The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

Vita's Grandfather's castle was stolen from him by a real estate tycoon.  She and her mother go to visit and try to right this wrong.  Vita loves her Grandpa but he's sure looking old and sad.  He misses his wife and his castle.  Her Mom talks to lawyers and reads legal papers trying to make it better but no luck there...

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Reader's sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (than you).  It will be published August 27th.

Vita decides to go visit this tycoon and ask him to make it right.  He's having a party but he takes time to talk to her.  He just laughs at her.  She'll have to work around it a different way.

She sees a thief stealing but says nothing about it.  Then she helps Vita escape to pay her back.  She'd be handy for breaking into tthe castle but she says no.  Vita goes on looking for more team members.  After all, her Grandpa told her there is an emerald necklace hidden in the castle.  She thinks that might help him get his castle back.  

She meets two boys from the circus that will be perfect for the job.  One can almost fly and one is excellent with dogs.

With the thief finally agreeing to join them, they make a formidable team.  Their quest is worthy but it's a lot of work and filled with danger.

There's a lot of action and excitement in this story.  I enjoyed it enough I'm going to buy a copy for my personal library.  Ms. Rundell's tales talk to me!

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

They are flying back to England when their pilot has a heart attack.  When Fred comes to, he's bruised and no longer in the plane.  He hopes the others got out because the plane is burning up...

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review.  It will be published September 12th.

Lila and Max, sister and brother, and Con a young snobby girl also survived.  But they have nothing but the clothing they are wearing.  No weapons, no food, no water.  And they don't teach you jungle survival in school.  They do have two intellectual weapons though:  Fred read every explorer book he could find and has a good background in survival hints learned from that and Lila's mother is biologist and she knows a lot about bugs and plants.  That much will keep them alive but how will they get out?

This is a grand adventure.  There are all kinds of dangers in the jungle.  Keeping five year old Max out of trouble is a real challenge.  Food is scarce, and what they do find to eat is nothing they've eaten before.  They find an old shelter and take refuge there for a few days.  Then Fred puts a raft together and tries to take them down the river.  

The children face challenges that frighten them and they are afraid they will not be successful but if they want to survive, they have to overcome those feelings.  They find a lone survivor in a forgotten city and stay with him for a while.  They promise they will keep him and his city a secret.  But then Max gets sick and things get real serious.

This is an exciting tale that keeps your attention and makes you wonder how Fred can be so brave.  I think it was all those books he read...

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

Feo and her mother have a strange career.  They take wolves that have been domesticated and train them to be wild.  After all, a wolf is not a dog and they have wild instincts that normally surface no matter how dog-like they've been treated.  If you lose an ear or some fingers to a wolf, you don't want them around anymore.  Give them to Feo and her mother and they will train them in the woods, how to run, what to eat and set them free.  Everything is going well until the General finds them...

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book (thank you).  It will be published August 25th, so make a note to pick it up then.

The General tells them that one of their wolves has killed an elk on the Czar's land.   Feo and her mother try to explain that it wasn't one of theirs; the bite marks are smaller and indicate a younger wolf.  He doesn't listen.  What he does say is that if it happens again, he'll be back.  He'll kill their wolves, put her mother in jail, and send Feo to a "school" where she can learn manners and become more ladylike.  Feo and her mother put their house back in order and then try to live even more quietly than they did before.  The peace doesn't last long.

They are given another wolf to undomesticate and she's fat.  Feo takes her out to exercise and teaches her how to run.  It doesn't take too long before they realize she's pregnant!  When she has her pups, one is too small and born dead.  The other one is alive and healthy.  The mother wolf ranges too far and gets into cows.  She kills a cow, the guards kill her.  Then they come after Feo and her mother. They attempt to run but the soldiers get there too quickly.  Feo escapes but her mother doesn't.  What's she to do now?

This story teaches your about Russian winters, habits of the rich, and how even insane men can get into leadership positions.  There's death in this story and I wouldn't recommend it to an immature reader or someone who has a soft heart.  The ending is just what it needed and the author did a good job with it.  I did find myself with my heart in my throat a few times.  Ms. Rundell's books are never boring.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

Sophie was found floating in a cello case in the English channel after the ship has gone down.  She says she remembers her mother waving at her, but she was only one and no other female survivors were found.  Charlie tells her she's probably not really remembering but just wishing.  But Charlie has an interesting outlook on life:  Almost impossible means still possible...

Simon and Schuster's Books for Young Readers and Net Galley allowed me to download a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It was published at the end of September, so you can grab a copy now at your local bookstore.

This story has all the flavor of an old classic tale for young readers.  Charlie, her guardian, is not a normal dad.  He thinks it's OK to write on walls and since Sophie tends to break dishes, they eat off paper.  Sophie doesn't go to school, she reads all of Charlie's books and they discuss matters of the world and what she's read.  They eat what they like.  And they're happy.  But the welfare agency isn't.  As Sophie grows older, they are going to take her away for placement.

Charles and Sophie don't want to be separated, but Charlie knows he can't fight government.  When Sophie finds an address on her cello case, she suggests they go to France and see if they can locate her mother.  As Charlie looks at her in dismay, she reminds him that it's still possible.

Their time in Paris is the stuff of fairytales.  She meets a boy who lives on rooftops.  After she's proved herself, she meets more who live "above".  And while she's on the rooftop, she hears the tune that she can play on the cello; the one that reminds her of her mother.  Can it really be?

This is a grand adventure with two of the most adorable characters you can imagine.  Charlie was unmarried, not used to children and yet he took in Sophie.  Sophie loved him, he loved her, and he'd do anything for her.  Together, they accomplish the impossible.  

I highly recommend reading this one.  It's a heart-pleasing tale with lots of adventure.  Young or old should enjoy this story.

Happy reading.