Children's Fiction

This is the last book in this most entertaining series about Edgar the raven and the mad cap family the Otherhands.

Otherhand castle is up for sale because Valevine has finally run out of money. Edgar is away on raven buisness, but in the meantime a little ravenlet called Rob appears!

Solstice and Cudweed decide to try and help their parents and save the castle with horrendous results.

Jake D'Jones is a seemingly normal teenager with slightly eccentric parents and a lost older brother. The he gets kidnapped and find out that his parents are part of a secret time travelers society. His subsequent adventures, getting to know his fellow travelers, and trying to find his parents, make engrossing reading.

Clear to read, with historical facts and backgrounds as a bonus, this is a enjoyable, humorous escapist action novel, and the start of a series which has to be good news.

Ibbotson is renowned for her children's books, and this is no exception. A thoroughly charming story of loyalty and friendship that develops between a lonely boy and his four-legged friend, with easily relatable characters for children, and just the right amount of simplicity without being patronising. A colourful adventure sure to capture the imagination of the readers.

Such a lovely story, and a shame that it is the last Ibbotson book.

I have to say - I am a huge fan of both author Francesca Simon and actress Miranda Richardson, who's renditions of these Early Reader books makes them such fun to read and to listen to. They feel so alive and raring to go - and in this story - a female sheep who's searching the farm looking for her lamb.

A simple story well told made even more fantastic by Miranda Richardson - one that I feel will entertain both child and parent.

The second of the Time Riders series and this time it's back to the time of the Dinosaurs !

I really couldn't get into this book. While I'm quite a way from the target young adult audience, I did read and enjoy, with some reservations, the first one.

This time, even with a new female construct and consequent romantic aspect, it failed to hold my attention, I did finish but only by skipping through. I'm not sure why, the writing is good and the characters and plot are okay - perhaps it's the gore and last minute solutions that didn't work for me.

Quicksilver is a book, brought to us by Sam Osman, about three kids from around the world that have somehow come together in a (made up) run down London 'burb! Apparently this town is very close to Crystal Palace and Dulwich... but that's by the by! Wolfie who is native to the London 'burb, Tala and Zi'ib who hail from continents far and wide, are drawn to the town of Thornham by mysterious magical forces to begin an adventure that will fulfil an ancient prophecy...... Oooh.. Sounds exciting???

A gripping start to this new series about teenage time travelers policing the past. Couldn't wait to get the next page !

However, a few disturbing, jarring notes, for me anyway bearing in mind of course that I am not a member of the target audience !

I read "Lost Christmas" in 4 hours as I found it very difficult to put down. David Logan has written a brilliant book for the 10+ age group with Goose(Richard) being the central character of the story with Anthony and Frank being the others - we know who Frank is - but who is Anthony and why doesn't he know he's Anthony?

This is the latest book in the Edgar the Raven series and in my opinion the funniest book so far.

Edgar is a very bored Raven because he is longing for something to happen; so a trip to the circus and a Fortune Teller called Madame Zora, who comes to stay at Castle Otherhand, make events take an unexpected turn!

I love this book with all it's odd ball characters, especially Valevine who is head of the household and an inventor. Edgar's forays into the larder when cook was not looking is hilarious.

After reading the first book, I couldn't wait to read the next, and I wasn't disappointed.The way the plot twists keeps you wanting to read, and the story has been developed enough to keep you interested whilst still keeping the original characters and themes.

In this book you get to know the characters more, and the way the author has written them makes them believable - mature for their age but still teenagers, with Gabriel having the right level of maturity and knowledge whilst still being connectable to the (younger) reader.