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.

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below. I will be posting more book reviews soon, and some of my favourite things to bake! 

Coming up soon: Stay tuned for more books and bakes!

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Growing up, Eva Ibbotson was one of my favourite authors. She has written so many books, and I read and enjoyed them all. However, my favourite by a long stretch has always been Journey to the River Sea. Maybe because it was the first Eva Ibbotson book I read, or maybe it was simply the best - but either way it was unlike anything I had read previously, and that really excited me.

Set in 1910, English orphan Maia is sent to live with her distant relatives, on a rubber plant in Manus, Brazil. Maia cannot wait, dreaming of the bright colours, and all the animals she will encounter, despite warnings from her classmates of man-eating alligators and wild, murderous Indians. But when she arrives in Manus, she is taken aback by the unwelcoming nature of her cousins and forbidden to leave their compound, begins to have her own adventures.

Over the course of the book, Maia meets a mysterious "Indian" with an inheritance, an up-and-coming actor dreading growing up, and embarks on a remarkable journey along the Amazon in search of a giant sloth.

This book will appeal to children of a range of ages, and although it would probably be best enjoyed by 9-13 year olds, it is accessible to everyone, and would probably make a fun bedtime reading book with a parent for a slightly younger child!

I really recommend this book, it is so enjoyable, with constant twists and turns, and never a dull moment. It is sure to be a fun read, that you won't be able to put down! 

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

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

About the author: Eva Ibbotson was an Austrian-born British novelist, best known for her work in romance and children's fantasy. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2010, having written over a dozen successful children's books.

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below. I will be posting more book reviews soon, and some of my favourite things to bake! Sorry that I haven't posted over the last couple of weeks - I have been busy - but I am hoping to be able to post more soon!

Coming up soon: Stay tuned for more books and bakes!

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.

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below. I will be posting more book reviews soon, and some of my favourite things to bake!

Coming up soon: Stay tuned for more books and bakes!

An Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls

An Island Of Our Own is an absolutely amazing book and I recommend it to anyone aged roughly 11 who loves an emotional journey. It is about the rollercoaster life of siblings Jonathan, Holly and Davy.

The trio are orphans, and with brother Jonathan as the official foster parent, and a waiter in the week, money is low and they just about have enough to pay the rent for their flat- there is no dishwasher and everybody hates washing clothes.

When their Aunty Irene has a stroke, Holly should have inherited all of her jewellery, but there is no jewellery to be found. Aunty Irene’s daughter Jo reveals to the family that Irene kept all of her documents and jewellery in locked safes so when Holly is given a photo album by her aunt on her death-bed, she is determined to solve the mystery of her missing family inheritance.

Jonathan is not so sure but with the persuasion of his internet girlfriend added to the mix, things begin to run a bit more smoothly until…sorry but I’m not going to spoil it!

One of the settings in An Island of Our Own is ‘the Maker Space.’ There are Maker Spaces all over the UK in this fictional account, which provide a sense of safety and security and encourage new things. Just to give you an example, they provide lock-picking classes!

Sally Nicholls uses imagery to help us imagine the atmosphere in the Maker Space- warm, jolly, welcoming- but I think it also adds a sense of security to the book, it makes us feel like the characters have almost got a second home.

An Island of Our Own takes on the style of an autobiography, Holly is the narrator, but we as readers also get a sense of calmness. As mentioned, the great detail of the Maker Space adds immensely to the plot but there is a twist at the end- at first the plot seems to be rolling on oiled hinges, but soon things become slightly more fragile! This book is definitely one of my current favourites.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Laurel Remington,  Katherine Rundall

About the author: Sally Nicholls is a British author and has published over 10 books and 1 movie!

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below. I will be posting updates whenever I read or remember a good book, which is pretty often!

Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of ‘The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight’ by Jenny Valentine

A Message to the Sea by Alex Shearer

I picked up this book in the library wondering what sort of book it would be. The plot was both original and intriguing. It turned out it wasn’t quite what I expected, but in a good way. I think this book is very similar in style of writing to Michael Morpurgo.

‘A Message to the Sea’ kept me hooked, and I’m tempted to look for other Alex Shearer books in the future. The main protagonist in this book is a young boy, named Tom Pellow. A year prior to the beginning of the book, his dad died at sea, but as Tom lives with his mother and sister near the sea, instead of the sea making him sad, it almost reassures him, like a father.

Tom throws a bottle in to the sea, as a way of ‘unbottling’ his feelings - get it? - but doesn’t expect a reply. Soon Tom writes more and more letters, in the hope of discovering his father’s whereabouts as he starts to discover some interesting facts...

Tom’s uncle works on a ferry, back and forth, back and forth every day, but he never gets tired of it. Near where he works, cargo ships are moored, waiting for when they are needed. The book also picks up on some conversations between two men painting one of the two ships, and the end of the story comes as a surprise.

This is the sort of book where at the end you just think, I should have known that would happen, or other things along those lines. I for one got to the end and thought, that was so obvious, how could I have missed that connection. But that just makes it an even better book, so go on, give it a try, and please comment below and subscribe by email!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebbeca Stead, SimonMayo, Michael Morpurgo

About the author: Shearer is a British novelist who was recognised aged 29 as a television scenario writer after having produced 30 works.

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below. I will be posting updates whenever I read or remember a good book, which is pretty often!

Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of The Honeymoon Sisters by Gwyneth Rees

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!

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below. I will be posting updates whenever I read or remember a good book, which is pretty often!

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

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

This book is one of my all-time favourite books and tells the story of a young boy named Jack opening up to his teacher Miss Stretchberry who urges and then teaches Jack to write poetry. Slowly he reveals more about himself, after being asked by his teacher to write about his pet dog, Sky.

You might wonder why I love this book so much. I know I’m always curious as to what makes someone recommend a book! Before ever reading a book, I will always read the blurb and any comments on the back, plus the first few pages. First, this book’s blurb: it’s original, quirky and intriguing and that made me want to know more.

The comments on the back of the book give an insight into what is to follow. One particular comment really strikes me every time I look back at it:

‘Is it a diary? Is it poetry? Is it a novel? Who cares? It’s simply the most original book I have read for years, and I see it as my duty to tell the world that the ‘book that cannot be pigeonholed’ has been written. Long live the author, may her imagination touch us all.’

In my opinion, this unusual comment by Benjamin Zephaniah is true to the spirit of the book, (which you can’t always say!) and is exactly how Love That Dog should be described. I would tell you more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you!

I am recommending Love That Dog to anybody looking for a book to take them on an emotional journey, up mountains and down canyons as they watch Jack exploring the world of growing up.  Particularly aimed at those aged 9-14, but if you are an adult, don’t be ashamed - get reading!

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Michael Morpurgo, Eva Ibbotson, Rebecca Stead.

About the author: Sharon Creech has written several other books, including an equally amazing sequel, Hate That Cat which describes Jack’s changing emotions towards cats and getting over an emotional obstacle that has been in his way for some time. At the end each of some of her books Sharon includes a list of some of the real-life poems used in her book. To all you budding poets, these might be of interest!

Join the fun: Please subscribe or comment below.  I will be posting updates whenever I read or remember a good book, which is pretty often!

Coming up soon: Stay tuned for reviews of First Light by Rebecca Stead and The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White...