Michael Grant's - Gone Online - Will Be Gone...... Plus Light Book Trailer

One week of play left in the game based on Michael Grant’s best-selling series of books, GONE

www.gone-online.com

There is just one week to go until the prize-winning period of Gone Online comes to an end. The game is based on the bestselling GONE series by Michael Grant and celebrates LIGHT, the sixth and final book in the series, which was published on 28 March.  It has already topped the bestseller lists in both the UK and Ireland.

So far the game has been a hit with over 2,000 people playing more than 35,000 games between them, since the launch on 11 March.  People are playing Gone Online all over the world, from the UK and Ireland to the Ukraine and Uganda. To date, players are based in just under 70 countries.

Over 200 players have already won prizes, including limited-edition wrist bands, book tokens and full sets of the books.  However, the final prize, an Apple iPad and the chance to meet Michael Grant in a private capsule on the EDF Energy London Eye on 4 May, is still up for grabs.  The winner will be the highest scorer when the game finishes, on 22 April.

Gone Online comprises a series of mini-games released on a weekly basis and inspired by content from the books.  Some of the games test knowledge of the books while others can be played by anyone – and they can be highly addictive!  To date, players have clocked up over 500 hours of game play.  Gone Online is available on all devices and incorporates the latest in location-based marketing and social sharing, with players picking up extra points by checking in with their smart phones at specific locations – libraries and bookshops - and sharing the game with their friends.

After the 22 April, fans of Gone Online can continue to play, though no prizes will be available.

Book Review: Andrew Lane - Lost Worlds - Published by Macmillan Children's

                                     

Arthur Conan Doyle has been a great influence on many writers both past and present, but none more so than on Andrew Lane, who was greatly inspired to write his first series for children entitled "Young Sherlock Holmes". This has now been published in thirty seven different languages - highlighting the ever increasing popularity of the series with over 200,000 copies having been sold so far. Book six, "Knife Edge", is due to be published in the UK in September, so it is certainly not the end of this brilliant series.

Andrew has kept the Conan Doyle connection alive in spirit through his new epic adventure series. The main character in the book, Calum Challenger, is the grandson of Doyle's protagonist, Professor George Edward Challenger. He is featured in a similarly titled book 'The Lost World' hence a new name is born. It is certainly a fantastic opening book which I'm sure you will all be eager to read - just like I was.

Calum's character is very stereotypical in many ways apart from the fact that he is paralysed. The author portrays Calum in a rather unique and endearing way as a teenage boy coping with a disability. Whilst this is featured as only a small part of the story, it certainly added an unexpected outlook. Calum Challenger is on a quest to find a cure to help him walk again and to live a normal life. His mission is to track down the supposedly mythological creatures that are so rare, that most people don't believe that they even exist. However Calum does. It is imperative that he finds them for two reasons: to take their DNA to use it to help protect these species and also to search for a cure for his paralysis. The only problem is that he's confined to the high-tech virtual world where he lives on his own in a converted warehouse. 

As the story unfolds, the solution literally falls from the sky as Calum finds an unlikely team of friends. He finds some by luck and others by circumstance. There is a goth computer hacker, a freerunner, an ex-marine and a girl with a chip on her shoulder. Together they set off on an expedition to the Caucasus Mountains in search of a mysterious creature, which has supposedly been sited. However, when a pharmaceutical corporation called Nemor have conflicting interests, the team find themselves both under pressure and in danger. Can they locate the mysterious creature first and stay one step ahead of their enemy.

This is a fast-paced, high-tech story full of great characters that teenagers will easily engage with and relate to. Gecko was easily my favourite character in the book. He certainly brought a new dimension to the story with his free running - this is a really cool sport to watch if you ever get the chance to do so. 

In my head, I was confidently certain that I knew how this story would end. Surprisingly, it took a very different route. A turn of events proved to be very unpredictable and kept me guessing right up until the very end.

I found this a very refreshing story to read. Both the ideas and the creativity transpose well into the story. They keep the reader hooked in a fantastic bubble of action and plot line. The literary influence of Willard Price, in my opinion, helped to lead the author to deliver a slice of both factual and historical writing which again made the story shine out proud like a host of golden daffodils.   

I absolutely loved this book - it is a brilliant and enjoyable read. Full of old-style action, within a hi-tech world, it is hair raising (just like the cover!) You can check this out with the free app that you can download. This book has easily sky rocketed to being my favourite book of the year so far. It is an amazing start to a fantastic new series......... I'm lost now for any further words! 

An extract of the first chapter, will be also be available to read later this week. Thanks for reading all.

Published by Macmillan Children's Books; 25 April 2013

NEW BOOK COVER REVEALE: Sarah J. Maas - Crown of Midnight - A Throne Of Glass Novel - Bloomsbury

                                                     

                                     

If you haven’t already seen it, take a look at the stunning UK and US covers for Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas. The highly anticipated fantasy sequel to the Throne of Glass. The book will be published by Bloomsbury Children's on the 15 Aug 2013. 

What do we think readers, which cover do you like?

Synopsis

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.
 AUTHOR'S BLOG HERE - http://sjmaas.livejournal.com/

Mr Ripley's New Books UK - Published May 2013 - Post One - (Children's and YA)

                                                  

Brandon Sanderson - The Rithmatist - Published by Orion Children's (23 May 2013)

Joel is fascinated by the magical art of Rithmatics, but unfortunately only a chosen few have the necessary gift and Joel is not one of them. Undaunted, Joel persuades Professor Fitch to teach him Rithmatic theory - and soon finds that his knowledge is put to the test when someone starts murdering the top Rithmatic students at his school.

But can Joel work out the identity of the killer and stop them before they realize just what a threat Joel actually is?

                                        

Alexia Casale - The Bone Dragon - Published by Faber and Faber (2 May 2013)

Evie's shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed - the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength.
Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real.

As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can't fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it.
This subtly unsettling novel is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl damaged by a past she can't talk about, in a hypnotic narrative that, while giving increasing insight, also becomes increasingly unreliable.

A blend of psychological thriller and fairytale,The Bone Dragon explores the fragile boundaries between real life and fantasy, and the darkest corners of the human mind.
                          
                                        

Michelle Lovric - The Fate in the Box - Published Orion Children's (2 May 2013)

Fogfinger rules Venice. His Fog Squad and spies are everywhere. The Venetians fear him and obey him. Every year one of their children is lost in a grisly Lambing ceremony. The child must climb the bell tower and let the Fate in the Box decide their destiny. Most end their days in the jaws of the primeval Crocodile that lurks in the lagoon. Or so Fogfinger tells them. But a chance meeting by a green apricot tree between Amneris and Tockle may be the beginning of the end for Fogfinger.

Silk and sewing, a magical glass kaleidoscope, mermaids and misunderstood Sea-Saurs, talking statues and winged cats, blue glass sea-horses, a spoiled rich girl and a secret society are just some of the ingredients in Michelle Lovric's exquisitely imagined and superbly plotted fourth fantasy set in Venice.

                                                 

Allen Zadoff - Boy Nobody - Published by Orchard (23 May 2013)
Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school, in a new town, under a new name, makes few friends and doesn't stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend's family to die -- of "natural causes." Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, and moves on to the next target. 

When his own parents died of not-so-natural causes at the age of eleven, Boy Nobody found himself under the control of The Program, a shadowy government organization that uses brainwashed kids as counter-espionage operatives. But somewhere, deep inside Boy Nobody, is somebody: the boy he once was, the boy who wants normal things (like a real home, his parents back), a boy who wants out. And he just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program's next mission.

UK Book Cover Revealed: Neil Gaiman's - Fortunately, The Milk, - Illustrated by Chris Riddell - Bloomsbury

                                   

Neil Gaiman revealed the UK jacket of his new children’s book online today.

Head to http://journal.neilgaiman.com/ for a pint-sized insight to the new book and a video of Neil talking about the book.

                                       

Illustrated by Chris Riddell, the cover features the book’s hero, a stegosaurus professor and the eponymous milk flying through time and space in a very special machine.

Fortunately, the Milk is an adventure for both young readers and those young at heart. It features aliens, dinosaurs, volcano gods and a pint of milk that saves the universe! The book will be illustrated throughout by Chris Riddell, and will be the third Neil Gaiman project that Chris Riddell has worked on. Chris has previously illustrated the tenth anniversary edition of Coraline and The Graveyard Book, for which he was Kate Greenaway Medal shortlisted.

                                        

Fortunately, the Milk is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 17^th September 2013, £10.99 - Get your order in now!

Inside artwork examples (credit to Chris Riddell) Press release care of Ian Lamb  (Head of Children's Publicity Bloomsbury.) All images subject to copyright.

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

Book Review: Fraser's Voices by Jack Hastie

                               

On receiving this book, courtesy of the publisher - Matador Publishing, I made a couple of snap judgments based on the appearance of the book and also the synopsis. Initially it appeared as if the book might be a little bit exaggerated due to both the book cover and also the discovery that the main character is able to speak to animals. Both of these aspects didn't really sit comfortably with me. In fact at some point in the past this would have really put me off reading the book. However, knowing the track record of books that have been published by this company, I was more than prepared to give this book a chance and . . . . I'm so glad that I did.

This story is beautifully written. Set in Argyll, the West Highlands of Scotland, Fraser tells the story of a ten year old boy who sudenly discovers that he can speak to animals. This gift is associated with a rare and mysterious illness known as "Tumblings of the Mind". However, once in remission, then this unusual ability fades.

The onset of Fraser's recurring illness and some of the tragic events that unfold are immensely tough on the heart strings. One moment the story is full of happiness; the next it's full of sadness. It's a natural roller-coaster of rural life which is depicted brilliantly. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Fraser and the animals - this was particularly engrossing and also educational. Full of factual information, it will definitely have you hooked. 

Delivered in five short sections, each section is part of a bigger tale, all breathtaking and gripping to read. The author's understanding of animals, the countryside and the natural surroundings of the Scottish Highlands is stunning. It really makes this book for me - I felt like I was back on the Isle of Mull re-living my holiday. I certainly felt like I was able to visualise the adventure being played out in front of my eyes . . . I could almost touch it with my bare hands. One-eyed fox, Nephesh the owl and Barook the badger are literally the stars of the show and help Fraser to solve some rather puzzling mysteries in a unique and special way.

The author aimed to be true to the psychology of the animals, which he has achieved. He has also achieved a very engaging story which is original and not at all cliched. He has managed to set a magical fantasy world in the Scottish Highlands - this is a very exciting and interesting prospect for readers of all ages from 10+. This is a particularly memorable and touching traditionally told tale. I have no hesitation in awarding this book full marks - I'm so glad that I was not influenced by my initial thoughts. 

• Published by Matador (28 Feb 2013)

Publisher: Chicken House - Clucking New Summer Reads 2013

                                   

Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams - BK 6 - Terminal - 2nd May 2013 - 11+
In this sixth and concluding book of the Tunnels series, the Styx and their cohorts of deadly Armagi have swept across England, leaving death and devastation in their wake. It seems nothing can stop them now. Only a miracle can save the day and, in the inner world at the centre of the earth, Will and Elliott might just have stumbled upon one as they uncover ancient secrets that are fundamental to al human and Styx life.     
      

Rachel Ward - The Drowning - 2nd May 2013 - 14+
What happens if you've done something terrible? But you can't remember what. And you don't know how to put it right ... When Carl opens his eyes on the banks of a lake, his brother is being zipped into a body bag. What happened in the water? He can't remember And when he glimpses a beautiful girl he thinks he recognises, she runs away.Suddenly he knows he must find her - because together they must face the truth before it drowns them.
                                         

Sam Hepburn - Chasing The Dark - 6th June 2013 - 11+
Joe's mum is dead. Killed in a hit-and-run car crash, along with someone he's never heard of. Angry and alone, Joe takes his dog for a late night walk. He finds himself at the gates of an empty mansion: a house of glass belonging to an old movie star. And it's here that Joe unlocks the dangerous mystery of what happened that night ..
        

Dan Smith - My Friend The Enemy - 4th July 2013 - 9+
Summer, 1941. For Peter, the war is a long way away, being fought by a faceless enemy, marching across places he's never seen. Unil the night it comes to him. A German plane is shot down over the woods that his Dad looked after, before he went off to fight. Peter rushes to the crash site to find something exciting to keep. But what he finds instead is someone: a young and injured German airman. The enemy. Here. And in trouble. Suddenly, helping him seems like the right thing to do.

Book Review: Conrad Mason - The Goblin's Gift - Tales of Port Fayt 2

Picking up the story from the first book (Demon's Watch) the newest recruit Joseph Grubb, and his fellow Watchmen, have their work cut out protecting Port Fayt once again. From page one onwards we are flung into a second madcap adventure as the characters set sail to Port Fayt. However, trouble is brewing from the League of Light - the Duke of Garran and his fleet of ships are trying to wipe them off the map.  The only hope for Port Fayt is to persuade the magical merfolk to fight alongside them, but the merfolk won't go to war. At least not until their princess is returned, which creates a magical split story setting. My favourite part of the story involved a nine year-old underground super villain known as The Boy King. Ruthless ruler of the Ebony Ocean, he is a crazy bully boy who loves a brutal song and a dance or two. One of his star acts includes Princess Pallione - a voice of the gods and a demon shark fighter. However it's up to Joseph and his blue-haired friend, Tabitha, to rescue the mermaid princess from the gangsters clutches. I have to say that I was so immersed in the story from the start, that in a blink of an eye I was half-way through the book in no time. I really liked the style of writing involving the split story setting between the different characters - each immersed in their own battles and dealing with a range of encounters. In my opinion this worked really well as it certainly showed the many different angles to the story. Packed full of filling, this story incorporates lots of well thought out ideas that keeps the reader on their toes such as Joseph's secret from the past. This certainly turned part of the story onto its head and made sure that the reader took a new course of direction. Hugely entertaining, this second book has certainly built upon the magical setting from the first book. The author has delivered another high adventure on sea and land transferring both into a well written story. All lovers of the fantasy genre will want to read this story. The bickering, fighting and waves of emotion are memorable parts of the story as well as the timely sprinkling and inclusion of wit. However, be warned, the loveable characters from the first book may not make it through to the very next book. Hopefully this isn't a cheeky spoiler from me - I don't usually make a habit of giving away such elements of insight! Conrad wraps the book up with a whirlpool of action and plot which will keep you transfixed until the very end. It leaves you with a satisfied feeling having been led onto the subtle path that he has created for the next adventure. This is a superbly written magical fantasy that is up there with the best. It has barrel loads of imagination, action galore, and a huge dollop of mayhem and mischief. The author has triumphantly built on the great foundations of the first book and made this one even more enjoyable. I am looking forward to the next book to be further led along the path that has been started. Published by David Fickling Books - 4th April 2013

New Book Cover : Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K Rowling - Vote Original or New?

New Book Cover By Kazu Kibuishi - 

Vote here http://poll.fm/469yu

It's been 15 years since the Harry Potter books first cast a spell on readers, and Scholastic is celebrating the milestone by giving J.K. Rowling's books a new look.

The publisher revealed the new cover for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" on Wednesday, the first of seven new covers that will appear on U.S. paperback editions of the books beginning in September to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the series.

The art for the new editions was created by artist Kazu Kibuishi, best known for his bestselling graphic novel series "Amulet." In a press release, Kibushi, described as a "longtime Harry Potter fan," called the opportunity to create new covers for the books "more than a little surreal."

He said: "As an author myself, I tried to answer the question, 'If I were the author of the books -- and they were like my own children -- how would I want them to be seen years from now?' When illustrating the covers, I tried to think of classic perennial paperback editions of famous novels and how those illustrations tend to feel. In a way, the project became a tribute to both Harry Potter and the literary classics."

Each of Kibushi's seven covers depict "a distinct and memorable moment" from that specific book. In the case of "Sorcerer's Stone," that moment is young Harry Potter walking with Hagrid down Diagon Alley.

The new versions of the books will be available as a box set in September.

                               

The original art for the series, created by Marie GrandPre, will continue to be featured on the U.S. hardcover and mass-market paperback editions, Scholastic said. 

William Hussey - Haunted - Book Reveal - Published by OUP

Mr Ripley's Book Cover Wars contender, this year! What do we think, people?

-Illustrated by the phenomenally talented Rohan Eason whose previous credits include his brilliant, atmospheric work on The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, it reflects the dark fairy tale vibe of a story in which a young girl must overcome her grief to battle the spectral forces that are threatening her town. The cover shows our hero, Emma Rhodes, approaching the derelict (and quite possibly haunted) Sparrow House: the former residence of a mass murderer, the Victorian ruin now harbours a mysterious newcomer to the cursed town of Milton Lake.

As Emma approaches so the spirits of the ‘unmade’ swarm around her. It is a bold, stark design which, we hope, will catch the eye and stir the imagination. It hints at the tone of the book – mystery, intrigue, spookiness galore and more than a few heart-stopping surprises – but also leaves much to the imagination…

Here’s a look at the full book design. On the back you can see the fabled ‘Ghost Machine’ telephone discharging its ectoplasmic, spirit-forming energy onto the page. This then forms into those shadowy characters that threaten Emma Rhodes. Book cover Images taken from: http://www.williamhussey.co.uk/