Barrington Stoke Solos: Bighead by Vince Cross, Take Two by Jo Cotterill, Bomb by Jim Eldridge and The After School Club by Alison Davies

Over Christmas I read four relatively new books in Barrington Stoke's Solo range. I thought I'd write them up in one go here. Solos are described as 'short, whole novels that offer an easier introduction to real books'. They have a large difference between Reading Age (6.5 years) and Interest Age (11+).

Bighead by Vince Cross
Andy's in a wheelchair after an accident, his Dad has walked out and his Mum's struggling to find direction in her life. Understandably Andy has poor self-esteem, but the band he forms with is friends gives him the inspiration he needs. Bighead, the new band's name, reflects this new found confidence. The band can't fail on their path to stardom, and even Andy's Mum sorts herself out. Bighead is quite a cheesy story, but you can't help but smile.

Take Two by Jo Cotterill
I am afraid to say it, Take Two is aimed purely at a female audience, it includes a lot of pink, stars, dresses and glitter. It explains how Carla and Lily get their own back on the sneaky, arrogant Max. The girls see through him straight away, "he's too up himself", and find a great way to embarrass him. Take Two mixes some British, American and Japanese institutions: rugby, school proms and manga pictures. The blurb on the back tells you all you need to know; One prom + One hot boy + Two best friends = A lot of trouble!

Bomb by Jim Eldridge
I really like the way Bomb is presented; dramatic pictures, lots of talk of MI5 an secret reports. It makes the story of a bomb in a school come to life. Rob is the bomb disposal expert, he is only 19, but he's the best. But he is troubled because his best mate was killed by a terrorist bomb like the one he must face. He has 45 minutes to diffuse the bomb, this is about how much time it might take to read, so it feels like it is in real time, which is a neat trick. It ends with a classic decision of which coloured wire to cut, I won't spoil it for you!

The After School Club by Alison Davies
The pictures and words in The After School Club seem to be telling different stories. Without the pictures it would be  a scary horror story about a secret club. But the images are done in a jokey cartoon way, which reduces the impact of the spookiness. Sam can't resist when Lena, the coolest girl at school asks him to join the 'Hairy Bikers' gang. Inevitably things do not go as he hoped and he has a series of run-ins with the other gang members and school bullies. The big revelation is perhaps easy to spot coming, but it is still a fun read. I would have liked the pictures to been as unsettling as the text though.

Wolf by Tommy Donbavand

I met Tommy Donbavand at the Doncaster Children's Book Award last year, he was short-listed for Zombie!, another Barrington Stoke book. He did a brilliant routine involving giant crabs and toilet-roll mummy children. It was obvious mnosters play a big role in Tommy's world. So it was no surprise to see his latest is Wolf, a werewolf tale.


Wolf tells the story of a normal boy called Adam's incredible transformation one evening, and the amazing reactions of his parents. 


Adam's first concern when claws rip out of his fingers "mum's going to kill me when she saw the mess!" That turns out to be the least of his worries, as a very gruesome transform takes place. The chapter names describe the process: Claws, Fur, Tail, Snout, Eyes, Spine and Teeth! I particularly like the Fur chapter; "it did feel like I was wearing a thick dressing gown."


More remarkable than the transformation is Adam's parent clam reaction to it. They are pretty prepared for it. As Adam struggles to overcome his animal instincts and work-out why his parents are behaving so oddly, it builds to a truly shocking final couple of pages.


Brilliant, horrific stuff. I hope I catch up with Tommy again soon, he is much friendlier in real life.

My Name is O by Sam Enthoven, and Pale by Chris Wooding

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I have received proof copies of two dystopian stories out in January 2012,  My Name is O by Sam Enthoven, and  Pale by Chris Wooding.


My Name is O, is set entirely in the Bank of England as O tells the reader of his daring break-in and the reason for it. We learn directly from O that he/she "was born in a special breeding programme run by our secret masters", the implication is that the reader is as much a part of this controlled society as O. But O has been singled out for particular conditioning, but without his masters knowledge he has "built a personality". O starts out pretty cocky, but gets more and more out of his depth, he doesn't understand his situation as much as he thinks. It's a gripping tale, set over a short time period in a single location, but very much part of a wider, scary world.


In contrast Pale, covers a long time period. In fact Jed grows, dies and comes back to live another life within the 69 pages. It is set in another scary world, in a future where some people can be resurrected as Pales. The Pales are completely shunned by regular society; jealousy, fear and ignorance all play a part. Sometimes feelings are understandable, it's hard to argue with a statement like "dead kids shouldn't be allowed to go to school". But it's clear people need to learn to deal with these new members of society. Jed, our narrator sees both sides. I hope I am not spoiling it by telling you he dies on page 16! It is tale of violence, betrayal and hatred with a gripping conclusion of rescue and revelation.


In both books, and like in all good Science Fiction, they tell us as much about our own lives as those of the characters in the fantasy settings. Pale in particular seems to be all about current news-worthy themes of immigration, religious differences and human rights. I think they would provide lots of discussion in reading partnerships.

Ninja: First Mission by Chris Bradford

Chris Bradford is quite an amazing guy, before becoming the hugely successful author of the Young Samurai series he was a professional musician, he is a black belt martial artist, he is funny (check out this video) and he is a nice guy too, all the proceeds for Ninja: First Mission are going to charity!


Naturally, hugely jealous, I really wanted to hate Ninja: First Mission, his first book for Barrington Stoke, but it is hard not to love it. 


The first of a series set in Japan in 1580. Taka is training to be a ninja. He is a little over-confident and the start to the story is not what you'd expect. The back story and setting is nicely woven into the story; we learn about his family history, clan, rivals, enemies, friends and training. Super language too, I love the sound of the 'Sixteen Secret Fists' technique.


The First Mission of the title, is a personal and significant challenge for Taka. We are not sure of his true motivation, is he being driven by or vengeance rather than dedication to his ninja clan? This truly adds to the thrill of the adventure.


I am very much looking forward to the continuing series. I enjoyed the realism and historical setting, a real contrast to the Lords of Pain series, and the manga-style illustrations are superb.


By the way, the video I mentioned above, is an introduction to the Ninja Challenge, a duelling card game to be played on or offline, looks brilliant for Reading Matters partnerships, more resources on the Chris Bradford website too.

The Gun by Bali Rai

Like The Fall by Anthony McGowan (reviewed recently) and Them and Us an earlier Bali Rai book (reviewed a while back) The Gun is a serious book for serious times.


The scene is set in the prologue, Jonas is in a police cell. The details are specific and telling; officials, fashions and smells. As Jonas begins his tale in Chapter 1, we know from the first line, the world he inhabits, "freezing our arses off outside Lahore Fried Chicken".


Jonas is not a bad kid but his situation in life means it is tough to avoid trouble. Especially when his best mate turns out to be worryingly crazy. Throw a loaded gun into the mix and things are never going to end well.


Their estate is always violent. Jonas and his mates dabble in gangs without getting sucked right in. But it is the gun than tips them over the edge.


In his intro Rai says the story was inspired by The Wire TV series. I am still having withdrawal symptoms after this ended, so I am bias. But, I have to say, in 65 pages Rai creates some moving characters and the journey they go on filled me with affection and dismay.

The Fall by Anthony McGowan

I am back on track with my Barrington Stoke reviews. After the sweetness and light of Sterling and the Canary by Andy Stanton, The Fall by Anthony McGowan is dark, dark, dark.

From the start The Fall is obviously a denser book than most Barrington Stoke titles; no pictures, more words on a page and a harder use of language. By page five we have read about death, bullying and young offenders. By then end of chapter one I was thoroughly depressed and things do not get improve as the tory progresses.

This bleakness isn't a problem, the book is hugely relevant. I read it during the Summer 2011 riots, and it got to the centre of society's issues better than most media coverage I have seen. Dealing with the causes of young people's lack of morality and angst.

Mog, the narrator, has a poetic streak that is at odds with the tale he tells. There are flashes of brightness amongst the gloom; "like the colour turned into a feeling".

The book has a sense of reality that is quite disturbing. Something about the real sounding names, nick-names and places makes the violence and destruction even more shocking. A challenging read but very deep and very worthwhile.

Sterling and the Canary by Andy Stanton

After a full year of Barrington Stoke book reviews, I have not done any for months. What better way to get back on track with Sterling and the Canary by Andy Stanton author of my favourite Mr Gum Books.

It's all about Sterling Thaxton's attempts to get new girl Lizzie Harris to go out with him. A fairly standard sort of plot, but it's the language that makes the story fizz. Sterling "flopped around the house like a bored pancake", brilliant!

There are some great recurring jokes too. It starts raining every time Lizzie breaks Sterling's heart.

There is a super ending. With the the help of the Canary, Sterling realises what he actually wants has been right under his nose all along.

It feels like a modern take on a fable.  I had to re-read it immediately, it's the sort of book you have to read twice!

It's a hard book to review, I had to go back and take out a lot of my 'ironic' exclamation marks! I really like the way Andy Stanton writes. As you read the words just flow, but you can tell it is very carefully crafted. I loved it.

Reading Mentor Resources at Firth Park Community Arts College

I was at Firth Park Community Arts College last week, placing a new Reading Mentor. We explored all sorts of new resources including many for particularly reluctant or struggling readers. I wanted to share them with you:

• Dark Man series by Peter Lancett - Minimal text and dark pencil illustrations, in particular the use of repetition helps embed word recognition
• Dark Flight series - 'Horror' tales designed to grab the attention of young teenagers with low reading ages
• Right Now! series by Dee Phillips - Very low word counts fiction books for teenagers lower reading ages
• Zig Zag series - Aimed at younger children but still popular at the secondary school
• Barrington Stoke - Barrington Stoke are our go-to publisher, the series above are aimed at young reading ages than Barrington Stoke's traditional audience, but their Solo and Go! series, plus the new Tribe series, will be suitable.

I also learnt that the rather wonderful author, Malorie Blackman, is name checked in the song Written in the Stars by Tinie Tempah. How cool is that!

The Lord of Tears by James Lovegrove

The Lord of Tears by James Lovegrove is the sequel to The Lord of Void which  I reviewed last year. It is book 3 of the 5 book series, The 5 Lords of Pain, in which young Tom Yamada must save the world by defeating five demons.

After a short re-cap the action begins. 18 pages of the first 40 are given over to a epic battle against a host of Shinobi Ghosts. This is one example of some tricky language. It helps describe the Tokyo setting very well,  but words like Konnichiwa, Harajuku and Yoyogi may put off a few struggling and reluctant readers the book is ostensibly aimed at.

Lovegrove obviously knows his stuff, there is a nice reference to Death Note manga, And I think he may have also read some Alex Rider books, Tom has his own mind just like the youthful spy.

We learn a little more about the Yamada family history and meet some interesting family members. Including Mai who blackmails him to let her fight in the contest. Tom is hugely conflicted; he knows he should be preparing for the fight but the sense of normality is such a relief. In the end Tom's 'pride' forces his decision to fight. In battle the Lord of Tears is super quick, Tom can't get near him, and he must use his brain to defeat him.

It's pretty dense, long book for a Barrington Stoke publication, and lots of puzzles are going to need solving in the final two stories. I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out.

Barrington Stoke Books

I have been reviewing Barrington Stoke books for some time now. It is very rewarding and I don't plan to stop doing the reviews, but I am going to change my approach a little.

Barrington Stoke have been sending me pre-release copies for review. I am going to focus on these, and dip into the back catalogue occasionally. So to get me started I have:

• The Gun by Bali Rai
• Return of the (Un)Teenager by Pete Johnson
• Ninja First Mission by Chris Bradford
• Sterling and the Canary by Andy Stanton
• The Fall by Anthony McGowan
• The Lord of Tears by James Lovegrove (I actually won this one in a Barrington Stoke competition)

I'm really looking forward to checking these books out - hot off the press!

Photos: Doncaster Book Award and Bradford Reading Mentors Meeting

I was involved in a couple of great events last week, the Doncaster Book Award and Reading Matters termly Volunteer Reading Mentors Meeting.

Doncaster Book Award

Gareth P Jones' novel The Thornthwaite Inheritance won the 2011 prize at a fabulous ceremony that I played a very small part in, I awarded the Creative Writing Prizes.

The day kicked off with a brilliant dance routine, with books! Lead by Lesley Hurworth, Chair of the Doncaster Book Award, and Reading Matters' Reading Leaders co-ordinator at the Armthorpe School.
Hosted by Dave Cryer, we were then treated to three brilliant performances by Phil Sheppard, The Two Steves and Tommy Donbavand:

Tommy's session, involved two lucky/unlucky candidates being turned into mummies like Cleo from the Scream Street Books:
It was a superb, packed day. I met all sorts of dedicated people, who all love to read!

Reading Matters Volunteer Reading Mentors Meeting

Reading Matters termly Volunteer Reading Mentors in Bradford was a little calmer affair, but still thrilling to catch-up with so many people dedicated to developing reading skills.

Useless by Tanya Landman - Barrington Stoke Book 42

Right from the first page there are some great phrases in Useless by Tanya Landman. A phrase like "her lips shut tight as a cat's bum", is going to catch anyone's attention. Just the right level of naughtiness for a reading partnership.

Despite this tone, the book covers some serious issues. Rob's dad left and he blames his Mum. Despite not seeing him for two years, Rob hero worships his departed Dad. So when a new man arrives in the house, he is instantly "the enemy".

I really like books where the reader can't trust everything a character is telling us. I believe it is called an unreliable narrator. It credits the reader with some intelligence as they can read-between-the-lines. I also think it makes the book ideal for discussion and prediction, so again, perfect for a reading partnership.

Rob begins to see sense. He gets to like his Mum's new man, "it was like peace had been declared". And when his Dad arrives on the scene, he gets a deeper understanding.

The tone is jokey, and there are just 40 pages of text and 10 intriguing illustrations. But Useless covers some traumatic themes, including alcoholism, very sensitively.

Watcher by Lee Weatherly - Barrington Stoke Book 41

Watcher is inspired by the by Lee Weatherly's visit to a school to do a writing workshop. I just wanted to take the opportunity to recommend this sort of work. I know a local school here in Sheffield where Bali Rai visited. This was a bit controversial, he is not the most 'politically correct' speaker, but this is exactly his appeal to the children he met.

Meeting authors in this way makes it clear they are just regular people with no super powers. Being a writer or whatever is accessible to anyone with the dedication.

The other benefit of authors visiting schools is new inspiration for books like Watcher.

It is a proper novel with dense chapters that move the story along and builds the tension.

Sarah tells her story, she is bullied and lonely and self-conscious about her weight. This in part due to her mum leaving seven years ago with little explanation. Sarah learns that her mum is living nearby and stalks her for an opportunity for revenge for her departure. This makes her even more moody and temperamental, and affects her relationship with her father and friends. Her behaviour becomes more an more extreme as she seeks to 'break in' to her mum's life.

The book ends quite suddenly after a dramatic resolution. We are left knowing Sarah's future is not going to be easy. But with everything out in the open, it is going to be better.

I know a lot of people will relate to Sarah's tale, feeling let down by her parents affects all aspects of her life, at one point she announces she is "fatter than ever". A modern story for older readers.

Flint by Chris Powling - Barrington Stoke Book 40

The first thing to say about Flint by Chris Powling is that it is really short, but from page one, you'll be hooked (excuse the bad pirate pun). This is because the action is in full flow when we pick up the story with cabin-boy Edmund and the bosun imprisoned by Flint, the evil pirate chief with a 'snake-like smile'.

The next thing to say is that it is pretty grizzly. Flint flogs to death the captain of Edmund's ship. There is even a picture to back-up the gruesome text.

Third point is the nice terminology, we learn what bilges, bosuns and cat o' nine tails are. The language is pretty fruity too, Edmund feels "as if the Devil himself has just farted in my face'.

The length, less than 50 pages and the blood n' guts and pirate talk, mean Flint will really appeal to blood-thirsty pirate lovers looking for a gripping read.

Edmund learns that he and the bosun are just being kept alive to bury the treasure, after which Flint will kill them, so only he knows the location. They even have to dig their own graves. I hope I don't spoil things by saying that by the end of the story no one is what they seemed at the start.

Death Leap by Simon Chapman - Barrington Stoke Book 39

The Barrington Stoke website describes Death Leap by Simon Chapman like this:

Jake sees a murder and the hitmen are after him. He needs all his biking skills to survive.

And that really is all that happens, it is perhaps the shortest book I have read. The time period covered is a matter of minutes. The website also adds:

Adrenaline-fuelled page-turner.

And that is so true too. The short length and the fact that the action takes place in no time at all, means the story grips from page one and the pace doesn't let up until the end.

The minimal text is supplemented with great pictures of mountain bike action, gunmen and bloody injuries. It is a very simple story, but that is the point, it would be a perfect first book for an older reluctant or struggling reader, or a younger reader looking for a challenging 'older' book.

A Kind of Magic by Catherine MacPhail - Barrington Stoke Book 38

A Kind of Magic by Catherine MacPhail is another book that Barrington Stoke don't seem to be publishing any more. Like Turnaround by Alison Prince, that I review previously, I think this is a shame. It is a mischievous little book that is bound to appeal to a certain audience.

A found or stolen fossil may or may not be magic. Either way the results include zits, the runs and a bit of snogging! It's pretty disgusting in places, perfect for a certain type of young person!

Despite, the gruesomeness, some interesting themes are explored; guilt, morality, the cause and effect of our actions. Two such ideas are quoted by characters in the story:

• You get what you wish for
• You get out of this word what you put in

A cheeky book like this, is a great way to explore these themes with a reading partner.

Snakebite by Robert Swindells - Barrington Stoke Book 37

According to the Author's Note Snakebite by Robert Swindells is inspired by a Bradford journalist, so just about qualifies for my search for books with a local connection. In fact, judging by the language, it seems to be set in Glasgow (although I am basing this on a view viewings of Trainspotting and the Chritopher Brookmyre books I have been reading recently.

Where ever it's set, Snakebite is a smart read, with an engaging narrative direct from Alex, the unemployed, bullied main narrator. He's into animals and gets a snake for his seventeenth birthday. Because he's lonely, bored and scared of the violent gang members on the estate, he starts taking the snake out with him.

Almost inevitably the snake in the pocket comes into it's own. but not before the bullying becomes pretty scary. It is made worse by some very dark undertones. Alex's parents are oblivious, the police don't care and the gang are linked in with some serious drug gangs.

The use of language, "acting the numpty" and Alex's general upbeat demeanour take the edge of what would otherwise be a terrifying tale.

Twocking by Eric Brown - Barrington Stoke Book 36

Twocking by Eric Brown is quite a controversial book. A story about stealing cars with a stated reading age of 8 years, but crucially the Interest age is 14+.

There is death and tragedy from the very first paragraph, which sets the tone of the story to follow. With Chapter 2 dealing with sex, drugs, drink and violence. Joey is very simply lead astray by Emma, it could be lust or drink that is the cause, but probably just boredom. "Bradford Council closed the rec" says Joey, but it's no real excuse for what happens, as Joey and Emma begin Twocking - T(aking) W(ithout) O(wner's) C(onsent), ie. nicking cars.

The Bradford setting makes it very close to home for me (Reading Matters head office is in Bradford), as they speed out of the city and onto the moors.

Things escalate when Emma starts doing drug runs for local small-time gangster Skelly. The ending is simply horrific; heroin, and car accidents and more.

I can see why such a book isn't always going to be appropriate. It's such serious subject matter, for such a readable, accessible book. But the morals are right there are ramifications from all of Joey's actions.

There is a very smart review from what sounds like a, Reading Mentor, and her partner over on Amazon that really backs up the fact that this is a challenging book, but that is just what makes it attractive, especially to read in a partnership.

Dream On by Bali Rai - Barrington Stoke Book 35

Dream On by Bali Rai has a lot of elements that indicate it is going to be a bit of a cliched 'multi-cultural' story, but this turns out to be completely wrong. Baljit's family run an Indian take away, but it's a fish and chip shop. There is family tension, but there are no arranged marriages. They suffer racism, but authority figures step in to deal with it. And these themes aren't even the heart of the story.
Dream On is all about Baljit's attempts to be a top-flight footballer, and as he says "I never see even one Indian playing the football". A brilliant turn-of-phrase, and the book is full of them. I learnt a few Indian slang words myself ("Chadd deh" means "leave it"!). As a result the dialogue is really sharp, and the relationships between mates, school staff and family members highly believable. Baljit's Dad uses"innit", but this doesn't stop the youngsters taking the mickey.

The endearing characters mean the football trials are nail-biting affairs, they are really well described. However, the story could end any way, and it wouldn't matter because it is the personalities Bali Rai has created that matter most.

[The publishers, Barrington Stoke, produce a pack of resources to accompany Dream On, which look like they are worth checking out.]

Turnaround by Alison Prince - Barrington Stoke Book 34

I am not sure Barrington Stoke are still publishing Turnaround by Alison Prince, which is a shame because it's a very short touching read.

At face-value Kerry has a lovely life helping out her parents B&B. She organises the 'turnarounds' of visitors. But, behind the scenes, family life is very traumatic. This is made worse because no one wants to face up to it. Tellingly, breakfasts are eaten in silence.

Paul comes to stay and Kerry develops a new relationship. In the end, with Paul's help Kerry must face up to the problems in her life; alcoholism and depression.

It is heavy subject matter, but handled very well. The characters are very believable. I like Kelly's Gran, she's a Beach Boys fan! The first two thirds of the book let you get to know these sympathetic characters, so when the drama arrives in the final third you really feel for them.

Things do not end perfectly, but necessary corrections are made, as Kerry says "the turnaround always seem to take ages".