These are the books our Books Editor, Meneesha Govender, received recently. They may be reviewed later.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
by Jeff Kinney (Penguin)
If you have a son and he enjoys reading the Wimpy Kid series should be a favourite with him.
My son eagerly watches out for the latest book and has been nagging me for this particular one for weeks. I’ve got my hands on it just in time for his Christmas stocking.
The Heffleys are embarking on a family road trip in this book – and true to Heffley form it’s going to be an adventure to remember.
The trip starts off on a good note, but soon ends up off the beaten path at times.
Petrol station bathrooms, a runaway pig, and a fender bender all feature in Greg’s hilarious diary and illustrations.
It’s going to be enjoyable holiday reading for my boy.
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Scavenger Zoid
by Paul Stewart and Chriss Riddell (Macmillan)
This is a robots v humans story for young readers.
A continent-sized spaceship is on a journey to find a new earth.
It was originally populated by thousands of hopeful passengers and the most high-tech robots, there to serve the crew.
But the robots rebelled and became Zoids, wiping out most of the crew.
The few remaining humans are now being hunted.
York is a 14-year-old Scavenger and he is fighting back – tracking down and destroying Zoids.
But as the Zoids begin evolving and becoming more dangerous, York’s battle is becoming more dangerous too.
The fate of his people rests squarely in his hands.
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The Tale of Less Valued Knights
by Marie Phillips (Jonathan Cape)
The Table of Less Valued Knights is Camelot’s least prestigious table – it is square, has one leg shorter than the others and is propped up with a folded napkin.
Sir Humphrey du Val, a Less Valued Knight, doesn’t do quests. But then he meets a Elaine, a damsel in distress with a secret to hide.
Meanwhile, Queen Martha of Puddock is fleeing an arranged marriage. But she encounters Locum of the Lake and suddenly she has a quest of her own – to find her brother who is believed to be dead.
As the two quests collide we meet a host of misfits, including a very short giant, a 12-year-old crone and a sword with a mind of her own.
Marie Phillip has a gift for comedy.
Another fabulous holiday read.