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Category Archives: 9+

‘The Little White Horse’ by Elizabeth Goudge

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Wright Reading

book cover of The Little White Horse byElizabeth Goudge

The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge

Age: 9+

Themes: Fantasy; adventure; friendship; reconciliation; fairy-tale.

Synopsis: When 13 year old Maria Merryweather is orphaned, she leaves her life in London to go and live with her cousin, Sir Benjamin Merryweather, in the village of Silverydew in Moonacre Valley. Arriving there, Maria soon realises her cousin’s home is full of magic and wonder. However, beneath the surface of happiness and content, Silverydew is suffering at the evil hands of the Men from the Dark Woods. These hostile relations began many generations ago but Maria soon learns that she has a vital role to play in bringing reconciliation. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Classical Literature, Fairy tale, Friendship, Magic, Reconciliation, Triumph Over Adversity. Bookmark the permalink.

‘My Name is Rose’, by Sally Grindley

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Wright Reading

My Name is Rose, by Sally Grindley

Age: 9+

Themes: identity, Gypsy culture, Western culture, oppression.

Synopsis: Rose is a ten-year old Gypsy girl from Romania. The story opens with Rose living a happy and content nomadic life with her loving family. However, in Chapter 2 Rose’s world collides with the rich, opulent world of the ‘gadje’ (non-Gypsy people). A rich businessman named Mr Luca crashes his car into the gypsy caravan, killing Rose’s entire family. Racked with guilt, Mr and Mrs Luca take Rose home with them to England. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Childhood, Gypsy, Identity, Multiculturalism, Triumph Over Adversity, Western Culture. Bookmark the permalink.

‘The Case of the Deadly Desperados’ by Caroline Lawrence

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Wright Reading

The Case of the Deadly Desperados, by Caroline Lawrence

Age: 9+

Themes: mystery; adventure; USA; historical.

Synopsis: This is the first book in what promises to be a brilliant new series from Caroline Lawrence, author of the Roman Mystery series. For her new venture, The Western Mysteries, Lawrence travels back in time and space to Virginia City, 1862 – the wild, lawless land of pistols, spurs and desperados. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Mystery, USA, Wild West. Bookmark the permalink.

‘The Shadow Thief’ by Alexandra Adornetto

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Wright Reading

The Shadow Thief, by Alexandra Adornetto

Age: 8+

Themes: magic, humour, friendship, adventure, fantasy.

The Shadow Thief was written by Alexandra Adornetto when she was only thirteen years old. It is this remarkable fact that influenced me to purchase a copy whilst on holiday in Australia (Adornetto is Australian). Ironically, this remarkable fact also caused me to have some cynicism and rather low expectations when I began reading The Shadow Thief. However, I can honestly say that my cynicism was unwarranted. To write such a novel at the age of thirteen is a truly impressive feat. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Fairy tale, Fantasy, Friendship, Humour, Magic. Bookmark the permalink.

‘The Red Wind’ by Isobelle Carmody

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Wright Reading

The Red Wind by Isobelle Carmody

Age: 9+ (independent reading), 6+ (adult reading to child)

Themes: friendship, fantasy, adventure

The Red Wind is an enchanting, whimsical story which will stay in the reader’s imagination long after they finish the book. I picked it up whilst in a bookshop in Australia, attracted by the beautiful illustrations on the cover and also the gold badge marking it as ‘Book of the Year’ (Children’s Book Council of Australia). Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 6+, 9+, Adventure, Fantasy, Friendship. Bookmark the permalink.

‘Dead Man’s Cove’ by Lauren St.John

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Wright Reading

Dead Man’s Cove, by Lauren St.John

Age: 9+

In this page-turning adventure, Lauren St.John transports her readers to the crashing waves and wild, rugged cliffs of Cornwall. (I was instantly gripped – Cornwall is my favourite place in the world.)

Dead Man’s Cove is the first in the Laura Marling series and opens with 11 year old Laura leaving Sylvan Meadows orphanage and going to live with her kind yet mysterious uncle in the Cornish village of St.Ives. There the life of adventure, which Laura has always yearned for, begins. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Childhood, Family, Friendship, Mystery. Bookmark the permalink.

‘Chinese Cinderella’ by Adeline Yen Mah

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Wright Reading

Chinese Cinderella, by Adeline Yen Mah

Age: 9+

Themes: family, China, autobiography, childhood, rejection, triumph over adversity.

Adeline Yen Mah writes about her own childhood in this moving and haunting true story. It is the kind of book which will leave images and words in your mind long after you put it down.

Chinese Cinderella follows Adeline’s life between the ages of 4 and 14. Adeline’s mother died when giving birth to her, leaving Adeline in the care of her father and his new wife, Niang.

As in the tale of Cinderella, Adeline’s stepmother, nasty Niang, is heartlessly cruel to Adeline and her siblings. Niang greatly favours her own biological children – Adeline’s step sister and step brother. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Childhood, China, Family, Triumph Over Adversity. Bookmark the permalink.

‘The Odyssey’ retold by Robin Lister

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Wright Reading

The Odyssey retold by Robin Lister

Age: 9+

This timeless epic is beautifully retold by Robin Lister. The story is partly written through the narrator’s voice and partly through the earnest voice of Odysseus.

I read this book initially when I was about 9 years old. Remembering how much I had enjoyed it first time round, I was keen to re-read it. Secretly, I was also hoping to glean some mythical inspiration for the story I am currently working on.

Odysseus, ‘unluckiest of men’, has been striving to return to his homeland of Ithaca for many years, ever since the Trojan War. He comes tantalizingly close to Ithancan shores on numerous occasions, but time and again he is pulled away to face hideous battles. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Classical Literature, Myth. Bookmark the permalink.

‘Noah Barleywater Runs Away’ by John Boyne

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Wright Reading

Age: 9+          Noah Barleywater Runs Away, by John Boyne

Written by the author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, John Boyne tells a very different story in Noah Barleywater Runs Away.

It is magical, quirky and captivating and makes a great read for those who enjoy something a little unusual.

The plot does what it says on the tin – 8 year old Noah Barleywater runs away from home. The reason for his running away is not clear at first but is gradually revealed as the story unfolds. Read the rest of this entry →

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‘Flood Child’ by Emily Diamand

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Wright Reading

Flood Child, by Emily Diamand

Age: 9+

It is easy to see why Flood Child won the Chicken House competition in 2008. Readers will be swept away in the adventures of 13 year old Lilly, a girl living in London in the year 2216.

The setting of Flood Child is both imaginative and also hints at what actually might be…  Great Britain has been engulfed by floods from global warming. Pirates, known as reavers, rule the waters. Read the rest of this entry →

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Posted in 9+, Adventure, Family, Friendship, Global Warming. Bookmark the permalink.
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