Last week, I posted about some of the books being published for Spring that look like good reads. This week I’ve been scouring the children’s section and here are some titles that have caught my eye.
Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone
Recommended for 8+.
Frozen lands, snow, and the animals associated with it, have long been fascinating subjects for children’s books, whether it’s CS Lewis’s Narnia, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, or indeed Santa Claus, and there are a clutch of such books around at the moment. This book is set in the frozen kingdom of Erkenwald which is tyranically ruled by the Ice Queen. It is an adventure story where a girl, Eska, breaks free from a music box where she has been held prisoner, and her friend Flint, a young boy. Together they have the potential to break the power of the Ice Queen.
Tin by Padraig Kenny
Recommended for 9+.
The cover makes me think this could be a modern day Wizard of Oz. It’s a debut novel from an Irish author and the central character is Christopher, an orphan who works for an engineer who manufactures ‘mechanicals’, a kind of robot. These become Christopher’s best friends and with them he sets out on a journey, following a devastating accident, and discovers things about himself and about what it means to be human.
The Light Jar by Lisa Thompson
Recommended for 9-12.
Lisa Thompson’s first book, The Goldfish Boy, about a boy suffering from debilitating OCD, was hugely popular and has been shortlisted for Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2018. This follow-up deals with similarly contemporary issues. Nate and his mother leave their home in the middle of the night. Nate’s mother does not explain why, but Nate thinks it has to do with her boyfriend Gary. When Nate’s Mum goes out for groceries and does not return Nate finds himself alone. He receives a visit from an old friend and between them they go on an adventure which may or may not help Nate resolve his troubles and be reunited with his Mum.
The Unpredictability of Being Human by Linni Ingemundsen
Recommended for Young Adult readers
In this debut novel from a young Norwegian author, the central character is 15 year-old Malin who is struggling to cope with her dysfunctional family. Her father seems always angry, her mother has a drink problem and her older brother is remote, XBox-obsessed and gets into trouble. She also struggles with friendships at school until she finally meets Hanna, a girl with problems of her own, and together they navigate the challenges of growing up. A novel about fitting-in and finding your own way, against the odds, that will resonate with young female teens.
The Final Six by Alexandra Monir
Recommended for 13+
It can be hard to find reading material that appeals to teenage boys, but this one might do the trick. Due out in early March it is action-packed science fiction, and has already been bought by Sony pictures for a film adaptation. Leo and Naomi are selected from among the world’s brightest teenagers for a mission to Europa, Jupiter’s moon, in order to establish a human colony, so grave has the threat to Earth become. As they undergo the rigorous training programme, Leo and Naomi begin to question the true motive of the mission, and become suspicious of their masters’ intentions.
Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
Recommended for Young Adult readers.
An appropriate one for the month in which we celebrate the extension of voting rights to some women in the UK. This novel brings together three girls, Evelyn, May and Nell, each from very different backgrounds but who find common cause in the women’s suffrage movement. Evelyn enjoys a privileged lifestyle but resents the fact that the only expectation of her in life is to marry according to her family’s wishes, while her brother gets to go to university. May and Nell, from very different backgrounds, meet and fall in love, strictly forbidden at that time, and face their own challenges but are equally moved by the cause for women’s equality. This novel follows their separate stories whilst exploring the issues of the suffrage movement in the context of the era.
I hope there is something here that might pique the interest of some young people you know. Take them along to the bookshop or library to find out. And if they do read any of them, I’d love to hear what they think.
What books for kids have you seen that appeal to you?
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