I realised yesterday that I'm long overdue for a 20 Books for 2012 post, and as there's only a few weeks left before the end of the year, I thought I'd better get off my you-know-what and get one written. For anyone who hasn't seen my original post, back in June, I took the Bookstart 20 Books for 2012 pledge and promised to share 20 children's and YA books on my blog. You can see all the books I've talked about so far on this page, and here are the next batch!
Abi Burlingham – A
Mystery for Megan (Buttercup Magic)
When Megan and her family move to Buttercup House, she soon
finds a friend in Freya, the girl next door. But a new friend is not the only
surprise that awaits Megan; there’s the treehouse, some mice with magical
powers, an extraordinary cat and a very special dog called Buttercup. This is a
gorgeous book for 6-9-year-olds, or anyone who still remembers what it was like
to be that age, about friendship, secrets and the power of using your
imagination. I devoured it in hours and can’t recommend it highly enough!
Ali Sparkes – Frozen
in Time
It’s the summer holidays, and Ben and Rachel are bored...
until they find a secret vault buried at the bottom of their garden. Inside are
the cryonically suspended figures of Polly and Fred, a boy and girl their own
age, who were put there by their father in 1956, only for him to disappear and
leave them frozen in time. This is a thrilling adventure for anyone who was or
is a fan of Enid Blyton, following the ups and downs of Polly and Fred’s
adjustment to twenty-first century life, and their search for answers about
what happened to their father as they’re hunted down by sinister Soviet
officials...
Chris Haughton - Oh
No, George!
This is possibly my favourite picture book EVER. When Harris
goes out to the shops, George, his dog, promises to be good. And he tries – he
really does. But there’s the cake... and the cat... and some earth that’s just asking to be dug... You can probably
guess the rest. Being a Hound minion dog owner myself, I could really
relate to this book and just adored the bright, quirky illustrations,
especially on the last page!
Ali Lewis – Everybody
Jam
Danny lives in the middle of the Australian outback, and
last year, his brother was killed in an accident. But nobody talks about it.
His fourteen-year-old sister is pregnant, the rains haven’t come and as the
annual cattle muster draws near, knowing he has his brother’s shoes to fill
only increases the pressure on Danny. Then an English backpacker, hired by his
mother to help out, arrives, a secret is revealed, and suddenly, the cracks are
too big to paper over any more. This is a funny, gritty coming-of-age YA novel
which I absolutely loved.
Jean-Claude Mourvelat
– Winter Song
Originally published in France, this book is a dystopian YA with
some fantasy elements blended in, set in a fictional country in a wintry, bleak
world. A sinister force called The Phalange have seized power, and four
teenagers, Milena, Bartolomeo, Helen, and Milos, must escape from their
prison-like boarding schools in to help join the fight against the authorities,
who killed their parents many years before. I’m not usually a huge fan of
translated books, but this had been done incredibly well and I was captivated
by the story and the imagery the writing conjured up.
Andy Mulligan – Trash
Raphael, Gardo and Rat live on a rubbish site, eking out a
living by sorting through the mountains of trash other people have thrown away.
Then, one day, he finds a bag containing something which leads him to an
exciting and special discovery. But he’s not the only person after the bag’s
contents, and soon he and his friends are playing a cat-and-mouse game with the
authorities, who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Apparently this
novel was inspired by the time the author spent in the Philippines (although it
isn’t specifically set there), and gives a real insight into the grinding
poverty many people in the real world are forced to live in, yet it manages to
be incredibly hopeful.
So, just four more books to go and I'll have fulfilled my pledge. Hurrah! What about you? What are you reading at the moment that's just too good to keep to yourself? Tell me in the comments!
