If you want to escape the high summer, Mary Cathleen Brown’s The big man (Everything With Words, £7.99, 10+) quickly draws you into a dark gothic world full of ominous intrigue. It is set in the town of Forkhead, “a strange name for a town”, full of “strange, spacey air full of dreams and headaches”. Tom has recently moved there with his mother, and the town and the house he must now call home are starting to affect him in strange ways: “It felt like Forkhead be Head, two-pronged and each prong points in a different direction.”
Brown’s sharp-tongued prose adds an extra layer of edginess to this unusual novel, whose gripping mystery (who was the tall man? Who is the boy trapped in Tom’s basement?) is only part of the story: the underlying family drama is equally compelling. The Tall Man is a poignant debut for the mature middle-grade reader.
There are plenty of strange events in Chris Judge’s graphic novel debut The evil duck and the lucky feather (Gill Books, £12.99, 6+). It is set in Ducklin City, where ducklings Flo and Eddie live on the banks of the River Duckey. On a visit to their grandfather’s house nearby, they discover that the old duck has an illustrious past as a crime fighter: he was the famous Fearless Frank Duck.
When the ducklings find the frozen form of their grandfather’s arch-enemy in the attic, they accidentally thaw him out, causing a whole lot of trouble in town. The plot features plenty of waddling roles for animals determined to help or thwart Frank, Flo and Eddie, including Gully Wally the seagull and Puffanne the puffin. With plenty of action scenes and absurd transformations, Judge has created a sure-fire entry into a thriving comic book market for readers who have just become independent.
Cath Howe’s Call the Puffins series also offers plenty of coastal adventures for readers who have just become independent. Muffin and the shipwreck (Hachette, £6.99, 6+), Team Puffin reunites when a shipwreck washes up on Egg Island. The puffins aren’t supposed to be exploring the wrecked vessel, but mischievous Forti just can’t resist. When Forti encounters an aggressive octopus, his friends have no choice but to get involved. Facts about the surrounding seascape are woven seamlessly into Howe’s story, whose short chapters and clear prose will appeal to young readers moving on to chapter books, and a formal fact file at the end reinforces learning opportunities. Visual inspiration is on offer in abundance, too, thanks to illustrations by Ella Okstad, which showcase the full range of the puffins’ escapades across 105 pages.
Leonie, the spirited heroine of Olivia Hopes Little lion girl (Bloomsbury, £7.99, 3+), like Forti, is fearless in the face of danger. When her mother suggests they take the train to the big city, Leonie channels her bravest self, determined to enjoy the city’s splendour: its ‘colours, sounds and interesting faces’. The city may ‘roar like a jungle’, but Leonie finds a way to merge its energy with her own, fluttering fearlessly over the pigeon-filled squares and clambering recklessly up the fountain. This is a delightful fantasy in which imagination encourages personal growth, and Fiona Woodcock’s misty, dreamlike painted illustrations are – like Leonie’s lion personality – the perfect accompaniment.
If you are looking for ideas to fill the late summer days, This book makes you an artist (Nosy Crow, £14.99, 5+) offers endless inspiration. Written by Ruth Millington, it introduces children to the work and techniques of 25 different artists. The book begins with the ancient art of cave paintings and Roman mosaics before diving into a concise history of classical and contemporary art.
The range and variety of artists represented is remarkable: well-known painters such as Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo are of course included, but Jean-Michel Basquiat’s graffiti, Yayoi Kusama’s polka dots and Liu Bolin’s invisible men add a real touch of cool. Each double-page spread also includes a simple tutorial so budding artists can create a tribute to their favourites at home. Of course, Ellen Surrey’s illustrations are a work of art in their own right, with the added appeal of having the artist’s real images integrated into their busy backgrounds.
What better way to prepare for the return to school than to immerse yourself in a beautiful boarding school story! Sheena Wilkinson confidently follows in the tradition of Enid Blyton with First semester in Fernside (O’Brien Press, £8.99, 10+). Set in 1925 at the eponymous Belfast boarding school, it has two very different cousins as protagonists. Robin, a keen hockey player, is delighted to be returning to Fernside after the summer. Her shy cousin Linnet, leaving home for the first time, is not quite so enthusiastic. She finds life in the dormitory “crowded, noisy and hectic”; it is “like living in an ant colony”.
There are plenty of wholesome storylines that focus on moral character development. Animals need to be rescued, misunderstood new students need to be treated kindly, games need to be won. There are strict head nurses, strict but fair teachers and, of course, the odd bad apple. The writing style is lively and the book feels fresh and contemporary despite the historical setting. There is a huge appetite for these types of books and First Term at Fernside will satisfy that appetite well.
