Oceanforged: The Wicked Ship by Amelia Mellor

"All the Champions had a few traits in common - such as determination, courage, adaptability, and a strong capacity for independent thinking."

Here are the first few sentences of this new book which will be part of a series:

On the vast ocean, inside the rotting ship, behind the locked door with the barred window, Cori was trying to escape again. Sunrise must have been a while away yet, because the Harridan’s hold was cooler than during the day, and utterly dark. The ship was quieter, too. Instead of her crewmates’ voices or footsteps, Cori heard only the timbers creaking, and the scuffling of rats, and the smelly bilge water sloshing below her.

I would read this to a group of students in Grade 4 or 5 and then pose some questions such as - what do we know about the setting from this scene? Is Cori safe? What might have happened to her? Now take a look at the cover of the book - does this aid your story predictions.

I learned a new word on the opening pages of this book - lazarette - A lazarette is a compartment found in the aft section of a boat or ship, often beneath the deck. It is primarily used for storage and can hold a variety of items, such as ropes, fenders, spare parts, tools, and other equipment necessary for the operation and maintenance of the vessel. On smaller boats, the lazarette may also house important mechanical components like steering gear, bilge pumps, or electrical systems. The term originates from the Italian word “lazzaretto,” which referred to a quarantine station for maritime travellers, but in a nautical context, it has come to describe this specific storage area.

With a group of students I would talk about how I did not bother to search out this word because I could guess from the context that it was under the ship and that Cori was being held as a prisoner.

This is a gripping story of danger and destiny. The opening scenes are fabulous because as a reader you have to work hard to "join the dots". Read the first chapter here.

Blurb from author page: The realm of Aquinta has fallen into a dark age. And no one knows that better than thirteen-year-old Cori, who is fighting for her life in a pirate crew more beastly than Aquinta's sea monsters. But Cori's life changes when she finds the Oceanforged Gauntlet - a piece of armour belonging to the legendary Champions who once ruled the islands. Whoever wears the armour wields the Champions' magic and has the power to return Aquinta to its lost glory. Cori must begin a treacherous journey to find the rest of the armour. But first, she'll have to escape from the brutal Captain Scrimshaw, who craves the gauntlet's magic for himself. 

There are five pieces of armour so I imagine each book in this series will focus on the retrieval of these Oceanforged artifices - sword; helmet; shin covers (Greaves); body covering (Hauberk); and gauntlet.

The structure of this series reminded me of these:

Quest for the Sun Gem

Book two from Oceanforged is due early in 2026:

Blurb: Guided by a mysterious message, Cori, Tarn and Jem sail north to meet the secretive Loyalists, who will help them on their quest for the Oceanforged Armour. Instead, the Loyalists warn of a looming disaster. Unless Cori can master all the powers of the Champions before it strikes, Aquinta will be doomed. The Loyalists believe that a piece of armour may be hidden in Mutemount. But sea monsters once lurked in those waters, and no one who has travelled near the silent island in the last century has ever returned.

Ajay and the Jaipur Moon by Varsha Shah

"Space offers us new worlds to conquer, new territories to colonize, and endless resources to take."

These are the words of Mrs Surya. At first they sound glorious to the audience and to the team of kids who have come to meet this famous millionaire but slowly the truth behind this sentence is revealed. You could use this sentence to introduce this book to your readers aged 10+. Think about the words conquer, colonize and take. Colonize is especially poignant when you consider this book is set in India and they were colonized by the British.

Now look at this statement by Mrs Surya:

"As you know, the WECU corporation own factories across the globe. With the willing support of politicians, I will move them into space so that they no longer pollute our world. No longer bogged down with laws and human rights, these factories will be a blueprint for oligarchs everywhere."

The words 'human rights' should chill you. In the first book the workers in the T-Shirt factory were subjected to horrid working conditions. In this second book we meet the slum kids of Jaipur. Their leader, a girl named Laxmi is missing one finger as a result of working in a jewelry making factory. You should review the UN Rights of the Child with your class. 

Now read Chapter 28 - and think about the consequences of Mrs Surya vision of space, her assumed role as leader, and the way she uses words to manipulate the kids and later her press conference audiences. Even her office, with the glass floor and the way the door snaps shut are all about control and power. When you are reading this book notice the references to her eyes - "windows to her corrupt soul."

Ajay and his team of street kids work hard to survive living on the streets of Mumbai. The produce a newspaper which last year led to some fame but as time has passed people are no longer interested in reading the news and printing their paper each week is a huge struggle without a proper printing press. But buying a new press means they need a lot of money. Then Ajay reads about a competition to find a meteorite that has crashed into the earth. Whoever finds it will be given a tour of the new space research base in Jaipur. 

Ajay has a talented team of friends: Vinod is a wonderful cook; Yasmin, safely away from the dangerous T-shirt factory is a very fine artist; Saif is an apprentice engineer who can solve any engineering problem; and Jai is a first-class cricketer.

Working as a team I was sure these kids would find a way to travel from Mumbai to Jaipur, and I knew they would find a way to win this competition. BUT standing in their way there are difficulties, lies, betrayals and corrupt adults. Saif finds the location of the meteorite but as they arrive in Jaipur his tools are stolen. This is just the first disaster. In fact, there are so many twists in this plot I began to think these kids would not survive let alone succeed.

If you read this book in a class you will want to add in some research about Jagadish Chandra Bose (1858-1937) Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), and Asima Chatterjee (1917-2006). Along with the astronaut Kalpana Chawla (1962 -2003).

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose is one of the most prominent first Indian scientists who proved by experimentation that both animals and plants share much in common. He demonstrated that plants are also sensitive to heat, cold, light, noise and various other external stimuli.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007. He began his career designing helicopters for the Indian Army as an aeronautical engineer for the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). In 1969, he was moved to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), where he served as project director on SLV-III, the nation's first satellite launch vehicle, which was successful in putting the satellite Rohini into a near-Earth orbit in 1980.

Asima Chatterjee was an Indian chemist noted for her work in the fields of organic chemistry and phytomedicine. Her most notable work includes research on vinca alkaloids, and the development of anti-epileptic and anti-malarial drugs. She also authored a considerable volume of work on medicinal plants of the Indian subcontinent.

Kalpana Chawla was American astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle ‘Columbia’ disaster. Born in Karnal, India, she was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space. In May 1997, she went on her first space mission, travelling for fifteen days in the Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-87. In 2003, she travelled once again into the space aboard ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia flight STS-107.

You can read chapter one on the Chicken House page. 

This is an exciting and beautifully written and illustrated book for children aged eight and upwards. It could be the starting point for discussions about what friendship means to them and how they relate to each other’s varying interests and future plans. School Reading List UK

Alongside action and humour are serious socio-political messages. The power imbalance between rich and poor is a significant theme and there is mention of child labour and exploitation. There are many points in the book that would prompt deep discussions. ‘What defines where someone belongs?’ asks Ajay. He later comments, ‘All that matters about a society is the way it treats its most vulnerable.’  The children’s achievements (in the face of adversity) and their tight friendship makes Ajay and the Jaipur Moon an empowering and heart-warming read. Just Imagine

You could also use this book to discuss the depiction of a character - Mrs Surya. Her clothes are both interesting and obscene when you think about the poverty experienced by the kids in this book. She reminded me of the evil woman in Beetle Boy by MG Leonard.

"Her eyes were the colour of warm caramel ... her smile eclipsing the sun.

"She turned and gave a magnetic smile that he was sure was just for him! She looked magnificent as she went to stand on the podium ... wearing a silver sari encrusted with scales of diamonds that blazed in the light of the chandelier."

"Up close, glittering from head to toe, with silver star earrings, and the border of the sari snaking around her, she looked even more striking."

"Mrs Surya glittered from head to toe in a lace sari that was encrusted with diamonds and looked like the clouds of the milky way. ... she looked like a figure spun from light."

This is the second book about Ajay and his newspaper The Mumbai Sun. I loved the first and this sequel did not disappoint.

Ajay and the Mumbai Sun

Hey, Sherlock! by Simon Mason

There are tiny hints about the plot of this mystery/crime adventure on the covers (the front as you can see above but also the back) - surveillance camera; beanie; van; purple hoodie; gun; and slot machine.

Amy Roecastle is missing. She is rich and a rebel. A boy is murdered in the centre of the city. Garvie Smith is caught up in the action. He is a sleuth who quietly observes the world looking for patterns and inconsistencies. Then there is the issue of the police, especially Inspector Singh. Singh knows the truth is out there but his biggest frustration is the way Garvie knows so much but says so little. Garvie is only a teenager. Why is he so much smarter than any experienced police officer?

I enjoyed every minute of his company in this complex, at times dark, story that amply demonstrates that YA fiction can hold its head high in the crime writing ranks, and with Garvie Smith as an ambassador there’s plenty of quality entertainment to be had. Crime Review

I rarely read Young Adult books but this one was part of my last reading collection from Beachside Bookshop.  I am so glad it was in my bag because I thoroughly reading this contemporary crime fiction.  If you are a fan of television crime shows I am certain you will enjoy Hey, Sherlock. I felt as though I just wanted to binge watch the whole series in one go.  I highly recommend this book for readers aged 14+.

A brilliant page-turner for all readers, and a sharply observed and often very funny bit of YA. 

LoveReading4Kids

As I was reading Hey, Sherlock I suspected there must have been previous incidents where readers had met Garvie. Having said that this book can certainly stand alone. I have only discovered the early volumes tonight. I may need to read both of these because in each book Garvie (a boy I would like to meet) grows a little older and moves on from school to his post-school life.  Read an interview with Simon Mason.  Here are the first two Garvie Smith Mysteries. I do like the way the covers show they are a series:

Some facts about Garvie Smith from inside the front cover:

1. Lazy, rude, golden-hearted, aggravating, economical with the truth, kind (to those who deserve it).
2. Highest IQ at Marsh Academy
3. Lowest grades.
4. Best mates with Felix (cat burglar), Smudge (stupidest boy at school and proud of it), Alex (who’s been selling something he shouldn’t).
5. Wouldn’t dream of telling his mother he loves her. Besides, she wants to move back to Barbados and what is the point of that?
6. Smokes, mainly tobacco.
7. Liked by girls.
8. Hated by the police, teachers, other boring adults.
9. Exceptionally good at maths.
10. Scared of dogs.