I don't know a single child who has read and not liked animal stories. I remember Animal Ark. I think of Gill Lewis's White Dolphin. There are hundreds of horse stories that I've read and loved - Stallion Club comes to mind immediately. Whale Boy is one of those beloved animal tales. Growing up in Rose Town, Dominica, Michael learns very early on to manage on his own. His mother was, according to his grandmother, 'not mother material', and abandoned him as a baby. His father went to London in search of her and never returned. Legend says that there is a place where the waters run deep enough to lose the highest mountain. That's where the whales come - so many that you can walk on their backs. Yet, sperm whales were the victims of generations of whalers. There are no whales left on the island ... or are there? Michael discovers that it may just be dangerous to find out. Befriending … [Read more...]

One of the reasons I love travelling is that I have so much time that I can spend reading without feeling guilty about everything else I could have been doing instead. Waiting, sitting around, marking time until my workshop begins ... What else can I do? I loved The Dragon Whisperer; I wanted to know what happened next. And there was the sequel, Flight to Dragon Isle, sitting on the shelf in the library, waiting for me to borrow it. The Grand Master is intent on treason, but even Quenelda's father the Earl is not convinced that his childhood friend Hugo could have gone so far astray. Yet, in the fight against the hobgoblins, the Earl comes face to dace with treachery. He knows that Hugo has betrayed the SDS, but before he can make any kind of report, he goes missing and is reported dead. Quenelda is sure her father is not dead, though. Yet, she and her esquire Root have just a handful … [Read more...]

How would it be to have a face like glass, a face that is a window that can tell the truth and only the truth? And how would it be to have a face like that in a world where Facesmiths sculpt each expression on each individual's face? A Face Like Glass is a remarkable book, which took me on a journey through the twists and turns of Caverna, an underground land that is just about being held together by the Grand Steward. A Kleptomancer is on the loose, though, one who steals unpredictably, and seems to delight in taking Caverna by storm. Into all this comes Neverfell with her face like glass ... The story drew me into a world of surprises, each one of them vividly imagined. The plot was as complicated and surprising as Caverna herself, Caverna which is beautiful and unknowable, and so mysterious that Cartographers go mad … [Read more...]

Last week, the members of the Writers' Club wrote book reviews of books they've read recently and loved. Here is a review by Riva Verma of The Raven Boys, a book I have not read. Welsh kings. Ley lines. Hidden bodies of ancient monarchs. This novel is filled with adventure and mystery. That is what I like best about The Raven Boys. There were parts which intrigued me so much that I had to know what was going to happen, scenes where I was scared for the characters, times when I experienced each and every emotion alongside them. My favorite character is Blue Sargent. She is a poor but happy girl, the daughter of a physic. She lives in a house full of mothers, cousins, aunts and friends, and is told that she will kill her true love if she kisses whoever that person may be. She has lived with two mysteries her entire life: who is that person and who was her father? My other favorite is … [Read more...]

Last week, I conducted a workshop at the British Library on inculcating the habit of reading in children. There were principals and representatives from several schools in and around Pune, and many asked me where they could find book reviews. I realised I haven't written about books for a while, so for the next few days, that's what I'm going to be writing about! I loved this one! When characters in books become friends you care about, you know that the book you are reading is exceptional. Riding dragons comes naturally to Quenelda. She does not like fussy court life, where ladies are concerned with nothing more than petticoats, dresses and attractiveness. Yet, aged eleven, she finds herself frightened and isolated by her choices. All she wants to do is fly in the Open Sky. How difficult is it for the world to accept that? Title The Dragon Whisperer (The … [Read more...]