I started this blog partly to intentionally engage with the incredible depth of children’s literature with which we in Britain are currently blessed. I am therefore entirely unsurprised that my first review post of the year, in which I reviewed precisely zero books for children, struggled to get off the ground with regards views. Let it not be said that Mr B. Reads listens not to the people! I have gone back to this blog’s roots and have read some excellent Kidlit this month which I am delighted to now share and recommend!

– STAR READ – Book 1: Larklight – Philip Reeve (Kidlit, UKS2/KS3)

There are strong starts, and then there is opening a review blog with the majestic ‘Larklight’. I have never known a book with so many clear influences, yet which maintains such a striking originality.

Larklight is set in an alternative Victorian era in a world in which Isaac Newton’s scientific advances have rendered space exploration possible. The Solar System is not quite how we know it in (the far less interesting) real-life; it is inhabited by a wonderful array of life. When teenaged Art Mumby’s home, Larklight, in orbit around the Earth, is attacked by giant, space-spiders, he is thrust into a Wellsian interplanetry adventure full of thrills.

What I love most about Larklight is the impeccable theming and voice which Reeve maintains throughout the narrative. The writing takes one back to the Victorian era to the point that you very quickly adopt the hundred-and-fifty year-old beliefs and understandings of the cosmos. The writing, interspersed with charming, Victorian newspaper-style illustrations (with CAPTIONS, people!) harks back to a simpler, perhaps more exciting, age of explorers and national heroes.

The book also contrasts expertly the serious with the comical. It deals with some very real ethical themes, such as colonialism, nationalism and empire. At the same time, it is littered with humour and clever pop-culture references, including the most BRILLIANT original Star Trek reference (let me know when you’ve read it!).

All-in-all, this is an original, ambitious novel which more than deserves its place as my Star Read of the month.

Book 2: The Kid who Came From Space – Ross Welford (KidLit, UKS2)

Since emerging onto the KidLit scene with ‘Time Traveling with a Hamster,’ Ross Welford has quickly become a master of his genre: stories with fantastical twists on reality, yet which turn out to be among the most real books on the shelf. This offering is no different. What begins with a tragic situation – the disappearance of Ethan’s twin sister Tammy just before Christmas – soon becomes far more complicated with the secretive arrival of extraterrestrial Hellyann, who may just have information, and a plan, to bring Tammy home.

Welford expertly balances the need to tell a child-friendly story with his trademark exploration of deeper issues. Over the course of the novel he raises issues which would be fascinating to think through with children. I am already looking ahead to using some of the themes in potential ‘Philosophy for Children’ sessions. Using an advanced, alien race as a focus, the reader is invited to wrestle with moral dilemmas such as keeping animals in zoos, the dangers of superiority and colonialism (there’s a theme emerging this month!) and questions of social discrimination/judgementalism.

The greatest thing this novel does, however, (in my own very humble opinion!) is the juxtaposition between cold, logical reason and acting on fierecely felt emotion. The reader, though very clearly encouraged towards the latter viewpoint, is encouraged to consider whether it is better to live safely and logically, or impulsively and following their hearts.

Whilst Ross’s ‘The 1000-Year-Old Boy’ remains unparalleled (seriously, read that book!) this is another Welford success. A book that you do not only read, but that you carry with you as you chew over the philosophical feast you have consumed.

Book 3: The Clockwork Crow – Catherine Fisher (Kidlit, KS2)

Set around the end of the Nineteenth Century, The Clockwork Crow sees orphan Seren looking forward to a new, comfortable life in Wales with the wealthy godparents she has never met. Her plans almost immediately take a turn after a conversation with a stranger at a train station as she takes possession of an unusual package. Upon arriving at her destination, Seren encounters not the privileged paradise she imagined, but rather a community in crisis. Inquisitive, she must uncover the mystery of what has befallen the house she hoped woud be her new palace.

Despite my love of history, I have rarely found myself drawn to historical fiction. In some ways then, I am not the best reviewer of this novel. What I enjoyed about it, aside from the readability which led me to finish the book in one Saturday sitting, was the richly imagined and attractive setting of the book, reminiscent of some of Emma Carroll’s works, which transports the reader right into the heart of the mystery. This could be a great gateway book for those younger KS2 readers looking to delve into more complex, atmospheric books.

Book 4: The Mask of Aribella – Anna Hoghton (KidLit, UKS2)

It has been said that comparison is the thief of joy (or ‘death of joy’, depending on which site your search engine directs you to). Like many idioms, there is an element of truth to it. Also like many idioms, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. So when I say that ‘The Mask of Aribella’ reminded me of Jennifer Bell’s ‘The Uncommoners’ trilogy, that is high praise indeed! That book exemplifies the ‘world within a world’ sub-genre that I really enjoy in both children’s and general fiction, and ‘The Mask of Aribella’, set against the beautiful backdrop of Venice, follows brilliantly in this mould.

Like that famous wizard boy I can never quite remember the name of, the titular character discovers on the eve of her birthday there is more to her life of unreachable dreams than she ever realised. When provoked into an argument, a secret power – shooting fire from her fingertips, no less – reveals itself, and she is whisked into a secret organisation whose job it is to surreptitiously safeguard Venice and its blissfully unaware populace from any threat. Aribella must wrestle with finding her own place in the organisation whilst investigating these aforemention threats, often against the very people who are meant to be facing them.

When adding ‘The Mask of Aribella’ to my book journal, I noted that it is ‘an intriguing, Uncommoners-esque tale with a splash of Marvel [superheroes].’ There is certainly room to flesh out the characters and the wonderful world which has been created, but I can barely think of any description that would make me want to read a book more than the sentence that past me came up with!

Have you read any of the books above? Can you think of any other pleasant ‘comparisons’ between older and newer books? As always, I would be delighted to hear your thoughts and about how #WeRead2020 is progressing for you!