The Young Inventor of the Year Award is up for grabs and Esha Verma is determined to win it. She's already invented some amazing things with her apprentice Broccoli like Boomers, The Inviz Whiz and the Glo-Pro. The problem? Her parents have banned her from ever inventing again after a few...mistakes. Then Goospa the alien arrives on the scene and everything changes. Esha realises, after making another, fairly massive mistake, that it's not just the Young Inventor Award on the line, it's the entire planet. Now it's up to her and her new friend, a grumpy alien named Nix, to save the world. This is a funny, fast paced and wonderfully illustrated story for ages 8+. I really recommend it!
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Izzy & Eric are both obsessed with an upcoming video game called Dungeon City. When Izzy receives her copy first, she decides to give it a try despite promising Eric she won't play it until they both have their copies in their hands. Then, something strange happens, Izzy gets sucked directly into the video game! There she meets Rae, a robot who tells her that she's been sent to the world of Dungeon City to save the land. With Rae's help, she starts levelling up in preparation to meet the final boss. The problem is, she starts neglecting her real life responsibilities like school and her friendship with Eric. Not everything is as it seems in Dungeon City, and Izzy soon finds herself in grave danger. Any fan of video games will devour this great comic, I'm currently playing Zelda Breath of the Wild and there are so many great video game references that you will find yourself going back to re-read them. Anyone who has ever hunkered down for the long haul on their floor as they crawled through dungeons and worked out puzzles on their video game consoles will want to pick this one up, don't miss it! 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+. When a virus causes global infertility, Lowrie and Shen become the two youngest people on Earth. Living in a dilapidated London, they live with their families as they race for a cure to solve the epidemic. In the meantime, Lowrie and Shen go mudlarking, searching for artefacts along the banks of the Thames and anywhere else they can look. They are shadowed by Mitch, an old-tech robot that communicates through a blinking series of different coloured lights. After someone in their community suffers a tragic accident, Lowrie and Shen discover a disastrous secret. As time slips by, they are fighting against the clock to save everyone around them. I loved reading this novel, Lowrie's discovery of old social media and how the person she follows on it evolves over time is fascinating to me. I also loved how the tech is described, it's not forced or sloppy like a lot of sci fi can be, it's completely organic and realistic. There's also a romance element to it that is worked in seamlessly throughout the story. I was continually drawn to their relationship with Mitch and intrigued by every nugget of information they discovered as they unpeeled the onion that is their existence. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in sci-fi, romance and msytery! When Sarah's parents buy her an android, a Troofriend 560 Marj IV, she's not really happy about it. She'd rather have a dog, and she makes this clear to her parents. Needless to say, the original meeting between Sarah and her new "friend", whom she names Ivy after the Roman Numerals "IV" on her arm, isn't very positive. Sarah thinks it's weird and a little annoying to have something like Ivy in the house. Then Sarah realises that her school is having a "Bring Your Tech to School" day. It's the perfect chance for her to show off Ivy to the popular girls, the inner circle she hopes to join. Maybe having an android friend won't be too bad after all. Meanwhile, Sarah and her parents are acutely aware of the persistent news stories about this model of android. Protesters have camped outside of the manufacturing plant, demanding that the androids be set free due to the theory that they have developed human feelings. Then other stories emerge, stories about the androids getting out of control, even hurting humans around them. There's also the buffering, Ivy has started to stutter, whirr and experience a strange feeling in her chest. She sends error reports to company, but they become more and more frequent as she spends time with Sarah. As the protests gather strength and the pressure from her concerned parents grows, Sarah must come to terms with what it truly means to be a friend. Trooffriend is a really amazing novel that touches upon several important issues like friendship, bullying and the ethics surrounding AI. We exist in a time when AI will be integrated into society one way or another and Troofriend captures the hope, anxiety and fear around this topic for ages 9+ in a truly seamless matter. I really loved this novel, fans of Slick my M.M. Vaughan will want to have this in their hands asap! London has been flooded, Kara and Joe scavenge their way through a rickety part of the city. To some, they are considered scum, urchins who don't deserve to live, to others they represent an opportunity to bring about change. When the siblings come into possession of a bizarre looking map, they find themselves on the run. Captured by sea pirates, they must escape from their prison in order to save the only home they've ever known. FloodWorld is fast paced near future in a terrifying dystopian world where climate change has ravaged our planet and threatened our way of life. The world is split between the super poor and the super rich, there is no in between. I really got pulled into this world and enjoyed every minute of it. Kara and Joe's plight is gut wrenching and nail biting at the same time, they've got nothing in this life but each other so the stakes are very high as they tumble into one twist after another. Fans of Sarah Govett's The Territory will really sink their teeth into this thrilling adventure! Lance's Year 6 camping trip isn't going as planned. Before they even make it to Crater Lake, their final destination, a man covered in blood runs in front of their coach, screaming about bears and other strange things. This rattles everyone, except their teachers, who handle it in a calm manner. Something's not right in the camp, though. It's sweltering outside and they are served boiling hot soup for dinner. Lance and a small handful of other students refuse to eat it, a decision that will save them. As their bunk mates fall asleep, Lance decides to stay up and hang out with his friends. When they decide to check on the other students, they discover something completely out of this world. Now it's up to them to save the rest of the camp and yes, the world from a gruesome and determined alien force. The catch? Lance and his friends can't fall asleep. Whatever happens, do not fall asleep, otherwise it's "Game Over, Man." Crater Lake is a non stop action ride that will make you shiver and laugh at the same time. I really loved Lance and his friends, Killick has created a really enjoyable misfit crew of kids, some of whom can't stand each other but they understand what's at stake so they agree to work together. The challenges they must overcome are many, yet they solve them organically, nothing is forced or shoehorned in. I was completely on board for every turn no matter how intense or insane they became. This is the kind of book I will set aside to give to kids who claim they hate reading because I know this will help turn the tide. Fans of Holes by Louis Sachar will eat this up. There is no wasted dialogue in this one, it's pure jet fuel firing on all cylinders so hold on tight. Recommended for ages 10+ Thirteen year old Beth has just become captain of a giant colony ship called Orion. It wasn't how she intended on starting the week. There was a bizarre "Event" that the ship's ever-present AI system, aptly named "Ship" won't discuss in detail. The event has left the actual captain and all other adults in a coma-like slumber leaving Beth a few other young teens in charge. They know the basics, but there's real trouble brewing in the form of alien ships and especially Scrapers. Scrapers are space infamous space pirates that answer to no one and do whatever they want, especially to crippled space stations stranded in the middle of the galaxy. To get everything up and running, Beth must use all of her wit and cunning, not to mention tons of elbow grease. She needs to convince the crew that she's up for the job and keep from going insane. Full of laughs, scares and huge twists, Orion Lost is an amazing space romp that will have you asking for more. I truly wanted to spend more time with these characters, they are a clever, resourceful and caring group that keeps going in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The villains are pitch perfect and the endless black void of space is always there, hovering around them. I will be purchasing multiple copies of Orion Lost for our Library as it is an amazing fast paced read that both boys and girls will love. Highly recommend it for ages 10+ Sanity & Tallulah are best friends, they have a normal life, except that they live on a space station called Wilnick in the "middle of nowhere" in outer space. When Sanity decides to go "mad scientist" and grow a 3-headed cat named Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds, her parents get super annoyed. Then, to make matters worse, Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds goes missing and strange things start to happen on the space station. Namely, lights go off and on and the entire electric system goes out of whack. Sure that Princess Sparkle Destroyer of Worlds is to blame, Sanity and Tallulah set out to find her, but what they discover is something far more sinister than they imagined. Hilarious, smart and fast paced, Molly Brooks has created an amazing universe that readers will not want to leave. Sanity & Tallulah are a great team with caring yet constantly annoyed parents who have to try to clear up after the trouble they inadvertently cause. They are a wonderful duo and I can't wait to read more of their adventures. Danny Lazio doesn't have any friends, he doesn't have the coolest new clothes, phone or other accessories deemed vital by the high school crowd. Danny also never really sees his father, which is fine by him. His mother works tirelessly as a nurse, leaving him alone most of the time to play his favourite online game, Land X. Eric is the new kid at school, and Danny thinks there's something off with him. He doesn't understand basic humour, he takes everything literally and he seems obsessed with the latest brands and gadgets. At first, Danny thinks Eric is just another jerk at his school, someone who will bully him in the future no doubt. But when they find a shared interest in Land X, the boys become friends. When Danny witnesses a bizarre interaction between Danny and his parents, he starts to wonder what's really going on with him. After some digging, spying and with a little help from his cousin Vito, they come to a startling conclusion: Eric is a robot. This is not a spoiler as it's written on the cover of the novel, but it's great to see the realisation appear in the characters around Eric. With this newfound information, Danny, Vito and Eric set out to discover who made him and why. What they discover is fascinating, terrifying and potentially dangerous for everyone involved. I really loved this novel, it's a very smart MG/YA sci fi adventure that you won't be able to stop reading. Vaughan has created a world that is so believable you can't help but wonder when it will become a reality. I loved the attention to detail she inserts into the products, games and toys that the characters engage with. I am very excited to give this to our students in September, I'll have to buy multiple copies! |
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