Benjamin Read & Laura Trinder - The Midnight Hour - Book Review (Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books)

They must have come from under beds, out of mirrors, up from caves, and down from attics; all out of the darkness and into the moonlight. They were the Night Folk, and this was their world.

Emily's parents have vanished into the secret world of the Midnight Hour – a Victorian London frozen in time, home to magic and monsters. Emily must find them in the city of the Night Folk, armed only with a packed lunch, a stowaway hedgehog, and her infamously big mouth.

With bloodthirsty creatures on her tail, Emily has to discover the truth to rescue her parents. What family secret connects her to the Midnight Hour? And can she save both worlds before she runs out of sandwiches?

The world of fantasy is floating high in the sky of London with this debut novel which has been written by two ex-book sellers Benjamin Read & Laura Trinder. The Midnight Hour will strike into publication on the 7th February 2019. Published by Chicken House and developed in association with Altitude Films this book has very exciting prospects. 

You'll love the fantastic book cover illustration by Hannah Peck capturing the story inside and shimmering particularly well in the light. However, dear reader, what can you expect from this little marvel? Well, when the clock strikes twelve a fantastically written heroine called Emily will come out to play. She will make you smile from ear to ear as she marches into a world of danger and intrigue with Hoggins the hedgehog and her runaway mouth. Together, they prickle with pluckiness and courage, as they face perilous danger from some very nasty characters. If you are expecting a midnight delivery over the next few weeks, then lock your DOOR and hide behind the sofa. 

You'll be whisked on a magical bike ride into a fantasy full of mystery and postal madness, from the Daylight realm into the magical world of the Night Folk. What will you see? Take a peek through the letterbox and you will be entertained and thrilled from the very start. It sparkles and dazzles with a quirky narrative that is layered with magical spookiness and a large bit of kookiness. All it takes is a lick of a postage stamp to let your imagination run wild; it's all set in a breathtaking and wildly immersive Pratchett-like world that feels very much like home. 

The clock ticks as the action unfolds in a dramatic way that will keep the reader on their big POOKA toes. Overall, it is slightly bonkers, very clever and a fantastic book to read. It enables the reader to escape whilst riding the coattails of danger and adventure. Watch out for the creative use of naming the characters, which I found very amusing. This is a performance that surpasses all expectations by a very talented duo who have learned a thing or two from selling and reading books. Keep a watch out for the film - it should be good! 

Anyone fancy a sandwich?

READ THE FULL EXTRACT HERE

Danny Wallace (Author) & Jamie Littler (Illustrator) - Hamish and the Neverpeople - Mr Ripley's Book Review

Nobody knows it yet, but the people of Earth are in big, big trouble.
Like - HUGE trouble. Oh, come on, where's your imagination? Double what you're thinking!
And it's all got to do with a shadowy figure, an enormous tower, some sinister monsters, huge clanking and thundering metal oddballs, and people who are just like you… but not like you at all.
Luckily Hamish and the PDF are around to help save the day! Aren't they??

Anything is possible when you read a good book. One minute you can fly to the moon in a hot air balloon made of Swiss cheese. The next, you can sail the seven seas on a floating cracker, whilst wrestling a ten foot long shark. We all can dream the dream and walk the tight rope of fantasy and, in this book, we can also share the laughter with Danny Wallace. This is the second outing for Hamish and the Pause Defence Force who are back again to foil an another evil plan. The PDF gang need to have their whits about them if they are going to succeed.

This is one of my personal favourite ongoing book series. Hamish and the WorldStoppers was a fantastic first book and it was also one of the best selling children's fiction debuts of 2015. The second instalment, Hamish and the Neverpeople is as equally as good as the first book. We still have Jamie Littler (the creator and writer of Cogg and Sprokit) onboard, whose work was serialised in The Phoenix Comics. His fantastic full page and half page illustrations makes the book come alive, as well as the brilliant cover and eye catching graphical endpapers, which will help it fly off the bookshelves once again. 

So what makes this a great book? Well, it makes me grin from ear to ear. It is an expanding ball of silliness, just like a fart, when you are a child. It's infectious and makes you laugh all of the time. The plot is zany and totally crazy. It is a "BIG SECRET" and you, the reader, only know what's going on. Are you ready to face the MEGAPOCALYPSE?  You will have to be brave like Hamish and the gang and turn the pages on a non stop action rollercoaster, which will have you doing a loop de loop of excitement.

It's very cool, very original and is built on big plot ideas and huge amounts of quirky imagination. You will encounter many characters with silly names, visit a strange parallel world and a city like no other! You will travel to Otherearth and locate Scarmarsh, the evil one, and do battle with some sinister crazy monsters. The next minute you will be running away screaming in the face of huge clanking metal oddballs. Only then you will need to rescue the King whilst saving the world. We are actually in HUGE trouble!

It's very action packed, fully immersive and an absolute joy to read. Additionally, it is full of great characters, who are well written and some of whom we only get a tantalising, fleeting glimpse of. King Les the Second is one my favourite characters, as he is unusual and very talkative. He also has a very bizarre fashion sense, so do watch out for him.You will never read a book as quick as this one, in my opinion, it's pure middle grade madness! A great book to pick up for reluctant readers with a true sense of adventure that will brighten your day.  

Published by Simon and Schuster 11th February 2016, get your order in NOW! 
JOIN THE FUN AT WORLDOFHAMISH.COM!

Danny Wallace - Hamish and the Worldstoppers - Book Trailer (Simon & Schuster )

Book Blurb: What would YOU do...if the whole world just stopped? Yes the WHOLE WORLD. Birds in the air. Planes in the sky. And every single person on the planet - except you! Because that's what keeps happening to ten-year-old Hamish Ellerby. And it's being caused by The WorldStoppers and their terrifying friends The Terribles! They have a PLAN! They want to take our world for their own ...Oh, and they hate children. Especially if you're a child who knows about them. Hang on - You know now, don't you? Oh dear. Can Hamish save us from the WorldStoppers? Only time will tell!

Also find my review over at: http://middlegradestrikesback.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/danny-wallace-hamish-and-worldstoppers.html and another great post about creating the book cover. http://middlegradestrikesback.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/guest-post-by-jamie-littler-creating.html

Here is the brilliant trailer for Danny Wallace’s new book Hamish and the Worldstoppers which is published today (illustrated by Jamie Littler), it’s a very special occasion as it’s Danny’s very first book for children. 



Published by  Simon & Schuster Childrens Books (12 March 2015)

Book Review: Veronica Cossanteli - The Extincts

                                             

The front cover perfectly represents the book through it's quirky, funny and bright illustrative features. It will certainly entice any younger reader to be instantly interested and engaged. They will not be disappointed once they open the book as the internal illustrations easily interact with the reader and enhance the story. The illustrator, Steve Wells, has perfectly captured the essence and charm throughout the whole book.

I have to admit that I haven't read or reviewed many books for this particular audience (7+). However, I was both pleasantly surprised and immediately engaged with the storyline. It is very funny and highly imaginative. It was liking taking a stroll down the fantasy/humorous path of Roald Dahl's very own stories. 

The Extincts is brought to life through a brilliantly written character, George Drake, who has the greatest fortune of finding a scattering of money on the wet pavement. As a result, he decides to treat himself to a bag full of sweets. Unfortunately his luck appears to soon run out when his bike is stolen whilst he is purchasing his sweets and through a rather challenging time for his family. However the adventure soon unfolds when something unusual starts to happen in Wyvern Chase Woods . . . . . 

Without wanting to give too much away at this stage, the story is developed around mysterious circumstances involving unexpected and mythical-type creatures. Many of which we've never heard of or seen before, but they certainly appear to be realistic. Highly imaginative and creative these add to the drama and tension of the story. Unfortunately Diamond Pye (evil step mother of another character) also appreciates these fantastical and amazing creatures, but not in a positive way. Her motive is to capture the creatures and to use her taxidermy skills in order to win the Golden Brain Spoon. I hear you all asking why would she want to win this? I'm surprised with you all . . . . . . 'it's for spooning out brains, of course!'

I think that by now you'll be able to gather that this is a very funny story that is a great family read. It has been very well written - the story certainly flows well and is very engaging. It is a book that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls and certainly a good book for sharing out loud. In three words, I would sum this book as being wild, wonderful and perhaps slightly bizarre. This is a very entertaining book that has been written by a debut author - one to be watched in the future, I think.

Book published by Chicken House - 2nd May 2013 - ISBN: 9781908435453 - PB

A . J Hartley - Darwen Arkwright and the Peregrine Pact - Book Review

                                                

Eleven-year-old Darwen Arkwright has spent his whole life in a tiny town in England. So when he is forced to move to Atlanta, Georgia, to live with his aunt, he knows things will be different--but what he finds there is beyond even his wildest imagination!

Darwen discovers an enchanting world through the old mirror hanging in his closet--a world that holds as many dangers as it does wonders. Along with his new friends Rich and Alexandra, Darwen becomes entangled in an adventure and mystery that involves the safety of his entire school. They soon realize that the creatures are after something in our world--something that only human children possess.

This is a terrific book that I picked up in Paris, after a recent visit to the amazing Shakespeare and Company bookshop. After looking through the interesting bookshelves which stocked a very good selection of both UK and US book titles, I finally stumbled upon a copy of this book. Both the synopsis and the book cover caught my eye. Interestingly, I soon realised that this book has managed to creep under my radar, as it was actually published at some point last year.


It has some elements that will be familiar to young readers such as the orphaned boy making his way in a new school and having to live with a relative with whom he is not entirely comfortable spending time with. However, other elements are entirely innovative, fresh and lots of fun. 


In Darwen Arkwright, A.J. Hartley has created a sympathetic and believable hero who struggles to fit into his new surroundings. As the story further unfolds, you'll find yourself being able to relate to his problems, you'll cheer on his efforts to find his way whilst continually being amazed by the adventure that he stumbles into. 


Darwen's friends are quirky enough to be entertaining and yet still charming enough to leave readers hungry for more books about the Peregrine Pact. Especially as the world that these kids discover is filled with both wonders and frights that are sure to make this book an instant favourite with its intended audience. 


A snappy fast paced adventure that stands out from a crowd, I would really recommend it to you all.