Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs, by Jackie French

Up, up through the blackness of the wormhole ceiling. Boo was pressed next to Yesterday’s blue silk dress on one side, and Princess’s gold brocade one on the other, his nose between Mug’s armoured knees, the pink dinosaurs around them.
Up…up…suddenly the world grew light.
Too light. Boo blinked. Something was shining in his eyes!
It was a sign, as tall as the cliff at school, adorned with blinking lights. There was a picture of a bed – a big one, with brass knobs and a patchwork quilt – and words above it, pulsing red and green and blue: ‘Welcome to the Ghastly Otherwhen.”
He gulped. It looked as though they’d arrived.

In Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior Boojum Bark (Boo), would-be Hero, banded with his friends from hero school to overcome the evil Greedle. Now, with the Greedle out of the way, Boo is determined to visit the Ghastly Otherwhen, previously the Greedle’s home, to rescue his mother. But no hero has ever conquered the Otherwhen, and everyone seems to be trying to talk him out of it – everyone except his friends Yesterday, Princess Princess, Mug and Squeak.

Together the four friends journey to the Otherwhen, but when they get there they find it is not at all what they had expected. How can they rescue Boo’s mum when she seems so happy to be there, and doesn’t remember Boo at all?

Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs is the second title in the School for Heroes series from award winning author Jackie French. An entertaining blend of humour, action, adventure and even mystery, there is much here to keep middle and upper primary aged readers turning the pages.

Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs (School for Heroes)

Dance of the Deadly Dinosaurs (School for Heroes), by Jackie French
Harper Collins, 2010

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

Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior, by Jackie French

Behind him he could hear a long sluuuushhh as the Zurm oozed down the stairs. A vision of what would happen hovered in front of him…Spot, glued to the floor, her Frisbee in her mouth, her eyes wide and desperate as she slowly starved. Old Mrs Shaggy, strawberry-jammed solid as she spooned out ice cream for her nephews…
the ice cream, thought Boo frantically. The Greedle wants our ice cream!
And suddenly he knew what he could do.

Boojum Bark lives quite happily with his mum, working as delivery boy for her ‘Best Icecream Shop in the Universes’. But that changes one Christmas Eve when the Greedle and his evil henchmen come to steal not only the Best Icecream, but also the Best Icecream maker – Boo’s mum. Even though Boo has saved the rest of his village from the Greedle, all he wants is his mum back.

Because of his heroics, Boo is sent to the School for Heroes where he can learn all the skills of a hero – and, he hopes, one day save his mum. But first he has to get used to walking on two legs (not easy for a werewolf pup), travelling through wormholes, and mixing with heroes from other worlds and universes.

Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior is the first new series in the new School for Heroes series from one of Australia’s best loved children’s authors, Jackie French. With an eclectic cast of characters, lots of action, and lashings of humour, this is sure to appeal to middle and upper primary school readers, who will be keen to see the series continue in the nest instalment.

Lots of fun.

Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior (School for Heroes)

Lessons for a Werewolf Warrior (School for Heroes), by Jackie French
Angus & Robertson, 2009

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