16 Lancashire Evening Post, Monday, February 25, 2013 www.lep.co.uk Pick up a book and you will free your imagination

Age 6 plus: Arthur and the Earthworms, by Johanne Mercier

A more down-to-earth hero is seven-year-old Arthur, the star of a fun new series and a boy who’s brilliant at, well, By PAM NORFOLK being a little boy who [email protected] loves his family... and here’s a mission to get young boys reading... and sharing his adventures. authors, illustrators and publishers are conjuring Full of understated humour which is so appealing to growing boys, Arthur narrates his own stories Captain Valiant and Me: Revenge of the Black up some creative magic to keep the pages turning. Phantom, by Adam Britten The campaign has gained momentum since and brings the straightforward, rational world Ta 2011 Boys’ Reading Commission by the National view that comes from being only seven. When What young boy can resist the madcap and side- Literacy Trust revealed a glaring gender gap in reading he visits his grandparents’ house by the lake, more often than not, he splittingly funny adventures of a new superhero attainment. family? Adam Britten captures all the anarchy so Girls outperformed boys on all National Curriculum becomes entangled in a Age 2 plus: rhyming verse, the antics of new adventure, which adored by fun-loving boys in the daring escapades reading tests, with differences appearing from the the allegedly 9ft 3in tall giant of Mark Taylor who seems to be an average earliest years. At the age of five, there was a gap he must solve with the become an exciting, action- help of his pet duck and schoolboy but is really Dynamic Boy. of 11 percentage points between boys’ and girls’ The Cautionary Tale of the Only trouble is he hates his name, his costume Childe of Hale, by Rachel packed, cautionary tale about useless dog and hopefully achievement in reading, and differences continued the pitfalls of greed and makes him look like an electric bee and even his throughout the rest of their schooling. Lyon without too much help ambition, and the value of from eccentric Cousin super power is pretty rubbish. His dad, Captain The commission also found that boys just don’t seem kindness. Valiant, is a total embarrassment and having to enjoy reading as much as girls and are attracted to It’s never too early to engage Eugene. Brought to life The Child of Hale is made by Clare Elsom’s quirky superhero tasks to do doesn’t excuse him from different reading matter, preferring newspapers and boys with books and St Helens maths homework. So it’s a good job he enjoys born author Rachel Lyon’s extra special by Vanina illustrations, the witty, comic books to fiction. Starkoff’s bold, colourful saving the world from baddies! Illustrated So, with the battle lines drawn and armed with the unmissable ‘tall’ story inspired wonderful adventures illustrations which beautifully of Arthur and his merry throughout with hilarious pictures by Arthur knowledge of just what boys do and don’t like, there by the adventures of real-life Hamer, this is a book pitched perfectly at boys who giant John Middleton born in convey all the passion and ménage look set to run are some exciting, adventurous and ‘boyishly’ funny pathos of the Childe of Hale. are learning to read alone and need some action- books out there just waiting to be read Hale near Liverpool in 1578, and run. Phoenix Yard Books, packed pictures to keep the pages turning. Here are some of the best: really is the stuff of legend. Piccadilly, paperback, £5.99 Told in simple but charming Maverick, paperback, £6.99 paperback, £4.99

Age 9 plus: Age 10 plus: the Watchers, a band mysteries. Skarper and Henwyn of orphans, mystics have restored some order at Early teens: Bone Quill, by The Battles of Ben and spies, dedicated Clovenstone castle, a safe John and Carole E Kingdom: The to protecting the city. home for reformed goblin Waiting for Gonzo, by Barrowman Claws of Evil, by When Ben is flung tribes, but something is stirring Dave Cousins Andrew Beasley into the midst of underground. For sheer imaginative, the battle, he must An army of dwarves is Early teen years are a storytelling power, Imagine the thrill of choose between an infiltrating the fortress, hell bent reading minefield. Where Bone Quill, the brilliant a book that offers a army of angels and on stealing the precious metal best to pitch a boys’ book? follow-up to Hollow cinematic mash-up the Claws of Evil. A from which new goblin hatchlings Dave Cousins marries Earth and the work of of dark history, rich rip-roaring adventure are born. Humour and fantasy are affairs of the heart with actor and presenter fantasy, steampunk for daredevil boys. in perfect harmony in this witty action and crazy humour John Barrowman and innovation and Usborne, and warm-hearted adventure in the satirically titled his teacher sister Carole, action-packed paperback, £6.99 which packs plenty of story power Waiting for Gonzo, offers mystery and adventure? to fire young imaginations. featuring a pretty standard excitement in spadefuls. Debut author Goblins vs Dwarves, Scholastic, paperback, £6.99 teenage boy getting to Twelve-year-old twins Andrew Beasley has incorporated by Philip Reeve grips with the frustrations Matt and Emily Calder all this and more in The Battles of of everyday life. are ‘Animare’ – they Ben Kingdom, his epic, coming- Philip Reeve can’t put a foot Oz has got a talent for can bring art to life and of-age series set in Victorian wrong when it comes to children’s trouble but his heart is protected at all cost, but a London. books. always in the right place enter paintings at will. newcomer is threatening to They must do everything The stories centre on one The award-winning author has (well, nearly always). ruin everything. boy’s quest to end an ancient war a magical link to young minds Uprooted from his in their power to prevent As well as delivering a breach in Hollow Earth, raging above and below the city. and in the sparkling follow-up to friends and former life, a cracking story, Bone Ben Kingdom appears to be just Goblins he introduces readers Oz finds himself stranded in a a supernatural place that Quill provides important holds all the demons, a cocky street urchin but, in truth, to a vast and exciting fantasy sleepy village. lessons for growing boys he’s the saviour of mankind. world before promptly turning all When a joke backfires on devils and creatures ever in the subtle interactions imagined. Mere mortals are unaware that preconceptions of the genre on the first day at his new school, between the twins and their beneath them lurks the Legion, its head! T Oz attracts the attention of They are getting closer to relationship with other finding the Bone Quill, the an evil gang determined to he action revolves around Isobel Skinner, the school characters. unleash Hell on London. a group of anarchic anti- psycho. But that’s just the key that would release the Buster Books, beasts and which must be But above the rooftops soar heroes who must fight dark beginning of a series of paperback, £6.99 forces and solve astonishing disasters. www.lep.co.uk Lancashire Evening Post, Monday, February 25, 2013 33

Age 7 plus: Oliver Fibbs: Attack of the Alien Brain, by Steve Hartley

Lancashire children’s author Steve Hartley is one of the writers leading the way in the battle to get boys reading, and Oliver Tibbs (better known as Oliver Fibbs) could be just the anti-hero to make those reluctant young males turn over a new leaf. Oliver isn’t brilliant at anything except telling fibs and his hair-raising adventures, played out in hilarious comic strip style, are full of crazy, knockabout humour. Oliver is a boy that many youngsters can identify with. Everyone in his family seems to be super-clever at something except him, so he’s been telling his class about his adventures as a Defender of Planet Earth and everyone loved it (except his teacher!). With its accessible text design and comic content, this inventive new series is the perfect way to keep boys glued to the story well beyond the first page. Macmillan, paperback, £5.99

Action Dogs: Danger on the Ice, by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore

As if six daredevil dogs who fight crime with their bare paws and a range of super dooper hi-tech gadgets weren’t tempting enough, a free pack of game cards will surely clinch the deal! Welcome to the thrill-filled world of Action Dogs, the crime-fighting canines who take the ‘ruff’ with the smooth. Aimed at new readers and full of hilarious heroes and villains, these are ideal books to capture young imaginations and come from the pens of two top children’s authors. In this third book in the series, the heat is on when Captain Valiant and Me: Revenge of the Black killer cats start clawing for world domination. Phantom, by Adam Britten It’s time to unleash the Action Dogs! Easy to read, brimming with adventure and superbly illustrated, What young boy can resist the madcap and side- these dogged detectives are pack leaders in the early splittingly funny adventures of a new superhero reading stakes. family? Adam Britten captures all the anarchy so Usborne, paperback, £4.99 adored by fun-loving boys in the daring escapades of Mark Taylor who seems to be an average schoolboy but is really Dynamic Boy. Only trouble is he hates his name, his costume Awful Egyptians, by Terry Deary and Martin makes him look like an electric bee and even his Brown super power is pretty rubbish. His dad, Captain Valiant, is a total embarrassment and having Twenty years ago the Horrible History books superhero tasks to do doesn’t excuse him from sparked a revolution in children’s publishing. For maths homework. So it’s a good job he enjoys the first time, history books became funny must- saving the world from baddies! Illustrated reads for children. throughout with hilarious pictures by Arthur Terry Deary’s brilliant words and Martin Hamer, this is a book pitched perfectly at boys who Brown’s illustrations, bursting with the wit of the are learning to read alone and need some action- sharpest broadsheet cartoonist, burst off every packed pictures to keep the pages turning. page. Piccadilly, paperback, £5.99 And now they are back for a new generation, serving up the foulest folk from history but with bright and airy pages and in an eye-catching, chunky format to appeal to reluctant readers. Irreverent and gory, the Horrible Histories are lapped up by boys in particular and have the Early teens: added bonus of helping them to engage with history. Fronting the new books, from Awesome Waiting for Gonzo, by Egyptians to Vile Victorians, is Rattus Rattus, Dave Cousins the humble rat who has observed every era of history and is our roving rodent guide to history Early teen years are a and all its nasty bits! reading minefield. Where Scholastic, paperback, £6.99 best to pitch a boys’ book? Dave Cousins marries My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish, by Mo O’Hara affairs of the heart with action and crazy humour Finding Nemo meets Shaun of the Dead! Boys will be in the satirically titled diving in to enjoy Mo O’Hara’s two laugh-out-loud Waiting for Gonzo, stories about an evil big brother, a best friend who featuring a pretty standard comes to the rescue and an amazing zombie goldfish. teenage boy getting to Billed as ‘a big fat punchy concept,’ this hilarious, grips with the frustrations action-packed tale of Frankie, a zombie goldfish with of everyday life. hypnotic powers, is just the job for boys who like books Oz has got a talent for with plenty of bold, busy pictures. trouble but his heart is Tom’s big brother is an Evil Scientist who wants to always in the right place experiment on Tom’s new goldfish Frankie. (well, nearly always). When Frankie is zapped with a battery, he becomes Uprooted from his a zombie goldfish and the fun starts when he becomes friends and former life, bent on revenge. Oz finds himself stranded in a Packed with action, that irreverent brand of Lively illustrations, flip-book artwork and a quirky sleepy village. text design make these books highly accessible and When a joke backfires on teenage humour, a frisson of romance and some serious life appealing to boys learning to read alone. the first day at his new school, Macmillan, paperback, £4.99 Oz attracts the attention of issues, this is the ideal book to Isobel Skinner, the school tempt laidback teens. psycho. But that’s just the Oxford University Press, beginning of a series of paperback, £6.99 disasters. www.lep.co.uk/bingo