I need to confess I still have four books to read from my May reading pile. But in the meantime I have begun reading through my huge pile for June and July. I can report that I have already read five from this pile of fourteen!
Here is an update on one book from May - The Lost Ryu by Emi Watanabe Cohen (Allen and Unwin) due for release 15 June, 2022. I found this book quite confusing but Ms Yingling (a reviewer I really admire) says: "Because of the popularity of Tui Sutherland's Wings of Fire series, dragon books are much in demand in my library. It's great to see a story centred on Japanese dragons, and I'll gladly add this to my list of newer dragon books ... "
The four books from my May pile still waiting to be read are: Heroes of the Secret Underground; Sky Song; One Half from the East and When the Sky Falls.
Now onto my June/July titles.
These are Advance copies from Beachside Bookshop.
Fake by Ele Fountain (published in May 2022) Pushkin Children's Books
I previously read Melt by Ele Fountain.
Publisher blurb Pushkin Press: Imagine a world where your only friends are virtual, and big tech companies control access to food, healthcare and leisure. This is Jess’s world. But when she turns fourteen, Jess can go to school with other children for the first time. Most of them hate the ‘real’ world, but Jess begins to question whether the digital world is ‘perfect’ after all. Back home, her sister Chloe’s life-saving medication is getting ever more expensive. Determined to help, Jess risks everything by using skills forbidden in the cyber-world, only to stumble on something explosive. Something that will turn her whole world upside down. It’s up to Jess to figure out exactly what is real, and what is fake – Chloe’s survival depends on it.
Fake sounds like a dystopian story and I do enjoy that genre. I am also keen to read a previous book by Ele Fountain - Boy 87. (post update read my thoughts about Fake here).
The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton (published June 2022) Harper Collins
Publisher blurb: Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, where Marvellers from all around the world come together to practice their cultural arts like brewing Indian spice elixirs, practicing Caribbean steel drum hypnosis, and bartering with fussy Irish faeries. Ella knows some people mistrust her Conjuror magic, often deemed "bad and unnatural," but she's eager to make a good impression-and, hopefully, some friends. But Ella discovers that being the first isn't easy, and not all of the Marvellers are welcoming. Still, she connects with fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, who is never found without a magical creature or two. Just as Ella begins to find her way at the A.T.I., a notorious criminal escapes from prison, supposedly with Conjurors' help. Worse, her favorite teacher Masterji Thakur never returns from a research trip, and only Ella seems concerned about his disappearance. As tensions grow in the Marvellian world, Ella finds herself the target of vicious rumors and growing suspicions. With the help of her new friends, Ella must find a way to clear her family's name and track down her beloved mentor Masterji Thakur . . . before she loses her place at the A.T.I. forever.
This book has a Kirkus Star review: An enthralling fantasy adventure full of bravery, love, and humour. The Marvellers does have over 400 pages of fairly small print so it might be a while before it reaches the top of my pile. From the blurb it sounds a little like a Young Adult title I read earlier this year - Prometheus High by Stuart Wilson. I am not able to blog this book - the advance reader copy has a warning against doing this - but you might like to read this review from Log Cabin Books.
All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr (due for publication July 2022)
I have read this one and I really enjoyed it - very similar themes to Shirley Marr's previous book A Glasshouse of Stars which is a CBCA short listed book for the 2022 awards. I will talk about All Four Quarters of the Moon over the coming days.
Publisher blurb: Making mooncakes with Ah Ma for the Mid-Autumn Festival was the last day of Peijing’s old life. Now, adapting to their new life in Australia, Peijing thinks everything will turn out okay for her family as long as they have each other - but cracks are starting to appear. Her little sister, Biju, needs Peijing to be the dependable big sister. Ma Ma is no longer herself; Ah Ma keeps forgetting who she is; and Ba Ba, who used to work seven days a week, is adjusting to being a hands-on dad. How will Peijing cope with the uncertainties of her own little world while shouldering the burden of everyone else? And if Peijing’s family are the four quarters of the mooncake, where does she fit in?
Miss Penny Dreadful and the Midnight Kittens by Allison Rushby (due for publication August 2022)
I read this quickly in one sitting. It is a delightful, melodramatic story set in 1872 and will be the first in a series for younger readers. I will include more details here soon.
Blurb: Forever in trouble for sketching in her notebook, Penny Pickering dreams of her famous authoress aunt turning up at her boarding school and whisking her away. So when Aunt Harriet appears at Miss Strickland’s School for Girls of an Enquiring Mind and asks Penny if she would like to join her on an adventure, Penny knows exactly what to say – yes, please! Penny soon finds herself headed for Hampshire and a strange place called Mr Toddington’s Museum of the Curious and Absurd where bewitched kittens are said to have a tea party at midnight.
The book of Wondrous Possibilities by Deborah Abela (due for publication August 2022)
I have already read this one too and it is terrific. More in a blog post soon.
Publisher blurb: Arlo Goodman lives with his Uncle Avery in a run-down flat above their bookshop. He has no friends, except for his pet mouse, Herbert. But when a girl called Lisette bursts into the shop and begs him to hide her from a murderer, Arlo's life changes forever. He's swept up into an adventure involving kidnappers, car chases and a story in The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, where Arlo and his skymouse battle dragons. But can Arlo find the courage to battle an even greater enemy, who threatens to destroy everything he loves?
How to be Prime Minister and survive Grade Five by Carla Fitzgerald (due for publication August 2022) University of Queensland Press (UQP)
Publisher blurb: When Harper’s dad becomes the prime minister he’s terrible at it. He was thrust into the top job after a heroic boogie-board rescue of two kids (and a labradoodle) from a shark attack, but surviving government is proving hard. Their family is a laughing stock, and Dad disappears to a ‘conference’ – but he leaves his phone behind. With her little sister, Lottie, Harper must secretly take his place and decide on a new policy by the end of the week. She finds herself torn between ideas – should she ban plastic bottles? Or make weekends longer? Can she prove a kid can lead the country better than a grown-up?
The Wintrish Girl by Melanie La'Brooy (due for publication September 2022) University of Queensland Press (UQP)
This is the first book in a series called Talismans of Fate.
Publisher blurb: On Talisman Day in the Empire of Arylia, every child receives an object that gives them special powers and reveals their destiny. Every child except for the Wintrish girl, Penn, that is. All she has ever wanted is the impossible: to own a Talisman and return to her home in Midwinter to find her true family. But Penn’s trapped – doomed to a miserable, lonely life as a royal servant. But a long-forgotten evil is stirring and destinies are about to change … When mysterious and sinister events start to occur, the blame falls upon the Wintrish girl. Suddenly Penn finds herself running for her life. Straight into deadly peril. Facing dangerous enemies with formidable powers, what can an ordinary Wintrish girl do? Because without a Talisman, there’s no changing your fate … is there?
The Wondrous Prune by Ellie Clements (due for publication August 20220) Bloomsbury
This is such a curious title but reading the blurb I have discovered Prune is a girl called Prune Melinda Robinson. I wonder if her first name will cause her trouble? You can read an extract here.
Blurb from Bloomsbury: Uprooted by her single mum along with her troublesome older brother, eleven-year-old Prune Robinson is trying to settle in a new town. She figures she can't burden her hard-working mother with the fact she's being bullied. Or the fact that her drawings have started coming to life. But with her brother soon in danger, Prune comes to realise that she can't hide her power forever; in fact, it might just be the one thing that brings her family back together and saves them all.
Ember shadows and the fates of Mount Never by Rebecca King (due for publication August 2022) Orion Children's Books - Hodder and Stoughton
This is the first in a planned series and the publisher Hachette liken it to The Phantom Tollbooth!
Blurb: In the magical village of Everspring, everyone receives a fate card before their twelfth birthday, sent down from the mysterious Mount Never. It tells them their purpose, their profession and how old they'll be when they die. Nearly 12-year-old Ember Shadows has always believed she is destined for great things. But when her fate card arrives, it's blank. What does that mean? Then, worse still, her sister's card decrees she will die before her next birthday. No way is Ember's going to let that happen. Determined to challenge what - or who - is responsible for these cards, Ember sets off up the mountain, a place no one is allowed to go. She encounters forbidden realms full of magic, trickery and curious creatures. In a thrilling race through a magical landscape, Ember Shadows must uncover the secret behind the fate cards in order to save her sister ... But will Ember like what she finds at the top of the mountain?
Sounds a little like The Giver?
The Great Fox Illusion by Justyn Edwards (published in April 2022) Walker Books
I have already read this one but since it was included in my pile of Advance copies I am just mentioning it here. Take a look at my post.
The Deadly Daylight by Ash Harrier (due for publication August 2022) Pantera Press
This is the first book in a planned series by Western Australia author Ash Harrier.
Blurb: The Deadly Daylight follows Twelve-year-old Alice England who is curious, truthful and smart, but when you work in your father’s funeral home and you get messages from the dead, it can be difficult to make friends. When she comes across the peculiar case of George Devenish, who was allergic to sunlight, Alice is convinced there’s more to his death than meets the eye. With the help of George’s niece, ‘Violet the Vampire’, who shares her uncle’s allergy, and a boy named Cal, who has secrets of his own, Alice begins to investigate. It seems the truth of George’s death may never see the light of day – unless Alice and her companions can put the clues together and solve a mystery much bigger than anybody expected.
Books I have purchased:
The Way of the Dog by Zana Fraillon UQP
Take a look this review from Story Links.
The Runaways of Haddington Hall by Vivian French Walker Books
I picked this up because I have loved other books by Vivian French in the past such as The Robe of Skulls; The Bag of Bones; and The Most Wonderful thing in the World.
Cress Watercress by Gregory Maguire illustrated by David Litchfield Candlewick Press
As I pen this post I only have 25 pages of Cress Watercress to complete. It will be the next book I blog. (post update here are my thoughts about Cress Watercress).
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