Tag: family

Review: The Day my Dog Got Famous by Jen Carney

Written and illustrated by Jen Carney
Published by Puffin Books

The Day My Dog Got Famous is a woof-tastically wonderful adventure brimming with heart, humour, family and friendship.

Ten-year-old Ferris Foster has a real talent for drawing and has entered his comic strip, Astoundog, into his class art competition.  However, he loses to his nemesis, Destiny Dean, who epitomises mean girl and takes great delight in boasting about yet another win.  He can’t even escape from her taunts during the Easter holiday as she is also his next-door neighbour!

When Destiny insults his best friend, Aldo, Ferris offers a challenge:  to see which of them can get the most likes for their talented dogs on YouStream over the Easter holidays.  There’re just a few problems to overcome:  Ferris doesn’t have a YouStream channel and Aldo isn’t exactly the most talented dog ever unless drooling, trumping and eating things that are best avoided count.  But how difficult can it be to train a dog to trampoline? Or play football?   

Before Ferris can get too far with Aldo’s ‘training’, he meets his new foster sister, Tia, who is staying with his mums for a few days whilst her nan has an operation.  After meeting Destiny and witnessing her boasting, and unkindness towards Ferris, Tia agrees to help him win the challenge.  After helping Ferris set up his own YouStream channel, they start looking for ways for Aldo to show his talents …

When bees and sneezes lead to Aldo doing the most amazing trick, could he be about to become an internet superstar?  Could he replace Astoundog (star of Ferris’ comic, The Hoot) with his super talents?  Or will Aldo prove more of a one-hit wonder? 

I absolutely loved this heart-warming, hilarious adventure which made me giggle so much (don’t think I’ll ever look at tights in the same way again!) but there were also parts that made my heart ache for both Ferris and Tia – and Destiny!   I also loved the comic strips interspersed throughout the story and the many drawings which complement the energy and warmth of the story perfectly.

Family is tons more important than stuff.

Ferris is the most wonderful, empathetic young boy with a kind and caring heart.  He lives with his two mums and his foster sister, almost four-year-old Keely, who communicates through Makaton.  He has had 13 foster brothers and 8 foster sisters and has welcomed them into his home alongside his wonderful mums who are just brilliant.  The warmth and love that they have to give to those who need care and support when life is tough is inspirational. 

A hilarious, heart-warming story, perfect for readers of 9+ who I have no doubt will be just as eager as I am to join Ferris in his next adventure.

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

Review: Dreamstalkers: The Night Train by Sarah Driver

Written by Sarah Driver
Cover Illustration by Diana Renzina
Published by Farshore

Dreamstalkers:  The Night Train is a mesmerising, magical adventure that took me on an unforgettable journey into a world of disappearing dreams and roaming nightmares aboard the Night Train as I entered the world of the Dreamstalkers …      

Twelve-year-old Bea Grimspuddle lives in a cottage on Thunderheart Tor with her mum, Ula and her long-eared owl, Pip.  Sitting in an ancient dragon-skull, Bea views the wild moors below pondering why her dreams have disappeared.  When she sees a girl from the settlement, Martha Hearthsweep, approaching her cottage, she races towards home where she discovers that everyone’s dreams have disappeared … and in their place nightmares have escaped into the living world.  This scourge of nightmares threatens to destroy Thunderheart, forcing those living there to abandon their home.

When Bea breaks the news that they must leave to her mother, she discovers that Ula has been keeping secrets from her, secrets that may reveal the reason behind her mother’s sickness.  But before Bea can persuade her mother to leave, a mysterious steam train arrives outside the cottage, and Bea finds herself boarding the Night Train …

And so begins the most incredible adventure as Bea, Pip and Martha journey aboard the Night Train to Silvervein where they are thrown into the mysterious world of the Dreamstalkers, a secret guild of mages, who are responsible for keeping the balance between dreams and nightmares.  But what happens when the balance is broken and someone is intent on usurping dreams and inflicting nightmares for their own gain?  Can Bea connect with her wild magic, enter the world of the Dreamstalkers and find a way to save her mother before the nightmares stalking her catch up with her, destroying her hopes and dreams?

This is an adventure that really immersed me in a fascinating, intricate world with the most incredible, cinematic world-building:  a world of dreams and nightmares; of magic and secret guilds; of music and theatre; of mythical creatures, sentient locomotives and malefic rivers; and of wild mountains, moors and wandering towers.  I absolutely loved exploring Silvervein and the world of the Dreamstalkers with Bea, learning about their history, their remarkable magical abilities, and their terrible exploitation.  Utterly absorbing! 

I was completely captivated as I eagerly followed Bea on her quest, not only mesmerised by the world I found myself in, but on the edge of my seat as the increasing danger for Bea and her friends reached a crescendo, as secrets were revealed and as friends and foes were unmasked. 

Bea is a wonderful protagonist and I liked her all the more because of her fallibility.  She has been ostracised by her peers and finds friendship with her adorable, long-eared owl, Pip – their close bond is wonderfully heart-warming.  Her developing friendship with Martha is by no means easy and at times it is fractious and difficult laced with jealousy and hurt.  Bea is trying to find her place in the world, who she really is, whilst finding the courage and strength to fight against a terrifying foe who seeks to control the world that she wants to become part of.  I really liked that she is a complex young girl which makes her feel more genuine and someone who readers can relate to. 

A captivating, magical adventure into an unforgettable world where nightmares roam, but dreams may be realised …  perfect for young adventurers of 9+.

Thank you for the Publisher, Farshore, for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.