Monthly Archives: October 2016

Every night, tiny stars appear out of the darkness in little Sandy’s bedroom. She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings that cover her room.

One day, Morpie, a mysterious pale girl, appears at school. And she knows all about Sandy’s drawings…Nightlights is a beautiful story about fear, insecurity, and creativity, from the enchanting imagination of Lorena Alvarez.

It is hard to categorise Nightlights, an achingly beautiful graphic novel about a young girl, her imagination, school, friendship, belonging and a spiral into terror with phantasms coming to life to steal away her away for her creative spirit.

This is another book by Nobrow a publisher that is rapidly becoming known for the wonderful aesthetics and physical beauty of the books they publish as well as the quality story-telling found on the pages. Nightlights is a nigh perfect work of art! Lorena Alvarez is a superlative artist and the story she has crafted and created is a wonder to behold!

I have read Nightlights several times and each time I turn a page my eyes catch something new, there is so much detail I can lose ages just staring at the pages!

You need this book in your lives! It is suitable for readers of all ages and will make a wonderful (and creepy) shared reading experience if you have any small readers in your lives!

I have to make a confession: this review post is a year late! I do have a really good reason though, on Halloween last year my daughter was two days old and everything that I had planned to do went out the window in the run up to (and after) her birth so to Leo I do apologise, this has been weighing on me since then as 13 Days of Midnight is a truly excellent book and creepy as hell!

It was one of the few books I broke my ban on reading non Carnegie & Kate Greenaway books for last year and I have no regrets! It worked as a chilling break and I loved it!

Seriously if you want a book to keep you up all night and give you chills down your spine then 13 Days of Midnight is it!

Seriously how can you read this:

When Luke Manchett’s estranged father dies unexpectedly, he leaves his son a dark inheritance: a collection of eight restless spirits, known as his Host, who want revenge for their long enslavement. Once they figure out that Luke has no clue how to manage them, they become increasingly belligerent, and eventually mutiny. Halloween (the night when ghosts reach the height of their power) is fast approaching, and Luke knows his Host is planning something far more trick than treat. Armed with only his father’s indecipherable notes, a locked copy of The Book of Eight, and help from school outcast Elza Moss, Luke has just thirteen days to uncover the closely guarded secrets of black magic and send his unquiet spirits to their eternal rest—or join their ghostly ranks himself.

…and not want to read the book itself!

There is a sequel out already titled 8 Rivers of Shadow and, the third book 7 Trees of Stone is also on the way!

So grab a digital copy and start your Halloween reading tonight or find a bookstore and get a physical copy and maybe you can start reading it on Dia de Muertos!

For many people of a certain age (if you grew up in or after the ’90’s), Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas is the quintessential Halloween movie!

For many years in the circles that I move in the title has been a topic of discussion when all others have been exhausted – the main bone of contention being why is it Tim Burton’s when it was directed by the awesome Harry Selick.

I recently learned the answer, and a very prosaic one it is at that! Tim Burton had actually written and illustrated a picture book of the same name and I am lucky enough to own a new edition with more illustrations, it is to put it simply: GLORIOUS!

Told in rhyming verse it is the story of Jack Skellington, his search for meaning beyond Halloween and how his journey takes him to Christmas Land and the near ruination of everything. If you have seen the film you will know the story but to read it and gaze upon the illustrations by Tim Burton takes it to another level! The illustrations are wonderful, sketchy and skeletal but imbued with a vitality that makes them leap off the page (sadly it is not a pop-up book).

Truly The Nightmare before Christmas is the perfect book for Halloween AND Christmas!

You should get it now – in fact get two, one for YOU and one for the rest of your family or friends!

This is something I have known for a very long time but it can sometimes be difficult to persuade small boys and also many adults that this is a statement of fact (see Donald Trump for more information).

Fortunately there are two new books out that can help educate the misinformed. The brilliantly titled Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst (and yes she IS actually a descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst)

The women in this book didn’t set out to be thought of as ‘great’. They achieved extraordinary things simply by following their hearts, talents and dreams. They didn’t listen when people said they couldn’t do something. They dared to be different. And some of them couldn’t resist a crazy adventure, or three.

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst is published by Bloomsbury Books

Wonder Women by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Sophia Foster-Dimino is an amazing collection of 25 biographies of wonderful women from around the world and back through time. Five phenomenal chapters detailing Women of Science, Women of Medicine, Women of Espionage, Women of Innovation and Women of Adventure show that although it may have been a man’s world, women have been at the forefront of the action, discoveries and adventure even though their contributions have, at times, been overwritten by patriarchal society.

Written in a humorous and engaging style Wonder Women is perfect for dipping in and out of for interest and education and is also gripping and interesting enough to read from beginning to end with no drop of interest.

Wonder Women by Sam Maggs is published by Quirk Books

Both of these books should be in all Libraries and possibly, if the publishers read this sent to Donald Trump to help educate him and expand his sadly limited world-view.