reviews 8 – 10 Junior/Middle continued


and provides practical help too with sandwiches and a battery charger for the dinoteks. The story moves on at a fast pace when a demolition army arrives outside the museum. Fortunately Marlin and the dinoteks escape via a secret tunnel. As the book ends Marlin and the dinoteks are heading to a place of safety,   in the series entitled Jurassic Adventure. The Dinotek Adventure series


and from Russia the story of the ghostly wild dogs that protect the traveller from a swarm of snarling wolves in the snow-laden forest. Meet Patrick        the merriment of the dancing ghosts on Halloween night and the tree ghost from East Africa who’s livid with rage when his bananas are stolen. Funny and sad, generous and


is cleverly conceived to appeal to technologically aware dinosaur fans. Dinosaur fact collectors will be pleased that lesser known dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures are included in the       The layout is simple but attractive with black and white illustrations throughout and a dinotek spotter guide at the back of book one adding to the fun. Dinotek enthusiasts will enjoy     http://www.dinoteks.com. SMcG


Nelly and the Quest for Captain Peabody


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Roland Chambers, illus. Ella Okstad, OUP, 176pp, 978-0-1927-4269-8, £6.99 pbk


The hero of this swashbuckling           father, the enigmatic Captain Peabody, is missing and Nelly knows that it is up to her to save him … wherever he is!  with girl power and doesn’t think twice about knitting herself some new sails for her namesake, the good ship Nelly, and setting a course for adventure. Though her story is teeming with playful pirate stereotypes, Nelly’s escapades offer a fresh approach to the genre. Macho male pirates become quivering cowards when faced with Nelly’s ferocity, and girly pursuits like knitting and waltzing are portrayed as indispensable skills for any successful seafarer. On her voyage to rescue her father, Nelly


overcomes gruesome pirates, upside- down whirlpools and giant octopuses, all entirely without help (though she has a little assistance from her turtle, Columbus). It is this resilience and independence that endear the reader to Nelly most strongly. She is headstrong and resolute and will  the North Pole! Even though, in this story, the narrative meanders a little off course at times, Nelly can be trusted to keep a steady hand on the tiller in future episodes where she is sure to continue rescuing hapless, beardy boys from peril! SD


The Ghosts Who Danced and other spooky stories from around the world


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Saviour Pirotta, illus. Paul Hess, Frances Lincoln, 64pp, 978-1-8478-0435-8, £14.99 hbk


All sorts of ghostly happenings and characters come alive in this compilation of 10 tales from around the world. From America comes the story of the burning ship that forever haunts the seas after mutiny on board,


vengeful, the characters are as varied in temperament as they are in shape – a warrior, a skull, a mask – and their reasons for haunting mere mortals are plentiful. Curiously, they behave for the most part according to the moral values of the living and, acting within these parameters, they become sympathetic rather than irrationally scary, which makes them all the more interesting, human and profound. The mood and tempo constantly        so encouraging the reader to travel further across the world. Beautifully      language, the stories read well aloud. As rich as the stories are the illustrations that vary from vignette and cut-out to full-page bleed. Colours too are ever changing, with bold, contrasting colours often indicating comic situations and mischievous characters, and a delicate, harmonising palette of greys, greens, blues and lilacs enveloping the kindlier spirits and encapsulating the gentler moods. AF


Precious and the Zebra Necklace


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Alexander McCall Smith, Birlinn, 96pp, 978-1-7802-7327-3, £9.99 hbk


This is McCall Smith on territory where  for emergent readers. He is also back with his most famous character, Precious Ramotswe.Precious as a girl is like her adult self, very kind and very curious. When a new girl comes to her school she soon takes her under her wing. But there is a mystery about Nancy: all she has of her mother is a photograph and a necklace made with zebra charms. With a little help they trace where Nancy’s mother’s village  immediately get lost in the bush and are rescued by a San boy. All turns out well in the end.It is a lovely story with a very distinctive voice, just like the adult Precious Ramotswe books, and beautifully illustrated by Iain McIntosh in three coloured prints. I think any child would love the adventure of the story, the setting and the illustrations of wild animals in the bush.


CD


The Night-Time Adventure Notebook: 50 Things to Do Before You’re 11¾


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Hannah Jones McVey, Nicola Daw and Richard Horne (ill), The National Trust, Pavilion Books, 96pp, 978-1-9098-8148-8, £8.99 hbk


       for The National Trust – responsible for protecting important places and spaces in England, Wales and Northern


Ireland – aims to encourage children’s love of, and knowledge about, nature. The 50 night-time activities are divided  for a hedgehog), See (go on a bat walk), Try (sleep under the stars), Play  night vision). Each page sets out an adventure, provides some ‘top tips’ and leaves a space for children’s writing and drawing. The ideas for children’s creative responses are imaginative and include making a moon chart, drawing the eyes of different night- time creatures and designing a scary forest. The authors want children to be adventurous and resourceful but it is   need adult supervision. Children aged about 8-10, and some younger ones too, will be inspired to observe and record what they see, but the book also celebrates the special, mysterious atmosphere of night-time. The last page shows an adult and child with their dog looking up at a full moon. MM


Evil Emperor Penguin 


Laura Ellen Anderson, David Fickling Books, 64pp, 978-1-9102-0051-3, £7.99 pbk


    chronicles the thwarted attempts of Evil Emperor Penguin to achieve world domination from his underground headquarters in the Antarctic. The would-be villain is assisted, or rather hindered, in his megalomaniac efforts by top minion, Eugene, a cuddly abominable snowman clone, and is served his favourite spaghetti hoops by his octopus sidekick, Number 8. There is also, of course, an arch enemy, Evil Cat. This is a very


and appealing handling of the regular comic strip themes of evil mastermind, bumbling sidekick and foiled plots. The illustrations are vivid, action-packed and easy to follow, the situations are entertainingly ridiculous, the narrative is full of witty wordplay and references to amuse children and adults and the characters


humorous


are endearing. Each episode is told in four pages of comic strips, with some stories having several parts. This format makes the whole volume an enticing prospect both for younger fans of graphic novels and for those new to the genre.


SR City Atlas 


Georgia Cherry, illus Martin Haake, Wide Eyed Editions, 978-1-8478-0648-2, 64pp, £20 hbk


Any parent or teacher who has enjoyed sharing Maps or Atlas of Adventure will undoubtedly fall upon this new title from the same publishing house. With its attractive cloth binding and generous format, the City Atlas embarks on a world tour of cities, not all of them capitals but each one memorable for its history or setting. Each city is colourfully presented in a schematic map that aims to capture the spirit of the place, the people, culture, food or buildings. Key landmarks and iconic buildings jostle alongside famous people and cultural              to ‘Go Gothic at the Cathedral de Barcelona’ or ‘Start your own Toy Story at FAO Schwartz’ in New York, But there is a surprising amount of information packed into each spread, from details       to a small taste of the language with a child greeting the reader (‘Hello’, ‘Hi there’ or ‘Salut’), though it’s a pity there is no phonetic pronunciation for Cyrillic or other scripts for Mumbai, Tokyo, Hong Kong or Seoul. Martin Haake’s illustrations are a delight – quirky, detailed and colourful, and oddly reminiscent of the Czech artist Miroslav Sasek, whose illustrated guides were many a child’s    city and to spot the details that make each one unique. Lovely for sharing and good enough for a birthday or Christmas gift, the ultimate accolade SU


10-14 Middle/Secondary


The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair


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Lara Williamson, Usborne, 336pp, 978-1-4095-7632-7, £6.99 pbk


It is a cliché to say that a book will make you laugh and make you cry. This one did twice, embarrassingly, as I was on public transport on both occasions. Becket lives with his dad and little


It is a story that deals with major issues that could have been overpowering but Williamson manages to get the right touch of humour and sadness so that neither dominates the other.


brother Billy and up until the start of the book Pearl. Neither Becket nor Billy knows why they left home in the middle of the night or why their dad    Their mum died giving birth to Billy and Becket feels that his life is a series of leavings without goodbyes. All he really has left of his mother is an armchair and when Billy cannot sleep they curl up in the chair and Becket tells stories of sailing the ocean.


there is also a hint of peril – we can feel that something is not right but we have no idea what it can be. The  and all the more satisfying for that. The characters came through very


clearly. Becket and his classmates were particularly well drawn. They all demonstrated ways in which adults can mess up children’s minds even when meaning well. Billy will stay with me for a long time; he was the most ‘random‘ child with a snail for a best friend, who never failed to make me laugh with his strange logic. An entertaining read with a serious and absorbing story at its heart. CD


Books for Keeps No.215 November 2015 27 Throughout


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