Masterminds by Gordon Korman

Korman is awesome. This book was not only exciting, but thought provoking as well. 

Definitely buying a copy and waiting avidly for the sequel! Ms Yingling

This town is very small. The parents either work at the plastics factory or work in the town as the teacher, doctor, mayor or as shopkeepers. The other group of men are security guards called the Surety. The kids call them Purple People Eaters.

As the story opens one of the kids named Randy convinces Eli (his father is the local doctor) to travel outside the town perimeter but as they reach the edge of town Eli becomes very unwell. Helicopters arrive and he his taken to hospital. Not long after this Randy is sent away but the reason does not sound feasible. Eli enlists the help of three other kids from the town - Malik, Tori and Hector. There is something strange about the factory which 'supposedly' makes plastic traffic cones. Who are these kids? What is really going on in that factory? Why did Eli get so sick? Surely there is something strange about the street names and even the local newspaper does not seem entirely trustworthy. Then Eli is somehow able to access the 'real' internet and so the kids begin to unravel a set of lies that will upset everything they think they know about their lives and families. 

Boy oh boy this book is a wild ride! I was totally engrossed from beginning to end following the lives of these four kids and the weird-sounding community where they live with the prophetic name of Serenity. I do need to warn you this is book one in a trilogy and the ending of book one is a cliffhanger - I plan to borrow book two from the library on my next visit. 

Blurb: Eli Frieden lives in the most perfect town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico. Everyone has a great house, with a pool. Money problems and crime are unheard of. Honesty and integrity are valued above all else. The thirty kids who live there never lie. They know it’s a short leap from that to the awful problems of other, less fortunate places. Eli has never left Serenity … until, one day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens that it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and it soon becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, linking their ideal community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known.

This review has lots of plot details: This amazing book is perfectly paced, building in tension as Eli, Tory, Hector, and the other children discover the truth about their town and their lives, and as they try to figure out what they should do about the incredibly difficult situation they have been put in. The chapters alternate between the characters so that we get to see things through several different pairs of eyes, which gives us a wonderful insight into the feelings reactions of Eli and his friends. Readers will be eager to find out if children who have been living in a controlled environment all their lives will be able to truly be who they are. 

Companion book:

Eventown

Which cover do you like? I prefer the second one. This book was published in 2016 but it is still available. 

Here are the covers of books two and three:

Update: Here's my blog post about Criminal Destiny

Criminal Destiny: Follow Eli, Tori, Malik, and Amber as they try to discover the truth of their origins and carve a life for themselves in an outside world that is unfamiliar, baffling, and dangerous. But Project Osiris and its enforcers, the Purple People Eaters, are hot on their trail. They’re free for now. But for how long …? (Here is the review from Ms Yingling)

Payback: After a serious betrayal from one of their former friends, the clones of Project Osiris are on the run again. Now separated into pairs, Eli and Tori and Amber and Malik are fighting to survive in the real world. Amber and Malik track down the one person they think can help them prove the existence of Project Osiris, notorious mob boss Gus Alabaster, also known as Malik's DNA donor. But as Malik gets pulled into the criminal world-tantalized by hints of a real family-his actions put him and Amber into greater danger. Eli and Tori get sucked into even bigger conspiracies as they hunt down Project Osiris's most closely guarded secrets-who does Eli's DNA come from? With a surprising new ally and another cross-country adventure, the four will have to work together to overcome the worst parts of themselves if they are going to end Project Osiris once and for all. (Take a look at this review from Ms Yingling)

Gordon Korman writes thrilling stories that are sure to appeal to readers aged 10+. Years ago I read books from three of his trilogies - Island; Everest and Dive. Each of these have around 175 pages and are perfect for reluctant readers. Look for this one too:

The Unteachables

The Pinchers and the Curse of the Egyptian Cat by Anders Sparring illustrated by Per Gustavsson translated by Julia Marshall

Blurb: Theo and Ellen accidentally break an ancient cat statue in the antique store. When they tell their mother Nic, she turns pale. It must have been the statue that ruined the life of their ancestor Pick Pincher! The curse of the Egyptian cat turns thieves into honest people and honest people into thieves. Pick met a terrible fate for a Pincher—he became a police officer. Now suddenly Ellen can’t lie and Theo is becoming a criminal. Theo and Ellen follow the clues to break the curse—after sneaking into the zoo through secret tunnels, breaking into the antique store and digging his way into more trouble, Theo must decide whether he is or isn’t a criminal.

Laced with dry humor, this wildly fantastical, gripping narrative zips along to a satisfying conclusion. Gustavsson’s atmospheric, action-packed, full-page images and vignettes bring to life both thrills and hilariously wacky antics. ... Another lively, funny jaunt with this unforgettable family. Kirkus

This is fun easy to read book perfect for readers aged 8+ because it is short, has colour illustrations and this it is part of a series. So far Gecko have published three books about The Pinchers.  The curse of the Egyptian Cat is titled Familjen Knyckertz och Gipskattens förbannelse in Swedish. The literal title is The Knyckertz family and the curse of the plaster treasure. You can see inside this book here - YouTube Trailer. 

Read more here

Read more here

Anders Sparring writes children's books and is a screenwriter for many popular television shows. He is also a stand-up comedian. He lives in Sweden.

Per Gustavsson is an illustrator and author living in Stockholm, Sweden. His bestselling books are translated to several languages.

My Gecko Press book (purchased from The Sun Bookshop in Yarraville Melbourne) and the Curse of the Egyptian Cat is the third book in the series. Here are the eight Swedish covers:

I want to list another book about a child who is the opposite of his parents - he is tidy they are disgustingly messy and there is a tidy town competition but I cannot think of the title and that plot fragment is all I remember except to say it was a short junior novel and it was probably published between 1990 and 2010. (post update I remembered this book - No Place for Grubbs by Max Dann Aussie Bites series). Your library might also have an old book by Pat Hutchins called The Curse of the Egyptian Mummy. 

Companion books:

Huxley and Flapjack race to the rescue

The Real Thief

The Man who Wore all his Clothes

Dandy the highway lion

Violet and the Pearl of the Orient

Dixie O'Day and the great Diamon Robbery

The Great Smile Robbery (out of print)

Dandy the Highway Lion by Stephanie Sorrell illustrated by Roxana de Rond

Amidst an abundance of silly scrapes, camaraderie and merciless baddies, Sorrell has also 

crafted a story with an unrelenting moral compass. Just Imagine review

Hattie and Ben are left to their own devices in London while their parents are busy with work. Absent parents are always a good story device if you want to create heroic children who take on wild adventures and this book is no exception.

Walking through the park the children play a game of I spy. Hattie does not believe Ben when he says he has seen a real lion!

This was clearly no ordinary lion. He hadn’t noticed them, as he was busy performing what Hattie thought must be exercises of some sort. They reminded her of the movements recommended in the magazines her mother sometimes bought. Calisthenics, she thought they were called. The lion would have looked graceful, except that he was dressed in a black tailcoat, with a long slit at the back for his tail to poke through. Under this, he wore a waistcoat and a wine-red cravat, which was like a tie but wider and bulkier, almost a scarf. What spoilt the effect was that he wore nothing at all below his . . . would you call it a waist on a lion? She noticed a very large and glossy top hat lying a few feet away. She supposed the lion must have removed it to stop it falling off while he did . . . well, whatever it was he was doing. 

Mr Dandy Paws really is a highwayman. He is determined to end the trade in exotic animals because of his own terrible life experience:

"My earliest childhood was spent in a vast warehouse in a small cage with my mother, almost always in darkness along with hundreds of other creatures ... the warehouse made its money from breeding. Most of its inhabitants were mothers with their young living in hopelessness and misery, until their infants were taken from them and sold."

Young Dandy was sold to Tower Zoo but he managed to escape. Now he lives in a well-appointed apartment with a sheep for a butler and a collection of fine cravats. By night he robs wealthy people to fund his real purpose which is to find and destroy the 'breeders'. Hetty and Ben now join his group and through careful detective work they locate the diabolical couple Mr and Mrs Pravusson who are running this despicable enterprise. All of this feels like a good old-fashioned melodrama and the character names are just perfect - Miss Prudence Postlethwaite (Private investigator); Lord Fossleton (friend to Dandy - a wealthy slightly confused older man); Mr and Mrs Davenport (the distracted parents of Hattie and Ben); Leonard (Butler to Dandy - he is a sheep); and the Vickers-Watlings (owners of an animal menagerie).

You probably know I do judge books by their covers. I saw this book in the library a few months ago but the cover didn't appeal to me. Last week I decided to borrow and read Dandy the Highway Lion and am so glad I did. This is a fun book that will take you on a wild, fanciful romp through the streets of London accompanied by a very well-dressed lion, two daring children, a small sheep and a huge brown bear. All of these disparate characters have one purpose. To find and expose the illegal trade in exotic animals. You will cheer their successes and boo their enemies - just like a good old-fashioned melodrama.  This would be a fun book to read in a family for readers aged 9+.  If you are sharing this book with readers in your library it would be good to really unpack the cover - notice the lion in fine clothes, the way the two children are dressed in old-fashioned clothes, the park fountain and light, and the tiny (knowing) pigeon in the corner. You could also talk about the colours used in the design - do these give the book an old-fashioned feel? Compare this with other 'old fashioned book covers' such as these:

I was enraptured by this quirky, whirlwind journey of friendship, justice and fighting for freedom. Set in the 1920s London, Sorrell’s voice is distinct, with a quick witted, old-fashioned charm and an element of mischief throughout. Just Imagine

Despite being a fun, roguish adventure, Stephanie's Sorrell's novel tackles big themes. In the same way Dandy sits at the centre of the story, so does animal welfare. Not only does Sorrell hold humans to account over their treatment of wild creatures, she raises a discussion around animals kept in captivity, one that the animal characters contribute to through their voices on the page. Sorrell shows rather than tells, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions on the subject but the result is hugely thought-provoking and there is a great twist at the end. This is magical realism at its best - perfect for adventure lovers, animal lovers and those drawn to the dangerous enigma of highwaymen.  Breadcrumb Forest

Read a book extract here. 

Bookseller blurb: Lonely after their family moves to London, Ben and Hattie are delighted to find a new friend in the park: a talking lion wearing a top hat, dress suit and red cravat. But not only is Mr Dandy Paws an exceptionally well-dressed feline, but he’s also a highway lion who robs from those who are cruel to animals and invests the proceeds in animal justice. But with a P.I. on his tail, Dandy’s latest scheme—a daring break-out at London Zoo—could get Ben and Hattie into far more trouble than they bargained for ...

Cop and Robber by Tristan Bancks

Nash Hall has a complex life. His father claims they are related to the famous bushranger Ben Hall. His father was once a boxer but recently he has turned to crime and has almost been sent to jail. Nash is so worried about his father's behaviour and now he discovers his father owes a huge amount of money to some dangerous looking criminals. In just three days Lyle Hall has to come up with $256,568. If all of this sounds dreadful and impossible there is one more thing you need to know. Look at the title of this book. I have talked about the robber - that's dad and he has just held up a service station - but what about the cop? Well, that's mum. 

There are some violent scenes in this book so I suggest it will appeal to readers (especially boys) aged 11+. 

Publisher blurb: If your mum was a cop and your dad was a criminal who needed your help to commit a crime, would you do it to save him? At what cost? Nash Hall's dad is a criminal who just can't seem to go straight. He wants Nash to help him commit a robbery. A big one. The trouble is, Nash's mum is a cop. And the robbery is at Nash's school. But Dad owes a lot of money to some very dangerous people and if Nash doesn't help him do the job, it could cost both their lives.

Tristan uses humour as well as conflict to add light and shade to his story.  He uses Nash’s dilemma to explore complex themes of loyalty, love, honesty, and especially forgiveness. This makes it such a satisfying and memorable read, but beware, once you start it you will drop everything until you’ve finished it. Storylinks

Here is a very detailed set of teaching notes from the publisher - Penguin Random House. Here is Tristan Banks web site. 

Take a look at other thrilling stories by Tristan Bancks:

Two wolves

Detention

Twitch by MG Leonard

 

"He'd woken up feeling like he had a jigsaw puzzle in his head that wouldn't let him do anything else until he had fitted all the pieces together. Who was Billy? ... Why had Billy told him he was a birdwatcher, when he didn't know the difference between a swift and a sparrow? Why was everyone lying to him? It seemed to be a puzzle hinging on birds. He wondered, was it anything to do with the jailbird who was hiding in Briddvale?"

Who are the baddies? Who can you trust? Is there anyone who is telling the truth?

A notorious bank robber has come to Aves Wood. The robber is purported to be looking for five million pounds which have been hidden in this huge natural area. Twitch (real name Corvus Featherstone) loves to roam around in Aves Wood. The dreadful bullying he experiences at school and his loneliness since the death of his grandfather mean he feels most at home in the little hide he has made in the wood. From his hide he can watch the birds he loves. At home, his love of birds continues with four pigeons; three chickens and a family of swifts. The holidays have begun and Twitch has plans to train his two younger pigeons to fly home but now the woods are swarming with police and Twitch also has to be extra careful to avoid the bullies from school and keep his own special hideout a secret. 

Jack and his gang attack Twitch on the last day of school forcing a worm into his mouth. Luckily a stranger intervenes. Briddvale is a small place. Twitch has never seen this man before but Billy explains he has come to area to look at the birds. Twitch is delighted to find a fellow bird enthusiast but should he share so much information with a stranger. Then there is Jack who somehow tries to convince Twitch that he is not a bully, that he is also interested in birds and that he just wants to be a friend. Again should Twitch trust his former enemy and has he told Jack too much? And who are the two young girls he keeps seeing roaming around Aves Wood? 

This is just one of those really, really good books that is very readable, with a great story and characters you're interested in and care about. It's written perfectly, with a good pace to the plot, and a lovely warmth to it throughout.  The Book Bag

I read this book in almost one sitting. YES it is that good. I adored previous books by MG Leonard - Beetle Boy and Beetle Queen. 

In Twitch the action just races along and I loved the way MG Leonard gives tiny hints, some of which are very misleading, about who to trust and exactly what is going on. The character of Twitch reminded me of Carl Hiaasen books such as Hoot; Scat; and Flush. 

If you are looking for another book with a central character who loves birds you should also look for The Someday Birds.

The Case of the Missing Cake by Eoin McLaughlin illustrated by Marc Boutavant

The Case of the Missing Cake (not an alphabet book) or perhaps the title is Not an Alphabet Book: The Case of the Missing Cake. Whatever the title this book is a winner.  It is funny. It is cheeky. And it contains a cake (whoops the cake is missing!). As a bonus the alphabet format is predicable and allow the bear to make his clever side comments. 

"Oh. Thank goodness you're here! This was meant to be a simple alphabet book but something horrible has happened. The most terrible crime. The world's most completely delicious, tongue-jinglingly, chocolatey cake has been STOLEN."

A is for Apple; B is for Bear; C is for Cake - gone. I do wish they had included a recipe.

An alternative, irreverent and funny alphabet book. A witty exploration of the letters of the alphabet – with each turn of the page the letters transform into lively characters, ideas and, ultimately, a compelling mystery to solve. Readers are sure to feel inspired to invent their own imaginative whodunit after reading this entertaining alphabet book! Walker Books

This is a perfect vehicle for reading aloud or reading together over and over, with lots of opportunities for highly expressive emoting and giggles galore.  Goofy, hilarious, laugh-out-loud fun for all. Kirkus star review

Here are some other books by Irish author Eoin McLaughlin and books illustrated by French illustrator Marc Boutavant.

I would pair The Case of the Missing cake with Z is for Moose.

The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli

Cammie lives inside the Hancock County Prison. She is not a criminal - she is the daughter of the boss - the warden. The year is 1959. Cammie is eleven. Her mother's grave says Anne Victoria O'Reilly April 16, 1921 February 3, 1947. If you do the maths you can see Cammie's mother died when Cammie was a baby. It was a incident involving a milk truck.

"How do you be a child to a mother you never knew?"

Cammie is sad. Cammie is mad. Cammie makes a plan to find herself a mother. 

In the prison one of the inmates, called trustees, is assigned to work in the apartment of the warden. To cook, clean and take care of Cammie. There have been many women who have filled this role but none have been like Eloda Pupko. Eloda Pupko is now Cammie's project. She is determined that this women will act like a mother, offer love, kindness, wisdom and even reprimand Cammie.  Clearly Cammie is desperate for that love but her anger is raging white hot. Cammie does have friends at school but their lives are so very different from hers and at times it feels their friendship is motivated by curiosity about the prison and one notorious inmate accused of murder. Cammie also has friends among the prison inmates especially Boo Boo.

"The loudest and largest inmate of all was Boo Boo. Boo Boo was one of a half a dozen black women. Boo Boo was a shoplifter, but I always found this hard to figure, as she was anything but quiet and sneaky."

Over this amazing Summer Cammie will make important discoveries about herself and about her friends - inside and outside of the jail. Boo Boo for example may not be exactly the person you expect and her hope and dreams may surprise or perhaps even shock you. Click the review quotes below if you need more plot details.

When you read this book (and please do read it) you may be curious about scraple which is served in the prison - I found this definition: it  is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and wheat flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then pan-fried before serving. Scraps of meat left over from butchering, not used or sold elsewhere, were made into scrapple to avoid waste.

Listen to an audio sample from chapter one. I think readers aged 10+ will really enjoy this book which is set in a place and time sure to be very unlike their own reality. Cammie is not an easy girl to like but she does need a friend - perhaps you could be her friend - her true friend. 

Moving and memorable. Kirkus Star review

A buoyant yet powerfully emotional coming-of-age novel that reflects its prickly young protagonist's sense of entrapment in her own inarticulable sadness. Shelf Awareness

Take a look at my review of another book by master storyteller Jerry Spinelli - Loser. Here is an alternate cover for The Warden's daughter and other covers of Jerry Spinelli titles:

Time to Smell the Roses by Michael Hoeye

Why oh why are the Hermux Tanamoq Adventures out of print. They are just so utterly engrossing, funny, clever, and well simply wonderful. Time to Smell the Roses is the final instalment which began with Time Stops for No Mouse followed by The Sands of Time and the third book No Time like Show Time.

In this fourth instalment we have the evil cosmetics tycoon Tucka Mertslin plotting once again to overthrow a rival. She is vain, she is manipulative, she is truly awful but also an utterly splendid villain. Her limousine number plate is VANITY.  In this episode she enlists the help of Killium Wollar to help her destroy Reezeor Bleesom.

"Tucka closed her eyes, and the scientist of her dreams took shape with astonishing speed. His smile was incandescent. He had thick, glossy fur with golden highlights. His eyes were burning pools of passion ringed with thick dark lashes. He wore a spotless white tailored linen lab coat. And he lived for one thing only - her."

Tucka believes:

Wealth is the key to happiness

People are the key to wealth

Envy is the key to people

Killium Wollar has designed a killer bee (yes the sting can actually kill) and knowing the vanity of Tucka he has added something underneath the bee:

"Hermux turned it (the bee) over. Its abdomen showed curious markings. Hermux removed his magnifying loupe from his vest pocket. ... He held the bee close and examined it. The fur on the bees belly seemed to grow in a distinct pattern. It looked as though two letters were spelled out in golden hairs amongst the black. "

Later Hermux discovers the letters are TM - Tucka Mertslin. 

Reezeor Bleesom, used to work for Tucka. He makes his all natural perfume using roses grown by Androse DeRosenquill in Thorny End. In the meantime Androse has summoned Hermux Tantamoq to solve a mystery. His son and heir Plank is missing. This means Hermux and Tucka will face off once again but the true hero this time is the little ladybird Terfle. I think I held my breath through the whole of chapter 62 after Terfle is captured by those killer bees.

This instalment is all about smell and Michael Hoeye is a master with his descriptions:

"He touched the tip of his nose to the centre of a flower and sniffed again, this time more deeply. Very nice. Honey with raspberries and spice. And something else. Something sweet and enticing. Hermux buried his face in the roses and breathed in deeply ... He remembered apple orchards in April. Honeysuckle summers. The sharpness of lemons."

Michael Hoeye gives readers his trademark fabulous clothing descriptions and delicious food such as this meal shared by Hermux, Linka and young Twigg at the Inn in Thorny End:

"Then you know what sounds good to me?' (Linka) said. 'The walnut loaf with baby carrots.'  ... Terfle settled for a child's portion of silverfish pate with some crumbs of toast. Hermux ordered a blue cheese cornburger and crispy fries."

I suggest if you can find this book you should order a box of donuts, make a big pot of hot chocolate and settle down with your young reading companion for an evening of wonderful storytelling. Hermux especially loves cherry-rosehip-peanut crullers. Here is a picture of a cruller which is a deep fried pastry similar to a donut.

Image Source: e2bakesBrooklyn

If you have been reading my posts about Hermux you will want to check up on the romance between Hermux and Linka. Yes they are planning to get married and here are the final words of Time to Smell the Roses (spoiler alert)

"Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her."

Huge sigh of happiness from me.

I would've loved to hear what sort of doughnuts were served at the Tantamoq/Perflinger wedding. Kelly Book Stuff