Rebecca Recommends: 'Fright Forest: Elf Girl and Raven Boy' by Marcus Sedgwick

This is the story of Elf Girl and Raven Boy. They are not their real names of course. In fact, they do not even know each other’s real name. For some strange reason, they adamantly won’t tell each other. There is no time to get the truth out though, as they are thrown together and must navigate their way through the spooky 'Fright Forest', full of trolls, witches and ogres in order to find both family and home.

If you are looking for quirky characters with endearing awkwardness and humour, this is a wonderfully whimsical children’s series to delve into. Elf Girl and Raven Boy have been created with brilliant chemistry and it is enthralling to watch them bumble their way through their perilous adventure. As with all thrilling quests, ‘Fright Forest’ is littered with adrenaline filled reveals and tempting answers in the shadows. Author Marcus Sedgwick has formed leads with plenty of personality but also with a touch of mystery. Enticing reading therefore can be found, not only from its exhilarating plot but by a driving fascination, as you follow them through the strange and creepy forest, of discovering who Elf Girl and Raven Boy really are.

I was drawn to this great find by spotting the work of illustrator Pete Williamson. Found in the previously recommended ‘To be a Cat’ by Matt Haig, his gangly wide eyed character style fits perfectly with the offbeat and charming story telling found in both books. Illustrations adorn almost every page, whether it is a spooky portrait, a moment of slapstick action or thorny branches curling its way around the page, creating visual appeal and enticement for a growing reader.

Elf Girl and Raven Boy’s adventure continues so keep an eye out for a future posts as they make their way to 'Monster Mountains'. I can’t wait! 

Illustrated by Pete Williamson. Orion Children's Books (2012)

For more information, please check out : 

http://www.marcussedgwick.com/egrb.html

http://www.petewilliamson.co.uk/

Rebecca Recommends: 'The Spiderwick Chronicles: Book 1 The Field Guide' by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

I was intrigued by a vague recollection of ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ name as I reached for its dark spine on the rather colourful children’s bookshelf. The front cover is rich in detailing, from its variation of glossed and grooved surface to the spindly, curl trimmed typeface of its title. Holding the petite hardback I felt drawn into the illusion and excitement of possessing a secret journal, a theme continued inside with a map and two letters, one written on a typewriter and one by hand. Both mysterious and cautionary.

The story follows the spooky discoveries of Jared Grace who moves into the creepy dilapidated Spiderwick Estate along with his mother, his twin Simon and his sister Mallory. His siblings are high achieving (Mallory being skilled at fencing) and seemingly at peace with themselves (Simon busily caught up in thoughts of his growing animal collection.) His recent achievement being a bruised eye from a fight, Jared is left as the black sheep of the family.  He is not best pleased to be moving into the decrepit building but soon strange goings on ignite his curiosity. A secret room, some frightening pranks and a mysterious journal lead the Graces together to uncover an alarming discovery.  And this is only the beginning.

I was entranced by this little book and thoroughly look forward to reading the subsequent sequels. The characters are intriguing and eccentric, the plot has a growing sense of suspense and mystery and it conjures an imaginary environment that is both fascinating and spooky.  I loved the pen and ink illustrations. Scratchy yet meticulous sketches, which in my imagination feels as if they were created in the moment with the greatest of precision and study, in order to document what would turn out to be a strange unraveling of events. The story is one of a series with its bite size format leaving you with more than enough pleasure to make it addictively collectable. Keep an eye out for future posts on The Spiderwick Chronicle series!

Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. Simon & Schuster (2003)

For more information, please check out: http://pages.simonandschuster.com/spiderwick/

Rebecca Recommends: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ by Cressida Cowell.

This is the story of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, a 12 year old Viking and our unlikely hero. Despite being the laughing stock of the village, Hiccup is set to one day take over the very silly Hairy Hooligan tribe from his father, Stoick the Vast. To stay in the tribe, Hiccup must prove himself and survive the ‘Dragon Initiation Programme’ or face expulsion, or more likely, death. Against some terrifying dragons and some rather scary odds, our clumsy but clever Hiccup goes against time-honoured traditions in order to become the legendary ‘Dragon Whisperer’ and the last of the great Viking heroes. This book is part of a fantasy adventure series, recommended for ages 8 and up.

It all begins with poor Hiccup caught up in a hazardous lesson in dragon catching. Led by the formidable Gobber the Belch, the group of boys (who are all too eager) must creep into the dragons’ cave and claim a dragon for their own or else face exile. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Hiccup must trust his instincts and his acquired dragon knowledge in order to survive, not only this challenge but the many challenges to come.

‘I was not the sort of boy who could train a dragon with the mere lifting of an eyebrow. I was not a natural at the Heroism business. I had to work at it. This is the story of becoming a Hero the Hard Way.’ – Hiccup. © Cressida Cowell (2003)

 I loved all the characters of the book, with the foolishly fearless Vikings, the cunning cat-like dragons and Hiccup (one of the few with any common sense) complementing each other to create great comedy. The story definitely keys in to the fact that humour can be found in everything going ridiculously wrong.    

© Cressida Cowell

The illustrations by the author are great scrawling scribbly ones, a style that almost creates a sense of animation and one that fits perfectly with portraying the loud gruff Hairy Hooligans, the blustering storms and the sly sneaky dragons. 

While the story is written in the third person, the prologue and epilogue are written by the ‘author’ Hiccup and add a wonderful illusion of reality to this fantastical tale. Despite the perilousness of his past and the warnings for the future, it’s of great comfort to hear an older Hiccup reflecting on the adventures of his youth. It is encouraging to know that this unlucky boy will one day be recognised as a legend among his people and that perhaps, with a little luck and bravery, it might be possible for anyone to be a hero too.

This is a book I would highly recommend. Cowell’s comedic characters and descriptive slapstick action coalesce into an enormously humorous and exhilarating read that will appeal to children and parents alike. (This book is only Hiccup’s first memoir. To discover his full story of his journey to becoming a Viking hero, check out the full series!*) 

Illustrated by Cressida Cowell. Hodder Children’s Books (2003)
For more information, please check out:
http://www.cressidacowell.co.uk/
http://www.howtotrainyourdragonbooks.com/

*The eleventh book, published this year, is ‘How to Betray a Dragon’s Hero.’ The twelfth, which is yet to be published, will be the last in the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ series.

Rebecca Recommends: ‘The Dinosaur That Pooped A Planet!’ By Tom Fletcher & Dougie Poynter

This is the story of Danny and Dinosaur and their adventure to space, where Dinosaur manages to poop a planet. Yes, that’s right. A dinosaur that poops a planet! It’s a lucky thing that you can’t smell in space. This is a funny picture book for young children.

The story begins with Danny and Dinosaur who are desperate for some fun, when Danny comes up with a wonderful plan. Why not go to space today? So, after their mummy packs them a delicious lunch, they are off to the Science Museum. The museum is full of huge shiny rockets and Danny and Dinosaur can’t resist going inside a big orange spaceship, conveniently ready for launch. With buttons everywhere inside, what child could resist pressing them all? Before Danny and Dinosaur know it, they are shot into space on an exciting intergalactic space mission. But what will happen when Dinosaur’s belly starts rumbling and Danny realises that they've left their packed lunches back on earth? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

© Tom Fletcher & Dougie Poynter. Illustrations by Garry Parsons 

With inventive and charming rhymes in the style of Dr. Seuss, this is an irresistibly funny book, perfect to read out loud to children at bedtime. It was a lovely surprise to find my edition came with a page of stickers of the characters (I discovered I still get excited by stickers) as well as a QR code to view a video clip of the authors Tom Fletcher & Dougie Poynter (who I also discovered are two of the guys from the band, McFly).

The illustrations by Garry Parsons are wonderfully vibrant and humorous and the depictions of Dinosaur are particularly endearing. I’m certain that children will find this story a joy and I am sure that little boys in particular will find the poo references particularly hilarious. 

With colourful illustrations, a silly story and lots of funny poop, it’s hard to find fault with this very entertaining picture book. 

Illustrated by Garry Parsons. Red Fox (2013)

For more information, please check out:

http://www.garryparsons.co.uk/

Rebecca Recommends: 'To Be A Cat' By Matt Haig

This is the story of Barney, a curly haired school boy who is unfortunately going through a string of bad luck. The book does not start with his introduction however. It begins with a secret. A warning. Cats are magical, mysterious and NOT to be underestimated. When Barney wishes his woes away, he is inexplicably turned into a one and thrown into dangerous territory. A plot full of twists and turns, Barney must escape feral cats and a rather evil headmistress and somehow return back to his human form. A story that highlights that you must be careful what you wish for. This is a magical mystery adventure for children aged 9 and up.

© Pete Williamson (2012)

After the unexpected and rather intriguing forewarning by the author, Barney arrives in chapter two rather quietly. An instantly likable and relatable character, Barney is sadly dealing with too many problems that are all trying to get their claws in at once. A nasty school bully, a horrible headmistress and his Dad’s sudden disappearance all weigh heavy on his shoulders. All on his birthday too. In the days that follow, things just get worse for poor Barney. After some strange goings on, Barney half-jokingly asks a peculiar cat whether he fancied swapping places. After all Barney’s been through, you sympathetically nod and agree that in his position, you would wish the same. At that moment, Barney experiences a spell of dizziness and heads off home, not knowing that his transformation and mysterious adventure is about to begin.

'Be careful what you wish for - Old saying, said by miserable people everywhere.' © Matt Haig (2012)

I loved the darkly comic mood of the story, reminiscent for me of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket. I was gripped by its thrilling pace and wonderfully convoluted mystery that had me guessing all the way through. Its surprises and revelations were thoroughly enjoyable, with unexpected threads of the story weaving in when you thought it couldn't get any more exciting. Despite all this action, its well rounded and memorable characters are not neglected. Barney’s problems are handled with plenty of heart and while all does not end as expected, the story concludes with a touching message that left me smiling as I finished the last page.

The black and white illustrations throughout are charming and funny and I particularly enjoyed the rather sinister portrayal of Miss Whipmire, the headmistress. I also loved the added detail of the flip book effect of a running cat on the bottom of each page.

© Pete Williamson (2012)

I believed that this will be well-loved by all that read it for its exhilarating plot, superb villain and touching message. It was an unexpected and satisfying find and I will enjoy picking this one up again in the future. 

Illustrations by Peter Williamson. Corgi (2012)

For more information, please check out: 

http://www.matthaig.com/

http://www.petewilliamson.co.uk/

Rebecca Recommends: 'The Night Fairy' by Laura Amy Schlitz

This is the story of Flory. She is a night fairy whose wings become damaged and so must undertake the life of a day fairy, navigating her way flightless and alone through a dangerous garden in order to survive. A fairy book for children aged 7 and up.

While Flory’s story begins with a tragedy that leaves her vulnerable and wounded, her strength soon shines through and she is discovered to be a brave and quite feisty little character. Having lived without any guidance from her fellow fairies however, (who apparently can’t abide bad manners), Flory can be a little rude and bossy. But through the dangers of the garden and the adventures she takes, Flory soon learns her lesson and you root for her all the way.

‘I work in a school library and little girls come to me every week, asking, “Do you have a book about a fairy?” They don’t want a fairy tale; they want a story with a fairy as the main character. They want to gaze at fairy pictures and think themselves small, alive in a dewy jungle of flowers.

I wrote The Night Fairy for these little girls. They are often quite interesting little girls—animal lovers, adventure lovers, and future wild women. I wanted to give them a fairy book that would combine the minute prettiness of fairy life with excitement and suspense.’ – Laura Amy Schlitz, Author © Candlewick Press (2011)

What I loved about this book was its beautiful sensory descriptions that really pulled you deep into the world of Flory’s story. Many of my beloved childhood books such as ‘The Little White Horse’ by Elizabeth Goudge and the 'Harry Potter' series by J.K Rowling would take the time to cherish visual delights and physical experiences, with descriptions of food and drink so ripe and full that you could almost taste it. This is what ‘The Night Fairy’ does so beautifully. I felt as if I could hear the rain and distant sound of bats and birds in the night. I was there to feel the whoosh of momentum as Flory and I clung to the back of a huge squirrel and I sat with her on the floor of her abandoned bird house as she magically wove her spider web rope.

‘She is a creature of simple needs, and after providing herself with a bed, clothes, and storage under difficult circumstances, she gets on with her mission outdoors. She is brave and resourceful – a perfect heroine.’ Angela Barrett, Illustrator. © Walker Books Ltd (2011)

Within the story, there is a subtle lore of the night fairies which helps build Flory’s character as well as explain how her magical abilities continue to grow. The book is also interspersed with absolutely gorgeous and memorable illustrations; vibrant, rich and exciting. Wonderful pictorial treats that I was eager to come across.

 I would definitely love to recommend this book. It will be going in my treasured favourites pile and I’m so glad I picked it up. If you know any girls or boys (or big kids like me) that like a good fairy story or going on an adventure with miniature creatures in a giant’s world, this is a great book to pick up.

Illustrated by Angela Barrett. Walker Books (2011)

For more information, please check out: www.thenightfairy.com