Mr. Gum and the Goblins

Image taken from pgcbooks

Title: Mr. Gum and the Goblins

Author: Andy Stanton

Illustrator: David Tazzyman

Genre: Nonsense, Humour

Age Range: 7-11

Theme/Subject: Nonsense

Publisher: Egmont

ISBN: 9781405228169

Synopsis:

Something is rumbling up in the high-distant hills of Goblin Mountain. It is the pitter patter of wild, rampant badgers? Possibly, but it’s more likely to be the angry mob of goblins led by the evil Mr. Gum! Can Polly and her friends put an end to his evil shenanigans before the wonderful town of Lamonic Bibber is left in ruins? Only the badgers know. Well, I know too as I’ve read it.

Review:

I am a huge fan of Andy Stanton and his style of writing. The Mr. Gum series is a fresh injection of nonsense humour. The style of humour smacks of Philip Ardagh only even battier; if that is conceivably possible. Whereas Ardagh (of whom I also thoroughly enjoy) seems to think of a plot first and then weaves his humour around that, I feel that when I read Stanton, he seems to just go with the flow, inject belly-blastingly funny moments and weave a plot around that instead.
For me, what makes the Mr. Gum’s series work so well is Andy Stanton’s utter embrace of pure nonsense and chaos. It is his wonderful play on words and the structure of a story (or even a book for that matter) that drives the reader on. Tazzyman’s scratchy, sketchy pen illustrations help bring Lamonic Bibber to life a little more too (I really liked the goblin pictures – my favourite being Big Steve).
The amount of times I laughed out loud at something funny a character has said or done or a scene that Stanton had created that was just plain daft, I could probably count on my fingers (I have quite a lot of them as I went out and bought a huge bag of ‘Findus Fish Fingers’ this morning). I can see this being a great book to share with someone who has a taste for the silly and shows a touch of Pythonesque humour. Andy Stanton is a unique voice out there at the moment and although not the deepest of writers (which in no uncertain terms is he even attempting to be) certainly must be one for children who will get the most laughs.

My Swordhand is Singing

Image taken from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/

Author: Marcus Sedgwick

Genre: Historial, Horror,

Age Range: 11+

Theme/Subject: Vampires, Folklore, Ukraine, Historical, Loss, Redemption

Publisher: Orion

ISBN: 1842551833

Synopsis: (Edited from the inside of the jacket)

In the bitter cold of an unrelenting winter Tomas and his son, Peter arrive in Chust and settle there as woodcutters. Tomas digs a channel of fast flowing waters around their hut, so they have their own little island kingdom. Peter doesn’t know why his father has done this not why his father carries a long, battered box, whose mysterious contents he is forbidden to know. Set in the remote and forbidding landscapes of the seventeenth century, this is a heart-rending story of loss and redemption, and inspired by the original vampire folklore of Eastern Europe it represents a unique regeneration of a timeless myth.

Review:

This is the fourth Sedgwick that I have read and must admit to taking a shine, not only to his style of writing, but also the eye with which he sees the world. Sedgwick’s ‘Swordhand’ is a real triumph in portraying a time when people were still greatly affected by folklore and dark whisperings in the world that surrounded them. Much like ‘The Dark Horse’, Sedgwick has encompassed a land where, in terms of knowledge and understanding, people are still in their infancy and the Europe is still vastly untamed.
The book’s dark and brooding pace suits the story’s mood. Written in third person, the tale oversees the life of Peter whose secretive father hides a tragic past and whose distant and offhanded demeanour makes growing up in the cold wild of 17th century Romania difficult. After moving from place to place we find father and son beginning to settle on the fringes of the village of Chust. Here, Peter tries to forge relationships with the guarded locals, but all is not as it seems as the nights are plagued by vampires. Peter finds himself not only entangled a web of deceit within the village but also in the grip of his father’s past which will not leave them alone.
Although aimed at the younger teens, I have found ‘My Swordhand is Singing’ fits 10+ in age as long as the reader is prepared to be scared and is competent. The landscape and characters are so well crafted and the storyline so deeply sown into the world painted by Sedgwick that this is a book you shouldn’t miss. I was particularly taken by Tomas (Peter’s father), who is handled with great mysteriousness and who plays well opposite Sofia, a gypsy girl whom Peter befriends. With no end of scary moments and gripping episodes, the book ends in a climax that leaves the reader wanting more. This is a vampire story that deals more with their origins rather than the typical soft-brush that they tend to be painted with these days.

Catcall

Image taken from http://www.amazon.co.uk

Illustrator: Ian P. Benfold Haywood

Genre: Realism, Family-Life

Age Range: 7-11

Theme/Subject: Acceptance, Families, Separation

Publisher: Orion

ISBN: 9781842555682

Synopsis: (Taken from the blurb)

Josh’s family is used to changes – but now they’re hurtling into even more. Although Josh has always had an affinity with animals, it’s his younger brother Jamie who falls under the wild cat spell. Leo seems to have taken over Jamie’s life. Soon it becomes impossible for the family to cope with his frightening, unpredictable behaviour. Only Josh understands, but is he brave enough to break through Jamie’s unhappy mask, and save them all?

Review:

I am rather ashamed to say that ‘Catcall’ is the first Linda Newbury novel I have read. I have owned ‘At the Firefly Gate’ for over a year now but have not gotten around to reading it. However, after reading ‘Catcall’ I know that it’ll be one that makes my immediate reading list. Newbury’s writing style is accessible and yet deep and ‘empathetic’. Within moments, I was in the book and the lives of Jamie and Josh.
The novel is written in first person, which I always admire when an author handles this well. We see the story take place through the eyes of Josh, the elder brother. Josh and Jamie live with their mother and step-father as well as their ‘new’ baby step-sister, Jennie. Their father lives further in London with his girlfriend, Kim and her teenage son Kevin. The story is a very interesting insight into personal territory and one boy’s fight to try and keep his identity while the world around him changes for the worse.
Josh’s younger brother, Jamie, after a visit to a zoo, seems to become possessed by the spirit of a lion that they see caged up. As the book progresses, Jamie becomes more and more lost and the spirit of ‘Leo’ increases. Josh and his family look on in horror as they see Jamie’s persona disappear behind an angry cat-mask. It is only the person who is closest to him, his big brother Josh, who can pull him back from the darkness of acceptance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the whole idea of the story of ‘one boy’s refusal to accept change in his family’. Newbury seems to effortlessly create thoughtful and well-painted characters whose dialogue and actions are easy to imagine and a joy to soak up. The book is interspersed with cut-outs from Josh’s Catbook where we learn fascinating facts about cats throughout history and science. The themes of the story are ones that children, for whom the book is aimed at, can either relate to or at least empathise with. This would make a very good class reading book for Year 4 to Year 6 and could be a prompt for a lot of discussion if handled well.
This was our school Book Group book and the pupils really enjoyed it. I would like to say a huge thanks to Linda Newbury for the gifts and kind words which she wrote to the group: the children were overwhelmed and deeply grateful. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who likes to think about the challenges of a family that has broken up and the relationships between siblings in a household when this happens.