Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

For a long time I would be recommended Michael Morpurgo books whenever I asked a friend or teacher for a suggestion. Although I never particularly disliked them, he would never have been my first choice of author when choosing a new book. After reading 'The Wreck of the Zanzibar' as a class read in Year 5, I decided to read 'Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea. 

Inspired by the English orphans transported to Australia after WWII, Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Arthur Hobhouse. Forced to leave his sister Kitty and the orphanage he grew up in, he is made to work at a farm called Cooper's Station, tyrannized by their cruel foster father. Eventually, Arthur and his friend Marty are able to escape, and taken by bushmen to Aunty Megs who looks after injured and orphaned animals. The boys attribute their luck to a key Kitty gave Arthur, and treasure it.

After becoming an apprentice at a boat-building business and developing a love of the sea, Arthur becomes ill, however meets his soon-to-be wife and has a beautiful daughter, Allie. Allie is determined to undertake a dangerous solo voyage to England to find Kitty and give her the key, on a boat she built with her father. 

The second half of the book is narrated by Allie, as she embarks on her trip following her father's death. She finds comfort in the presence of an albatross, believing it to be her father's spirit, and begins to interact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station.

Despite the complex story, the book is filled with beautiful imagery, mapping the changing nature of childhood time, and exploring what could have been the story of any one of the young children sent to Australia following the war. Although it deals with some difficult themes, I would recommend it to anyone upwards of 10, but I would expect it to be enjoyed best by an 11 or 12 year old.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Adam Silvera, E B White

About the author: Sir Michael Morpurgo has written over 100 books for various age groups, and also won several medals and awards. His works are often regarded as some of the best children's literature available, due to the constantly relevant and accessible themes.

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Wonder by R.J Palacio

 Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Published in 2012, when Wonder was first released it was very popular through all age groups. Since then it has been made into a film, which portrays the book perfectly, a rare occurrence in my opinion. Although I haven't seen Wonder on a reading list for a while, I think it is a really great book, that provides a more unusual take on the world, through the eyes of a young boy names Auggie Pullman.

Auggie has a serious medical condition, resulting in a disfigured face, and has therefore been homeschooled by his mother due to various hospital visits. The book begins with Auggie's mixed feelings about starting school for the first time, and what he believes the other kids will think of him. Following a tour of the school, he slowly gets used to the environment, even making a few friends. Unfortunately, he encounters some bullies, and struggles to overcome this challenge. Auggie also attends a school trip, on which he faces several more challenges, each more adverse.

The perspective of the book switches every few chapters, between Auggie's perspective, his sister Via's perspective, and occasionally that of his friends. This enables the reader to better understand the thoughts and emotions of each character, contributing to the compelling read that this is.

Auggie & Me, also by R.J. Palacio, provides insight on how Auggie has impacted the lives of bully Julian, oldest friend Christopher, and classmate Charlotte, and is also an amazing read. I would recommend though that you read Wonder first, otherwise Auggie & Me may either spoil Wonder or confuse you!

Wonder is probably one of my favourite books, and will always be one of the first books that comes to mind when someone asks me for a recommendation. The characterisation coupled with a unique view on the world, makes this book so exciting! I would definitely recommend to any 11 year old or older, but any adult would probably also enjoy it!

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

If you liked this author you might like: Adam Silvera, E B White

About the author: R.J. Palacio is an American writer, and has written several novels for children, the most famous of which being Wonder, which has been turned into a film.

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When You Reach Me

 When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me tells the story of a young girl called Miranda, living in the Upper West Side of New York City, with her mum. When her best friend Sal is punched by a boy he doesn't know for no apparent reason, he starts to shut Miranda out of his life. Things start disappearing and all of a sudden Miranda starts receiving strange notes, that know things no person knows, and about things that have not happened yet, causing Miranda to believe that only she can prevent a tragic death.

The varying storyline of this book makes it so enjoyable to read, in particular the constant twists and turns. Through the book, three storylines are followed - the appearance of Miranda's mum on a game show, Sal not talking to Miranda, and the appearance of a laughing man. The book is action-packed, and constantly enthralling and it's also filled with cliffhangers, so once you start reading you won't be able to stop.

This book isn't actually that long (in comparison to some other books I have reviewed), but it is definitely as good! The only thing I would change would be to make it longer, but that's only because I love it so much! What is also really great is that it's suitable for a wide range of ages, I would say anyone older than 9 or 10 could read this and enjoy it, however the older you are the better you may understand the book so perhaps I would recommend it to 10 or 11 year old's and older.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebecca Stead, Sharon Creech, E B White

About the author: Rebecca Stead is an American writer, who writes fiction for children and teens. For When You Reach Me she won a prestigious award, and has won other prizes for her various other books.

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The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

This book is brilliant. I recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller to take them into another world of magic. When I started ‘The Queen’s Rising’ I knew straight away that I wouldn’t be able to put it down. The plot is not just intriguing but also enjoyable.

The book is about a girl of 17 called Brienna approaching her last summer solstice at Magnolia House, Valenia. In Valenia, the education system is of patronship. There are five passions - knowledge, wit, music, art and dramatics - and you can be trained in any one of the passions. Magnolia House runs a seven year program, allowing girls to embrace any one of the five passions during their time.

However Brienna has a difficult past that she must accept; Valenia’s enemy is Maevena and Brienna holds a dual citizenship. To make it all worse, Brienna doesn’t have an obvious passion like most people, so after attempting one passion for each of her first five years, she settles with knowledge. At the summer solstice though, Brienna isn’t chosen by any of the patrons and is forced to stay on at Magnolia.

Eventually the Dowager finds Brienna a patron, but he is an undercover Lord of Maevena - which is split into 14 pieces. But he is also one of three lords that rebelled 25 years ago…

The book draws you in and I’m sure I could rave about it for hours but you won’t like that - because I think you have some serious reading to do! I can’t wait for ‘The Queen’s Resistance’!

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

If you liked this author you might like: J.K Rowling, SharonCreech

About the author: Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, USA where she still lives with her husband. She has had many jobs including a school librarian but ‘The Queen’s Rising’ was her debut novel which she published recently in 2018.

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Duo of Sarah Lean books: 

The Riverbank Otter and Duckling Days

I would recommend these two amusing books to a slightly younger age group (7+). They were very entertaining and made me think about my grandmothers and our society today.

The Riverbank Otter

There is only one way to say this: May Days, grandmother to Tiger Days, is not your storybook grandmother. In fact, she is not very normal at all.

                                                                                           

This story is about a girl called Tiger. Her grandmother, May Days, lives at Willowgate House, and when Tiger visits, there is always a surprise waiting for her. In ‘The Riverbank Otter’, Tiger makes a new friend, Lucky, an otter. She is given important jobs by the vet, to feed and care for Lucky, but also to find him a suitable home on the river.

Meanwhile, things with her friend Tom are starting to get a bit complicated. Tiger wants the old boatshed to be a nature-spotters den, but Tom wants to be a pirate explorer. They fix up an old boat and use it to both of their advantages. This book has a happy ending and I enjoyed it.

Duckling Days

Once again, I enjoyed this book, but I felt younger children could also enjoy it.

In this escapade, Tiger is asked to look after some duckling eggs. Soon enough, the ducklings are making mischief wherever they go as they learn to walk and swim. But, they need a home and Tiger has to find one.

To add to this drama, Tiger finds out some information and thinks May Days is going to go back to Africa! She discovers the history of Willowgate House, uncovers mysterious secrets and reorganises an event which used to be annual as well as finding hidden artefacts! It sure is a busy trip for Tiger, May and their duckling friends!

FictionFan1 Rating: 7.5/10

NOTE: These are the 3^rd and 4^th books in the series of four but I don’t think it matters if you haven’t read the others.

If you liked this author you might like: Holly Webb

About the author: Sarah Lean is an English children’s author. Her most famous book is ‘A Dog Called Homeless’ which she wrote in 2012.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of ‘Tin' by Pádraig Kenny.

Perijee and Me by Ross Montgomery

I heartily enjoyed Perijee and me. It is full of surprises and carries a strong theme throughout the book- it is never right to hate. This book is about a girl called Caitlin, 11, who is out for a walk on the beach after a meteor shower and discovers a small ‘shrimp-like’ creature, who has a tendency to grow and to eat. 

Caitlin must find him a home - somewhere where he can’t get away until her father, an expert on aliens, returns home from a tour. On meeting Caitlin’s father, Perijee grows and a monster emerges out of him. Soon enough, he runs away and Caitlin is forced to accept he is gone. But then, on the news a catastrophe occurs.

A monster is terrorising the city and the city is flooded. The country is camped and these camps are guarded heavily. Everyone wants to kill Perijee, and finally Caitlin escapes the camp.

She makes a friend, loses two friends and finds herself on a boat as a sacrifice, before she is saved.

This book is so engaging and emotional as well! I was laughing, crying and angry as I read Perijee and me and it reminded me that we can’t always be right and there is prejudice in the world, and we can’t make a huge change, but every small change helps.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Sally Nicholls, Katherine Rundall

About the author: Ross Montgomery tours the country as a children’s author, and writes wacky books for young teens and small children.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of two books that I have received from Harper Collins. Thank you Harper Collins!

The 1000 year-old Boy by Ross Welford

Wow. Wow in capital letters. WOW WOW WOW WOW! There is no other way to describe this book. I want to congratulate Ross Welford on this amazing novel. Let me start this review with a bit of information about my connection to Ross Welford.

I was gifted a copy of ‘Time Travelling with a Hamster’ a few years ago and devoured it. About a year later, Ross Welford visited my school, and gave an interesting talk which I clearly remember featuring a write-a-story-in-less-than-5-minutes-without-pen-and-paper. During this visit, my family purchased a copy of his newest and second book ‘What Not to do if you Turn Invisible.’

This book came out today (thank you to my secret friend for the copy!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is the tale of a young boy called Alfie Monk who remembers the last Viking invasion of Britain. He discovers there is more to life than age, and sets about trying to find the last life-pearl, the only way to reverse the Neverdead curse.

Along the way, Alfie learns what friends really are, and encounters somebody he recognises…but when his house in the forest where he lives with his Mam, burns down, he has nowhere left to go, but a children’s home. Mam may have perished in the fire, but Alfie’s spirit did not, and his ever-empowering spiritual journey is a real heart-string puller.

This is an original story full of wit and brains, but also a hint of history, as we learn about Alfie’s Neverdead life. Full of interesting characters, this book is one that certainly exceeded my expectations. The blurb fits the book, and the characters fit the story. Wow, Wow and Wow again!

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebbeca Stead, Simon Mayo

About the author: Ross Welford used to be a journalist and television producer, but then became a full-time writer in order to pursue his dream. Ross visits schools and knows many book-themed magic tricks, and in his spare time, like me, he writes a blog!

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of A Message to the Sea by Alex Shearer

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

This story is just so moving. It’s the only way I can describe it.  I don’t normally cry when I read a book, ok maybe inside, but I had to let my emotions flow after reading Rooftoppers.

As stories go, this is a pretty good one. I first read it quite a while ago, probably when I was about eight, but have re-read it since and enjoyed it more than I did previously. This may be to do with the fact that I knew of some of the content, but I think I also understand things like adoption and guardianship much better now, which both play key parts in this novel.

The novel begins with a flashback of sorts, informing the reader of how Charles became Sophie’s guardian. It is around one chapter long, but later on in the book, some of the information in it is referred back to so don’t skip it!

Sophie is one of the only known survivors of a shipwreck that took place on what was probably her first birthday. Charles Maxim found her, wrapped in a Beethoven symphony, floating inside a cello case. Everyone tells Sophie she was orphaned in the shipwreck, but she is convinced her mother also survived the ordeal.

On a midnight outing, Sophie encounters Matteo, a boy who lives in the sky and runs across rooftops. Soon Sophie joins him and some fellow rooftoppers to try and find Sophie’s mother, before it’s too late.

This story can be boiled down to one moral. Charles reiterates this to Sophie and she uses it to convince him to help her search. I bet you can’t guess? Never ignore a ’possible’.

This expression is very motivating and a beautiful story has been weaved around it. Filled with emotion, like the different colours of wool, this book is one I will never forget.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebeca Stead, E.BWhite 

About the author: Katherine Rundell writes teen and adult fiction and was inspired for this novel by summers spent working in Paris, where this story is set, but also her own experiences, trespassing on the roofs of Oxford university.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of The 1000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford

Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais

What can I say? Piglettes certainly leaves an imprint on my heart, that’s for sure! I finished it recently and was sad to see it end, because it was so meaningful.

Piglettes is the first person tale of three girls, the medallists of their school online ‘Pig Pageant’. They unite, all for different reasons, and set off to gate-crash a presidential garden party, in Paris, a six day cycle away. Accompanying them is Hakima’s older brother, who is a double amputee. They share the same motivation, to strip an army officer of his bravery medal, for he was the cause of Kader’s disability.

Astrid, however, is a die-hard fan of the Indochines, a band that will be performing at the garden party. Mireille is heading off for a completely different reason. She has the intention of informing her father, the husband of the president, that he has a daughter, a fifteen year old daughter to be precise.

So together with three bicycles, a wheelchair, a trailer and several sausages, the group set out on their unlikely quest. Along the way encounter another type of fame, one they’re not as used to, and an unbreakable friendship.

This story motivates me to stand up for our rights, and reiterates an important concept; nobody is ugly and everyone has the potential to be their own hero.

FictionFan1 Rating: 8.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Sharon Creech, Laurel Remington, E.B White 

About the author: Clémentine Beauvais is French and has written many novels, mainly for adults, but some for children and teenagers. Piglettes is the English translation of Les Petites Reines and was translated by Clémentine Beauvais.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundall

The Secret Cooking Club by Laurel Remington

When I first read this book I absolutely loved cooking, it was my favourite hobby, and not to boast, I was pretty good at it too. Some things in life never change, but some do. I still have a passion for cooking but unfortunately it’s not the same urge it used to be. So I read this book, having chosen it for the title, not even having read the blurb, which for me is very rare, and really enjoyed it.

All this was nearly a year ago, but it still often visits my bedside table, something to pull me back in to the real world if I have read something too graphic, or even too boring. Now, these visits also make me realise how lucky I am.

We live in a world where, let’s face it, society is not always equal, and bullying is not just a story, but most of us have a chance to leave that world every now and again, through perhaps a book, a holiday, a friend, or even just a hug.  The Secret Cooking Club gives me a window in to that ideal world. All the events in it could easily be real and that just gives it an air of happiness, even understanding.

To give you a brief synopsis, The Secret Cooking Club gives you an insight into the life of a 12 year old named Scarlett. She is both the star and victim of her mum’s blog and wishes she could fall through a hole in the ground every Friday when her mum’s blog is published. Hopefully that is not the case for any of my lovely readers!

When her neighbour is taken to hospital and Scarlett visits to feed the cat, she discovers a huge kitchen, just on the other side of her living room wall. Scarlett finds herself returning, and soon forms a cooking club.

This book gives some reassurance that there is always good in the world, and you can always make the best of a difficult situation. I would tell you more but then I would have to have a big red sign saying !!!SPOILER ALERT!!! so I won’t, but once you’ve read it please comment below!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebecca Stead, Holly Smale, and Cathy Cassidy

About the author: Laurel Remington writes children’s and teen fiction and is also a mum to three girls. Her daughters love to cook and provided inspiration for this novel. She also visits schools to encourage children to read and write more.

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The Geek Girl series by Holly Smale

In the Geek Girl series there are six books; I have decided to review them as a series. They all link together perfectly and flow, almost as if they were one long book.

The first book gives a fitting introduction. It explains the characters and in short gives a brief synopsis of the series. The next four books, are the jam in the sandwich, the real meat. They share the story between them and each split is clearly just where it should be. The final book in this emotional series, finishes off the journey. The series ends thoughtfully though, almost a happy ending.

In short, this series is the story of the protagonist Harriet’s love life, her career and friendship. It is so moving and is a series I will remember forever.

Although I could ramble about the positives, every book has its fair share of cons. For this series, and remember I’m talking about the whole series here, I think it goes on slightly. I want to reveal that straight away. I think that with some more ‘clues’, the story would just click, it needs some more twists and turns in my opinion, just one more push.

I may be telling you about the things I didn’t enjoy as well as those I did, but I don’t want you to get me wrong here; I love this series and it is engraved in my heart. I would say it is aimed at tweenagers, probably from the age of about 10, but that shouldn’t stop anyone older or younger reading the series. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if mum enjoyed it!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8/10

If you liked this author you might like: Sharon Creech, Rebecca Stead

About the author: Holly Smale tells almost her own story in Geek Girl. Aged 15, she was spotted by a modelling agency and after falling over on catwalks and breaking expensive items, she decided to become a writer instead!

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of The Secret Cooking Club by Laurel Remington

The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B White

A couple of years ago, the only book I would ever talk about was The Trumpet of the Swan.  Although I don’t love it as much now, it is still one of my earliest memories of reading.

It is the story of a young swan, Louis, who has no voice. When Louis falls in love with another swan, Serena, he cannot declare his love. Louis’s father steals a trumpet from a local music shop to help him. Louis then seeks the help of a young nature watcher named Sam in order to pay off his father’s 

debt.

This story portrays emotion and determination on Louis’s part and devotion on his father’s. Sam is passionate about animals and is only too pleased when Louis requests help from him. It is a moving book and has a happy ending which suits its age category. I think this book is aimed at children aged 8+ but my Mum enjoyed it too when we read it together.

Personally, I am a fan of animal stories, but even if that’s not your favourite genre then you should still give this book a try. The main protagonist may be an animal, but I’d say that second in line would be Sam, who is a human. The book also demonstrates that animals and humans can be friends.

The Trumpet of the Swan is filled with emotion right from the word go. Love. Envy. Fear. Sadness. Determination. Grit. Friendship. This book has it all. It’s like a rollercoaster, dipping and diving, twisting and turning, and it will take you on a journey you'll never forget.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Holly Webb, Rebecca Stead

About the author: E.B White is commonly known as the author of the popular children’s book, Charlotte’s Web, which tells the story of a pig and a spider’s friendship. I particularly enjoy books that are by renowned authors but which are not their most famous works.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my review of Itch by Simon Mayo...

First Light by Rebecca Stead

First Light is a story about two worlds colliding and the resulting impact. Thea lives in a cold world, underneath Greenland. In another world, above the ice, lives Peter, who begins the story living in America, but then visits Greenland for his father to do some research about global-warming. Meanwhile, Peter’s mother is meant to be writing a book about mitochondrial DNA, but she gets ‘headaches’ and won’t talk or do anything she normally would insist upon during these periods. But Peter begins to suspect these ‘headaches’ are more than she tells of, some sort of sadness.

In the cold world, Thea is determined to find out more about her mother Mai who is now dead. Thea becomes unsure of whether her grandmother tells the truth when she says Thea’s mother drowned in the lake, and sets out on an expedition to find out the truth. With the help of her cousin Mattias, she embarks on a dangerous quest, to leave her birthplace and seek refuge in the outside world.

When these two very different worlds collide, they unravel a ball of secrets, of mystery and dishonesty. Peter joins Thea on her quest and takes his mother to see the cold world, not for the first time...

This amazing book tells not just a story of bravery, courage and friendship, but also touches on some science, about mitochondrial DNA and global warming. This gives the reader a chance to understand the natural world better, particularly the cold areas of it!

My tendency is to read books about emotional journeys or even physical journeys, but I will typically choose mystery over sci-fi, murder over sci-fi, adventure over sci-fi, love over sci-fi, friendship over sci-fi; in short I am not big on that particular genre. But, like most readers, I will give a book a try and if I don’t like it, put it down and reach for it again in a couple of months’ time. In this case although I am not keen on science fiction, I only needed to read the first chapter before I was convinced that I had to read the whole book! It is my absolute favourite book and has been re-read so many times that the pages are starting to get a bit tatty!

First Light is written in the first person, but after every chapter (5-10 pages) the narrator changes. The three narrators in First Light are Thea, Mattias and Peter and through these three viewpoints, you can understand everyone’s opinion, which is just how a book should be!

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

If you liked this author you might like: Sharon Creech, Simon Mayo

About the author: When I was younger, I was given a copy of Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead. Liar and Spy was one of my first proper books that in turn my brother and some of my cousins have read. So when I was asked by my grandmother what authors I liked, I said Rebecca Stead. Since then, she has kindly bought me First Light and I have devoured it. Recently I added When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead to my collection and enjoyed that as well. These are not the only three books Rebecca Stead has written; she writes for children and teen and has several other books to her name.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my review of The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White and Itch by Simon Mayo...