Andrew Prentice

I received this book in exchange for a review from David Fickling Books. Jack is your average pick-pocket who at the beginning of this book picks the wrong pocket and ends up knee-deep in a black magic conspiracy full of magicians, demons and the odd hanging all set in Elizabethan London.
I really enjoyed the start to this new fantasy series. There is a crime organisation a little reminiscent of Fagan's band of children, who are a 'family' and don't really look out for each other that well. show more There is a creepy sect of priests up to something nefarious. And there may be one or two demons or magicians who are actually on the good side. This was a fantastic quick ride, although it does take a little time to get used to the slang and for Jack to work out something weird is going on. I really enjoyed some of the supporting characters who were on Jack's 'team'', especially Beth and Kit who I hope will play larger roles in the next book. Overall I enjoyed this book immensely and am excited to see where the story will go in the sequel. show less

Some interesting ideas, many reminiscent of Harry Potter, about a ghost-London that exists overtop the real London. But no matter how much I read I couldn't make it come alive in my mind. I think it needed a little more development and few more rounds of editing. It made me wonder if it was rushed to press to capitalize on interest in the movie Coco. Most of my three stars are for the cover! DNF

From Malala to Amelia, many famous individuals are known by their first name. Over the past 100 years, James and Mary are the most popular names. However during the past decade, Noah and Emma have been number one. Often called a “given name”, a first name identifies an individual person while a surname generally identifies a family.
Read the recently published children's biography series, then learn more at the website:
The FIRST NAMES biography series are highly illustrated nonfiction show more books featuring well known people from the past and present. Middle grade readers already know many of these well-known people by their first names. These works of narrative nonfiction feature short chapters that highlight key events and ideas in the person’s life. Most books end with a glossary and timeline. Their use of mini-comics and humor are likely to engage reluctant readers. The series kicks off with Harry Houdini and Amelia Earhart, followed by Malala Yousafazai, Ada Lovelace, and Ferdinand Magellan.
GET READY FOR BABY from the Social Security Administration features the top baby names of each year along with baby names by decade, state, and territories. It also explore changes in popularity of names over time. Use this website to kickstart an exploration of famous people and their names.
To learn more, go to https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
ARC courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers. show less