YOUNG FICTION
THE KID WHO CAME FROM SPACE by Ross Welford (HarperCollins £6.99)
THE KID WHO CAME FROM SPACE
by Ross Welford (HarperCollins £6.99)
When 12-year-old Tammy goes missing on Christmas Eve, her twin brother Ethan, her parents and the police all fear the worst.
But no one suspects she has been abducted by aliens from the planet Anthalla who display her as an exhibit in their Earth Zone zoo.
Tammy, however, finds an unlikely ally in renegade Hellyann who, unlike, pure-bred Anthallans, is capable of emotion and, feeling sorry for the traumatised girl, flies a spacecraft to earth to enlist Ethan and his friend Iggy in Tammy’s rescue.
Ross Welford is superb at blending the raw emotion of troubled children with other-worldly imaginative, fantasy powers and this tense, rip-roaring, witty adventure with memorable characters is underpinned by a moving examination of love and loyalty.
THE BOY WHO FOOLED THE WORLD by Lisa Thompson (Scholastic £6.99)
THE BOY WHO FOOLED THE WORLD
by Lisa Thompson (Scholastic £6.99)
Cole’s family are in financial trouble and when the local museum announces it is closing and his breadwinner mum will lose her job, things look desperate.
Fortunately, a famous artist visits Cole’s school and is so enraptured by his abstract painting that she sells it in her gallery for £1,000, and he is feted as a genius.
But the demand for a new work for eager and wealthy collectors forces Cole to commit an act of deception that could destroy the family’s new-found fame and fortune . . .
Cole is a wonderfully empathetic character, trapped by circumstances and this touching tale of family love, injustice and redemption will also make you giggle at the pretentiousness of the modern art world.
THE GIRL WHO STOLE AN ELEPHANT by Nizrana Farook (Nosy Crow £6.99)
THE GIRL WHO STOLE AN ELEPHANT
by Nizrana Farook (Nosy Crow £6.99)
This exciting debut, set on the lush island of ancient Sri Lanka, introduces us to a kick-ass heroine in Chaya, a young girl who robs the rich to help the poor in local villages.
But she oversteps the mark when she steals jewels from the island’s Queen and her woodworking friend Neel is blamed — and sentenced to death.
She plots his escape, with the help of the cruel King’s stolen regal elephant and a wealthy merchant’s daughter who unwittingly led the soldiers to Neel’s workshop.
Tramping through the jungle, whooshing down waterfalls, falling in with bandits — the embattled trio fight for justice and a new, more compassionate form of society.
Richly atmospheric, full of colour and passion, Farook is a writer to watch.
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