reviews 8 – 10 Junior/Middle continued


the reading. I can imagine a great classroom discussion as to which Misfit is the nearest fit for each of member of the group. JB


Bumpfizzle the Best on Planet Earth


HHHH


Patricia Forde, ill. Elina Braslina, Little Island Books, 120pp, 9781912417032, £6.99 pbk


This hilarious, written,


and addition to the


very cleverly ‘diary of


an alien’ genre should have its 8+ readers laughing out loud as they read Bumpfizzle’s reports to the Great Master of Planet Plonk on the hazards of life with a family of earthlings. The author explores sibling rivalry in a skilful and subtle way that leaves readers to make up their own minds about the narrator of the story.


Is


Bumpfizzle an alien warrior from outer space


investigating earthlings for


their potential as a food source or is he Daniel, a disgruntled middle child squeezed between older brother and Baby and seeking parental attention? Either way, readers of this brilliantly funny and accessible story have a treat in store, one that is greatly enhanced by the lively and humorous illustrations by Elina Braslina and by the use of clear fonts, page layout and diary format. This is definitely a title to recommend to fans of funny fiction. SR


People of Peace: 40 Inspiring Icons


HHHH


Sandrine Mirza and Le Duo, Wide-Eyed Editions, 96pp, 987-1-78603-148-8 £9.99 hbk


Some of the people in this book will be well-known, but there are some interesting stories previously unknown to this reviewer: Victor Schoelcher, who signed the decree abolishing slavery in France; Sophie Scholl, who was executed, aged 21, for distributing anti- Nazi regime leaflets around her university; Jody


Williams who


campaigned successfully against anti- personnel mines, and Tegla Loroupe, Kenyan marathon runner and peace activist. Daniel Barenboim is there for his work with Edward Said in forming the East-West Divan Orchestra with Arabs and Jews together, Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, and Bertha von Suttner who was vice- president of the International Peace Bureau. Malala seems to be in lots of books at the moment, but her work is indeed very important. The book consists of 40 double- page spreads, with a stylised picture of the person on the right hand page and brief


chunks on both plenty


information in bite-sized sides. There are


of photographs of most of


these people available, but no doubt it costs less to use a recognisable cartoon


image than an actual


photograph, and certainly this gives the book its own very definite style, and makes it good value and a useful addition to the library for information, or for browsing. It is one of a series: others feature Fantastic Footballers, Music Legends, and Greek Gods and Heroes. DB


Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor HHHH


Patricila Valdez, ill. Felicita Sala, Andersen Press, 40pp, 978 1 7834 4741 1, £6.99 pbk


Joan Procter, the subject of this inspiring picture book biography, was fascinated by reptiles even as a young child, when she went everywhere accompanied not by a doll but a favourite lizard. Thus began her lifelong immersion in all things scaly, from being given a baby crocodile as a gift on her sixteenth birthday, to


being appointed as


assistant curator at the Natural History Museum and subsequently succeeding the museum’s curator of reptiles on his retirement. Joan’s expertise in herpetology, with her


coupled dragons resulted in her being invited


artistic skills, to


redesign the Reptile House at London Zoo. Here, the arrival of the first Komodo


from Indonesia


caused a particular stir with both members of the public and the media, especially when she fearlessly tended to a sore in the mouth of Sumbawa, one of these dragons. Before long Joan Proctor was an


international sensation renowned for her scholarship, her dedication and her clinical skills. Throughout the book, the author references to Joan’s


makes subtle


chronic ill health that resulted in her untimely death aged only thirty-four, but foregrounds her many achievements and her passion for herpetology. Sala’s vibrant illustrations portray


her as a chic young woman often with a long rope of pearls around her neck, surrounded by her beloved reptiles, and


highlighting that about Immersive


life, the and


enormous


affinity between her and the creatures she cared for. At the end of the book is information about Proctor’s photographs and facts Komodo dragons.


exciting, this is a book to add to a collection of titles featuring ground- breaking women, especially those in STEM fields. JB


Elizabeth & Zenobia HHHH


Jessica Miller, Faber & Faber, 240pp, 978 0 571 33573 2, £6.99


After her mother abandons them, Elizabeth and her scientist father Dr Murmur move to Witheringe House, his childhood is introspective


home. and


Dr sad,


working on his manuscripts with no time for his daughter. Elizabeth finds consolation in her imaginary friend and alter ego, Zenobia, who is her opposite in many ways.


Murmur always


Witheringe House is grey and bleak,


shrouded in fog, its garden a tangle of weeds. A clump of hedge reveals an overgrown maze with a dead-looking tree at its centre.


Zenobia is sure


that the place is haunted, and, with Elizabeth reluctantly in tow, sets about locating the ghost, or Spirit Presence, that she believes lives there. Together, they explore the house, even the East Wing, which is out of bounds. In the dust-filled nursery, Elizabeth sees the face of a young girl in the shifting patterns of the flowery wallpaper and soon stumbles on other unsettling elements – a tombstone dedicated to her father’s younger sister, a mysterious gardener who speaks in a snake-like hiss, an abandoned red shoe and a mirror that ripples like a pool of water. The


story, essentially about a


child craving recognition and love, is the author’s first novel. Well written, its gothic setting works well and is convincingly creepy and suspenseful. The secondary characters – the distant father, hovering housekeeper and likeable governess – provide the backdrop and build suspense. The main characters, Elizabeth and Zenobia, complement


each


other – the former is timid, cautious and


lonely, the latter obsessive,


outspoken and flamboyant - and their interaction results in tension, drama and also humour. By the end of the story, Elizabeth finds courage – and the beginnings of happiness. AF


First Names HHH


Emmeline Pankhurst Haydn Kaye, ill. Michael Cotton Russell, David Fickling Books, 144pp, 978 1 910989 61 6, £6.99, pbk


Elon Musk, Tracey Turner, ill. Mike Smith, David Fickling Books, 144pp, 978 1 910989 62 3, £6.99, pbk


This is a new series of life stories from David Fickling Books aiming to give a real insight into their subject’s lives. One


volume takes


the experiences that


the that through Emmeline Pankhurst’s led point. Nicknamed


reader life


highlighting not only her well known role in the Suffragette movement but to


her ‘The Dictionary’ and clearly gifted, she


was shocked to discover as a child family expectations for her were low, because she was female. However, despite personal


tragedies she


devoted her life to working to improve conditions for the poor and women in particular, including the so called ‘matchstick girls’ and those living in the workhouse. It was when she realised the only way real change could be effected was through women having the vote that the direction of her work shifted towards politics. Using firstly peaceful protest then direct action her fame increased and the cause drew attention not least though the infamous hunger strikes and forced feeding. Through this and the societal and workplace changes resulting from The First World War she lived long enough to see her efforts


were successful with all women over 21 securing the vote in 1928. The book


conversational and accessible style, although


the


is written in a narrative meanders


at times through attempts to be comprehensive. Cartoon illustrations throughout and regular interjections from Emmeline herself add humour and are used as a device to include detail about key topics such as the voting system. For those with some knowledge of Emmeline Pankhurst this book will provide some interesting background detail. A second biography describes


the life of Elon Musk; entrepreneur, engineer, inventor It


and


tells of a gifted child born into an adventurous family,


billionaire. thirsty


for


knowledge and success. Fascinated with computers, he taught himself coding in three nights at the age of 12. Early experiments with computer games later led to the creation of an internet database and the online payment


system which became


PayPal. Not content with success in the virtual world, he was also interested in transport; fast cars and rockets. His own early experiments with rocket building led to the creation of the first private rocket successfully setting off into space and actually making deliveries to the International Space Station. A business man with an environmental


conscience, his


interest in promoting solar energy and electric cars is described. Solving traffic problems is also a passion and he is working on a big idea – creating a high speed ‘Hyperloop’ connecting cities with a network of tubes and driverless capsules.


Another long


term plan aims to solve the problem of what to do if the earth becomes no longer sustainable for humanity, by creating a colony on Mars. Elon Musk is definitely a big thinker


and problem solver who has made an impact in a number of ways. His story may be an inspiration to young inventors with similarly big ideas. The narrative describing his personal life and achievements is interjected with amusing cartoon illustrations and explanations from Elon, about key topics such as solar energy and Silicon Valley. There is timeline of his life so far and a useful glossary at the back of the book. SMc


How to Bee HHHH


Bren McDibble, Old Barn Books, 216pp, 9781910646441 £7.99 pbk


Set in a future when there are no longer any bees, children


are


employed on this Australian fruit farm to fertilise the flowers with feather wands, much like the pear farmers of Hanyuan in China do today. Peony desperately wants to become a ‘bee’, but she is only 9, and too young. Still, life on the farm, living in a hut with her older sister Magnolia and their Gramps, is pretty good most of the time, and she rejoices for her friend Applejoy when he is awarded the coveted bee uniform. The arrival of


Books for Keeps No.231 July 2018 25


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