Kinslayer
Lookie what arrived in the post for me today!
I am so excited!
I shall be meeting the author Jay Kristoff this weekend and will be getting both books signed.
Yes I am fully aware of just how much of a fan girl I am.
Archive for June, 2013
Noah Dreary
I was sent this by the publisher
By: Aaron Blabey
Noah Dreary is a boy who complains. In fact he complained so much that one day his head fell right off his shoulders. There was nothing the doctors could do about it. You might think it would stop him complaining but no. He kept right on complaining till one day something terrible happened. This thing totally changed Noah’s attitude so he became someone amazing instead of someone always complaining.
Disclaimer: I love Aaron Blabey books.
This is a wonderful story on perspective. The theme is a little complex like many of Blabey’s books but that doesn’t mean you should steer away from them, in fact it’s just the opposite. Kids don’t have as much problem with concepts as adults may think. This story remains fun as it is fundamentally about a head that is carried around by it’s body. The illustrations are in Blabey’s uniques style. What’s not to love an enjoyable story with a message if you want to look for it.
Highly Recommended.
Published: 24 July 2013
Format: Hardback 32 pages
Categories: Picture Books, Humour
ISBN 13: 9780670077182
Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.
Twinkle
By: Nick Bland
Penny Pasketti likes to look into space and stare at the stars. She likes to pretend they are friends. One night the most amazing thing happens, something crashed into her backyard and when Penny gets there she finds a new friend, Little Star. Together they have a wonderful night but soon Little Star wants to go home, they try to come up with a way to make this happen. They have no luck until Penny thinks of a most wonderful thing.
This is a gorgeous story of imagination and friendship. The text is simple and somehow gentle, perfect for bedtime. The illustrations are fun and wondrous. It’s no surprise I like this book I am a huge Nick Bland fan. A great bedtime story to add to the collection.
Recommended.
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Published: 01 July 2010
Format: Paperback 32 pages
Categories: Picture Books, Imagination, Friendship
ISBN 13: 9781741696431
Purchase: use Booktopia link on side of the page.
The 5th Wave
I received this book from the publisher
By: Rick Yancey
Life was all normal until the day it wasn’t. The first wave took out half a million people, not a very big number in the grand scheme of things. The second wave took out many more and the third took out billions. By then the survivors had no idea who to trust, this was the forth wave.
Cassie is running. Running from those who killed her family, funning from the thing tracking her down. She has no idea how many, if any, humans are left. She can’t trust anyone. Then Evan rescues her and she doesn’t really know if she can trust him. She still has a mission, she promised her little brother, the day they took him away, that she would find him. She is determined not to let him down.
Ben is being trained. Trained to become a killing machine. This does not make him unique many kids are being trained in exactly the same way. They are told this is their best hope for survival. Not every one will make it through the training though, and after the training then what? Just how are kids supposed to defeat an alien race equipped with vastly superior technology? And just what is the fifth wave?
This is a dark, gritty and in moments disturbing story. Cassie is a determined character who is driven to survive and because of the chaos around her doesn’t always make the right decisions. Sometimes she just reacts, and that’s how she gets through. This is not the life she had planned on having. She just wanted to be normal, get through school have a boyfriend. Instead she sleeps with her trusty M16 and has no idea how to trust any more.
Ben has been at his lowest and is determined to get revenge. He is determined to do what is asked of him. Somewhere in there he remains human and feels a responsibility to the youngest member of his team, Nugget.
This story is compelling. The normality of the characters thrown into this situation is what pulls you in. You think you see where it’s going and it then takes you in another direction. The world is ours but a desolate one. Yancey’s descriptions make it easy to see in your mind just what kind of devastation has happened. You feel for these guys and at no time does the author make it easy for them to make the leap from one place to another. They fight for their goals and that is what makes it so engrossing.
The central characters are surrounded by support characters who add depth and emotion to this story. The layers, moments of just being a teenager or small glimpses of humour make it seem all the more real.
If you are looking for a good read, with an alien or dystopian kind of theme then do yourself a favour and pick this up. Well worth spending some time with.
Highly recommended.
Publisher: Puffin Books
Published: 07 May 2013
Format: Paperback 388 pages
Categories: Science Fiction, Aliens, Survival, Dystopian
ISBN 13: 9780141345819
Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.
Drongoes
I received this book from the publishers.
By: Christine Bongers & Dan McGuiness
Jack and his best mate Eric have a goal each for this years cross-contry race. Jack wants to beat Rocket Robson and Eric just wants to finish. Together they train with their goals in mind. The day of the big race dawns and it all doesn’t go according to plan but Jack learns that winning isn’t always about coming first.
This is a fun little story great for readers just starting on chapter books. It is part of the Aussie Mates reading schemes series. It has simple text, a fun plot that any reader can identify with and colourful illustrations on each page.
Publisher: Omnibus Books
Published: 01 February 2013
Format: Paperback 64 pages
Categories: Fiction, Sport
ISBN 13: 9781862919822
Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.
Holiday Heartbreak
I received my copy from the publisher.
Dork Diaries bk 6
By: Rachel Renee Russell
Nikki Maxwell has been crushing on Brandon for like ever and it finally looks like things in that area may be getting interesting. He has finally asked her on an almost date. She could squee!!! all day. Then something strange happens, she starts getting weird texts from Brandon and Nikki thinks maybe he doesn’t like her after all, especially when her attempts to talk to him and find out what is going on always fail. To make matters worse the next school dance is girls choice and she really wants to invite Brandon but she’s worried he might say no. Will she get up the courage to ask him or will she spend the night at home by herself?
Nikki Maxwell is just an average kind of girl. She has to look after her sister, she has BFF’s, an enemy and the cutest guy to crush on. Life for Nikki is full of ups and downs and some times she makes the problems worse, because of this she is easy to identify with. Her best friends provide some balance to Nikki’s life. Brandon is a boy who likes the girl but sometimes just doesn’t get it. A lot like real life really. This series is really fun. A girl version of Wimpy Kid, complete with illustrations, though a little more grown up because, well girls mature a bit faster than boys, we all know that. Definitely worth a look, especially if you have a reluctant reader.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Books
Published: 01 June 2013
Format: Paperback 352 pages
Categories: Humour, Fiction, Friendship
ISBN 13: 9780857079381
Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on the side of the page.
Song in the Dark
This book was sent to me by the publisher
By: Christine Howe
Paul is destroying his life, it is on a downward spiral even if he can’t see it. The drugs are taking control of his actions. His grandmother tries to give him moments of normal but he withdraws from her and sinks even deeper into bad habits. Then one night Paul does something really bad, one night he hurts the one person who cares about him, the one he thought he cared the most about. This moment sends Paul to the bottom, is there any way for him to get up from here?
This is a heart-achingly sad story of addiction. It has elements of love, betrayal, consequences and ultimately hope. It isn’t the easiest book to read because of it’s unflinching look at the depths life can go to when caught in the web of addiction. It is a short book but one that packs an emotional punch.
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Published: 27th February 2013
Format: paperback 174 pages
Categories: Drugs, Addiction. Family
ISBN: 9780143567448
Purchase: use Booktopia link on the side of the page
A Transylvanian Tale
This book was sent to me by the publisher
By: Deborah Abela
Ghost Club series bk 3
Edgar, Angeline and Dylan are off to Transylvania for the annual Ghost Club Convention, with other members of their branch. Of the three Angeline is definitely the most excited because she is going to get the chance to meet her hero, famous ghost-catcher Ripley Granger. Ripley is a superstar in the ghost-catching community and as far as they are concerned he can do no wrong.
Dylan however is not so sure. He thinks something strange is going on, that someone maybe hiding a big secret. Angeline doesn’t want to believe him though. There is a ghost who is determined to see the truth comes out. Will Angeline realise her friend may be right, or will she put the fiction ahead of fact and friendship?
This is a fun series that seems to be going from strength to strength. It is a fun action filled ride. Angeline is excitable and blinkered in this story and is shows a different side to her, which is nice because it gives her character depth. Edgar and Dylan are wonderful supports for her and in this book Dylan gets a stronger character arc more clearly showing his feelings for Angeline than in the previous two books. If you like to be swept into a world of ghost hunting and dark humour then this is worth a look. It’s not so dark though that is will scare any younger readers.
Publisher: Random House Australia Children’s Books
Published: 01 March 2013
Format: Paperback 224 pages
Categories: Mystery, Adventure, Ghost Stories
ISBN 13: 9781742758534
The Haunted School
By: Deborah Abela
Ghost Club series bk 2
Angeline is really good at her job with the Ghost Club but the idea of having to go to her Senior school sleepover fills her with terror. She just isn’t good with other kids. To top it all off school bully Travis is showing more interest in Angeline’s actions than usual. Despite the fact they are some of the best ghost catchers around Angeline and her brother Edgar can’t get out of the sleepover, their whole family think it is a great idea for them to attend.
Things then take a strange turn that makes Angeline feel somewhat more comfortable. A ghost appears, their classmates are not happy and the principal is not at all happy. The ghost is a young girl and Angeline really wants to find out why she has appeared after so long. Their new friend Dylan they set about doing what they do best, uncovering the mystery around this most recent haunting.
This is a fun series, Angeline’s confidence in work is a nice juxtaposition to her fear when it comes to dealing with her classmates. Edgar’s a solid balance, with no concerns like his sister has, except perhaps what their father’s cooking might do to them. Dylan is the other side of Angeline taking fear and magnifying it when it comes to doing Ghost Club work, he is timid but very alert to details which helps in many ways. There is good tension in there books but they aren’t too scary, great for kids who like adventure and ghost stories.
Publisher: Random House Australia
Published: 01 August 2012
Format: Paperback 256 pages
Categories: Horror, Ghost Stories, Adventure, Mystery
ISBN 13: 9781742750835
Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of the page.
The Dinosaur Feather
I received this book from the publisher.
By: Jack Wells
Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter bk 4
Robert and Riley are back at Australia Zoo, they are helping with filming some footage of cassowaries. Whilst doing this Robert tells RIley he believes many dinosaurs had feathers. Riley thinks there is no way this is possible, until that magic bone of Robert’s transports them back in time once more. This time they end up in prehistoric Asia where the two boys find out more then they thought possible about oviraptors and yutyrannus huali.
This book continues the fast pace set in the first three. There is plenty of adventure still to be had as well as loads of things to learn about both dinosaurs and animals that are still alive. Robert’s passion for animals and dinosaurs is infectious, if you know someone with even a passing interest in this topic gives these books a shot, it may just be what you need to get someone reading.
Publisher: Random House Australia Children’s Books
Published: 01 March 2013
Format: Paperback 96 pages
Categories: Adventure, Dinosaurs
ISBN 13: 9781742750927
Purchase: here or use Booktopia link on side of page
TheKylieVerse 