We are at the hight of winter reading over here and conquering book stack after book stack… here are our latest reads from Penguin Random Kids…
The Inheritance Trilogy
This series was absolutely fantastic… I listened to the audible, and to be quite honest as I finished I could have started all over again, they were that good. FIVE STAR MATERIAL. If you are looking for a good audible to listen to with your teens while you are driving them “here there and everywhere else”… then this is the one.
Avery is a regular high schooler, raised by her hard working sister, all she wants is to finish school, get a scholarship and move out of the life she has led so far. And then she is called to the principles office, apparently she needs to attend the reading of a will and there she inherits an incredibly large fortune, from the late Tobias Hawthorne. It sounds too good to be true, in fact, it is. There is a catch… she has to live in the family home, with family members who thought that they would be inheriting the fortune.
The Inheritance Games (Book 1):
Avery moves into Hawthorne house only to find that Tobias Hawthorne has left, not only four good looking grandsons, but a legacy of life size puzzles and underground mazes, obvious clues with far from obvious solutions, and everyone is chasing after the truth about Avery. Is she a con artist, is she there to take “their” millions, what is the mysterious connection. Nobody knows, but Avery has to negotiate her way through a world she could never have imagined: wealth, privilege, and suspicion.
The Hawthorne Legacy (Book 2):
In this book the quest continues, to discover who Avery’s father was. A DNA test proves that she is definitely not a Hawthorne and the mystery continues. Meanwhile, the Hawthorne boys are falling for Avery, competition is fierce and no expense is held back… and as more and more dark family secrets are unearthed it appears that Avery is getting further and further away from the truth.
The Final Gambit (Book 3):
A full year of playing a waiting game, a game of cat and mouse, and a determined, yet disillusioned Avery is being kept in the game by the Hawthorne brothers, sheer hard work, love and respect has made these apparent strangers into a tight knit group… suspicions abound outside of their circle, very real and hidden dangers lurk, and to top it all Avery has the paparazzi judging every move she makes. It is a tightrope balance to the finish line…
In a family where winning is everything and no expense can be spared on the way to the finish line, Avery has to learn to negotiate her way through a trail of intricate puzzles, riddles and relationships… this series is unputdownable. Trust me, if you want to step off the world and take a break… start here. And the best news is… there is a new book in the series, coming out soon…
Billy and the Giant Adventure
Well this was a delightful surprise, Jamie Oliver doesn’t just write Cook Books, but this fantastic family bed time tale has turned into a magical storybook. It is a chunky hardcover, and feels like a classical classic and yet, it is richly illustrated with quite a large font, making it easy on the eye and manageable for beginner readers.
It would make an excellent bed time story, a chapter a night at bedtime and because it is a Jamie Oliver, there are of course a handful of recipes tucked away in the back. This is the story of Billy and his friends who stumble upon a secret world in the local forest, they also unearth a local mystery from days gone by. It is a wild adventure, full of magical creatures and friendship… around a theme of green living and generally doing a little bit better for the environment. The story is full of all things positive and adventures, and it is a great middle grade read.
Fritz and Kurt
Excellent, excellent read. I read “The Boy who followed his father into Auschwitz” when it came out and it was such a harrowing read, but when I discovered that a version had been written for children, I really wanted to read it with my children. We read this book together for home-school, we had been learning about World War II and this was a deep dive into what it was like for an Austrian boy, Fritz, and his Jewish family, during World War II. The book begins at the start of the war as the Germans invade Austria, and life for Fritz and his close knit, loving family, would never be the same again. Fritz and his father were arrested for being Jewish, his oldest sister was sent to work in England just as the war started, his very small brother, Kurt, was sent on a long ocean voyage, leaving his family and everything he ever knew to start a new life with a family in the United States, and his mother and sister were sent to a death camp. This is Fritz and his father’s story of hope, as they survive horror after horror, from several very near death experiences, from one prison of war camp to the next. Together, they never give up hope and that is exactly what keeps them alive. Conditions were at best harrowing, at worst unmentionable, but their hope and companionship keeps them alive and incredibly they survive. A true story of survival and overcoming everything. The book is a true story of a horrific time and yet the author manages to express himself without every graphic detail and in this way keeps the story of Fritz and Kurt and thus the holocaust, alive for generations to come. One can get a real sense of this special family through the illustrations, together the author and the illustrator have created a memorable piece of work that should be part of every middle-to-high schoolers World War II curriculum.
Easy Chapter Books
The Amazing Underground Adventure Book 1): This richly illustrated and wonderful story book came out during lockdown, when children all over the world were bored and stuck at home. Such a great story about a boy called Jack and his sister, Lily and their adventure in a secret tunnel that Jack discovers under his bed. The illustrations are stunning, packed with little details. they find themselves in Toadstool forest… and an incredible magical adventure.
The Deep Sea Adventure (Book 2): In this adventure, our heroes, Jack and Lily are back, with their friend Odin… and a slip down the toilet and they find themselves in Toilet Town… sewers aren’t fun for anyone. Big Tony, head of the rats, can help them out of the tunnels, but they first need to save the Siren Sisters. The children have the most incredible adventure on the ocean floor, meeting all sorts of creatures from the ocean depths and kelp forests.
Mind the Monkeys
Dianne Stewart is a one in a million South African author, who can write for every age group and she does. This is an easy reading middle grade read about a boy called Karl, who goes to spend a family holiday with his granny on the Natal Coast. He really doesn’t want to be there, granny is just a little bit too green and nature loving for him and he is of an age when his sister and her friend are not the people he really wants to hang out with. Meanwhile, as time goes on, he starts to enjoy the nature around him more and more… the monkeys that visit granny especially. The book gently introduces the reader to the surrounding nature, and lots of facts are subtly popped into the story. In the end, Karl’s keen observations help to save a struggling monkey and he helps to save the day. A good read, short and sharp chapters… perfect for a “chapter a day” kind of a reader. And the fun illustrations are spread through out the book, giving a young reader something to look forward to. If your child enjoyed The Boy Who Hated Insects, then they will enjoy this one too.
Time of the Swallows
This is a poignant coming of age story, set in Kwazulu Natal. It is the story of a family in deep distress, but everything looks so very normal on the surface. Anele Dlamini is the youngest child in the family, and she has an older brother and sister. Her father is a sugar cane farmer and her parents are lovely and supportive, getting their kids through the ins and outs of high school activities.
Her oldest sister is married and pregnant with their first grandchild, she is living at home, because her husband travels all the time for work. There is great excitement in the family as they look forward to the new baby… as the summer seems to crawl past, Anele is surprised to see her sisters husband with another woman and her son when they are out in town… something makes her keep quiet and hold onto this secret. I really enjoyed this read, it is a very moving coming of age story, when a child first realises that telling everything as you see it may not be the best way forwards. And sitting with the secret as time goes by… doesn’t help either. Excellent and I love the South African context that Dianne Stewart fills her books with. Local really is lekker.
This is a young adult, happily forever after series, set in a Renaissance Faire. This is the behind the scenes look into the lives of the main players at the Faire… it is just good, comfort reading. Predictable, but in a good way, not to mention, a couple of twists and turns to keep you reading. Funny and moving, and perfect “escape from it all” reads. These are perfect weekend reads, cosy up with a good story and you will enjoy the ending… the author is a self-proclaimed “happily ever after enthusiast!”
Well Met (Book 1):
The first in the series, Emily returns to her home town, Willow Creek, to look after her sister, who is recovering from an accident. She becomes a reluctant player in the local Renaissance Faire, when her niece gets her involved. Amidst the characters in the Faire, is the gorgeous guy and the cranky school teacher, and of course all the ins and outs of that. Emily feels that she can get nothing right and is only thinking of moving on as soon as her sister is back on her feet… and of course opposites attract, and Emily ends up staying.
Well Played (Book 2):
Our friends from the Renaissance Fair meet again, it is a new summer and Stacey, Emily’s friend from the previous book, decides that it is time to get her life together in Willow Creek or move on… of course she never expects to fall in love. Funny, moving, and another cosy read.
Well Matched (Book 3):
April is stuck in a rut and decides it is time to move on from Willow Creek and the annual Faire, so she asks Dex, the kilt wearing hunk to help her with her home repairs, prior to selling. Of course he helps, but he needs a favour as well, could she possibly be his date at a family dinner… one thing leads to another.
Well Travelled (Book 4): More about life at the Faire, if you have never been to a Renaissance Faire, you will definitely want to after reading your way through this series. This story is more about Lulu and deciding how to move forwards in her life, after quitting the fast paced corporate world.
The Huddle
If you are looking for more fantastic reads for kids then grab the latest Huddle magazine, from your local bookstore, they are free and fabulous.
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These books were given to us for review purposes by Penguin Random House South Africa and Lapa Publishers. This is not a sponsored post and opinions expressed are entirely our own.