Jenny Pearson (Author), Rob Biddulph (Illustrator) - The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

This is a book to look forward to as part of the latest adventure from Jenny Pearson. The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates is set to be published on 30th April 2020 by Usborne Publishing. The book illustrations and cover have been illustrated brilliantly by award-winning illustrator Rob Biddulph. He has done an amazing job of depicting the story visually to enhance the very engaging narrative.

This story will definitely capture the reader's attention from the very first page. The main character, Freddie Yates, loves facts. You can rely on them. An example of one such fact is: the fastest time to eat a raw onion is 29.56 seconds which was achieved by Yusuke Yamaguchi in Japan 2013. You may think this is a bizarre fact to choose but it is very relevant to the story, as you will find out if you read the book. This thought-provoking, family adventure is full of many other fun facts. For example, did you know that Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to have been successfully cloned from an adult cell in 1996?

The book will take you on a hilarious journey following three boys on an adventure of a lifetime. Armed with a spare pair of underpants, they go in search of Freddie Yates's Dad whom he has never met before. However, things don't quite go according to plan! The adventure is fraught with danger and includes some very strange events along the way. The narrative is delivered comically as the three boys argue and fall out - just like most friends do.

This super fun, brilliantly engaging story will certainly have tears streaming down your face from laughing too much or from the thought of eating a raw onion. You can expect some well-timed miracles: a seagull with a deadly shot, naked scarecrows, three kids running down the high street with superhero costumes on and an exploding toilet. Yet at its heart, it's also a book that explores the importance of kindness, hope, and understanding what really matters. 

This is definitely a book for younger readers or someone with a good sense of humour. It's not overly complex but it has enough within it to keep an adult entertained. The book relates to the ups and downs of family life. In fact, it's a human rollercoaster of emotions but all make for great entertainment and reading. What more could you possibly ask for? Pre-order your copy now. 

Read a free chapter HERE

Guest Post by Kate Mallinder Author of Summer of No Regrets - Why you should read Up Lit YA fiction?

Here At Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books, we are forever looking forward to seeing what new books are on the publishing horizon. Today, author Kate Mallinder is talking about her debut YA book Summer of No Regrets. The book will be published in May 2019 by FireFly Press. This post is a little teaser of what you can expect as well as explaining the genre of UP LIT. Why not have a read and if this book sounds like your cup of fantasy tea then pop it on your list of books to buy or pre-order. Thanks for reading and enjoy your day. 

Summer of No Regrets was first called Up Lit by my publishers. I’d heard the term before but it still came as a surprise to me. I’d been calling it feel-good fiction, which it is. So what’s the difference?

What is Up Lit anyway?
Up Lit has been in the headlines for titles such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine; stories with kindness at their centre. Up Lit doesn’t pull any punches however, it isn’t sickly sweet. It still deals with big issues: mental illness, loss, grief, things which have a life-altering impact on the characters. But Up Lit differs from other stories with these same themes by building in a strong sense of community. The main character (or in my case, characters) still has to be the master of their own destiny but that journey is made easier by the people around them. Up Lit doesn’t short change the issues but they are resolved in an optimistic way.

Why read Up Lit now?
There is some research that shows that when times are bad, readers look to literature for an escape. The consensus surely must be that the world isn’t in a great place; the polarised nature of national and international politics, almost institutional unkindness in the way we treat others, people being quick to get angry online, a perceived lack of community and a lack of common ground is the backdrop for these contemporary stories. Readers aren’t just looking for an escape but to be reminded that humans are capable of kindness, of including the outsider and haven’t forgotten how to empathise with others.

Why is Up Lit for teens a thing?
Despite the term not being widely used in children’s literature, there are signs that this type of fiction is rising in popularity. The reasons behind why it has taken off in adult fiction are similar for teenagers – the world is uncertain and this is compounded for teens as they are trying to find their place in it. Teens are increasingly having mental health issues, can find themselves excluded from social groups, struggle to know how to help in a world seemingly full of problems and so it wouldn’t be unexpected for teens to search out this type of fiction.

Arguably YA fiction has been tackling issues for years and often with hopeful endings, so in this respect is ahead of the term, but the difference with Up Lit is there’s a focus on the community, with friendship groups helping the character with their issue rather than the character sorting it out alone. This is where the kindness, empathy and the strength of human bonds comes in. Examples of this would be in John Green’s books, in Wonder by R J Palacio and more recently in books like Holly Bourne’s Are we all Lemmings and Snowflakes?

Up Lit: kindness at its core
When I wrote Summer of No Regrets, I didn’t set out to write ‘Up Lit’. I wanted to write characters who were strong alone but stronger together. Even though my characters deal with some pretty big life events, they get through them with the support and kindness of their
friends. I wrote it because this would be the sort of book I would want to read if I was a teenager in today’s world – not only as an escape, but as a reminder that kindness isn’t a weakness and having empathy for others isn’t something to be mocked or ridiculed.

So, Summer of No Regrets then…
Summer of No Regrets is about four 16-year-old girls – Hetal, Cam, Sasha and Nell. They are best mates and in the summer after their GCSE’s they decide to have a regret-free summer, taking risks however much it scares them. Sasha agrees to spend the holiday in Geneva, with the father she hasn’t seen for six years, but is not expecting his new girlfriend, or the boy in the cafe. Shy homebody Hetal decides to go to science camp, and discovers a new competitive spirit. After Nell lost her arm in an accident, her mother is scared to let her out of the house - so to do what she wants she will have to lie to her parents. Fostered Cam goes to look for her birth father. What will she find? As all these choices become difficult, even dangerous, they look to each other for the strength to face the future.

Why you should read my book
Most importantly, because it’s a good read! Hopefully. But also it’ll perhaps inspire you to keep using kindness to alter the world around you.

Author Bio
Kate lives with her husband, four children and two crazy kittens near Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire. She grew up in Solihull and went to college in Leeds. She wrote this book as part of her own ‘no regrets’ pledge along with trying to surf, which didn't go so well. If left to her own devices, she'd live on a window seat with a good book and a never-ending cup of tea.


Contact details:
Find Kate on twitter: @KateMallinder
On Instagram: kate.mallinder
Website: KateMallinder.co.uk

Ewa Jozefkowicz - The Mystery of the Colour Thief - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

First the accident, then the nightmares. The shadowy thief steals all the colours from Izzy's world leaving her feeling empty and hopeless. Will her new neighbour and a nest full of cygnets save Izzy and solve the mystery of the colour thief? A heartwarming story about families, friendships, school, nature, hope and self-confidence. 

After a frightening car accident, Izzy's mum is in a coma. Her family is in pieces. Her best friend at school has dumped her. And her nightmares are haunted by a shadowy man stealing all the colours from her world. She's trying so hard to be brave, but Izzy thinks everything is her fault. Then she meets her new neighbour, Toby, paralyzed after a skateboarding accident, and together they find a nest of cygnets who need rescuing. Particularly the odd one out, called Spike. Will saving Spike save Izzy? Will she and Toby solve the mystery of the colour thief and bring hope and happiness back to Izzy's life? Written with insight, compassion and empathy – an authentic story about real life and how to survive it.

What is on the review table this week? 

Well, it is a brilliant debut book by Polish author, Ewa Jozefkowicz. The Mystery of the Colour Thief will hit the shops, with a resounding bundle of emotions, on 3rd May 2018. It has been published by Zephyr and is aimed at 9-12 year old readers. However, I believe that it will be especially loved by adults. 

This is a very thought provoking book; deeply moving with a very tragic story which could happen to anybody in real-life. The book is emotionally and sensitively written. It shows how perspectives differ depending on the feelings of the character. The main character is a young girl called Izzy, who is trying to deal with the fact that her mother is in hospital. Unfortunately, she is in an induced coma after a car accident. 

You might think this book sounds rather depressing with such a theme. However, the author has achieved an excellent balance displaying the vulnerability of the characters and actions whilst still delivering an upbeat narrative filled with a fantasy edge. Everything is told through her daily life in school, but especially through her nightmares. This creates a dramatic and inspirational story that gives the reader a shiny beacon of hope, even in the bleakest of times. I thought the situation the characters found themselves in were particularly well written. They displayed great understanding and provided a true representation of what people might be going through as part of their everyday life. 

The book features two young and brilliantly written central characters that you will warm to in a big way.  It was really interesting viewing the perspective through childrens' eyes and seeing the world in a fresh light. The importance of making friends in an instant and sharing what the world has to offer from an early age. I have never read a book containing two such resilient characters like Izzy and Toby. Toby is definitely an inspiration to us all. He is a wheelchair user who really shines as a character and encourages a positive outlook on life despite overcoming many difficulties. He helps Izzy to solve the puzzle in the story.

I loved the idea of Spike, a vulnerable cygnet, which tied in with the theme of the book and brought a kindred spirited feeling. It made you really think about the plot. This is a fantastic story inspired by life. It's a book that I would recommend that you read with your heart and maybe a tissue or two. 

Jack Cheng - See You in the Cosmos - Book Review (Puffin 2 Mar. 2017) Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

A space-obsessed boy and his dog, Carl Sagan, take a journey toward family, love, hope, and awe in this funny and moving novel for fans of Counting by 7s and Walk Two Moons.

11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan - named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he'll uncover - from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew.

See You in the Cosmos is the first book to be published by the outstanding new talent, Jack Cheng. The novel will be jointly published by Puffin Books, here in the UK, and Dial Books for Young Readers in the US. It's a fantastic story that will make its maiden voyage into the cosmos on a golden iPod and beyond from early March 2017. 

The skies will certainly move and the stars will shine brightly with every page turned. It's an uplifting and poignant story which is told with passion. It has been written from deep within the author's heart. As you skip your way through the book, following 11-year-old Alex Petroski (space obsessed boy) through a moving landscape of emotions, his distinctive voice will pull you through a turbulent narrative that is one of the best that I have read for some time. Other people will make comparisons to other books but, in my opinion, that is not really fair. This book and its plot is a unique reading gem and one that I would definitely recommend for you to read. 

When I received this book for review, I initially had my doubts about it. I loved the book cover but the synopsis did not really grab me. It was only when I opened the first page that I became hooked by the internal voice from the main character; it's brilliant, compelling and very special. Alex records everything and the story plays out through a sequence of recordings from his golden iPod. He records the story of how he travels to New Mexico, to a rocket festival, with his best friend, Carl Sagan (his dog), who was named after his hero the American Astronomer. The ongoing transcript of Alex's iPod is brilliant and a really quirky way of telling the story. 

It is a very moving and powerful story. Alex finds out that a man, with the same name and birthday as his dead father, has an address in Las Vegas. From this point forward, the story will move you incredibly as you laugh and cry throughout this amazing journey. One minute you will be flying to Mars on a tank full of LOX immersed in great humour, but then you'll find yourself catapulted onto a rollercoaster full of acronyms and emotions that will hit your senses. It soon brings you crashing back to earth with sadness, a heavy heart and a feeling of emptiness. 

I hope you that you will read this book once it has been published as it will make you look at the world and people around you in a different light. It will pump you full of empathy and humility and should, hopefully, also show you the joy of being alive. It's a fantastically inspiring read that will take you out of the stratosphere and stay in your heart for a very long time. The last time I felt like this was reading 'The Bubble Boy' by Stewart Foster. Fantastic, riveting and I have awarded it five golden stars! 

See You in the Cosmos - SYS! 

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Ali Benjamin - The Thing About Jellyfish - Book Review

It's peculiar how no-words can be better than words. How silence can say more than noise, or a person's absence can occupy even more space than their presence did. 

Suzy is 12 when her best friend, Franny, drowns one summer at the beach. It takes two days for the news to reach Suzy, and it's not something that she can accept: Franny has always been a strong swimmer, from the day they met in swim class when they were just 5. How can someone all of a sudden, just no longer be there?

Suzy realizes that they must have got it wrong: Franny didn't just drown - she was stung by a poisonous jellyfish. This makes a lot more sense to Suzy's logical mind than a random drowning - cause: a jellyfish sting; effect: death. 

Suzy's journey to acceptance is quiet - she resolves to either say something important, or say nothing at all. But it's also bursting with bittersweet humour, heart-breaking honesty, big ideas and small details.

Suzy is haunted by the loss of her former best friend due to a final argument that passed between them before she died. As a result, she retreats into the silent world of her own imagination. This is a thought provoking and striking read which will make you think from the very first footprints that you take into this brilliant and creative plot. The narrative strikes a natural voice deep inside your head and heart; you will easily be drawn into the mindset of a child. The main character makes a number of incredibly painful and socially awkward choices which leaves the reader with much to talk and think about. 

Suzy embarks on a quirky plan to prove the truth about Franny's death. There might be another and more logical solution to her best friend's death, rather than it being a random drowning. The deep fascination for jellyfish in this book sparkles and shines its way to the heart of the book. This part of the book is written exceptionally well. Science and logic is used factually, in a detective sort of way, to prove a theory which is really well researched and works very well, in my opinion. It makes this book a magical experience for me and stands out to everyone who reads it. The thought process and the character's journey is heartbreaking and truly gripping to read. 

I read this book in super quick time as it's a wonderful book for 8+ age. It is one that would be amazingly good to read out loud in a classroom or book group, so that everyone can talk about it and discuss the topics within the book. It's sensitively told through a strong and believable main character. This debut story focuses on acceptance, despair, grief and wonder. It is a fantastic read for anyone who has suffered the loss of a loved one, especially from the perspective of a child. It is not depressing, but shines with a deep undercurrent of hopefulness and has some uplifting moments of humour. 

This book pulsates like a jellyfish; the beating transparent heart will resonate deep into your fantasy brain and stay with you for a very long time. It's very sad through its brutal and honest look at friendship and family. It is an extraordinary view of the world through the eyes of Suzy, as she realises that life can be scary, but if you look hard enough there's also beauty there too.

This is another brilliant read and is Mr Ripley's recommended read for March 2016. It is published by Macmillan Children's books and is available now. Thank you to Macmillan for sending this to me to review...

How can someone all of sudden, just no longer be there?