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For teens, Jill loved [[The Seeing by Diana Hendry]]. It's 1956 when Natalie comes storming into the quiet seaside town of Norton and slap-bang into Lizzie's life. Natalie is from the wrong side of the tracks and reserved, well-to-do Lizzie is immediately drawn to this unconventional girl who wears her poverty and neglect like a badge of courage. As the two girls grow closer over the summer, Natalie reveals a shocking secret - her odd younger brother Philip has the gift of second sight and can see "left over Nazis" lying in wait, ready to start another war when the time is right. Natalie says it's up to the three of them to rid Norton of these LONs. This enacing and atmospheric story with a little bit of the supernatural mixed in is short but beautifully formed.
For the littler ones, James Robert recommends [[Pea's Book of Best Friends by Susie Day]]. Pea isn't too sure about moving from Tenby to London. Instead of starting secondary school with her friend Dot, she'll be by herself. But now that her mum is a best selling author, things are changing, and Pea and her sisters Clover and Tinkerbell will have to adjust. Can she find someone to fill the Dot-shaped hole in her life (and particularly at the desk next to her in lessons?) This first in the Pea series is a modern classic in the making, with stunning characters, really engaging prose, and a lovely plot.
'''Features'''
The winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction prize will be announced in November. With eight great books on the longlist, we're spoiled for choice. You can't find our round up of the runners and riders [[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2012|here]]. And author Victoria Eveleigh popped in to explain why [[Victoria Eveleigh Talks To Bookbag About Why Pony Books Aren't Just For Girls|Pony Books Aren't Just For Girls]].
We've grilled many authors for your edification this month! Our reporter's pad has never been so busy. We were very impressed by Gerry Wells' [[Kicking the Hornets' Nest by Gerry Wells|book of short stories]] based on his experiences of crewing a Sherman tank in WWII. [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Wells|Chatting to him]] was too good an opportunity to miss. When we read [[My Big Fat Teen Crisis by Jenny Smith]] we loved Jenny's breezy writing style. It was a real pleasure to [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Jenny Smith|chew the fat]] with her when she popped in to Bookbag Towers. James Robert absolutely loved Ruth Warburton's [[A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton|A Witch in Winter]] and [[A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton|A Witch in Love]], so he was thrilled to get the chance to [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Ruth Warburton|interview her]].
We thought that [[The Wizard of Crescent Moon Mountain by Oldman Brook]] was a real roller-coaster ride. As soon as we'd picked ourselves up we asked Oldman to pop in and [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Oldman Brook|chat to us]].
And that's about it for this month. If you're passing Bookbag Towers do pop in and see us – we're at [[The Bookbag|www.thebookbag.co.uk]].
What were we reading [[July 2011 Newsletter|a year ago]]?
'''''All at Bookbag Towers'''''
