Been a while

Wow, it's been a while since I found time to make a blog post. How quickly time flies - Life's been very busy and throwing up a few challenges of late.  So I apologise and promise to get back on the job.

I've been reading some excellent books though, which I will write about over the next few weeks, and I've been stretching myself by reading some diffrent genres from those I'm naturally drawn to.

As many of my posts reflect, Fantasy is a favourite and so is a well -crafted mystery and crime novel. Adventure is must for all kids, so I also love to read and review adventure stories.

Realism (the serious stuff of life) is a genre I've been trying to catch up on - not a lot of realism happening at the moment  in a dystopian saturated book market!

Graphic Novels have never been a go-to of choice, but I'm also pledging to learn more about these and become all the wiser with this popular format.

I leave you with a recommendation of the delightful picture books of Juliette MacIvor, a NZ author who presented at the SLANZA conference in July this year. Julliette read aloud from her latest picture books and had us clapping our hands with glee at the cleverness of her work.

Legend

 Legend by Marie Lu - this one's a winner

Legend is one of those stories that will really capture young (and not so young) readers, in the same way the Hunger Games series has. The absorbing narration of the story is told by two alternating voices: Day and June. In their dystopian world, Day and June are from opposite sides of the track: June, privileged and of high rank in military society and Day a rebel hiding out in the streets.

At first I couldn’t like June. She seemed spoiled and conceited, but as the story unfolded I found myself believing in her and hoping she would be the one who would take a chance and help Day and his people. The pace of the story is quick and the plot full of action.

Grab a copy – a second book is coming out soon.

Legend 

BrotherBand by John Flanagan

A review from a young friend who has been enjoying the BrotherBand series:

Brotherband is the story of a young boy called Hal. After turning sixteen, Hal must endure the Brotherband trials – a series of gruelling challenges in which bands of young men must work together in cooperation to prove they are worthy of being warriors. Hal is chosen to be a Brotherband leader and although the boys in his team are not the strongest or the fittest, they are smart and definitely brave and they have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Brotherband is by the author John Flanagan who also wrote the popular Ranger’s Apprentice series.

I enjoyed reading this book and found it very hard to put down. It is full of action but is also quite humorous.

JC Trastada - Age 13years

Secret Letters

Summer Reading

The first book I read this holiday was Secret Letters by Leah Scheier.  I’m really into the Mystery & Crime solving genre for Young Adults right now and so I grabbed this one for my holiday reviewing.

In secret Letters we meet Dora, a young girl living in Victorian England, who believes she is related to Sherlock Holmes. On a trip to London to find the master detective, Dora seeks out the Baker Street address but is shocked to find Sherlock Holmes has recently passed away. However, through this encounter Dora meets Peter, a young lad imitating the work of Holmes and set up in another consulting detective agency.

Dora also loves to solve mysteries and employs Peter and his company to find the thief who has stolen the secret love letters belonging to her cousin. Peter allows Dora to become involved in the investigation set in an English country manor full of puzzling incidents and hidden secrets.

Secret Letters has a great storyline and charming characters …. I think there may have to be sequel coming so we can learn more about the future for Peter and Dora.

Two other great books that have connection with Sherlock Holmes are: