Dan Freedman - Unstoppable - Book Review - Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Secrets and lies . . . secrets and lies . . . Fourteen-year-old twins, Kaine and Roxy, used to be close, but now they can hardly bear to be in the same room. Roxy hates the way her brother behaves - Kaine might be brilliant at football but he's always in trouble and cares nothing about his family. And Kaine despises the way his supposedly-perfect sister, dominates their parents in her ambition to reach Wimbledon. But the twins are both hiding dangerous secrets of their own, secrets that could destroy everything they are working towards - and both Roxy and Kaine's survival hangs precariously in the balance. Gripping, twisting, and real, this book is UNSTOPPABLE.

Whilst most people are still preparing for Christmas, I am already heading towards the new year with my first book review for 2019. I'm excited to be able to review Dan Freedman's brilliant book which is called UNSTOPPABLE. It will hit the shops in February 2019 and is due to be published by David Fickling Books. 

There are many reasons to read this book, but one particular draw are the ways that the main characters have been conceived and developed from the author's visits to schools. As a result, this book pulses with everyday reality and tackles real-life situations that any child might be facing within today's society. The author's careful ear in listening to what pupils were saying and understanding the situations they are facing has enabled him to produce an awe-inspiring book. Many themes are addressed and will be related to by many children such as death and bereavement, gang cultures, friendship, and family issues, unemployment, alcoholism, sibling rivalry, teenager survival etc. 

The story highlights two amazing characters who are twins and sports fanatics. One has a passion for football whilst the other is a keen tennis player. However, the father's support and involvement in nurturing these talents differs between each twin. Kane, whilst a talented football player, receives little support from his father. Yet Roxy, the potential tennis star, is showered with enthusiasm and encouragement to achieve well within the tennis world. To begin with, this is a positive experience. However, as the story unfolds a dramatic turn of events happens which places a lot of pressure on family relationships. 

This is a powerful and influential story that is full of passion, drive, and a sporting spirit. However, at times, it is also incredibly poignant and sad. It certainly makes the reader think about and reflect on what it's like to be a family facing difficult times both socially, physically and economically. Nevertheless, even through all these difficulties, the story ends on an uplifting note which will inspire readers young and old.

This is a brilliant gripping story that will make the reader think about other peoples' lives. It is very thought-provoking and, considering the timing of its release, should encourage readers to be both supportive and loving to those around them. A brilliant and memorable young adult read that will stay with you for evermore. Unstoppable and ready to go...

Andy Briggs - Drone Racer - Interview (Q&A) - Published by Scholastic UK

It's brilliant to have Andy Briggs on Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books today to answer some questions on his latest book - Drone Racer. The book was recently published on the 6th September 2018 by Scholastic books in the UK. It's probably the first book to feature the sport of Drone Racing. Technology and gadgets are blended together in an action-packed story that will thrill all. I'm a very big fan of Andy's books as he always delivers super narratives and engaging fast-paced stories that everybody will love regardless of age and gender. 

Can you tell us about Drone Racer from a film directors point of view?

Drone Racer is an idea that I always felt fitted into those feel-good movies from the 1980s… but set now. I was brought up on sci-fi-adventure stories, such as ET, The Last Starfighter, My Science Project, Batteries Not Included, Flight of the Navigator, to name just a few. I wanted this to be that kind of story, one you would expect Spielberg to make during the height of those classic Amblin Films.

            With young protagonists, shadowy villains, and an artificially intelligent racing drone, my aim was to create an adventure my readers would love to experience themselves.

Describe this book in ten keywords

An action packed childhood adventure for geeks of all ages.

What makes Drone Racer an exciting read for children and why? Do you think adults will also love it?

Ultimately, as a creator I enjoy writing about worlds I know (at least in my head!) and adventures I personally would love to have. Drone Racer is very much that labour of love. Set against the canvas of the emerging new esport of drone racing (yes, it’s a real sport around the world, with very real prizes!), readers of all ages will experience a new, yet familiar world. 

            We enter the story through our three drone racing team members, Carson, Trix and Eddie, who are ordinary kids. Carson lives with his estranged father, Eddie is a bit of a geek who never seems to fit in, and Trix is an engineering genius –a girl who is shattering a boy oriented world. When they discover an artificially intelligent drone called Vanta, they embark on a spectacular adventure that takes them around the globe… as a mysterious force pursues them…

Has technology inspired you to write this book? If so, how?

Most of my books revolve around technology. My pervious series, THE INVENTORY, was about the world’s greatest gadgets hidden from the rest of the world and it allowed me to combine my two joys – cool tech and travelling the world!

            With Drone Racer, I had the opportunity to focus the entire book on the wonderful world of quad-copters – drones to you and me. It's a technology everybody seems to know about. They have been one of the most popular Christmas presents over the last few years and when I am on a school tour and ask the kids who owns a drone, I am amazed by the number of hands that go up. It’s pretty incredible.

            When I discovered drone racing as an emerging esport, I instantly saw a brilliant arena in which to set a story… I just needed a story.

            We’re all used to talking to our phones and home hubs, so why not drones. And what if they not only answer back, but have personalities of their own? That’s when I realized I could push the technology further by making Vanta artificially intelligent; turning her into a real character. It was a joy to blend tech with a fun main character!

What is your favourite gadget?

I suppose it would have to be the thing I use every day, my mobile phone. But I am tending to use the phone less as a phone, and more for assisting in using even better technology. I use it to fly a drone (of course!), via a headset so the screen becomes the view point of the drone’s camera. I’m now also using it with more and more augmented reality apps because that’s going to be the next big thing…

If this was ever made into a film which actors would you choose to play the lead characters in the book and why? 

Carson, Trix and Eddie are all young, so there are not that many actors who would fit the bill (although I have seen some amazing youngsters in the theatre lately). I think finding new talent, as they did with Harry Potter, would be the way to go. But for our bad guy, I always had one person in mind… the awesome Rachel McAdams. I’m not going to tell you too much about the villain… but she’s it!

We know you have a passion for 80's and 90's films. Which film do you think would work the best if it featured a Drone in a revamped version and why?

Ha! Brilliant question… the obvious one is Batteries Not Included as the little space aliens in there are, kinda, drones. If Goonies had a modern makeover then they would definitely have some kind of tricked out drone to help them on their adevnture!

I really love the book cover as it is very appealing, what are your thoughts on it? Do you think good book covers play a big part in the way we choose books to read?

The old saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover”, is true. But that doesn’t mean people don’t do just that. These days it’s less the kids who are judging the covers but the retailers, such as Waterstones, who now – quite wrongly – have a say on cover design.

            I have to say, when I first saw the cover I was instantly taken back to the covers of my old Commodore 64 games (for young readers, that was a computer that had a whole 64k of memory. K, not Gb, and for that you got dozens of levels of coolness, music and animation. Now a similar game will take up a hundred Mbs on my phone!). It was as if I was looking at a cover from my past that was strangely also futuristic!

What tips would you give children who are interested in writing a sci-fi fantasy adventure? 

There is no such thing as a bizarre idea! Just go away and write it, and don’t worry if it seems too futuristic. The chances are, when your twice as old, your sci-fi idea will start becoming a reality. We need pioneers to think ahead, to try and second guess how the world will change – and we could all do with more adventures in our lives. If we can’t have them now, then let’s read about them.

Twitter: @abriggswriter

Website: www.andybriggs.co.uk

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Children's Middle-Grade Book Picks April 2018 - US Post

Kwame Alexander - Rebound - Published by  HMH Books for Young Readers (April 2, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0544868137

From the New York Times, bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes Rebound, a dynamic novel in verse and companion to his Newbery Award-winner, The Crossover, illustrated with striking graphic novel panels.

Before Josh and Jordan Bell were streaking up and down the court, their father was learning his own moves. In this prequel to Newbery Medal winner The Crossover, Chuck Bell takes center stage, as readers get a glimpse of his childhood and how he became the jazz music worshiping, basketball star his sons look up to.   

A novel in verse with all the impact and rhythm readers have come to expect from Kwame Alexander, Rebound will go back in time to visit the childhood of Chuck "Da Man" Bell during one pivotal summer when young Charlie is sent to stay with his grandparents where he discovers basketball and learns more about his family's past.  

Erin Entrada Kelly - You Go First - Published by Greenwillow Books (April 10, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-0062414182

Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly’s You Go First is an engaging exploration of family, bullying, spelling, art, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. Her perfectly pitched tween voice will resonate with fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale.

Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben—online friends connected only by a Scrabble game—will intersect in unexpected ways, as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. This engaging story about growing up and finding your place in the world by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Hello, Universe and the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.

Dave Eggers - The Lifters - Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (April 24, 2018) - ISBN-13: 978-1524764166

Journey to an underground world where adventure awaits and heroes are made in this middle-grade novel from the bestselling, Pulitzer-nominated author of The Monk of Mokhaand Her Right Foot.

When Gran and his family move to Carousel, he has no idea that the town is built atop a secret. Little does he suspect, as he walks his sister to school or casually eats a banana, that mysterious forces lurk mere inches beneath his feet, tearing up the earth like mini-hurricanes and causing the town to slowly but surely sink.

When Gran's friend, the difficult-to-impress Catalina Catalan, presses a silver handle into a hillside and opens a doorway to an underground, he knows that she is extraordinary and brave and that he will have no choice but to follow wherever she leads. With luck on their side, and some discarded hockey sticks for good measure, Gran and Catalina might just find a way to lift their town--and the known world--out of danger.

In The Lifters, critically acclaimed author Dave Eggers establishes himself as a storyteller who can entertain and inspire readers of any age.

Joshua Khan - Burning Magic (A Shadow Magic Novel) - Published by Disney-Hyperion (April 10, 2018) - ISBN-10: 1368008429

In Book 3 of a three-book series, when Lily, aka the "witch queen" and bat-rider extraordinaire Thorn travel to Sultanate of Fire, things go terribly wrong. Instead of celebrating a reunion with their old friend K'leef, they are thrust into royal murder, an epic quest, and a deadly battle for the throne.

While investigating the murder, Lily learns shocking truths about her life that could destroy all she has achieved. Yet, among the ruins of her old life, she has the opportunity to become someone greater . . . and more terrifying.

Thorn and the magnificent bat, Hades, join the timid K'leef and the idiotic Gabriel Solar in a quest to find a phoenix. These fire birds are the key to saving the sultanate, but they nest within the Shardlands. The boys must defeat not only the monsters of that magical wilderness but also rivals eager to claim the throne for themselves. Rivals that include a renegade from House Shadow . . .

Chilling surprises, ghostly encounters, and belly laughs are just some of the treats in store for readers of this burning-hot desert adventure.

Andrew Norriss - MIKE - Book Review (David Fickling) Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books

Floyd is a star of under-18s tennis. Since he was little, all he's ever known is the routine of training, of the matches, of trying to be the best. But something strange is happening. A boy called Mike has started turning up - a boy no one else can see. He keeps appearing whenever Floyd is playing tennis and making him lose his game. 

Floyd needs to discover what Mike wants - and what that will mean for him, and where his life is headed. Floyd is at the start of a journey that will lead him into a headlong collision with his family, girls, friendship, and self-discovery.

This is another book from David Fickling that hits the mark both on and off the tennis court. It is a fantastic story from the award-winning author, Andrew Norriss. Mike will be served to the public on the 4th January 2018 and will be a definite ace. The book cover has been illustrated by David Sheldon. The two key themes (fish and tennis balls) have been integrated to produce a visually stimulating design.  

My expectations of this book were not particularly high. Whilst I liked the idea of tennis and sport as part of the story, the blurb to accompany the proof copy did not really appeal to me. However, the mystery person (known as MIKE) really did capture my interest and was particularly intriguing. No sooner had I started reading, I found that Floyd's narrative was whispering inside my head. I connected with him so quickly that the story flashed by me quicker than a Milos Raonic serve. The inner voice was sealed inside my brain. I haven't read a book so quickly in such a long time. I really wanted to know more. 

This story is absolutely brilliant. It is very different as it takes a unique look at character behaviour and Floyd's state of mind. The plot explores the conscious/unconscious experiences and places them into the story cleverly. It is a psychological path of self-discovery involving Floyd's destiny. 

It's a beautiful, poignant story with very moving consequences. The book slips by in an undercurrent of family, friendship, and a large number of councilling sessions. It is a book that highlights the reality and the big world outside the reader's armchair. It provides an up-lifting feeling to get out there and do something amazing. This book will make you look at yourself on the outside, as well as the inside.

I cannot praise this book enough - it is astonishingly good. I am not usually a lover of reality-themed books. I tend to gravitate towards fantasy books and magical tales. However, this absolutely bowled me over and really developed my understanding of the complex nature of growing up with a talent. Whilst it is important to nurture there is obviously a fine line between developing and forcing. It really is difficult being a parent and getting the balance just right. This is a must read for both children and their parents. I'm looking forward to finding out your thoughts.

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Nick Handel - Newskids on the Net - Published by Troubador Publishing

Nick Handel is a former award-winning BBC producer. His 30 years of experience and creativity has helped to form and develop 'Newskids on the Net' as a thriller for children. This book was first published in 2008 and after much demand is now being reborn again.

Aimed at the 9-13 year old audience, Nick captured the story for this age-range brilliantly. Full of deadly adventure, strange kidnappings, late night stakeouts and secret recordings, the reader is propelled into a thrilling and original plot. I was captivated and I feel quite sure that any reluctant readers would find it hard not to be intrigued. We may soon find that garden sheds everywhere have an additional function as a newsroom that are run by, and for, children.

A range of subject areas were sensitively handled and explored within this book. Many children may find themselves being able to relate to some of these elements. However, these were also balanced alongside humorous and light-hearted issues to create a fun and engaging read.

The story is set in England at a time when the World Cup is finally being hosted by the home nation. Around this time the main character, Max Taylor, creates a TV station in his dad's garden shed as a community news programme. Before they know it they soon become unlikely candidates for not just presenting, but actually becoming the news. Unexpectedly they uncover a match fixing plot which throws them into a deadly adventure. Will they be able to save England's World Cup dreams or will it be shattered by corruption and bad press?

The ending leads to a nerve tingling climax and an exclusive scoop. Globally, Max and his team soon become local and national heroes. The world gets to hear their voice and story about what really did happen.

With christmas on the horizon, this would be a great book for any children interested in a career in media and entertainment. This book has been released and is out now in bookstores to purchase. Watch out for multi-functional sheds everywhere!

More details check out the dedicated website: Here or if you would like to buy a signed copy: Here