Fly Boy

Fly Boy by Eric Walters

This is the perfect weekend to be tucked away reading a few good books. This morning I finished Fly Boy, and I know this one is going to be a big hit. (in fact I'll probably need more copies than just one.)

It's 1943, and World War Two is raging across Europe and around the globe. Seventeen-year-old Robbie McWilliams can't wait to follow in his father's footsteps and enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force - he wants to become a spitfire pilot and fight for his country. The only problem is that he's still too young to join. So with a little help from his best friend, Chip, Robbie devises a plan that will allow him to enlist early and keep it a secret from his mother, from his schoolmaster, and most important, from the authorities at the RCAF.

Loads of action, and well researched giving an accurate description of training, flying a Lancaster Bomber, and the personal struggles of War.

The Game of Sunken Places

The Game of Sunken Places by M.T. Anderson

Have you ever read a story about a boy and a girl who visit an eccentric releatives mansion for vacation? oh, Of course you have. Well, M.T. Anderson's Game of Sunken Places is one such book. Thirteen-year-old Gregory Buchanan's uncle Max is very strange, as Gregory is quick to tell his friend Brian Thatz whom he enlists to join him in Vermont.
Brian and Gregory's adventure begins when they find an old board game called The Game of Sunken Places. As it turns out the game is a reality, and the boys must participate and win in order to settle the score in an age-old battle of enchanted spirit -nations.

If you're a fan of Jumanji, The Lord of the Rings, Fablehaven or even Harry Potter this might be something you might enjoy next.

The second book in the series is The Suburb Beyond the Stars.
Check out the trailer - it doesn't look like much at first, but wait for it!
Read On.

The Suburb Beyond the Stars from Sang Lee on Vimeo.

Word Nerd

Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

This is one of the books I read over the break, and not being a scramble player I wasn't sure if I would really like this story (I had some good reviews from kids at school) and I was happily surprised with how much I liked the book.

Here's the summary:

Twelve-year-old Ambrose is a glass-half-full kind of guy. A self-described "friendless nerd" he moves from place to place with his overprotective mother -Irene. When some bullies at his new school almost kill him by slipping a peanut into his sandwich - even though they know he has a deathly allergy. Ambrose is philosophical, Irene, however, is not and decides that Ambrose will be home-schooled. While she's away at work during the evenings Ambrose becomes friends with 25 year old Cosmo the ex-con son of their upstairs landlords.

Fun, funny and a scrambled story of friendship, family and acceptance.

Zorgamazoo

Zorgamazoo byRobert Paul Weston

Are you a believer in fanciful things? In pirates and dragons and creatures and kings?

Then sit yourself down in a comforatable seat, with maybe some cocoa and something to eat, and I'll spin you a tale of Katrina Katrell, (a girl full of courage and daring as well), who down in the subway, under the ground, saw something fantastical roaming around ...

What was it she saw? I'd rather not say. (Who's ever heard of a Zorgle anyway?)

But if you are curious, clever and brave, if intreped adventure is something you crave, then open this book and I'll leave it to you to uncover the secret of ZORGAMAZOO.

Join Morty the Zorgle and Katrina on a fantastically illustrated, you'll wanna read every word aloud, sophisticated rhyming adventure for all ages.

If you'd like to hear a chapter read by the author check out this his Zorgamazoo website -

www.zorgamazoo.com

I've had one reader say "it's like reading a really long Dr. Seuss story", so if your a Dr. Seuss fan, or if you liked The Name of This Book Is Secret than you might have found your next book.

Read On

Crocodile Tears

Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz

It's just another day in the life of an average kid. If you're Alex Rider that is. A con-artist has realized that there is big money in charity- the bigger the disaster the more the money flows. So that is what he will produce - the biggest disaster known to man, all thanks to genetically modified wheat that can release a virus so potent it can knock out an entire country in one windy day. But Alex Rider will face whatever it takes -- gunfire, explosions, hand-to-hand combat with mercenaries -- to bring down his most dangerous advisary yet.

Fans of this series, snap up the couple of copies we had at the library before I could even take one home with me, and from their reviews this one is a winner. We were led to believe that this would be the final Alex Rider book, and surprize at the end of this one we learn that there willl be two more. Bravo Mr. Horowitz, Bravo!

I hope there will be a copy for me, waiting under the tree.

Read On.

Here's and interview with Anthony Horowitz.

The search for Wondla

The Search For Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi

Eva Nine had never seen the actual sun before, or walked outdoors. In fact, she had never even seen another living person in all twelve years of her life. That changes when a marauding huntsman destroys her underground home and sends her fleeing for her life. She is desperate to find someone else who is like her, and a single clue gives her hope: a crumbling picture of a girl, a robot, an adult, and the word WONDLA.

The search for Wondla begins a trilogy whose imaginative text and breathtaking illustrations are sure to inspire dreams.

This book has been reminding me of bits and pieces of Star Wars, weird creatures that look like bugs, robots, a girl with Princess Leah hair - and then there are pieces of Lord of the Rings - moving, talking forests. It kind of seemed like I had read this somewhere before. I'm left wishing I could say I loved it, but I kind of just put up with it. The are work was beautiful and very in keeping with the original illustrations of The Wizard of Oz - tone on tone. And if you visit the website Wondla.com you can use the book to make the maps and story come to 3D life (kind of cool). I'm never a huge fan of fantasy, so maybe this is why I wasn't totally hooked by this one. But I hope for some of you, you won't be put off by my review and will try it for yourselves.

Here's the book trailer.

The Unsinkable Walker Bean

The Unsinkable Walker Bean by Aaron Renier

Wow! Another graphic novel winner, Loved it!! but then I do love a good pirate story and this one has a little bit of everything I could love in a story - an underdog of a main character Walker, chubby, shy, stay at home kind of guy - Grandpa, with a strange curse cast upon him and memories of great adventures that all should aspire to - pirates, battles, a skull with a powerful curse, seawitches, friends, banjos, castaways and the promise of more. Whew, that was a lot to pack into a sentence let alone a book.

If you're a fan of graphic novels, a fan of Rapunzel Revenge or Calamity Jack, a fan of Bone, a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, then I think you've just found your next book to read.

Here's a taste more of what it's about:

Walker Bean never wanted to be a high-seas pirate waging a pitched battle with the forces of the deep. It just worked out that way.

Meek, mild and a little geeky, Walker is always happiest in his Grandfather's workshop messing around with his inventions. But when his beloved Grandfather is struck by an ancient curse, it falls on Walker to return an accursed Pearl Skull to the witches who created it, and his path will be strewn with pirates, magical machines, ancient lore and deadly peril.

Can't wait for more of this story to be told.

Read On.

Things not seen

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

Thank you to Mr. Newman for recommending this book to me. It just recently came back into the library and I felt so strongly about it that I felt I should include it in my blog - even though I read it awhile ago. (Last year I read it aloud to a group of grade 7's- and although it took us a long time to get through it, I think we all felt it was worth while).

What would you do if one morning you woke up invisible? Well that is exactly what has happened to Bobby. I know your thinking this is stupid and could never happen, well that's pretty much how Bobby feels too. And even though the premise of this book is highly unlikely, it's told in such a way that you can't help but wonder if such things are possible. Sure being invisible would be cool for awhile, but it also has its complications, and what if you really want your old life back, what then?

This was an awesome story.

From the back cover:

It's a Tuesday morning in February, and I get up as usual, and I stumble into the bathroom to take a shower in the dark. Which is my school-day method because it's sort of like an extra ten minutes of sleep.

It's after the shower. That's when it happens.

It's when I turn on the bathroom light and wipe the fog off the mirror to comb my hair. It's what I see in the mirror. It's what I don't see.

I look a second time, and then rub at the mirror again.

I'm not there.

That's what I'm saying.

I'm. Not. There.

The Amulet of Samarkand

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, art by Lee Sullivan

This is the graphic novel adaptation of The Amulet of Samarkand, and I have to admit that at first I was skeptical of such an undertaking, but I have to say Stroud has adapted and condensed the story with finesse. the humor of Bartimaeus still comes through loud and clear. The art work has a wonderful clarity for what could have become an overly dark work.Characters are fully recognizable and distinctive (a feature that can sometimes be confusing with manga and some graphic novels). I'm hoping that the graphic novel will lead readers into this magical trilogy.

Here's the summary from the back:

Nathaniel, a twelve-year-old magician in training, thinks he's ready to take on more challenging spells. With revenge against the proud and ambitious Simon Lovelace on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a 5,000-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning a djinni and controlling him are two different things entirely. When Nathaniel sends Bartimaeus to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught in a whirlwind of espionage, murder and rebellion.

The magic comes to cinematic life in The Amulet of Samarkand. This is Bartimaeus as you've never seen him before.

Dear George Clooney, please marry my mom

Dear George Clooney, please marry my Mom by Susin Nielsen

Twelve year old Violet's TV director father has caused a huge upheaval: he has left his family in Vancouver to start afresh with his new blonde trophy wife in LA. To Violet, it seems like he's traded his old life for a new and improved one - complete with new and improved children.

When her mother takes up with the unfortunaltely named Dudley Wiener after a series of disastrous relationships, Violet - with the help of her best friend, Phoebe - decides to take conterol. If her mom can't pick a decent man herself, Violet will help her snag the most perfect one of all: George Clooney. In turns brazen, infuriating, and hysterical, Violet's antics will delight readers, who will root for her even when she's at her worst.

In this poignant, funny new novel , author Susin Nielsen explores the emotional fallout of divorce by creating a true original in Violet, whose outrageous yet heartfelt ploys to set things right will resonate with readers for years to come.

What a great, fast read. I read it Friday afternoon. Characters you can relate with. Funny stuff that will make you kringe, teenage struggles and of course an encounter with George Clooney, make this into a very enjoyable read.

Read on