Ghostcloud is a dark, thrilling adventure set in a dystopian future London which absolutely gripped me from start to finish.  It is a brilliantly engaging and exciting read for those of 9+ who don’t mind their reads a little more on the scary, supernatural side!

Twelve-year-old Luke has been working as a shoveller for two years at Battersea Power Station where he was taken after his kidnap two years before.  He and his best friend Ravi live in the hope that they will be given a precious amber ticket which is their way to freedom.  However, when a new girl, Jess, finds herself facing the wrath of the Power Station’s cruel owner, he shares the blame and finds himself sharing the punishment.  Jess and Luke are taken to the dreaded East Wing where Luke makes a discovery that changes his life … he can see ghosts!  After rescuing ghostcloud Alma, she shows him what he is capable of, and takes him on an adventure on a cloud above the city.  He is half-human and half something else that allows him to travel with Alma. 

This sense of freedom which Alma gives Luke makes even more determined to escape, but in his efforts to find freedom, he learns a terrible truth, the truth of why children are being kidnapped to work in the power station.  Could the smog which is choking the city have anything to do with the Power Station?  Will Luke be able to save the children, and find freedom and his family, before Tabatha’s appalling plans come to fruition?

I really enjoyed the richly imagined atmospheric, smog-filled future London with landmarks which are familiar, but ruined.  I enjoyed following the trail of what had happened to cause this disaster and how this links to what is happening in the present. 

This is a fantastically action-packed adventure with some unexpected twists and so much danger for the main characters that makes it a real page-turner.

Luke is an incredibly sympathetic character who is living in terrifying conditions as he faces the threat of almost constant danger, yet he is prepared to put himself at risk in order to help his friends, Jess and Ravi.  These two give him hope and strength as together they face, Tabatha Margate.  She is coldly cruel, sees the children as commodities, and is keeping terrifying secrets that threaten everyone.  I really liked Luke’s friendship with the ghost Alma who shows him the city outside of the Power Station and opens his eyes to the possibility of a different route to escape. 

This is a brilliantly exciting, action-packed adventure. with dark and scary moments, which children of 9+ will enjoy. 

Thank you To Toppsta and the Publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Time School:  We Will Stand with Them is the third book in the fascinating Time School time-slip series which follows four friends as they travel to periods in history to which they are connected through their families. Each book can be read as a stand-alone.

Twelve-year-old Ash Mundair is all too aware of the prejudice that his Dad has suffered after coming to England as a Ugandan Asian immigrant in the early 1970s.  After all, he keeps telling him about it, but Ash finds it hard to sympathise as he sees a successful businessman who has such high expectations of him that he fears he cannot live up to them.  This leads to an act of defiance on Ash’s part, and a terrible family argument with harsh words being spoken …

When Ash wakes up on Monday morning ready for school, he discovers there has been a power cut and, when he meets his friends at the train station, they end up on board an old-fashioned steam train which takes them on a journey back in time to their school, Hickley School, in a past time, and so begins another gripping and shocking adventure for the close friends …

Making their way to Hickley School for registration, they soon discover that they have travelled back to the 1970s, and it is not long before Ash is subjected to racist abuse.  In the assembly hall, Ash sees a group of Asian boys and discovers that they have come to Yorkshire after being forced to leave Uganda by its President, Idi Amin. 

Ash becomes both witness to, and subjected to, the racial prejudice and abuse that these boys face.  When one of the young boys is pushed beyond endurance and decides to fight back, will Ash be able to help him in a dangerous situation? 

Through his experiences travelling back to the 1970s, Ash comes to understand the profound feelings of fear and rejection that his father must have felt on coming to an England which did not want him.  This enables him to empathise with his father’s upbringing in England, and to understand more about his heritage, strengthening his relationship with his father.

The friendship between Nadia, Jess, Tomma and Ash feels incredibly authentic, and I really enjoyed spending time with them again.  They always support and protect each other, and have a wonderful camaraderie. 

“Words can be just as powerful as actions you know. 

And they stay around for much longer.”

This is a compelling story which uses words in a powerful and thought-provoking way, a story which deals with difficult themes of racism, prejudice and intolerance.  It is also a story of family and friendship, connecting to the past and understanding how it impacts on the present.  Perfect for Upper Key Stage 2 and beyond.

Thank you to Nikki Young for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’ve had a pretty good reading month in October which has been massively helped by having the last week off for half-term which I used to catch up on reading – sheer bliss! I’ve settled back into the routines of school life, and am really enjoying teaching my class and introducing them to lots of new books! Right, let’s see how I’ve done in October!

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 14 books this month, 10 physical copies, 2 e-books and 2 audiobooks. I think this has been my best reading month for a while.

NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is has stayed at 97%. I have two books to read on my NetGalley Shelf, both of which are released next year. I requested Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List, and was then lucky enough to be sent a proof copy.

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Books sent by publishers:

I have been lucky enough to have been sent these books by publishers this month.

Books bought:

I’ve bought 14 books this month and have managed to read three of them, and start another one which I think might be a bit of a record for me!

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

Skeleton Keys:  The Wild Imaginings of Stanley Strange is the fifth adventure in this brilliantly fun series.  More shenanigans ensue as ‘Ol Skeleton Keys returns for another fantabulous tale of daring and mishaps and, this time, he’s going out of this world … 

Stanley Strange has unimagined his imaginary friend, Lucky, and then promptly disappears, leaving Lucky to face the wickedly sharp-witted Skeleton Keys and his partner, the backwards-headed, Daisy.  The rather suave ‘Ol Mr Keys offers to help Lucky find his best friend which takes them through The Door to Nowhere, and into an incredible adventure …

Through this Door is the Kingdom, a world where no humans are allowed … oops … cause someone let a human enter!  Who lives in a world like this?  Only the most weird and wonderful creatures like the hedgehog with a unicorn’s horn, and it’s about to get even stranger!  Luckily, the inhabitants of the Kingdom can only imagine good things, so what’s up with the dinosaur attack, the destructive robot and the space invaders!

The Kingdom is ruled by Lady Byrd who soon summons help from an old acquaintance of Mr Keys, ImagiNathan who is not exactly welcomed with open arms!  In fact, the normally perfectly level-headed and reasonable Mr Keys might be about to show his more competitive tendencies.  Will they be able to find Stanley before his wild imaginings destroy the Kingdom?

I really do love ‘Ol Mr Keys with his unique way with words, uber confidence and polite manner BUT then there’s Daisy.  She is so unapologetically rude, wickedly funny and direct, but she also has hidden depths, well-hidden, and I love when I get a glimpse of the kind-hearted Daisy, the Daisy who cares about others.

The full- and partial-page illustrations by Pete Williamson are absolutely stunning, full of expression and capturing this strange and wonderful world brilliantly.

This is such a playful, humorous and exciting adventure, with unexpected twists, that it is sure to capture and delight the imagination of its readers.  As with the other books in this series, I have no doubt that the children in my class will be desperate to get their hands on this new adventure. 

Thank you to Little Tiger for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

The points of the raised spears waver a little in the air, picking out juicy parts of Jori that they might land in.

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, COURAGE, FRIENDSHIP

Firstly – wow, wow, wow! And, if that isn’t enough to make you instantly want to read the spectacularly stunning Uki and the Ghostburrow, then read on …

This is epic fantasy writing at its pinnacle: a story for anyone who longs to be swept into a richly-drawn world of breath-taking adventure, excitement and danger with heroes to root for, heroes who form heart-warming friendships, and who show great courage and strength to overcome evil. I was absolutely gripped from start to finish, starting it late in the evening, reading until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer (the sign of a great book) and then getting up early to finish it. Perfection!

This is the sixth book in the Five Realms series and is Uki’s third adventure. It is a series that has captured my heart, and taken me back to a time when I devoured books like Lord of the Rings and The Belgariad. This is a very popular series in my class, and I know that there will be many eager hands ready to pick this one up when I put it in my class library.

The bard and his friends are taken by a tribe of Arukh rabbits who are fiercely protective of their mountain territory and do not welcome strangers in their midst – in fact, they take the ears of those who encroach on their territory. However, Rue has been poisoned by the Endwatch, and these rabbits are the only ones who can provide the antidote. The bard has a tale to tell them, one that they are keen to hear, and one that may not only save Rue’s life … the tale of Uki and the Ghostburrow.

Uki has captured the spirit Charice, and needs to trap the final, and most dangerous spirit, Mortix, the spirit of death. Uki senses her in the great city of Eisenfell alongside an old enemy who has a connection to him. He soon discovers that Mortix has taken control of the City’s Emperor Ash, and is creating a terrifying army from his citizens.

Determined to stop Mortix before she takes control of the whole Five Realms, he makes his way to the City with his friends, Jori and Kree. With the help of some wonderful new friends, they find themselves beneath the City and in the Ghostburrow, and so begins the most engrossing, exciting and action-packed adventure …

This is an epic battle between good and evil, a fight for survival against tyranny. I was utterly absorbed in the quest, gasping out loud at the revelations and twists, and holding my breath as the danger reached a crescendo. My goodness, I have come to adore Uki, Kree and Jori, who are written with such warmth, depth and heart. Their friendship is so beautifully captured and feels completely natural offering strength, trust and support when most needed.

The illustrations are absolutely wonderful, and complement the scope of this fantastic adventure perfectly.

Finally, I’ll take you back to where I started: wow, wow, wow! This is a phenomenal, unputdownable masterpiece that I cannot recommend highly enough. After that ending, I’m crossing everything that there is another book in this series … I’m nowhere near ready to leave this world behind!

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!

I’m trying to do some baking (not very successfully!) and whilst doing that, I have been continuing to listen to The Shadow Keeper which I’m really enjoying.

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I’m on half-term this week, so I’ve been enjoying more reading than usual. I finished Hag Storm which I really enjoyed. I will be posting my review next week as part of the Blog Tour. I also read The Red Gloves and Other Stories which I did like, but they weren’t quite as spooky as I was expecting. I then read a book I’ve been approved to read on NetGalley, Fledgling which is a powerful and unusual story that I really enjoyed. Not sure I’ve read anything quite like it – maybe Skellig is the closest! I was unexpectedly sent a copy of Explorers’ at Pirate Island which is a series I absolutely love for pure escapism and enjoyment. I dropped everything to read it, and am so glad I did. I will be posting my review shortly. Finally, I read the next book (I NEED there to be more!) in the Five Realms series, Uki and the Ghostburrow: WHAT A BOOK! I’ll say more tomorrow IF I can get wordpress editor to work!

I think I’m going for a complete change with my next read. Time School: We Will Stand with Them is a time adventure story where the main characters travel back into the past to find out about their family. I really enjoyed the last one, so am looking forward to this one.

This is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Girl Reader.  This week’s theme is a Halloween Freebie! I love reading books in series, but can sometimes find it hard to catch up on a series when a new book is released as there are so many books on my TBR. I still can’t believe I haven’t read Hollowpox or The Battle for Roar! Today, I’ve decided to share books in middle-grade series that I have read and loved where there are at least three books in the series.

Starfell by Dominque Valente

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A Pinch of Magic Adventures by Michelle Harrison

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The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol

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The Wild Magic Trilogy by Celine Kiernan

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The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club by Alex Bell

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The Five Realms Series (Podkin) by Kieran Larwood

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The Unmapped Chronicles by Abi Elphinstone

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Storm Keeper Trilogy by Catherine Doyle

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The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher

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Eerie-on-Sea Mystery by Thomas Taylor

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Have you read any of these? What series would you recommend?

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!

Destiny was calling Paisley Fitzwilliam. She held its summons clutched in her hand. Walking away from the aerodock station, she adjusted the strap of her father’s old dragonhide satchel, her flame-touched curls twisting out from under her woollen cap, the sound of the aerocopters filling her ears as they lifted into the skies of London.

Any ideas?

I’m on half-term this week, and I’m determined to catch up with reading some of the books that I’ve bought and which have been waiting patiently for me to get to them! I’ll also catch up on a few which I have been sent to review.

Goodreads Synopsis:

London, the Empire of Albion. The Great Dragons of old are long-gone. Now the world is governed by the science of Celestial Physicists, and everyone’s life is foretold by the track on their wrist.

When thirteen-year-old Paisley discovers from her track that she is destined to die, the race is on to protect her dragon-touched brother and find her missing mother. But an ancient power stalks the sewers of London, and the Dark Dragon is rising, intent on restoring the Great Dragons and destroying Paisley’s family and her world forever.

In a world where science rules and dragons fear to tread, Paisley must trust her instincts and forge new friends, as she attempts to outrun fate itself.

Have you read this? What did you think?

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Over the summer I visited Jane Austen’s house in Chawton and took this wonderful book along with me.  I just had to get a photo beside Jane Austen’s writing desk!

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

Cassandra knew Jane was brewing revolution against Mama’s edict so moved quickly.

This book in three words:

MYSTERY, SISTERHOOD, FRIENDSHIP

Young Jane Austen returns to solve another intriguing mystery in The Burglar’s Ball, a charming, witty and incredibly entertaining read.  I relished every moment of this captivating delight!

Much as Jane would prefer to spend her summer eating pilfered sugar plums whilst reading outside and playing cricket with her father’s pupils at Steventon Rectory, she is drawn into another adventure when her older, much-loved sister Cassandra is invited to attend a summer ball at their old boarding school, Reading Abbey Girls’ School, and she is determined to bring a rather reluctant Jane with her.

Soon after their arrival, Jane discovers that the headmistress, Madame La Tournelle, is in financial difficulties and is looking to better her fortunes by securing new boarders:  wealthy sisters Elinor and Marianne recently returned with their father from India, and their cousin Lucy. 

Whilst accomplished dancers Cassandra and Elinor throw themselves into the excitement of preparing for the ball under the tutelage of the debonair dancing master, Mr Willoughby, Jane befriends his young assistant, flautist Brandon. He reveals that he is a former slave who has escaped from a navy ship to take up his role with his new employer. He proves himself a wonderful friend in his support for Jane to improve her confidence in dancing.

Jane is not long at the school before she finds herself with a mystery to solve when a diamond necklace is stolen from a locked room on the evening of the ball.  Can Jane and her friends unmask the real culprit before an innocent person is imprisoned for a burglary he didn’t commit?

This is a wonderfully fast-paced, clever and exciting mystery which unfolds perfectly as clues are unearthed, trails are followed and truths are revealed. 

Jane is such an incredibly likeable young heroine who is willing to stand up to injustice and to challenge prejudice.  She is kind-hearted, has a sparkling wit and a determined nature.  I loved that she got to meet up with old friends and to make new friendships. I also really enjoyed reading Jane’s letters home to her brother which are sprinkled throughout the story:  sharp-witted, clever and amusing.

For fans of Jane Austen’s work, there are some wonderful allusions to Sense and Sensibility to be uncovered and enjoyed.  This story also gives a fascinating insight into late eighteenth century high society from its different forms of entertainment to the effects of imperialism and the prejudices and stereotypes inherent in society.  I really liked how the reader is given Jane’s thoughts, reactions and feelings about different aspects of society which could offer some wonderful opportunities for discussion.

This is a truly entrancing, exciting mystery that immersed me in a gorgeously Austenesque world that I utterly adored. I have no doubt that it will be enjoyed by both younger and older fans of historical mystery.

Thank you to Lion Hudson for a advance proof in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!

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I read The Dream Snatcher a while ago now so when I spotted the second book in the trilogy on my library app, I jumped at the chance to listen to it. This feels darker than The Unmapped Chronicles, but I’m really enjoying being back with Moll and her wildcat Gryff. I’m just about to start Hag Storm which I think will be perfect for spooky vibes reading!

I’ve only finished one book this week, but it was a wonderful read. I will be posting my review tomorrow.

I’m hoping to read Fledgling next which I have been approved to read on NetGalley.

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