Common into something useful; Madame Cholet, who cooks the most delicious and natural foods to keep the Wombles happy and contented; and last but not least, Bungo, one of the youngest and cheekiest Wombles of all, who has much to learn and is due to venture out on to the Common on his own for the very first time . . .

Our verdict: A great read for 6+, (with an up-to-date eco-message).

I bought this for the Kindle because the youngest wanted to read on the Kindle and most of my books weren't suitable for her. She's adopted an Orinoco toy salvaged from my parents' house, so I thought she might like to read about him. I was right! Having enjoyed the book together, I thought it would be a good idea to let her review this one for her, with a few prompts:

The Wombles was written quite a long time ago now. Do you think it's still interesting to read today?

Yes, because it's not too complicated and it doesn't mention old words much.

The book isn't really one big story, but several episodes over a period a time. What do you like about the stories?

The book is mainly about Bungo growing up, but there are different stories that happen. There are very funny bits and very exciting parts. Some of the funny bits are when the Wombles don't understand human stuff properly, like they call things funny names or don't really know what things are for. The descriptions are very good and I found it easy to imagine the situation and the place. The illustrations also help.

Who do you think would enjoy The Wombles?

Children who like fantasy and adventure stories about made-up creatures. It isn't really written for one specific gender; I think boys and girls will like it.

Do you have a favourite Womble?

I like them all quite a lot but I do like Great Uncle Bulgaria best because he is responsible and sensible. 

So, there you have it. She greatly enjoyed The Wombles and is after the next in the series now, The Wandering Wombles. I also found that Bloomsbury have a Wombles website and much fun was had with the activity pack!

Family Friday: top tips for walking with kids

We've taken our kids walking for several years now. The youngest was probably three when we started regularly walking as a family (she'll be eight in a fortnight). We're not enormous distance hikers - five miles is a long walk to us, and we probably more regularly do around three.

One of these has been helpful but you absolutely can enjoy family walks without one! (She's only been with us for a year, and is out first family dog.)

So, here are my top things that encourage kids to enjoy the great outdoors:

1. Checklists of things to spot. This has easily been the most helpful single thing to get the kids involved. We have a book of family walks which helpfully includes checklists tailored to each route, but we also make out own for other walks. It's important for the list to be a mixture of easily-spottable things (depends on the route and sometimes the time of year, of course, but cows, acorns, swans are good standbys for us), specific features of particular walks (a windmill, a standing stone) and sometimes number-based challenges (how many herons can you see etc). 
2. Snacks - ideally hidden ready to be produced at a 'flagging' moment. As well as the obvious boiled sweets, dried fruit is good. Water is, of course, essential.
3. Stiles, brooks and livestock (ideally separated from you by a fence!). I could never have predicted the amount that stiles increase the fun of a walk by :) and paddling in or crossing a brook is also a joy. Spotting livestock is popular as well, but some kids are made nervous by walking through a cow or sheep field.

Do you have any to add?

Review: Soul Beach by Kate Harrison

A fascinating start to a new YA trilogy, publishing 1st September by Orion under their new Indigo imprint.

Find it at Amazon UK

Amazon description:
When Alice Forster receives an email from her dead sister she assumes it must be a sick practical joke. Then an invitation arrives to the virtual world of Soul Beach, an idyllic online paradise of sun, sea and sand where Alice can finally talk to her sister again - and discover a new world of friendships, secrets and maybe even love . . . . But why is Soul Beach only inhabited by the young, the beautiful and the dead? Who really murdered Megan Forster? And could Alice be next? The first book in an intriguing and compelling trilogy centred around the mystery of Megan Forster's death.


My verdict: intriguing and inventive. Left me desperate for the next instalment.
I haven't as yet read widely in the YA paranormal genre, but I found the premise of this book highly original. Combining social media, a murder mystery and the paranormal is inspired! 


The characterisation of Alice is strong and she fully had my sympathy. Harrison has drawn her well at a few months after such a shocking loss, and deals effectively with the alienation she experiences from her friends, and her parents' grief-stricken behaviour. Her growing obsession with Soul Beach is also entirely believable, as are her initial reactions to it. I found this a fairly quick read, as it drew me in and I struggled to put it down. As well as Alice's character, her feelings for her sister and the relationship they have through Soul Beach are also convincing and formed part of the book's apppeal.


The intriguing premise of a paradise acting as a kind of limbo (but only for the young and attractive dead) creates enough interest to sustain the reader, with many associated mysteries (why can't other guests see Alice? what are the rules? who decides these things?) but Harrison doesn't rely only on this. Her voice is effective at keeping us reading on its own, and there are other mysteries to ponder also, such as the unsolved murder. Occasional passages in the murderer's voice heighten the mystery and encourage us to ponder who might be guilty.


My one complaint is that there is no overall wrap-up to this book. It's very definitely instalment one of a series. Now that I have finished it and thought about it a bit more, I suppose that the book does present Alice, the main character, with a problem which she does solve to bring about the book's finale. It's just that this particular problem has been a subplot rather than the main narrative thrust. It's hard to talk about clearly without being spoilery, which I don't want to do. But trust me, after my initial reaction (but I want to KNOW...), I can see that there is some resolution which brings about progress from the start of the novel. I suppose I just usually expect each book in a series to conclude more strongly and definitively than this one does. Leaving questions unanswered is fine, but this book does that far more than any others I've read. That said, I would still recommend it as it is a good read - I just wish that the second and third books were available now!


This is my thirteenth British Books Challenge review.