Advent Count Down- Book 20

This story is inspired by the real life story of Annie Oakley. She rose to fame as a sharp shooter on the circus trail of the Wild West. This imagined story is that of young Maggie whose family are in destitute circumstances after the death of her father. Her mother is very much against her using her shooting skills gained from going out with Pa. I loved that fact that despite the challenging relationship she has with her mother young Maggie keeps trying to find ways of supporting her family. Great to have a story about a strong willed woman.

Advent Count Down - Book 19

I have read many of Elizabeth George's adult crime novels and loved the story telling and detail. This series is aimed at Young Adults. But it is crime novel with the addition of fantasy. Imagine you could hear what others are  thinking. Becca is on the run from an abusive family situation and has been sent to an island where one of her mum's old school friends lives. But that friend dies just as Becca arrives and Becca is out of phone contact with her mum and has little money to survive on.  One of those stories which raises lots of questions but you just can't put it down!

Advent Count Down - Book 18

Two people jump from a building and disappear. As various characters tell their version of events this mystery is gradually revealed in this sci-fi fantasy romance. Could it be a government cover-up, a secret genetic experiment, or young people just living too close to the edge?  

Christmas BOOK CLUB

Had a fun lunch with the BOOK Group and our Christmas book quiz. 

A few of us had time to have a go at book corners. Great aren't they?

Advent Count Down - Book 17

This was my favourite read of the senior/staff book group. A crime from the past and a crime from the present are threaded together in outback Australia. This novel has a strong sense of place and the geography, the weather (the heat) and the landscape all build up the tension to make this a gripping read.

Advent Count Down- Book 16

“Believe in the impossible”

The story of Nikolas and his visit to Elfdom to find his father. On route he heals Blitzen and the seeds of the Christmas story are sown. A magical tale of what it means to be kind and to give.

Advent Count Down - Books 13-15

Ok I am cheating a bit taking a series- to go over the weekend. But I'll Count two as one. I may have read most of these a few years ago but every so often I will pick one of them out and start re-reading.    War is awful and terrible things happen in these books but the resilience of the young people is remarkable.  Beautifully and simply told with a wonderful light humorous touch.

"Once I escaped from an orphanage to find Mum and Dad.

Once I saved a girl called Zelda from a burning house.

Once I made a Nazi with a toothache laugh.

My name is Felix. This is my story."

Advent Count Down - Book 12

Nicky Singer's "Island"  has to be one of my absolute favourite reads of this year. Beautiful illustration from Chris Riddell add to the magical, mystical feel of the story. Yet it is contemporary with topical concerns of how we look after our planet.

Cameron is a city boy but comes to this uninhabited Arctic island with his mother, a scientist. There he meets an Inuit girl and a white polar bear amongst the snow, the white cottongrass, the erupting graves, the 24 hours of daylight and the Ukpik-owl.

And any book which advocates silence as a positive is a winner with me.

Advent Count Down - Book 11

 Eleanor is clearly different and will stick out in a crowd whilst Park is someone who just wants to keep his head down. Then Eleanor  sits next to him on the school bus. Slowly over the months their friendship builds as they get to know each other's tastes in music and books.

I have come late to Rainbow Rowell's books. Published in 2013 I missed this novel, perhaps because it is a love story. But this is so much more than just a love story, it is about what it is like to be a teenager, about a myriad of anxieties, about  dysfunctional family, about not being in the popular crowd: a definite recommendation to S3/ S4 readers.

Advent Count Down- Book 10

Ahmet is 9 years old, a Syrian refugee separated from his family. This book will restore your faith in humanity as the children in his class show care and an understanding often missing in the political debate we hear in the news media when discussing issues of immigration and refugees.

Simple, humorous and heartwarming story from Onjali Q Rauf.

Advent Count Down - Book 9

Identity- Family- Resilience

A fabulous book which really surprised me.   

Kiko

• suffers from social anxiety
• knows nothing about her Japanese heritage
• has a challenging relationship with a mother who is incredibly cruel
• does not get into her first choice art school

When everything appears to be stacked against Kiko just that one opportunity (and not the one she dreamed of) changed her life forever. A challenging read but well worth it.

Advent Count Down - Book 7 and 8

It's the weekend so I am allowed to choose two books.

I have always enjoyed Elizabeth Wein's stories.as they feature strong female characters, often set at a time in history when the role of women was changing dramatically.This is true of  both "White Eagles" and "Firebird".  Both are published by Barrington Stoke, are in the "super readable" format and are set in the past with female aviator pioneers. The main character in both books is based on a real life story.

The hero of "White Eagles" is Kristina who at just 18 joins Poland's air force when the country is on the brink of war (1939). There is plenty of tension and as Kristina  navigates her most challenging flight, only to find she has a stowaway on board.

Nastia is the lead fictional character,  the daughter of Russian revolutionaries. She starts as an idealist, serving "the Motherland" but as events unfolds, Nastia begins to question everything she has always believed in.   We learn about  the Romanovs, the  former Russian Royal Family and of one of Russia's leading aviators Marina Raskova and the regiments she trains to fly during the war.  Nastia is a fighter pilot and the description of the flights is my favourite part of the story. The book leaves us to ponder her future after landing behind enemy lines. Does returning home make her a traitor? And what happens to traitors?  

Advent Count Down - Book 5 and 6

I am going to cheat and recommend two books this time. Sarah Crossan is an amazing writer and writes incredible stories in free verse. "One" is the story of conjoined twins and "Moonrise" is about the effect that going to jail for a criminal act can have on the rest of the family. Both books are just simply beautifully written. Loved them but both are emotional reads so you might need a box of tissues to hand!

Advent count down- Day 4

Today's choice is "Things a bright girl can do" by Sally Nicholls. If you enjoy Young Adult books with a bit of history and politics woven through the story then this is a great choice. The cover does not do it service as an introduction to the suffragette movement over the period of the Great War. Three female characters from very different social backgrounds fighting for their right to vote.
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Advent Count Down- Book 3

My third book is probably one that will amaze my library helpers. Yes I am recommending "Rok of the Reds" by John Wagner and Alan Grant.  I struggle to read graphic novels, let alone enjoy them. But with this one I made it to the end with more than one or two chuckles.There is football and sci-fi as Rok of Arkadia, an alien on the run,  takes over the body of arrogant footballer Kyle Dixon. He soon learns to play the game and shows more respect to the fans than Kyle ever did.  And the artwork is great.

Advent Count Down - Book 2

Today I would like to recommend  "Seed" by Lisa Heathfield. This book arrived on my desk last month and I had it read in a night! It is a gripping story of life lived in a cult. "Trust us" Papa S tells Pearl and so she does.  Papa S is the leader of the community at Seed where 15 year old Pearl has lived her whole life - and he's the last person she should trust. When a family from the forbidden outside comes to live at the community Pearl begins to realise that there could be a very different version of the outside world to the one she has been told about.

Advent Count Down

This advent I will be counting down with some of my favourite reads of the last year.
My first choice is the moving
"Orbiting Jupiter" by Charles D. Schmidt

When Jack meets his new foster brother he only ​knows 3 things about him​ 

•Joseph almost killed a teacher​ 

•He was incarcerated at a place called Stone ​Mountain​ 

•He has a daughter and her name is Jupiter. ​And he has never seen her.​ 

This is a short and deeply moving book about love and resilience.​