What an incredible, impossibly amazing adventure!  I was absolutely gripped by Impossible Creatures from the opening lines until the final page.  A powerful, stunning epic fantasy that swept me into a magical world that I didn’t want to leave.  This is a story that melts into your heart and leaves an indelible mark – utterly breath-taking! 

Christopher has been sent to spend his holidays with his grandfather in a remote part of Scotland.  When he witnesses creatures who should not exist racing down a hill, he discovers that his grandfather is a guardian of a way in to a magical world, the Archipelago, a group of islands that is home to creatures which humans believe only exist in myth.  Christopher finds himself providing shelter to a baby griffin who is soon reunited with its protector, Mal, when she comes through the gateway to Christopher’s world, escaping from someone who is intent on killing her.

Together, these two incredible children, return to the Archipelago which is in danger of losing its magic and the creatures that live there to begin a quest that sees them venturing on an incredible journey.   A journey where love and friendship flourish, where danger and hope balance on a knife-edge and where encounters change lives in the most extraordinary ways.  Can Christopher and Mal discover what is happening to the islands’ magic?  What lengths will they go to in order to save both their worlds?

This is a quest adventure that transported me wholeheartedly into a richly imagined world where sphinxes impart knowledge, where centaurs hold a key to renewal and where a baby griffin brings joy and comfort.  It is a story that took me on a real rollercoaster of emotions, from heartache to joy, from despair to hope – and the ending was just perfect, making me desperate for the next book in this trilogy.

There is no doubt that this is an epic fantasy adventure that will rightly earn its place as a classic.  I cannot recommend this highly enough – a definite book of the year!

Man-Man and the Tree of Memories is a vibrant celebration, through words and illustrations, of the magic evoked through the music and dance of carnival, and a story of connections with the past through myth and ancestral history. 

Man-man is caught up in the excitement of the preparations for the Notting Hill Carnival, practising his dancing and deciding on a costume for its theme:  Let Freedom Rain.   But Man-man is also worried about his mum’s illness which has led to his Nan coming from Jamaica to help look after her daughter.

On the day of the carnival, his mum is able to watch the floats from the balcony of his Aunty Flo’s flat.  As the procession starts, Man-man is caught up in the joyousness and vibrancy of the dance and, in his determination to heal his mum, he calls upon the Queen of Revels to make his mum better.  And she answers his call … 

Man-man, his sister, Pan and best friend, Kareem find themselves swept into the past where Man-man must learn about his family’s heritage to have a chance of changing his mum’s future. The children are taken to the Tree of Memories on the coast of West Africa, a sacred tree which holds the heartache and dreams of his ancestors, opening a window into the past. The tree reveals the pain and anguish of those taken captive by slavers and they watch as an ancestor’s memory unfolds … Man-man understands how the weight of his family’s past pain is making his mum unwell, but can this new understanding of the past help him to change her future?

I loved the blend of a contemporary setting during the Notting Hill Carnival, and a magical adventure to connect with the past.  I could really feel the joy and love that Man-man has for dance leaping from the pages in both words and illustrations.  I really enjoyed the myth of the Queen of Revels and Shango as well as the symbolism of the iroko tree and the egret.

As a teacher, I feel it is so important and beneficial to have a diverse range of books in the classroom so that all children can see themselves in books and empathise with the experiences of others.  This story gives an insight into both African and Caribbean culture, and opens a window to introduce difficult subjects such as the history of slavery to younger children. 

This is a stunning hardback edition where the author’s heartfelt, powerful storytelling is complemented perfectly with dazzling full-colour illustrations that leap from the page in a celebration of dance, magic and freedom. 

A magical and mesmerising adventure celebrating the captivation of carnival, the importance of memories and the love of family and friends.  Perfect for readers of 8+.

Thank you to Laura Smythe PR and Zephyr Books for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:

It’s been another very busy month in school with a very welcome half-term break to catch up with lots of reading! A real highlight of the month was an author visit for Year 6 from Lindsay Galvin which was absolutely brilliant! I also had a trip in to London to see Crazy for You which was fantastic.

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 16 books this month which was obviously helped by half-term! Highlights for me were The Snow Girl, Impossible Creatures, The Final Year and Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls.

Books sent by publishers:

I am grateful to have been sent 6 books by Publishers this month.

NetGalley:

My Netgalley ratio is at 96% with 5 books on my shelf. I have been approved for three new books this month.

Books bought:

I’ve bought twelve books this month, so definitely no book buying ban for me!

How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these? Have you any of them on your TBR?

I very rarely read autobiographies, but I’m really enjoying Bob Mortimer’s one which is told with such warmth and humour – such an eye-opening read. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve almost finished Orla and the Magpie’s Curse which has been a wonderful witchy adventure. I’m listening to the audiobook of Amari and the Great Game – I’m enjoying being back in this exciting world.

I read Man Man and the Tree of Memories which was a wonderful read with some powerful messages. I will be posting my review later this week. I then enjoyed some spooky reads. Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay has been on my TBR for a while and I loved this spooky take set in a town where the living, dead and supernatural live together – a brilliant adventure! I also read The Witch Stone Ghosts which is a dark, gothic, eerie adventure that completely gripped me. Finally, I got sent a proof copy of Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls which is the next series by Phil Hickes which I couldn’t resist reading. I absolutely loved it, and have posted my review earlier this week.

I didn’t get to this one this week so I will read it over the weekend.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?

Shadowhall Academy:  The Whispering Walls is the start of a superbly spooky, spine-tingling boarding-school mystery series that held me utterly entranced throughout.

Lilan Jones is saying goodbye to her old life and starting a new one as a boarder at Shadowhall Academy.  As she arrives through the wrought iron-gated entrance to the impressive, turreted building, she is understandably feeling nervous about settling in and making friends.

When Lilian is woken in the night, she hears a faint tapping noise coming from the wall, and learns that some believe that the Academy is haunted, but surely, they are just trying to scare her.  Ghosts don’t exist, do they?

And so begins a dark and chilling mystery as strange things start occurring – whispers in the walls, stories of students who have disappeared, and unusual sightings and findings.  As Lilian begins to find out more about the history of Shadowhall, she discovers that the stories of ghosts are true.  Could her new friends be in danger?  Can she unearth the dangerous secrets of Shadowhall Academy before it is too late?

I absolutely loved this story which blends boarding school adventure with a ghostly mystery just perfectly.  The autumnal setting of a gloomy, dark and cold boarding school surrounded by woods is brilliantly evoked and eerily atmospheric.  I really enjoyed the everyday details of life in the boarding school from the inedible food, the reliance on a hidden stash of biscuits, the wonderful library and the rather eccentric teachers.  I thought it was a perfect setting for the ghostly mystery that unfolds …  Oh, and I loved the eighties references!

The build-up of tension, the sense of foreboding and the jumpy moments had me on the edge of my seat, needing an emergency supply of biscuits to nibble on or my nails would have been in danger!  I don’t want to say too much about the unravelling of the mystery for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say there are some brilliant twists and revelations as truths are uncovered, there are some moments that will bring gasps, and there are some deliciously scary occurrences, all of which make this an unputdownable page-turner. 

I really liked the camaraderie that develops between Lilian, Serena, Marian and Angela, who have quite different personalities.  They are brought closer not only because they are sharing a dormitory, but because they find themselves in danger and needing to work together to protect each other.  I liked how supportive they are of each other and their determination and courage in unravelling a mystery that has haunted the school for many years.

A shiveringly superb spooky mystery, guaranteed to bring chills of delight and fright, and best read with a biscuit to nibble on – preferably a custard cream!  Perfect for adventurous young readers of 9+.

Thank you to Usborne Publishing for providing me with a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is not released until 1^st February next year but, if you are looking for a brilliantly spooky series to enjoy while you wait, I can highly recommend checking out the author’s Aveline Jones series.

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!

For my fifteenth birthday, my grandfather let me dig my own grave. It was dawn when he woke me. He was standing over my bed with an oil lamp in one hand and a brand-new shovel in the other. I remember how bright its blade was in the darkness. I think he had been awake all night, going at it with his whetstone. ‘Happy Birthday,’ he said. ‘Shall we get started?’

Any ideas?

Goodreads Synopsis:

To the horror of young gravedigger, Ned, body-snatchers have been visiting his churchyard in the dead of night. Until now, he’d been daydreaming about another visitor – daughter of the manor, Obedience Wellrest.

But 16-year-old Obedience has troubles of her own: her loving but overbearing father, and his wish to see her married to a rich man of science, Phineas Mordaunt.

But when Mordaunt starts to poke his nose into her family history – in particular, the ruinous research of late Uncle Herbert – Obedience enters into a dangerous game of Death, and Ned might be the only person who can save her …

The Snow Girl is a wondrous adventure which swirls with wintry magic – a story of friendship, of courage and of re-awakening.  Utterly mesmerising and guaranteed to find a place in the hearts of young readers who I have no doubt will be completely captivated by this tale, just as I was, and will want to return to it again and again.

Twelve-year-old Tasha and her parents have moved in with her grandpa whose ill-health has made it difficult for him to look after his farm, and loves looking after the animals there.  She has always dreamed of seeing snow and is excited when it begins to fall, but she is feeling lonely as a past difficult event in her life has made her close herself off from friendships and adventure. 

When she builds a snow girl with her grandpa, whispering her hopes and dreams as she carves, he tells her to make a wish as the first snow holds powerful magic.   Wishing for a friend, she is disappointed to wake up the next morning to see that the snow girl has gone … but then she follows some footprints and hears a girl’s laughter – and meets Alyana.  Could her wish have come true after all?

So begins a truly enchanting fairytale as the two girls enjoy wonderful moonlit sleigh-driven adventures through an icy, snowy world of forest creatures, ice-caverns in the mountains and frozen lakes.  Whilst keeping her magical adventures with her new friend a secret from her family, Tasha spends her days ever so slowly thawing from the fear that has kept her company for so long … but could her new friendship be stopping the arrival of spring and causing hardship and danger for others in her community?

Tasha is a wonderfully sympathetic young girl who has found her way into my heart.  A traumatic experience in her past has made her shut herself off from the opportunity to make new friends making her feel trapped and alone, but Alyana helps her relinquish her past pain, face her fears and accept the joy of friendship.  Her adventures with Alyana through the wintry, frozen wonderland give her the courage to slowly form other friendships and have the confidence to be part of the wider community, but will she have the strength to let go when all she wants is to hold on to her friendship?

This is a story that is inspired by the Russian fairytale, The Snow Maiden, and I loved the versions of the tale which Grandpa and Mika share with Tasha, honouring the tradition of oral storytelling.   But this is very much its own story with its lyrical writing, ethereal-like descriptions embodied with a sense of wonder and awe, hope and loss, joy and sadness.        

My proof copy does not have illustrations, but I have seen some of the stunning images from the gorgeous hardback edition which will make a perfect present for young readers of 8+.  I have pre-ordered a signed copy for my niece and know that she will adore it!  I can just imagine this being a much-loved shared family read in the much-needed quieter moments of the holiday period …

Make reading this stunning adventure, a story of family, love and friendship swirling with winter’s wondrous magic, a new family tradition. 

Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and Usborne for a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Spirit Snatcher is a spine-tinglingly thrilling, spooky story that completely captivated me:  an adventure brimming with friendship, humour, danger and a brilliant cast of supernatural creatures. 

12-year-old Pip Rushkin is reluctantly moving to London with his wonderfully eccentric parents, but his new home is not quite what he is was expecting.  Arriving in Elbow Alley, he meets a girl in a pub doorway who greets him with a warning to leave as, if he stays, something bad will happen.  But what can he do when his parents seem happy in their new home despite its rather neglected appearance?

Awoken by a noise in the middle of the night, Pip notices a mist moving towards him from beneath the door, a mist which is threatening to devour him, but then it disappears through the flat window.  Convincing himself that he must be dreaming, he listens to an audiobook and falls asleep.

But, the next morning, his parents are acting strangely and are not at all like themselves.  Spooked by their blank expressions, Pip races outside and finds himself at the pub where Fliss, the girl who had warned him to leave, tells him that his parents have fallen victim to the spirit snatcher:  a supernatural creature who drains people’s personalities.  Pip has until he turns 13 on Halloween to discover the identity of the spirit-snatcher and destroy it in order to save his parents, before time runs out and he too is in danger of being spirit-snatched. 

Finding something strangely out-of-place in his new home shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?  But, unfortunately for Pip, he is the one who is out-of-place as he and his family have moved into a secret, hidden place that magical beings call home.  His neighbours are hags, banshees, werewolves and vampires not to mention a ghost who runs an antique food shop with some majestic mouldy cheese, a harpy with a shrewd business mind and a pair of ghouls with, to put it mildly, unusual dietary tastes. 

I absolutely loved this action-packed, exciting adventure as Pip and Fliss, alongside loyal and protective terrier, Splodge, team up to track down the spirit snatcher and uncover their identity before time runs out.  There is plenty of peril, lightened with some brilliant moments of humour.  I loved following the children’s investigations which leads them into mischief, trouble and danger as they seek the spirit snatcher who always seems to be one step ahead of them.  The revelations and twists in this adventure are absolutely fantastic, and they really took me by surprise as I’m sure they will young readers.

Both Pip and Fliss are wonderful characters who form a gorgeous bond of friendship.  They are quite different characters with Pip aiming to fit in whilst Fliss is happy to stand out, but both are hiding from their true selves.  Fliss is brilliantly feisty and gives Pip the confidence not to give up whilst he proves himself a determined and courageous friend.

The Spirit Snatcher is an exhilarating, perfectly spooky mystery that is sure to captivate readers of 9+. 

Thank you so much to Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and to Usborne for providing me with a copy of The Spirit Snatcher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on this week’s Blog Tour below:

I’m a real Bob Mortimer fan and I couldn’t resist listening to the audiobook of his autobiography which he reads himself. It is absolutely brilliant and kept me great company on a very busy M4 heading to Wales! I’m about half way through and am really looking forward to listening to the rest.

I have now finished listening to the audiobook of The Accidental Stowaway which was a wonderfully action-packed mystery adventure with a feisty main character in Patch. I loved the friendships which develop, and the ending was just perfect! I also read The Midnight Switch, an eerie and very clever mystery with a brilliant twist that I really enjoyed. I have posted my review. Over the weekend, I read the gorgeously magical The Snow Girl. I absolutely loved it, and am hoping to post my review tomorrow. This one will make a wonderful Christmas present for young readers – I have ordered a personalised copy for my niece. And, just wow! What can I say about Impossible Creatures! A book of the year for me – a breath-taking, epic fantasy adventure with such an incredible cast of human and magical characters. I was not prepared for everything that happened – there was shock, tears and wonder. I absolutely cannot wait for the next one in this trilogy.

I’ve still got a couple of days left of my half-term so I’m aiming to read these three books next.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?

The Midnight Switch is an exciting, dark and dangerous mystery where an old legend threatens a new friendship – a perfect spooky, edge-of-the-seat adventure for readers of 9+.

Lewis is moving with his mum and dad to Barrow, the town where his dad grew up in the hope of getting a scholarship to Elksbridge Collegiate School.  Gaining the scholarship is not something Lewis is particularly interested in, but it is his father’s dream for him so he goes along with it for his sake.  And besides, at least it has taken him away from the large bird that has been tapping on his window just after midnight … until he discovers that Barrow is the home of the East Snoring Rook, and the rook from his old home arrives at his new home – at midnight!

It is not long before Lewis learns about one of the town’s old legends:  the Bogwitch of Barrow who had cursed the town with a terrible flood; in commemoration of her defeat, the town hold a ceremony, the Peering of the Goblet, which predicts whether a flood will come which will allow the Bogwitch access to the town again from the marshes where she waits for her revenge.  But surely this is only a story, and could have no truth?  The rooks which seem to be following him couldn’t really be her spies?  And, it must be just a coincidence that the Bogwitch marking seems familiar to him?

Just as Lewis discovers a puzzle to be solved in his new home, another mystery arrives in the form of his father’s best friend’s daughter, Moira who unexpectedly knocks on the door at midnight.  Although Lewis has not seen her for a while, she seems different to what he can remember.  Following some startling revelations and discoveries, the two friends realise that they are in dreadful danger, and so begins their mission to break a curse, but can they do so before time runs out?

Oh wow!  This is a deliciously dark and spooky adventure that kept me utterly gripped throughout.  The sense of danger and feeling of time running out as Lewis and Moira race to solve the mystery is brilliantly portrayed.  I loved the slow revelation of the terrible truth behind the legend; the children’s clever unravelling of the secrets and clues held by the town; and, the slightly unsettling feeling of never quite knowing who was friend and who foe.  I also really enjoyed how the seemingly innocuous references in earlier parts of the story are pieced together as the plot unfolds which made this such an intriguing and satisfying mystery.  And I just have to mention the title and time – I won’t say any more, but utterly brilliant!

I loved the firm friendship that develops between Lewis and Moira, who have both been pulled to Barrow, as they work together to fight against the danger that threatens them.  They show ingenuity, determination and courage when facing danger and unknown foes.  I also have to say that I really liked unexpected hero, train-loving Hereward!

This is a real page-turner where young readers may well be kept reading beyond midnight, but remember to check what’s tapping on the window!

Thank you to Usborne for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.