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.
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!
The Name of this Book is Secret
by Pseudonymous Bosch
Cass's 'grandparents' are antique dealers. They are paid a regular visit by Gloria, an estate agent, who comes with boxes of items left in old houses up for sale. One day, the box she brings has intriguing items that used to belong to a magician, now missing, presumed dead. One item is a box containing many vials, named the Symphony of Smells. Thus begins a magical adventure full of drama and suspense for Cass and her schoolfriend Max-Ernest. They find out sinister information about Ms Mauvais and Dr L., and discover that they themselves have something these two baddies desperately want.
With lots of humour, this is a good start of a series for 9-10yr olds.
The Grimm Legacy
by Polly Shulman
Elizabeth writes a project for school on the Brothers Grimm, and as a result gets a good mark and a job in The New York Circulating Material Repository - a lending library for all things historical, fantastical and magical, the most magical being the Grimm Collection. It contains items such as the magic mirror from Snow White, the spindle from Sleeping Beauty, and all the shoes of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. When these important items start to go missing, Elizabeth and her friends from the Repository go out to find the culprit, using anything magical to help them.
Hard to pin down an age group for this - first I thought 9-10, then there was lots of kissing which increased it to an 11! Bit of a weak ending after a good adventurous story, but I still enjoyed it.
Small Change for Stuart
by Lissa Evans
Stuart's mother is a scientist, his father a crossword compiler (he always uses very long words when a short one would be more understandable). More importantly, his great uncle Tony used to be a magician -that is, until he mysteriously disappeared 50 years ago. Stuart finds a secret message from his great-uncle implying there is a warehouse full of his magic implements hidden somewhere. Stuart and also Alice, one of the annoying neighbouring triplets, try to solve the puzzle of the missing uncle and his warehouse.
A fab story for 8+. The follow up is called Big Change for Stuart. If you like this, also read The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch (reviewed below).
