Friday, March 31, 2023

Back to school with Rob Keeley's new collection of funny, heartwarming stories


 
Title: The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories
Author: Rob Keeley
Published: March 28, 2023
Pages: 184
Genre: Middle Grade

What Goodreads has to say:

Ellis is annoying Isla... but suddenly he isn’t there...

Oscar’s written what he thinks about everyone... and left the paper in a library book...

Fletcher becomes a hero to Suzie...

Tessa takes action when her school bans hugging...

Holly Class wind up Pine Class on Transition Day...

Paul really doesn’t want to go to big school...

Myra hates her new school... until she meets Shane...

And more...

A brand-new collection of short stories from award-winning children’s and YA author Rob Keeley.

Includes Guess What? – shortlisted for Best Short Story 2022 at the Searchlight Writing for Children Awards – and two new Liam and Justin stories. Suitable for the 8-12s, and with primary and secondary school stories, this collection is fast, funny and packed with twists and turns.

What I have to say:

Oh, to be in elementary school again--or as it's known in England, primary school (I think I got that right, to be honest, I still don't understand the British school system). 

JK. I'm fine. While it was a good time and all, I think if someone told me I had to do it all again, I would simply run away from civilization. Then again, there's something to be said for the structure and familiar safety of those early school days. Maybe that's why I symphathized with Paul, a boy who really really REALLY doesn't want to graduate to "big kid" school. So much so that he fakes his identity and manages to attend the class one grade down from his for a surprisingly long time before anyone realizes the truth. I'm with you, Paul. Stay a kid as long as you can.

Rob Keeley's latest book, The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories, is delightful, sweet, and funny. Am I surprised? Not one bit. At this point, I'd be surprised if I read a Rob Keeley book that was anything less than that.

Written for a middle grade audience, all but one of the stories center around school in one form or another: whether it's making friends, standing up to bullies, breaking ridiculous rules, covering ridiculous blunders, or just dealing with the whole messy tragicomedy of growing up.

Aside from the story about Paul ("The Real David Ashwood"), some of my favorites were "Guess What?" in which a simple accident of spilled eggs launches a plethora of out-of-control rumors; and "A School Knight," in which a girl develops a huge crush on an older boy who turns out to have a lot of other admirers as well....

These stories, all of them fun and thoroughly enjoyable, brought back to me those days at school when everything was so simple and yet so complicated, when teachers were the prime arbiters of justice, hugging someone of the opposite sex was the leading cause of cooties, and a friend moving out of town was the end of the world. 

I remember that, like Tessa and her friends who decide to protest their school's ban on hugging, my friends and I once "went on strike" (though we had no idea what that meant) when our school removed one of our favorite pieces of equipment from the playground. I remember, like Myra and Suzie, thinking that the older kids were so cool and so grownup, that when they deigned to take notice of me, it was a high honor. I remember, like Paul, being terrified of having to leave the classroom and teacher I'd gotten familiar and comfortable with. And when I had to go to an entirely different school, it was just too much to expect one kid to deal with.

In short, I smiled my way through this humorous and heartwarming collection of stories, sure to delight both the young and young-at-heart. 

Rating:

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About James Leipfold

 


Title: The Leipfold Files
Series: Leipfold Mysteries
Author: Dane Cobain
Published: 2022
Genre: Mystery

My Thoughts: This third installment in the Leipfold Mysteries, is a collection of short stories from the life of James Leipfold starting with his first meeting with Jack Cholmondeley. Leipfold has lived a tough life, nothing ever seems to go quite right for him, but every time he tries to give up, life puts him back on his feet. The world needs James Leipfold. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was touched by some stories, and angered by others. I found Maile's "side quest" engrossing, and the hunt of the gnomes ridiculous. These stories add a depth and perspective to the series as a whole which helps to round out side characters, and explain main characters' motivations. 

Definitely a must read for fans of Leipfold and Maile. 

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Monday, March 27, 2023

Dating Fears Justified

 


Title: The Tower Hill Terror
Series: Leipfold Mysteries
Author: Dane Cobain
Published: 2020
Pages: 236
Genre: Mystery

Goodreads Blurb: Meet private detective James Leipfold, computer whizzkid Maile O'Hara and good-natured cop Jack Cholmondeley in the Leipfold series.

Putting their differences aside, and brought together by a shared love of crosswords and busting bad guys, Maile and Leipfold investigate. But not all is as it seems, as they soon find out to their peril.

My Thoughts: Big fan of Leipfold and Maile here. Cobain could write a book where they do nothing but crosswords, and I would read it. With two main characters so well established that they almost seem to step off the page, this story could be nothing but brilliant. And it was.

Definitely a grittier, more horrifying mystery. This time Leipfold and Maile, with the aide of Cholmondeley, investigate what seems to be a serial killer with a penchant for body mutilation. It's gross stuff. And when Maile's own roommate goes missing, it becomes downright terrifying. Thankfully, Leipfold and Maile are on the case.

As it becomes clear that the killers (yeah there's two) are choosing their victims from dating sites the mystery begins to feel a little too close to home. This could actually happen, and I don't have a roommate who works for a detective. 

Leipfold manages to save the day at the last possible second (best scene in the book), Maile and Kate can go back to living their "normal" lives, and the reader is forever scared of dating apps.

Highly recommend to fans of adult mysteries who don't mind the occasional swear word. 

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