Guest post by Carys Bray, author of The Museum of You

Welcome to Carys Bray, author of The Museum of You.  As part of her blog tour, Carys has kindly written a guest post about one of her favourite museums.

 

 

In my new novel The Museum of You, twelve year old Clover Quinn sorts through her mother’s belongings and curates an exhibition in the second bedroom of the house she shares with her Dad, Darren.

As part of The Museum of You blog tour, I’m writing about some of my favourite museums. In recent months it has been frustrating to read of the museum closures which appear to be disproportionately affecting the north of England. Museums are a great place to learn about our heritage; they’re often a testament to the efforts and dedication of working people, the men and women who built and made many of the things we take for granted today.

World Museum

When my children were small this was our favourite museum. It’s possible to spend a long afternoon there, even with several tiny, easy bored people in tow. It’s such a popular museum that the Liverpool Echo produced this handy guide for families who would like to visit.

I have a picture of my children, wide-eyed and rosy-cheeked, standing beside these dinosaur skeletons, but they wouldn’t let me use it.

The World Museum is full of exciting and creepy objects: a child mummy, a meteorite from Mars and Samurai armour. You can learn about space and see a display of clocks and watches from the 1500s onwards. There are over a million insects and other invertebrates at the museum. I love the drawers full of butterflies, moths and beautiful beetles; bees, wasps and ants. Each drawer opens like a beautiful surprise.

In the bug house there’s a giant model spider on the ceiling which wobbles every so often, as if it is about to climb down. One of my sons insists that frequent visits to the museum were the catalyst for my daughter’s terrible fear of spiders.

Sometimes the things we see in museums scare or discomfit us. Clover Quinn finds something unexpected in the bottom of the wardrobe in the second bedroom. An object with a sad story. That’s the thing with the past, once it is uncovered it may also need to be confronted.

 

Fire Colour One - Jenny Valentine

The Blurb
A bold and brilliant novel about love, lies and redemption, from award-winning author, Jenny Valentine – one of the greatest YA voices of her generation.

Iris's father, Ernest, is at the end of his life and she hasn't even met him. Her best friend, Thurston, is somewhere on the other side of the world. Everything she thought she knew is up in flames.

Now her mother has declared war and means to get her hands on Ernest's priceless art collection. But Ernest has other ideas. There are things he wants Iris to know after he's gone. And the truth has more than one way of coming to light.

The Review
I've been reviewing for a long time - here on Books with Bunny, on Amazon, Goodreads, book forums...and normally it's a fairly easy process.  I've either liked a book or haven't.  I've appreciated the writing or I haven't.  I've liked (or hated, or connected in some way with) the characters or I haven't.  But when it comes to this book, it's very difficult for me.

Personally, I found it incredibly 'middling' in every sense.  Whilst it was readable, I wasn't swept away and after I'd put it down I didn't find myself itching to pick it back up.  I'd expected it to feel incredibly edgy because of Iris' pyromania, and I half hoped for an element of danger which never really took over to the extent I'd hoped.

That's not to say I didn't like Fire Colour One.  Iris was an interesting protagonist, a sparky (in more ways that one) female who is fighting against the materialistic world she's part of.  But for some reason I found it hard to connect with her, and although I did care (especially when her dreadful mother was making my skin crawl with her greed and self-centred ways) something didn't quite click.

The main strength of Fire Colour One was the stylised writing.  Every so often a sentence would blow me away because it was so beautiful to read.  And the ending had me cheering in delight!  However, there was something lacking for me in this short read that I can't quite put my finger on - it just didn't 'zing'. 

A nice enough read, but didn't pack the punch I was hoping for.

Fire Colour One is out now, published by Harper Collins Children's.

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan- adapted by Stref with Fin Cramb

The Blurb

Peter Pan is a familiar tale to many who have been enchanted by the adventures of the boy who wouldn't grow up. In this graphic novel Stephen White goes back to the very heart of Barrie's original tale to create a story that is dark, magical, charming and authentic. The complexity of Barrie's original is drawn out in vibrant illustrations and engaging text to create a new vision of the tale for those familiar with it and to enchant a new generation of readers.

The stunning illustrations draw on original, authentic features from the locations that inspired Barrie to write his tale including Moat Brae House in Dumfries and the garden where he played as a boy. In choosing the format of a graphic novel for this retelling, Stephen White has created a new and exciting version of Peter Pan that is like nothing that has been done before.

The Review

Before I start this review I feel I need to make something very clear.  I don't read a lot of graphic novels.  I've never really sought them out, and although I've loved Raymond Briggs' Ethel and Ernest and When The Wind Blows, and revisited one of my childhood favourites Tintin, I've not felt there was much out there in the graphic novel market that would appeal to me. 

However, when I heard Birlinn were releasing a new version of Peter Pan in graphic novel format I was excited.  So long as it's done well, I love seeing books given a new lease of life and the opportunity to reach a wider audience.  And Peter Pan certainly lends itself to a more visual approach to storytelling.

I really enjoyed the hour or so I spent reading this!  It felt strange holding such a large book but the A4 size pages allow the beautiful illustrations the space they deserve.  Everything from their intricate detail to the vibrant spread of colour- this book is a feast for the eyes to behold. The image of the crocodile waiting open-mouthed for the villainous Hook was my favourite, but the Darling's house is also portrayed exactly as it should be- wonderfully classical yet somehow with an air of eccentricity.

This is a fabulous adaptation, the exquisite artwork only serving to add to Barrie's timeless classic. I sincerely hope it gets the praise and plaudits it deserves. 

And who knows, maybe I'll be more likely to consider graphic novels in the future on the back of reading this book.

J.M Barrie's Peter Pan is out now, published by Birlinn.

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

 

Katie and the Starry Night- James Mayhew

Katie and the Starry Night (subtitled A magical journey through five Van Gogh masterpieces) is one of a series of picturebooks designed to introduce children to art and history.  This story appealed to me in particular as I am fascinated by The Starry Night and have been ever since we did a Van Gogh project in my final year at junior school.  It took me seventeen years of longing to finally get to the Museum of Modern Art in NYC to see the painting in 'real life', but it was well worth the wait.  There is something enchanting and magical about it, almost other-worldly, and Katie and the Starry Night encapsulates this perfectly.

The story begins with Katie and her Grandma visiting an exhibition of Van Gogh's work.  Katie is fascinated by The Starry Night, which she describes as being 'like a dream'.  Katie climbs into the painting to reach out for the stars and puts one in her pocket.  Soon all the stars want to play and follow Katie out of the picture.  In Katie's attempt to return the stars before anyone notices that they have disappeared from one of the most recognisable paintings in the world, readers are introduced to some of Van Gogh's other inimitable pieces- Vincent's Chair, Noon, The Olive Grove and Fishing Boats on the Beach.

Beautifully illustrated and with an escapist story, Katie and the Starry Night is a fabulous introduction to the work of one of the world's most popular artists.  I loved it, and am sure that children will learn that art can be enjoyed by everyone as a result of this series.  I will definitely be seeking out more Katie books to add to my collection and use within my job as a nursery nurse. 

Wonderful.

Katie and the Starry Night is out now, published by Orchard Books.

9.5/10
With thanks to Orchard Books for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Speeding Down the Spiral- Deborah Goodman Davis

Speeding Down the Spiral (subtitled 'An Artful Adventure) is the story of Lizzie and Ben's visit to the Guggenheim Museum.  From arriving at the iconic building Lizzie is in awe of the structure and its spiral shape, and when Ben's pushchair rolls away from her a whistlestop tour of the exhibits ensues.  Ben sails past paintings from Miro, Picasso, Cezanne and Warhol amongst others, and this fun filled book also educates and informs.

I thought this an entertaining children's book and a fabulous way to introduce younger readers to an architectural masterpiece and the collection of classic works of art that it houses.  Having visited the Guggenheim on my honeymoon eight years ago I am now itching to go back.  The main limitation for me was that the pictures of the art on display at the Guggenheim are small compared to the overall illustrations.  I feel that the book would work better if these were larger.

8/10

Speeding Down the Spiral has a fantastic website to accompany the book- visit it here.