Things That Go Bump
- Written by Kathryn Foxfield
Kathryn Foxfield is one of my favourite YA horror writers, so when I discovered she had written a MG horror book I knew I needed to read it, then get a copy for my library. Her YA books are very dark so I was interested to see what her MG book would be like.
When Olive and some of her year 6 friends find themselves locked overnight inside Flatpack – a new IKEA-style superstore – they quickly realise that they are not alone. A number of things hitched a ride from the forest where Flatpack sources its wood and in every dark nook, they’ve been multiplying… After several of the group get themselves dragged off to who knows where Olive knows she was right all along – monsters are definitely real. After that, she’s forced to face her fears and come up with a 1) rescue her friends 2) avoid being apprehended by overly efficient store employees, 3) hack into the store’s delivery system and send the monsters back where they came from. Oh, and don’t get eaten. Whatever you do, don’t look under the beds. And if you hear a wardrobe creaking open behind you, RUN!
This is absolutely perfect for children who love a good scare, it’s very much in the style of Goosebumps. This very much reminded me of The Night in the Museum
It is also very modern as I’m sure most kids know what IKEA is.
At the heart of this story is friendship with the main character Olive having had a falling out with her best friend, and not sure if her new friend is a friend or not.
I’ve always thought it might be fun to get locked in a shop overnight and this is a great way to experience that.
Her MG book had the right amounts of everything, right amount of creepiness, right amount of scares and right amount of humour.
I have heard that another MG horror book will be released by the end of the year so that’s definitely something to look forward to.
The Goblin’s Revenge
- Written by Andy Prentice
- Illustrated by Tom Knight
I really enjoy doing these types of books, books where you get to choose how your adventure is going. Unfortunately I’m not very good at them and I die really quickly. So I settled down one wet afternoon to see if I could do much better.
Prepare for menacing monsters, ghostly magic and a thrilling race against time in this spectacular fantasy adventure gamebook where the hero of the story is YOU.
An evil sorcerer has the kingdom in his grip and the only hope of stopping him is a treacherous quest to try and find the last remaining rebels and help them end his reign. With a horde of undead warriors on your trail and a series of blood-curdling dangers ahead of you, it would be a terrifying task for anyone – but you’re just a goblin, which makes things even more challenging.
Beautifully crafted picture puzzles to solve, an exciting dice-based combat system and an epic story full of emotion and humour create a unique gamebook that will have you gripped from beginning to end.
This was a nice one to do. It was a fun adventure with lots of interesting choices to make.
I made some pretty awful decisions and quickly died but this always happens. The artwork is wonderful.
I hope there is more to come from this author/series.
The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie
- Written by Radhika Sanghani
- Published by Usborne
Working in primary school you are faced daily by children lying, often it’s small lies and some of them are out of this world, but what would happen if you couldn’t lie. This is what is explored in this book.
Priya Shah lies. A lot. She pretends everything in her life is perfect, so she doesn’t disappoint anyone.
But when she puts on a bangle left to her by her Ba – the one person she was always honest with – she finds herself unable to tell a lie.
Priya is mortified. She tells her dad she hates his cooking, she tells Dan Zhang about her huge crush on him, she shares her best friends’ secrets at school. She can’t get the bangle off, and she can’t stop the truths pouring out of her.
As more things go wrong, and Priya’s truth-telling spirals out of control, can Priya learn to be honest without hurting the people she loves?
This is such a great concept for a book, and having the main character as female is interesting. It’s interesting because her hormones are kicking in and her body is going through a lot of changes.
Priya has a lot going on in her life, she is trying out for the nationals in gymnastics, her parents don’t get on, she is bullied at school and has a major crush on her gymnastics partner. And the only way she manages to get through life is by lying, but there are not really big lies. She just tells them because she doesn’t want to upset anyone and hurt their feelings.
Although there are some other books that deal with not being able to lie, this one is believable and modern.
The main characters are all young people from diverse backgrounds, navigating a range of issues and discovering the strength of trust, communication and difference. This is a beautiful, honest coming of age story, exploring family relationships and dynamics, as well as grief. This book explores relationships developed within school and the importance of being able to trust and confide in those we feel comfortable with. It shows that being honest about feelings can bring a sense of comfort and control, ensuring things fall into place. It’s a refreshing read that is completely relatable for its target audience.
Gracie Fairshaw and the Missing Reel
- Written by Susan Brownrigg
- Published by Uclan
I really enjoyed the first two Gracie Fairshaw books so I was interested in what was in store for her next.Gracie is 14 years old and her mum has moved the family to Blackpool to run a guest house. Gracie has been lucky enough to now work for the local paper as a reporter, and this is where we pick up the story.
Lights, camera, action!
A new movie being filmed in Blackpool is a real scoop for trainee reporter Gracie Fairshaw.
When she’s invited to interview the star, Sally Sunshine, Gracie uncovers a plot as exciting as the one being filmed. Someone has stolen a vital film reel – and then a vicious attack is attempted on Sally!
In a world of body-doubles, stunts, costumes and makeup, not everything is what it seems.
Gracie must go behind the scenes and work out, which of the cast and crew can’t be trusted before the shoot comes to a thrilling climax at the town’s cinema
Set in 1935 this is a middle grade historical fiction story full of mystery.
What first strikes me is how much research of Blackpool went into this book. And research into the film industry. There is Great description of all the jobs in both the film industry but all the newspaper trade.
The characters are all nice and it’s great seeing a young woman in a man’s world.
I do look forward to seeing what Gracie gets up to next.
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