Top 10 books
Books July 2008
1 The Nostradamus Prophecy by Theresa Breslin
Theresa Breslin tells cracking stories and this is one of her best. Melisande pays little heed to the dire warnings of Nostradamus the soothsayer when she meets him at the French court. Her older sister is betrothed to the handsome courtier Armand and there is the excitement of the forthcoming wedding to think about. And Melisande is fascinated by the mysterious and silent Melchior who looks after the king's leopard. Only the king's mother listens to Nostradamus and fears for the life of her son. But when misfortune befalls Melisande’s family, she turns to the soothsayer for help. Upon his death, he leaves her some papers which hold the secret of the royal line of France. It is up to her to help fulfil Nostradamus's final prophecy but will she have the courage she needs?
2 Ruby Red by Linzi Glass
In Ruby Winters' world, colour opens some doors and slams others shut. Her opulent Johannesburg neighbourhood is a far cry from the streets of Soweto where anger and hatred simmer under the surface.
Ruby can’t resist the blue-eyed Afrikaans boy who brings her the exciting rush of first love, but whose presence brings hushed whispers and disapproving glances. She might not see race, colour or creed – but it seems everybody else does.
3 Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson
Ex-flying ace Jack Stone leaves his son and daughter in the company of James Bond. But a gang of thieves lies in ambush – they want Stone’s precious safe, and will kill for its contents. James embarks on a deadly chase through the Mexican jungle. On this terrifying trail of greed and betrayal, only danger is guaranteed. Survival is not. Catch up with adventures of the young James Bond before the new book comes out later this year.
4 Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
Here’s the latest Alex Rider adventure. If you’ve read the rest of the series, you’ll want to read this one. If you haven’t but like action-packed adventures this is for you. Splashing down off the coast of Australia, Alex is soon working undercover – this time for ASIS, the Australian Secret Service – on a mission to infiltrate the criminal underworld of south-east Asia: the ruthless world of the Snakehead. Faced with an old enemy and troubled by his own past, Alex is caught between two secret services, with no one to trust – and this time he needs all his wits to survive...
5 The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson
Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a horrid, stuffy boarding school in the countryside. But Delderton Hall is a far more unusual and interesting place than Tally ever imagined and then there’s the exciting school trip to the kingdom of Bergania. Prince Karil hates his life in the Berganian palace and is only truly happy when he escapes to the dragonfly pool, a remote spot in the forests. When Karil meets the feisty English girl who brings the promise of adventure, his life begins to feel better. But this is 1939 and the prince soon has to look to Tally for survival as well as friendship . . .
6 Apache by Tanya Landman
Siki is an orphan of the Black Mountain Apache. Her mother was killed by Mexicans three years ago and her father was lost in an ambush the winter before that. When Siki witnesses the brutal murder of her little brother Tazhi, she vows to become an Apache warrior and avenge her brother's death.
7 Ancient Appetites by Oisin McGann
After nearly two years, eighteen-year-old Nate returns home to the family empire ruled by his father – the ruthless Wildenstern Patriarch. But Nate’s life is soon shattered by his brother’s death, and the Rules of Ascension, allowing the assassination of one male family member by another, mean he’s being blamed. He knows that he is not the murderer, but who is? Nate sets out to find the real culprit but, when he accidentally uncovers the bodies of some ancient Wildenstern ancestors, his life takes a strange and horrifying turn.
8 Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
This is a book I had to read and my heart sank when I saw it. It appeared to be yet another sci-fi/fantasy mixture, two of my least favourite genres. But one should never, of course, judge a book by its cover and when I finally steeled myself to read it, I was enchanted. It’s set in an alternative past (it feels Edwardian) on an airship and tells the story of Kate and Matt who are first-class passenger and crew respectively. It’s a fast-paced adventure but it’s also a character study and has a great supporting cast. It was published a few years ago and it now has a sequel, Skybreaker. The third title in the series will be published soon.
9 Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve
Gwyna is just a small girl when she is bound in service to Myrddin the bard - a traveller and spinner of tales. But Myrddin transforms her - into a goddess, a boy warrior, and a spy. Without Gwyna, Myrddin will not be able to work the most glorious transformation of all - and turn the leader of a raggle-taggle war-band into King Arthur, the greatest hero of all time. This is Philip Reeve’s idea of what might have happened in King Arthur’s early life.
10 Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine
Sixteen-year-old Lucas Swain becomes intrigued by the urn of ashes left in a cab office. Convinced that its occupant, Violet Park, is communicating with him, he contrives to gain possession of the urn, little realising that his quest will take him on a voyage of self-discovery, forcing him to finally confront what happened to his absent (and possibly dead) father…
Reviews and synopses by Jane Sandell, Young People's Services Librarian
Check out Jane's blog with reviews of new books at www.janesandell.wordpress.com
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