Ghost-writing and authoring-by-committee is nothing new, and, now that publishers are feeling the pinch with the implosion of the traditional side of the industry in favour of independent publishing, this business model has been embraced…
It’s good to be getting back into the flow of things after returning from our holiday to Tasmania (we were so incredibly lucky that all the sparkly things in the sky aligned and we actually…
This review contains SPOILERS and is intended for parents.
The Way In is a great start to what will presumably continue as an 88 Lime Street series, although there is very little information on any follow up books. Beginning as a standard-fare haunted house story, the plot twists into more of a time-slip adventure with some big scares unsuitable for young or sensitive readers. It’s a bit Indiana(s)-Jones-for-teens with booby traps and hazards.
This review contains SPOILERS and is intended for parents.
Jo Stanley’s Play Like a Girl Chapter Book Series (in collaboration with AFLW*) is my surprise find for the year. Each of the four books follows a different protagonist with a minor issue to overcome while playing (Australian Rules) footy for the Millsborough West Girls’ Under 12 Football Team (The Flyers). Sarah has just moved to a new area and a new school; Hanh is jealous of her best friend; Rainbow is the “weird” kid who doesn’t fit in at school; Lucy is shy and not just because she wears hearing aids. They are all coached by Shawna, a tough, sporty woman with a loud voice and spiky blue hair. The books are simple and the story problems are very brief and easy to resolve, but the characterisation is great with a broad range of different personalities and motivations. Finding out how these girls are going to cope and succeed is rather compelling.
My teen science-fantasy book Madison Lane and the Wand of Rasputin is now available in print and electronically (Kindle MOBI, ePUB, and PDF). Maddie becomes Earth’s best hope of survival when she uses a magic…