Having come across a wonderful book page on FaceBook called Toppsta who delight in children's books, I was lucky enough to win not one but two of the books they featured recently.
CLARITY JONES AND THE MAGICAL DETECTIVE AGENCY written by CHRIS SMITH with illustrations by KENNETH ANDERSON.
'Never, ever eliminate the impossible.'
When Mutt gets a job as an apprentice at the leading detective agency in the realm of Rillia, he's not expecting to work with ex-princesses, snow gnoblins and the most notorious assassin of the White Hand Clan.
And he's definitely not expecting to be thrown in the deep end on the agency's toughest and most dangerous job yet - the mysterious case of the vanishing jester ...
A 'mid-grade' read! I hear you say
Yes, a mid-grade read but then I've said it before and I'll say it again, a great story is a great story no matter what age it is targeted at and, my goodness, Clarity Jones And The Magical Detective Agency is a great story no matter your age.
Great characters √
I'm super, super excited by this, well, Magical array of character.
Characters like Clarity Jones the one time princess turned M.I. {that's a Magical Investigator to you and me}, a detective {not that anyone in Rillia has the foggiest notion as to what a detective is} Mutt, an eight year old orphan who accidently find's himself a detective's apprentice and Nissassa, a one-time assassin from the infamous Assassins Guild who, much as I loved them failed to steal my heart like Mirko, the snow goblin who is, well, lets just say is somewhat {OK then, really} fastidious when it comes to cleanliness in general and the cleaning of his shaggy white fur in particular {and standing at 8 feet tall that is an awful lot of fur}.
... and that's only the main characters, there are plenty of others, amongst which are the character types that the author so cleverly puts his own spin on.
Superb storytelling √
My word can Chris Smith spin a yarn! I have no doubt that young readers will be thrilled by this magical, funny, adventure packed read ... heck! I'm thrilled by it.
That the author cleverly uses asides to the main story, mini chapters within a chapter that read almost like a guide book that brings to life not only Rillia but also the characters and their habitats is so impressive.
And then of course there's that the narrative is sprinkled with asides in which the author speaks directly to the reader ... brilliant!
Second to none world building √
I loved that the novel was set in a medieval like, magical realm. The people, the buildings, the back streets, the sights, all of which were all so beautifully brought to life that I felt myself transported there.
Wonderful illustrations √
I loved the fun, black and white, cartoon like illustrations that will doubtlessly help younger, less confident readers not only better mentally picture the world and inhabitants but will also help them engage with the text.
SAFIYYAH'S WAR by HIBA NOOR KHAN.
War comes to the streets of Paris and Safiyyah's life changes for ever.
Her best friend's family have fled, and the bombing makes her afraid to leave the mosque where she lives. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his secret Resistance work, it falls to Safiyyah to run the dangerous errands around the city.
It's not long before hundreds of persecuted Jews seek sanctuary at the mosque. Can Safiyyah find the courage to enter the treacherous catacombs under Paris and lead the Jews to safety?
Broadly based on actual events, the author has brought to life a part of recent history that, not largely known, saw a community of heroic and compassionate Muslims of North African-heritage risk their lives to hide Jews (and the occasional British soldiers) from the Nazis during WW2.
The story explores Paris as the Nazis invade the city Safiyyah once freely and safely roamed changing it almost beyond recognition as the liberty and livelihoods if not the very lives of her friends are threatened.
I thought Safiyyah a wonderful character, seeing something of myself in her love of the library and her friendship with the librarian, Madame Odette ... unlike Safiyyah however I don't think I could ever have been that brave.
Whilst there are some pretty 'grown-up' themes for young readers to get their heads around; themes such as the occupation of a city, acts of aggression, religious bias, seeing family members go off to war, there are also the themes of compassion, friendship and what it means to do the right thing, that together make this such a moving and, based on actual events as it is, important book to read no matter what your age.
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