BfK


west, unless they are refugees from such horror. But to Shura and Tanya, living in Leningrad under Stalin, this is a real happening when first their father and then their mother and small baby brother are taken away and they become non-people, invisible to all around them who just want them to go away and not disturb their lives. At first the children, seven and nine years old enjoy spending the money their mother has left them, but then the reality hits when they return to find someone else living in their small apartment. On the run now they start talking to birds in the hope they will help find the Raven, the name coming from something overheard. They become separated and eventually Shura finds himself in an orphanage where everything is grey and everyone looks the same. He escapes finding himself invisible, but eventually rescues his baby brother and finds Tanya and Aunt Vera and safety. This starts off as a straightforward


story of two children in an impossible situation in Soviet Russia, but the reality


of the system under which


they live is brought to the reader by the eyes that watch Shura, the ears that come out of the wall, and the fact that he is invisible to passers- by. This claustrophobic feel enfolds the reader and becomes quite sinister as it is obviously meant to be, making one feel a non-person. The tragedy of Lena whose husband has been given ten years and who decides to wait for him in the same apartment so that he will find her, the caretaker and his wife invisible too, all bring the nature of lives under this regime to life. This is a chilling story, not


for


every child and maybe for an older readership than 10-14, but I think it will need introducing to readers who may well in time go on to read Solzenitsyn’s A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovic to learn more. JF


A Darkness of Dragons HHHHH


S.A.Patrick, Usborne, 400pp, 9781474945677, £6.99, pbk


If you think you know the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin then perhaps this will make you think again. This is a world with Dragons, and Magicians who create their magic by playing the spells on their pipes, hence the abilities of the Pied Piper. The story is set a generation after the infamous events of Hamelin and the hero of this story, Patch Brightwater was a trainee piper until he used a forbidden spell and found himself locked up in the same castle prison as the Pied Piper. After an attack on the castle the Piper escapes and Patch finds himself on a quest to find the villain and stop him from destroying the country. Luckily he has two staunch allies to help him; Wren who is a girl cursed to be a rat and Barver who is a dragogriff. How they go about their task makes for a very exciting tale.


suddenly


10 – 14 Middle/Secondary continued This is an absolutely fabulous


version of the Pied Piper’s world. You really begin to understand the evil nature of the person and the devastation that has been felt from the loss of so many children and baby dragons. The author has created a truly magical world, but one in which life is not always easy. The plot is complex, with several interweaving strands that gradually start to make sense and to make connections with each other. The heroes are flawed in many ways, but they come to develop a very close relationship and show the importance of friendship. This is very much in the mould of high fantasy and is going to be great for those who have really loved authors such as Terry Pratchett, JRR Tolkien and C.S Lewis. This is definitely a book to be read at leisure but it will also find a home in many school classrooms and libraries. I really look forward to the next in the series as we watch Patch and his friends continue their adventures. MP


The Secret Deep HHHH


Lindsay Galvin, Chicken House, 276pp, 9781911490029, £6.99pbk


What starts out as a straightforward family story


turns something very different


into and


definitely worrying. When their mother dies, Aster and her sister Poppy are sent to live with their aunt in New Zealand. However she is a scientist researching cures for cancer and they find themselves at her research facility at an ecovillage near the coast of North Island. Whilst their aunt is glad to see them there is a definite sense that something strange is going on and her colleague Dr


Nygard is obviously hiding


something. There is a parallel strand to the story as a young man called Sam, who they met on the plane, is desperate to find a cure for his grandfather and thinks that Nygard might help. After an accident at sea Aster is washed up on a deserted island and starts searching for her missing sister and aunt, but things get stranger by the hour. How Poppy is found and why circumstances are so confusing makes for an amazing story with elements of science fiction and mystery. At the heart of this story is the


strong bond between members of a family, but it also highlights the dangers


that occur when people


become fixated by an idea or a dream. Both the girls and Sam have either lost someone to cancer, or have a family member suffering from it. The problem is that there are so many types of the disease and I would have liked the author to be more specific about the conditions, rather than using the very generic term. The twists and turns that we find in the plot raise many questions and there are lessons for all of those who think we should be working with DNA and


28 Books for Keeps No.232 September 2018


manipulating everything from crops to humans. I love the way the author gradually brings different strands in to play, often changing the direction of the plot as she does so. This is a story that really makes you think about the world we have and how far we are willing to go to ‘improve’ life. It is a great story for those who love elements of sci-fi and dystopia but it would also have a strong role to play within the school environment when talking about health and ethics in particular. MP


Riddle of the Runes HHHH


Janina Ramirez, illus. David Wyatt, Oxford, 978-0192766335, 256pp, £6.99 pbk


From Henry Treece and Kevin


Crossley-Holland to Cressida Cowell and Francesca Simon, Viking lives and myths have inspired some of the best books for children. Historian and broadcaster Janina Ramirez has added to the canon of exciting junior historical fiction with her enthralling Viking mystery story. Central character Alva lives with


her mother, uncle and baby brother in the settlement of Kilsgard. She also has a pet wolf Fenrir, named after Loki’s son, rescued as a cub. Her father is away ‘a-Viking’ and much missed by the family who nonetheless accept his deep need for adventure and


exploration. The background


particulars of Alva’s life are vividly described, home, family and the Viking society; it’s full of detail, yet there is never even the faintest whiff of the library shelf. In the foreground too is a mystery, indeed a Viking crime procedural drama: the peace of the Kilsgard community has been disturbed by the arrival of men from England, on the trail of lost treasure. Moreover one of the men has been kidnapped, which means a ruthless villain or villains are on the loose in the area. Alva investigates with her uncle Magnus – a junior Lewis to his Viking Morse – and both are astonished to discover that her father is not just involved somehow, but actively helping them solve the mystery through a series of secret messages.


The


riddle thoroughly


of


the


runes satisfying puzzle


is


a to


untangle and young readers will be completely gripped as they decode the clues with Alva. Core to the story too is a wonderfully strong sense of family, and everyone who reads it will be eager for Alva’s next adventure, hoping that it might see her reunited with her father. David Wyatt’s


illustrations,


wonderfully atmospheric and detailed, including some double page scenes, are an added treat. MMa


Agent Without Licence (AWOL) HHHHH


Andrew Lane Piccadilly Press, 9781848126633, £6.99, hbk


Being a huge fan of Andrew Lane’s Young Sherlock and Lost Worlds books, I was delighted to discover Agent Without Licence, the first in his new AWOL series. Kieron, a teenage boy, is visiting


the local shopping mall with his friend Sam, when they witness a man being violently abducted by a pair of thugs. The victim leaves behind what initially appears to be a pair of sunglasses and a wireless earpiece but, on closer inspection, is an extremely high tech virtual reality kit. After managing to get the equipment working, they unwittingly make contact with Bex, a secret agent on a mission in India, and quickly realise that they have stumbled upon a scheme involving an extremist political organisation with grand plans to wreak havoc upon the world. This book has a lot of parallels the CHERUB series by Robert


with


Muchamore and the Young Bond books by Charlie Higson and Steve Cole. The fact that Andrew Lane used to work for the Ministry of Defence gives his writing an extra level of authenticity, especially when describing the numerous high tech gadgets that appear throughout. With the


main characters quickly


becoming aware that they are in way over their heads, the energy and pace is relentless right through the book. The slightly awkward relationship between Kieron and Bex gives the characters an extra of believability and the fact that they don’t meet in person until near the end, with the action being divided between northern England and Mumbai in India, also adds to the drama. I thoroughly enjoyed this as, in common with Andrew’s other books, it’s cleverly plotted with a clear sense of direction. It also draws on current tensions and political situations across


the world. Agent Without


Licence is intended to be the first of a series, with book two, Last Safe Moment, due to be published towards the end of 2018. The content is probably suited to the lower end of Key Stage Three.


It could also


be enjoyed by children in Year Six, although I’d suggest reading it first. JB


Flight HHHH


Vanessa Harbour, Firefly, 280pp, 978 1 9100 8076 4, £6.99pb.


Jakob is a Jewish boy, Kizzy a Roma girl. They are both orphans, victims


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