The June theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot, is Bookish Wishes and today’s wish is for:  Books I Want to be Written.

I’ve decided to go for types of books I would like to see more of, or even more of, in children’s middle-grade fiction.  In no particular order, they are:

1.       Timeslip novels.  I can’t remember when I read my first time-slip story (I must have been just out of primary school), nor could I remember the name, but I do remember that it was about teenagers going back to the time of Cuchulain of Ulster, and that the memory of my fascination with the book still lingers, many, many years later.  Just recently, I think I’ve been able to re-discover the book:  The Druid’s Tale by Orla Melling, and have now managed to get a copy.  I’d love to see more of these stories, travelling to different periods of history.  I love the mix of the modern with the historical, and how characters from two very different periods of history interact. 

2.       Science-fiction set on other worlds.  I love sci-fi series like Star Trek and Firefly.  I would love to see middle-grade fiction set entirely on other worlds with interaction between alien and human species, as I think these would be fascinating.  

3.       Celtic mythology/folklore with a modern twist.  Growing up in rural Ireland, I read, and heard, many stories of Irish folklore.  We had a ‘fairy tree’ (hawthorn) tree on our family farm, which was never allowed to be cut down for fear of causing offence to the faery folk.  If I were ever to write a story, it would be linked to faery lore!

4.       Pre-historic.  I loved Earth’s Children’s series and The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Series, and would love to read some more stories set in pre-historic times.

5.      Ghost stories:  I’ve read Seaglass by Eloise Williams and The Little Grey Girl by Celine Kiernan recently.  I would love to find more books suitable for middle-grade in this genre.

6.      LGBTQ:  I’ve read some excellent YA fiction with LGBTQ characters, but am not really familiar with this population being represented in middle-grade fiction.  I would like to see more stories where the diversity of modern families is shown.

If you know any great children’s fiction related to these types of book, I would love to hear your recommendations.

This is the story of one quiet girl making her voice heard, not by learning to shout the loudest, but by showing her inner strength, determination and courage, and making others listen in order to do something that matters.

As full of excitement, power and tension as a lightning storm! Mina, an Alorrian farm girl, is waiting for her storm beast, used to help manipulate the weather, to hatch. But the storm beast that emerges is not what her family expected for their quiet, dependable, sensible girl. Pixit, a Lightning Beast – unpredictable, loud, brave – bonds telepathically with Mina and helps her to believe in herself. Theirs is a heartfelt relationship, full of trust, support, love and humour.

Mina wants excitement and adventure, and to explore the world outside her farm. She soon finds herself training at Mytris Lightning School where she develops firm friendships, full of trust and humour, with some of the other students.

During an attempt to harness electricity from a lightning storm, she finds herself outside the boundaries of Alorria, where she makes a startling discovery. Are the devastating storms suffered by the Outsiders somehow related to the Ten-Year Festival celebrations of her people? Her visit to the Alorrian Capital does nothing to allay her suspicions, but what can she do? Can she be the spark that will change the world, just as she always hoped? Will she be brave enough to defy the authorities, and journey beyond the mountains to find the truth?

I would highly recommend this book to children of 9+: it is full of adventure, excitement and warmth, and has some powerful messages about self-belief, being true to yourself and inner strength.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for an e-ARC of this book.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

Our father died in flames when he was twenty-six and we were two. We don’t remember. All we have is story. Sense memory, the feeling of soft earth. His name upon a pitted slab, limestone, lichen-pocked.

This is from a book just published on 30th May by an Irish author. Any ideas?

This is my current read which I’m loving so far. Goodreads synopsis:

Everyone in Ballyfran has a secret, and that is what binds them together…

Fifteen-year-old twins Madeline and Catlin move to a new life in Ballyfran, a strange isolated town, a place where, for the last sixty years, teenage girls have gone missing in the surrounding mountains.

As distance grows between the twins – as Catlin falls in love, and Madeline begins to understand her own nascent witchcraft – Madeline discovers that Ballyfrann is a place full of predators. Not only foxes, owls and crows, but also supernatural beings who for many generations have congregated here to escape persecution. When Catlin falls into the gravest danger of all, Madeline must ask herself who she really is, and who she wants to be – or rather, who she might have to become to save her sister.

Dark and otherworldly, this is an enthralling story about the bond between sisters and the sacrifices we make for those we care about the most.

I’ve been reading a lot of middle-grade fiction for the last few months (which I’ve loved, and which I still intend to read lots of).  However, I thought it was about time I started to alternate these with some other books from my TBR.  Having looked at my bookshelf, I seem to have more choice than I thought! And a lot of fantasy, which is not surprising, as it is my go-to genre that really allows me the absolute escapism which I love when engrossed in a great book.

These are the books I intend to read over the summer:  I’ve shared a sentence from each of the blurbs which helped convince me to buy each book.  The front covers are also gorgeous, begging to be picked up and re-homed on my bookshelf.

1.        Perfectly Preventable Deaths by Deirdre Deirdre Sullivan:  There’s no such thing as safe in Ballyfrann …

2.        The Assassin’s Bladeby Sarah J Mass:  But behind her assignments lies a dark truth that will seal her fate – and cut her heart in two forever …

3.        WitchBorn by Nicholas Bowling:  Her mother has been executed for witchcraft, her home destroyed and her spirit crushed … so maybe it’s true.

4.        An Enchantment of Ravensby Margaret Rogerson:  But when she receives her first royal patron – Rook, the autumn prince, she makes a terrible mistake.

5.        Circe by Madeline Miller:  When Circe’s gift threatens the gods, she is banished to the island of Aiaia where she hones her occult craft, casting spells, gathering strange herbs and taming wild beasts.

6.        Wolf Light by Yaba Badoe:  Mother Earth is on fire and Father Sky weeps tears of blood.

7.        The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu:  He wanted to tell Hypatia to stay out of his business, his love life.

8.        Firefly:  The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove:  She was the very picture of Serenity.

9.        Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver:  A masterfully creepy gothic thriller.

10.      Witchsign by Den Patrick:  Any child found with witchsign are spirited away, never to be seen again.

11.      The Twisted Tree by Rachel Burge:  Then the spinning wheel starts creaking, terror creeps in and Martha is faced with an impossible decision …

12.      Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi:  Now we Rise.

Have you read any of these?  Based on this list, are there any others you would recommend I get?

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.       What are you currently reading?

2.       What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

1. I’m not sure if this is unusual or not, but I can’t read more than one book at a time!  I am currently reading I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak (Nosy Crow).  This is the first physical proof I’ve been sent by a publisher, so it already feels special.  Growing up on a farm, I was surrounded by animals, and I remember our wonderful sheep dogs, Rex and Ben, who were such a part of the family.  I’m really looking forward to joining Cosmo as he attempts to save his family!

2. I have recently finished The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Hachette Children’s Group), We Won an Island by Charlotte Lo (Nosy Crow) and She Wolf by Dan Smith (Chicken House). 

The Deathless Girls is Kiran’s first foray into Young Adult fiction as part of the Bellatrix series.  It is her imagining of the origin story of the brides of Dracula:  it is intoxicating, rich and dark and one that will appeal to any fans of the gothic genre. 

We Won an Island is the incredibly heart-warming, uplifting story of a family who win a remote Scottish island.  It perfectly conveys the ‘feel-good’ factor of a summer blockbuster:  full adventures, humour and festivals!

She Wolf is the powerful story of a young Viking slave who finds herself alone on the shores of Northumbria after the murder of her mother.  Her battle for survival and revenge is full of adventure, tension and discoveries in the harsh winter landscape. 

3. It’s so hard to decide on what to read next as I have so many books I am looking forward to reading.  Reading The Deathless Girls and completing favourite books of the last ten years reminded me of how much I love slightly older fantasy – as well as middle-grade!  I’ve been reading middle-grade almost exclusively this year, as I keep adding to my class library!  On that note, the two books I have lined up to read next are Wildspark by Vashti Hardy (Scholastic) and Perfectly Preventable Deaths Deaths by Deirdre Sullivan (Hot Key Books).

I absolutely loved Vashti’s first book, Brightstorm, and was desperate to get my hands on Wildspark. I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read it!  Perfectly Preventable Deaths is set in an isolated, Irish town:  three words are used on the blurb to describe it:  sisters, sacrifice, witchcraft.  Perfect reading for me!

The Deathless Girls is an intoxicatingly compelling, dark gothic read; written with such exquisite mastery that I couldn’t bear to put it down. 

Seventeen-year-old twins, Lil and Kizzy, are Travellers, a people who are treated with disrespect and disdain, by many of the Settled who are prejudiced towards their way of life.  On the eve of their divining, when they would have found out their future, their family is ripped from them by the careless cruelty of the local Boyar (ruler). 

Although they are enslaved by their captors, they are still determined to be the diviners of their own fate, and fight against their new life.  The girls are sent to work in the castle kitchens, in preparation to become serving girls at the whim of their male master, a master who ‘ … looked, like the worst monsters often do, like a normal man.’

Enduring terrible hardships, they also build bonds with the other kitchen girls, and the Cook, who has her own secret past.  Lil, who has known only familial love, feels drawn to Mira, a Settler slave:  their burgeoning relationship is beautifully portrayed. 

Whilst in the castle, the sisters discover more about the seemingly mythical creature, the Dragon, a creature who strikes abject terror into the population.   The girls’ fates are inextricably linked to each other, and to this cruelly mesmerising creature, a fate which takes them on a final terrible journey.

Throughout, the girls’ emotional states shift between blazing firebrands and smouldering embers, and this dichotomy kept me emotionally invested throughout.  Unwavering fierce sibling love, tempered with disappointment and anger, is a powerful driving force in their story.  It is this endlessly enduring love which leads to heart-breaking sacrifices by both girls.  And their re-awakening as The Deathless Girls, two of the ‘Brides of Dracula’.

The atmosphere is imbued with a sense of fear and threat, building almost unbearable tension, which makes the courage, dignity and strength of the girls, and their friends, all the more excruciatingly awe-inspiring.    There is a real feministic tone throughout as the girls fight against a life they have not chosen to live, fight against the people who exert control over them, and fight to have power in a seemingly powerless situation. The inexorable fate of Lil and Kizzy is all the more tragic and poignant, knowing their story:  their pain, their love, their sacrifices. 

This really is an inspired imagining of the untold story of the ‘brides of Dracul’ by an inspiring author:  a story that will linger with me for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Group for an e-ARC of The Deathless Girls.

This is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.  This week’s theme is Favourite Books Released in the Last Ten Years (one book for each year).  I thought I’d give this a go – just to see if I can!  I’m new to book blogging and keeping lists on Goodreads, so it has taken me a while to compile a list, but I like a challenge – especially one that has allowed be to search out some old favourites, most of which are still on my bookshelves!   I had to include my 2019 favourite YA so far as well!

2009:  City of Glass by Cassandra Clare.  This is the third book of The Mortal Instruments, and if I could go back to 2007, I would have included City of Bones!

2010:  Fallen  by Lauren Kate.  This was recommended to me by my teenage niece – she knew it was my kind of book!

2011:  Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.  I came to this series after watching the first episode of Trueblood, and spent many happy hours immersed in Sookie’s life!

2012:  Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas.  I only found this series last year, following a recommendation by a Waterstones bookseller, and I’ve loved it so far. 

2013: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding.  I’m not sure this is a favourite book, but I didn’t want to repeat one in a series I have already read!  I remember reading the first two Bridget Jones books many years ago, and I guess I loved this one more as a throwback to my younger days! 

2014:  The Queen of the the Tearling by Erika Johansen.  This is one of those epic fantasy novels that completely immersed me in Kelsea’s rise to power.

2015:  Uprooted by Naomi Novik.  This was another bookseller recommendation.  I loved the mythical, magical quality of this book.

2016:  The Witch’s Kiss by Katherine and Elizabeth Corr.  I can’t help but love a book about witches, and this one is steeped in an historical context, so just perfect.

2017:  Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend.  This is the incredible story of Morrigan Crow who was meant to die on her eleventh birthday, but instead goes to Nevermoor!

2018:  The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.  I’ve always been fascinated by books about the Faerie world, and found this one dark and intoxicating. 

2019:   The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.  This has not yet been released (September), but I managed to get it on NetGalley.  It is an imagining of the story of two of the brides of Dracula, twin sisters Kizzy and Lil.  From the opening pages it enthralled me:  it is a story of the strength needed to face horrific situations, an exploration of female bonds, loyalty and sacrifice. 

I definitely have a penchant for fantasy books.  Does anyone have a recommended fantasy book for 2013?  I couldn’t find one I’ve read, that wasn’t in a series or by an author I’ve already mentioned!

This is the most delightfully uplifting book I’ve read this year!  It perfectly conveys the ‘feel-good’ factor of a summer blockbuster – in words!  It is reminiscent of simpler and more innocent times, when children made their own entertainment:  this took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, recalling the many times myself and my brothers and sisters put on ‘shows’ for our long-suffering parents on our rural farm!  But clearly not in such style as Luna, Margot and Fabien! 

The Butterworth family are in a dire situation after they are evicted from their home.  Luckily, Luna has entered a competition to win an island courtesy a very generous billionaire – and they do!  Rook’s Island is a remote island in Scotland, and is just what the family needs to help them heal after the death of their Gran, which has left their father depressed, and unable to connect with his family. 

The children are incredibly believable, and likeable, with distinct personalities.  Margot is the more serious, matter-of-fact sibling with a penchant for planes.  Luna is entrepreneurial, determined and an eternal optimist with a desire to open a donkey sanctuary. Fabien is the impulsive, gregarious, knitting-loving instigator of many genuinely hilarious moments:  where Fabien goes, chaos seems to follow!  The relationships between the three siblings are wonderfully heart-warming:  realistic, loving, supportive and humorous.

Once they arrive on the island, the children are determined to organise a secret festival in the hope that it will cheer up their Dad.  Of course, things don’t go exactly to plan:  cue escaping cows, interfering yoga guests, and underaged ice-cream van driving.   And so much more! 

I loved the sense of community, the episodes of comedic genius and the heart-warming relationships.  Although there were some sad and poignant moments relating to their Dad’s depression, this is ultimately a joyously uplifting read.  The inclusion of Dad’s depression, handled so deftly by the author, gives families, and teachers, a perfect opening to address some mental health issues should they choose to do so. 

I can’t wait to return to next year’s festival!  I have no doubt this story will be loved by both adults and children, and am really looking forward to sharing it with my class after half term.    

Time for another #SixforSunday hosted by A Little But a Lot.  I’ve taken this to mean books that have not yet been published this year, but which I really want to read.  With the wealth of new middle-grade fiction being published by both new and more established children’s authors, it is no wonder my TBR pile is ever-increasing.  These are the books I am looking forward to adding to my home bookshelves initially, and then to my class library.  No doubt, I will find, and purchase, many others between June and October! I’ve listed these in order of publication date:

6^th June:  The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge (Published by Nosy Crow).

Description from Publisher:

“If you go into the woods, Old Crony will get you.”

Secrets, spies or maybe even a monster… What lies in the heart of the wood? Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny are determined to discover the truth, but when night falls without warning they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Lost in the woods, strange dangers and impossible puzzles lurk in the shadows. As time plays tricks, can Charlie solve this mystery and find a way out of the woods? But what if this night never ends…?

A timeless novel for anyone who’s ever felt lost. From the award-winning author of The Many Worlds of Albie Bright and The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day.

I absolutely loved The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day:  it has one of the best plot twists I have ever read in a children’s book, and really earns the title ‘unputdownable’ and ‘unforgettable’.  This makes me incredibly excited for Charlie Noon and, in fact, I have already pre-ordered it.

13^th June:  The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell (Published by Bloomsbury)

Description from Publisher:

Vita set her jaw, and nodded at New York City in greeting, as a boxer greets an opponent before a fight.

Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack’s spirit is broken, Vita is desperate to make him happy again, so she devises a plan to outwit his enemies and recover his home.

She finds a young pickpocket, working the streets of the city. And, nearby, two boys with highly unusual skills and secrets of their own are about to be pulled into her lawless, death-defying plan.

Katherine Rundell’s fifth novel is a heist as never seen before – the story of a group of children who will do anything to right a wrong.

I loved both The Wolf Wilder and The Explorer, both very different books, but Katherine’s story-telling is incredible, so I know I’m going to love The Good Thieves.

13^th June:  The Garden of Lost Secrets by A.M Howell (Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd).

Description from Publisher:

October, 1916. Clara has been sent to stay with her aunt and uncle while England is at war. But when she reaches their cottage on an enormous country estate, Clara is plunged into a tangle of secrets… A dark, locked room, a scheming thief, and a mysterious boy who only appears at night.

Clara has a secret of her own too – a terrible one about her brother, fighting in the war. And as the secrets turn to danger, Clara must find the courage to save herself, and those around her…

Secrets, mystery and bravery meet in this gripping historical adventure.

Reading this, I am reminded of The Secret Garden which was one of my absolute favourite books growing up, so I am intrigued by this one.

4^th July:  The Last Spell Breather by Julie Pike (Published by Oxford University Press).

Description from Publisher:

A stunning fantasy debut, enter the unique world of the Spell Breathers.

Rayne had always known that word magic was powerful, but she didn’t know how fragile it was. Not until the day she dropped her mam’s spell book and brought the monster plague to Penderin.

My absolute go-to genre is fantasy, and this sounds like it will be a very special read with some unique magic-making.  And, I want to know more about the fox on the front cover!

5^th September:  The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson (Published by Usborne Publishing Ltd).

Description from Publisher:

They call me Yanka the Bear. Not because of where I was found – only a few people know about that. They call me Yanka the Bear because I am so big and strong.

Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, Yanka has always wondered about where she is from. She tries to ignore the strange whispers and looks from the villagers, wishing she was as strong on the inside as she is on the outside. But, when she has to flee her house, looking for answers about who she really is, a journey far beyond one that she ever imagined begins: from icy rivers to smouldering mountains meeting an ever-growing herd of extraordinary friends along the way.

Interwoven with traditional stories of bears, princesses and dragons, Yanka’s journey is a gorgeously lyrical adventure from the best-selling author of The House With Chicken Legs.

I am a huge fan of folklore (I grew up in Ireland and was immersed in Irish folklore), so am fascinated by Sophie’s use of Russian folklore in her stories.  I can’t wait to find out more about Yanka!  I have pre-ordered this one, and have received a gorgeous hand-stamped print. 

17^th October:  Shadows of Winterspell by Amy Wilson (Published by Pan Macmillan)

Description from Publisher:

Enter the thousand worlds of Amy Wilson in her captivating novel, Shadows of Winterspell, sparkling with frost and magic.

Stella has been living behind the magic of the forest for most of her life. Lonely, she enrolls at the local school, and as she begins to make friends, she discovers that she is even more different than she thought. But as autumn turns to magical winter, Stella realizes that uncovering her own family secret is the only way to release the forest from the grip of a dark and old magic.

I read Snowglobe last Christmas and loved the story of Clementine and her magical connection to the house of snow globes!   This sounds like it will be another perfect wintry read from Amy.

Has anyone already been lucky enough to read any of these?  What did you think?

The Umbrella Mouse is one of those truly special books, whose characters are so brilliantly realised that I was completely immersed, and invested, in their adventure which is of epic proportions:  full of action, tension and heroic deeds, interspersed with the building of heart-warming friendships.  And all this from animals who fight in tandem with the humans, although they are unaware of the vital efforts, and sacrifices, the animals are making to help win the war.

It is 1944:  meet Pip Hanway, an inquisitive, daring and rather impetuous young mouse who is living in an antique umbrella, with her parents, in James Smith & Sons Umbrella Shop.  When a bomb strikes the shop, her world is brutally shattered:  the only link that remains to her family and home is the umbrella which becomes a powerful symbol of remembrance and hope of re-connection with her only remaining family. 

The grief, longing and loneliness Pip experiences as a result of this horrific experience is heart-breaking, so it is such a relief when she meets the kind-hearted, caring and protective Dickin, a Search and Rescue terrier, who alongside GI Joe, a homing pigeon and Hans, a German rat, become her steadfast friends.

Pip soon joins Churchill’s Secret Animal Army, an underground animal resistance movement, and so begins her daring mission to help the Allied powers, a mission which takes her to war-torn France … where she is caught up in the brutality of the war alongside her French Counterparts, Noah’s Ark.  Will she and her friends survive unscathed from the war raging around them? 

Pip absolutely engenders the indomitable spirit of our war time heroes, and I adored her for it!  Despite her small stature, her fortitude and sheer determination is so uplifting as is her strength in building, and protecting, lasting friendships with her new family. 

I was really struck by how the horror and futility of war is realistically portrayed and not watered down for a younger audience, yet because of the use of animal characters and the skill of the narration, it is entirely suitable for its audience. 

I don’t normally share quotes from books, but these are just too meaningful to leave unshared, and really had an impact on me:

“I just need to find the courage in my heart to begin something new.”

“Without mistakes, your life will never know adventure.”

What powerful messages to be giving to young readers – in fact – to readers of any age!

Sam Usher’s wonderful illustrations complement the story perfectly.  I was also very touched by the Author’s Note which shares her inspiration, and motivation, for the story. 

I cannot recommend this story highly enough, and think it would be a perfect book to use alongside a unit on World War II – or just to read because it is exceptional     story-telling!