9+: Liz Kessler Day: Philippa Fisher and the Stone Fairy's Promise, Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret

Release Date: 03/06/10

BOOK BLURB:

Philippa is looking forward to spending New Year in the village where her new friend Robyn lives. But her fairy godsister, Daisy - assigned to a new job but disobeying orders as usual - turns up to warn her that Something Really Bad (SRB) is going to happen! What they don't know is that a fairy has gone missing from the ancient stone circle on the moors - and that at ATC (Above The Clouds) Headquarters, the fairy godmothers in charge have a special plan for them. A perfect story for Liz Kessler's many fans, in which humans and fairies swap worlds with dramatic and unexpected consequences.


REVIEW:

Young Readers who love fairies will probably be pretty enthused by this offering by Liz Kessler it’s got adventure, it’s got magic and it has a time scale that should the quest be unfulfilled the world is at stake. Unfortunately as an initiate to this series I felt locked out in the cold as I didn’t understand the driving forces behind the characters involved and whilst it was interesting, there just wasn’t enough hooks to keep me glued to the final page which left this title one that was read over numerous sittings rather than over one or two. A great shame but it might be worth noting but start with this from the beginning in order to give it a fair crack of the whip.




Release Date: 03/06/10

BOOK BLURB:

Emily is delighted when her family returns to Brightport. But their attempts to follow Neptune's orders to bring humans and merfolk together seem hopeless. Thrown out of mermaid school and scorned by her old enemy Mandy Rushton, Emily goes in search of the lost sirens, banished by Neptune to a top secret undersea cavern. Only when she uncovers the true story behind the lost sirens can she bring the pieces of her own life back together.


REVIEW:

Whilst I didn’t get on that well with Liz’s Philippa Fisher title, I absolutely loved this one. Yes it’s the fourth book in the series and whilst there are some spoilers for the previous novel, this one definitely is readable without prior knowledge of events or the characters. It’s fun, it has adventure and above all else it carries the message of people accepting others cultures which is a message that should be imparted to children of all ages. Add to the mix characters that not only “swish” off the page, but bring to life their world alongside their emotional worries and you know that it’s a title that the 8+ range will get a blast from. I really will have to check out the other titles in this series.