Tag Archives: Italy

Jul29

The Silver Sea – Belinda Murrell

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Penguin Australia

  • August 2022
  • ISBN: 9781761045554
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $16.99
I really can’t rave enough over this new series of Belinda’s! The first The Golden Tower was a book that I literally gobbled up and this one took only a little bit longer (due to the fact that The Kid has been sick and I’ve been tired!). And how delightful it has been to re-visit Tuscia, the parallel world that Sophie has come to love.

Young Sophie is still living with her grandmother while her mum and brother are busy with Archie’s summer camp for young geniuses. During her summer sojourn Sophie has discovered, by complete accident, her Nanna’s connection with beautiful Tuscia and the Rossellana family. After one grand adventure, Sophie has been spending lots of time learning to fence and just generally enjoying the time with her grandmother.

Then one morning she wakes up to no Nanna, just a note explaining that her grandmother had to return to Tuscia to help her sister. That in itself would be strange enough – to leave Sophie without notice – but when grumpy cat Baccio arrives to tell a tale of kidnap and danger, Sophie knows it is not just strange but frightening. The only solution is for her to return to Tuscia herself and work with her Rossellana family to rescue the two old ladies.

Little does Sophie, or her family, know that the kidnapping is the tip of an iceberg of intrigues, long-held grudges, monstrous and cruel villains and devious plots.

Belinda Murrell takes her readers on another exciting and fascinating adventure through this fictitious, but almost real, land with a real focus on friendship, courage, resilience and initiative throughout. Sophie’s encounters with travelling players and evil sorcerers, a sea monsters and a winged lion and more make for thrilling reading, which is made all the more enjoyable for the introduction to Italian language and cultural references throughout.

Another cracking read (and series!) from this delightful author. If you missed the first, make sure you catch up and add this one. Highly recommended for readers from around Year 4 upwards.

Jan7

Friday Barnes #9: No Escape – R. A. Spratt

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Penguin Australia

  • February 2021
  • ISBN: 9781760895761
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • RRP: $15.99

R. A. Spratt (aka Rachel) said to me ‘NO spoilers’ when I mentioned I was about to review this new Friday Barnes instalment and given she is both fit and feisty albeit small, I am not about to quibble! So here’s my rather ‘different’ review ;-).

A) Friday is now the same age as The Kid – growing up indeed!

B) The Kid will be going on her first ever school camp this year as she commences Year 10 at her new school and I will be running full checks on any accompanying teachers – just saying.

C) We live with an Italian, and know others, and I have come to the conclusion that they are ALL crazy!

D) When I reviewed #8 in the series on this blog two years ago I commented that I almost had a full-scale riot in my library when I said it would (as I had been told) be the last in the series. Like me, my kiddos just love Friday so much – so they are going to go wild when this new one appears when school goes back.

As with the others in this series there is loads of action and double doses of laugh-out-loud humour as Friday continues to awkwardly navigate her way through confronting social and emotional situations without ever losing her brilliance and genius-level powers of deduction. I loved it, your kids will love it too. I strongly suggest buying multiple copies so put it on your orders list now!!!!

Thanks so much R. A. for bringing Friday back – you know how much we all love her – horrible brown cardigan, porkpie hat, quirky but smart and, above all, the kid you’d most want to have as your friend.

Check out the blurb here at Penguin – then I can’t be blamed for any spoilers!!

Highly recommended for readers from around mid-primary upwards.

Coffee and laughs at the Shingle Inn – memorable outing!!

Aug18

Mr Chicken Arriva a Roma – Leigh Hobbs

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mrchicken

ISBN: 9781925266771

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Imprint: A & U Children

 September 2016

$24.99

 

Ben venuto caro Signore Pollo! Mi sei mancato!

Everyone’s favourite fowl, renowned for his international travel, is back to give us true insight into another marvellous metropolis. Mr Chicken has graced both Paris and London and shown us all their special sights and highlights. Now it’s the turn of the Eternal City, Roma.

Of course with an Italian in residence (though he is Milanese!) this one has special resonance for us and we have been waiting patiently (no, that’s not true – we’ve been waiting impatiently!)

I’m totally envious as Italy has always been one of my dream destinations (and never likely to get there sadly), however I can at least enjoy it vicariously through Mr Chicken’s Roman holiday.  From the Vatican City (surprised that Mr Chicken didn’t make it the balcony with HH) to the Trevi Fountain our avian friend explores the city with his friend Federica aboard her trusty Vespa. Along the way he relishes not only the spectacular sights but the gastronomic delights – hmmmm, pasta galore, gelati (but no canoli – my favourite of all).

Apart from the obvious humour these books are such a super way to introduce young humans to other cities and cultures. My Preppies have had great fun the last couple of weeks after we shared the previous two and I asked them to predict the cover of the new book for their Book Week competition. It led to some serious discussion about what they already knew about Italy (pizza and pasta hahaha!) and some sharing of simple information books to help them picture Mr Chicken’s arrival.

There is no need to give this book the big hype – Leigh Hobbs’ work needs absolutely no ‘hard sell’. I know everyone will be rushing to get this into their collection – however, my most sincere ‘highly recommended’ comes with this review.

Divertiti con quasta storia!

mrchickenpreps