Last day of September, so last day of Tamsyn Murray’s residency with us. To see her off in style, a review of her latest book and a giveaway..!

My So-Called Haunting – Tamsyn Murray

Spirits, spells and bad boy hell…Who says the living have it easy?

Skye, a fourteen-year-old who can see ghosts, is very stressed. Not only is the ghost of sixteenth-century witch giving her fashion tips, but she’s struggling to settle into life with her aunt, and is developing a crush on the most unattainable boy in the school, Nico.

When her aunt asks for her help with a troubled teen ghost Dontay, she’s glad of the distraction. But then Nico starts paying her more attention, and she’s soon facing a battle to keep her love life and her psychic life separate.

As things get ever more complicated, it looks as though Dontay’s past might cost Skye her future.

After reading My So-Called Afterlife (the first in the series) I was SO excited to find out there was going to be a sequel. I waited patiently for it to be published, getting more excited to read it every day, and now it is finally here! The wait was so worth it – I loved it! I’d even go as far to say it was better than the first one – and the first one was amazing so just think how good this one is! Definitely worth reading.

This book was told by new character Skye, who is fourteen years old. She is psychic; she can see ghosts and speak to them just like her auntie, Celestine. There are a lot of new people, ghosts etc. in this book, but a few things from My So-Called Afterlife remain the same which I thought was nice. There’s a few unexpected twists in this book, and you have no idea what will happen next, it’s great! Tamsyn has done a brilliant job keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

The cover is really, really cool. It’s elegant, mysterious and fun at the same time! I love the bright pink against the black and grey, it really stands out.

I have no complaints whatsoever about this book. It was REALLY REALLY GOOD! I can’t tell you how good it was. Loved it! 10000/5!

Thanks, Amber- great review! And you lucky people have a chance to win this ‘REALLY REALLY GOOD’ book! To be entered into the draw, just comment on this post, retweet it or Facebook ’like’ it. We’ll pick a winner at 7pm on Saturday (UK only).

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Jack…

The Dead – Charlie Higson

A terrible disease is striking everyone over the age of fourteen. Death walks the streets. Nowhere is safe. Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren’t the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on them. Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids – nerds, fighters, misfits. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he’s immune to the disease. They must work together if they want to make it in this terrifying new world. But as a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realize they won’t all survive.

‘The Dead’ is an exciting prequel to Charlie Higson’s bestseller ‘The Enemy’. In this adventurous book you will follow the courageous story of Jack and Ed who remain best friends despite all the problems the twisted story throws at them. The main plot is based on an horrific illness that only affects people over the age of 14 that kills some of it’s hosts and leaves the rest in a blood thirsty zombie like state. Read how the pair face the horrors of survival and whether they live to tell the tale. This is an amazing book and is a must read for teenagers. It is not really suitable for any young readers as it contains strong language and scenes of violence. I would rate it an 8/10.

Thanks, Jack, and thanks to Puffin for sending us a copy. It’s in our shop for you to buy now..

Today we’ve a review by Wendy, and a book giveaway for little ones..

Winnie in Space – Valerie Thomas

Winnie is fascinated by space and she decides the time is right for a little space exploration. Wilbur is not so sure. Winnie’s magical rocket is quite tricky to steer through the universe and poor Wilbur can’t even bear to look. He feels a little less anxious when they land on a faraway planet and Winnie unpacks their special space picnic. The inhabitants of the planet are small, with long ears and twitchy noses. They’re curious and friendly but these space rabbits have rather strange eating habits – they munch on metal! And, for the space rabbits, Winnie’s rocket is particularly tasty. So when it is nibbled clean away, Winnie has to use some quick thinking and some magic to keep the rabbits happy and to rustle up an alternative means of getting home. This glorious galactic picture book takes Winnie and Wilbur on an amazing journey into outer space. But however exciting flying saucers, shooting stars and space rabbits might be, Winnie’s a witch who knows there’s no place like home!

Now before I start I should let on that my Children and I are big Winnie the Witch fans and I must say this new one did not disappoint.

This is the 11th title in the best selling Winnie the Witch series and features Winnie and Wilbur on an adventure in space. Winnie decides one day that to travel into space would be a big adventure, Wilbur is not keen but with an abracadabra Winnie conjures up a rocket and off they go.

They land on a planet to have a picnic and attract space rabbits who strangely like to eat metal and start eating Winnie’s rocket. Winnie tries to stop them by conjuring up a pile of metal It’s too late though they have eaten all the rocket and Winnie therefore makes another rocket out of the scrap metal . When they land she doesn’t notice that a space rabbit had come home too.

This book is a brilliant read with the great illustrations that you would expect from the Winnie series. It also has some lovely drawings on the inside covers from children at Dunmore Primary School. It also acts as a good introduction to space and the names of the various planets

My three year old enjoyed having the story read to him and particularly likes shouting out abracadabra and counting down the rocket.

My five year old enjoyed the book and learning the planet names and after reading we studied the night sky like Winnie.

Thanks, Wendy. We have one copy of Winnie in Space up for grabs. To enter the draw, comment on this post, ‘like it on facebook or retweet it. We’ll be picking a winner at 8pm on Wednesday (UK only) – good luck!

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Emily…

The Edge of Nowhere – John E Smelcer

This is an astonishing tale of survival; a poignant Robinson Crusoe story, based on true events. When Seth and his dog, Tucker, are washed overboard from his father’s fishing boat during a torrential storm, they are assumed drowned. But by good fortune, Seth and Tucker make it safely to one of the hundreds of islands that line the Alaskan coast. Over many months, the boy and his dog make their way, island by island, towards home, while Seth’s desperate father never gives up hope. Along the way, Seth learns many hard lessons about survival, and even harder lessons about himself.

The book called The Edge of Nowhere by John Smelcer is different from other books that I have read and really a very peculiar book. A boy and his dog fall overboard a boat,and spend a long period of time trying to return to their village.  Unlike most books I have read, there is not a lot of adventure or lots of characters.  The story is mostly about the thoughts going through the main character’s head.

Although is was not what I was expecting there were quite a few bits I really liked. An interesting part is that he remembers old phrases in a different language that his Grandmother told him. I liked that his dad was so loyal, never giving up hope that his son is out there somewhere while everyone else thought he was dead.

People will need a wide vocabulary to tackle this book. I think older boys may prefer this book more than girls would. I personally would not read this book again. My rating is 5/10 as I thought The Edge of Nowhere was an average book.

Thanks, Emily and thanks to Andersen Press for the book.

A review by Helen, for little ones..

Ole and Zac and the Port of Tumbattle by Michael Madden

This is a book with an interesting history because, after it was written, a competition to provide the illustrations was held in schools in the author’s local area.  After the entries had been submitted (by both children and adults) over 100 pictures were selected by the author and his wife for inclusion in the book.  The result is a really colourful, cheerful piece of work which I think would be more attractive to children for the fact that other children have made a visible contribution.  The book has now been self-published and is being sold to raise funds for the PFA of one of the schools.

The story itself – written in rhyme – is a fantastic, quite dreamlike tale of two boys who go searching for treasure with the help of various new friends they meet along the way, including Henry McGrew the turtle and his “crew” Hercules the mouse, mysterious twins James and Thomas and Wrangleburt the Rumplefox (a mythical creature like a dalmatian with pig’s trotters and long flowing hair!).  At first I wondered if it would appeal to a child as young as Erin (4) as, despite its large, picture-book format, the ideas of pirates and danger seemed aimed more towards primary age children of perhaps about 7 or 8.  However, she is very keen on rhyming stories so we gave it a try and she did enjoy hearing it, even getting quite excited in places!  There are characters and ideas that children will relate to readily, such as Ole being more brave and Zac being rather nervous and hesitant, and lots of mention of food and picnics which I think most children enjoy!

For me there were one or two disappointments:  the rhyme and scansion were rather dodgy in places (the author sets the bar rather high for himself at the beginning by referencing Dr Seuss, and doesn’t always live up to the challenge!) although perhaps that’s forgivable when the story is so long and he does manage to maintain the pace and atmosphere throughout.  The other issue for me was the repeated use of an apostrophe after the word “its” (Its’ body had spots like a dalmatian dog, / But its’ feet were just trotters, like those on a hog. etc).  I think it’s important to proof-read all books for this kind of thing, but with children’s books – and in particular a book such as this which has close associations with a school – it should be of particular concern because children learn so much from what they read and see in books.

It’s quite a long tale and we found that as a bedtime story it took three nights to get through (the final one being a bit longer as we didn’t want to break off again!).  I’d advise a bit of advance planning if you are going to break it up, as there are some points which round off a section quite nicely (e.g. everyone going to sleep) but other times a stanza or page ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger (e.g. are there going to be pirates when they get there?!) and it might not be appropriate to stop!  Alternatively it might be a fun thing to read all in one go on a rainy afternoon and is sure to spark off ideas for imaginative adventure games afterwards!

Thanks, Helen. It’s in our shop now.

Today we hear from our author in residence, Tamsyn Murray. Tamsyn’s new book, My So-Called Haunting, is now out and in our shop.

Slugs and Snails and Puppy Dogs Tails: Five bad boys who are just too good to ignore

Every girl knows at least one; a boy she knows she should stay away from but there’s just something about him she can’t resist. Skye Thackery, the heroine of My So-Called Haunting, learns the hard way that your head might say no, but your heart can shout go. Here are five bad boys from TV, books and films no girl with a pulse could refuse:

5) Dorian Gray

On the surface, Dorian Gray has it all; he’s wealthy, good-looking and charming. But he’s hiding a terrible secret, one which means he can explore the worst side of human nature without it affecting his everyday life. The idea is that the bad things we do somehow stain us, both in character and in appearance, so when Dorian finds a way to project the evil things he does onto a portrait he keeps locked in the attic, it means he stays as young, attractive and likeable as ever in spite of his cruelty and criminal exploits. Eventually, everything catches up with him but I was fascinated by the way he could behave terribly but stay irresistible. Even so, he was one bad boy I only ever wanted to admire from afar. He might have a glamorous lifestyle and seem kind and charming but unlike with other bad boys on this list, it was all an act. Sadly.

4) Heathcliff

The passionate hero of Wuthering Heights would be on a lot of Bad Boy lists. Dark and moody, he was the first literary bad boy to really capture my heart. Although I often found him to be cruel, I could totally see why Catherine fancied him; sexy, rude and arrogant, he was everything a good girl should run from. But he had a really difficult life and she led him on a bit. I couldn’t help wondering what he would have been like if he’d born into a rich family – would he have been the Mr Darcy of the Yorkshire Moors? I desperately wanted things to work out for him and the love of his life but it just wasn’t to be. Does his ghost still haunt the windswept heathers or did he find peace at last with Catherine? I hope it was the second one.

3) Joey Tribbiani

Joey from Friends is an easy choice for this list. Funny and deliciously handsome, if not too bright, he was fanciable in the extreme but his love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude marked him out as the kind of boy your mum warned you about. Joey often meant well but he had the attention span of a toddler on Jelly Tots and couldn’t help getting distracted by the pretty girls he met. I longed for him to meet his match and settle down but at the same time secretly wished I’d be the girl to tame him. At the end of the series, he was the only Friend not to be loved up, which was kind of sad. Come to think of it, I could still be in with a chance. Anyone got his number?

2) Angel

I first met Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the 1992 movie and I loved the black humour and OTT acting. Then the TV show came along and my love affair really started. Buffy was a great heroine; mixed up, vulnerable and up there with Jason Bourne on the kick-ass front. There was a host of excellent supporting characters, too, but it was the dark and brooding vampire, Angel, who really caught my attention. Mysterious and tortured (also utterly gorgeous, did I mention that?), Angel fights his murderous nature to help Buffy battle the evil hordes roaming Sunnydale. Of course she falls for him, in spite of the obvious fact it’s a match made in hell – who wouldn’t? But when Angel goes bad, he goes really bad. Even then, I still fancied him; the hallmark of a true bad boy. It just wasn’t the same after he left Sunnydale…someday, I hope he’ll come back and sweep Buffy off her feet. Sigh.

1) Danny Zucko

Danny Zucko from Grease is classic bad boy material – on the surface, brash and a little bit mean but underneath the cool exterior, sensitive and sweet. It’s a familiar story; sub-zero boy meets geeky girl but Danny has more going for him than most heroes. He’s gorgeous and sexy and, boy, can he move. I adored him from the very start of the film and his misguided attempts to win Sandy’s heart made me fancy him even more. Danny’s problem is that he can’t decide what’s more important; how he feels about Sandy or the opinions of his mates and the film is as much about growing up as it is a love story. Ultimately, he follows his heart, which is why he’s at the Top of my Bad Boy Pops.

Thanks, Tamsyn! Who would be on your list? Authors – you’re welcome to write your guest posts on this one and send them to us..

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Emily..

Crystal – Rebecca Lisle

Crystal is unusual; she has silvery blonde hair and blue eyes. There isn’t anyone like her in the Town except for her mum and everyone says her mum is either crazy – or a witch. Crystal knows that the Town leader has something to do with her mother’s madness but how can she prove it? And how can she stop him when the Town Guard tramps the streets day and night, there’s a curfew, and a strange creature in their house spies on them and records their every move? When Crystal thinks she glimpses someone looking up at her from the depths of Lop Lake, she is amazed but strangely hopeful. Could this be the help she’s been waiting for?

Reading Crystal by Rebecca Lisle gives you a good feeling. It’s about Crystal trying to escape a horrible prison-like city with her mum (who everyone thinks is mad). This had happy, tense, funny and sad parts. At the start of me reading Crystal I thought it would be boring.But it’s not! My favourite character is Questrid. A tense part is when Crystal’s mum Effie gets ducked under water by all the town’s people.

Girls will enjoy this book. I would read this book again and again. I think the age group for this book is 9-13. Once you start reading this book you will not want to put it down. It shows that when bad events occur, good events will follow. Crystal is a very nice character in this book. My Rating is 8/10.

Thanks, Emily and thanks to Andersen Press for the review copy.

Today we have a review by Jonathan..

Day of Deliverance – Johnny O’Brien

The second Jack Christie adventure finds our schoolboy hero travelling back in time to foil the plot to assassinate Elizabeth I. Meeting famous figures such as Marlowe and Shakespeare along the way, Jack and Angus must thwart the Revisionists and protect Queen Elizabeth’s throne.

Jack and his friend Angus are now part of VIGIL (the secret time police) and when Jack’s dad (the ex-leader of the Revisionists who are VIGIL’s enemies) leaves a letter detailing the Revisionists’ next plan, Jack and Angus volunteer to help. But TAURUS, the time machine, doesn’t work and they are put in completely the wrong place. Follow Jack and Angus’ adventure as they meet Shakespeare, the evil Spanish plotters and even Queen Elizabeth herself. Will they stop the Revisionists? Can they escape the Spanish spies? What is the Revisionists’ plan? Find out by reading this book.

This book was slightly slow to start but once it got going it was very good. My favourite character is Fanshawe who is an actor Jack and Angus meet because even though he isn’t very clever and doesn’t have a clue what’s going on he is brave and loyal and keeps going even in the face of death. My rating for this book is 9/10.

Thanks Jonathan and thanks to Templar Publishing for the review copy.

Wendy shares a review for little ones..

Kisses Are Yuk – Julia Jarman

Jack loves getting prizes and cups of all sizes, but if there’s one thing he hates… it’s being kissed! And with an army of aunts and uncles, there’s no getting away from it. What’s a boy to do?

This book is by the same author as Bears on The Stairs and Big Red Bath.

A story book about Jack, a little boy that doesn’t like kisses as he thinks he is too grown up and manly for them. The story starts with alternatives to kisses that Jack thinks are acceptable, such as handshakes and well done and then goes through the different kisses that people gave Jack, such as Granny Groover who kissed like a Hoover. Jack therefore writes a list or rules and signs it macho man. The twist at the end is that his secret habit was cuddling and that he didn’t mind a kiss from Mum.

The book is a nice length for a bedtime story with bright and colourful illustrations that illustrate the story well. For parents, the book is easy to read and flows nicely as written in rhyme.

My three year old enjoyed the story and thought it was very funny that Jack didn’t like kisses.

I would also recommend it as an early reading book as my five year old was able to read it herself. She enjoyed the book and thought all the different kisses that Jack got from his relatives was very funny.

Thanks, Wendy. It’s in our shop for you now..

Along with Bookbabblers Aly and Amber, we put our questions to Luisa Plaja, author of Split by a Kiss and Swapped by a Kiss..

What are your favourite books from your childhood?

I used to read everything I could get my hands on when I was a child! I read my way through the children’s section of the local library several times over. My favourites were always books about friendships and relationships – something which hasn’t changed! My all-time favourite as a child was a book called Masha by Mara Kay, with Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers coming a very close second.

Turning to your own books, which character from the series do you feel you can most relate to?

This is a hard question because all my characters have bits and pieces of me in them (of course!) I love Rachel – I think I want to be Rachel, fighting her school’s social injustice with her intense intensity.  I’m probably more like Jo, though, getting into embarrassing situations and finding life a big joke half the time (in a good way). Oh, and I share Jo’s love of Buffy.

Are any events from the books personal experiences?

Oh yes – lots of them! Well, they’re based on personal experience. I’ve been British in the USA and I’ve felt like a foreigner in Britain (I’m British, but I’m also Italian), so some aspects of the culture shock in both books are definitely mine. Some of the more embarrassing incidents in both books are also based on personal experience, though I’ve embellished them for fictional purposes, and for fun. Oh, and occasionally, I’ve gone the other way and toned them down instead. I think I’ll leave it there…

By the end of Swapped by a Kiss, I got the impression that Josie and Rachel remained at a distance rather than the switch bringing them closer together, did you decide this for a particular reason?

Thank you for this wonderful question! It’s always fascinating to hear what other people take from my books, and this one is particularly thought-provoking. It has made me think about the way that body swap fiction is often focused on the swappers strengthening their bond with each other – for example, the mother-daughter pairing of Freaky Friday, where each party emerges more understanding and tolerant of the other. I suppose Swapped by a Kiss is slightly different because the reason for the swap wasn’t any kind of animosity between the girls. No one said, “Right – I’ll show you how tough it is to be me and then you’ll understand!” Instead, I think the girls escaped into each other’s bodies for a holiday from being themselves. As Jo says: “Rachel’s body could be the perfect place to hide.” So I think Swapped by a Kiss is more about the girls coming to terms with their own lives rather than strengthening their friendship with each other. That said, I do think they develop a certain appreciation of each other that wasn’t there before.

Is there a message or moral that you want us readers to take away after reading the series?

Like all writers of fiction, I’m mostly just telling stories. But if anyone takes away anything positive from my books, I’ll be very happy! I love writing about self-acceptance and identity, and I particularly like looking at the way everyone makes mistakes with their relationships – and it’s inevitable, really – but they can still make things right and be happy. I think, above all, I like showing that mistakes aren’t the end of the world. (Tori Windsor would now ask me whether this answer is from a lame TV movie!)

What are you working on at the moment?

A standalone novel for publication in spring 2011.

And finally, how did Chicklish come about?

It was founded by a group of writers including me and Keris Stainton (author of Della Says: OMG!) as a place to discuss the teen novels we loved. At the time we started the site, in 2006, the kinds of books I love most (the ones known as ‘teen chicklit’) were rarely reviewed anywhere, and you often had to dig hard to find out anything about them. Luckily, this has changed in the past four years, at least online, which makes me very happy! Chicklish now reviews and features all kinds of books for teenagers . You can find out more at http://www.chicklish.co.uk

Thank you very much for interviewing me, Bookbabblers!

And thank you, Luisa!