David Solomons (Author) Laura Ellen Anderson (Illustrator) My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord - Book Review

Sequel to the bestselling My Brother is a Superhero - over 47,000 copies sold to date! David Solomons is a meteroic new voice in children's fiction - perfect for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce Zack and Lara have superpowers. Luke has new school shoes and a burning sense of resentment. He KNOWS that aliens disguised as gym teachers are about to attack Earth but will anyone listen? No. So one dodgy pact with a self-styled supervillain later, and Luke is ready to save the world. He just needs to find his trainers...

David Solomon is back with his magic cape and hero superpowers with the eagerly anticipated sequel to "My Brother is a Superhero." This was one of the biggest success stories in children's publishing last year and was awarded the Children’s Book of the Year as well as the British Book Industry Awards 2016. It also scooped up the overall winner of the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2016 and was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2016. It was a fantastic success and introduced a great new storytelling voice with a distinctive feel that is loaded with outlandish humour. 

Get ready to be a superhero once again. Hold onto your rocket boosters and maybe your pants as My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord will slip and flap discreetly onto the bookshelves across the galaxy on the 7th July 2016. Published by Nosy Crow, the publisher with avian expertise, this book is for everybody who loved the first book or those interested in comic fictional superheroes. You're going to giggle like a school kid falling out of a tree house which has just been set on fire by an Alien Overlord, but don't worry kids as Zack and Luke are on hand to save the day, or maybe not!

This book is a very clever work of fiction combining things that children will relate to in a big fantasy way. Computer games, movies with big action heroes, comics that always have a great moral ending etc. There are also some great references to other superheroes from Marvel or DC that make our perception of a superhero tie in with the characters in this crazy caper. 

The book makes references to school life, family and friendship troubles, which gives the story some grounding, as well as neatly integrating these into a thrilling plot of craziness and humour. The next esssential ingredient is one fiendish alien overlord and alongside an evil bunch of school gym teachers, who are about to attack earth and turn everyone into zombies who watch reality TV. You might be thinking that this sounds great and, yes, it really is. Regardless of your age, you will really enjoy this book. 

This is a book that you can sink into and relax. It is easy to read, emotionally charged and full of great one liners, which is pure fantasy escapism for the duration of the story. It is full of slapstick non-stop action to save the world, that is providing that Luke finds his trainers first.. and if Zack fights his epic bout of alien flu. However, with Laura in the wings everything is going to be OK, or is it? You will never know until the climatic ending and the last page has been turned. This is a great family read, as it is super funny and wildly inventive. Don't forget to check out the cool illustrations by the talented Laura Allen Anderson. 

Curtis Jobling - A New Hero (World of Warriors book 1) - Book Review (Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books)

Richard 'Trick' Hope is used to getting into trouble, but not like this. . .

On the run from bullies, Trick finds himself transported to the mystical Wildlands, a place where the greatest warriors throughout history have been summoned to fight in a battle for survival - from Romans and Vikings to Knights and Samurai!

A cryptic old man tells Trick that he's there for a reason - to deliver the Wildlands from the evil Boneshaker, who rules with an army of terrifying minions. Trick has been chosen to form a band of the seven greatest warriors to defeat this terrible enemy.

As Trick begins his epic quest the stakes couldn't be higher: defeat Boneshaker or never see home again.

World of Warriors started out as a mobile adventure and combat strategy game, with the possibility of looking towards a series to complement the brilliant story behind the addictive game. Curtis Jobling is an excellent choice, in my opinion, to bring the eclectic warriors to life; he has done a fantastic job-ling. 

The book is an epic tale of adventure, action and fantasy with some amazing inventiveness all swirled round. The wild imagination will get every young boy hooked from the age of nine. From the first page, this book is action packed and will hook you with many of the crazy characters. All of whom have been summoned from across time to a mysterious land called the Wildlands - a kingdom of chaos and fighting guilds who are all battling for control and power. 

Some of the greatest warriors do battle in an explosive epic plot. All plucked from history, time and different cultures they will leave your imagination on overdrive. The pages will fly by quicker than Mungo drinking a jar of beer. It's a great choice of book to pick for a reluctant reader as it is pure escapism in 3D. 

All the warriors have history, which is told in intermittent parts and really blends in to help cleverly build up the main story. The myths, legends and culture are all deeply rooted in our history as each character's story is based around these and facts.  

This story is a quest with a big heart. It is based on hope and the fighting of tyrannical bad guys known as the evil Skull Army. It's full of great battle scenes, big oversized monsters and a bloody fighting arena with more gore and guts than your average read.

It's an easy book to follow with a cracking story at heart. Every reader will be magically transported to the Wildlands and back.... It has a great end and is a fantastic start to a new series. 

I hope there are plenty more books to come. 

Unofficial Gamer's Adventures by Winter Morgan -The Endermen Invasion/ Treasure Hunters in Trouble (Minecraft) Bloomsbury 2015

Winter Morgan is not a real person, it's the pen name for an author of numerous books. The author has a Minecraft-addicted son, who inspired the story, and a daughter who is very accommodating since her little brother monopolizes the computer creating mods and mining for diamonds.

Experience all the action beyond the game in this exciting Minecrafters series for the young. Search temples filled with treasure, battle against Griefers, Creepers and skeletons, and protect your buildings from invasion. These stories are a brilliant way to enjoy the world of Minecraft from the computer screen.

The Endermen Invasion
Steve is invited to compete in an elite building competition on Mushroom Island, much to the joy - or jealousy - of his neighbours. His dream house is about to be judged when events are disrupted by an Endermen invasion. Who is their leader, why have they come and will they succeed in destroying the competition?

Treasure Hunters in Trouble
During Steve's journey he must encounter spiders in a cave, face hostile chicken jockeys, and get stuck at sea. If he rescues them they will all be rewarded with treasure. But if he doesn't.

Published by Bloomsbury in Paperback on 2nd July 2015, £4.99 each.

Interview with Gabrielle Kent - Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle

Welcome all. Today, I am very lucky to be interviewing Gabrielle Kent, author of Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle. This book has already been published by Scholastic Press on the 4th June 2015. I'd like to thank Gabrielle for agreeing to this interview as I have heard so many good things about Alfie Bloom. One review that I read described it as having 'lovely Potter-esque touches'. It sounds like my kind of read so I've added it to my reading list ... 

I hope that this interview inspires you to read Alfie on his first outing, I think it should. 

How would you describe your debut book Alfie Bloom and the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle to potential readers?
The book falls into the category of magical realism, which is the area that has always interested me most as a reader. I love to imagine that magical happenings are possible in our world. The story is about a young boy who inherits a castle full of wonders that has been sealed for centuries. The age range is middle grade, but I like to think that it would appeal to anyone with a love of magic and mystery.

Give us an insight into the main character. What does he do that is so special?
Alfie soon discovers that he was born in the very castle he inherits, but over six hundred years ago during a magical timeslip. There, Orin Hopcraft, the last of the great druids, hid an ancient magic inside him which others seek, but which should never be used. Alfie must learn to control the magic inside him, as well as protecting a dark secret hidden deep below the castle. Orin Hopcraft has also left Alfie a talisman with a magical lens which allows him to unlock some of the secrets of Hexbridge Castle. Apart from that, he’s a perfectly ordinary boy.
I love red hair, I have dyed mine copper since I was sixteen. There are no books I can think of with a redheaded boy as a main character and I wanted to share my love of this hair colour.

As a game development lecturer, has this role influenced any part of the story?
As a game developer I can’t help seeing my writing through those eyes. While I was writing I was imagining how the castle would work as game levels and what mysteries and puzzles players would solve. I even had ideas for potion mixing and hidden object games. Several students of mine worked on a lovely little game based on the book. Alfie falls asleep in his library and his talisman is stolen by books that have come to life. It will be up my site or Scholastic’s own soon, I’d love to know what people think.

Through organising the Animex festival I have a good insight into the worlds of animation and visual effects. While I was writing I felt as though I had a film camera on my shoulder. I was imagining how certain scenes would be shot, and even how the VFX could be achieved. The big showdown and the scene on the barn roof are my favourite visual scenes.

Are there any particular authors that have influenced your writing?
Too many to mention, but Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl always had a special place in my heart as a child, and I was surprised at how much of an influence they seemed to have on me as was writing.
I adore the work of Neil Gaiman and particularly Terry Pratchett. I would love to be able to write like them, but I think that I am starting to evolve my own style and I’m excited to see how it develops.

Did anything surprise you during the writing process?
While writing can be a really hard slog at times, it’s interesting to see how your brain sometimes throws you solutions to problems that really surprise you. It’s like having a little helper on your shoulder. I was amazed at some of the clever little ideas it gave me, they really felt as though they were coming from a different person.

The biggest surprise was when I decided to change Alfie’s best mate from a boy called Danny Chapman into a girl called Amy Siu. I pinched the name Siu from a friend and suddenly realised that she had gone from a Caucasian boy to a mixed race girl. And it changed hardly anything in the story! I’d recommend everyone try flipping the gender of their characters, it really challenges your preconceptions. I even left Madeleine’s little crush on Danny in there. It became a bit of a girl crush she has on Amy, she really wants to be just like her. And who wouldn’t?

What do you think makes a good story? 
I like stories that don’t answer all of the questions they raise and leave you wondering about characters and hints long after you have read the book. There are a few mysteries in the Secrets of Hexbridge Castle that are not answered just yet, and I love hearing people’s theories on what they think will happen. I think folks will be surprised, particularly by Ashford’s big secret, which is answered in book two! I have also planted a few seeds that probably won’t be spotted just yet, but they will definitely grow.

Are you currently involved in any writing projects that you can tell us about?
I have just finished book two in the Alfie Bloom series and am now at the planning stage for book three. When I thought Alfie might not make it to print, I started work on another project about a Mauritian girl who goes on a very strange journey. Her name is Ashwina Flynn and I hope to finish her story at some point. I also have an idea for a book for adults that is knocking on my skull, trying to get out. I really love the idea and will definitely let it out at some point, perhaps even as a short story.

Can you pass on any tips regarding the writing process to other budding writers?
Structure your book before you even start to write! When I started writing this book I had so many ideas and tried to cram everything in with only a rough idea of where the story was going. As a result it took me years to edit it into something publishable. I had some great scenes in there, but some of them just didn’t advance the plot in any way. With book two I sat down and typed up a rough summary of each chapter. Of course some of these things changed once I started writing, but it was so much easier to have the skeleton of my book sitting in front of me.

I would also tell first time writers DO NOT EDIT AS YOU WRITE! It wastes so much time. Just trust your future self to pick up errors and issues and correct them later. With book two I left myself lots of little notes such as ‘make this bit less rubbish’ and ‘more drama in this scene’.
My husband, Satish, did something very cool with an excel spreadsheet. He rated all of my chapters out of 10 for interest, intrigue and drama, then turned the figures into a graph. It was amazing to see as it highlighted the fact that the book flatlined for a little while after chapter three. Many agents and publishers had loved my writing, but had lost interest after three chapters. Now I knew why! After a couple of drastic cuts, the first publisher to see it snapped it up!

Do you think that the book cover plays an important part in the buying process?
I think it does. I started reading Terry Pratchett because of the amazing covers by Josh Kirby - I kept reading them because of the
brilliant writing. I wasn’t too sure about the suitability of the cover for Alfie Bloom when I first saw it, but the reaction from children has been amazing, they really seem to love it. It taught me to always trust my publisher’s marketing decisions!

What are your thoughts about how to encourage more children to read?
I know a lot of children who have started reading after discovering books based on their favourite games, such as Minecraft. Storytelling in games is getting much better and now spins off into tie-in books and comics. These are a great way to encourage children to discover the joy of reading. I’ve seen children read these and then discover that they want to read books of different genres.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Reading, making art, playing computer games, and visiting castles! I have so many castles left to visit. I’d love to explore some of the wonderful ones over in Germany.

As writing is the job I do in my spare time, much of the rest of my life is taken up with the day job, teaching computer games development to university students, and organising Animex, an international festival of computer games and animation. I love teaching, working in the games industry and writing, so I count myself very lucky that I get to do all three.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books Recommended: Minecraft Blockopedia Hardcover

Blockopedia is the ultimate reference guide, featuring information on every single block that makes up the Minecraft world. The world of Minecraft is made entirely of blocks. Some help you build, some help you stay alive. Every block you discover opens up new possibilities and exciting adventures.

This hexagonal book is a 'comprehensive reference tool for beginners and more experienced players alike', written by former Edge editor Alex Wiltshire and is accurate up to the latest 1.8 game update.

“Working closely with Mojang, we wanted to make sure this encyclopaedia was so much more than just an ordinary reference book, so it could truly reflect both the richness of the world and iconic visual identity of the game," said Sarah Bates, publishing director for licensed character books, Egmont Publishing.

"Blockopedia pushes the boundaries of what we expect a book to be. It’s totally unique and we’re extremely proud to be bringing such an innovative product to market."

Blockopedia is out on December 4th from all good book retailers, with an RRP of £30.

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - The perfect present for any Minecraft addict. Full of tips to help with the game. Hours of addictive fun for all the family. Once you start, you will not be able to stop. Recommended purchase this christmas.