Louis has never had luck with pets, they all seem to croak after a little while. When his father brings home a sick, baby donkey, he's determined to nurse it back to health. Everyone around Louis tells him constantly not to get attached to the donkey, that it won't survive. Louie decides to name it Winslow and despite it's constant braying and barking, loves it more than anything else. What follows is a heart warming tale about friendship, loyalty and standing up for what you believe in. Louie's bond with Winslow is very touching and reminiscent of Charlotte's Web and many other great novels with animal connections. I recommend this story for ages 8+, a short, sweet novel with a lot of heart.
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Cosmo is a golden retriever, hisbest friend is Max. The trouble is, Max's parent's fight constantly. They fight so much that Max often covers his ears or buries his head in Cosmo's fur so he can soften the blow of the voices that echo beyond the door every day. When Max discovers a dog based competition in his hometown, he enrols himself and Cosmo in it. Cosmo takes part despite his aching bones and pain in his hips and legs. Desperate to help Max, Cosmo tries his best to make it all work, to do his best and help bring his family together. Written from Cosmo's perspective, this beautiful novel is often funny, touching and sad all rolled into one. Cosmo is such an endearing character, he's someone you want to follow along for a very long time. Max's situation at home will strike a nerve with anyone battling domestic issues, students will especially find comfort in how Max and Cosmo navigate this treacherous world. I loved Cosmo and you and your children or students will too, check it out today! Makepeace is 12 years old and has the ability to harbour ghosts within her body. The problem is, she doesn't know it. It's a secret her mother has been keeping from her throughout her life. When she's separated from her mother, she inadvertently inherits the spirit of a recently deceased bear. It is wild and angry, hungry and confused and it's in her brain and trying to control her body. After a series of devastating events, Makepeace is sent to live with her father's ancestors. They are a strange group of people who have secret powers. They see Makepeace as a troublesome girl with only one use, a use that won't be revealed to Makepeace until much later therefore I won't spoil it here. What Makepeace does know is that she needs to escape the clutches of these people. What follows is an epic adventure where Makepeace must befriend ghosts and those of the living whom she doesn't really trust. The country is engaged in a civil war, it's the 17th century and Makepeace must gather every ally she can if she is going to survive. I really loved this novel, there are multiple plot twists and side adventures to keep readers of fantasy fiction with some history thrown in engaged for hours. Makepeace and Bear are an unlikely yet amazing duo, and with each turn for the weird, I was on board. You'll really fall in love with Makepeace and be rooting for her every step of the way, she is defiant, brave, clever and cunning, yet she is honest and honourable throughout. The villains in this tale are many, and they are truly evil and disturbing. Makepeace's father's ancestors are about as dastardly and dark as they get, they have harnessed a power that has made them mad-drunk and desperate at the same time. They will stop at nothing to secure their name in the history books, this makes them very dangerous, as many characters in the novel find out the hard way. Another triumph from Frances Hardinge, I really recommend it! All Alastair wants is to escape. He wants to be free of the pet shop he's stuck in and fly away with his sister Aggie. Alastair was born in the pet shop, in the back with some other animals. He knows there's more to life outside the front door but he's never seen it. His days are spent plotting different ways to get out. When Aggie is purchased by a 12 year old bit named Fritz, Alastair spirits fall. It's a heart breaking scenario that is very powerfully written. Fritz wants to be a doctor, and we see his perspective through his medical journal where he tracks his own ailments. Fritz is a really unique and loveable character that brings a funny and interesting voice to the novel. Alastair is soon adopted by the eccentric Mrs. Plopky and he finds a glimmer of hope in finding his sister and having a life together. Along the way he discovers he loves poetry and chewing the pages of great classic works. Again, it's another very unique look at an animals' voice in a novel that hasn't really been done before. Mrs. Plopky is another heart warming yet gut wrenching character in that she writes letters to her now deceased husband. She's a lonely character who hasn't lost her fight and you know there are scores of people out there like her, looking for a friend to keep the darkness at bay. Together all of the characters make a truly great novel that I'd recommend for ages 10 and up. It's funny yet carries with it a kind of heaviness and melancholy that made you need to know what happened to these characters. Don't miss it! One thing Tomas enjoys doing is gardening with his grandfather. When he discovers a weird looking tree, he almost gets rid of it but decides at the last moment to keep it. He takes the even weirder looking fruit from the tree and brings it into his house. Something about it tells Tomas that it's special but he can't figure out what. He gets a huge shock when the fruit bursts open and a dragon flies out. Tomas names it Flicker and tries his best to hide it from his family and friends. The problem is, Flicker does things like set fire to almost everything and poops everywhere. To make matters even stranger, Tomas finds that more and more dragonfruit are growing from the tree. He is officially growing dragons, but can he keep his secret for long? The Boy Who Grew Dragons is a very touching tale about friendship, standing up for yourself and much more. It's full of great laughs (exploding poo, toothbrushes that have been burnt by dragon fire) and sinister villains. Tomas' neighbour is a mean, grumpy man that doesn't like Tomas or his grandfather. You can see where this is going, and it's pretty great. The illustrations in this novel are amazing. It's the first in a series which I highly recommend for anyone 9 and up! When Kat Wolfe and her veterinarian mum move to the Jurassic Coast from London, they feel like they've landed in paradise. Kat's mum has her own vet service and Kat starts a pet-sitting business. However, when Kat suspects that one of her clients may have been kidnapped, or even worse, murdered, she begins to peel away the thin veneer of peace and tranquillity that resides in Bluebell Bay. With a small handful of friends, both human and animal, Kat uncovers a conspiracy that leads all the way to the highest echelons of the UK government. Is she right? Is there a dark shadow descending upon the small village at Bluebell Bay, or is it all in her mind? As the connections become clearer, Kat must do everything in her power to convince the adults in charge that something sinister is lurking behind the manicured grass and windswept fields on the cliffs. Kat Wolf Investigates is a great mystery adventure for ages 10 and up. Students will love Kat's rebellious yet loyal character. The village itself is full of prime suspects, quirky personalities and oddballs, creating a story that is fast paced, funny and interesting. I really loved this novel and I know a large group of students at the Library I manage who will love it even more! It's 1944 and Jakob is hiding from the Nazis in a horse stable in Austria. When they come to investigate the possibility that Jakob's guardian is harbouring a Jewish boy, the SS officer is angered that he can't locate him. To compensate, he shoots and kills one of the guardian's acclaimed Lipizzaner horses. Fearing they will return, Jakob and his guardian escape in the night with the remaining horses. Their goal is to reach a village across the mountains where they feel it will be safer. Along the way they meet Kizzy, a Roma who has her own tragic story to tell. Kizzy is an adept rider and great at hunting and fishing and makes a valuable companion. To reach safety, the trio must enter Nazi held territory and areas crawling with Nazi sympathisers. To make matters worse, they aren't even sure what will be waiting for them on the other side of the mountains. Flight is a harrowing tale of survival, cunning and adventure. Jakob and Kizzy make a great pair as they try to outwit and out-manoeuver the many threats to their safety. When Jakob's guardian becomes seriously injured, the hope of saving the horses becomes even smaller. It's a story of desperation and grit that any 10 year old will love. Fans of WWII, horses and friendship will really sink their teeth into it! Alberto and his family live in the tiny seaside village of Allora. Everyone knows everyone else's business and it's so stormy all the time that that the sea tosses fish up onto the land for people to pick up and take home for dinner. When a horrible plague claims Alberto's wife and three children, he's left alone to carry on his business which ironically is coffin making. About to give up on life, he's suddenly visited by a mysterious young boy and his pet bird. After gaining his trust, he learns that the boy's name is Tito and that he's running from a terrible secret. Alberto soon becomes a father figure to Tito. Together they try to survive the weather, the town's prying eyes and the secret that Tito is running from. The Boy, The Bird and the Coffin Maker is a wonderful story about loss, friendship with a little bit of magic thrown in. It has a fantastic group of villains and heroes and a cozy setting you want to get lost in. If you love The Girl of Ink & Stars by Kiran Hargrave or Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone you'll love this novel! Recommended for ages 9 and up! Ruby's dad wakes her up in the middle of the night and tells her they need to leave their home. Along with her grandma, they make a hasty escape from Australia to India aboard a cruise ship. Confused and frightened, Ruby has no choice but to go along with her father. Her mother died 18 months ago and has left the family in a shattered state. Ruby is afraid of darkness and often has terrible flashbacks of the day her mother died. Upon their arrival in India, Ruby's dad begins to renovate an abandoned hotel in the hopes to get it up and running. The village thinks the hotel and the surrounding area is cursed, however. Ruby doesn't know what to believe, she does know that strange things seem to be happening all around her. When two men appear claiming to be friends of her father and part owners of the soon-to-be hotel, Ruby becomes suspicious of their behaviour. They keep a mysterious cabin in the jungle locked at all times and after Ruby discovers a tin full of what look to be animal claws, she wonders if they are really interested in the hotel or something more sinister. With the help of her human friend Praveen and her animal friends Joey and Polly, Ruby is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her father, the curse and the two strange men. The description of the jungle and the creatures both big and small are great, you can tell that Butterworth has experienced these animals herself or knows a lot about them. Ruby is a strong, intelligent character who doesn't let people push her around. She makes up her own mind and uses her surrounding to gather clues. Part adventure story, part mystery with a good moral behind it, When The Mountains Roared is a hugely successful followup to Butterworth's amazing Running on the Roof of the World. Highly recommended for ages 9 and up! |
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