The Mystery of the Jewelled Moth by Katherine Woodfine

Katherine's first book in this series - The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow - was a huge success and an all round bestseller. Would this second in the series be able to live up to its fame? Well the short answer is - yes. Definitely. Katherine is such a great writer - she manages to keep the pace of the story going, along with the excitement and interest in the characters. The only thing I wasn't too sure about was Mei's character and story. I loved Sophie and her friends so much in the first one, that I almost felt like a schoolgirl having to accept a new girl in the class - not too sure and slightly awkward. I must admit that I would look forward to the chapters that Sophie and her gang were in.

Storywise, Sophie is still working at Sinclair's the department store, and her fame following the first case she was involved in (the clockwork sparrow) has led to her being taken on to locate the whereabouts of a stolen brooch - the jewelled moth. Sophie and her friends find themselves entering the glittering world of high society and debutantes. But Sophie also finds herself coming face to face with an old adversary - the Baron. Will she be able to escape unscathed, and will they all be able to track down the stolen jewel?

A joy to read. I can't wait for the next in the series!

The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

Wow, this just raced along! I loved it! Great descriptions, great characters, great story. I loved the fact it was set in the Edwardian era, its fashions, its architecture - yes, I loved it all!

The story itself is set in the newly opened department store in London - Sinclair's. I'm sure if I'd been watching 'Mr Selfridge' on television, I would've been comparing the two shops, but that series passed me by, so I was fresh to the Edwardian shopping experience! An expensive bejewelled clockwork sparrow has been stolen along with many other costly items from the jewellery department. Unfortunately, shop assistant Sophie has found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and is under suspicion for the theft. It will take a lot of hard detective work from her new-found friends to figure out the real culprits (and there are many sinister and suspicious characters to choose from) and to prove Sophie's innocence.

I very much look forward to more in the series!

If you loved Robin Stevens' Wells & Wong schoolgirl detective series, then this is for you. 

How to Speak Spook (and stay alive) by Ally Kennen

Donald can see ghosts - and talk to them. His friend Merry can just about make them out. His mum is a clairvoyant, and is sometimes hired to talk to ghosts to put them to rest. His dad is dead - but lives on as a ghost in a big house in the woods playing records.

Donald's mum hears word that there are ghostly goings on on the South West coast, so Donald and Merry accompany her to a caravan holiday park to investigate. Unfortunately, the rather unpleasant boy Danny also turns up there with his family and latches onto them. They also encounter the scary Estella, a very clever medium, who hatches an evil plan to get rid of the ghostly monsters once and for all. Donald finds himself in a life threatening situation - how will he get out of this alive?

This is a very funny story for about 10 year olds - Ally really gets you giggling on each page. Sometimes the writing and the story is a little loose and haphazard, but overall I really enjoyed it. I also loved her last book - Midnight Pirates.

Arsenic for Tea by Robin Stevens

Robin Stevens has become another of my favourite authors. This is only her second book (the first was book one in the Wells & Wong series 'Murder Most Unladylike') and it's even better than the first. 

We follow Hazel and Daisy in the school holidays where they're staying at Daisy's house with her family to celebrate her birthday. However, everyone is acting very suspiciously and when one of the party falls dead after drinking a cup of tea, thoughts turn to murder and everyone is a suspect. Who better to investigate than the young detective duo Wells & Wong?

A delicious and delightful pageturner of a read. Unputdownable!

The Book of Storms by Ruth Hatfield

I'd heard good things about this book. Book trade magazines had hailed it as one to watch out for, and another journalist said it was the best book she'd read this year. Hmm, I'm not so sure myself. From the first few lines I knew I probably wasn't going to 'get' this book. 'The house is falling, and Danny is falling, knees and elbows crumpling onto the floor' but then 'Danny curls his fingers tightly round the duvet, wanting to pull it over his head'. Hang on a minute, wasn't he just on the floor? Perhaps I'm being a bit picky right at the beginning, but the whole style of writing just jarred a little with me. The story is a bit 'over' imaginative, if I can possibly say that, as it's great to use our imagination in storytelling, but here we're expected to accept the weirdest things. It's like the strangest dream just written out in a book.

Danny's parents are obsessed with storms. Whenever one is approaching, they are out on the top of hills studying them. One night, there's a rather vicious storm, they go out to investigate, and never return. Danny is left alone. He soon discovers that by holding a stick broken off from a tree struck by lightning, he is able to speak with animals, birds, plants and rivers. With their help, he tries to track down the Book of Storms, which he hopes will tell him where his parents are, if indeed they are still alive. However, Sammael, a creature from another world, is the one that called the storm to make them disappear, and he wants what Danny has - the stick, and also wants to stop him from getting the Book of Storms.

I found it rather hard to read and understand, I felt nothing for any of the characters. One of the characters, a cat, just seems to disappear and be forgotten for a lot of the story. Was I supposed to read a bit deeper into the meaning? Does Sammael stand for something that I'm completely missing? I'm afraid I'll find it hard to recommend this one.

Mountwood School for Ghosts by Toby Ibbotson

Before her death, the wonderful author Eva Ibbotson (Journey to the River Sea is just gorgeous) planned an outline for a new story with her son Toby Ibbotson. This book is the finished product.

Daniel and his friend Charlotte live in Markham Street, a quiet cul-de-sac. Unbeknownst to all the residents there, Jack Bluffit, head of the city's Department of Planning, is planning to bulldoze the whole area and erect a sparkly new shopping centre in its place. When Daniel and Charlotte find out about it, they try their best to stop the demolitions.

Meanwhile, three Great Hagges decide that the ghosts of today are just not scary enough, and so set up Mountwood School for Ghosts. There they teach them how to literally scare humans to death.

When Daniel and Charlotte's actions to stop the building work fail, they decide to seek the help of the three Great Hagges and their ghostly students. Surely that will put a stop to all the devastation?

While I really enjoyed this book, it almost felt like 2 separate stories - one of the two children, and one about the ghosts. It's only really at the end that the two come together. I must admit that I rather preferred the story of Daniel and Charlotte. I lost a bit of interest in all the different ghosts and their stories from the past. But that said, I finished it in a day and a half and would recommend it to our customers.

Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo

As a bookseller and a parent, you know you're safe with a Michael Morpurgo book. I would have quite happily passed this straight to my 11-yr-old without reading it first, but a)she has far too many books to read already (but I guess I do too) and b) I wanted to read it first!

The book must be one of Morpurgo's longest - 437 pages! Even though some passages were, I thought, a little over-long, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Yet again, Morpurgo draws on fact to create a brilliant piece of story-telling. It is 1915. Merry lives in New York with her mum and dad, but her dad has gone to join the war. They soon get news from him that he has been injured and is recovering in a hospital in London. Merry and her mama know immediately that they must go to be with him, and so they book a cabin on the passenger ship 'The Lusitania', ignoring the warnings from other family members about how the war is being fought both on land and at sea. They should have listened to the warnings, as just as the ship approaches Ireland, disaster strikes.

In the Isles of Scilly, Alfie and his dad, Jim, are out in their little sailing boat trying to find some mackerel to take back to Alfie's mum. They sail past the uninhabited island of St Helen's, and hear a very strange sound coming from a disused and derelict building. On investigation, they find a young girl, half starved, frightened and injured. She is unable to talk, so they take her home to tend to her injuries and to feed her. She remains mute and appears not to know who she is or where she has come from. Alfie and his parents decide to keep the girl with them until she recovers, but soon the villagers start talking and accusing and start to turn against them. Why has this silent young girl stirred up such anger amongst the villagers, and how will they all learn the true story of how she got to be on the island?

Another wonderful book from the master of storytelling.

Itchcraft by Simon Mayo

Simon's done it again - another fast paced, action-packed, thrilling adventure featuring the rather unlucky Lofte family and friends. If I was Itch's parents, I'd tell him to take up a different hobby!

The very unloveable character of Flowerdew rears his (literally) ugly head again, and he's out for revenge - with Itch his main target. Itch has been very lucky so far - he's like a cat with nine lives. But has his luck, and his lives, run out this time? Many heart-stopping and moving moments, as the adventure takes us from Cornwall to South Africa to Madrid.

Even though I enjoyed the book, I found it lacking in some of the really addictive thrilling moments of the first 2 books in the series. The part in Madrid is a little over-long and laborious, but other than that, it's exactly what you'd expect from an Itchingham Lofte adventure!

My School Musical and Other Punishments by Catherine Wilkins

(Review by Megan :D)

This is the third book in the series from the hilarious Catherine Wilkins, who still doesn't seem to disappoint!

It is the next term in 'Hellfern' Juniors and it's SHOWTIME! Jessica is in her dream spot as head of set design for the school musical and has got brilliant ideas for the comic, but it's too good to be true. Harriet VanDerk is being a bigger nuisance than usual and messing up set design, her friends are too busy being wrapped up in the production to care for the comic and meeting up AND Jessica's Dad has gone to live up a tree. Fantastic.

Another five star knock-out; I absolutely loved this book. Funny, entertaining and very realistic! Would definitely recommend to 9-12 yr-olds as a gob-smacking read!

Close to the Wind by Jon Walter

Close to the Wind
by Jon Walter

Malik and his grandfather (Papa) are trying to flee their war-torn home country. They plan to catch the next boat out to a safer place as refugees. They hide in an abandoned house but soon have company. What takes place during that night will affect Malik's and Papa's future.

A wonderful story of escape and adventure, seen through the eyes of an innocent young boy. New friendships and a new life beckon, but will Malik be able to let go of the past?

This is a lovely story told in a very simple way, reminiscent I think of John Boyne and Sarah Moore Fitzgerald. The story is split into 3 parts, my favourites being part 2 which takes place on the boat and part 3 where Malik discovers what his new life is going to entail.

Recommended for 9-12yr olds.

Dream on Amber by Emma Shevah

Dream on Amber
by Emma Shevah
(Review by Megan, 11)

Amber is half Italian and half Japanese, so starting a new school and getting annoying texts from a-bit-too-eager-friends is just something she'll just have to get used to. As if her name isn't bad enough: AMBRA ALESSANDRA LEOLA KIMIKO MIYAMOTO.
When Amber (the English version of her name) reaches the point of total devastation and annoyance, she desperately needs someone to talk to. Due to her father leaving when she was only a baby, Amber uses her art and imagination skills to conjure up an EPIC replacement Dad to help her through the first year of secondary school.

A fantastic read for 10-12 year olds. Emma Shevah sure does know how to amaze! Blew me away, one of the best :) 

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

Murder Most Unladylike
by Robin Stevens

The year is 1934. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are both pupils at Deepdean School for Girls, Daisy being rather clever, but also clever enough to cover it up (no-one likes a swot), and Hazel is Chinese and looks up to Daisy because of her cleverness. They set up a detective agency, with Daisy as Sherlock and Hazel as the long-suffering Watson. They soon get a juicy case to get their teeth stuck into - one of the mistresses at the school is found dead - by Hazel herself. The only problem is, by the time it takes Hazel to run and get Daisy and return to the scene of the crime, the body has disappeared. Seeing as no-one else would believe them, they start investigations on their own. As another death occurs, they soon discover that they it could be they themselves next on the list of murder victims. They must move swiftly to capture the murderer before it's too late.

The suspense is held throughout, but also with a dash of humour on each page. The sense of bullyishness of the girl pupils, the strictness of the mistresses, the no-nonsense approach of all-girls schools in the 30's are all included. Daisy is friends with Hazel, but with a bit of a mean streak - she grabs her just that little bit too tightly, enough to leave a mark, she calls her an idiot, she swiftly dismisses any logical thoughts Hazel may have on the case if they do not coincide with her own. But Hazel puts on her stiff upper lip, bears it all and is determined to prove herself.

A great, funny murder-mystery - think Enid Blyton with more mischief and wickedness!

One Wish by Michelle Harrison

One Wish
by Michelle Harrison

Michelle Harrison is the award winning author of The 13 Treasures trilogy. This book, One Wish, is the prequel to that trilogy. Now I haven't read The 13 Treasures, so I came to this book blind - it was brilliant! It's one of those books which you have to keep reading, you're drawn from one chapter straight into the next by the excitement, adventure and drama of the storytelling. I must admit, I didn't read The 13 Treasures when I heard it was about fairies, but I've definitely missed out there, if this book is anything to go by.

Tanya goes to stay in a holiday cottage with her mother, but as soon as they go in, Tanya starts to hear voices from under the floorboards, voices only she can hear, as she has the second sight - the ability to see and hear fairies. Now these fairies are not the type you are probably picturing right this moment. They come in all forms and shapes and sizes, and some are good, some are bad. Tanya gets to meet fairies in all of these forms during her unexpectedly eventful holiday. There are kidnappings, magic spells, near drownings, wishing trees, visits to other worlds - the story is absolutely action packed, and I highly recommend it!

Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler

Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins?
by Liz Kessler

I've met Liz Kessler a couple of times. She lives locally and has done a couple of events in our bookshop. She is brilliant with the kids, and is also a lovely lady. It's a good all-round warm fuzzy feeling when you love her books too. I guess Liz is most famous for her Emily Windsnap series - my 11-yr-old daughter loves them (I must admit I haven't read them myself). My favourites are the standalone novels - A Year Without Autumn, North of Nowhere (both being time-slip adventures), and now this one.

Jessica Jenkins is in class one day, daydreaming, staring out the window, her mind floating away, when she is brought back to earth by two things - her friend, Izzy, prodding her and giving her a funny look, and the teacher yelling at her. Izzy later reveals the reason for the funny look - Jessica's elbow was disappearing. She was slowly turning invisible. Thus begins a great adventure involving crystals, serum, labs, superpowers, break-ins, kidnaps, rescues, and friends pulling together in a crisis.

I think the cover is brilliant - it will really get the children and parents picking it up to read the back, so I hope the publisher's keep it for the retail copy. Each of the chapter headings have really detailed little drawings around them, which describe what happens in that chapter. Once I'd finished each chapter, I'd go back and look at the drawings and think to myself 'Oh yeah, there's that cat', and 'there's that crystal'. Very clever.

Another successful, very readable and enjoyable adventure story from the very talented Liz Kessler.

The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech

The Boy on the Porch
by Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech writes what I could only describe as 'magical' tales (she's written 16 in all). I just loved The Great Unexpected. The Boy on the Porch continues her beautiful heartwarming style, but this one was very simple and, well, short. I still absolutely loved it though, but was glad I only paid 99p for the e-book I read it so quickly!

Married couple Marta and John find a boy asleep on their porch. He has a note "Plees taik kair of Jacob. He is a god good boy. Wil be bak wen we can." Jacob does not speak, but he communicates by tapping and nodding and smiling. Marta and John dutifully take care of him over the next few weeks, wondering who left him there and when they will come back. They grow to love him, and the boy seems to flourish in their company. He reveals many talents - art, music, a love of the animals on their farm, but his biggest talent being spreading happiness and filling their house with joy and love. Then the day comes that Marta and John have grown to dread. A man appears saying he is the boy's father and wants him back. Will the couple be able to hand over Jacob, and how will they able to fill the huge void that will be left in their home without him.

A wonderful story of the innocence of a child, the love and happiness they can bring, and how having a child can be the most enriching experience in one's life. You will cry.

A Boy Called Hope by Lara Williamson

A Boy Called Hope
by Lara Williamson

This book was such a scream, I had a smile on my face nearly all the way through and chuckled out loud in a few places. But beware the last chapter - there's a bit of a bombshell and it's so sad it'll have you weeping. What a rollercoaster of emotions in just a few pages!

The boy called Hope is Daniel Hope who lives with his sister Grace, his mum and her boyfriend Big Dave. Daniel's dad left when he was about 4 and since then he hasn't heard anything from him, not even a birthday card. But then he and his sister see him on the local news - as a presenter. Daniel finds out where he lives and begins to formulate a plan to meet with him and finally have his dad back. Unfortunately the best laid plans often go awry, but Dan has his friends and family around to help him through.

The book is full of great characters - the awful older sister Ninja Grace, the school friend Christopher who has secrets of his own, the best friend Jo who has a love of all things saintly, and the family dog Charles Scallybones who eats and sicks up again just about everything. A great read, highly recommended for readers aged 9-12.

Knightley & Son by Rohan Gavin

Knightley & Son
by Rohan Gavin

Hot off my reading The Ultimate Truth by Kevin Brooks, comes the first in another detective drama series for 10-12yr olds, but this one has a different feel to it, slightly younger, more comical. It feels like you're reading about the mind of a young Sherlock Holmes - thoughtful, pragmatic, sensible.

Darkus Knightley's father, a private investigator of all things unexplained, has been in a coma for four years. When he suddenly wakes uttering non-sensical words, Darkus works with him to piece together clues that may link that case to one that is affecting his own family. The mysterious bestselling book 'The Code' seems to be having an ill-effect on some of those that read it. What is 'The Code', and who are the people calling themselves 'The Combination'? The eccentric tweed-wearing father and son duo put their clever and intuitive brains together to unlock the mystery.

A Room Full of Chocolate by Jane Elson

A Room Full of Chocolate
by Jane Elson

I must admit, after reading the very first line in this book, I rolled my eyes and thought 'Oh no, not another one'. The line reads "Mum found a lump under her arm on my tenth birthday". I have read many books this year about family members ill, dying or dead and I thought I was going to have another following the same form. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I read this book in a day and quite enjoyed it. Grace, the aforementioned 10-yr-old, is sent to live with her granddad on a farm while her mum is treated in hospital for cancer. There, she meets the very colourful Megan, and they become best of friends. But Grace misses her mum, so Megan helps her plan a way of seeing her again.

Parts of the story reminded me of The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters, which is also set on a farm, and which my daughter and I both loved.

A strong exciting debut from a new author.

Stay Where You Are, & Then Leave by John Boyne

Stay Where You Are & Then Leave
by John Boyne

We'll probably see an abundance of stories and biographies set during the First World War over the next year, as of course 2014 marks its centenary. Add to that the fact that there are many war stories for children on the market already. They can learn so much more by reading these books than I ever did in my boring History lessons at school. There is War Horse by Michael Morpurgo, Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, Soldier Dog by Sam Angus, The Silver Donkey by Sonya Hartnett, and many others. Including this one.

I love John Boyne's writing. He writes both for adults and children. You'll probably have heard of his most famous - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, which was turned into a film. 'Stay Where You Are & Then Leave' is about Alfie. On Alfie's 5th birthday, his dad signs up to fight in the First World War. His last memory of him is seeing him stride proudly into their living room in full uniform, and his mother and grandmother bursting into tears and running out the room. His mother lets him read the letters his father sends back, but after a while she begins to hide them away from him, and after that the letters seem to stop altogether. Alfie's mother tells him his father is on a secret mission and is not allowed to get in touch with them. Alfie thinks this is code for his father is dead. But then he accidentally stumbles across some information which makes it apparent his mother is holding an even bigger secret from him about his father.

This is a touching book about the innocence of a young boy trying to understand the horrors of war, about conscription, of conscientious objectors and white feathers, and of mental illnesses caused by the war which were not taken seriously during that period. A wonderful, educational read.

Look out for my next review on another book about the First World War - 'When the Guns Fall Silent'.

Dandelion Clocks by Rebecca Westcott

Dandelion Clocks
by Rebecca Westcott

Olivia and her autistic brother, Isaac, live with their mum and dad. They live a normal life. Olivia has her best friend Alice, and a boy at school she fancies, Ben. She loves photography and likes to capture everyday moments. Suddenly though they are not a normal family, and there are no normal everyday moments. Her mum falls seriously ill, and even though the word is not mentioned in the book, we deduce it is cancer. Olivia struggles to come to terms with the illness, and the fact that soon her mother will no longer be around. It is not made easier with Isaac and his inability to understand emotions in other people and himself. How will Olivia turn denial into acceptance?

This is a very moving book, but it would be good to recommend to young ones in a similar situation, or suffering from a recent bereavement and finding it hard to understand the turmoil of emotions they are going through.

Suitable for around age 10/11.