Jo-Kin Battles the It

Jo-Kin Battles the It by Karen Tyrrell, illustrated by Trevor Salter

PB RRP $14.95

ISBN 9780994302106

Reviewed by Ashling Kwok

Blast off on an exciting adventure with Josh Atkins (aka Jo-Kin) and his trusty sidekick, nerdy Sam Jones (Sam-Wich). The adventure begins when the fearless duo win the Super Space Kid contest and set off on a mission to save the galaxy from a deadly alien called the IT.

The battle is on when the IT kidnaps Captain Astra and Jo and Sam must find a way to save the galaxy before it’s too late.  Along the way, they must survive entry challenges, successfully master high tech gadgets and battle creatures trying to destroy them.

This excellent book is perfect for middle grade readers aged 7 to 10 years. The storyline is creative and will hold the read’s attention from the moment they pick up the book. The characters are well-developed and likeable. Readers will relate to them and enjoy going on this journey with them. 

Jo-Kin Battles the It is the latest release from award-winning resilience author-teacher Karen Tyrrell. Over the years Karen has released a number of empowering books dealing with issues that affect us all.

This book embodies many of the elements required to produce a great story but it also deals with important topics such as resilience, team building, bullying, self-esteem and friendship.

The cover of the book is graphically enticing as it is brightly coloured and features interesting images that will appeal to young readers. The illustrations inside the book add a nice touch and break up the text.

This is a brilliant book and is definitely worth a read. It is action-packed and humorous, and will leave the reader wanting more.

Escape From Wolfhaven Castle: The Impossible Quest #1

Escape From Wolfhaven Castle: The Impossible Quest #1 by Kate Forsyth (Scholastic Press)

PB RRP $7.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-406-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Tom is a kitchen hand, trained to scrub pots in Wolfhaven Castle under the watchful eye of his mother, the castle's cook. But after Lord Wolfgang ignores a wild man’s warning the castle is attacked, leaving Tom on the outside alone with Elanor, the lord's daughter, Sebastian, a knight in training, and Quinn, the witch’s apprentice. It soon becomes clear that it is up to these four children to fulfil an old prophecy to save Wolfhaven castle with their friends and family who are held prisoner inside.

Escape from Wolfhaven Castle is the first book in a series of five which mixes fantasy and adventure in an action-packed quest, which will enthral both boys and girls in equal measure.

The characters are strong, likeable and believable. They don't know each other at the beginning of the journey and often have disagreements about the best way to achieve the quest - or even if it is actually a quest - but it is this newness that helps the reader get to know the characters as the children grow into their relationships.

Medieval in feel, and darkly ominous, the story follows these four children as they desperately try to outrun frightening bog-men and pursue treasures held by griffin, unicorn, sea-serpent and dragon – even though they do not fully believe in the existence of these mythical creatures.

Although dark and a little scary in some places, the structure of the traditional quest, and the age and motivations of the characters makes this series suitable for nine year olds and up.

This fast-paced adventure is hard to put down and I was eager to pick up the next one as soon as I closed this first book.