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Camp Survival by Olly Goldenberg

Dec1

Utterly Brilliant

Camp Survival by Olly Goldenberg is a unique Christian book just perfect for ages ten years and over. It is a book about friendship and bullies and choices – and over it all is the wisdom and love of God for all His children.

God wants us to make good choices. We will always have the choice to do the right thing. Our choices always have consequences.

Throughout the book there are snippets of scripture that are relevant to the different situations we find ourselves in.

We see the importance of prayer, even praying for our enemies. Even when we feel we are alone, God has not left us. He walks alongside us. We also see the importance of being a good friend.

As Christians we need to spread the Good News of Jesus to all our friends.

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The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls

Nov9

A Bygone Era

The Silent Stars Go By by Sally Nicholls is a charming historical YA novel that enchanted me from the start.

The novel is set in 1919 as Britain is returning to normal after World War I. The reader drops in on a country vicarage and follows the family as Christmas approaches. It has been years since they all celebrated together.

War affects lives. Soldiers returned, some with visible scars, others were hidden. It is easy to see why some could not settle back into civilian life. A character cannot hold a job down as part of his mind still remains at the Front.

The main theme of the novel is that of love. We see a young love that war interrupted and we see the love of mothers. Losing a child creates a gap that nothing can ever fill.

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The Burglars Ball by Julia Golding

Oct20

Fun And Light-Hearted

The Burglars Ball by Julia Golding is a marvellous historical YA novel that will entertain you whatever your age. It is suitable for ten years and above. It is the second book in the Jane Austen Investigates series but can be read as a stand-alone.

As a huge Jane Austen fan, I love this series focusing on the teen Jane Austen. With knowledge of Jane Austen’s novels, I can see parallels within the stories and the style of writing is reminiscent of Jane Austen. There are elements within The Burglars Ball that remind me of both Emma and also Pride And Prejudice (my favourite all-time novel).

The character of Jane Austen is lively and likable. She believes in equality for all and is willing to stand for those without a voice. She has an innate sense of justice and dislikes prejudice in all its forms. She is quite the young tom-boy too.

We witness racial prejudice and injustice as a character is judged by the colour of his skin and not the content of his character. Jane Austen sets out to prove his innocence.

There is a wonderful cosmopolitan feel to the novel as we meet up again with characters from book one who now own a bakery making and selling Indian pastries. We also meet an elephant called Betty and a colourful parrot called Don Pedro.

The Burglars Ball is a fun, light-hearted novel where we follow the tenacious Jane Austen determined to investigate the crime.

Jane Austen Investigates is a really fun series, just perfect to introduce young readers to Jane Austen, and also wonderful for die-hard Jane Austen fans such as myself.

I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON

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The Stars In April by Peggy Wirgau

Sep27

Powerful

The Stars In April by Peggy Wirgau is a powerful YA novel surrounding the maiden voyage of the Titanic. The story is grounded in fact being set around twelve year old Ruth Becker and her family. It is a novel that needs to be read as we witness the love, bravery and courage of many.

The action is set from March 1912 to early April 1912 as the Becker family (minus Ruth’s father) journey from India to America in search of medical help for two year old Richard.

The story is seen through the eyes of Ruth. We ‘hear’ the events in the first person as we ‘journey’ on a train to the coast, a ship to Southampton and the ill-fated Titanic. We become intimately acquainted with the lively per-teen. We empathise with her feelings as she leaves her beloved India behind.

As with all journeys, Ruth encounters some characters along the way from acrobats to young women to a big-hearted Irish family. Huge personalities encourage Ruth to try new things. Her sense of joi de vivre and adventure is infectious.

Ruth loves deeply and therefore hurts deeply. Her bad mood against her father for deciding to leave India is keenly ‘felt’ by the reader. Even in her anger, Ruth keeps her link with her father alive as she studies the stars alone. “He’d [Papa] told me we would see the same stars even though I was far from home.” The stars unite even though apart.

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