Illus. by Pippa Curnick. Cinders and Sparks book 2.
HarperCollins, 2019. ISBN: 9780008292140. 208pp.
(Age: 7+) Very highly recommended as a series. Recommended as a
stand-alone book. I haven't read book one Magic at midnight
but after reading this I am now looking out for it and book three as
I think you need to read them all in quick order so that you get the
full joy of these books.
The book begins with Cinders who is a modern day Cinderella on the
run in the deep dark woods with her dog Sparks and mouse who is now
a horse (of course) and Hansel. If you haven't read book one there
are a number of things that you either have to take for granted or
work out as the story progresses that have obviously occurred in
book one, however the story flows in such a way that you are pulled
along on a wild and enjoyable ride.
As Cinders ventures deeper into the forest she encounters the Three
Bears, sleeps in their beds, convinces Daddy Bear not to eat her,
escapes forest monsters and meets Rapunzel. In this convoluted fairy
tale adventure children will certainly be engaged and giggle as they
read the book, especially if they have experience with a number of
fairy tales. I love the illustrations and feel that these really add
to the story and help to support the story and engage the younger
readers.
This is a fantastic book, however I think that children would find
the cliff-hanger ending frustrating which is why I feel that this
series of books would be best read together rather than
individually. Saying this does not change my opinion that these
would be fantastic as class novels or as a read-aloud and will
become favourites within classes and libraries with all students,
especially those who have moved onto short novels. Themes: Family,
Friendship, Fairies, Fairytales, Animals, Magic.
Mhairi Alcorn
The impossible boy by Ben Brooks
Quercus, 2019. ISBN: 9781786540997. 256pp.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Oleg and Emma are best friends, hang out
together at school and have their own little hideaway in the
schoolyard. They use their imaginations to invent a student,
Sebastian, and even add him to the class register and hand up work
in his name. What shocks them both is when their imaginary friend,
Sebastian actually shows up, in a bizarre cardboard spaceship.
He is very friendly but not very wise in the ways of the world and
Oleg and Emma feel responsible for him as he is their own creation.
Sebastian participates in school lessons and eventually befriends
the class.
The impossible boy brings with him impossible adventures, as a
menacing group of masked people seem determined to capture him and
make him disappear again. Exploits include snow women who have come
to life, the groundsman who never seems to age, a pop-up goat and
the mysterious "Institute of Unreality".
Emma and Oleg have personal problems in their home lives which make
their daily existence difficult and uncomfortable. Both have issues
with parents who are not able to parent for differing reasons and
are unaware of their children's day to day life as well as the more
bizarre happenings around Sebastian.
Author Ben Brooks, well known for his Stories
for boys who dare to be different, has written a
rollicking tale where factual and imaginary worlds blend together
and the characters from stories or imaginations have their own life
in the real world.
He tells a fun story but also gives insights into the children's
world of friendships, loyalty and home responsibilities.
The front cover, illustrating Sebastian's arrival is bright and
appealing and there are black and white illustrations scattered
throughout the book. I recommend this story to students aged 8 and
over.
Jane Moore
The Frozen Sea by Piers Torday
Quercus, 2019. ISBN: 9781786540768. 352pp.
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. It is 1984 and Jewel lives with her mother
Patricia and her only friend, a hamster named Fizz. Patricia has
always been obsessed by her missing sister and there is a family
mystery regarding her childhood. Official information is gradually
released throughout the novel and this infers there was an
unsanctioned experiment regarding an alternative world.
Jewel tends to be an outsider and when she is chased by school
bullies, she seeks refuge in a bookshop. She falls into a book and
continues an adventure started by her mother and her aunt and uncles
many years ago. She is guided into the fantasy world of Folio where
she has to rescue her aunt who has been missing since childhood. In
this fantasy world, Fizz has the power to speak and gives lots of
comical, self-centred advice to Jewel.
Folio is inhabited by many storybook characters and a fearsome
collection of robots. Everyone is obsessed with their Stampstone,
which gives information and tells the wearers what to think. It's
interesting how nearly everyone in Folio relies on the Stampstone
and are obsessed with their screens and information, a strong
comparison to the tablets and iphones of today.
Aided by a copper robot and Fizz, Jewel must travel to the Frozen
Sea to find her aunt and meets a variety of fictional characters
along the way. The Frozen Sea holds all the answers to her quest and
she must face this danger to find a solution.
Piers Torday has written acclaimed fantasy books such as The
Lost Magician, short listed for an award by The Times.
I recommend this book to children 9 to 12 years old.
Jane Moore
The lonely dead by April Henry
Palgrave, 2020. ISBN: 9781250233769. 240pp.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Adele is walking through the woods when she
sees Tori, the girl she had a fight with at a party. She realises to
her horror that Tori is a ghost and has been murdered. Adele has
always been able to see the dead, a talent passed down in her family
and even though she has been diagnosed with schizophrenia she knows
that she has this ability. Now with a murderer on the loose, she
must try to find out who it is without becoming a victim herself.
This is a quick easy read for fans of mystery and the paranormal. It
is easy to relate to Adele who has been on medication for years but
who feels so much better when she isn't taking them. However when
suspicion of the murder turns to her, the fact that she hasn't been
taking her meds makes her a more likely suspect. Her relationship
with Charlie the nephew of one of the detectives investigating the
murder adds interest to the story.
A lot of information about the effects of drinking and how
overindulging can lead to blackouts, is also a timely warning of the
physiological effects of alcohol, and Adele's inability to remember
much about when she left the party is also a useful device for
getting the reader to wonder if perhaps she did really murder Tori.
At 240 pages, The lonely dead is sure to please readers who
want a stand-alone that is entertaining and engrossing.
Themes: Mystery and suspense, Paranormal, Ghosts, Psychic ability,
Murder, Reluctant readers.
Pat Pledger
China through time retold by Edward Aves
DK, 2020. ISBN: 9780241356296.
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: China, Canals, Yangtze,
Ancient history, Regeneration. Two and a half thousand years ago, an
emperor had a brilliant idea - joining the two mighty Chinese
rivers, the Yangtze and Huai to form a magnificent canal which would
enable him to move troops quickly to places where they were needed.
The next thousand yeas saw canals built and waterways joined to
create an incredible canal capable of trading between Hangzhou in
China's south and Beijing in the north.
Each double page of this outstanding large format book recreates a
scene in the life of this canal system, shadowing the rise of China
as a powerful nation in the Asian realm. The first double page,
entitled, Construction begins, Yangzhou 486BCE, shows an army of
peasants digging and carting soil. Information around the edges of
the pages gives details about how the people worked, while the
illustration shows in no uncertain terms the brutality of the regime
in charge. Several men in chains are being taken away by heavily
armoured warriors, one dying man is being carted off by fellow
workers, high towers surround the project with soldiers on the
alert. Eager eyes will pick out the work the men do, the
magnificence of the emperor and his retinue, the tools with which
these people worked.
Each subsequent double page displays the history of the Grand Canal,
completed in 605 CE. So readers will see the impact of the canal
bringing peace, civilisation and trade to towns along its banks. But
people became complacent and in 1699 CE a great flood threatened so
the emperor demanded that the river course be changed and the canal
dredged to avoid further floods destroying towns and cities. More
care was taken of the canal, reversing its decline and even though
fewer barges ply their trade along the waterway the Grand Canal is a
showcase of China's ancient heritage, a canal of some 1800 ks, the
longest and oldest canal in the world. This book shows readers the
people who use it: the builders, the soldiers, merchants, rivermen,
the emperor and his advisers, children and mysterious travellers.
The richly detailed illustrations are enticing, giving the reader a
panorama of Chinese life and customs, showing building styles, dress
and food, bridges and boats, life along the canal from small farms
and villages to the outstanding modern city of Tianjin, a stark
contrast to the pages before and after with their images of past
treasures. The last page offers a short quiz and glossary with
information about the illustrator, Beijing artist Du Fei who
specialises in detailed historical illustrations.
This is a remarkable book which reflects China's importance in the
world today while highlighting one of its past achievements.
Fran Knight
Foul is fair by Hannah Capin
Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241404973.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Revenge - this is the name of the jet
black hair dye that Elle chooses for her transformation into Jade,
following the night of her sweet 16 birthday outing to the St
Andrew's prep party, a party which changed her life, where she,
bright, shimmering in her silver dress and full of party fun, found
herself drugged by a spiked drink and gang raped by the school's
best young lads. Author Capin spares us the details of that night,
but the brief memory flashes that haunt Elle/Jade let us know enough
of what happened.
Elle decides she is not a victim, she is not a survivor, she is an
Avenger. She and her coven of loyal friends, Jenny, Summer and Mads,
set out to exact that vengeance with the death of every boy that
took part. And so Elle cuts and dyes her hair, and becomes Jade, the
tough new girl at St Andrew's. These are the first couple of
chapters of Capin's book. From there the action grips you by the
throat and drags you into the spiral of events where Jade, cool and
ruthlessly in control, targets each of her assailants one by one. A
pawn in Jade's game is the honourable young Mack, a boy who was not
part of the gang, but who becomes an easy target, someone who will
do her bidding.
If you think the story sounds violent and gruesome, think about the
plot of Macbeth, the Shakespearean play offered to senior
secondary students. Capin's novel is another version of the Macbeth
story; only it is not a mother driving her son to murder, but an
equally driven girl able to manipulate Mack in just the same way.
Her three friends are her coven, the witches, who chant and foretell
the future and assist Jade in becoming the powerful queen of the St
Andrew's peer group. There is no mercy, no kindness, no love, just a
fierce determination for vengeance and power.
Capin's novel would make an interesting study in its
reinterpretation of Shakespeare's play, an adaptation for modern
times that is bound to capture the imagination of students with its
setting of school peer groups, jealousy, bullying, and sexual
assault.
Helen Eddy
Denali by Ben Moon
Simon and Schuster, 2019. ISBN: 9780143133612.
(Age: Adolescent - Adult) In an unexpected way, this true story
lifts the reader into a realm where human and animal interaction
creates a bond that is intensely supportive and loving. Denali
is about the deep relationship between a dog and a human being. Its
focus is both on Ben's inner and outer 'selves' in all their
complexity, on his moods, desires and being, and intuiting the soul
and mind of his beloved dog. The narrative reflects the intensely
supportive and loving relationship that Ben builds with his dog.
In this intensely personal narrative, Ben takes us into his world,
one that embraces fresh air, mountains, surfing and climbing, and
includes, at the heart of his story, his beloved dog Denali. This is
clearly a revelatory and honest self-portrait that remains true to
its intention, woven around the relationship between human and dog.
The story soars with the emotional support that each offers when the
other is suffering. Throughout the narrative we are privileged to
'hear' what Denali is thinking, and those of us who believe in the
emotional and mental intelligence of dogs can understand how
comforting are the 'thoughts' that Ben intuits Denali as offering.
We are invited to understand the fundamental principles of loving
concern that Ben feels he is offered by Denali, and the deep concern
that Ben offers Denali in return is evident throughout their lives
together.
Ben Moon is a much respected professional photographer with an
absorbing interest in the outdoors, in the earth's extraordinary
structures, the mountains, the crags and the roiling seas. He surfs,
climbs and scales sheer cliffs, his stunning professional
photographs and stories supporting his lifestyle. Backed by the
suppliers of the clothing and tools appropriate for his loved
outdoor adventures, he makes short movies, writes up details of
places, climbs and outdoor walks, and produces exceptional
photographs of the mountains, cliffs, lakes and seas.
It would be most suitable, and indeed inspiring, for both adolescent
and adult reading.
Elizabeth Bondar
I am perfectly designed by Karamo Brown with Jason Brown
Illus. by Anoosha Syed. Macmillan Children's Books, 2019. ISBN:
9781529036152. 40pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. American media personality, author,
and activist Karamo Brown began his career in 2004 on the MTV The
Real world; Philadelphia, becoming the first openly gay black
man on a reality show. He is now a cultural icon, heading the
Netflix show, Queer Eye.
This book I am perfectly designed, celebrates diversity and
empowers children as it relates the story of a boy and his father
walking and talking through their day. Based on the interaction
between Karamo and his son, Jason, the book brims with
understanding. Each step is full of love and celebration,
companionship and family. Beginning with breakfast the chat between
father and son recalls their earlier years, as the boy remarks his
head seems so big in photos, but dad replies, it was perfectly
designed for you. This conversation sets the tone of the book, the
dialogue between the two, father and son, the child talking about
past events, dad reminding him all along that he is perfectly
designed. Climbing a tree in the ark, or playing on the swing, dad
reminds him that he is perfectly designed to explore the world. When
the boy becomes lost or sad, he is told that he is perfectly
designed and wonderful to his dad no matter how he feels.
The boy then talks about the future when he has left home and dad
grows older, and the two decide that roles will be reversed, that
the boy is perfectly designed to care for his father.
Each page reflects the sentiment expressed in the text, as the
illustrations are full of love and family, reminding readers what
they do with their dads, from talking over the breakfast table, to
walking to the park, celebrating Halloween, playing in the
playground, climbing a tree, meeting friends at the ice cream stall,
playing with other children in the street.
The illustrations by Canadian artist, Syed, bubble with family life,
displaying enthusiastic relationships between parents and children,
siblings and friends, reflecting the diversity of modern life.
The smallest detail will be picked out by eager eyes: tying
shoelaces, taking a photo with the phone, the age groups spotted in
the streets, the warmth of a family picnic, the market stalls, the
diversity of building styles. Each caught and held my attention,
making me want to read the book again. The endpapers too will draw
the eyes of the readers as they see themselves within one of the
family groups, and spot their friends and relatives.
This is a enticing story showcasing the loving relationship between
a father and his son, modelling the things they do together, the
times that will have as a family.
A clip
on the Macmillan website shows Karama and his son, talking about why
they wrote the book.
Themes: Diversity, Self image, Confidence, Inclusion, Communication.
Fran Knight
Deeplight by Frances Hardinge
Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781529014570.
(Age: 11+) It is 30 years since the underwater gods of the Myriad
archipelago fought a cataclysmic battle and all died. Since then
relics of the gods' bodies are sought after as they retain power. 14
year old orphan, Hark, and his friend Jelt, 16, search the beaches
and dive for pieces of 'godware' to sell. Brave, clever, courageous
Jelt pulls Hark along like a current but his increasingly reckless
schemes eventually land Hark at the slave market where, after
eloquently speaking up for himself, he is saved from the slave
galleys and bought by Dr Vyne, a strange woman researching the old
gods. He is taken to an island fortress which turns out to be a
sanctuary for the old priests who no longer have gods to serve.
There Hark settles in to a life serving the priests and passing on
any of their knowledge to Dr. Vyne. When Jelt finds Hark and insists
on him helping retrieve an old bathysphere, loyal Hark gets involved
in something bigger than both of them.
This story is infused with language which conjures up images of the
sea, it ebbs and flows capturing the reader in a net of the
imagination. Through it all, issues of loyalty keep being tested:
'loyalty is not a virtue in its own right. Its' worth depends on
where it's spent' p128. Should Hark give loyalty where it is not
reciprocated? The more he learns through the stories of the old
priests, the more he understands about the connection between fear
and faith and the larger issues of Myriad's place in their world and
he has to make some hard decisions for the greater good.
A dark and complex story set in a well imagined fantasy world
suitable for middle school students and all lovers of fantasy.
Themes: Fantasy, magic, loyalty, friendship.
Sue Speck
Life without diabetes by Dr Roy Taylor
Simon and Schuster, 2020. ISBN: 9781760853914. 320pp.
(Age: Adult) Recommended. The Newcastle Diet gained notoriety in
2011, when a small group of people went on the diet exploring the
link between diabetes and the fatty tissue around the liver and
pancreas, by initially living for eight weeks on 600 calories a day.
Half of the small group were deemed to be in remission with their
diabetes at the end of the three month trial.
Professor Taylor's book, Life without Diabetes, outlines the
physiology of the gut and what the pancreas, liver and stomach do in
digesting food.
A forward by one of the participants in the study is of course
positive and joyous about having achieved a remission for her
diabetes and losing weight.
And following this introduction is a handy guide to using the book.
If like me, you want to get to the nitty gritty, then turning to
chapter 7 is the way to go, as this chapter tells you about the 600
calories a day diet and how to go about it. Chapters one to six
outline the way the body usually copes with food intake, and what
goes wrong to cause type 2 diabetes. And at the end of each chapter
is a fact file reiterating what was covered in the chapter before,
giving those overwhelmed with the terminology of the book an easy to
understand navigation tool.
The guide gives access to those with little time on their hands,
while many others will read the book from cover to cover. I dipped
in an out, reading the sections suggested, but also using the
substantial index to look things up that I wanted to know more about
(the pancreas, for example).
Although chatty and using layman's terms through out, I found the
book heavy going and needed to refer to the index, as well as having
a list of commonly used terms and their meanings as a book mark. Not
having done biology at school is a distinct disadvantage. (I have
also read Gut by Giulia Enders recently and even though it
is written in the most basic of language and uses humour to get its
message across, I needed to reread and keep a checklist of commonly
used words)
But this aside, for those living with diabetes, this is a
fascinating exploration of why it occurs and the steps people can
take to reduce the likelihood of getting it and a guide for some to
shake off the mantle of diabetes altogether. It worked with seven
out of the eleven original dieters in 2011 and has gained a much
larger group of supporters and participants since then.
A well researched and presented book, well worth a visit in the
continuing search for a way of loosing weight and preventing, even
reversing the onset of diabetes. Themes: Diabetes, Diet, Newcastle
Diet.
Fran Knight
Don't read this book before dinner by Anna Claybourne
National Geographic Kids, 2019. ISBN: 9781426334511. 144pp., pbk.
(Age: 6-12) "If you love to be grossed out, grab a seat at the table
to revel in some of the most repulsive and downright disgusting true
stories from around the globe.
From wretched rodents and beastly bugs to putrid plants and
muck-filled moats, step right in to find out more about the icky,
sticky world around you. Gloriously gross stories of decaying
delicacies, foul fashion, horrible history, awful animals, and more
are paired with eye-popping pictures, fun facts, and hilarious
quizzes in this fun book. Topics go way beyond food to include art,
plants, animals, fashion, pop culture, medicine, the human body, and
beyond. It's a hot mess to digest, but it's sure to leave kids
disgusted and delighted . . . " (Publisher)
Using an appealing double-page spread format to explore all things
gross, Nat Geo Kids is
designed to appeal to the 6-12 year olds keen to find out more about
their world and what is in it.
This particular edition is one that is likely to appeal to young
boys and while there are those adults who don't think this sort of
thing is "real reading" (in the same way comics were disdained in
their day), in my opinion anything that encourages them to hone
their literacy skills is to be commended, particularly when it has
the quality that you know is associated with Nat Geo Kids. To add to
the experience and spread their horizons wider, there is also the
Australian version of their website which has unique
topical local content such as What
is a Bushfire?
There are often queries to TL networks about what are the best
magazine subscriptions to continue as popularity tends to wane, and
for the primary school age group, Nat Geo Kids is always near the
top of the list proving it has stood the test of time as an
investment. With such a focus on the environment well beyond the
curriculum, it just make sense to make it available to our students.
Barbara Braxton
Cat science unleashed by Jodi Wheeler-Toppen
Photographs by Matthew Rakola. National Geographic Kids, 2019. ISBN:
9781426334412. 80pp., pbk.
(Age: 6-12) This is part of the NatGeo Kids Hands-on science series
and complements their website
aimed at 6-12 year olds. But rather than just facts and figures
about cats that can be found in any book about them, this encourages
the reader to participate in 22 safe and cat-friendly activities
that let them work alongside their cat to discover what makes it
tick.
They can learn the effects of catnip and why it can see so well in
the dark; how it balances so well and always land on its feet as
wells as toys to make. Each activity is paired with step-by-step
instructions, clear and interesting scientific explanations, and
cool photographs shot specifically for this book. Hands-on
activities and fun information for budding scientists prompt further
learning and offer a behind-the-scenes look at current feline
research.
Using a magazine format with lots of photos and diagrams as well as
information in accessible chunks, it is divided into four chapters,
each accompanied by relevant explanations and activities. There is
also a glossary, an index, and other extra information to help
students build their information literacy skills as they learn to
navigate non-fiction texts.
There are often queries to TL networks about what are the best
magazine subscriptions to continue as popularity tends to wane, and
for the primary school age group, Nat Geo Kids is always near the
top of the list proving it has stood the test of time as an
investment. With such a focus on the environment well beyond the
curriculum, it just make sense to make it available to our students.
Barbara Braxton
Aesop's fables first reading series by Susanna Davidson
Illus. by John Joven. Usborne, 2019. 48pp., hbk. The lion and the mouse. ISBN: 9781474956550. The ant and the grasshopper. ISBN: 9781474956567. The hare and the tortoise. ISBN: 9781474956543.
There are some stories that have stood the test of time for
generations and Aesop's fables are among these with their messages
still pertinent even in this age of screens and technology. So this
new release of these old tales written and illustrated for young
emerging readers will open them up to a new generation. The lion and the mouse tells the story of the arrogant lion
who cannot imagine that a tiny mouse would ever be able to help him
but discovers that friends can be found in strange places; The ant
and the grasshopper reminds us about the need to balance work
and play as Ant busily prepares for winter, while Grasshopper sings
the summer away; and The hare and the tortoise pits a
boastful hare against the slow tortoise with a surprising result.
Knowing these sorts of stories which are the basis of many other
stories enriches the young child's literary knowledge and adds depth
to their understanding of those other stories so to have them
available in the library's collection is essential, in my opinion.
Barbara Braxton
Big lies in a small town by Diane Chamberlain
St Martin's Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781509808625.
(Age: Adult - Mature YA) Recommended for adult readers. The young
woman, Morgan Christopher is unexpectedly rescued from jail through
a bequest and request from a benefactor known for his incredible
artistic talents. Morgan's own incomplete art skills are needed as
she is thrust into the task of restoring a mural created in 1940.
This restoration project comes with time pressures and emotional
pressures from the artist's daughter as she unearths the history of
the original artist, Anna Dale. Anna was the winner of a National
Town Mural competition to paint the mural for the town of Edenton.
As an outsider, she ruffles a few locals and her Northerner ways and
opinions are sometimes at odds with the local North Carolina
residents. The social milieu of the 1940's town reveals the
inter-racial conflicts of Southern USA in the 1940s as well as the
joys and challenges of the small town. What should she include in
her artistic representation of the town? When the contemporary
parolee, Morgan, investigates the history of the mural that was
never displayed, she uncovers a history that has many twists - and
some of them are not pleasant. In her own story she must unravel her
own insecurities related to the event that caused her imprisonment,
and needs to decide whether she is worthy of love and the incredible
honour of becoming an art restorer for the late renowned artist.
This is an impressive adult dramatic saga incorporating the two
separate stories of the original artist - Anna Dale, and the
contemporary restorer - Morgan Christopher. Told with time shifts
back and forth between the two stories, there is a slowly unfolding
revelation of the drama that led to the mural's disappearance. The
process of art restoration is overseen by the interesting gallery
administrator and there are stories of family disharmony and
restoration woven through the saga. Diane Chamberlain is a master of
the romantic and historical narrative, and this is the kind of book
that would be enjoyed as a 'holiday' selection because of the
revelation of the mystery and social drama across the generations
within the 385 page narrative. Although this is an adult story, it
could be read by mature YA readers.
Recommended for adult readers. Themes: Historical drama; Art
restoration; Racial discrimination - USA; Romance; Murder mystery;
Sexual Assault
Carolyn Hull
The Little Grey Girl by Celine Kiernan
ISBN: 9781406373929.
The Wild Magic trilogy Book 2. Walker, 2019. 217 pp.
9781406373929. pbk.
In the first book in The Wild Magic trilogy, Begone
the raggedy witches, Mup realises that she has magical powers.
The Queen from across the border, her grandmother, uses her magic to
keep control over her subjects and when she flees with the raggedy
witches, Mup's mother is the obvious replacement, but she does not
want the power nor does she want to be queen. She is persuaded to
leave her own home and move to the Glittering Lands guiding her
daughter, Mup, and her husband and their son, Tipper, now a dog,
over the strange waterway which marks the entrance to this
mysterious place.
The second in the series, The Little Grey Girl, takes up the
story as Mam is declared queen, protesting all the while. She is
besieged by petitioners, and heads back into her mother's castle to
think about what to do next. But during the night, Mup sees a
mysterious little grey girl in the courtyard, and calling Crow they
go to investigate. It has been snowing fiercely, and Mam's adviser,
Firinne, has warned her that this is the old queen's curse and to be
watchful.
The castle is still full of memories of the tyrannical past, and Mup
grapples with the question of free will, as her mother encourages
the people to make up their minds for themselves; she will not tell
them what to do.
The characters in this beautifully written book are exceptional: Mup
with her strong moral centre is brave and disarming, able to throw
lightning from her fingers to keep herself protected from the forces
of the evil she feels all around, while Crow the bird that can
change into a boy speaks in rhyme.
But the little grey girl intrigues; is she a threat, either a a
raggedy witch or someone who needs help. With the long dead Dr
Emberly and Crow, Mup descends to the dungeons beneath the castle
following the little grey girl, to find out about the drawings she
leaves on the walls, which cause such distress. But to find the core
of the problem they must fight the dog which holds all the sadness
the little grey girl takes from people, a fight which could lead to
their deaths.
Kiernan's voice is unique, taking its readers along brave new paths,
involving them with a strong, independent young girl hesitantly
using her magical powers, but always aware of how it will affect
those around her.
Fran Knight
