My Book of the Month - August

Where has the summer gone? It seems like only yesterday that we were breaking up for the school summer holidays and now I find myself frantically trying to do all the work things I has planned to spread out over the last five (and a half) weeks. Do I hear parents around the country giving a huge cheer and a sigh of relief that the holidays are over?

Anyway, it is the last day of the month and therefore time for me to announce the Book Zone Book of the Month for August 2010. This was one of the tougest choices so far - first off there was Dark Life, the fantastic debut from Katt Falls. This is a superb re-imagining of the classic westerns where pioneers worked hard to settle on land and fought off the likes of outlaws, but in this case it is set in a future and the settlers are establishing their homes under the waves as climate change has caused the seas to rise and dry land is at a premium. The second choice was Day of the Predator, Alex Scarrow's fab sequel to his first TimeRiders novel. For me this has none of the (albeit few) weaknesses of the first and I loved every page. However, after a lot of agonising I decided that really there could be only one choice this month - I enjoyed it so much I have already read it for a second time and I have been scanning the tables at car boots sales ever since looking for a battered china doll that I can 'adapt'. Yes... you've guessed it - the Book Zone Book of the Month for August is the fantastically scary Raggy Maggie by Barry Hutchison, the second book in his Invisible Fiends series.

This is the perfect horror book for kids. It will have them absolutely scared out of their wits, but without a huge amount of gore. As I said in my original review of the book, I think Caddie is one of the greatest ever creations in children's horror literature, and following a second reading I stand by this statement. If you haven't read this yet then make it a priority for September (but make sure you have read Mr Mumbles first).

And HarperCollins, if you are reading this, I am still waiting for those Invisible Fiends action figures to be released. Come on - you know you want to!