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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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.

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 The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight by Jenny Valentine

What is the Double Life? That was the first thing that went through my head when I picked up this book. This story is about a boy, Chap, who runs away from foster care, ends up in a hostel and sees a missing boy poster of a boy called Cassiel Roadnight. Here’s the catch, Cassiel looks very similar to him. They could be twins.

If Chap says yes, then he will have a comforting family, a warm house. But he runs two risks. First, the real Cassiel could arrive home any minute and secondly, he might not be up to the acting, and might be seen through!

So far I have made this book sound absolutely brilliant, I bet you’re thinking, ‘why didn’t I make it a 10/10?’ Here’s why. The start of the book was action-packed. We find out a bit about Chap’s background but are still very slightly curious.

In my opinion, the middle is  v e r y   s l o w. I gave up a number of times, then persuaded myself to keep reading. But boy, it was worth it! The ending is fast and furious, a thriller and a chiller!

So I recommend this book to patient people, who will give this a go and keep trying and persevering because there’s a mighty surprise at the end!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8/10

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

About the author: Jenny Valentine is a British children’s novelist and has over 15 titles to her name.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of ‘Perijee and Me by Ross Montgomery

Just a note: So sorry I haven’t blogged in a while- I’ve been very busy and have struggled to find time!

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!

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

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