Magicborn by Peter Bunzl illustrated by Maxine Lee-Mackie

At the chiming of the thirteenth hour,

At the plucking of the thirteenth flower,

On the hundred-and-thirty-third Naming Day ...

In the Greenwood Forest

By the Tambling River.

On the Stepping Bones ...

The Queen will sacrifice a life

Of a single sister

Born in strife

And given to her as kith and kin

To save her royal soul and skin,

She'll cry cold and bitter tears,

But will rule Fairyland for a hundred-and-thirty-three more years.

This is the prophecy but what if it were to be changed. The Queen's sister should be the one to die - she should be the sacrifice but on the naming day for the twin babies - Thomas (The Wild Boy) and his sister Tempest (The Storm Girl), Lady Hawthorn changes the line and now it reads "of a single twin". She also casts a spell so her sister the Queen will never know about this change. The Queen wants to continue her reign at all costs. She has no relationship with her twin children. It is clear she will need to murder one of them. She hunts them across her kingdom forcing them to try to leave - Tempest makes it but all her memories of life in the other world are gone.

Then one night a strange man arrives. He puts a spell on Tempest and forces her to row across the river because he is hunting the wild boy. The wild boy is in fact Thomas and both children are captured. They each have a talisman that gives them powers, but this evil man, Lord Hawthorn takes their precious things and gains control over their magic. 

"A Talisman is a charm that focuses magic ... Like a magnifying glass can focus rays from the sun. But it only works if the owner of the Talisman has magical ability in the first place. To cast a spell, the owner must touch their Talisman with their bare hands or wear it against their skin."

At this point you might notice the names - Lord and Lady Hawthorn. 

"This is not a fairy tale, though there are Fairies in it. And Kings and Queens and Princesses and Princelings, and magic that comes from faraway places not found on any map ... This is a story of discovering yourself a stranger in a strange land, with nothing but the words in your head, the charm round your neck and the wild hope in your pocket to see you through. And it does not begin with the usual 'Once upon a time ...'"

The story see-saws back and forth between the present when Tempest and Thomas are reunited and desperate to avoid their fate and past scenes when they lived with their cold mother and learnt the truth of the prophecy. Both have tried to flee from Fairyland across the Stepping Bones. 

Luckily, both children have magical powers and they do find a way to reclaim their Talisman treasures. Tempest also has her wise (and funny) little companion - a robin named Coriel. I love his voice as he chatters in Tempest's ear:

"I don't recall anything from our past, little gannet ... Not a dicky bird. I feel clueless as a chick straight out of the egg when I try to think of it."

"Don't do it little house martin! ... It's fool's gold and only a fool would take it."

"Vile and grim items, my little gossander ... Vials are glass jars to store magical ingredients. A Grimoire's a powerful spell book."

"Didn't I tell you we'd make it, my ringed plover! ... Didn't I say we'd escape? My fussing even altered these humans who saved you from drowning."

The twins also have a wonderful friend named Kwesi. He has also been taken by Lord Hawthorn because he has magical abilities. His back story has links with slavery. If you want to explore this theme try to find Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson.

Bookseller burb: The Curse is changed. You'll never know. The truth is lost. The lie will grow. The year is 1726 and the Royal Sorcerer of England is on the hunt for those who are Magicborn. When Tempest is captured, she is taken to Kensington Palace alongside a boy like her, Thomas. Trapped, Tempest and Thomas find their magic flickering to life and, with it, long-buried memories. For they are the lost prince and princess of Fairyland, bound by a deadly curse. But now the fairies are coming to get them, and with the truth revealed...can they both survive? The first in a sumptuous and enthralling new historical-fantasy adventure series from the bestselling author of The Cogheart Adventures.

Here are a couple of character descriptions:

Lord Hawthorn - "The Lord with the charm necklace unfolded himself from the carriage doorway like a praying mantis. He was tall and thin and narrow of waist and his shoulders and chest were couched in a jacket of shiny silken green, part-hidden by a long black woollen traveling cloak that flapped about in the high wind."

The King of England - "A pallid man in a brown wig, wearing a cape trimmed with ermine over a velvet suit jacket with buttons made from glittering diamonds. The King's outfit was completed with lace ruffles, silk stockings and large polished gold buckles that sprouted from his shoes like priceless carbuncles."

Mehmet the King's head servant - "a large bald gentleman with a jowly round face and arched eyebrows. He wore a silken red jacket trimmed with fur, and a fine green waistcoat embroidered with flowers and gold ferns."

Lady Hawthorn - "She was tall and pale and wore a highly embroidered dress with a black diamond brooch pinned to her breast. On her head was a grey wig that fluttered with pink ribbons, and on her shoulder was a white raven, with a beak as sharp as a scythe."

Think about the contrasting language in these descriptions - praying mantis; carbuncles; jowly round face; black brooch; pink ribbons; a sharp as a scythe!

This book has close to 400 pages but it was such a gripping adventure I almost read the whole book in one day! The story has overtones of Sleeping Beauty (Christening scene) and also Shakespeare - Tempest is rescued by Prosper and Marino (The Tempest). 

In this video Peter Bunzl talks about his book. 

The magic which fuels this thrilling adventure will keep readers spell bound from start to finish! Set in a far off time and in a far off land the story tells of two children, Tempest and Peter. Both have one green eye and one blue eye. Both have lost their parents. And both are in great danger because they are MagicBorn which means that the Royal Sorcerer is determined to track them down…There is much wickedness in this world which Tempest and Peter must survive but also much kindness which helps to keep them safe. And throughout it all there’s thrumming magic which means that anything can happen. Julia Eccleshare M.B.E

Here is the second book from this series:

Here are the other books by Peter Bunzl that I loved:

Cogheart; Moonlocket; Skycircus

Companion read:

Fire Girl

Seeker of the Crown by Ruth Lauren

This book is about power. Princess Anastasia wants power and so does her cousin Inessa and they will stop at nothing to rule the two kingdoms. Younger sister Valor, daughter of the adviser to the Queen, saved her sister Sacha in the first instalment and she restored the valuable music box to Lady Olegevna which means peace should be restored between Demidova and Magadansky.  Then Valor overhears a conversation. Prince Anatol, who helped Valor and Sasha escape from the prison called Tyur'ma, is to be banished. Valor knows this is a terrible injustice and she knows who is orchestrating this - it is the evil Princess Anastasia. Queen Ana asks Valor to help. Sasha know she has to rescue Anatol and she will need help from her two best friends - Katia and Feliks. Then Queen Ana is kidnapped and the race is on to rescue the Queen and to save Demidova from certain war. 

Here is the bookseller blurb: One month has passed since Valor broke her twin sister Sasha out of the notorious prison Tyur'ma, but the girl who put her there to begin with--Princess Anastasia--has gone missing. The queen, desperate to find her daughter, asks Valor to track Anastasia down and bring her home. But just as Valor reunites with her loyal band of friends from Tyur'ma to begin the mission, the queen also disappears. If Valor can't restore order to the kingdom, it could mean that her new friends will be sent back to Tyur'ma . . . and her family torn apart. Once again, she will need to rely on people she can't quite trust, as well as her own instincts, to protect the people she holds dear. This thrilling sequel to the buzzy Prisoner of Ice and Snow is just as unputdownable as its predecessor, sweeping readers back into the vivid world of unforgettable protagonist Valor and her home of Demidova.

I loved Prisoner of Ice and Snow by Ruth Lauren - the first instalment in this series so I was excited to return to the world of Valor and her sister Sasha and the icy land of Demidova. Ruth Lauren does take care to recap events from the first book but I think you will enjoy this second instalment more if you take the time to read The Prisoner of Ice and Snow first. I think this series of two books will be thoroughly enjoyed by mature readers aged 10+. I enjoyed the first book more than the second but the world building, political intrigue, heroism, intelligence of Valor and 'girl power' in this kingdom made this a very enjoyable sequel.  Kirkus gave this second book a star review. 

The Hatmakers by Tamzin Merchant

The Hatmakers are commissioned to make a special hat for the King. Every component is important. For example Cordelia helps Aunt Ariadne add spider silk from the Brown Study Spider to the hat. Spiders work hard to spin their silk and so this is added to the hat to help the King work hard. It is specifically from a Brown Study Spider because this spider likes paper and silence and the king needs paper and silence to concentrate. Next Cordelia heads off to fetch a fresh flower from the St Aegis Vine but the most important thing is missing - the ear feather from the Athenian Owl - the wisest bird in the world which would have kept the King focused on his work and keen to remain undisturbed.

In the world of this book there are makers commissioned by the royal family - hatmakers, bootmakers, watchmakers, glovemakers, and cloakmakers. Once these artisans worked together in cooperation but something has happened and now they avoid one another and if they do meet there is suspicion and anger. The King himself seems to be losing his mind. He is sent away and his daughter Princess Georgina must now meet with the King of France. War is threatened and it seems one of the royal advisers is fuelling a fire. Lord Witloof appears to want a war. Cordelia is so worried about her father who has been reported drowned. She teams up with a young member of the bootmakers called Goose, and they form a team to thwart the evil intentions of Lord Witloof and to prevent a disastrous war with France. Along the way they will also need to make sense of the rift between the makers and learn who they can truly trust.

Publisher Blurb: Cordelia comes from a long line of magical milliners, who weave alchemy and enchantment into every hat. In Cordelia's world, Making - crafting items such as hats, cloaks, watches, boots and gloves from magical ingredients - is a rare and ancient skill, and only a few special Maker families remain.  When Cordelia's father Prospero and his ship, the Jolly Bonnet, are lost at sea during a mission to collect hat ingredients, Cordelia is determined to find him. But Uncle Tiberius and Aunt Ariadne have no time to help the littlest Hatmaker, for an ancient rivalry between the Maker families is threatening to surface. Worse, someone seems to be using Maker magic to start a war.  It's up to Cordelia to find out who, and why...

This is a new book and it is such fun.  I love the idea of hats that contain extra powers. 

A swashbuckling romp for lovers of history and magic. Kirkus

Merchant's writing is stunning and vivid, written with a beautiful prose style that is both accessible and full of elegance and wit. Forever Lost in Literature

You can read Chapter One here. This book is the first in a planned series. I highly recommend it for readers aged 10+. In this short video Tamzin talks about her book. You could use this to book talk The Hatmakers with your students. I should also mention there are some delicious food references in this story and there is a detailed, and highly imaginative glossary describing the various hat embellishments. Here is an example:

"Starlight - Lux stellaria - when strained through glass into a silver bowl, starlight is used to give hope and guidance to lost souls. Sprinkled on a hat, it fills the mind with sparkling ideas for adventures that promise to renew the spirit."

 I also love that Tamzin uses a very rich vocabulary in her story with words like grimoires; tomes; eldritch; jollity; rue; creatrix; and phaeton. 

Lady Lollipop by Dick King Smith illustrated by Jill Barton

Characters: Princess Penelope; The King; The Queen; Johnny (wise pig owner); and Lollipop (she is one very special pig).

The Queen does not want a pig in her castle. Princess Penelope always gets her way. The King just wants everyone to be happy. Luckily Johnny has trained his special pig friend Lollipop and he is wise enough to understand that Penelope needs training too - it just has to be done carefully.  Three cheers for Johnny!

Here is the blurb: "Princess Penelope is a right royal brat. What would she like for her birthday? 'I wanna pig!' she yells. And she gets one. But Lollipop is no ordinary pig. When people look into Lollipop's bright, intelligent eyes, it seems to change them. For the better."

This is a perfect easy chapter book for a newly independent reader or you could use it as a class or family read aloud book.  Audio sample.

This is a silly, quick read. Definitely a good one for the younger end of the crowd.  The chapters are short and there are plenty of line drawings tucked in throughout the story.  The princess is definitely naughty but being shocked at her behavior is half the fun of the book. The other half, at least if you are six years old, is the fact that pig dung is mentioned more than once.  It’s good for the royal roses, which is critical in winning the Queen over to the Lollipop side. Mother Read at Home

There are big pigs and small pigs, pigs with upright ears and some with droopy ears…But the one that catches the little princess’ fancy is a dirty white skinny pig! “Want that one,” she announces. The King and Queen are in shock! However can they indulge their beloved child this time? But when the pig owner, Johnny Skinner, a long skinny boy, proclaims that his pig is the cleverest brightest pig anyone could have ever seen, there is not much the King and Queen can do to change Penelope’s mind. Little Bookworms

Take a look at the web site of prolific author Dick King Smith (1922-2011).  My favourite books by this UK author are Happy Mouse Day; Smasher; The Hodgeheg; Warlock Watson; A mouse called Wolf; The Finger Eater; and Aristotle.

Here is the sequel to Lady Lollipop:

Prisoner of ice and snow by Ruth Lauren

"For the crime of attempted murder of a member of the royal family in the realm of Demidova, I sentence you to life in prison, beginning in Tyur'ma"

I have said this on previous occasions but I just marvel at the inventiveness of authors and the power of words to take the reader right inside a scene.  Prisoner of Ice and Snow is simply a splendid and utterly engrossing book. I actually gasped out loud at one point when Valor faces yet another terrible danger.

Political stability in Demidova relies on the return of an elaborate music box to the rightful owners from the neighboring kingdom of Magadanskya.  The treasure has been stolen and Valor's twin sister Sasha has been found guilty and sent to the notorious prison built to hold children under 16 called Tyur'ma.  This is a terrifying place with huge tattooed guards and no one has escaped in 300 years but Valor knows she must commit a crime, be captured, be sent to the prison and then she will rescue her sister.

Valor picks the state occasion when the music box is to be returned (it has been stolen but the ceremony is proceeding) to attempt an assassination of the Prince.  She is such a skilled archer she actually has no intention of killing him and her arrow strikes just to one side but this is enough to send every guard in a race across the city to capture her.

Once inside the prison Valor discovers it is far worse than she imagined. 

"You will work in the mines, or anywhere else in the prison we tell you to.  You will eat when you are told to, you will sleep when you are told to, you will work when you are told to. If you reach the age of sixteen ... you will be transferred to the adult prison ... If you are caught with contraband items you will be punished.  If you cause trouble ... you will be punished."

Valor is punished over and over again.  The worst is when she and her sister are both placed inside ice domes.  The cold is unbearable and the writing so powerful I felt frozen too.

Valor does manage an escape but the real tangle in this book comes from decisions about who to trust and who is an informer.  I really had no idea about this until quite near the end and so, early on in the story, I decided to trust no one.  Valor does not follow this advice and so she and her sister are placed in dangerous and distressing situations over and over again.

Here is an alternate cover and the one from the German edition.  It is always interesting to see how different book designers approach a text.

Take time to read the Kirkus review which mentions the promise of a sequel.  I now discover the sequel it will be available early in 2018.

One real strength of this book comes from the vivid descriptions of people and places.  Here are a few examples :

"The queen sat highest on a silver throne inset with pearls and backed by a huge fan of hundreds of peacock tail feathers. She wears her official robes of justice, deep blue with gold brocade on the cuffs and collar."

"The prince's cloak is clasped at the throat with a golden fist, revealing the high-collared peacock-blue tunic her wears underneath ... gold embroidery covers the front of it all the way up to the collar, which stands stiffly around his neck."

"The doctor takes my hands and smears the contents of another bowl over my skin.  It tingles, then soothes, taking the fire out of the burns. ... She wraps soft white bandages  around my palms and each of my fingers."

I rarely give ratings but this is a five out of five, ten out of ten, totally perfect book which all avid readers should rush out and grab today.  Prisoner of Ice and Snow is Ruth Lauren's debut novel which excites and amazes me. I eagerly await more books form this talented UK author.  Here is an interview with Ruth.

I would follow Prisoner of ice and snow with Fearless by Tim Lott and The wolf wilder by Katherine Rundell.

This fresh and exciting middle-grade debut effortlessly melds an unforgettable protagonist, a breathless plot, and stunning world-building—and is impossible to put down. Night Owl Book Cafe

King Pig by Nick Bland

The most interesting character in King Pig has no name and almost no voice. If you look very closely you will see the tip of his little jester hat just above the grass as he walks behind his King.  On the next page we see a little more of the King with his sheep crook and a tiny corner of the page you can see that same hat some distance back from the King who is approaching his castle.  On the first page all is revealed.  The King has forced his subjects - the sheep - to make  a bridge from planks strapped to their backs.  This servitude combined with the haughty demeanor of King Pig himself certainly sets the tone and relationship between King Pig and his subjects - the sheep.  Our tiny hero is also a sheep but he will be allowed to enter the castle contrary to the sign above the castle door.

Once inside our faithful little friend prepares a delicious hot dog lunch for his master but King Pig is far more interested in those sheep who never seem to listen and worse who seem to make fun of him.  King Pig is a bully so he commands the sheep to wash his castle in the middle of the night "but he just couldn't make them like him."

Just like the Emperor in the famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, King Pig decides he needs new and fancier clothes. Again it is the middle of the night but he summons the sheep and puts them to work dyeing and knitting the new fancy clothes.  Yes the new outfits are indeed spectacular but still his subjects are not impressed.  "What do I have to do to make you like me!"

King Pig does feel remorse but the ending is certainly open to further discussion.  Make sure you take time to notice the hats, the topiary trees outside the castle, the tent used as a shelter by the freezing sheep and the television antenna on top of the castle.

Here are some teaching notes.  You might also discuss the double meaning in the title.  Here is a detailed review.  This book has been short listed for our CBCA Awards for 2014.