Some are books I have read. Some are written by authors I have read. Some look new and intriguing and make me want to read them. I hope you will come to your library and look for some of these titles.
Flour Babies
-Anne Fine
Class 4C are disgusted. They know the teachers think they’re stupid but that’s not an excuse to give them flour babies! Of all the projects they could have got for the school science fair (exploding custard tins, maggot farm, soap factory) how did they end up with flour babies?
Well, that might have something to do with Simon Martin. He persuades them that if they can look after their little bags of flour, as if they are actual babies, for the three weeks of the project, they will be rewarded with a massive flour fight once the experiment is over.
But has Simon got the wrong end of the stick?
In a classic story which is funny, touching and insightful, the boys in 4C learn much more than they had expected from the flour babies project.
Many decide that parenthood is too awful to contemplate; others discover feelings of gratitude towards their own parents; one takes the opportunity to develop his entrepreneurial spirit. But Simon, who has always felt deprived because his mum is a single parent, learns the most valuable lesson: that the quality of parenting is so much more important than the quantity of parents.
-----
Private Peaceful
-Sir Michael Morpugo
Set during World War I, Private Peaceful charts eight hours in the life of Tommo, a young soldier at the Front, as he looks back over the formative events of his life: his father’s early death, his relationship with his loving mother and brothers, Big Joe and Charlie, and their beloved schoolfriend Molly – all set among an evocative and beautifully realised rural landscape.
Passionate, beguiling and moving, this award-winning story is also an unflinching examination of the horrors of war and the injustice surrounding the execution of soldiers by firing squad, on the – often false – grounds of desertion or cowardice. Former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo uses all his superb storytelling skills to weave this powerful, poignant tale of the horrors of World War I, which will touch readers of all ages.
-----
Journey to the River Sea
-Eva Ibbotson
This satisfyingly old-fashioned story is set in the early 1900s. Orphan Maia is thrilled to learn she is to live with relatives in South America. She cannot wait to experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Amazon and is particularly looking forward to meeting her twin cousins.
When Maia arrives, however, the family is far from welcoming and she is saddened to see that they have blocked out all evidence of the rainforest from their stuffy home. Maia turns to her strict yet kindly governess, Miss Minton, for company, and strikes up some unusual and rewarding friendships.
This enchanting story has all the trademarks of Eva Ibbotson's writing. Maia is a wonderful heroine, and Ibbotson weaves a charming, compelling and warm-hearted tale of friendship, our responsibility to those around us, and the importance of the natural world. As well as being an exciting adventure story, this award-winning contemporary classic will leave readers with plenty to think about.
-----
Millions
-Frank Cottrell Boyce
Since the death of his mother, Damian has become obsessed with saints. In order to escape the trappings of the material world, he builds a hermitage out of cardboard boxes near the railway line.
One night, a bag containing £229,370 falls from the sky and flattens the hermitage. Damian is convinced it is a gift from God, and contemplates with his older brother Anthony the best way to spend it. But with only 17 days left before the national currency switches to Euros and the money becomes worthless, this proves to be much more difficult than they had anticipated...
Funny, thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining, this outstanding novel was a deserving winner of the 2004 CILIP Carnegie Medal.
-----
Matilda
-Roald Dahl
Matilda is not yet five years old, and already she is a very unusual child. Teaching herself to read, she works her way through all the books in the children's library and then gets started on the adult section, to the amazement of the librarian. Her narrow minded parents don't notice that they have a genius in their midst - but it soon becomes clear that underestimating Matilda is a big mistake.
When she starts school at Crunchem Hall, Matilda meets the frightening and bullying headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull, and witnesses her terrible temper. Soon, she puts her very special talents to work to get the better of Miss Trunchbull and the other unpleasant grown-ups around her - as well as to help warm-hearted class teacher Miss Honey.
This modern fairy-tale with a brilliantly inspiring young heroine is one of Roald Dahl's best loved stories. Full of magic and mischief, children will love witnessing Matilda pit her strength, courage and cool intelligence against the nasty and spiteful adults in her life, and ultimately coming out on top.
-----
Once
-Morris Gleitzman
Felix has lived in a Catholic orphanage for over three years but always hopes that his Jewish bookseller parents will come for him. Alarmed by the sight of what he assumes are official 'librarians' burning Jewish books in the orphanage, he sets off in search of his parents to warn them of the danger.
On his travels Felix uses his natural optimism and storytelling gift to explain away the horrific events he witnesses in Nazi-occupied Poland. His stories bring hope to the children of a ghetto and ultimately comfort to them on their final train journey.
Morris Gleitzman brings heart and humour to the difficult subject of the Holocaust in this ground-breaking children's book. Told in simple yet powerful language, his story reveals the redemptive power of stories and the potential for humanity and hope even in the most tragic times.
Heidi Y.