A Review By Zoe

17 year old orphan Alex Adair is battling with the “monster” in her brain. She is a cancer patient and after having had enough of invasive treatments she decides go hiking in the wilderness of Michigan before saying no to further treatment. Whilst there she meets an elderly man and his sulky nine-year old Granddaughter Ellie.  Suddenly, mid- conversation, an unbearable “zap” of energy hits them, causing the Grandfather to die. Alone and afraid, Alex and Ellie walk the dozens of miles to the nearest ranger’s station. Along the way they discover that all of their electrical equipment no longer works. Then they meet others affected by the “zap”, a few are unhurt, some are dead and others have been changed in terrifying ways.

The premise of this book, as with much dystopian teenage fiction, sounds quite daft, and in fact “Ashes” did become quite daft towards the end when it seemed to lurch into a story that, in my opinion, belonged in another book entirely. The first half was brilliant, however. I read it late at night and at one point was afraid to turn the page, which rarely happens to me. The second half of the book threw in a whole host of new situations and questions without addressing any from the previous chapters. It is also a very gory book with some strong language at times, so I wouldn’t recommend it for younger teenagers. I will read the next novel, because of course this is the first in a trilogy, as I would like to know what this life-changing “zap” actually was!

Armed with a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother head for England. Life is lonely for Kasienka. At home her mother’s heart is breaking and at school friends are scarce.

But when someone special swims into her life, Kasienka learns that there might be more than one way for her to stay afloat. The Weight of Water is a startlingly original piece of fiction; most simply a brilliant coming of age story, it also tackles the alienation experienced by many young immigrants. Moving, unsentimental and utterly page-turning, we meet and share the experiences of a remarkable girl who shows us how quiet courage prevails.

The What on Earth? Wallbook of Natural History tells the complete story of natural history from the formation of the Earth to the latest breakthroughs in evolutionary science. A3 in size and comprising a remarkable 2.3 m long, fully illustrated timeline, it can either be read like a book or unfolded and stuck on a wall. On one side the 4.5 billion year timeline presents a unique illustrated guide to the past, cleverly linking subjects together from asteroids to algae.

Streams of colour represent key themes, including the land, sea and sky, and provide a backdrop to all the major events of natural history. On the reverse side a second timeline identifies the people behind the science and highlights key moments in the understanding of natural science from Aristotle to the present day. Perfect for younger readers but also relevant to all ages, this comprehensive, accessible and versatile wallbook is the first ever attempt to illustrate the entire history of nature and natural science on a single piece of paper.

A Review By Frances

These stories, collected from around the Commonwealth  share the theme of water.  The introduction by Prince Charles emphasises the importance of handling beautiful books and Jan Pienkowski’s  illustrations – a mix of his iconic silhouette style, sketches and illuminated script – certainly make this a wonderful choice for a special gift.

A Review By Frances

This is a follow up book to “The Chicken Thief” and follows the same formula – a wordless picture book. Three friends, a chicken, a rabbit and a bear setting off by boat for an adventure.  Only the chicken does not really want to go and sits glowering at the back of the little craft.  The trio go through turbulent storms and finally land in a very strange place full of bones, bats, mysterious caves and luminous mushrooms.  The naughty chicken steals a glowing orb and runs away, closely chased by the rabbit and the bear.  What happens next unfolds through these brilliant illustrations with a funny twist at the end.  A delightful book, ideal for sharing from about age three right up to seven or eight year olds.