story time books

Greek mythology is popular, partly thanks to Percy Jackson. This book uses those myths (and history) as a base too. Zizou Corder, author of the Lion Boy series, stays in the time of the Ancient Greeks but plays with the ideas in this story of a girl brought up by centaurs but then thrust into the world of people. Halo realises that the lot of women is rather less than desirable, so disguises herself as a boy. She meets up with some Spartans, then Athenians, has dealings with the oracle, becomes involved in the war between Sparta and Athens, and eventually meets her beloved centaurs again. This book is beautifully written, the characters feel real, and the plot thunders along, so it’s a very good read indeed.

This is a new Koala edition of Leo Timmer’s picture book first published last year in the Netherlands. He’s the author and illustrator of Who’s Driving? published by Gecko Press. Crow is the hero of this story. Crow is always alone and wonders why no one likes him. But one day he hears cheerful chirping nearby and approaches the tit, the parakeet and the finch. They retreat in fear, but he overhears them talking about how creepy his blackness is. Suddenly Crow has an idea. He finds the necessary materials and paint himself in the colours of a tit, then a parakeet, and finally a finch. This is more terrifying for  the smaller birds, and Crow descends into melancholy. However, the smaller birds now approach and think he scared off the huge tit, scary parakeet and creepy finch. Crow does not disabuse them of this understanding and becomes their friend and protector. Wonderful exaggerated pictures add to the story.

If the information I discovered is correct, Lili Wilkinson is not yet thirty, but she writes like a young person who has known several other lives. This is a beautiful novel. Try these lines for an opening: “A boy has come to Machery. I think he might be an angel.

“When he speaks, even the birds stop singing to listen. When he speaks, his eyes shine with a light that I know cannot come from dirt and skin. When he speaks, my head whirls round and round with strange thoughts, and my heart goes  patter patter patter.”   Stephan says that only the innocence of children can deliver the Holy Land from the Saracen, portrayed by him as monsters. And Gabriel believes him and follows him on his Children’s Crusade.  Gabriel’s journey happens alongside the journey to Jerusalem, but his journey is from innocence and belief to experience and doubt as Stephan behaves less and less like a humble servant of the God he invokes, and more and more like a cynical and deluded leader. It’s  a story beautifully told, with characters who behave in very human ways, good and evil. Gabriel’s development is beautifully described as he vacillates between faith and doubt.  Suitable for intermediate age and over, but best for secondary students and above.

I almost made the mistake of judging this by its cover, which is so good I didn’t think the book could live up to it. I’m not sure what you call it, whether it’s lenticular or holographic, but as the book is tipped towards or away from the reader the picture changes, the face changing from boy to wolf and back again. The wolf is more convincing than the boy, it has to be said. And no, this is not about werewolves, although they do appear: Woody, whose picture(s) this is, is the opposite: werewolves transform from human to wolf at full moon, while wolven transform from wolf to human. By Di Toft, and published by Chicken House, it’s a great read for nine or ten up as Nat gets his wish, or part of it. He was hoping for a puppy, but gets a stinking full-grown mutt which turns out to be wolven. A great story ensues, of mad scientists and corruption at the highest levels, with Nat and Woody (his wolven friend) in the middle. A great story line and characters who grow on the reader (and each other) make this an interesting read, and it’s almost worth the purchase price for the cover alone.

Welcome back. If you’ve tried to visit this site in the last two or three days you won’t have found it a useful experience: the site had been hacked into and replaced by cyber-graffiti.  Some people have very strange ways of getting their kicks! The site is now back to normal and updated with a new version of the WordPress software which should make such events less likely. I hope to be posting new reviews very soon.

Remember Kath Bee’s concert on Friday at 10 am (see below).  Several people have already told me they’ll be here.  If you haven’t heard Kath’s children’s songs come along for a treat and maybe buy a CD or two to take home;  if you have you’ll want to be there too.  Old favourites and perhaps a few new songs as well;  a lovely way to spend an hour as we get towards the end of holidays and the beginning of a new school year.

Three books by Steve Augarde,  the last of which came out in paperback last year, but one story, one that for me ticks all the boxes I need ticked for a complete reading experience. A great story set in a world that is tangible,  with all the senses stimulated?  Tick.  Characters who are believable,  fallible,  imperfect beings (whether human or not) and preferably at least some of them likeable?  Tick.  Themes which convey  understanding of the human condition and values which are preferably positive (for children’s literature in particular).  Tick.  And for bonus points, a writing style which contributes another dimension to the whole by being beautiful and warm and clever? Another tick, or two or three.  I loved the first book, thought the second was even better,  and the third pulled those two threads together in an almost magically satisfying way. No spoilers here, but the basic story revolves around Midge discovering a world of little people in the woods on her uncle’s farm, the discovery that her great, great aunt Celandine had a similar experience, and the adventures that follow.  The story moves back and forth between the world of humans and the world of the little pople, or Various in a way that seems natural and right. I’m not a Harry Potter detractor, though I did think some of the books in the series were too long, but overall I liked the series.  This trilogy though is in a different class altogether for me. I doubt Mr Augarde is in the billionaire category like J.K. Rowling, but he’s a better writer by far.  There’s very little of the darkness, and only a little of the teenage angst of some of the Potter books, so these are more suitable for a younger child, but they are still a weighty read.  Highly recommended for good readers from 10 or 11-year olds up, and adults who enjoy a good read would also find this satisfying. I certainly did.

Kath Bee’s concert is confirmed for Friday 29 January at 10 am, and if you can’t make that, or want to see her twice, NZique, further down Jackson St towards the railway station has her performing the day before at 1 pm.  Free concert, CDs for sale, lots of good songs and plenty of activity for the kids. Many who were here last time asked when she’d be returning, so here she will be.

The shop is open again this week, and new books are arriving already, though not many, as this is one of the quietest months for new releases. Next month will see things returning to a more normal level.