The Five Vanderbeeker kids live in the downstairs apartment of a big brownstone. Their life is happy and peaceful. They may not have much money but it doesn’t matter too much to them. Then one November day they get the worst possible early Christmas present, the family are being evicted. The kids set out on a mission to convince their grumpy landlord, who also just so happens to live above them, to let them stay. They try everything: pastries, finding out more about him, even a homemade gift – which gets rejected. Just when all hope is lost they succeed.
Magnus Chase: And the Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
Magnus Chase, a homeless orphan knows nothing about Mythology – Norse, Greek or Roman. He finds himself in Hotel Valhalla, where he finds fallen heroes from any and all ages. They are all waiting for the final showdown between the gods and Loki with his minions at his back. Magnus and the team he acquires journey through the nine worlds keeping the peace and trying their best to postpone the final battle.
This Norse Mythology/21st century collision makes for a very entertaining read and got quite a few giggles out of me 🙂
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Nick Allen is the king at asking the best time-wasting questions to get the entire class out of homework. That is until he meets Miss Granger, or the “Lone Granger” as the kids call her. He launches his first (and last) ever time-waster bomb in her class – “Why does the word dog means the thing that goes woof?” Instead of giving him a straight answer, Miss Granger sets Nick to discover why for himself. He does and that gives him an awesome idea for a new experiment. With a few of his friends on board, he launches a new word into circulation. “Frindle” takes off and is soon being used by his entire school much to Miss Granger’s disapproval. “The dictionary and it’s contents should not be messed with.”
Cheaper By The Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. And Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
This one had my entire family in stitches. Frank Bunker Gilbreth is a Time and Motion Efficiency Expert and where better to practice his ideas than on his twelve children? He himself is a bit bonkers (my word of the week right now) and comes up with ingenious ways to enhance his kids’ lives without taking much time up. There are record players in the bathrooms to teach languages, touch type charts that get even the littlest Gilbreth touch typing in no time and spirited discussions over the dinner table. Each chapter is full of funny goings-on and unusual action that even the youngest should get a giggle out of!
The Eleventh Orphan by Joan Lingard
Elfie, a homeless 11 year old girl living in Victorian London, is picked up by Constable O’Dowd after being caught thieving. Thinking that’s it for her – she’s going back to the workhouse – Elfie’s surprised to be taken to an Inn. The Pig and Whistle is run by Ma and Pa Bigsby who’ve taken in countless orphans over the years. They give them a home and an education equipping them to leave and get a job when they turn eighteen. Ma thought she had her hands full and couldn’t take in Elfie too, until she sees that Elfie has a picture of the inn. The picture was part of the pile Elfie got dumped with as a baby. Feisty Elfie doesn’t know who her parents are but she has clues to find her father which she does by the end of the book.
There are two more books following Elfie after this which are great reads too.
Murder Most Unladylike: Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
Hazel Wong left something in the gym. Going back to retrieve it she finds something more gruesome: the corpse of Miss Bell the science mistress. She rushes for help only to come back and find the body gone. All but one other girl at Deepdean School for Girls believe the lie that Miss Bell resigned. Only Hazel’s best friend, the Honourable Daisy Wells, believes her. Together they set off on the hunt for truth. They face dangers and sensible adults trying to protect them and carry on as normal. However they get there in the end and uncover the criminal with Hazel getting a pat on the back and a promotion in her and Wells’ private detective society.
Roman Quests: Escape from Rome by Caroline Lawrence
This awesome story starts with Juba being woken in the night by his mother telling him they’ve been denounced and he must flee now with his three siblings. He may be the middle child but they all know he’s the leader. The kids manage to flee and get to the port before guards come for them. The three manage to get passage to the only place in the Roman Empire they might be safe – their Uncle’s house in Britannia. With plot twists and unusual allies somehow Juba, Fronto and Ursula get through their trials and even meet a grown up Flavia Gemina from Roman Mysteries!
Rangers Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
Young orphan Will has always dreamed of joining the battle school and learning to be a soldier, but he’s rejected due to his small stature. Instead he gets apprenticed to the mysterious Ranger, Halt. Not knowing what’s he’s getting into, he learns to shoot, be a tactical advisor to his superiors, track and hide. He, Halt and Halt’s ex-Apprentice go in searth of the infamous Kalkara. Their aim? To destroy the Kalkara before they murder another senior leader.
Please note this is just the first part of the story. You will have to get the next couple to finish Will’s first adventure. The books, The Ruins of Gorlan, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land and (I’m pretty sure) The Oakleaf Bearers are part of one adventure almost. Then Sorcerer in the North and Siege of Macindaw are a two part story. Erak’s Ransom is a standalone adventure before you get to Kings of Clonmel and Halt’s Peril which are another two-parter, in my opinion. Then Emperor of Nihon-Ja (knee-hon-ya) is another standalone. These all follow Will and his friends; it’s just each group I just mentioned are different adventures happening in this universe.
Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Alex Rider is an orphan who lives with his uncle Ian Rider. One day, Alex’s life is thrown into chaos, when he gets the news that his uncle died in what are very fishy circumstances. Alex digs deeper to uncover the truth to find out how his uncle really died. The trail of clues leads him straight into the arms of MI6 Secret Operations division. They send him to the same place his uncle was working undercover in before he died. Alex spends a week snooping around a computer factory in Cornwall with a suspiciously large security force. In the end Alex finds Herod Sale’s secret and takes him down.
This reluctant teenage spy goes undercover twelve more times, each book pushing me further and further off my seat almost the entire time! The audible copies of these are brilliant (I’ve listened to them more times than I would care to admit XD). There is a new TV series airing of the second and fourth books right now but I think the plan is to do more, and don’t worry Anthony Horowitz is on the panel of directory thingy-ma-people. The series is rated 12 in the UK and kinda scary because of the visualisation of everything that happens to Alex, but it’s incredibly good and highly recommended.
Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden
It’s the Second World War and the children are getting evacuated from London. This story follows two children; Carrie and Nick Willow. They find themselves in a sleepy, ex-mining Welsh village and get taken in by Counsellor Isaac Evans and his sister. While waiting for Miss Evans they meet Albert Sandwich, a strange boy who’s only concern seems to be books. Carrie likes Albert but doesn’t see him again until they go to collect the Christmas goose from Mr Evans’ estranged sister. Carrie and Nick play all sorts of games and try to deal with the tensions of being friends with people Mr Evans doesn’t approve of. Carrie does her best, there’s a big misunderstanding but she finds out the truth and so it ends happily.
Katie Reads Books 