The False Prince

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Suspense, action, intrigue. If you need a book that has these kinds of elements then this will be a book for you. I totally got into this book last Saturday (when we were having that freak snow storm). It had been a while since I had really gotten into a historical fiction - but this one had the kind of pacing that kept the story rolling right along. And just enough to keep you guess and hoping that your right.
Here's the summary from the book jacket:
The thrilling first book in a brand new trilogy, filled with danger, deceit,and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.
In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Connor, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Connor's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.
As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Connor's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove to be more dangerous than all the lies taken together.

Here's the book trailer.

Alex Rider graphic novel

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

So this morning I read this - the graphic novel version of Stormbreaker. I've read most of the Alex Rider series and have to say the story is always soo intense, dramatic that you can easily picture it in your head. So I guess it isn't to much of a stretch to see it in graphic novel format.

The full colour illustrations are well done, with manga style characters. I thought using differing styles of text boxes was a nice touch - to tell when different characters were speaking.

This would be a terrific introduction to the Alex Rider series - using this graphic novel format to lead readers into the book series. Fun, exciting and action packed.

So far only Stormbreaker and Point blank have been made into graphic novels but I think others in the series will soon follow.

More about The Graveyard Book

I promoted The Graveyard Book this week to most of our library classes. If you'd like to hear the chapters read by Mr. Gaiman, check out his website - http://www.mousecircus.com/ , go to the link "video tour" and press play and start listening to the book.

Hope you enjoy this one.

Read On

Newbery Winner

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Well your looking at this years Newbery Award Winner,

I forgot I had an advanced reader copy of this one, so I picked it up again and read it this weekend. I have to say it wouldn't have been my pick, my pick would have been Savvy (which did end up being a honour book for 2009).

I love a good first sentence, followed by a good first paragraph, followed by a good first page and well The Graveyard Book does have this. Here's that first sentence.

There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.If that doesn't grab your attention I don't know what will.

The story follows a young child Nobody Owens (orphaned on that first page) also known as Bod, the only living inhabitant of the graveyard, where ghosts, ghouls, werewolves and witches are his new family and friends. he undergoes a unique education and will have to use his graveyard skills to survive the monsters of the human world.

Like I said not my choice for the big best of children's lit but I'm sure it will be one that I can promote for it dark humour and adventure.