-Cora has a dilemma, her brother works for a state of the art company called Pomegranate, what they do there is mysterious yet intriguing. Cora's father isn't very impressed with Pomegranate or anything they do. However, when Cora strikes up an unlikely friendship with the CEO of the company, her life becomes confusing and complicated. Torn between her friendship and what she thinks is right, Cora becomes entangled in a mysterious web of lies and misdirection. A truly stunning new novel featuring a neuro-divergent protagonist and a whole slew of interesting, deep characters. A near-future pre-dystopia with a power punch of a message. I loved it, and you will too. It's the perfect read for ages 11+. It's vital that books that represent neuro-diverse students are in our libraries and bookshops, for too long their voices haven't been heard, this a book that demands to be heard. Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll is out now, published by Knights Of. If you’d like to join her for the official launch event with Jen Campbell on 10th March, tickets are available at www.blackwells.co.uk/bookshops/events/.
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Freddy is a robot which is awesome, most of the time. When he's at school he's not allowed to use his amazing super abilities and show of his mind blowing technology. It's a rule handed down by his headteacher. This doesn't stop Freddy from using his powers to impress people around him, anyway. When his school introduces a three strike rule based solely around Freddy's abilities, with expulsion as the punishment, Freddy finds himself in a battle with his own mind and with the pressures from those around him. Freddy Vs. School is hilarious, I truly did laugh out loud as I read through it. The illustrations do a great job of driving home the jokes and making the story rocket-boost its way off the page. Any fan of Wimpy Kid will want this story on their shelves immediately. I really loved Freddy's friends, Anisha and Fernando and his exhausted headteacher Mr. Javid and of course the school bully Henrik, who, like all good villains, is hiding another side of him. It's filled with some really sharp comedy and a lot of heart. If you have a child ages 9+ looking for a great laugh, you don't need to look much further. 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+. What lengths are you willing to go to in order to see a lost loved one again? Jamal and Quincy are inseparable friends, it's like they share a brain. They love comedy, too, they make their own videos and even start to gather a following. Then they have a falling out after Jamal experiences unspeakable grief. One night, at a party, Jamal and Q try to hash things out but it doesn't go to plan and they end up at each other's throat again. That's when another tragedy occurs, Q drowns and Jamal is unable to save him. Rushed to the hospital, Q's mother and Jamal are told something extraordinary. What if the technology existed to bring Q back, for just a little while. It hits them like a sledgehammer. What if they could see Q again, he'd be his same old self, he wouldn't have a memory of the accident, but Jamal and Q's mother, and only them, would know that Q would die again quite soon. Forever Ends On Friday poses a question that many of us who have experienced loss crave, just another day or two with those we loved, but would you actually do it if you had the chance? This is a novel of profound loss, friendship, heartache and laughter. It's a book that will stay with you long after reading it. Q and Jamal's friendship is burned deep into the pages of this book, it's as authentic as any YA friendship I've read in a long time. Each character is complex and real and lives a full life within this novel. It's a story that's full of laughs, too, their comedic timing is perfect, this should be on every librarian's shelf, a unique YA novel that deserves a lot of attention. Ages 14+. Mina travels to New Orleans from the UK to visit her sister. Their relationship has been strained, to say the least. Mina is a walking horror film encyclopedia, so when she lands a position a horror movie mansion, scaring tourists who pay to see their favourite scenes reenacted, it's like a dream come true. Even better, she meets Jared, her sister's roommate whom she starts to develop feelings for. Then the murders start happening. Not only murders, but bizarre ones that eerily resemble vampire killings and New Orleans' most brutal murders from the past. Someone is out there, trying to frame them, trying to kill them, and it's up to Mina and her new friends to put a stop to it once and for all. Mina Vs The Undead is a sharp YA horror chalk full of great '90s references. It contains tight twists and a great cast of characters. It is clear that a lot of research on New Orleans and its colourful and often dark history has been conducted here. At the high school library I manage, students are always clamouring for great horror and I can't wait to get this into their hands! Recommended for ages 14+ Sami is a typical teen, he like to play football with his friends and relax on the Playstation. When a bomb destroys a mall near his home in Syria, it's the final straw for his parents. They make the fateful decision to try and make the voyage to the UK. What follows is a harrowing trip with Turkish smugglers, deadly sea trips and eventually an immigration prison. Along the way Sami witnesses extreme poverty, racism, madness but also hope and generosity. Boy, Everywhere should be required reading in secondary schools. It hits with a tidal wave like force, bringing the plight of refugees to the forefront in a nuanced way that is subtle and shocking at the same time. Sami, dealing with not only the physical dangers of being a refugee, also has to cope with the psychological torture he endures on a daily basis. He blames himself for a lot of what has happened to his family. He sees his father withering away, his sister stops speaking after witnessing the horrors in the shopping mall and his mother is left frayed and despondent. The reality of what refugees have to go through is much more than what we're told and what we think they go through. This novel brings it home, it's an important read that deserves all of the attention it's getting. Ages 11+. Daphne is lost, she is terribly sad and lonely, the loss of her father means she can't find hope anywhere. The only place she finds comfort is the local library, a latchkey kid, she visits there often to sit in the quiet and reflect on her past, the pain and the guilt. Woven together into this story is the Greek myth of Daphne who was transformed into a tree. As Daphne becomes entangled into a beautiful blend of fantasy and reality, she must try to come to grips with the pain that is facing her and her mother. This is a really gut-wrenching story told in often searing poetic verses. This is a welcome addition to any school library, any fans of Sarah Crossan or Louisa Reid should get this into the hands of their students. Poetic stories are a very effective way to get students involved in reading, making the subconscious come to life, bringing sometimes hard thoughts to the forefront in a cathartic way. I'm excited for any new addition from Joseph Coelho! This is an important graphic novel that should be on every school library shelf. Aiden is at summer camp, in September he will be starting high school. He's not excited, he's terrified. He knows he's not gay but that doesn't stop others from talking about, pointing fingers, calling him names, casually yelling out homophobic slurs at him. In his head he knows he's not gay, he just knows it...does he? At camp he can find some solace, he's got some real friends there, at least he thinks he does. He learns archery with Elias, a boy that has wiggled his way into Aiden's brain and won't leave. He writes to his best friend, a girl he doesn't get to see very much. Even so, Aiden tells her everything. Aiden's home life isn't very good, his parents seem to do nothing but scream at each other. Aiden has something burning inside of him that he can't seem to grapple with, the story itself moves at a rapid, burning pace in a way that will make you go back and appreciate the haunting, powerful artwork. As life for Aiden becomes unbearable, he begins to feel that nothing will stop the hate being thrown at him, nothing will stop his parents from fighting, nothing will stop the feeling that he's wrong. This is a powerful story that should be in the hands of every student ages 15+, it's one that will stick with you for a very long time. I'm excited to be a part of the blog tour for Katy Birchall's new novel SPELLS & Secrets! Morgan Charmley is back in a brand new comedy adventure with tons of heart and a lot more laughs. It seems simple on paper, don't tell anyone that you're a witch. It's not so easy when you've got another witch who is also keeping their identity a secret trying to sabotage your every move! To make things even more complicated, Morgan must try to figure out her blooming relationship with her sworn warlock enemy. Trouble is never far behind Morgan in this great series. If you were a fan of Sabrina The Teenage Witch, The Worst Witch and even The Whitby Witches, the Morgan Charmley series will definitely be something you'll enjoy. A perfect read for the Halloween season, we have tons of students looking for a fun spooky series with great characters and this is it, check it out! Finding great non-fiction for students can sometimes be tricky for a school librarian. Things have gotten much, much better over the last decade and I'm very excited to see this new book by Dara Briain to add to our shelves at Glenthorne. Is There Anybody Out There? is funny, interesting and informative. It's a magic missile of facts cleverly sprinkled with humour. Dara takes us from the definition of life on earth and the possibility to life on other planets to evolution, being stuck in space, how hard it is to actually go to space and much, much more. Layered throughout are clear and bright illustrations to drive the points home. Black holes, wormholes, gravity, aliens, it's all here. It's a wonderful, jam packed answer-fest, I highly recommend it for ages 7+. |
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