📚 ‘A crazy fast paced whole lot of fun.’ Rosie’s #Bookreview of #YoungAdult Story The Caravan At The Edge Of Doom: Foul Prophecy by @aJimBeckett

The Caravan at the Edge of Doom: Foul Prophecy: A funny, magical, action-packed adventure, new for 2022 for 9+ fans of Terry Pratchett and David Walliams! by Jim Beckett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Caravan at the Edge of Doom: Foul Prophecy: A funny, magical, action-packed adventure, for kids 9-12: Book 2

This is book two of a middle grade series, however, it can easily be read as a stand alone story.

Twelve-year-old Harley has recently discovered that she is the Gatekeeper for the Land Of The Dead and it is her duty to help the restless souls cross over by making them a special cup of tea and allowing them to use the portal in the bathroom. As her school attendance must take priority she has set up a self-service tea machine in her Grandparents old caravan so that souls can cross without her help.

Trouble comes in the form of a broken tea machine and then a closure of all the portals of Doom which lead to the Land of The Dead. Harley must come to the rescue and uphold her Hero status.

This book was a crazy fast paced whole lot of fun. There was plenty of toilet humour, clever characters, magic and friendship mixed with foul deeds and baddies who need banishing.

The book is sprinkled with some fantastic black and white illustrations which depict Harley and the action very well. I think that this would appeal to the reading age audience very well, particularly advanced readers.

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Book description

Twelve-year old Harley is happy to be back home after her adventures in the Land of the Dead. But strange things soon start happening. A bunch of Restless Souls turn up in at school, the portal of doom breaks AND everyone thinks Harley has blown up her best friend Bess. Is this all connected to a mysterious ancient prophecy that everyone in the Land of the Dead keeps talking about…? There’s only one thing for it. Harley has to unleash her inner Legendary Hero and head Beyond Life for more monsters, mysteries and mayhem!

This must-read sequel to the The Caravan at the Edge of Doom is full of heart, humour and heroism.

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🦟Adventures in a #Fantasy World. Rosie’s #Bookreview of #middlegrade A Flash Of Fireflies by @aishabushby

A Flash of Fireflies by Aisha Bushby

4 stars

A Flash of Fireflies is a middle grade or 9-12 years reading age story. It focuses on Hazel who is moving to England from Kuwait. She is sent on ahead of her parents to begin living with an eccentric aunt.

Hazel is visited by three Fireflies who lead her on adventures in a fantasy world. In the real world Hazel starts summer school and makes new friends in her English class where they are studying fairy tales.

I thought the story was a good mix of fantasy and real life issues. The snippets about Kuwait and how Hazel saw England were skillfully written into the narrative. The story also deals with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) in both child and adult forms and how it can be recognised and talked about. It was introduced with sensitivity and I never felt like it was a lesson; it was just a part of Hazel’s everyday life. A good story and I would be happy to recommend it.

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Book description

A magical middle grade book about family, friendship and finding your place, with a delicate touch of magic. Perfect for 10-12 year olds and fans of Jacqueline Wilson, Michelle Harrison and Kiran Millwood-Hargrave and The Girl Who Speaks Bear.

Hazel’s new life in England should have been the stuff of fairy tales; after all her aunt’s cottage looked just like a gingerbread house, with a magical garden and whispering fireflies promising quests and adventures.

But as Hazel struggles to deal with the challenges of the everyday world –⁠ making friends, missing her family –⁠ she also learns that every fairy tale has a dark side. And there are terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows . . .

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Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT #MG #Fantasy Aster Finlay And The Great Elan by @KarenAnnWirtz

Today’s team review is from Robbie, she blogs here robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com

Robbie has been reading Aster Finlay And The Great Elan by Karen Ann Wirtz

My review

Michael and I received a copy of this book though Rosie Amber of Rosie’s Book Review Team in return for an honest review.

Imagine how thrilling it would be if you could speak to animals. It would be lovely to find out all about the joys, anxieties and sorrows of the animal kingdom from the mouths of the animals.

Aster Finley discovers that she can speak to animals very quickly after she arrives at her new home in Ohio. Aster has moved a lot over her short life and is looking forward to being much more settled in her new “forever” home. Aster’s parents are doing their best to make her feel settled and happy and their efforts include building her a wonderful tree house.

It is in the tree house that Aster meets many of her new animal friends, including a bird called Poe and a groundhog called Hamilton. It doesn’t take long for Aster to discover her new talent of understanding the animals and to become embroiled in the animals plan to help all humans find their way back to the Great Elan so that the world can be saved from the greed and destructive tendencies of humans.

Aster soon learns, however, that not all the animals agree with this great plan. Some of the animals have other ideas about the role of humans in the world and are determined to sabotage any actions taken by Aster and her friends to change the status quo.

I found the beginning of this book to be a bit slow. Michael was starting to lose interest in the beginning and I had to make him carry on reading the first two chapters before the story started to pick up its pace. Once the story got going, however, it was a very good read. The other observation I made was that there are a couple of swear words in the book which seemed to be out of context and unnecessary. My son was a bit shocked and would not read them.

On the whole, I found this a charming read and my son, Michael, aged 11 years old, really enjoyed it. We particularly loved the happy-go-lucky and fun-loving Hamilton. Our rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars.

After living the nomadic lifestyle of a military child, Aster Finlay’s father retires and her family settles down into a more “normal” life; however, when Aster discovers she can communicate with animals, she realizes her life is going to be anything but normal.

Karen likes to write fun adventures for reluctant readers. When she’s not wrapped up in her imagination, she enjoys spending time with her husband, three wonderful children, and two rescue dogs. If you like what you read, she’d appreciate if you’d leave a review. You can also contact her on her website www.karenannwirtz.com. She’d love to hear from you!

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