Witch Child by Celia Rees

Set in post Cromwell England, this is the story of Mary Newbury.  She lived with her grandmother in a quiet village until her grandmother was accused of witchcraft and hanged.  May is then whisked away by an unknown woman who turns out to be her mother.  Her mother sends her to America with some Puritans where she lives in Beulah and tries desperately to avoid the same fate as her grandmother.  Here she meets Jaybird, an Indian, who befriends her and helps her out of many a bad situation.  Finally things come to a head, Mary is accused of witchcraft and runs away.

An award winning book and it definitely deserved it.  The sequel Sorceress is also in print.  Though this takes a while to get going it is just as good a book.               

A Series of Unfortunate Events  by Lemony Snicket 

This is the story of the Baudelaire orphans. Fourteen year old Violet loves inventing. Twelve year old Klaus loves reading and the infant Sunny loves to bite things with her four sharp teeth.  Through the series Violet, Klaus and Sunny  are sent to a series of unsuitable guardians and pursued all the time by Count Olaf, an evil man intent on getting control of their enormous fortune that their parents left to them after the mysterious fire that destroyed the Baudelaire mansion well as the Baudelaire parents.

There are to be thirteen in the series and so far eleven have been released.  They are humorous books for all their dreary appearance.  I would definitely recommend them

A Gathering Light  by Jennifer Donnelly

This is the story of Mattie Gokey.  Mattie lives with her father and three younger  sisters.  Her mother recently died of cancer and her elder brother Lawton ran away.  Mattie wants to be a writer but she promised her Mother before she died that she would not leave her house and would look after her  Pa, four and her younger sisters.  Then she falls in love with a local farm boy and they are engaged.  Mattie does not know what to choose.  Through all this she starts reading Grace Brown's letters ( Grace Brown is a girl who was murdered at the hotel where she works and slowly makes up her mind.

This book is very good though it takes a while to get going. I would definitely recommend it.             

Face by Benjamin Zephaniah

Face is the story of Martin whose face is irrevocably burnt in an explosion after a car crash which he was in.  The book tells about how he comes to terms with himself and the way other people react to his face. 

I would definitely recommend this book which makes you question yourself and your own behaviour. 

Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah

This is the Story of Alem whose parents cone from two different countries which are at war.  Alem is sent to England where his parents think he will be safe.  During this time his parents carry on working to keep the peace.  At first he is sent to a home but he could not stand it there so was sent to some foster parents where he got on very well.  Then suddenly his mother is killed and his father comes to England and things go horribly wrong.

As usual from Benjamin Zephaniah this is a very moving book and the characters stay in the mind long after finishing it.  This certainly gave me a better view of asylum seekers and I was filled with pity for Alem.  I definitely recommend it for anyone over nine years old.  

Gangsta Rap by Benjamin Zephaniah

Ray and his two friends Prem and Tyrone are all intelligent and expelled from school.  They know what they want, but can they achieve it.  They can, but at a terrible price.

I found this a very good book that changed my opinion on many things.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone with strong views about young people.  I also do not understand why it has been given a parental advisory.    

The Wind on Fire trilogy by William Nicholson

This is the tale of the Manth people who live in Aramanth.  The first book The Wind Singer is the story of how the twins Kestrel and Bowman with their faithful follower Mumpo, go on a quest to find the voice of the wind singer which will free Aramanth from the matrix of rules and tests that it is caught up in.

In the second book Slaves of the Mastery the Manth people are taken as slave of the new power The Mastery run by the all seeing and all powerful Master.  Unlike all the other slaves Bowman and Kestrel and their family do not settle in.  Their mother Ira, a prophetess, foresees the downfall of the Mastery but no one believes her,  So the whole book is set in motion.

The last book Firesong is about all things coming together.  The Manth people have escaped from the ruin of the Mastery and must now face the cold, hard and long journey to the Homeland  where they will be safe.  Ira Hath the prophetess and mother of Kestrel and Bowman, however every time she prophesise she grows weaker. 

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