Featured authors – Page 9 – Bookmonitor – news from around the world

Rooftoppers
by Katherine Rundell

Rooftoppers is fast becoming a classic in children’s literature and is compared to the likes of Roald Dahl and Eva Ibbotson.

It’s a fantastic story and beautifully imaginative with visions of different areas of Paris, as seen from roof tops. The main character, Sophie, has been lost and is found by Charles Maxim as she floated as a baby, in a cello case in the English Channel.

Despite being told that she was lost in a shipwreck, Sophie thinks otherwise and with Charles, finds herself in Paris with Matteo, a boy who walks tightropes and lives in the sky.

A beautiful story about pursuing your dreams and never ignoring the possible.

Published by Faber, Rooftoppers was winner of the Blue Peter Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and short listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal.

Katherine Rundell is an author to watch and her other children’s story, The Girl Savage was her first book.

Available to buy through Dolphin Booksellers, Amazon link at £5.24

We recommend this book for 9 – 12 years.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

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Though My Eyes: Emilio
by Sophie Masson

I started the book, Emilio, and was unable to put it down!! Three hours later I made it to the end, through adventures, family kidnapping, and dealing with drug cartels, all through the eyes of Emilio.

In Chapter Two, Emilio hears the bad news.’

The Federal policeman said, ‘My name is Raul Castro, and I am an officer of the PF here in Mexico City….I regret to inform you that I have bad news.’

Emilio learns that his mother has been kidnapped.

Author Sophie Masson deals with real life issues for a young person in an area of conflict. It is excellently written, and is part of the Through My Eyes series published by Allen and Unwin with series editor Lyn White.

As well as being a great read it has information about the languages used, the areas of drug cartels and a timeline of drug conflict in Mexico and provides a good teaching resource for use in schools.

We recommend this book for 9 – 12 year olds.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

The School of Art by Teal Triggs and illustrated by Daniel Frost

This large and impressive looking book is full of surprises and I have spent simply ages finding out so many different aspects about art and being an artist.

It starts with the introduction to five professors and their talents, then goes to the 40 lessons to explore new and different ways to make your own creative work.

There are loads of activities to look at flat shapes and three dimensional, patterns and colours…

There is a section, for instance on repetition and rhythm in art, making patterns that are aesthetically pleasing. I loved the section on experimentation and being creative.

Written by Teal Triggs illustrated by Daniel Frost, published by Wide Eyed Editions

This book is well worth the money, it isn’t expensive at £14.99 and would make an excellent present, be a great book in school, for the art room or the library and in the home bookshelf.

But don’t be surprised if it spends more time on the coffee table than on the shelves!

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers – Best Children’s Books always on line

Take a Shape

New series by Britta Teckentrup, published by Words and Pictures, part of the Quarto Group.

Four beautiful books about shapes, circle, line, square and triangle. The books are well laid out for young children and the pictures are engaging and give some good text to support the pictures.

They will support young children in developing language and context about shapes and will be a valuable addition to the classroom and also in the home.

Britta lives in Berlin and is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and has published over 60 children’s books in 20 countries. A real achievement and her work can be seen on her website.

The Fire Children

A West African Folk Tale which has been retold by Eric Maddern and illustrated by Frane Lessac.

An intriguing West African creation myth looking at the question of why some people are black and some are white, and others different shades?

The ‘ first spirit people’ who found that they were lonely decided to solve their loneliness by filling the earth with children of all colours under the sun.

‘ Now the spirit people breathed life into the fire children. One by one they awoke, yawned, stretched and opened their eyes, just like children waking up in the morning. Then they stood up and went off to play.’

Frances Lincoln have published another good title which will compliment school libraries and your collection at home too.

Sue Martin – Dolphin Booksellers, The Best in Children’s Books on-line.

The Arabel & Mortimer Series by Joan Aiken, illustrated by Quentin Blake

A wonderful series and now republished with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.

Mortimer and Sword Excalibur is the fifth book and Mrs Jones packs Arabel and Mortimer off for a quiet afternoon in Rainwater Crescent Gardens. But as Mortimer investigates the new underground car park he discovers that it is just possible that the long lost sword, Excalibur is waiting to be found.

The Spiral Stair, is based in the zoo. Arabel comes to the rescue as Mortimer becomes entangled in snakes and giraffes.

The books are an excellent new edition and the compact size is just right for an emerging reader, or even for a fluent reader in the midst of a busy holiday time.

Illustrations are, undoubtedly the best of Quentin Blake and portray the characters brilliantly. The text is pure Joan Aiken, with the sharpness of the story intrigue and mix of humdrum life and exciting adventure.

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line

The Unexpected Crocodile
by Kim Kane and Sara Acton

Peggy’s family is hosting a barbecue for their neighbours, the Dawsons. Peggy is not sure about the Dawson boys but she is delighted with the unexpected arrival of a crocodile.

What an unfortunate habit though of eating the guests!!

This book is brilliant, the story just leads you on into the world of a very polite but yet hungry crocodile. The illustrations are a real joy of the book, simply drawn yet captivating, especially the expressions.

Kim Kane has been short listed for many awards and now lives in Melbourne,Australia and this partnership with Sara Acton, is one to watch.

Sara lives near a beach in Sydney, just how awesome is that! From there she writes and draws in her studio for children’s books.

The Unexpected Crocodile is published by Allen and Unwin, and is part of their excellent portfolio of children’s books.

It can be purchased on line and if you buy through Dolphin Booksellers, we will donate 10% to Kalpana finding a home again in Nepal.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

I Have a Dog by Charlotte Lance

I have a dog. An inconvenient dog. When I wake up, my dog is inconvenient…..

And that follows through the day in this delightful book about how a young child and a puppy can just be the bests of friends and playmates who help each other to make tunnels or try and get socks on feet or paws.

An inconvenient dog can be the best of friends when it comes to watching something scary on the TV or when you don’t want to eat your dinner and your very convenient dog is just under the table.

The illustrations in the book are just wonderful. Charlotte Lance is an Australian author/illustrator to watch out for. Ideas put into text and illustrations that are captivating and make for great books.Allen and Unwin are the publishers and have found another great children’s author.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers and Books Go Walkabout

The Arabel and Mortimer Series

A wonderful revision of the Arabel and Mortimer Series written by Joan Aiken and illustrated by Quentin Blake has just been reissued by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.Arabel’s Raven is the first story in the series. Mr Jones takes home a bedraggled raven who becomes his daughter’s best friend. Together they form a real bond and adventures are numerous with thefts and a robber’s quarrel entwined in the story.

The books are wonderfully illustrated by Quentin Blake and bring the characters to life in the most amusing ways. Who else could draw a girl and a raven with saucepans on their heads and make them look totally natural?

A great series and the new release is sure to bring well loved characters back to life. The stories are for sharing and also for reading alone for 6 yrs old and onwards.

Sue Martin Dolphin Booksellers – the best in children’s books always on line, buy this book for £4.99 through Dolphin Books(via Amazon)

Kate Grenville at Australia & New Zealand Festival of Literature & Arts

Kate Grenville was in conversation at the Australia and NZ Festival of Literature and Arts in London on Saturday 30th May.

Her new book One Life, has just been published with Cannongate. It is the story about her mother Nance, born in 1912 in New South Wales. A remarkable story, not because Nance became famous or wealthy but the story is about a woman growing up in a harsh family, in Australia in the 1920’s and onwards.

After training as a pharmacist, she went to work in a local chemist and learnt much more about life than dispensing drugs.

Kate Grenville has a remarkable way of telling a story and after a few minutes of conversations and readings from One Life, it felt that we knew this woman Nance, her character of directness and ambition, to do all she could to make the most of life. As a young girl this was not easy at that time, but her determination was unstoppable!

It was a schoolteacher who changed her life and Mr Crisp, left her with a love of literature. Nance instilled in Kate a love of words, Nance had poetry in her mind and was able to deliver apposite quotes just when needed.

This was an amazing chance to listen to Kate Grenville and also hear about the very special book, The Secret River.

So now to read the book, One Life, from the opening pages it will be a book that will be hard to put down.

Check out the website for further conversations and adventures at the Australia and New Zealand Festival with lots of exciting authors.

Sue Martin