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I was a Rat- Phillip Pullman
"One night a strange little boy shows up at the door of elderly Bob the Cobbler and his wife Joan, who is a washerwoman. The strange kid is nice and obliging, but he doesn't know his name and insists "I was a rat." He says he is only 3 weeks old. The couple take him in and name him Roger, but the boy clearly knows nothing about table manners, not tearing up his bedclothes, or much else about proper human behavior. Placed in school, he eats the pencils. The Philosopher Royal hears about Roger and -
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Books I read last year
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The Fireworker Makers Daughter
""A thousand miles ago, in a country east of the jungle and southe of the mountains," widowed Lalchand the fire-worker maker has a daughter, Lila, who wants to follow in his footsteps. She learns how to make some of the simpler fireworks, but her father thinks making it her trade would be a bad idea. Lila's best friend is Chulak, a servant of the king who takes care of his white elephant Hamlet and is the only one who knows Hamlet can talk. Chulak tricks Lalchand into telling him how one truly b -
I Corriander- Sally Gardner
In the time of Oliver Cromwell, between Britain's Civil War and the Restoration, Coriander lives happily with her father, a successful businessman, and mother, an herbalist and healer. When her mother dies mysteriously, her father is forced to marry Maud, a Puritan woman, to keep on good terms with those now running the country. Moving in with her daughter, Maud soon enough reveals her true colors as a child-abusing fanatic.
Despite the marriage Coriander's father is forced to flee the country, -
The Highwayman's Footsteps
We first meet the young William de Lacey with his face in the mud and a pistol at his ear. We soon learn that he is high born and has run away from his cruel, powerful father, bullying brother and rich comfortable life. Gradually, as the tale unfolds, we discover the dreadful truth about his family and how he came to leave. As his relationship with the enigmatic Bess develops, he learns many harsh facts about the world that have been disguised or distorted by his pampered life and he begins to.. -
Lion Boy
In a slightly future world where pollution and asthma are rampant and cars are banned, Charlie's scientist parents are kidnapped. Pursued by their thuggish kidnapper, Rafi, and unwittingly carrying the formula for which they were taken, Charlie sets out to rescue them. Though his chances seem remote, he has one thing working in his favor: he can talk with cats, and cats all over the world, who know more about his parents than he does, are motivated to help him out.
