BfK 8 – 10 Junior/Middle continued


entomologist John Children, who took it upon himself to give his much-loved daughter the best education possible at a time when few girls were schooled at all. He taught her chemistry, physics, zoology and botany, as well as Latin and she became his partner in research, studying specimens together. Anna’s


Atkins in London sees her continuing dedicating


marriage herself


to creating


John Pelly a


herbarium and becoming ever more eager to share her work with a wide audience; if only there was a way to make an accurate copy of her collection, she thinks. When she moves with her husband and now retired father to Kent, Anna’s father gives her an exciting present – one of the very first cameras ever made. Father


and daughter


explore their shared interests and meet astronomer, scientist


together and


experimenter, Sir John Herschel who introduces them to cyanotope, the chemical reaction of which produces permanent images. Anna knows just what she wants to use cyanotopes for: to publish the very first book that brings together botany and photography. Wonderfully presented, this


biography of a pioneering woman scientist is both inspiring and distinctive in appearance. Fiona Robinson’s visuals make use of cyanotope’s blue and white, cleverly and imaginatively combining


her own art with


reproductions of Anna’s illustrations. A fine example of a book that demonstrates the importance both of STEAM subjects and the role of women in both the arts and science fields. JB


We Won An Island HHHH


Charlotte Lo, Nosy Crow, 208pp, 9781788000413, £6.99 pbk


Debut author


entertaining tale a remote


Charlotte of island presents readers with a perfectly Lo’s


family life on young


satisfying


blend of escapism, humour and wish- fulfilment. Luna, who tells the story, is the middle child between her elder sister Margot, who longs to build and fly aeroplanes, and her younger brother Fabien, who loves to knit and wants to keep sheep. Luna’s own wish is to run a donkey sanctuary, so when she reads about an eccentric billionaire’s plan to give away his Scottish island, she sees a chance to achieve her dream, save her family from impending homelessness and make her sad, depressed Dad happy again. Thanks to Luna’s


heartfelt


letter and Fabien’s gift of hand- knitted dolphin slippers the island is won and off the family go to a new life complete with ancient boat, bat- ridden house, eccentric neighbours, goats and big storms. This accomplished first novel is hilarious and heart-warming with comic set pieces, funny dialogue quirky characters, animal antics


to


and secret schemes. There is a nod to My Family and Other Animals in the scenes of human and animal mayhem,


the island setting and


the choice of Margot’s name. The chapters are short and fast-paced as scenes of triumph and disaster follow in quick succession. Happily, family love and community spirit overcome obstacles and all dreams come true in a satisfying story that should have readers laughing throughout. SR


The Winged Horse Race HHHH


Kallie George, ill. Lucy Eldridge, Macmillan, 233pp, 9781509885329, £6.99 pbk


This is a horse story with a difference, set in the world of Ancient Greece where gods rule, fight and meddle from the heights of Mount Olympus and winged horses fly through the skies. In the mortal world, foundling Pippa, (Hippolyta), works in a stable tending her beloved horses until the day she is caught in a storm and glimpses a huge silver wing in the clouds. Waking the next morning on Mount Olympus, Pippa discovers that she has been chosen as one of the riders in Zeus’ winged horse race. Each rider has been selected by a god, Pippa’s sponsor is Aphrodite, the winning horse will become Zeus’ new steed and the will gain immortality.


winning rider Pippa and her


skittish young horse Zeph are soon inseparable and set off to explore this unfamiliar world, making new friends, confronting enemies, meeting the Fates and trying to work out how to win and stay together forever. The task


of and


impossible when dealing with cheating gods


fellow competitors.


scheming, desperate Satisfyingly,


however, love, kindness, friendship, courage and fairness prevail in this magical, fast-moving adventure story with its mythological background and


appealing central character.


This enjoyable tale, complete with flying horses and ancient gods and goddesses, should appeal to young readers who have some knowledge of Greek myths and who enjoy fantasy adventure stories. SR


The Golden Butterfly HHHH


Sharon Gosling, Stripes books, 160pp, 9781788950329, £6.99 pbk


Luciana


granddaughter of the ‘Magnificent Marko’, once


loves magic and as the most


the famous


stage magician, she has been lucky enough to have been taught by her grandfather. However when he dies, her grandmother is visited by Thursby, the leader of the Grand Society of Magicians who wants to find the secret of her grandfather’s greatest trick – the Golden Butterfly. Luciana and her best friend Charley decide to visit London in an attempt to find out the secret of this trick. They uncover a


number of mysteries, not least being the true identity of another magician Adolphus Merritt and also why so many parts of the theatre seem to trigger memories for Luciana. This story is wonderful example


of the crime thriller tales that have been made popular over the last few years. This one is set at the end of the Victorian period and highlights many of the social issues that were prevalent in that period; in fact some of them are still issues today, especially the role


of women and


social inequality. However this is also a story about family in its many forms, and also about friendship that doesn’t follow the rules of society. The author has created a very atmospheric world, but particularly that of the variety theatre and the audiences that visited them.


The villain is truly obnoxious,


mainly because of his views about women, but also because he seeks to steal someone else’s work. I truly enjoyed the descriptions of the area around the Strand and anyone who knows that part of London will have no problem in following the route that the two intrepid investigators take. It is definitely a book for those who love Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine and anyone who loves reading about the Victorian period; I would also say that it is for boys and girls as both are fascinated by magic tricks and great adventures. MP


Swimming Against The Storm HHHHH


Jess Butterworth, Orion Books, 9781510106444, £6.99, pbk


winning seems


In common with Jess Butterworth’s other work, the setting of her latest story is beautifully described, richly detailed and contributes significantly to the plot. Swimming Against The Storm takes place in the swamps of Louisiana, swiftly immersing readers in the mysterious and unwelcoming environment. Two sisters, Eliza and Avery, have


spent their lives in a small fishing village on the edge of the swamps and have grown up with a deep affection for their home. They seem destined to follow in their parents’ footsteps as ‘shrimpers’, until they learn that water levels are rising to dangerously high levels around the village. Their only option is to fight to save the land they care about and, along with two of their closest friends, they head off in search of the mythical loup-garou, a creature that is rumoured to live deep in the swamps. If, somehow, they can find and capture one, then the government will be forced to intervene and help the local community protect the environment from the impending catastrophe. Although the book begins as a


relatively low-key adventure, the stakes are soon raised when the children realise the demanding nature of the task ahead of them. Tension levels increase rapidly as they travel into the swamp, moving further and further away from the safety of their village. Relationships are tested as challenges are faced and overcome, but the strong feeling of genuine love


that exists between the sisters is absolutely central to the writing. The key message about the importance of protecting the natural environment resonates strongly throughout and will be picked up by young readers. In addition, the political aspect of the story is subtly done and adds extra depth when reading. As I progressed through the book, I became totally immersed in the world created by the author and, after finishing, enjoyed spending time learning more about life in the Louisiana swamps. Swimming Against The Storm is the kind of gripping adventure that will appeal to fans of Lauren St John. It is perfect for Years 5 and 6, and I recommend it highly. Jess Butterworth is building a strong back catalogue of children’s books and it is thrilling to see her fulfilling her enormous potential as a writer. JB


Check Mates HHHHH


Stewart Foster, Simon & Schuster, 344pp, 9781471172236, £6.99


Stewart Foster’s new against-the-


odds story is an emotionally affecting tale of a complicated young boy and his kooky old grandfather, who find common ground on the chess board. Like Foster’s previous successes (The Bubble Boy; All the Things That Could Go Wrong), the main character in this story presents with a condition that makes his life difficult. Felix struggles to concentrate at school due to his ADHD and, as a result, often gets into trouble. His grandmother helped him a lot but, since she died, it’s pretty much impossible for him to succeed - so why bother? Much easier to lose himself in imaginary game in his tree house with his friend, Jake. Felix’s grandfather, though, is not


going to let him take things easy. Growing up in wartime Germany, Grandad keeps some very intriguing secrets, including how to master the game of chess. This does not interest Felix in any way, but Grandad is crafty and, through various bizarre tactics, Felix is somehow cajoled into learning the game. In fact, he learns it very well indeed. As he gets to grips with the intricacies of the ancient game, Felix unlocks potential he didn’t know he had. It’s not cool to like chess, though, and the book illustrates brilliantly the


challenge for school children


to succeed with something while simultaneously pretending they’re too cool to care about it. Yet care about it Felix does, and readers will care about it, too. There is absolutely no need to like (or know anything at all about) chess in order to sympathise with Felix’s journey from novice to championship contender. What is most


enjoyable, about the book, is how this


underdog beautifully story by other


impressive, and is balanced


twisting and


turning plot-lines. Grandad’s health is in doubt, but so is his past, especially when Jake and Felix find a few clues as to his role in the war.


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