Monthly Archives: March 2017

Heroic

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Heroic by Phil Earle

Book of the Week: 26 March 2017

Author Phil Earle will be visiting School tomorrow to talk to Years 7, 8 and 9 about his work, so our Book of the Week is Heroic.

The author says he was partly inspired to write it after reading the classic teenage novel by S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders. This is very much its own story however. Brothers Jammy and Sonny McGann live on a tough housing estate, worrying the life out of their mum by regularly getting into trouble, always helped by a gang of loyal mates. Older brother Jammy decides the best thing he can do to help the family is sign up to the army and, along with his friend Tommo, get shipped out for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Here he discovers that, despite the feelings of brotherhood and a toughness honed by his years on the Ghost estate, war really is hell. When he eventually returns to family life, he is a changed man. The whole community considers him a hero but that is far from how he views himself.

This is a grittily realistic read with rounded and convincing characters that are not always likeable but are totally understandable. There are violent scenes that take place on the estate as well as in Afghanistan but they are not glossed over or glamourised.

A great read if you have enjoyed books such as Big and Clever by Dan Tunstall, After the First Death or Heroes by Robert Cormier, Liccle Bit by Alex Wheatle or Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

Phil Earle writes books for younger readers and young adults and they range from the tough to the funny. Find out more here.

His books are available to borrow from the School Library or your local public library and to buy from all good bookshops.

Children of Icarus

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Children of Icarus by Caighlan Smith

Book of the Week: 19 March 2017

I am hoping some keen readers will provide feedback on this book because I haven’t got round to reading it yet.

The publisher’s website says “It’s Clara who’s desperate to enter the labyrinth and it’s Clara who’s bright, strong and fearless enough to take on any challenge. It’s no surprise when she’s chosen. But so is the girl who has always lived in her shadow. Together they enter. Within minutes, they are torn apart forever. Now the girl who has never left the city walls must fight to survive in a living nightmare, where one false turn with who to trust means a certain dead end.”

As reviewer Jill Murphy says on The Book Bag review site: “On a superficial level, Children of Icarus is a mash-up of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner …” yet it has ‘refreshing’ differences and tells a dystopian story in an original way.

The Challenge

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The Challenge by Tom Hoyle

Book of the Week: 12 March 2017

Like last week’s book, this is another story unsuited for those of a sensitive disposition. This time, instead of a ghostly atmosphere, The Challenge is characterised by a sense of unease and mystery.

Ben lives with his grandmother in Compton Village in the Lake District, next to Lake Hintersea. When we first meet him he is grieving over the death of his best friend who mysteriously disappeared from outside his house and was later found washed up on the shore of the Lake. Ben is feeling lonely and withdrawn until twins Sam and Jack arrive at his school. They are popular, athletic and charming and, to Ben’s surprise, want nothing more than to be his best friends. Life is looking up for Ben and when the twins introduce him to their special kind of challenges, some of which put him on the side of the cool kids, he thinks he might be able to put his grief aside. That’s until their suggestions become more outrageous and a lot more sinister.

Tom Hoyle is the pseudonym of a secondary school headmaster. He is the author of the Adam Grant series: Thirteen and Spiders and this is his second stand-alone book – the other one is Survivor.

Frozen Charlotte

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Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell

Book of the Week: 5 March 2017

A sure-fire way to add creepiness to a scary film is to include a shot of a dimly-lit room with some ancient china dolls staring blankly ahead. Alex Bell has used this device to good effect in Frozen Charlotte by having old fashioned dolls as a major plot component.

Sophie is staying on the Isle of Skye with cousins she has not seen for years. Uncle James is a painter and a rather careless parent, Cameron is a brooding and talented pianist, six-year old Lilias has a morbid fear of bones, and perhaps an over-active imagination, and Piper seems friendly enough but has an unexplained dislike of her brother. Their remote house used to be a girls’ school many years ago, until a series of unpleasant accidents ensured it was closed down. The girls back then used to play with a collection of small china dolls called Frozen Charlottes, which are now in a collection case in one of the bedrooms. Do these dolls exert a malignant influence over everyone who comes into contact with them or is the isolation and tense family relationships that make everyone doubt their own sanity?

A fast-moving and sometimes gory plot to be read with the lights on.