The reluctant assassin is Riley, a Victorian boy who is suddenly plucked from his own time and whisked into the twenty-first century, accused of murder and on the run. Riley has been pulled into the FBI’s covert W.A.R.P. operation (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program). He and young FBI Agent Chevie Savano are forced to flee terrifying assassin-for-hire Albert Garrick, who pursues Riley through time and will not stop until he has hunted him down. Barely staying one step ahead, Riley and Chevie must stay alive and stop Garrick returning to his own time with knowledge and power that could change the world forever.
Chris Coloumbus is the writer and director of some of my favourite movies, including Gremlins, The Goonies and Home Alone. He’s a gifted storyteller for the screen who has now delved into the world of children’s books. His first children’s book is House of Secrets, co-written by Ned Vizzini, and I was interested to see if his books were just as good as his movies.
A secret history… A mysterious family legacy… Dark magic of untold power… And three kids who will risk everything to bring a family back together. The Pagett kids had it all: loving parents, a big house in San Francisco, all the latest video games … But everything changed when their father lost his job as a result of an inexplicable transgression. Now the family is moving into Kristoff House, a mysterious place built nearly a century earlier by a troubled fantasy writer with a penchant for the occult. Suddenly the siblings find themselves launched on an epic journey into a mash-up world born of Kristoff’s dangerous imagination, to retrieve a dark book of untold power, uncover the Pagett family’s secret history and save their parents … and maybe even the world.
House of Secrets is an action-packed blockbuster of a book about three children who are transported into the world of fiction. There’s something in this story to appeal to all kids – adventure, mystery, magic, witches, giants, warriors, pirates, and fictional characters coming to life. Most readers have wanted to actually be in the world of a story at some stage, and this is exactly what happens to Cordelia, Brendan and Eleanor (even if it was the last thing they wanted).
Chris and Ned have said that the story was originally going to be a screenplay for a movie, but they thought it would be too expensive to make so they adapted it into a book. I thought this came through quite clearly as the story really reads like it should be a movie. It’s quite fast-paced and there is lots of action so it will definitely keep kids’ attention. I can see why it would have cost so much to make this story into a movie, because it’s quite epic and there would be huge special effects involved. The house that the children find themselves transported in is much like the Tardis (‘it’s bigger on the inside’), with lots of hidden passageways, and it gets battered about by witches, giants and pirates. There are many different fictional worlds, filled with different creatures and characters.
The plot races along right to the end and leaves the story hanging for the next book in the series. I’ll be looking forward to discovering what comes next for the Walker children.
We’re very lucky today to be joined by New Zealand author Barbara Else. As well as writing novels for adults and editing several short story collections for children, Barbara is the author of the magical adventure stories set in the land of Fontania, The Traveling Restaurant and The Queen and the Nobody Boy. Barbara has written a wonderful post all about The Queen and the Nobody Boy and her wonderful new character, Hodie.
When you start work on a new story, usually you decide on the main character at once. But sometimes you might find your first choice isn’t the right one. It’s perfectly ok to change your mind.
This happened to me with my latest novel the second tale of Fontania, The Queen and the Nobody Boy. The obvious choice for main character was the Queen. In the first tale, her brother has a series of adventures when he turns twelve. I thought that when she turned twelve, little Sibilla would have adventures of her own. Because I didn’t want to simply repeat the same sort of story, I came up with the ‘nobody boy’ Hodie, who is the odd-job boy at the Grand Palace. I thought that I would use him as the main character for some sections and Sibilla in others. The technical way to put this is, I would use two point of view characters.
Being a queen, Sibilla has some big problems – people gossip about her and keep expecting her to do great things. That can be very hard for a person to cope with. But when I wrote about her in her point of view she sometimes sounded too sugary (argh!). Sometimes she sounded like a spoiled brat (doubleargh!). I also worried that because she’s already a queen, readers might have thought, What does she have to complain about? Did I think she was sugary or a spoiled brat? Definitely not. But writing from her point of view didn’t show her in the right way.
For me, the passion and grip of story come from the troubled heart of the character. In his sections of the story Hodie was working well as a character in this way. So I rewrote the whole story in his point of view, in his thoughts, in the way he sees everything (even though it is 3rd person). Through his eyes, Sibilla began to shine. She became more interesting and much braver. She became more vulnerable and charming in her own often very funny way. The whole story raced on much more smoothly. That’s part of the fun of writing – gradually figuring the best way to tell your stories.
Imagine that you were told that you woke up on a mysterious island, a place that few people know even exists, and told that you have six months to live. You’re told that you have a special gene that gives you amazing powers, but the only way to keep those powers under control and keep you alive is to retrieve seven lost magical orbs. These orbs have been hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and it’s up to you and your new friends to retrieve them before it’s too late. This is the task that is given to Jack McKinley in Peter Lerangis’ new series, Seven Wonders. The first book in the Seven Wonders series, The Colossus Rises is out now.
The day after twelve-year-old Jack McKinley is told he has six months to live, he awakens on a mysterious island, where a secret organization promises to save his life – but with one condition. With his three friends, Jack must lead a mission to retrieve seven lost magical orbs, which, only when combined together, can save their lives. The challenge: the orbs have been missing for a thousand years, lost among the ruins and relics of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. With no one else to turn to and no escape in sight, the four friends have no choice but to undertake the quest. First stop: The Colossus of Rhodes … where they realise that there’s way more at stake than just their lives.
The Colossus Rises is an action-packed blockbuster of a book. From the first sentence you’re hooked into the story and, like Jack, you’re whisked from your normal, everyday life into a strange new world. You’re taken to a place of legend, home to mysterious creatures, and where a group of kids have amazing powers. The mystery of the unique gene that Jack and his friends have and the magical orbs draws you in and you keep reading hoping to find the answers. Peter Lerangis is very good at only revealing little details throughout the story to leave you hanging and we’ll find out more as the series progresses. There is definitely more to the island and their quest that Professor Bhegad isn’t revealing to Jack and his friends (if you read the free ebook prequel, The Select, you’ll see what I mean).
Peter really keeps you on the edge of your seat. There is danger around every corner so you never know what to expect next. I wasn’t even sure that Jack and his friends were all going to make it to the end of the story alive, as they have some very close shaves. The second half of the book is especially exciting and fast-paced and had me engrossed in the story.
Like the Percy Jackson books The Colossus Rises is a mixture of adventure and fantasy. Jack and his friends have powers that help them in in their quest to find the orbs and the island is home to mysterious and mythical creatures. They have to fight for their lives with these creatures, both on the island and on the other side of the world, in plain view of normal humans.
Gregor the Overlander is about a boy named Gregor who lives in an apartment in New York with his mother, grandmother and two sisters. One day, he goes to the laundry room with his sister Boots, and they discover the Underland. The Underland is a place hundreds of feet under New York filled with giant bats, cockroaches, rats, scorpions and strange people, who send Gregor and Boots on a quest searching for their missing father.
My favorite character is Luxa, the queen of the Underland. She is a little arrogant but very brave. Gregor the Overlander is the first in a five book series. I give it a 8 and a half out of 10. Gregor the Overlander is suitable for 9 to 13-year-olds; boys and girls alike. Suzanne Collins is also the author of the best-selling trilogy The Hunger Games.
Emily Vole makes headline news in the first weeks of her life, when she is found in an abandoned hatbox in Stansted Airport. Then, only a few years later, her neighbour Mrs String dies leaving Emily a mysterious inheritance: an old shop, a small bunch of golden keys and a cat called Fidget. It’s the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime as the old Fairy Detective Agency comes back to life. It is up to Emily to reopen the shop, and recall the fairies to duty. Together they must embark on their first mystery and do battle with their great fairy-snatching enemy, Harpella.
Operation Bunny is a magical story, filled with a cast of wonderful characters, plenty of mystery, and a sprinkling of humour. It’s the sort of book that you sit down to read a few chapters and end up gobbling up the whole book because you’re enchanted by Sally Gardner’s storytelling and David Roberts’ hilarious illustrations.
I fell in love with the characters straight away and I wanted to be friends with Miss String and Fidget the talking cat. Emily is a Cinderella-type character because she gets locked away and made to do all the housework for her horrible adopted parents. Not only are they horrible, they’re also quite stupid. Emily’s adopted mother lets a strange lady into their house who turns her triplets into zombies, and Emily’s adopted father is a slimy wee man who’s hiding a secret and always calls his wife ‘Smoochikins.’ However, Emily is much smarter and braver than these horrible people give her credit for, and with the help of her rather unusual neighbours she escapes and starts her new life as a detective. Fidget is my favourite character because he is always happy to help and he has the best lines (which usually involve fish of some sort), like ‘Search my sardine tin, I don’t know,’ and ‘Twiddle my whiskers and call me tuna.’ I love the way that Fidget calls Emily ‘my little ducks’ too. Even though she doesn’t have parents that love her, she has a giant talking cat that is looking out for her always. There are lots of other interesting characters in the story, including a mischievous bunch of keys, zombie babies, a fairy policeman, a shop with legs, a magic lamp that talks, and lots and lots of bunnies.
David Roberts illustrations are wonderful as always and help set the tone of the story. They’re both hilarious and a little dark, and they bring Sally’s characters alive. I especially like the personalities that David has given each of the rabbits and the suave, charming look that he’s given Fidget.
I’m so pleased that we have more adventures with Emily, Fidget and the Fairy Detective Agency, Wings & Co.to look forward to. I can’t wait to read the next book, The Three Pickled Herrings.
Kingdom of the Wicked is the latest installment in the very popular Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. I had been very eager to read the seventh book, and so as soon as I got my hands on my new copy, I sat down and began to read feverishly.
From the very first page it is obvious that this book is going to be even better than the previous one. Skulduggery and Valkyrie have got their hands full, as numerous mortals across the city are suddenly gaining magical powers, and are dreaming of a man named Argeddion. They start to investigate, and so begins a new adventure, full of hideouts, evil teenage sorcerers, and lots of fighting.
Valkyrie is still struggling to keep control of her evil half, Darquesse, and her reflection is becoming more life-like by the day. When Valkyrie is given a temporary power (or perhaps curse), the trouble- and adventure- increases. The plot thickens and twists as the book progresses, more challenges being thrown at Skulduggery and Valkyrie as they strive to defeat the evil Kitana and her friends, Doran, and Sean.
Kingdom of the Wicked introduces you to many new characters and takes you to various new locations, such as the magical gaol (fit with the ultimate security system), the Alps (home to not-so-friendly Abominable Snowmen) and a couple of different dimensions (really). It is packed with the humour, adventure, and originality that made us all fall in love with the Skulduggery Pleasant series in the first place.
I was intrigued by Mr. Landy’s development of the magical world, overjoyed to have new characters to love or hate, and ecstatic to be reunited with my favourite characters. As usual, Mr. Landy’s wit and humour had me rolling on the ground laughing. One of my favourite “funny characters”, Desmond Edgely (Valkyrie’s dad), continues to amuse readers with his antics (although I don’t think Valkyrie finds them as amusing):
“’The great hunter-gatherer has returned victorious,” he announced. “I bring the womenfolk newspapers, fresh milk and bread. The newspapers led me on a merry chase, but the bread and fresh milk didn’t stand a chance.’
‘Well done, dear,’ Valkyrie’s mum said.
Her dad sat. ‘And I’ve also found Stephanie a new boyfriend.’
Valkyrie choked on her cereal and her mum looked up sharply.
‘You’ve done what?’”
Vaurien Scapegrace returns, providing even more laughs. If you haven’t read the series, Scapegrace is (at this point in the series) the head of a zombie, who was once a murderer wannabe. I’m sure you can already tell that Scapegrace, like so many of the characters, is a very unique person, who adds even more flavour to the addictive taste of the book.
All of this is just a hint of the experiences promised, should you choose to read the latest Skulduggery Pleasant adventure. I will warn you though; once you begin reading, you will never want to stop!
Hugo Pepper is a 12 year old boy who lives in the Frozen North. His parents, Phineas and Phyllida Pepper, were eaten by polarbears when he was 1, so Harvi and Sarvi Runter-Tun-Tun took him in and raised him as their own. Harvi and Sarvi are simple reindeer herders who leave gifts out for “the snowgiants”, and as Hugo gets older he helps them with the reindeer. One summer, Hugo was looking around the milking shed when he came upon a battered sled, the sled that his parents had arrived in the Frozen North on. With teary good-byes from Harvi and Sarvi, Hugo took off in the sled to Firefly Square, where his parents used to live. He makes friends with the occupants of Firefly Square, and ends up ridding them of a nasty magazine editor who continues to write horrible things about them.
This book is a great read for ages 9-13 because it uses descriptive language and the storyline is easy to follow. I couldn’t put it down, I had to keep reading because Paul Stewart made each chapter close with a hint of mystery, which leaves the reader longing to read on.
There are several illustrations in this book, which I found good because you could use the illustrations as templates for what you imagine the characters to look like.
Paul Stewart is also the author of The Edge Chronicles, another set of books well worth reading.
The Flytrap Snaps is the first book in The Fly Papers series by Johanna Knox. It is an quirky yet cool tale. I even found the dedication page unique:
“Dedicated to all the carnivorous plants that sit on our window sills and inspire us (you know who you are).”
Spencer Fogle is the hero of this story: he lives in the town of Filmington, which is famous for its variety of landscapes. For this reason it is used by producers all over the world to film movies, ads and videos. Spencer is used to hearing screams on his way to school. One day, Spencer hears a scream, and something tells him that this is not special effects in a horror film. He goes to investigate…and so begins a mysterious adventure, involving carnivorous plants, hench-women, wrestling and shampoo ads.
Dion is Spencer’s friend, and meets Spencer during the story. Dion is very theatrical, and dreams of becoming a movie star. He also happens to be a Venus Flytrap with four eyes. Yes…I think that Dion Horrible (his stage name) is definitely the most original element of the book!
I think that Johanna Knox has done a wonderful job of fleshing out the characters. I imagined each one very vividly…from Tora, a wrestling expert with amazing hair, to Spencer’s parents, who own a business that sells stuffed food, such as sardine-stuffed lemons. I also admire the way she writes in such a consistently humorous and strong way. There wasn’t a dull moment in the book, nor a moment when I wasn’t smiling at Dion’s antics.
The mystery gets darker as the book progresses. You will find yourself rooting for Spencer and Dion, hating Jimmy Jangle and his salami-breath sidekicks, Sybil and Cassandra, and turning the pages faster and faster as the pace of the adventure quickens. Will Jimmy Jangle find Dion? What is Tora’s secret? Will Dion get his change at fame? You will find the answers to these questions- and more- by reading The Flytrap Snaps.
Hodie is the unpaid odd-job boy at the Grand Palace in the Kingdom of Fontania. Fed-up, he decides to leave and better himself.
The young Queen, 12 -year-old Sibilla, is fed-up too. Sick of gossip about her lack of magical ability, she decides to run away with Hodie, whether he likes it or not.
The Queen and the Nobody Boy is a magical story, full of adventure, danger, royalty, spies, flying trains, stinky trolls and poisonous toads. Trouble is brewing from the very beginning of the story. The Emperor of Um’Binnia threatens war with Fontania and he hopes to destroy what magic there may be in the world. The Fontanians have been looking for ‘The Ties’ for many years, but nobody really seems to know what they are, and for the Emperor to carry out his plans he must get his hands on them too. Little do they know how important an odd-job boy might be.
Your favourite characters from The Travelling Restaurant return, including Sibilla and the pirate chef, Murgott. Hodie is the main character of this tale of Fontania. Even though he’s not treated very well in the Palace, he’s smart and brave, and determined to make something of himself. My favourite quote from the book sums up Hodie, ‘Whether a boy was somebody or nobody, if he was normal he was expected to be curious.’ Hodie and Sibilla meet lots of other interesting characters on their journey, including a rather strange Um’Binnian spy called Ogg’ward, and a very persistent squirrel. The Um’Binnians themselves are quite interesting. They have a different way of speaking and their names look and sound strange.
There’s nothing unusual about the Brockets. Boring, respectable and fiercely proud to be as normal as normal can be, Alistair and Eleanor Brocket turn up their noses at anyone strange or different. But from the moment Barnaby Brocket comes into the world, it’s clear he’s anything but normal. To the horror and shame of his parents, Barnaby appears to defy the laws of gravity – and floats. Little Barnaby is a lonely child – after all, it’s hard to make friends when you’re pressed against the ceiling all day. Desperate to please his parents, he does his best to stop floating, but he simply can’t do it. It’s just not who he is. Then, one fateful day, Barnaby’s mother decides enough is enough. She never asked for a weird, abnormal, floating child. She’s sick and tired of the newspapers prying and the neighbours gossiping. Barnaby has to go. Betrayed, frightened and alone, Barnaby floats into the path of a very special hot air balloon. And so begins a magical journey around the world; from South America to New York, Canada to Ireland, and even a trip into space, Barnaby meets a cast of truly extraordinary new friends and realises that nothing can make you happier than just being yourself.
The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket is one of my favourite books of 2012. John Boyne has crafted a magical, imaginative tale that celebrates difference and takes us around the world, introducing us to an interesting cast of characters along the way. If you like Roald Dahl’s books then this is the perfect book for you. The characters in Barnaby Brocket are similar to Roald Dahl’s characters, especially Barnaby’s horrible, selfish parents. As soon as he is born, Barnaby is the bane of his parent’s life. They are normal people who want a normal life, but Barnaby is anything but. A son who floats and gets a lot of attention threatens their normal lives, so his mother does the unthinkable. The worst thing is that they don’t even regret what they did!
I love all the interesting characters that Barnaby meets on his travels. There’s Liam (the boy with hooks for hands), Joshua Pruitt (the window cleaner with a hidden talent) and the imprisoned members of Freakitude. They’re all different in their own ways and they not only help Barnaby get back home, but also help him to realise that nothing can make you happier than just being yourself.
The final Artemis Fowl adventure from Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl and The Last Guardian, comes out this month. If you want to find out how the series ends and what happens to Artemis, reserve your copy at the library now.
Christopher Paolini, the author of the Inheritance Cycle, came down to Christchurch at the weekend for the Armageddon Expo. Along with hundreds of other fans, I went along to listen to Christopher talk about his books and get some copies of his books signed. I caught up with Christopher to ask him a few questions about his books and writing.
What inspired you to write the Inheritance Cycle?
Boredom, mainly, and the desire to have adventures myself. Growing up, I never wanted to be a writer. No, I wanted to be flying dragons and fighting monsters! But since I couldn’t do that, and since I had a lot of time on my hands after I graduated from high school at fifteen (I was homeschooled my whole life), I decided to write my daydreams down. Fortunately for me, enough people around the world have enjoyed reading them that I get to tell stories for a living.
How do you keep track of all the different characters within the world of your books.
With lots and lots and lots of files. I didn’t used to do that when I started Eragon, but very quickly I found myself with so many characters, I couldn’t keep track of all of them in my head. So I started writing them down in a file, along with all of the words of my invented languages, timelines, and so on. It can be a bit tedious, but in the long run, it saves a lot of effort.
How did it feel to get your story published when you were so young?
Well, it was gratifying to know that people actually wanted to read something that I had written. And it was really neat to see my books shelved in the library and bookstores just like all of the books I had read growing up. But at the same time, it was a strange experience to go from a rather rural upbringing in Montana to traveling all around the world and talking to thousands of people at a time. Writing and publishing these books changed my life completely, and again, I’m grateful for the opportunities they have given me.
The Inheritance Cycle has been a huge phenomenon. Do you feel any pressure from your fans to write something just as amazing, or even better, next?
Not really. I like to think that whatever I write next will be better than what I’ve written before (I’ve learned a lot from each book, after all), but either way, I’m happy with what I accomplished with the Inheritance cycle, and it won’t bother me if my future books aren’t as popular. When I started Eragon, I was just trying to write the sort of story that I wanted to read myself. Moving forward, that’s all I can hope to do. I can’t write to please others, only myself.
That said, I do think you’ll enjoy my next book.
How did you find the experience of your book being made into a film?
Strange and surreal! I’m glad that the movie was made—very few books are ever adapted into films, after all—and I gave as much input as I could into the process, but ultimately, the movie reflects the director’s and the studio’s vision of the story, even as the books reflect mine. Hopefully we’ll get some more movies in the future, though.
What books would you suggest for anyone that loves the Inheritance cycle?
Because I didn’t have anything else to do at the time, and because I’ve always enjoyed creating things with my hands, whether it was knives, swords, drawings, chain mail, or books. Also, because stories (both in books and in other media) touch me in a way that few things in this world do, and I wanted to share that feeling with other people.
What’s the best thing and the worst thing about being a writer?
Worst thing? Having to sit down every day and work on the same thing for years on end, even if I don’t feel like it at that particular moment. Best thing? Getting paid to describe my dreams for a living, and knowing that what I’ve written has changed people’s lives all around the world.
If you weren’t a writer what would you be?
A blacksmith, or a professional artist, or a film director. Whatever I ended up doing, I know that I would make things. That’s what I love to do—make things.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring writers what would it be?
Hmm. There’s no way I can restrict it to one piece of advice, so here’s what I always tell aspiring writers, regardless of their age:
Read, read, read, read. Good writers are good readers. Read what you love, but also read things outside of your comfort zone, because you’ll learn more than if you just stick with what you’re familiar with.
Write every single day. Don’t wait for inspiration. I only get inspiration about once every three months. In the meantime, I write. I write on weekends, I write on holidays, and I write on my birthday. In short, I write. I do take Christmas off—and of course I can’t really write when I’m traveling—but that’s the extent of it. Writing is like playing a musical instrument: if you want to get good at it, then you have to practice every single day, even when you don’t feel like it. So unless you’re in the hospital—and maybe even then—you better write. Of all the traits an author can possess, persistence is the most important. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. If you don’t practice, you’ll never master your craft. As Calvin Coolidge said: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “press on” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”
Write about whatever it is you care about the most. Writing is often difficult, but if you truly care about the subject material, that’ll help you through the rough patches. And it doesn’t matter what your interests are. Just don’t let someone else tell you what you should or shouldn’t write. If you want to compose a twelve-volume epic about singing toasters and flying unicorns … then go for it! There are over six billion people on this planet. Through sheer odds, I guarantee that there are lots of other people out there who like the same things you do, no matter how obscure they might be.
Learn everything you can about the language you’re writing in. Grammar is boring, I know, but the better you understand your language, the better you’ll be able to get what’s in your head onto the page and into someone else’s head.
Find someone in your life—friend, family member, teacher, librarian, etc.—someone who is a good reader, who likes the sort of thing you’re writing, and who can help edit your work. As painful as editing can be, I guarantee that you’ll learn more from editing than you ever will from just writing. The trick isn’t just to perform (and make no mistake, writing is a performance), the trick is to perform and to consciously evaluate what you’re doing so that you can improve. For example, when singing, it’s sometimes hard to hear if you’ve hit a bad note. That’s why every professional singer goes to a voice coach. Sometimes more than one. Writing is no different. Your trusted readers, your editors, are your voice coaches. Listen to them, and you’ll improve at your craft far faster than you would otherwise.
This doesn’t work for every author, but I would also recommend plotting out your stories beforehand. Again, a musical analogy may serve: it’s hard to compose a piece of music while performing it, so first you compose it, and then you can concentrate upon performing it as beautifully as possible. So too with writing. Also, read the book Story by Robert McKee. It’s highly useful when it comes to learning how to understand the underlying structure of stories. If I try to write without knowing where the story is going, I get instant writer’s block.
As a corollary to No. 2 – don’t give up. It’s incredibly easy to give up, and there are many, many people in the world who will tell you that you can’t do something. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can, assuming you’re reasonably intelligent and willing to put in the work. Sure, you’re going to get discouraged, and there are going to be days when it seems impossible to finish a book or get it published. That happens to all of us. Even once we’re published. The trick is to keep plugging away and trying to get better.
And lastly, try to have fun. You don’t have to have fun every day, but try to have fun more days than you don’t. If you can’t, maybe it’s time to think of a profession in a different line of work.
Thank you for reading my books, and I hope you enjoy my future ones even more.
And as Eragon himself would say, “Sé onr sverdar sitja hvass!”
While holidaying at his father’s house, Jake explores Wellington’s wild south coast, with its high cliffs, biting winds, and its fierce seals. When he stumbles upon a perfectly preserved sealskin, hidden in a crevice at Red Rocks, he’s compelled to take it home and hide it under his bed, setting off a chain of events that threatens to destroy his family. Can he put things right before it’s too late?
Red Rocks is a magical adventure story, set in New Zealand. Rachael King has taken the Celtic myth of the selkies and transplanted it into a New Zealand setting that kiwi kids will relate to. Jake is an average kid who gets sent to live with his dad for a few weeks, and like any kid, soon gets bored and sets off to explore the coast. I really liked Rachael’s interesting cast of characters, from old Ted who lives in a run-down shack along the coast, to the mischievous Jessie and mysterious Cara.
One thing that I really love about Red Rocks is Rachael King’s beautiful writing. She’s very descriptive so she paints a vivid picture of the wild, windy coast. It’s the sort of book that you want to read snuggled up in bed because you almost feel the biting wind and the freezing ocean.
Reserve your copy of Red Rocks at the library. You can also win a copy this week on Free Book Friday.
On Friday at Shirley Library we hosted the New Zealand launch of Barry Hutchison’s The 13th Horseman. We had some giveaways, a feast fit for a Horseman of the Apocalypse, and some special launch videos from Barry in Scotland.
If you weren’t able to get to the launch on Friday you can still join in the fun here and find out about this awesome book. Barry made 3 videos especially for his readers in NZ, in which he introduces The 13th Horseman, reads from the book, and answers some questions. Come on in and join the party!
Barry introduces The 13th Horseman
Barry reads an excerpt from The 13th Horseman
Barry answers some questions about The 13th Horseman
If you’re a huge fan of the Eragon series you’ll probably be jumping up and down with excitement right now. Christopher Paolini, author of the Eragon series, is touring New Zealand in June. Christopher will be in Christchurch on Saturday 30 June and you can meet him in person at the Armageddon Expo at Addington Raceway.
If you’ve never been to the Armageddon Expo before it’s two days of movie screenings, animation screenings, eating challenges, Dragonball Z contests, autograph signings and much more. For more information check out the Armageddon Expo website – http://www.armageddonexpo.com/nz/
War Horse is one of the movies I can’t wait to see. It’s directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the amazing book written by Michael Morpurgo. To celebrate the release of the movie we have 4 War Horse prize packs to give away, thanks to Hardie Grant Egmont. Four lucky kids will win a copy of the book and a double movie pass to go and see the movie.
All you have to do to get in the draw is leave a comment telling us: What is your favourite animal story and why? Leave a comment on this post with your answer and your name and email address (so that we can contact you if you win).
Thank you to everyone who entered the competition. The winners of the War Horse prize packs are:
I’ve been reading lots of short stories lately because we’ve been getting some cool collections of short stories in the library. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick is a collection of short stories written by 14 amazing authors, including Kate DiCamillo, Louis Sachar, Jon Scieszka and Lois Lowry. The stories are based on the original illustrations from the book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, in which there are only illustrations with a title and caption. If you’ve never seen The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, you should definitely get this from the library to have a go at making up your own stories to go with the pictures.
There are stories for everyone in this book, from the magical and funny to the strange and unsettling. There are naughty children, different dimensions, a wizard, floating nuns, aliens, ghosts, and a horrible stepfather who gets his comeuppance. All of the illustrations are amazing and you could make up all sorts of stories about them. I liked some of the stories more than others. Some of them are really strange and others just left me thinking ‘what just happened?’ My favourite story is The Harp by Linda Sue Park, about two sisters who are always bickering and get a spell put on them by a wizard. Get a copy of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick and discover this strange collection of stories from some of your favourite authors.
What happens when some of the coolest children’s book authors and illustrators play a writing game that starts with one person’s ideas and ends with a novel of 27 episodes? You get The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. The title makes it sound like it should be a horror story, but it’s actually a weird, crazy, funny, out-of-control story put together by some of the coolest authors around. If you’ve read or participated in the FaBo story that Kyle Mewburn started, The Exquisite Corpse is the same idea.
The story starts with twins Nancy and Joe escaping from the circus, where they have lived since they were babies. With the help of different clues, Nancy and Joe search to piece together the Exquisite Corpse and find their parents. Each chapter is written by a different author, so just when you think you know what’s going to happen next, the story can go off in a completely different direction. The story is a little bit like Alice in Wonderland and The Phantom Tollbooth because they meet lots of weird and wonderful characters and get into some tricky situations. The first chapter hooks you in by imagining what could happen in the rest of the story:
“…there is a good chance that Nancy and Joe will have to deal with werewolves and mad scientists, real ninjas and fake vampires, one roller-skating baby, a talking pig, creatures from another planet…plenty of explosions, a monkey disguised as a pirate, two meatballs…and not just one bad guy but a whole army of villains.”
Pick up The Exquisite Corpse Adventure if you dare and be prepared to be taken on a wild ride. Recommended for 9+ 8 out of 10
The reluctant assassin is Riley, a Victorian boy who is suddenly plucked from his own time and whisked into the twenty-first century, accused of murder and on the run. Riley has been pulled into the FBI’s covert W.A.R.P. operation (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program). He and young FBI Agent Chevie Savano are forced to flee terrifying assassin-for-hire Albert Garrick, who pursues Riley through time and will not stop until he has hunted him down. Barely staying one step ahead, Riley and Chevie must stay alive and stop Garrick returning to his own time with knowledge and power that could change the world forever.
