Tag Archives: young adult

The rule of one by Ashley Saunders and Leslie Saunders.

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Without thinking, I touch my right wrist, where a microchip should be. A permanent reality of being the second-born in a Rule of One America: I don’t really exist.

With vivid descriptions and conversations between key characters engaging, The rule of one by Ashley and Leslie Saunders, is a new dystopian book series set in the not too distant future.

Written from the point of view of twins – alternating chapters – we meet the new America, one which has brought about the rule of the one child policy in order to save humanity from destruction.

The new world is tightly monitored by a ruthless government who monitors every microchipped citizen. Everything is controlled for the apparent greater good, but the cracks are starting to show.

Our key protagonists, Ava and Mira, are identical twins, who have lived life safely by carefully engaging with society in an identical manner with no one noticing them. Each day one twin attends school while the other stays in the basement. Each day they eat as a family swapping the smallest of details so the other twin can rise to the surface and play the role again.

Life seems well played by the twins until someone notices a difference and this is wear the adventure to not only save their own lives begins, but a journey to save the people from the overruling government.

Tweens and Young adults will enjoy the story, although similar in some ways to other dystopian books and I wasn’t quite sure the ending was powerful enough, they will enjoy reading this and the sequel

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Lenny’s book of everything by Karen Foxlee

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You don’t become someone perfect just because your brother is dying. You stay the person you are and all your good and bad bits are magnified.

It’s not often that you come across a book that you cannot put down, or one that you constantly think about.

Lenny’s book of everything by Karen Foxlee is one of those books.

It’s also one of those books that will make you laugh and cry in one paragraph. And one that you will need to keep the handkerchiefs close by…..

This story is written with magic interwoven into the world of the main character – Lenny and her little brother Davey.

Lenny is a young girl who is an ordinary big and bossy sister who loves (yet at times) loathes her little brother. She loves the idea of adventure yet loves the safety of home. Her brother Davey is such a sweet and loveable character who comes out with the best lines in the story – “Holy Batman!” making sure that you break into a smile even at the most difficult moments.

The other characters make this story rich and colourful – firstly their mother Cynthia Spink, hard working and worn out, Mrs Gaspar the dream weaving Hungarian lady who looks after the children while their mother works, mean Mr King, the fruit shop owner, mysterious Mr King and of course Great Aunt Em.

A host of other characters and events play important roles in the story of Lenny, highlighting her love of the encyclopaedias that arrive on their doorstep alphabetically, the dreams she and her brother have of escaping to Great Bear Lake and of course the harsh reality that they have to deal with – Davey having Gigantism.

The story is always so joyful yet there is  the ever presenting unknowing of if Davey will ever stop growing.

This is a story to be read by children over the age of ten but I loved this book and I highly recommend any adult who loves a good book (along with a few hankies).

How to Bee by Bren Mac Dibble.

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Have you ever wondered about what life would look like if there were only a small amount of bees left in the world?

This is a very real problem and one book that made me shudder with the possibility of being real.

Meet tough, smart and vibrant Peony, an ten year old farm girl who works in the Goulburn Valley of NSW, Australia. Peony works hard on the farm, manually removing bugs from crops as pesticides have been banned – however becoming a Bee is what she dreams of. Being a Bee is one of the most important roles in this futuristic society as the young and nimble need to do the job the bees once did – pollinating flowers.

Peony lives with her grandfather and sister but the community around them and the bond they all have is amazing and something to aspire due despite the poverty they live in. Peony’s mother wants more than farm life and takes Peony off to the city to earn real money. Despite her utter dislike for city life, huge disparity being rich and poor and still the utter disregard for the hard work of farmers, Peony learns about the importance of friendship, family and kind acts.

How to Bee brought a tear to my eye and although it may seem like a bleak outlook from the start it shows how strong the human spirit is and the need we all have to belong and live in harmony.

Perhaps if the big supermarkets and chemical companies read this story they would start to change how they see the world and start to think more about the impact we are having on the future.

There are some areas of the world where this form of pollination is already happening today – I’m not sure if we want this to spread to all areas of the world. http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/humans-bees-china_us_570404b3e4b083f5c6092ba9?section=australia

So what can you do?

– Bee and Me

– The Book of Bees

– Bee

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This book will (help you) change the world by Sue Turton.

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Do you actually know how you can change the world you live in? Do you understand the political system that you are a part of and how you can change it by standing up and voicing your opinion so that it will be listened to?

Many of us don’t – especially young people – and this book is here to help.

This book will (help you) change the world by Sue Turton has been written with young adults in mind, but many adults will also benefit from what is inside.

Part one of this book outlines the political system of the UK. If you are not in the U.K, don’t let this put you off. There are many parallels in the two systems and Sue Turton only dwells on the details of the UK parliamentary system for a couple of pages.

Part one also looks at why you need to know the system to play a role, why the system is broken and how young people can play a role in a political party.

Part Two is excellent. It is this section that will empower young readers to take action – but take action that is planned, thoughtful and to the point. Sue Turton outlines the different ways people can take action that will make a difference and the importance of voicing your opinions that will be listened to (well researched, coherent and less blame-more action based)

Activism is a key part to this book and many young adults will walk away from this feeling that they can make a difference in the world they live in. This book does have a lot of links (websites, references to events) to the U.K. but they can all be transferred to the country you live in so don’t be put off.

Why are books like this important? 

Many young people often feel that they can’t speak up because either they don’t understand how the system works, they speak too soon before they have thought how they can best tackle an issue or they are worried about the ramifications of speaking up.

We need to empower young people to speak up but teach them to speak up in the right way. We don’t want them to hurt others verbally or physically to make a point, we don’t want them caught up in the wrong group to make a point either. Being informed is important and this book teaches children how to do that.

Sue Turton’s This book will (help you)change the world is a great book to accompany any classroom that is looking at democracy, debating or human rights issues – it will inform and inspire future leaders.

The Fall by Tristan Bancks

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Wow. I’ve literally just finished this book and I’m blown away by this action packed, adrenaline pumping and hair raising crime thriller- The Fall by Tristan Bancks. 


As a librarian I try to read as many books as I can but this one, as soon as it arrived, I couldn’t put it down. 

The main character, Sam- a want to be crime reporter is visiting his Dad, Harry Garner (a real crime reporter).

 But in the middle of the night Sam hears raised voices and witnesses a body fall from the apartment above his. His father is missing and Sam, using his amateur detective skills is determined to find out who killed this man as soon as he can. 

Enlisting the help of his Dad’s dog, Magic and his neighbour, Scarlet, he finds out more than he bargained for and lands himself in more trouble than he thought. 

The Fall is a gripping story that not only is an amazing read but it teaches the reader many tips about being yourself, believing in yourself and living life with open eyes, open ears and an open heart. 

I loved the Ten Commandments of life that Sam creates on reflection of the dramatic events that happened that fateful evening. 

They are something that all young readers should aim to live by. 

Can’t wait for some more great suspense raising reads by Tristan Bancks.