Tag: YA

Boo

Boo

by Neil Smith (Heinemann, 2015)

Smith_Boo

Two boys strike up a friendship searching for their killer in thirteen-year-old heaven. Narrated in the first person, present tense, Boo, though neither ‘instantly charming’ nor ‘wickedly funny’ (as promised by the cover), is a well-conceived, cleverly realised post-murder mystery / coming-of-age story.

 

Agaton Sax and the Haunted House

Agaton Sax and the Haunted House

by Nils-Olof Franzén; illustrated by Quentin Blake (Andre Deutsch, 1975)

Franzen_Agaton Sax and the Haunted House

Bolstered by Blake’s zesty drawings, Franzén gives YA readers the perfect introduction to crime fiction. His irrepressibly competent Swedish detective Agaton Sax, along with the harried, hapless Inspector Lispington, form a memorable duo fighting the bumbling wiles of the international criminal fraternity.

 

The City of Gold and Lead

The City of Gold and Lead

by John Christopher (Macmillan, 1967)

Christopher_City of Gold and Lead

The second instalment of John Christopher’s Tripods trilogy moves from quest narrative to absorbing, fully fledged science fiction as youngsters Will and Fritz infiltrate one of the aliens’ cities and learn the awful truth of the Masters whose tripods roam the Earth.

 

Derelict Space Sheep