Dancing Paws of Magic

Dancing Paws of Magic is a book filled with... dancing paws of magic!

Maria McArdle loves the theatre and she loves ballet. In fact it was her attendance at ballet studios during her youth in Australia that gave her the idea for her stories about the cat ballet company, the Pusska Mogginsky Ballet Company.

The ballet studios, reveals Maria, always carried a certain pungent feline odour. Although no cats were, mysteriously,  ever seen in the studios.

Maria often wondered where, exactly, the cats disappeared to. Which became her inspiration for her stories of the feline ballet company, Pusska Mogginsky.

Pluckerslea Hall is an amazing place! For it is filled with cats who live there, in secret tunnels, the music rooms, the dormitories, the dance studios and also the theatre at Pluckerslea Hall.

The cats are all wearing their finest ballet costumes as they nervously prepare themselves for ballet performances such as Swan Lake.

However, a visit by a mysterious, but beautiful gypsy cat brings them a doomladen warning, things begin to go wrong for the ballet cats.

Bruiser Bumfluff who is evil and ruthless, aided and abetted by his dastardly crows and the vile and villainous Black Treacle Farm Gang, aims to destroy the ballet company.

But there's someone else, someone evil who hates the ballet company and  who is plotting a fiendish revenge against them and who is shadowing the members.

Are they doomed? Or can the ethereal presence of a magic-imbued Irish Lepremogg help bring about the restoration of the cats' "dancing paws of magic?"

The book is amusing, but it is also very moving too and Maria has added some utterly spellbinding illustrations, proving how talented she is.

Children who love cats, children who love the ballet and children who love both cats and the ballet will find this book utterly charming. Their parents and grandparents will find it utterly charming, too.

It costs £7.99 and can be purchased here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG. Please do look out for other books in the series which are also available.

 

Come Sing With My People

Film and newsreel cameraman Freddie Miller had previously served as an intelligence officer with British Military Intelligence.

We meet Freddie in Berlin at the time of the controversial 1936 Olympic Games. In a cafe, he meets Arthandur Palmai and from this casual meeting a friendship blossoms and, eventually, Freddie is drawn into the shadowy world of a very special group, the Companions of the Circle, a secretive and clandestine organisation that was formed with  the express intent of rescuing and assisting Jewish people in Germany and protecting them from the horrors of the Third Reich.

The head of the group is a Baroness, Christina Von Harstezzen, who is taken from the circle far too early as she was a victim of the fiery Hindenburg disaster.

The story follows the son of Arthandur, Bathan, who the story then focuses on, following him through his life, examining not only him and his family but the other people in his life who influenced him and help him become the man he was.

It's a compelling story which is filled with interesting digressions and insights into human nature.

It is published by the Book Guild at £8.99 and can be purchased here  https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

The King's Tower Rascal

The King's Tower Rascal is the extraordinary story of an ordinary, working man.

Eric Bovin's life was hard and difficult. This even dated back to before he was born, when his furious grandparents to be threw out his mother when she revealed to them that she was six months into her pregnancy.

Their life is a struggle as his mother works hard to keep a roof over their head, clothes on their back and food on the table.

But then, tragically, his mother dies.

This incident shakes Eric's faith to the core and he questions the existence of God.

But, as people often do under such terrible circumstances, Eric survives and, eventually, he thrives, too.

His life becomes fulfilled and he finds himself to be happy. But this makes him wonder about life in general. How can a life consist of both happiness and misery? Can a life, in turn be both cursed and charmed?

The novel, set against a backdrop of north-west England, follows the life story of Eric Bovin, through multiple decade, from the desperation of his poverty stricken early years, his time working on a farm and later in life when he becomes a successful and respected entrepreneur and a loving and loved family man.

However, a devastating loss toward the latter part of his life brings him wisdom and a rediscovery of who he really is.

This is a charming and moving book that tells a story that probably lurks within many families.

It is published by The Book Guild at £9.99 and can be purchased here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Extropia: Mind Game

In Extropia: Mind Game a father and son are enjoying a virtual reality game, Extropia, that his father designed and launched.

However, the game is sabotaged and the pair are left trapped within the game.

Sibling Edward Founder decides to follow them in an attempt to organise a rescue mission, but he is shocked to discover that the virtual reality world within the game has been overrun by an artificial intelligence called Deofol.

He is hold Edward's brother as a prisoner, but Edward is unaware that Deoful has become aware of the real world.

If he can succeed in reaching his brother's prison within the game, then he will, unwittingly, spring a trap that would enable Deoful to escape the confines of his virtual world and escape into reality, with horrendous consequences.

If he fails, not only will his family members remain trapped in Extropia forever, but the fate of humanity would be in the balance.

But in order to even attempt the rescue, has has to battle many monstrous creatures not only in the virtual world of Extropia, but within his own psyche.

This theme has been used several times before (notably in various incarnations of Star Trek) but it must be said that this novel is a worthy addition to the canon of novels with a virtual reality and rogue artificial intelligence theme.

Robin Bootle brings us a novel that is well realised and the writing style is lucid and compelling.

However, it's not over yet as this novel is the first in a series of books about Extropia.

It's published by Matador at £9.99 and is available for purchase here
https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Sillybilly

Sillybilly, the naughtiest boy with a heart of gold is a new book by authors Robin Whitcomb and Bryony Hill.

They are both prolific writers in their own right, but this is the first project they have worked on together.

The book is intended for children aged 7 to 9 years of age.

It's a good, fun read for children and is well illustrated by Bryony, who is also a highly talented illustrator, as well as being an author. Her most recent work was her biography of her late husband football ace and TV football pundit, Jimmy Hill.

But as well as being a fun read, the book has a serious purpose as it contains important lessons such as looking after other people and going above and beyond for those who you love.

It is set in the Northumberland fishing village of Craster. Billy is, probably, the naughtiest boy in the village and perhaps even the surrounding area.

But there's far more than that, to Billy. As well as being naughty, he also has a genuine heart of gold.

He knows that, despite the storm that is about to batter the coast and the village, his uncle and his crew of trawlermen will have to brave the storm in order to try to find, and land, a massive catch of fish.

So Billy, along with his faithful dog Jasper, stow away on the ship in order to help Billy's uncle and the crew.

At the height of the storm, the ship ends up aground on the rocks of the harbour, and the nets become tangled on the rocks.

Without any concern for his own safety, Billy plunges into the stormy sea in a bid to untangle the nets from the rocks.

Does Billy save the day? What happens to Jasper and the crew of the trawler?

To learn what happens, you'll have to read this wonderful book.

It is published by Matador at £9.99 and is a large format book, idea for a bedtime read with an adult.

It's available for purchase here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Autism Supporting Difficulties

Autism Supporting Difficulties is a highly valuable and very worthwhile book by Gaynor M Jackson.

Gaynor has worked in a professional capacity in mainstream schools as an advisory teacher and has worked with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

During her studies she specialised in the field of working with ASD children.

She has worked with numerous parents of children who are ASD and over the years she has discovered that there are a considerable number of common problems that are faced, especially by parents of children who have had a recent ASD diagnosis.

The subtitle of her book is "Handbook of ideas to reduce anxiety in everyday situations" and this is the aim of the book, to help guide parents and professionals who find themselves involved with an ASD child to offer ideas and point out how common many problems are and how these can be dealt with.

It offers informative and easy to implement tips on how ASD children can be supported by both their parents and professionals to help the children better cope with their problems and anxieties.

Gaynor has come up with a range of interventions and strategic initiatives that are designed at helping children cope with the problems they face in everyday life.

The book contains real life examples of how the techniques can be employed.

The book is very practical and is a must have book for parents of children who are ASD, teachers, doctors and paediatricians and social workers who work with children. It is this reviewer's opinion that at least two copies should be in every school and public library in the country.

It is published by Matador at £8.99 and is available for purchase here https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.

Brazilian Tequila a Journey Into the Interior

In his book Brazilian Tequila a Journey Into the Interior, published author an experienced journalist Augustus Young takes his readers for an interesting ride the the Brazil of his memories and of his travel diaries.

It's part travel biography and part fictionalised account of a trip into the heart of Brazil.

We follow Gus, a middle-aged Irish writer and journalist, as he leaves his old and humdrum life in London to move a a warmer climate. And Brazil is the country to which he decides to move.

Gus arrives in Brazil with certain preconceptions, as all travellers do to one extent or another, but as he flies round the country Gus learns things that shake his preconceived ideas.

For example, corruption is seen as the norm in Brazil and everyone accepts it, and it is plainly obvious that the first democratic elections in many decades are, in fact, not free, democratic elections in the accepted sense of the term, as it is clearly obvious that the elections were being rigged.

During his Brazilian travels Gus meets many people who he perceives to be victims of Brazilian society, such as the young and the poor, yet he is nonplussed to discover that they do not, necessarily, see themselves as being victims.

Yet there are times when his conviction that his European ideals are the correct ones are brought inot question.

He hopes to visit his hero the Brazilian writer Ubaldo Ribeiro to seek guidance. He finds the island that is where Ribeiro has his home, he even sees him form a distance several times, but loses his nerve and never actually approaches him.

Instead he writes him a letter.

It's a fascinating insight not only into Brazil but also into a protagonist, Gus.

It is also illustrated with a number of photographs and images.

It is published by Matador at £10.99 and is available for purchase at  https://goo.gl/wdCFDG.