Dolphin Song - Lauren St John

Dug out by... Dave

If you enjoyed Lauren St John's first novel, The White Giraffe, then you'll enjoy this one too. Now settled in South Africa, we meet Martine once again, picking up with her after the dramatic events of her first adventure.

Still only 11 years old, her second adventure is equally thrilling as disaster strikes on a school trip. Her affinity with animals is brought to the fore once again and Lauren St John fills you with the sights and sounds of the African continent.

Martine is growing up fast. She has to. She's getting closer to Ben, who she met in The White Giraffe and she's becoming more and more independent.

This is lyrical writing that takes you firmly into another world.


Longlisted for Carnegie 08.

For the writers among you...

At the end of the novel, Lauren St John explains why dolphins are so important to her, giving us details from her own experience. Choose your favourite animal and write a piece which explains how you came to be so fond of that particular creature.

If you like it, try...

What I Was ~ Meg Rosoff
Treasure Island ~ R L Stevenson
Adults Only ~ Maurice Gleitzman

Postbag ~ Empty

Shamanka - Jeanne Willis

Dug out by... Dave

What is magic? What is illusion? What is real?

Those three questions on the cover of this book are delving deep into the mind of the readers even before you open up. The magician's oath - practise until perfect, then never tell how - sets the tone for the story as it unfolds.

12-year-old Sam Khaan is in search of her father, hunting for what's real and what's not. She sets off on a globe-trotting journey which takes her away from the horrors of her gin-swilling and violent Aunt Candy... but where does it take her to? Well, enough countries to run the Olympics and enough intrigue to last you a lifetime.

Oh yes, and she takes an orang-utan with her.

There are some fabulous characters in this book and some great revelations about the world of magic. Have you ever wondered how to levitate, for instance? Can you read minds?

Babies know the secret, of course, but they're not much help are they? What is the meaning of life? You'll have to read the book and find out, won't you.

You only have to take one look at my list of tags to see how packed it is.


Longlisted for Carnegie 08.

If you like this, try...

The Scarecrow and his Servant - Philip Pullman
Shadow Forest - Matt Haig

Postbag ~ Empty

Verdigris Deep - Frances Hardinge

Dug out by... Dave

Of course you shouldn't steal. But what if you're stuck out in the middle of nowhere with your mates and you've not got enough cash for the bus fare?

But there's a well, it's a wishing well, it's got money down it, thrown there by people stupid enough to believe that it'll bring them luck. They didn't want it, did they, so you might as well have it, bring it back into the world.

So that's what Ryan, Josh and Chelle do, they reverse that money out of that well. But what about the luck that went down there with it? Oops, they've reversed that too, haven't they. Silly billies!

They should have checked out the local legends too before they took that course of action.

"There was a penny of panic in his throat." Of course there was, the naughty boy!

Fairy tale, fantasy and reality are nicely mixed up in this tale of rust, trust and needs must.


Longlisted for Carnegie 08


If you like it, try...

Skellig ~ David Almond
The Devil's Footsteps ~ E E Richardson

Postbag ~ Empty

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K.Rowling

Dug out by... Dave

The final instalment. Harry's quest is to find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes. The two superpowers literally go head to head in a cat and mouse battle that ebbs and flows throughout 600 pages. Friends and enemies old and new present themselves as The Boy Who Lived blossoms from boy to man.

The epic tale which ends the epic schooldays of Harry Potter begins with a dastardly plan to kidnap and kill our boy wonder. Can he thwart The Dark Lord? Will Snape achieve his long-held desires? Will Harry survive his final outing?

Does anyone really need to be prompted into reading it? Probably not. Enjoy...

Longlisted for Carnegie 08.

Postbag ~ Empty

The Pinhoe Egg - Diana Wynne Jones

Dug out by... Dave

A huge cast of magical characters inhabit the village around Chrestomanci Castle. The various family members of the Pinhoes, Farleighs and Cleeves are constantly bickering and vying for supremacy. Gammer Pinhoe - 'the old bat' - kicks things off from her tattered armchair. Clothed in layers of black with Nutcase, her cat, in attendance, she doles out orders , setting various plot threads in motion. It's already a world of chaos and when Cat Chant finds the Pinhoe Egg, it doesn't make things any easier.



Postbag - Empty

Sure Fire - Jack Higgins with Justin Richards

Dug out by... Dave

Tightly written with action coming thick and fast from the start. I liked the switching of viewpoint to show the various parties involved. It's a pacy read.

If you liked this, try...

Robert Muchamore's Cherub series, Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider books or the Young Bond books by Charlie Higson

Postbag - May Contain Spoilers

Dave ~ Actually, I didn't like it much in the end, despite noting down at one point that the tightly-written prose reminded me of Hemingway. It was just too much action for me. Relentless. But then, some readers will like that.

Crusade - Elizabeth Laird

Dug out by... Dave


A historical novel with a thoroughly modern clash of civilisation going on. The viewpoint writing in this book is excellent with the two protagonists, Salim and Adam, showing themselves to be supremely likable whilst flawed by prejudice and misinformation.

There are great descriptions of people and places, thanks to excellent historical research. The camp at Marseilles and the city of Acre are vibrantly brought to life. This book has a timeless theme. It made the long list for the Doncaster Book Award 08 and has also been long-listed for Carnegie 08.

If you like it, try...

Oranges in No-Man's Land - Elizabeth Laird
Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times - L. Brittney

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Twin Freaks - Paul Magrs

Dug out by... Dave

Eunice and Helen are not quite making it on all the TV talent shows they audition for. They're an odd couple of sisters. Helen's not got the looks and Eunice is lacking a voice, but together they've got what it takes. So their mum's new boyfriend comes up with a ridiculous plan - to pretend to be Siamese twins.

It can't possibly work, can it?

Satirising one of our modern scourges, there's some funny stuff in this book. Long-listed for the Doncaster Book Award 08, voted for by children.

Postbag - Empty