General Sir Richard Hannay is persuaded to come out of retirement when each of three important statesmen has his only child taken hostage, the youngest 10 years old. Hannay picks up a clue as to their whereabouts (by a pretty remote fluke of chance) and starts to track them down, avoiding falling under the hypnotic influence of the leader of the gang, and helped by Sandy Arbuthnot, Archie Roylance, and Turpin from earlier stories, not to mention his wife.

There are several points of interest about this book: it has the usual traits of the Buchan adventure, rapidly changing locations, dashing heroism, a damsel in distress, disguise, friendship and a certain touch of the mystic. This last comes here in the form of the hypnotic powers of Medina and his cronies, which Hannay successfully resists while feigning capitulation. The context is that of England just after the Great War, and the conversations in the various gentlemen's clubs are revealing. The… click here to read whole article and make comments

French's books help to put heart into history. Her characters are so real and warm you can just about feel their pulse; they are people you get to know, and after reading their story a part of them lives on in you.

This third instalment of her Matilda Saga narrates an experience of World War I for those left behind. Told through the eyes of seventeen year old Flinty McAlpine, the novel starts with her frustration at not being able to find out what the war was really like.

Then, as we get to know her and her siblings and neighbours, a new and initially surprising element is introduced in the figure of a young man from the future with whom Flinty is able to converse. While a little disconcerting at first, his presence allows some apt comparisons between the attitudes and experiences of the early and later 20th century, and somehow his appearance doesn't feel inconsistent with mountain folklore.

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Pictures often speak louder than words, and Henry Cole's delicate pencil drawings need no text to tell a suspenseful story of courage and daring. A young girl on a Southern farm is accustomed to seeing Confederate soldiers ride past her farm. Their presence does not interrupt her chores, but a suspicious sound in the harvested corn does. A frightened eye peering out from among the husks can only mean an escaped slave. Compassion overcomes fear, and the girl risks punishment to help the fugitive who concretely manifests his gratitude before leaving.

Each of Cole's images contains many elements of the culture, architecture, fashion and lifestyle of the era of the Civil War. The detailed illustrations immerse the "reader" in his heroine's world: the warmth of the farmyard and the kitchen hearth; the cold night air with the Big Dipper pointing north; the rancor of the soldiers searching for the escapee; the peace emanating from a little girl's face as she… click here to read whole article and make comments

Several of the neighborhood's watchdogs have been decapitated. Flavia, daughter of a Roman captain, and her companions Jonathan, Lupus and Nubia suspect a man whose daughter died after being bitten by a rabid dog. Flavia enjoys solving puzzles, and as matters progress the children discover that a more sinister plot is in progress.

Flavia's family are conventional Roman polytheists, favouring the twins Castor and Pollux. Her mother died years before the story starts, giving birth to twins who also died. Twelve-year-old Jonathan comes from a Jewish family. They are not welcome in the synagogue because they have become Christians and insist on forgiveness rather than retribution. We meet several other characters and situations which hint at an early Christian community in Rome. His mother has disappeared, but his sister Miriam is old enough at thirteen to be married. Flavia spends time speculating on which of the young men around her will ask her to marry him. Lupus is a young… click here to read whole article and make comments

I just love Spinelli. Even though he tells a similar story with new names and faces each time, it's the kind of story you can never hear enough of, because every time you read it you become just a little bit better.

Jake and Lily reminded me of Crash, except that the duel narrators make this one relevant for girls as well. Jake and Lily are twins who've always had a special connection, but as they get older Jake starts to pull away. While Lily gets closer to her long lost Poppy and struggles to cope with losing her best friend, Jake starts to hang out with the 'Death Ray' boys who entertain themselves by pestering 'goobers', people who are just too much of everything and don't even know it. Lily doesn't like the kind of person Jake's starting to become.

It's a fun read with short chapters, but most importantly kids won't be able to help… click here to read whole article and make comments

Moyo and Japera walk along a dusty road in Africa to gather with villagers under a large baobab tree. The children's anticipation mounts as they approach the enormous tree which serves as a focal point in the village's social life. It is a place for storytelling, songs and prayer, and the children wonder "who will gather today under the baobab tree?" Readers cannot help appreciating the simplicity and peaceful joy in the lives of Moyo and Japera. E. B. Lewis' watercolor illustrations capture indigenous wildlife and native dress.

Jennifer Minicus is a mother and teacher currently living in Ridgewood, NJ.

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For a full review click here.

Clare Cannon is the editor of www.GoodReadingGuide.com and the manager of Portico Books in Sydney.

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Prosper and Bo, orphans, run away from their uncle and aunt who want to separate them. The boys are caught up in a group of Venice street kids who get money by selling stolen property brought to them by the Thief Lord. Victor Getz, a detective, tracks them down and in doing so reveals the Thief Lord's true identity and becomes more and more involved with the children.

The book is nicely paced, each chapter quite short and usually switching points of view. At one level, this is just a story about a group of children and how they survive, helped by a mysterious friend. But just as that friend's secrets are revealed, and everyone is trying to come to terms with the situation, a new and unexpected plot arrives which carries the story into the realms of the fantastical. The characters are sharply drawn and real, and Venice itself is real, with flaking paint and chilly winds, yet still… click here to read whole article and make comments

Some books beg to be read aloud. Such is the case with The Silver Nutmeg, a charming fantasy story reminiscent of E. Nesbit.

Anna Lavinia, bored during the summer drought, takes a walk to see a nearby dew pond. She discovers that another world exists on the other side of that pond, and that she can reach it by jumping into the water. Once there she befriends Toby, a young boy her age. Toby shows her his side of the pond, where gravity does not exist. In spite of the differences in their two worlds, Anna and Toby find they know many of the same songs. Could it be that Anna knows someone else who has traveled through her dew pond?

Palmer Brown makes the adventures of Anna Lavinia and her friend Toby come alive with passages that are descriptive, but never tedious. The clever songs that various characters sing are amusing, as are the challenges that Anna faces, learning… click here to read whole article and make comments

For a full review click here.

Clare Cannon is the editor of www.GoodReadingGuide.com and the manager of Portico Books in Sydney.

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