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In the small town of Clonbridge, a gate has opened, a gate to another world, letting the Fairies in. Some of the Fairies don't mean much harm, maybe a little mischief, but other Fairies have nefarious goals in mind. For eleven year old Cat, the Fairies are stories passed down by her grandmother, she finds it impossible to believe that actual Fairies have come to Clonbridge. But her world comes tumbling down around her when her baby brother Mikey is kidnapped, along with the sister of Shane, another boy in her town whom Cat has had a falling out. Even worse, her grandmother falls ill & Cat is convinced it has something to do with the Fairies. Now, Cat & Shane must put their differences aside and work together in order to save their family. The problem is, Fairies are not only devilish and cruel, they are cunning tricksters. Cat, using her Book of Secrets, her wits and some unlikely alliances, seeks to secure safe passage to the Fairies' domain and bring back the missing children. On the way her and Shane meet some truly terrifying and strange characters thanks to Alex Dunne's brilliant writing. As a librarian, I'm constantly trying to put books into the hands of students that will keep them engaged and ignite their imagination, this is one of those books. Loaded with Irish folklore, it has a myriad of mythical creatures, all with their own peculiarities and eccentricities. Readers will be lost in the gorgeous, odd and frankly scary world of these beings. In our school, the world of games like Dungeons & Dragons is massively popular. I can see where these games like this have taken inspiration from the creatures of Irish folklore, creatures that Alex Dunne has beautifully brought to life. I recommend The Book of Secrets for ages 9+, school librarians looking for the next great adventure story do not need to look any further! I'm very excited to be a part of the Ogress & The Orphans blog tour this March! Kelly Barnhill is a master storyteller that will hook you in from word one. After a devastating blaze destroys the library in the picturesque town of Stone-in-the-Glen, everyone is up in arms but nobody knows who to blame, really. Fear and paranoia began to creep into this once welcoming and trustful place. Now, outsiders aren't as welcome as they used to be. When a kind-hearted Ogress takes up residence in an abandoned house near the edge of Stone-On-Glen, people become even more suspicious. Who is this creature? What do they want? The only residents who appear to be empathetic at all towards the Ogress is a group of orphans who have themselves experienced discrimination throughout their lives. It's a sad yet truthful reflection of our society as a whole, how the seeds of fear can grow into outright mistrust and hate. To purchase a copy click on the link below! https://smarturl.it/OgressandtheOrphans It's a wonderful story that should be on everyone's shelves, thank you Piccadilly Press for offering me the chance to read it! Maggie doesn't feel like she fits in to this world. She lives with her aunt Esme, an eccentric person with even more eccentric friends. Maggie's only friend is the grumpy cat Hoagy, a stray who lazes around her house and many others on the street. Maggie is being bullied by a girl named Ida at her school. However one day she sees Ida being led away into a field near her school by a teacher. Alarmed, Maggie follows them and discovers that not only has the teacher transformed into a hideous wolf-like creature, she has made Ida disappear. Despite her revulsion for Ida, Maggie also feels a strange, unavoidable connection with her. Maggie vows to travel to this world and save her. What follows is a strange, beautiful tale of wondrous creatures and terrifying monsters. I've never really read a book like this, it's dreamy and odd yet razor sharp and terrifying all rolled into one. It's the Neverending Story and Spirited Away and Coraline all rolled into one amazing story. If you have fans of manga, fans of headstrong, flawed characters, witty and brave sidekicks and truly gut-wrenching monsters then this is the one for you. I can't recommend it enough, it's the perfect read for ages 12+. Knight Sir Louis is a hilarious romp through a seriously strange land. With his trusted steed, a mechanical Sir Clunkalot and his magical sword, which has a face and is called Dave and can trap things in its reflection, he sets out to become the bravest knight in the land. With dastardly villains like the Stripey Knight and Bazook Harry and unlikely allies like Mr. Catalogue, Knight Sir Louis is on an adventure of a lifetime. This story is perfect for ages 7+ and begs to be read aloud with silly voices, it's very, very funny. If you're like me and unexpectedly fell in love with the Mr. Gum stories, then you should add this to your bookshelves, your students and your own children will love it! Effie feels alone and invisible in her school. Her teachers don't seem to like her and she's always bumped into, ignored and called a nerd behind her back. One day she discovers a school for ghosts in the woods near her human school. Despite warnings, the other ghosts take her in and she starts to learn the ways that the ghosts can control lost spirits. It's all fun for Effie and very exciting until she's asked by her new ghost friends to track down an actual lost spirit, one that proves to be quite dangerous. Effie now has to prove to her new friends that she deserves to be in the ghost school and that she's got special powers like the others. It's a great story about believing in yourself and finding your true friends. It's also an important story about bullying and how easy it is to fall into the trap of not only being bullied but becoming one yourself. Great comic for fans of ghosts and good storytelling for ages 9+ In Aster's world, all the girls get trained to be witches while the boys get trained to be shape shifters. However, Aster knows in his heart that he's destined to be a witch. He doesn't fit in with the boys and has no real friends because the girls are told to exclude him from their studies. He's lost, confused and angry at everyone's rigid reaction to his passion for studying witchcraft. Despite this, he starts to learn it in secret, breaking a long tradition that can land him in serious trouble. However, when one of the boys goes missing, a horrible disturbance in the balance of order is sensed by the elders. An old foe has reared its head and returned to their land and Aster just might have the goods to help out this time. I really loved Witch Boy, it's beautifully told with a great cast of characters. Aster is a boy struggling with his identity, where does he fit in, he's not a jock or a shape shifter like most of the boys in his community.His parents and cousins don't understand him, he just doesn't seem to belong anywhere. It's a great story because it's made clear that it's not Aster's fault, he does fit in, it's those with the power around him that fail to see his potential. On top of that message it's a great fantasy adventure with a genuinely creepy threat. I highly recommend this comic and its sequels for ages 10+ Willow loves exploring the woods outside of her house, it's where she and her mother did tons of exploring. One day, Willow gets into a huge fight with her sister and runs away with her dog. While she's in the woods, she runs into Pilu, a wood spirit who has also lost her way. Willow realises that Pilu's home is the same grove that she and her mother used to visit all the time. However, danger is lurking in the woods and Willow must overcome her own fears to help her new friends. This is a heartwarming comic book for fans of all ages. Anyone who has ever loved My Neighbour Totoro will really adore this. Can't recommend it enough! Best friends Hark and Jelt live on a series of islands known as Myriad. They are scavengers, hustlers, two people trying to survive and get by the best they can using their wits. Then one night, one of their plans goes awry and Hark is arrested. Sold in the island's auction, he is given a three year term serving the mysterious and eccentric Dr. Vyne, a scientist who works on a spit of land called where The Sanctuary resides. The Sanctuary is a place where retired priests go to live their lasts days. It's here that Hark hears of stories of the underwater gods, the terror that they wrought upon the land and the mysteries surrounding them. When Jelt returns out of the blue, he pressures Hark to get involved in a scheme to lay their hands on some priceless material, godware, the stuff left over from the gods' reign around the islands. Hark refuses at first, but Jelt has a way with words, and he is soon plunged into a nightmare adventure that will test his physical and mental strength like never before. Nobody really creates worlds as beautifully as Frances Hardinge, Deeplight is steeped in an edgy, dark world that borders close to horror (has anyone seen the film Annihilation?) but stays true to its core in my opinion, a story about friendship, loyalty and even toxic relationships. Harks devotion to not only Jelt (and what Jelt will become) but also the priests like Quest and even Dr. Vyne to a certain degree tells me that deep down it's a tale about wanting to find something to belong to. Deeplight is a story that covers a lot, but it does not feel cumbersome at all, it's full of undersea adventure, mystery, horror and suspense. It's a really ambitious novel that is beautiful in its scope, recommended for ages 13+. Agatha is a Hawk, someone who protects her clan in the mythical land of Scotia. She loves her job, she patrols the wall looking for the enemy. However, Agatha is made fun of by others in her clan and some see her as an annoyance, since she has a learning disability that makes her stand out from the others. Jamie is training to be an angler even though he is scared to death of the water. He's also been chosen to marry a girl he's never met, someone from another clan. This is a big deal because their clan hasn't allowed marriage in a long, long time. On the big day, treachery descends upon the clan and Agatha and Jamie find themselves hunting a deadly group of bandits in order to find their loved ones. Along the way they discover deadly wild wolves, mysterious Highland bull riders, a mad Queen, shadow monsters and many more intriguing characters. It will take all of their nerve and bravery to find their loved ones, the odds are high, but their determination is higher. I loved the Good Hawk, I can hear Agatha's voice in many of the students I interact with. She is kind, loyal yet naive of the world and its often brutal ways. Jamie is patient, caring and courageous even though he wouldn't consider himself any of those things. The Good Hawk is a novel that you'll want to live in for a long time. Heartbreaking and engaging, I know it'll be a hit with our students. It's an absolute thrill ride from beginning to end. Expertly written, you'll be clambering for the sequel. |
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