LitBit Speaks

A young soldier, a captive princess, witches, wolves and Death walk hand in hand in COSTA AWARD winner Sally Gardner's exquisitely written new novel inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, THE TINDERBOX, illustrated by David Roberts. Otto Hundebiss is tired of war, but when he defies Death he walks a dangerous path. A half beast half man gives him shoes and dice which will lead him deep into a web of dark magic and mystery. He meets the beautiful Safire - pure of heart and spirit, the scheming Mistress Jabber and the terrifying Lady of the Nail. He learns the powers of the tinderbox and the wolves whose master he becomes. But will all the riches in the world bring him the thing he most desires? Fairy tales are often the cruellest stories of all. Based on The Tinderbox  by Hans Christian Andersen and illustrated exquisitely by David Roberts, Gardner's latest book will be highly appealing to fans of fairy tales and magical narratives alike. The book really is th...

An extraordinary story, from an award-winning New Zealand author, of how the arrival of a baby orca whale threatens to tear apart a small fishing community and forever changes the life of the boy who first finds it. Will Jackson is hiding out, a city boy reluctantly staying with his uncle in small-town New Zealand. After he discovers a young abandoned orca, his life is further thrown into chaos when he rallies to help protect it against hostile locals. The boy and the whale develop a special bond, linked by Will’s love of singing. With echoes of the classic book and film The Whale Rider, this is a strong, exciting and beautifully written story and a compelling exploration of many global concerns. (Description courtesy of Goodreads) I was given this novel by a friend while at a child lit  conference, recently, in Worcester, UK. Given her recommendation and favourable words, I couldn't help but put it at the top of my to-read pile upon returning home.  As many can...

This picturebook was originally published in Japanese, with the title Mori no Oku no Ochakai e  in 2010. It has since been translated and is being made available for a North American audience thanks to Kids Can Press. Kikko sets out after her father with a forgotten pie for Grandma. When she arrives at a strange house in the wintry woods, a peek in the window reveals that the footprints Kikko had been following did not belong to her father at all, but to a bear in a long coat and hat! Alice in Wonderland meets Little Red Riding Hood in this charmed tale. The Tea Party in the Woods  is a beautiful tale, equal parts Red Riding Hood and Alice. In her adventures, she meets a group of animals having a tea party in a strange house that she has never seen before. When the animals realize that Kikko has ruined the pie that was originally intended for her grandmother, they work together to help Kikko reach her grandmother with an equally appealing and delicious gift. Muc...