Time Tunnels/ Stage Magicians and the FBI

Published today - June 24th 2015

Irish Writer

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen)  W.A.R.P. Book Three The Forever Man

Puffin 2015   $23.00pb  312pp

ISBN 978 0 1413 6109 3

Themes:         Magic and Magicians/ Sequels/ Time travel/ Victorian London 

Eoin Colfer THEN

The main protagonists in this rather complicated but oh-so-readable sequel are Chevie, an 18 year old FBI juvenile consultant who has travelled from the future to try to fix the past and Riley, a Victorian orphan who intends to be a stage magician and who has managed to strand his evil master, assassin, Albert Garrick in a time tunnel. Eoin says of the story that there is no need for newcomers to worry about the nitty gritty … things are going to go disastrously wrong…don’t fret – for there are laughs too and japes…..but: it’s mostly deadly danger. So, if you are of a sensitive disposition, abandon ye this volume now and find for yourself a book about ponies or the like.

Eoin Colfer NOW   Both images of Eoin from Amazon

Year 7 up/ Age 11 up

Before: 

WARP   Bk 1 The Reluctant Assassin

WARP   BK 2The Hangman's Revolution

 

Young Adult Fiction

NZ Writer

Karen Healey   While We Run

Allen & Unwin 2014  $21.99pb   338pp

ISBN 978 1 7434 3545 8

Themes:  Crowd behaviour/ Pollution/ Propaganda/ Science fiction/ Sequels

I feel this is a really stunning sequel to the writer’s earlier book When We Wake which has been shortlisted for the Young Adult Fiction Award of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2014.

It is 2127 and charismatic speakers and singers, Abdi and Tegan, adored by the crowds, push the party line of the Ark Project wherever they go. The only problem is neither of them believes a word of the propaganda they are forced to promote. This is tense and exciting writing  - just don’t expect a completely happy ending.

Year 8 up / Age 12 up (and adults)

Find out more about Karen Healey (who lives and writes in Blenheim) by visiting her blog:

http://karenhealey.live journal.com

or her website:

http://www.karenhealey.com

Fiction - Age 10 up

UK Writer

Simon Mayo

Itch Rocks

Doubleday 2013   $27.99pb          434 pages        

 ISBN 978 0 8575 3133 9

Themes: Action stories/ Sequels

Itchingham Lofte feels like any other ‘normal’ teenager but add in some radioactive rocks, a psychotic science teacher, international terrorists and a team of security guards set up to protect him 24/7, it is sometimes hard even to convince himself. This sequel to Itch  (a good idea to have read it first) contains all the elements of the first book but takes it to an even higher level of excitement and inventiveness.

Itch is a character to warm to with his slightly Walter Mittyish / Mr Magoo behaviour and although he is put in the most terrifying of situations we never really fear for his ultimate safety. Of course all this may change in the next book in the trilogy promised for next year.   

Go to :www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvY3mIa-Ekw‎ to see Simon Mayo reading from and talking about the book.

Simon was born in 1958 in Southgate, London and has worked for the BBC for around 30 years.

 Year 6 up/ Age 10 up                                                                                                                                             

                           Photo of Simon Mayo:  acknowledgements to BBC, London