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Books : Children's Books : Fiction : Issues : Social
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Malorie Blackman is a fine, award-winning author whose work is always inclined to provoke debate amongst her readers, and indeed her peers. With Noughts and Crosses she surpasses expectation not only with her subject matter, but with the execution of a stimulating and provocative plot line that often leaves the reader chilled to the bone.Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realise they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought--a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses--and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives.
Noughts and Crosses is written with the passion of an author who has a personal message about the perception of the past, present and future, and Blackman has used the clever device of turning preconceived ideas of racial prejudice upside down to make sure that her point is well and truly made. Deeply disturbing and totally absorbing this novel is intriguing from the outset, with a shocking climax that packs an unforgettable punch. (Age 11 and over) --Susan Harrison
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Stone Cold, winner of the 1994 Carnegie Medal, serves as a sinister warning to any young runaway and not just because there is a killer on the loose. Narrated by 17-year-old Link, homeless and jobless in London after being driven out of home by a drunken, abusive stepfather, he vividly recounts the day-to-day experiences of a homeless person. Because he tells it like it is, his descriptions of sleeping rough shatter any romantic notions: "So you pick your spot. Wherever it is ... it's going to have a floor of stone, tile, concrete or brick. In other words it's going to be hard and cold. It might be a bit cramped, too--shop doorways often are. And remember, if it's winter you're going to be half-frozen before you even start."If this was just another diatribe on the perils of sleeping rough, the reader's interest would soon wane but it is far more gripping than that. The author alternates Link's tale with that of an unknown serial killer preying on the homeless. You, the reader, see how closely their lives brush against each other and know it's only a matter of time before they clash. Will Link be joining the other recruits in the cellar--what a deterrent that would be! (Age 11 and over.) --Nicola Perry
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Josie Lawrence reads Jacqueline Wilson's Secrets in this unabridged four-cassette pack.Wilson is bang on form with this stirring story of two young girls from opposite sides of the tracks and the effect they have on each others' lives.
India lives in the lap of luxury on a posh housing estate. Her mum is a famous children's clothes designer and her dad is top man at a top company. But India is far from happy with her life. Her uptight anorexic mother does little to hide her disappointment in her chubby offspring, and her dad is decidedly distracted these days, so India follows in the footsteps of her heroine Anne Frank and reveals all in her secret diary.
Treasure lives in a council flat with her glamorous, line-dancing Nan but is scared she may one day have to go back to live with her mum. She, too, keeps a diary but hers is called the Terrible Terry Torture Manual and is filled with all the things she would like to do to get her own back on her bullying stepfather.
Treasure, the floppy-haired stringbean, and India, the rotund red-head, meet by chance and against the odds forge a friendship that is tested to the limit when Treasure runs away to avoid having to go and live with her mum and Terry again. The frightened little girl takes refuge in her new best friend's attic, while India relishes the chance to take care of a real Anne Frank...
Told via alternating entries from the two very different diaries, Secrets brims with the stuff of pre-teen childhood (best friends, secrets, diaries and the allure of other people's families) while cleverly combining the swift realism of class barriers, broken homes and society's deep-rooted suspicions.
Wilson does it again in a story that will undoubtedly win her new fans, but will also be warmly welcomed by anyone who has read (or heard) The Illustrated Mum, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Vicky Angel, The Bed and Breakfast Star or any of the other superb award-winning titles this remarkable author has tucked safely under her belt. Ages eight and over.
Running time is five hours. --Susan Harrison
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Tessa Peake Jones reads Jacqueline Wilson's Dustbin Baby in this unabridged double-cassette audio book. Jacqueline Wilson is the diva of dynamic writing for children, and in Dustbin Baby--possibly her best book since The Illustrated Mum--she proves yet again that she is a force to be reckoned with.April Showers (so called because of her birth date, April 1, and her tendency to burst into tears at the drop of a hat) was unceremoniously dumped in a rubbish bin when she was only a few hours old. Her young life has passed by in a blur of ever-changing foster homes but as she enters her teens she decides it is time to find out the truth about her real family.
As ever, Wilson breaks through the barriers and brings one of her trademark feisty females to life in an original, unforgettable and often very funny story that is sure to make you weep. She tackles the big emotional issues with one foot firmly on the ground, allowing her characters to thrive against a backdrop of sadness. But she never lapses into melodrama or schmaltz and ultimately showers the reader with an overwhelming feeling of hope.
The story is suitable for ages nine and above and running time is three hours and 15 minutes. --Susan Harrison
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Fortunately for Jacqueline Wilson fans, her new books seem to come along a lot more regularly than JK Rowling's do, and for this latest, fantastic bittersweet slice of life offering they should again be grateful. Lola Rose is typical Wilson--a story of normal family strife, situations and feelings bound together with extraordinarily uplifting solutions that leave the reader with a tear in their eye and a smile on their lips.Lola Rose is definitely one for her older readers, however. Jayni, her mum and little brother Kenny are forced to flee their family home when Jayni's dad starts hitting her too--as if it wasn't enough that he battered his wife about already. A desperate flight to London is made bearable when Jayni's mum wins £10,000 on a lottery scratch card and treats everybody to whatever they want. It's a chance to start again and have an adventure--and to forget. They even get to pick new names so that they can hide better. Jayni picks out "Lola Rose"--an exotic-sounding name she finds in one of the magazines she is so fond of cutting up and pasting into her scrapbooks.
But the lottery money doesn't last forever and Lola's mum finds it harder than she thought being away from her husband. However, it's definitely the start of something better for everyone despite a few hiccups along the way.
Jacqueline Wilson is a mega-star among children's authors. Her books are consistently unputdownable and Lola Rose exemplifies her skill at stirring the emotions in an unforgettable story that is sure to win her even more accolades. (Age 12 and over) --John McLay
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Age 9-11Michael Morpurgo has a distinctive writing style that turns the ordinary into the extraordinary with a lyrical twist that make him an undeniable great in the world of children's literature. Here, in Dear Olly, Morpurgo brings one family's story to sparkling life with a stunning simplicity that is at once compelling and poetic in its execution.
Olly's brother Matt has always wanted to be a clown, and when he sees the plight of Africa's children he makes the decision to fly the family nest to take his skill to a place devoid of laughter. To his family it is a travesty: this bright, intelligent boy with a glowing future ups and leaves to head into the unknown, leaving behind him a trail of worry and feelings of impending doom.
Olly is charged with the care of a family of starlings that she and her brother have been watching over in the garden. After Matt's sudden departure the nest is ravaged, leaving just one fledgling alive and stunned. Olly nurses him back to health, and names him Hero. It is Hero's subsequent long and perilous flight to Africa that links the story of Olly, at home with her mother in England, to Matt's new life in Africa. Told in three voices--that of Olly, Hero and Matt--the story spans the continents and delivers love and determination to a poignant, thought-provoking story that stirs the soul.
A beautiful book, brimming with true warmth and dignity, Dear Olly is an unusual work that deserves a space on every child's bookshelf. --Susan Harrison.
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The Diamond Girls is a wonderfully typical novel by Jacqueline Wilson. It has everything her fans expect… and demand. "A typical slice of real life," proclaims the jacket. "Tough on the outside, warm on the inside." It has some great characters, who talk like normal people talk, some tough moments, some heart-melting moments, a few teasing cliff hangers and a satisfying ending. Hoorah for consistency!Dixie is the youngest of the Diamond girls and the narrator of the story. Her sisters--Rochelle, Jude and Martine are all very different and each have their owns needs, strengths and weaknesses. Together with their mum, heavily pregnant with baby number five, the family move to a rundown dream house that turns out to be anything but. It's on the roughest estate ever, and is rough, dilapidated and dirty, with peeling wallpaper and rude words spray-painted all over the front door.
Disaster strikes immediately when Dixie's mum goes into labour. Left to fend for themselves the sisters soon go their separate ways, despite their mum's wise words that they should always stick together no matter what. Dixie is the only one who supports her mum when she comes back with Baby Sundance and helps to get the house put right and everybody back together. It's a big task.
Books by Jacqueline Wilson come along at adoringly-appreciated rate of two a year now--one in the Spring, another in the Autumn. But to dismiss The Diamond Girls as yet another novel in a production line of kitchen-sink trauma-dramas is to vastly under-appreciate its immense value and worth. Importantly, with each new story, Wilson deftly chronicles, with insight and skill, the sort of life many children may experience either directly or indirectly. They're entertainment, but there's more to them than that. Wilson is a national institution! (Age 10 and over) --John McLay
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Possibly one of the most talked about books of the year, Meg Rosoff's novel for young adults is the winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2004. Heralded by some as the next best adult crossover novel since Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, who himself has given the book a thunderously good quote, this author's debut is undoubtedly stylish, readable and fascinating.Rosoff's story begins in modern day London, slightly in the future, and as its heroine has a 15-year-old Manhattanite called Daisy. She's picked up at the airport by Edmond, her English cousin, a boy in whose life she is destined to become intricately entwined. Daisy is staying for the summer in her Aunt Penn's country farmhouse with Edmond and her other cousins. They spend some idyllic weeks together--often alone with Aunt Penn away travelling in Norway. Daisy's cousins seem to have an almost telepathic bond, and Daisy is mesmerised by Edmond and soon falls in love with him.
But their world changes forever when an unnamed aggressor invades England and begins a years-long occupation. Daisy is parted from Edmond when soldiers take over their home, and Daisy and Piper, her younger cousin, must travel to another place to work. Their experiences of occupation are never kind and always hard. Daisy's pain, living without Edmond, is tangible.
Rosoff's writing style is both brilliant and frustrating. Her descriptions and ability to portray the emotions of her characters are wonderful. Her long sentences and total lack of speech marks for dialogue is, however, exhausting. Her narrative is deeply engaging and yet a bit unbelievable. The end of the book is dramatic, but too sudden. The book has a raw, unfinished feel about it, yet that somehow adds to the experience of reading it. It's flawed but unmissable. (Age 14 and over) --John McLay
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Eve Best reads Vicky Angel in this unabridged four-CD pack.Jacqueline Wilson never seems to disappoint her readers, and with Vicky Angel she once again pulls a little magic out of the hat and delivers another stunning novel with her trademark sensitivity and panache.
Jade and Vicky are best friends, but when Vicky is killed in an accident she doesn't let a little old thing like being dead interfere with her life. Instead, she continues as normal, following Jade around, telling her what to do, how to think, how to behave and ruining any chance Jade may have to make new friends. Eventually Jade tires of it all, and although she still loves Vicky deeply, she realises she has to get on with her own life.
Once again, Wilson digs deep and delves into tricky territory with a tenacity that at first shocks; but within a few minutes the shock subsides and the reader is drawn into Jade's world, willing her to come to terms with Vicky's death and praying that she will soon find her own way.
As ever, Wilson's characters are beautifully observed, and the story is filled to the brim with an emotional truth that is both awe inspiring and captivating. Jade's response to Vicky's death, her realisation that the pedestal on which Vicky was placed during her short life was not as stable as she first believed and the ultimate release from the burden of guilt and love are dealt with a sleight of hand that allows the reader to become completely involved with the story without a hint of darkness, captured instead by a lightness of touch that can only serve to make Wilson's peers green with envy. For ages eight and over.
Running time is four hours 15 minutes. --Susan Harrison
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Malorie Blackman is a fine, award-winning author whose work is always inclined to provoke debate amongst her readers, and indeed her peers. With Noughts and Crosses she surpasses expectation not only with her subject matter, but with the execution of a stimulating and provocative plot line that often leaves the reader chilled to the bone.Sephy and Callum have been best friends since childhood, and now they are older and they realise they want more from each other. But the harsh realities of lives lived in a segregated society are beginning to take their toll: Callum is a nought--a second-class citizen in a world dominated by the Crosses--and Sephy is a Cross, and the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the country. The barriers they would have to cross to be together at first seem little more than minor obstacles to the two idealistic teenagers, but soon those barriers threaten not only their friendship but their lives.
Noughts and Crosses is written with the passion of an author who has a personal message about the perception of the past, present and future, and Blackman has used the clever device of turning preconceived ideas of racial prejudice upside down to make sure that her point is well and truly made. Deeply disturbing and totally absorbing this novel is intriguing from the outset, with a shocking climax that packs an unforgettable punch. (Age 11 and over) --Susan Harrison
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Set during the Autumn of 1995 in the aftermath of Ken Saro-Wiwa's execution in Nigeria for alleged political crimes, Beverley Naidoo's frighteningly topical novel is a reminder about just how good children's teenage fiction can sometimes be. Tackling multiple themes--most importantly injustice, the right to freedom of speech, the complexities of political asylum, bullying and, ultimately, the strength of the family--The Other Side of Truth is a gripping story that undoubtedly deserves its widespread acclaim and success.In turn, the narrative lunges from tragedy in the opening scene, to excitement as the young lead characters begin their bid for freedom, then to frustration as the seemingly safe haven of Britain turns out to be anything but.
Sade and her brother Femi are the children of an outspoken Nigerian journalist. When an assassination attempt on their father's life leaves their mother slain instead, their world is understandably turned upside down. The family must flee the country to survive. Sade and Femi are sent on ahead, escaping the country undercover as the children of a shady Nigerian woman called Mrs Bankhole. She unscrupulously abandons them in London and their only contact in this big, strange and alien capital city is their uncle--but he too is missing. With nowhere to go and nobody to turn to, they are soon swept up by the British legal system and Sade and Femi begin to wonder if they are any better off when they become the victims of bullying in their new, albeit temporary school.
A Silver Award winner in the 2000 Nestlé Smarties Awards, Naidoo's book is in many ways more than just a story. The author was born in South Africa and has written about that continent and discrimination before in a number of acclaimed books including Journey to Jo'burg and No Turning Back. She knew firsthand of the shocking situation in Nigeria in the mid-1990s through friends who were hopeful of a move towards democracy. She wanted to write about the effect of such politics on children and also, by setting a lot of the story in England, to draw attention to the fact that issues such as neglect of human rights and injustice are local issues too.
The book has a powerful tale to tell, tinged with enough echoes of truth to make it a compelling yet uncomfortable experience. (Age 12 and over) --John McLay
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