Meow Town Book #1: Kitty Adventure

Meow Town Book #1: Kitty Adventure by Rebecca McRitchie (Scholastic), RRP $9.99 Junior Fiction ISBN 9-781761-298851

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

Kitty Adventure is the first book in a new series called Meow Town by Rebecca McRitchie, author of the Meet Ella series. When my 7-year-old daughter heard this, she was eager to read it. The book introduces us to kitty cats Bella, Margo, Pickles and Abby Tabby. They’re the best of friends, but have very different characters. Bella loves adventure, Margo loves shopping for pretty, sparkly things, Pickles is a collector and Abby Tabby loves to sleep. The colourful illustrations by Erin Hunting accentuates their respective charms.

Bella convinces her friends to go on an adventure to the Mud Woods at the far edge of Meow Town – a place they’ve never been. But a pair of mean, hairless cats eavesdropping on their conversation place doubt in their minds by warning them that they might be nibbled by foxes that have been sighted in the area. Regardless, Bella presses on with her plan and urges her friends to get themselves ready.

Bella discovers that her friends are extremely disorganised and are taking far too long to pack. Too impatient to wait, she heads off on the adventure by herself, but ends up lost. To find her way home, she learns about the importance of patience in friendships and how to play the mean cats at their own game.

My daughter’s verdict? She fell in love with the four fluffy heroines and can’t wait to read book #2!

 

 

Witched! The Spellbinding Life of Cora Bell

Witched! The Spellbinding Life of Cora Bell (Jinxed #3) by Rebecca McRitchie, illustrated by Sharon O’Connor (HarperCollins) RRP PB $17.99

ISBN 9781460757666

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Cora Bell is an eleven-year-old girl who also happens to be a ‘syphon’ (someone who can absorb magic from others). She has lived with her adoptive guardian, Dot, since the disappearance of her parents five years ago. When Dot is hurt and needs urgent help to stay alive, Cora seeks out a powerful hobgoblin healer. Cora is then sent on a dangerous mission with her two fairy friends to find the vital ingredients that will help heal her beloved Dot… but time is running out.

To add to Cora’s woes, she is being hunted by the iniquitous syphon ‘Kaede’. Kaede has wiped out all other syphons and obliterated their hidden city; now he is hellbent on destroying her and her family. Cora needs to find her parents urgently to ensure they are protected from Kaede. Dot reveals the one person that can help Cora to unravel the mystery surrounding her parents. In the quest to seek answers, Cora must brave unknown territory, both physically and mentally.

This engaging narrative includes plenty of magical adventures with a scattering of humour. The text is occasionally broken up by monochrome illustrations which would appeal to the 8-to-12-year-old audience. The Jinxed middle grade fantasy series includes Jinxed! The Curious Curse of Cora Bell (Book 1), Havoc! The Untold Magic of Cora Bell (Book 2) and this third and final book in the trilogy, Witched! The Spellbinding Life of Cora Bell (Book 3).

Meet Ella: Tooth Trouble

Meet Ella: Tooth Trouble by Rebecca McRitchie, illustrated by Danielle McDonald (Scholastic) PB RRP $7.99 ISBN 9781760973926

Meet Ella: Birthday Surprise by Rebecca McRitchie, illustrated by Danielle McDonald (Scholastic) PB RRP $7.99 ISBN 9781760973933

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

From the world of Ella and Olivia come these early reader chapter books, the third and fourth in the Meet Ella series. In Tooth Trouble, Ella is vexed by losing her first tooth just before school photos. In Birthday Surprise, Ella tries to make a cake for her best friend’s birthday but has a minor catastrophe along the way.

The stories are sweet and simple and focus on many of the things that little girls like best. There are sweet friendships and little learning moments like writing a shopping list for the supermarket. However, there is little narrative tension, and most chapters end without much driving the reader to continue: for reluctant readers, this may make it difficult for them to push through to the end.

There are illustrations on each page in black and white using a cartoon style, providing children guidance to the text without adding layers of meaning.

These are good books for early readers aged 5 to 7, particularly those whose interests lean strongly to the feminine.

Meet Ella Spotty Puppy & New Teacher

 

Meet Ella by Rebecca McRitchie, illustrated by Danielle McDonald (Scholastic) PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 9781760973902 (Spotty Puppy)
ISBN 9781760973919 (New Teacher)

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Meet Ella is a series for budding young readers that introduces them to the world of six-year-old ‘Ella’. This character is the popular protagonist in other book series including Ella & Olivia, the Ella Diaries and Ella at Eden. Interestingly, each of these series is written by a different author.

Spotty Puppy and New Teacher are the first two titles in the

Meet Ella series. In Spotty Puppy, Ella meets an adorable puppy in the park that follows her home. Ella adores it and wants to keep it. In New Teacher, Ella’s class teacher goes on a holiday and they have a replacement teacher. Ella is not impressed. In both of these narratives Ella receives adult guidance and must draw upon personal skills, such as kindness and resilience.

The design of the Meet Ella books comprises large font, short paragraphs and plenty of monochrome pictures to enhance meaning for its young audience. This fun series is recommended for children aged 5 years and older who are just beginning their chapter book journey.

 

 

Jinxed (The Curious Case of Cora Bell)

Jinxed (The Curious Case of Cora Bell) by Rebecca McRitchie (Angus and Robertson) RRP $17.99 PB ISBN 978 1 4607 5764 2

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

This highly imaginative middle-grade fantasy is about Cora, who has one eye and lives in a dingy city called Urt. Cora finds a small box and accidentally summons a Jinx, which sets a series of events rolling. She must flee to save herself, along with two hairy fairies called Tick and Tock. She travels by a magical ‘POP’ from one world to another, trying to evade the Jinx and make sense of her powers, which become more apparent the more magic she encounters.

There are a lot of questions in this story, and it’s clear it will take more than one book to answer them. The mystery in this book is: what or who is Cora? Tick and Tock have an amusing list of possibilities that get ruled out during their journey.

When Cora encounters a warlock and the Jinx, she seems to be able to absorb some of their powers. When she meets Artemis, who can transform into a giant bird, she absorbs some magic from a Princess in another world. It is then that she finds out she is a 'Syphon'. The ramifications of this will be further explored in the next book, which is confirmed by the ‘to be continued’ at the end.

Jinxed is fast paced and enjoyable. The humour, mostly supplied by the fairies, works well. Tick has a habit of choosing inappropriate words ('At least the sandwich was dishonest,' said Tick. 'Delicious,' corrected Tock.) The banter between Tick and Tock also lightens up the difficult situations Cora goes through. The different worlds are well described, as is the transition between them, which usually involves falling through a swirling blue light (depicted by the cover illustration by Sharon O’Connor).

Author of the Whimsy and Woe books, Rebecca McRitchie, has produced a fun book suitable for upper primary readers, who love a bit of magic and adventure.