Marvellous Middle Grade

Over the past couple of years I have grown more and more fond of middle grade books. There's just so much magic, hope and wonder in them. Here are some of my recent favourites that I love to share.

Start by mixing up a Chocolate Orange cocktail, then choose a book and let the magic sink in. 

40ml rum, 20ml grand marnier, 10ml orange juice, 10ml lemon juice, dash of sugar syrup. Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Add couple of drops of chocolate bitters, then garnish with a slice of dried orange.

The Last Monster by Dan Walker

After the events of book 1, Lux discovered something strange and seemingly very wrong about his powers. Now he is terrified to use Light even for healing his team-mates as he is so worried about hurting rather than saving them. So he is warily hopeful when he hears of a retired Light Hunter who thinks he's found a way to stop the monster attacks forever.

I love the friendship and trust between the team-mates in squad Juno, they go through so much together but in the end always believe in each other. It is wonderful to see how Lux overcomes his fears and terror of hurting others.

The House on Hoarder Hill by Kelly Ngai & Mikki Lish

Hedy and Spencer are unexpectedly sent to stay with their grandfather when their parents get the chance to go on a dig in Spain. While Spencer can't wait to learn Grandpa's magic tricks, Hedy would much rather go to Spain with her parents. Things soon get interesting and very, very spooky when it seems the spirit of their grandma Rose, who disappeared years ago, is trying to contact them!

Grandpa's house if full of mysterious rooms with hidden secrets that the children are supposed to stay out of. Of course they don't listen and they encounter moving statues, woodspies, liar birds and ghosts. There are so many magical things.

I love how the book starts so mysteriously, I had a sneaky suspicion of who the Missing One could be and couldn't wait to find out if I was right. As soon as I finished the book I ordered the next 2!

Max Magic by Stephen Mulhern & Tom Easton

What would you do if you suddenly found you could do magic? Max has magic in his blood, it runs in his family and he has been practising ticks every chance he gets. But until he finds an old top hat, it has all been just tricks, now he finds he can do REAL magic!

With the bullies at school and the Crayfish Twins bullies at the market, Max really does have a lot to put up with, and all he wants is to help his family. As tempting as it is to just blow the bullies to smithereens with his mew found magic, Max knows he should find a way to use his powers for good by helping, not hurting. I know there's supposed to be a message in here for kids, but personally I think the bullies and bad guys have it coming!

I liked the illustrations throughout the book and at the end you get some magic tricks to try out yourself!

Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston

This was one of my most aniticipated sequels. Amari's struggles start almost right from the first page, when she is un-invited to the Bureau's summer camp. Luckily her friends rally round and get her back in. Through a series of events, Amari ends up playing the Great Game in a bid to lead the League of Magicians, fighting against Dylan. There are magically alive books and a shadow pet, seven great beasts including the kraken and a giant nuclear snail. Even Alexander the Great gets a mention.

I like that she does understand she's just a kid and shouldn't have to do everything. But she does it anyway, because who else is going to save the world?

This book pretty much leaves you hanging in the worst way! I don't know how I'll manage to wait for the next one.

The Vanishing of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes

Another in a series, though this is the third and I am impatiently awaiting news of any more as I love this series so much.

An abandoned house, missing people and spooky seances, and that's just in the first few chapters! Aveline's third adventure sees her battling to escape the clutches of the faeries, who she suspects are also behind all the mysterious disappearances that have happened in the area. Luckily she has Harold and their new friend, faerie expert Sammy, on side to help. Their friendships are just so sweet and strong, these kids would brave anything for each other. The villain is particularly sinister, popping up in many tales told over the years. The story is creepy and dark perfect for a Halloween evening!

Rise Of The Bartender by Adam Jamie Hussein

Today I am once again joining in with the 12 days of Clink St Publishing with my second book of the blog tour.

As you can probably guess by now, I love a good cocktail book to read and this one has lots of stories and history going back over 400 years! Each chapter delves into a period of time and the thing that most characterises it. Interestingly, the index is almost at the beginning of the book. Though unusual, I quite liked this and it made me want to immediately jump straight into all the cocktails that caught my eye.

While the definition of 'classic' is a bit loose, there are a huge number of well known and historic cocktails plus quite a few I didn't know. I would have loved more pictures though, as I do find the temptation is often in the look of it and it helps when preparing a cocktail.

Book Summary

A contemporary approach to the traditional world of classic cocktails.

Celebrated mixologist Adam Jamie Hussein shares the origin stories and recipes for over 200 mixed drinks of eclectic heritage, featuring beloved greats like the Martini and lesser-known favourites like the Fish House Punch.

Designed as a guide to cocktail history and education, Hussein debunks myths and rumours to chart the evolution of cocktail making, revealing how the drinks we love today have been refined over time.

Legendary cocktails have notorious beginnings. Hussein hopes that Rise Of The Bartender will spark conversation and new drinking discoveries for like-minded libertines.

The great thing about reviewing a bartending book is that I don't have far to go to find the perfect cocktail to share with you. In fact this was actually one of the first I spotted when I looked through the book. Hemingway Daiquiri recipe as per the book: 40ml light rum, 5ml maraschino, 20ml pink grapefruit juice, 10ml lime juice, 5ml simple syrup. Long shake and strain into a coupe.

The Geeky Stitching Co's Little Book of Cross Stitch by Jess Payne

 

It's that time of year again, the 12 Days of Clink St Publishing blog tour! I decided I need a new hobby, other than cocktails and books so Geeky Stitching caught my eye and I'm branching out into cross-stitch. I have done a few before but those were with kits that already had everything in it, so it is a bit daunting to try going 'freelance'!

 

Unfortunately my book hasn't arrived in time for me to show off my handy work but I am hoping for a cocktail cross stitch to try out. Depending on how my efforts turn out I might show you all later! For now I will be asking Father Christmas for some cross stitch supplies...

 

Book Summary

You will find over thirty of our bestselling designs in this book as well as seven new patterns to stitch up, we have everything from rainbows to fluffy animals and not a country cottage in sight!

A great book for beginners as well as experienced stitchers who are fans of stitching cute stuff and fun puns.

Stand and Deliver by Philip Caveney

Today I have a guest post by author Philip Caveney, which I believe will be very useful for any budding writers out there! Personally the description of books as 'head movies' is so accurate for me. I love a good book which allows me to feel like I'm actually watching the events unfold. First of all a bit about Philip's new book, Stand and Deliver. Then on to his great writing tips!

Book Summary

In a time when highwaymen ruled the roads, Ned is reluctantly swept up into a whirlwind of adventure. Whilst escaping the grasps of the thief-takers, Ned soon finds himself stepping into his Master’s shoes and an unwanted life of crime. The pressure is building with new friends and enemies galore when Ned stumbles upon a long-infamous gem, The Bloodstone, which forces him to make an important choice. Can he ultimately escape this new threat and finally free himself from the grips of The Shadow?

Top Tips for Adventure Writing

Writing an adventure story is much like writing any other form of fiction. All the usual rules apply. But over the years I’ve developed some hard and fast tips that I believe, will help guide any budding writer through the process of creating thrilling adventurous prose. Here they are!

1. Create a credible world.

Wherever your adventure takes place - whether it’s somewhere in the real world or a universe you’ve created in your own mind - it must seem real to the reader. You’ll do this through your powers of description. I like to think of books as ‘head movies. ’As readers go through your writing, they need to see a film unspooling on a screen in their head, a projection of what’s in your mind. If you’ve described it well enough, readers will believe the place actually exists and then they’ll be ready to accept what happens there, no matter how fantastic!

2. Show the events through the eyes of the characters.

I cannot emphasise this enough. The three most important words in a writer’s lexicon are SHOW DON’T TELL. If the writer talks about an adventure that happens way off in the distance, it will never come alive for the readers. They will feel like they’re standing at the edge of a very wide playing field watching things unfold through a set of binoculars. Distance can diminish an adventure, and remove much of the potential excitement. Show it happening, as it happens to the people it’s actually happening to - and suddenly we’re talking an entirely different game. Your readers are hooked and you can take them anywhere you like!

3. Know when to cut away.

I’ve sometimes read a piece of fiction where the writer lingers too long over a particular point in the story. Yes, you need to give enough information to inform the readers to ‘show’ them the scene, but knowing when to end the chapter - when to cut away - is one of the most important lessons a writer needs to learn. Try to leave the action at a point where something important is just about to happen. This will make the reader eager to turn to the next page. Do this twenty times or so and you’ve led them through an entire book!

4. Research.

It pretty much goes without saying that if your book is set in a particular historical period then you need to read as much about it as you can - and don’t just stick to the bits that will be pertinent to your particular story. Read around the period and make notes as you go. Pick out little details that will make your story convincing. And don’t use too much of that research! Pick out the nuggets, some little details that will convince the reader that you know actually what you’re talking about.

But… what if you’ve invented the world? All bets are off, surely? Well, no, because whatever you’ve come up with, it will have to operate in the same way as any world does. Perhaps you’ll find parallels with a real place and an actual time period which you can apply to your invented society. Because, no matter how fantastical your imagined world is, it will need to have rules of logic, the things that make it operate. Otherwise, readers aren’t going to believe that you know enough about your own invention - and they won’t trust you to take them through the story.

5. Remember to vary the pace.

And finally, let’s talk about pace. A book shouldn’t be a frantic chase from start to finish - but neither should it be a dull plod. This may sound obvious, but a book is generally a series of chapters, all with their own particular job to do. I often imagine them as a series of doors leading through a huge house - a labyrinth perhaps. Yes, we need some moments of excitement and of course we also need suspense… but at the same time, we need occasional lulls where we can tease the story along to its next instalment.

Always give your readers time to draw breath before you plunge them into the next bout of excitement. And don’t be afraid to keep them waiting…

Urgent Matters by Paula Rodriguez

Book Summary

The Yankees are more astute when it comes to matters like these. They say "not guilty". They don't say "innocent". Because as far as innocence goes, no one can make that claim.

A train crashes in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, leaving forty-three people dead. A prayer card of Saint Expeditus, the patron saint of urgent matters, flutters above the wreckage.

Hugo, a criminal on the run for murder, is on the train. He seizes his chance to sneak out of the wreckage unsuspected, abandoning his possessions - and, he hopes, his identity - among bodies mangled beyond recognition.

As the police descend on the scene, only grizzled Detective Domínguez sees a link between the crash and his murder case. Soon, he's on Hugo's tail. But he hasn't banked on everything from the media to his mother-in-law getting in the way.

This was a bit out of my usual comfort zone in terms of the genre and the fact that it was a translated book, but the description intrigued me and I am so glad I decided to try it. The writing flows really well and I ended up reading most of it in one day. I did find it a bit hard to keep track of all the side characters as many were introduced quite suddenly and I wasn't always sure how they fitted into the story, however this didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

It was really interesting to get the different points of view of the main characters, and I enjoyed being able to see the story from all sides, particularly as they are all so different. It's amazing how a varied perspective can alter what seems to be happening. The conclusion was left very slightly vague so that while I am pretty sure I know what happens next, it is still open to interpretation or at least hope for whatever the reader might want! I will be looking out for more of Paula's books in future, hoping they will also be translated.

Author Bio

Paula Rodríguez is a journalist, editor, writer, comedian, ghostwriter and feminist activist. She has worked for twenty-five years in magazine print journalism. Urgent Matters is her first novel. Paula lives in Buenos Aires.

Translator Bio

Sarah Moses is a writer and translator of French and Spanish. She co-translated Die, My Love by Ariana Harwicz, which was longlisted for the International Booker Prize, among other awards. Her translation of Agustina Bazterrica's Tender is the Flesh was published by Pushkin Press in 2020.

To start with, my apologies in advance to any Argentinians out there who might be horrified at my attempts here. I tried to find out a bit more about the Mate that they are always drinking in the book and found that the flavour resembles green tea and is often mixed with fruit juice, usually lime. So I've made a cocktail which uses both of those. My Urgent Matters cocktail is more of a Mate-inspired drink rather than any attempt to actually recreate it. 

Into a cocktail shaker, add 60ml rum, 60ml cold green tea, 30ml lime juice and a dash of sugar syrup. Shake with ice and pour into a glass full of ice. I think it turned out pretty well!

The Adventures of Ozchickychop and his White Teapot by Jane Aistrop

Today's post is an extract from the start of the book along with some of the lovely page artwork. But first, here's what the book is about!

Book Summary

Children, open up this book and you will find a magical tale about two brothers who discover a magical world.

This story is about the brothers embarking on rescue missions and learning just how important words are, not just in story books but also in real life too.

Kindness, caring and love shines throughout this story to save Ozchickychop and the land of Nede.

Read on to become part of their adventures.

A note from the author:

Hi to all,

I'm still pinching myself in disbelief, as you probably guessed, I am not an author or an illustrator by trade, just a granny who spent hours on the phone, telling stories to my grandson, during lockdown. The Adventures of Ozchickychop and his White Teapot is one that I wrote down and, amazingly is now a published work. Huzzar!

Witchstorm by Tim Tilley

Book Summary

Join a hunt for lost witch treasure, in an enchanting adventure story of storms, spells, and the magic of the natural world, from bestselling and award-winning Tim Tilley.

Will believes in witches and the stories he's grown up with - of mythical storm-lions, disappearing villages, and secret songs. Most of all, he believes the tales of magical treasure hidden in the Fens centuries ago. Treasure that he has to find, to solve the mystery of his Ma's disappearance.

Then, in the eye of a storm, a witch arrives. She holds the key to finding the lost treasure - a powerful magical object that can summon storms. But someone else is searching for it too. If it falls into the wrong hands, Will's beloved home could be destroyed, and with it, his chances of ever finding his ma.

Join Will on an epic quest filled with riddles, ruined towers, cloud cities and broomstick chases, on a journey to save everything he loves before time runs out.

This was such an exciting adventure, so gripping that I didn't want to put the book down. I loved the mystery with all the clues and riddles to follow, it almost felt like being part of the story. What I didn't love was the bullying, and even more, friends who turn to side with the bullies. It was so hard to read and I just wanted to help Will and protect him! Luckily he makes a much better friend.

Unlike everyone else in The Fens, Will and his Ma still believe in witches, particularly as their ancestor was the one who helped the last witches when other people turned on them. The way Ma's folk stories gradually started to fit together was really clever. I wondered if maybe she was trying to prepare him for the future adventures she knew he would have one day.

There was a truly lovely ending. It was so touching and meaningful, really making people think about their effect on the world we live in. After this I ran out for a copy of Tim's previous book, Harklights and was so excited to find a signed copy!

Author Bio

Tim Tilley studied illustration at Anglia Ruskin University and now teaches children's book illustration courses at City Lit. He is always watchful of the world around him and loves collecting and drawing beautiful snapshots of nature, relishing the small things people often miss. Tim's debut children's book, the bestselling and critically-acclaimed Harklights, is the winner of the Joan Aiken Future Classics Prize and the Junior Design Award.

Find Tim on Twitter or Instagram

I found the perfect cocktail to sip while reading about Will's adventures. To make the Witch & Broomstick cocktail, dry shake (without ice) 45 ml gin, 15ml lemon juice, 15ml honey syrup, 5ml Liquore Strega and 15ml egg white. Then add ice, shake again and strain into your cocktail glass.

 The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings

This was one of my most anticipated books and it did not disappoint! It's full of mouth-watering treats and magical scenery. Delicious, frosty and eerie in equal measures!

I have to say the beginning really wasn't what I was expecting, especially from the sweet and sparkly cover and title. But moving on there's a lot of fun as well as the sadness Thomasina feels for her brother and what happened to her family. There are many uplifting moments. I was so happy every time Thomasina made new friends, especially as she had seemed so lonely before. I so wanted everything to work out for her but I couldn't help being suspicious of Inigo, even though he sounded utterly friendly and genuine. The way it was written had me second guessing myself throughout!

It's so amazing and wonderful to think of the first time the Thames froze over completely, the first time London held a Frost Fair. I'd never thought about it before, how it all started. The Other Frost Fair sounds so beautiful and magical, but underneath it has an eerie and sinister feeling. Despite this I imagine such a sparkling place, with so many new wonders every time Thomasina and Inigo visit.

Book Summary

It’s a cold winter during the Great Frost of 1683. Thomasina and Anne are the best of friends, one running her father’s sweet shop and the other the apprentice at the family apothecary – together they sell their goods on the frozen River Thames. When a family tragedy turns Thomasina’s world upside down, she is drawn to a mysterious conjuror and the enchanted frost fair.

But soon the world of Father Winter threatens to claim everything she holds dear. Will they be able to solve the magical mysteries that surround them . . . ?

Author Bio

Natasha Hastings started developing The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair while studying history at Cambridge University, where she focused on gender and mental illness. While exploring these topics, she became determined to have the lives of working women, as well as their experiences of mental illness in this period, form the heartbeat of her debut book, The Frost Fair.

I've used the pear, honey and lemon flavours Thomasina and Anne make their sweets from to create the Sweetmaker's Cocktail. In a tall glass filled with ice, pour 60ml of Creme de Poire, 20ml vodka, add a dash of honey, then top with lemonade. Garnish with whatever sweet treats you have handy.

 The Boy Lost in the Maze by Joseph Coelho

I'm not usually a poetry reader, but as you probably know if you've been following me for a while, I can't resist anything to do with Greek mythology! So hearing this one involved Perseus and the Labyrinth, of course made me want to pick this up immediately and it also has the added bonus of getting me into poetry.

I have a small extract from the book for you, and doesn't it make you want to read the rest? I'm definitely looking forward to it.

                "I've noticed a silence 

                whenever I ask about my father. 

                Unspoken whisperings 

                mumble behind my mother's sealed lips. 

                I last saw him 

                in a mudslide of argument. 

                Told never to open the door to him, 

                         to stonewall his calls 

                         and brick up 

                his letters."

Book Summary

In his new verse novel, Joseph Coelho brilliantly blends Greek myth with a 21st century quest. In Ancient Greece Theseus makes a dangerous and courageous journey to find his father, finally meeting the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. While Theo, a modern-day teenage boy, finds himself on a maze-like quest to find his own father. Each story tells of a boy becoming a man and discovering what true manhood really means,

The path to self-discovery takes Theo through ‘those thin spaces where myth, magic and reality combine’. Doubts, difficulties and dangers must be faced as Theo discovers the man he will become.

Author Bio

Joseph Coelho became the Waterstones Children’s Laureate in 2022. His debut poetry collection Werewolf Club Rules, published by Frances Lincoln, won the CLiPPA Poetry Award in 2015. He has written plays for young people for the Theatre Royal York, Pied Piper, Polka and The Unicorn Theatres. As well as poetry and plays, Joseph also writes picture books including Luna Loves Library Day (Andersen Press) and non-fiction books including How To Write Poems (Bloomsbury). All of his work has poetry and an element of performance at its heart making his festival and school sessions dynamic occasions. Joseph is a staunch ambassador for Britain’s straitened public libraries. He lives in Kent.

Find Joseph on Twitter and Instagram. For more on illustrator Kate Milner on Twitter and Instagram.

 The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name by Reece Carter

Book Summary

If my hair looks like bright green seaweed, it's because that's exactly what it is. My eyes, a pair of abalone shells, polished blue by sand. Teeth, two rows of pebbles. And my skin is made of wax.

Corpse never asked to be a kid ghost. She doesn't remember anything from her life - all she knows is her home on the rock-that-doesn't-exist, her friend Simon the spider, and the vile Witches whose magic she steals.

So, when she discovers that there's a powerful treasure which could give her all the answers to what she's lost - her memories, her family, her name - Corpse sets off to find it. On her journey across the stormy sea, she must battle magic, sea monsters and a cruel figure from her past. But the Witches want the treasure too. And they'll do anything to get it first.

Corpse is a ghost, but she is very different from all the other ghosts that have come and go from the rock-that-doesn't-exist. Somehow she is strong enough that she has made herself a body from wax, shells and seaweed... and from magic that she learnt from the evil witches who probably killed her, along with countless other children. 

When an old man ghost appears on the rock, telling her that she has to leave and find the treasure that the witches have been looking for, she resolves to forget all about it. She really doesn't realise quite how special she is! Eventually though, despite all her fear and doubt, she embarks on a journey to leave the rock-that-doesn't-exist and rescue the treasure in a bid to thwart the witches' plans.

The book ends with a few questions left unanswered but it feels like it could be set up for a sequel. I would definitely be interested to find out what happens next.

Author Bio

Reece Carter is a high-profile Australian nutritionist who has written two non-fiction books for adults, appeared on many of Australian's major television networks, and written for magazines like GQ. He grew up in rural Western Australia and now lives in Sydney. He has always wanted to write for children and The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name is his first novel, perfect for fans of Tim Burton and Neil Gaiman. Find him on Twitter and Instagram.

Of course for this book you have to make a Corpse Reviver cocktail. These cocktails were actually created to wake the dead, particularly those who had been drinking way too much the day before! There are quite a few versions around but this one seems to be the most commonly made. I found this recipe on Liquor.com. 

Rinse the inside of your cocktail glass with a little absinthe and discard the excess. In a shaker with ice, mix 20ml each of gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and lemon juice. Strain into the absinthe-washed glass.

 War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson

For this blog tour I have an exciting guest post from Victoria herself all about being an author. It sounds pretty wonderful, despite all the hard work! Her new book was just released yesterday so is now available to order in eBook and paperback. More details about the book later but first of all let's hear from Victoria!

I’ve wanted to be an author since I was at least five years old. My early attempts at books were mostly in picture form with a few (badly-spelled!) words underneath, but I kept practising over the years, and finally achieved my dream with my debut novel bring published in 2018. War of the Wind will be my fourth published novel, and over the last four years I’ve discovered that even though writing can be very hard work, there are lots of great things about being an author. Here are some of my favourites:

1. Authors get to research all sorts of interesting things.

So far I’ve had the opportunities to research refugee issues, what it might be like to have ADHD, Robert Burns and Scottish folklore, British Sign Language and Deaf culture, and how wind turbines work. For future novels in the pipeline, I’ve researched everything from the linen industry in the 1700s and the plague in Scotland in the 1600s, to food banks and genetic modification of crops in the present day. I’m very glad we have the internet now – it wasn’t around when I was attempting my first stories at five years old, and it makes research an awful lot easier!

2. Authors get to visit the places they write about.

As part of our research, it’s always useful for an author to actually go to see a real place if that’s where our story is set. I’ve had lots of fun visiting places around Glasgow from my childhood for my debut novel, and enjoyed visiting Alloway again to see the Brig o’ Doon and the old cottage where my novel about Robert Burns is set. For War of the Wind, I’ve been visiting wind farm to get a feel for just how spooky turbines can be on a stormy day, although as you can see from this picture, they look harmless enough when the sun is shining!

3. Authors get to use their own life experience in their stories.

Authors often base their characters on a combination of people they know, or have known in the past. Many of their locations come from real places they’re familiar with, and often some the experiences their characters have are experiences that the authors themselves had had. For example, I base the children with additional support needs in my books on a combination of some of the many children I’ve taught over my teaching career. Grandparents often feature in my stories, and they are also a combination of many of the happy memories I have of my own grandparents.

4. Get to go on school visits and meet lots of children.

One of my absolute favourite things about being an author is visiting schools to run author talks and creative writing classes, and to hear all about young people’s own imaginative story ideas and writing experience. It’s lovely to hear how enthusiastic they are about reading and writing, and know that there’s a good chance that I’ll meet some of the future stars of the literary world on these visits!

5. Authors get to meet lots of inspirational people and make friends with lots of other lovely authors.

Writers are a very friendly bunch, and they’re a great source of support for each other. Writing can be a bit of a lonely career – stuck on a computer all day for many months put a book together sentence by sentence – by it doesn’t have to be. There are lots of writing groups to get involved in, and lots of literary events to go to throughout the year. So if you’re interested in becoming an author yourself, then why not start by joining a writing club or going along to a literary event in your local area? You’re bound to meet lots of people who will give you lots of encouragement on your writing journey. Here’s one of my favourite moments so far – getting to meet author Malorie Blackman at the Empathy Day event in Waterstones Piccadilly on my 40th birthday!

Book Summary

On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other - even stranger – changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.

With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders. They must find a way to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control…

Author Information

A lifelong storyteller and daydreamer, Victoria Williamson is a children's author and teacher who grew up in Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, surrounded by hills on the edge of a forest estate where many of her early ghost stories and fantasy tales were born amid the magical trees and spooky old ruined buildings. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, Williamson set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching math’s and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria is a qualified primary school teacher with a degree in Mandarin Chinese from Yunnan University and a Master’s degree in Special Needs in Education. She is passionate about creating inclusive worlds in her novels where all children can see a reflection of themselves in a heroic role. Her previous novels, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, and The Boy with the Butterfly Mind (Floris Books) were based on her experiences of teaching children with diverse backgrounds and have been shortlisted for a number of awards.  Find her online at her website or on Twitter.

Vampires vs Werewolves

I'm kind of mad at myself for taking so long to review these books which were both full of nostalgia and so much fun to read. I've been leaning towards middle grade a lot more lately but these have reminded me how much fun kick-ass YA heroines can be! So pick your favourite monster, grab a cocktail and settle in for a wild ride.

Mina and the Slayers by Amy McCaw

Book Summary

Three months after Fang Fest, Mina’s settling into her new life.

Despite the teething problems in her relationship with Jared, she has her sister back, new friends and a part-time job to die for.

Over Halloween, Mina and the gang have planned a spooky week of Gothic restaurants, horror movies, ghostly tours, creepy carnivals and a costume ball.

But the fun doesn’t last. Mina is on work experience with Detective Cafferty while the police are investigating a savage masked killer and a rise in suspicious ‘animal attacks’.

During her own investigations, Mina discovers a mysterious group of slayers, who are battling to control the rogue vampires.

The threats circle closer as Mina spends her days with the police and nights with the slayers.

Will she and her friends survive Halloween without being staked, stabbed or bitten?

This is Mina's second adventure, and now she's getting mixed up not only with vampires, but also with the police and the newly discovered slayers. Add to that her newly-turned vampire boyfriend and there is more than enough to keep her busy! I love that Mina didn't just immediately become an amazing professional vampire slayer right away, and some of her attempts were pretty funny.

I never would have guessed who the killer was and there is a perfect ending to make you crave book 3, without an annoying cliffhanger.

Big Bad Me by Aislinn O'Loughlin

Book Summary

‘I’ve got two claws, Katie. Two giant, evil, freaking Freddy Krueger monster things. I am not calm.’

Evie Wilder is living a very normal life. Except for the fact that her mum has gone missing, she’s just found out she’s a werewolf, she and her sister have to go into hiding from supernatural beings, and there’s not a single

helpful vampire slayer to be found.

With the help of Kevin, the dorky-hot teenage manager of the guesthouse where Evie and Kate go to lie low, Evie begins to learn to harness her wolfish abilities. But there’s something a bit odd about Kevin that Evie can’t quite put her finger on.

Meanwhile, reports of animal attacks are increasing, local teenagers have started to go missing, and Evie is about to find herself at the centre of a supernatural showdown.

A fantastic start to the book, the prologue gets you hooked in right away! There's lots of mystery running all the way through the book to keep you intrigued. The alternating points of view of Evie and her older sister Kate were great, I really enjoyed getting both sides of the story. I also liked the way the characters kind of talk back at the reader, as if we're there with them.

The poppy seed thing is a hilarious twist. I had never heard such a thing before, but just after this I read a book with something similar for fairies and salt. I won't spoil the fun here but look out for it!

To make a Blue Monster cocktail, fill a short glass with ice and pour over 30ml of vodka and a 30ml of rum. Add a drizzle of Blue Curacao, then top up with 30ml each of lemonade and lemon/lime soda (I had to improvise with lemon juice and tonic). Mmmmm I will definitely be making this one again!