BfK 8 – 10 Junior/Middle continued


– a very vivid metaphor. Emmaline herself is a quiet child, but as she remembers her mother saying, ‘still waters run deep.’ The book is written in the first person, and we immediately


Emmaline for her trusting nature and her spirit. She shows herself to be brave, determined and resourceful as she does everything she can to protect


Foxfire from the destructive powers of the mysterious Black Horse. The surrounding


Emmaline’s world are sympathetically drawn. The nuns are seen


genuinely care about the children they are looking after; Sister Mary Grace is gentle and kind, and Sister Constance


scolding is revealed to be caring. Benny is sneering and bullying, taking pleasure


but later we see a different side, a sympathy for her shown by his gesture of friendship and understanding. The illustrations by Levi Penfold are captivating, drawing the reader even further into the alternative world of the winged horses. Towards the end of the book a series of six double- page spreads brilliantly depict the overwhelming sense of darkness and terror brought by the Black Horse, and then the bright beacon of light that cuts through the dark as Foxfire is finally able to take to the air and soar through the sky. The story can be interpreted at levels


different


take from it what they want to see. Is there


of winged horses, another


glimpsed through mirrors? Or are they the dreams of a traumatised and feverishly sick child? Is the Black Horse a representation


which is out to get Emmaline as well as her friend Anna, or is it an evil force from this other world, who hunts other horses? Are the letters from the Horse Lord or are they written by Anna and then Thomas? Whichever way, the secret horses bring hope, and through great adversity Emmaline succeeds in collecting the colours of the rainbow together to combat the dark fear that threatens her world. This is a magical story which will


of death,


magical world which can be


and children can in upsetting Emmaline, although strict and


in to


characters the injured winged horse love


killing his father and taking all the rabbits prisoner. The Gorm are in thrall


structures that exert influence over the rabbits changing them into brutal warmongers


the natural balance of the world. Urging them to flee, Podkin’s aunt thrusts a package into his arms and along with his big sister Paz and little brother Pook tells them to make for the Redwater warren. The package contains a magical sword Starclaw plus a message from their mother explaining that the sword is one of the twelve gifts handed down from their ancestors and that Podkin must at all costs prevent the Gorm getting hold of it. The sword has the ability to cut through anything except iron. They discover Redwater has also


been overtaken by the Gorm and in escaping Podkin loses part of his ear. The youngsters almost give up hope of finding refuge but a kind and friendly witch, Brigid takes them in. In true epic fashion Podkin faces many more trials and dangers along the way and together with his siblings, a blind mercenary rabbit, and two dwarf rabbit acrobats they outwit the Gorm and Scramashank in a final battle at Camp Gorm. This modern day successor to Brian


intent on destroying to strange underground iron


and in real life. Framing the narrative is a song the children sing - The Seven Ways - a dancing, counting song - that gives the author an


play with the construction


novel as it builds to a climax . The translation is a delight, providing the slightly old fashioned prose style with a contemporary veneer. However, it is also very wordy slowing the pace of the action. Characters are also ambiguous, as the author plays with the idea that people may have more than one persona.


that the previous two novels, this is perhaps more of a curiosity - but an enjoyable one. FH


Peter in Peril: Courage and Hope in World War Two


HHHHH


Helen Bate, Otter-Barry Books, 48pp, 978-1-9109-5957-2, £12.99 hbk


This story of a Jewish family’s life in Budapest during the Second World War is superbly format. Words skilfully


start of this first person narrative, young readers will identify with Peter. He was mischievous, friendly and sometimes, like other children, bored; his favourite things were


Jacques is a classic tale of David against Goliath where the tenacity and wit of Podkin and his siblings wins through and gives a strong message that heroes are made and not born and that might does not always prevail. The atmospheric adventure is told in an engaging way with plenty of detail and a good pinch of magic enriched with some excellent artwork from David Wyatt. Above all it is a warm family story of love and loyalty and standing up for what you believe in. Watchful young readers will enjoy the satisfying twist at the end too. I hope Podkin’s feisty and clever older sister Paz has a chance to shine in further titles. JC


The Song of Seven HHH


Tonke Dragt, trans Laura Watkinson, Pushkin Press, 978-1-7826-911-05, 356pp, £12.99 hbk


hold very special appeal to young people, and they will return time and again to pore over the beautiful illustrations. LT


Podkin One Ear HHHH


Kieran Larwood, ill. David Wyatt, Faber 282pp, 978-0-5713-2840-6 £9.99 hbk


A bard trudges through the snow on Bramblemas Eve hoping to trade stories for supper.


lived happily all his life in Munbury longbarrow until one


Scramashank


rabbits – and their storm


the a chieftan’s son, has


group of waiting rabbits there is only one tale they want to hear – that of Podkin One Ear. Podkin,


fearsome Gorm – zombie like iron- clad


night the leader


warren, For the eager


Frans van der Steg is the village schoolmaster and at the end of each day he tells his class a story, a story about Frans the Red. The stories he tells - well, they are just stories. Today, however, it is so hot, he isn’t in the mood. ‘Why?’ ask the children. ‘I’m waiting for a letter’ is the reply. That evening there is a storm - and through the door blows a letter! Readers will now know Tonke


fairytale, where reality and fantasy merge, blurring boundaries between the actual and the imagined. This can make for some awkward moments but under


whole, well handled as Frans and the schoolchildren become involved in a search for a treasure both in the story


26 Books for Keeps No.221 November 2016 Dragt’s pen is, on the of the folk and


Dragt’s name from the success of The Letter for the King. There they were transported into a world of chivalry. Here we are in the somewhat topsy-turvy world


with guns ordering the family to move far away to live in a cramped house with other Jewish families. It is the detail that is so telling- ‘we could take only one bag each’. When Peter’s father buries a box of papers in the garden before they leave he asks Peter to remember where the box was buried ‘just in case...’ Peter wonders ‘just in case what?’. Readers will sense that it was the uncertainly that was so hard to endure. The pictures with their strong line arresting throughout, showing


are


football and eating cake’. But new laws started to impinge on the lives of Jewish families like Peter’s. Young readers will understand his dismay at having to wear a yellow star and not being allowed on buses or trains. got worse – we see men in uniforms


It ‘playing combined and told and, pictures


in graphic are


from the Less immediate the


opportunity to of


food. But Helen Bate includes some happier things. For example there were other children to play ‘button football’ with and Peter’s little


made friends with a girl who taught her ballet ‘and they danced for hours’. There are some acts of kindness too – neighbours looked after the family’s possessions and a Russian soldier offered a gift of bread. The family were remarkably


resilient in the face of the constant need to move to keep safe.


page panel of The Secret Place Above the Office shows how difficult it was for them to stay silent in the shabby area in the roof of the building so that office workers below did not hear them.


The full


was the times when the children were separated from one or both of their parents that were most dispiriting. When they moved to ‘The Children’s House’ Peter worried that ‘we might never see Mum and Dad again’. Our Last Hiding Place was ‘dreadful’ but somehow his mother had managed to get hold of a book for his birthday full of stories about castles, jungles, explorers and knights – ‘it was like entering a magical world’. Some final pages tell us about the


life of the family after the war and there is a photograph of Peter with his children and grandchildren showing that for this family life went on. An engrossing true story for children


It sister, Eva,


to read themselves, this could also be read aloud to a class or group and the larger picture panels shown and discussed. It will, I feel sure, prove to be an excellent resource for the over nines learning about the Second World War. MM


Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World


HHHH


Laurence Anholt, Frances Lincoln, 32pp, 978-1-8478-0666-6, £12.00 hbk


people and buildings with great clarity. A restricted palette emphasises the grey and grim surroundings in the cellar of The Jewish House where families sheltered when bombs fell on the city. And there was never enough


Like the other books in the Anholt’s Artist series this one is structured round a story about a child’s meetings with a famous painter. Seeing things from a young person’s viewpoint adds great interest and helps draw young readers in. Young Mariana visits the house of Frida Kahlo, the renowned Mexican painter, and in the course of having her portrait painted she and the artist become true friends. However, at first Mariana is fearful as she has seen some of Frida’s arresting and rather unusual paintings and has heard that there is a skeleton above her bed. The skeleton turns out to be just a big, friendly looking toy in a funny hat and Mariana comes to appreciate that the paintings are very beautiful. The visits are full of rich experiences: Mariana meets Frida’s many exotic pets- a spider monkey, a parrot, an eagle and a baby deer -and she marvels at Frida’s beautiful long dresses and her interesting house – which is ‘like a bright blue fairy tale palace’. Anholt’s pictures are full of life and colour in the distinctive style of the artist and the written text in hand writing style helps make this a personal story. Some amusing things happen: tells Mariana that she has


Frida


another pet – the enormous Frog Toad. This turns out to be Diego,


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