Series: The Dark Is Rising (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Susan Cooper (UK)
PUBLISHED: Originally published by Random House Children's ; 1965-1977.
PAGES/ILL: ~260 pages.
SERIES: The Dark Is Rising Sequence. Over Sea, Under Stone ; The Dark Is Rising ; Greenwitch ; The Grey King ; Silver On The Tree.

PLOT: (Second book: The Dark Is Rising)
When Will Stanton turns 11, his life is changed forever when he learns he is the last of the Old Ones - members of the Light who protect the world from the Dark. Together with the first Old One, Merriman Lyon, he must find six symbols of the Light, which together are a major defence against the Dark and the Black Rider. Merriman was introduced in the first book, and both he and Will feature in the remaining books.

REVIEW:
This series combines Celtic and Norse mythology as well as English folk lore and faint elements of demonology. The second book in the series was adapted as a film in 2007, titled The Seeker in the US and The Dark Is Rising in the UK.

This is a solid good-vs-evil fantasy. Recommended for ages 11-16 and for those who enjoyed the Narnia and Ranger's Apprentice series who enjoy or need a gateway to works like The Lord of the Rings.

AGE: 11+.
GENRE: Fantasy Adventure.
RATING: 4 stars.

21 Book to Movie Adaptations

Here's a great list of book-to-movie adaptations of 2015.

Series: Endgame (YA Fic)

AUTHOR: James Frey (US)
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins ; 2014.
PAGES/ILL: ~460 pages.
SERIES: Endgame. The Calling, Sky Key, (third book title TBA).
TIE-INS: Website, Game, Movie.

PLOT: (First book: The Calling)
At the beginning of civilisation on Earth, "They" descended from the sky. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilisations to mine it for them. Then They left, but they told the the 12 lines of the human race that they would be back, and when they did, a game would be played, with a teenaged Player from each line. For ten thousand years the lines have each had a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise assassination. Together the players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak.
Now the game has started. It started in death and will end in death, with only one winner. The one whose line will continue. The Players must find three Keys, in order. In the first book, The Calling, they are searching for the first, Earth Key. Some bonds will form. Some Players will die.

REVIEW:
This book is like the Hunger Games with aliens. Teenagers who like maths and geography will particularly like it. The books, together with the accompanying website, give clues so that the reader can play along with the characters to solve the puzzles. In fact, there is a competition where if you solve all the clues you can win half a million dollars! (Competition ends on or before October 7, 2016).
This is a book that would probably need librarians to promote it, especially to teens who are interested in codes and puzzles.

Overall, it's an appealing dystopia for sci-fi fans.

AGE: 14+.
GENRE: Science fiction, Dystopia, Adventure.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

The Lost Thing (video)

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan is a picture book for upper primary school students about a teenager who finds something (a cross between a robot, a dog, an octopus, a crab, and something unknown) lost and looks for a place where it could belong. It has quite a lot of social commentary embedded in the pictures and sub-text.

It was made into a short 15-minute film.

This book and film could be used together in a literature study for middle school students.

Favourite Roald Dahl Characters

For International Book Week, Roalddahl.com has a list of Top 5 Dahl heroes and heroines.

I really can't disagree with their choices, but there are a few I think give top 5 a run for their money and at least deserve an honourable mention. They include:

Grandma from The Witches. She's unflappable, knowledgeable, wise, experienced, and an all-round fun person it would be a pleasure to know.

Mr. Hoppy, the retired bachelor from Esio Trot. This sweet man is ingenious. I envy any woman who is lucky enough to find a man who will go to such lengths to gain her affection. (I should also let you know that this book will have a movie tie-in this year!)

And I absolutely must give accolades to Roald Dahl himself as the lead in his autobiography Boy. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.

What character would you nominate?

(I would also add, that though they aren't characters, Dahl's books Revolting Rhymes and Dirty Beasts. HILARIOUS and a must in every upper primary school class).

Paper Planes (Jnr Fic)

AUTHOR: Steve Worland (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Puffin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 196 pages.

PLOT:
Twelve-year-old Dylan Webber lives in outback Western Australia in a small country town. When he discovers he has a talent for folding and flying paper planes, Dylan begins a journey to reach the World Junior Paper Plane Championships in Japan.
Along the way he makes unlikely new friends, clashes with powerful rivals and comes to terms with his family's past before facing his greatest challenge: to create a paper plane that will compete with the best in the world.

REVIEW:
Written in the second person, present tense, this is a quick and easy read. It is based on the screenplay of the movie. I'm sure it will appeal to primary school children who see the movie.

AGE: 7+.
GENRE: Realistic fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars.

Series: High School Musical (Fic)

AUTHOR: Helen Perelman (USA) PUBLISHED: ~2008

PLOT: The books tell various stories based on the characters created by Peter Barsocchini for the hit movies.

REVIEW: Will appeal to tweens because of links to the Disney movies.

AGES: 8-13. The thin plots and simple language will not appeal to more advanced readers.
GENRE: Realistic Fiction.
RATING: Personally, I'd give them 1 star, but they get 3 1/2 stars for their appeal to the target age group.