|
CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULTS -1-
|
|
Shadowmancer - G.P. Taylor
Paperback in excellent condition. Faber and Faber (2003). 432pp. NZD: 5.50 / P & P: A An apocalyptic battle between good and evil is vigorously, violently fought in British author G.P. Taylor's suspenseful, action-packed fantasy. The story, set in the 1700s on the Yorkshire coastline, revolves around Vicar Obadiah Demurral, a corrupt-but-inept, dead-conjuring "shadowmancer" who desires to control the universe by overthrowing God, or Riathamus. When two hard-luck near-orphans, (13-year-old Thomas Barrick, a bitter enemy of Demurral, and his troubled friend Kate Coglund) band together with a young African stranger named Raphah, they spend the rest of the book trying to stop the wicked Vicar as if their very souls are at stake...they are. Along the way, the three youths meet an enormous cast of friends and foes, some agents of Riathamus, others of Satan (Pyratheon), and some godless (but not for long) smugglers like Jacob Crane. Readers who love fanciful storybook characters will find mermaid-like Seloth, smelly hobs, leg-dragging servants, goodhearted whores, and benevolent boggles. Age-old superstitions abound, though old magic and witchcraft are clearly denounced here as the work of the devil. Indeed, the author, an English vicar himself, tells a very Christian story and his often deliciously dramatic adventure lapses into stiffly presented glowing-halo Touched by an Angel moments(readers will be lured into the Enchanted Forest, but tricked into Sunday school). Nonetheless, Shadowmancer, the first of a series, is a page-turner bursting with magic and myth, and will appeal to fantasy lovers who don't mind the Bible mixed in with their boggles. 
Pagan In Exile - Catherine Jinks
Large paperback in excellent condition. Published by Harper Collins (2004). 336pp. NZD: 5.50 / P & P: A Catherine Jinks’s follow-up to PAGAN'S CRUSADE is another tale with special appeal for boys — filled with action, featuring a witty young narrator, and loaded with down-and-dirty details of medieval life. The year is 1188, and Jerusalem is in the hands of the Infidel. Upstanding Crusaders and their squires—like Lord Roland Roucy de Bram and Pagan Kidrouk—are returning to Europe, hoping to rally more knights to their cause. The sardonic young Pagan expects Lord Roland’s family to be the picture of fortitude and good manners, but he is in for a rude awakening. Brutish and unfeeling, the de Bram clan cares nothing for the Crusades, or indeed for anything outside their neighbourhood in France. Meanwhile, local unrest is brewing. Church authorities are duking it out with the de Brams over a group of "heretics" living nearby. And now Pagan and Roland, sworn to defend Christianity, are left to decide for themselves whom to stand by-and whom to trust. 
Stormbreaker - Anthony Horowitz
An Alex Rider story Paperback in NEW condition. Published by Walker Books (2005). 236pp. NZD: 6.50 / P & P: A Spies are great currency for exciting storylines, but few authors manage to successfully concoct realistic scenarios for a willing readership expecting chases, gunshots and thrills aplenty. In the first of what could easily become his most memorable series of novels to date, Anthony Horowitz has added a tongue-in-cheek quality to Stormbreaker that lifts it above several others in the same genre. Horowitz knows that his main character, 14-year-old Alex Rider, is a normal teenager and he never forgets this when he thrusts his young hero into the thick of several truly edge-of-seat scenarios. There is humour alongside the action too--some great characters and cutting one-liners--that helps to ensure that entertainment is high on the agenda throughout. Orphan Alex thought he knew his Uncle Ian Rider--until the elusive banker is killed in a tragic car accident. Immediately, Alex's life starts to get stranger by the day as his guardian's friends and colleagues start showing up and contradicting everything Alex thought he knew about the man he'd called Dad for so long. Maybe Ian Rider was not a banker after all? Surely the bullet holes in his Uncle's totalled car reveal that he had not died in an accident, but was murdered? Everything is explained when Alex decides to track down Ian Rider's real employers, but Alex is in for a surprise when they decide to contact him. The truth is hard to take, but maybe by following in his uncle's secret footsteps he might get the chance for revenge. 
Skeleton Key - Anthony Horowitz
An Alex Rider story - ( A sequel to "Point Blanc" - Alex Rider #3 ) Paperback in new condition. Walker Books (2002). 326pp. H2. NZD: 6.50 / P & P: A Alex Rider has been through a lot for his fourteen years. He's been shot at by international terrorists, chased down a mountainside on a makeshift snowboard, and has stood face-to-face with pure evil. Twice, young Alex has managed to save the world. And twice, he has almost been killed doing it. But now Alex faces something even more dangerous. The desperation of a man who has lost everything he cared for: his country and his only son. A man who just happens to have a nuclear weapon and a serious grudge against the free world. To see his beloved Russia once again be a dominant power, he will stop at nothing. Unless Alex can stop him first... Uniting forces with America's own CIA for the first time, teen spy Alex Rider battles terror from the sun-baked beaches of Miami all the way to the barren ice fields of northernmost Russia. Come along for the thrilling ride of a lifetime... 
The Falcon's Malteser - Anthony Horowitz The First Diamond Brothers Story Paperback in very good condition. Published by Walker Books (2002). 223pp. NZD: 5.50 / P & P: A When the vertically-challenged Johnny Naples entrusts Tim Diamond with a package worth over three million pounds, he’s making a big mistake. Tim Diamond is the worst detective in the world. Next day, Johnny’s dead, Tim feels the heat, and his smart younger brother, Nick, gets the package—and every crook in town on his back! 
The Tortured Wood - Malcolm Rose
Large paperback in excellent, as NEW condition. 190pp. Usborne Publishing Ltd. (2006). NZD: 5.50 / P & P: A When Dillon’s family move to Bleakhill Top they can have no idea of the dark secret concealed by its insular community. Dillon is struggling to make friends at his new school and begins to suspect there's something rotten in the community, something they're trying to hide. Dillon seeks refuge from his hostile classmates in the wood that seems to lie at the very heart of the mystery. Discovering strange carvings, he starts to investigate their mysterious sculptor and suddenly finds himself in mortal danger. Eerie and atmospheric - a thriller with a sting in its tail. ‘Anyone who enjoys supernatural mysteries will love this book. It was a well written story that grabs your attention right from the beginning.’ Rachel Cunliffe, Judging Panel of The Lancashire Children’s Book of the Year Award. ‘Malcolm Rose writes about bullying in a tale that moves from a school to a possibly haunted wood. It’s a gripping story, well and plainly told, and will engage both boys and girls.’ Adele Geras, TES. Malcolm Rose is a British author. Many of his books, including the Traces and Lawless and Tilley series, are mysteries or thrillers where the hero uses science to catch the criminal or terrorist. 
The Riddles of Epsilon - Christine Morton-Shaw
The Secrets of the Past Invade The Present Paperback in excellent condition. Harper Collins (2005). 398pp. M1. NZD: 5.50 / P & P: A The doorstep was black, shiny as glass. Through the layer of dead leaves, I found some symbols, and in English: WHERE -SILON DWELLS. Spooky, sinister, enthralling, compelling - this astonishing debut novel from Morton-Shaw will keep readers guessing until the final page. Jess White, age 14, has been uprooted from her home and taken to live on a remote yet populated island, at the whim of her parents - Mum is an artist; Dad a photographer. While she is bemoaning her new (lack of) life to her best friend via a computer chatroom, they are interrupted by a third party - although only Jess is aware of the presence that calls itself 'V'. This is the start of a most extraordinary and creepy mystery as Jess finds herself caught up in a cycle of deadly occurrences that have apparently happened before and seem intent on being re-enacted through her and her family. Unable to ignore or stop the process of events, Jess (and the reader) unravel the clues, guided only by the enigmatic Epsilon - who may or may not be real/mortal/"Good". 
The Power Of One - Bryce Courtenay
Paperback in excellent condition. Published by Puffin (1999). 346pp. NZD: 4.50 / P & P: A No stranger to the injustice of racial hatred, five-year-old Peekay learns the hard way the first secret of survival and self-preservation - the power of one. First with your head and then with your heart... To Peekay, a seven-year-old boy who dreams of being the welterweight champion of the world, this is a piece of advice that he will carry with him throughout his life. Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, this one small boy will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, the Judge, Peekay will fight to the death for justice. 
The Wind in the Willow - Kenneth Grahame
Illustrated by E.H. Shepard. Hardback with green boards and pictorial d/w, both in excellent condition. Published by Methuen (1977). 320pp. NZD: 5.50 / P & P: B A classic tale first published 1908 as plain text. This book has numerous reproductions of the highly praised B & W illustrations from E.H. Shepard from the 1933 edition. Meet little Mole, wilful Ratty, Badger the perennial bachelor, and petulant Toad. Over one hundred years since their first appearance in 1908, they've become emblematic archetypes of eccentricity, folly, and friendship. And their misadventures-in gypsy caravans, stolen sports cars, and their Wild Wood-continue to capture readers' imaginations and warm their hearts long after they grow up. Begun as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son, The Wind in the Willows is a timeless tale of animal cunning and human camaraderie. This Penguin Classics edition features an appendix of the letters in which Grahame first related the exploits of Toad. 
Street Runners - Matt Whyman
Paperback in excellent NEW condition. Published by Simon & Schuster (2008). 268pp. NZD: 5.50 / P & P: A If you're ever in great danger, with nowhere else to turn, maybe you'll find help in the world beneath your feet… That's what happens to Yoshi, one night in London's Chinatown. Fleeing from a mystery pursuer, the boy finds himself in a sprawling, subterranean network of tunnels, tracks, vaults and lost waterways. It's also home to a band of street runners schooled in modern magic - the art of illusion and trickery. With help from his new friends, Yoshi uncovers his own vital part in a mission to tap the ancient forces underpinning the capital. But can he pull off the performance of a lifetime before his past catches up with him, or will life on street level fall under a dark and dangerous spell? 
No Time Like Showtime - Michael Hoeye
(A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure: #3) Paperback in excellent, as new condition. Penguin (2005). 278pp. NZD: 6.50 / P & P: B Trouble is brewing at the Varmint Theatre! Before he knows it, watchmaker mouse Hermux Tantamoq finds himself not only hired to track down a mysterious blackmailer, but roped into designing the set for an upcoming show. Hermux is on the case--and busy backstage--but as he enters the chaotic world of the theatre he's lost in a whirlwind of distractions: an accidental foray into "reality theatre," film director Brinx Lotelle's shameless interest in Hermux's friend Linka, beauty queen Tucka Mertslin's latest shenanigans, mysterious newcomer Corpius Crounce, and a very strange parrot. When Hermux receives a threatening message, he realizes it's up to him to save the day, save the theatre, protect his new friends and get the girl--a lot for one mouse to handle, even with a surprisingly talented pet ladybug in tow! Rich descriptions and snappy, witty dialogue bring Pinchester to life in this highly-anticipated third instalment of Hermux's adventures. 
The Sands Of Time - Michael Hoeye
Large format paperback in excellent condition. Penguin (2003). 279pp. NZD: 6.00 / P & P : B Hermux Tantamoq, is up to his ears in trouble again. All of Pinchester is in an uproar over his friend Mirrin Stentrill's visionary new paintings-monumental portraits of CATS! The Pinchester Museum announces Mirrin's exhibition, and Mayor Pinkwiggin immediately vows to shut it down. After all, cats are not a popular topic in a city of rodents-and everyone knows they never really existed. While militant mice organize to stop the show, most of Pinchester's stylish set vies for invitations to the gala opening. Then a mysterious old chipmunk appears in Hermux's shop with what he claims to be a map to the royal library of a prehistoric kingdom of cats.... 
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X - James Patterson
Paperback in excellent, as NEW condition. Published by Century (2008). 296pp. NZD: 6.00 / P & P : B He was born with great power The greatest superpower of all isn't to be part spider, part man, or to cast magic spells--the greatest power is the power to create. Daniel X has that power. And a deadly secret Daniel's secret abilities - like being able to manipulate objects and animals with his mind or to recreate himself in any shape he chooses - have helped him survive. But Daniel doesn't have a normal life. He is the protector of the earth, the Alien Hunter, with a mission beyond anyone's imagining. Now the fate of the world rests on Daniel X. From the day that his parents were brutally murdered before his very eyes, Daniel has used his unique gifts to hunt down their assassin. Finally, with the help of The List, bequeathed to him in his parents' dying breath, he is closing in on the killer. Now, on his own, he vows to take on his father's mission - and to take vengeance in the process. |