Month: July 2011

Hunting for Dragons, by Bruce Whatley

Dragons are everywhere – if you know where to look.

The young protagonist in this book likes nothing better than hunting for dragons and spends most weekends doing just that. There are dragons high in the sky (in the clouds), but it is hard to catch those ones, so it is better to hunt inside where dragons hide in every room of the house.

As the child hunts dragons, the reader has the fun of spotting them in each illustration – outlined by the shape of food on a plate, washing in a basket, shadows on a wall, and more. But the biggest surprise of all is when the protagonist finds a big green dragon in her bedroom . An additional lovely surprise is when the child takes off her dragon hunting armour to reveal to the reader that she is a girl.

Hunting for Dragons is a gorgeous hard cover picture book offering from award winning author/illustrator Bruce Whatley. The whimsy of the watercolour illustrations, the surprises hidden in the same, and the fun of the text will delight young readers.

Lovely.

Hunting for Dragons, by Bruce Whatley
Scholastic Press, 2010

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Solace & Grief, by Foz Meadows

They’ve broken into my house and my dreams on the same night. Which ought to sound crazy. Except for the fact that I can bend metal. Except for the fact that if I sit still and concentrate on a quiet day, I can hear conversations from two streets over. Except for the fact that my teeth are wickedly sharp.
Except that I’m a vampire.

When Solace Morgan turns 17, she realises that the reason she has always been different than the others in her group home as that she is a vampire. With that realisation, she also realises that it is time to move on. When she finds others with similar strange gifts, Solace feels content – but that feeling is not long-lived, as the mysterious Professor Lukin takes an interest in Solace and her friends, and begins a disarming chain of events.

Solace and Grief is a brilliant new supernatural fantasy from a debut novelist. With an amazing blend of contemporary urban setting, supernatural and mysterious elements, with a good dash of humour and hope, this is an engrossing read for teen readers, who will eagerly await the sequel.

Great stuff.

Solace and Grief

Solace and Grief, by Foz Meadows
Ford Street 2010

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.