Picture Me Gone
by Meg Rosoff
Meg Rosoff is one of my many favourite authors. One of her books 'How I Live Now' is soon to be a film (out 27th September 2013). My personal favourites are 'What I Was' and 'Just in Case'. Until now. 'Picture Me Gone' is about 12-yr-old Mila, who sets out on a trip to America with her father to try to find his friend, Matthew, who left the family home one day and didn't return, leaving his wife, baby son, and dog behind. Mila uses her special gift of being able to 'read' people - their thoughts, feelings and memories - to try to solve the mystery. What she uncovers are friendships, secrets, lies, tragedy, and a situation that is just too incomprehensible for a 12-yr-old girl.
I was drawn into this book immediately - I knew by the second chapter that this would be my favourite. I nearly cried when I read how sad Honey the dog was, how she was disliked by Suzanne the wife, how she missed her master - "loneliness flows off her in waves"..."this is not a happy house". Thankfully Mila and her father take Honey with them on the search for Matthew which is a relief for us all.
This is a fantastic book of discovery. Mila is a very mature young girl - perhaps being an only child has helped her understand the intricacies of adult relationships and behaviour, which also helps her piece together the mystery.
Meg has the brilliant ability of capturing and describing every emotion, every subtle bit of body language, every part of a conversation, so you can vividly imagine each and every character she introduces into the story. I loved loved loved it.
The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket
by John Boyne
Barnaby was born with a peculiar ability - to float! His parents were understandably shocked at this, but being normal people with normal lives and normal other children, they were angry with Barnaby for not being normal. They take drastic action. They cut a hole in the sandbags that Barnaby wears to keep him on the ground, and off he floats. One adventure after another comes his way, often starting out badly, but he always encounters people who, like hime, have been cast aside by their family for not being normal. Regardless of the terrible thing his parents have done to him, Barnaby still loves them and aches to return home. But when his wish comes true and it is discovered he may be able to be cured of his peculiar ability, he starts to wonder whether it is better to be yourself than something someone else wants you to be.
A beautiful and heartbreaking story of what 'being normal' actually means.
The Falcon Chronicles: Tiger Wars
by Steve Backshall
This was brilliant! The precis on the inside cover doesn't do it justice. The storyline revolves around animals and places Steve knows much about, and his love for them shines through in his wonderfully descriptive writing.
Set in India, Saker is part of 'The Clan', a group of boys who have been unwittingly brought up being trained as hunter warriors, of both men and animals. If they show signs of wavering from their duty or questioning the reasoning, they are either drugged or they simply 'disappear'. Saker was on a mission to supply live tigers for a big client, who would then make millions out of the pelts and body parts. He escapes during the mission, but unavoidably has to take Sinter, the daughter of a wealthy tea plantation owner, as hostage. However, the two soon realise they have a lot in common when it comes to the protection of endangered wild animals, and they follow the trail of two tiger cubs to track down the evil mastermind. Their journey takes them through India, across the border to China and through the Himalayas to Tibet, with a surprise awaiting Sinter.
Journey to the River Sea
by Eva Ibbotson
A lovely story which transports you to the Amazon, and you can just visualize the sights and sounds of the river creatures and jungle animals. Maia's parents have died and she boards at a girls school in England. Distant cousins of her parents offer to look after her, and to Maia's delight she finds that they live in the Amazon right on the river. However, delight turns to dismay when she discovers just how awful they all are. Her only allies are Miss Minton her governess, Finn an aristocrat-born jungle boy, and Clovis a travelling young actor. Adventures and disasters befall Maia in this beautifully told book.
