Book of the Month

We bring you our pick of Scotland’s very best children’s literature every month, and you can win a set of Darke Academy novels by answering the question below. This month we are celebrating the launch of the second Darke Academy book,Blood Ties by the mysterious Gabriella Poole.

Darke Academy - Blood Ties

This term the secretive Darke Academy has moved to New York, and Cassie Bell is no longer the innocent new girl. Now she is strong, determined, and hiding secrets of her own. For Cassie has been introduced to the world of the Few and is struggling to come to terms with her astonishing powers, a dangerous romance and the malevolent spirit inside her, demanding to be fed. When an old enemy returns, bent on revenge, Cassie is tested to the limit. Can she rescue her friends from a horrific fate, or will she end up destroying them to save herself?

Gabriella Poole is a pseudonym used by Gillian Philip.

Competition

To win a bundle of great books just answer this question
Q: What is the correct title of February's book of the month?
a) Darke Academy: Blood Ties
b) Darke Academy: Blood Tides
c) Darke Academy: Floods of blood

Send your answer, along with your name and address, to info@scottishbooktrust.com with the subject line "February Book of the Month competition". Competition closes on Monday 1st March 2010.

Previous Books of the Month

Books of 2009 and 2010: 

Cathy Forde

	What were your favourite books of 2009?
	Exposure by Mal Peet Centring around the ultimate  'golden couple' - a South American Premier League footballer and his pop star wife it feels utterly contemporary and zeitgeitsty, yet the framework of the novel is borrowed from Shakespeare's Othello. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough.
	Choke Chain by Jason Donald Set in South Africa and narrated by twelve year old Alex, this novel brings to life the brutal, volatile, utterly believable alpha-male monster who is his father.  I read this novel in one sitting, holding my breath in horror for Alex and his young brother Kevin. The opening chapter of this novel, describing a hailstorm is the most memorable I have read.
	Brooklyn by Colm Toibin My final, and favourite book of 2009 Opening in Enniscorthy in Southern Ireland in the 1950s, BROOKLYN tells the story of Eilis and her emmigration to America in search of work and new life. From the very first page of this book the words seemed to melt away and I stepped into Eilis's shoes and lived her journey to New York. The chapter where Toibin describes Eilis' choppy, seasick passage across the Atlantic is rendered so vividly I defy anyone's stomach not to heave. The best of writing from cover to cover.

	What are you looking forward to reading in 2010?
	The Penalty and Keeper by Mal Peet I will definitely read these, as they are the first and second novels in the Paul Faustino series to which EXPOSURE belongs.
	Pops: the Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout Santa brought this novel to one of my sons. I wonder if he knows how much I love reading music biographies. The lives of musicians, particularly those who were around for a long time, are often more incredible and inspirational than fiction, and I know Louis went from rags to riches.

Gillian Philip

	What were your favourite books of 2009?
	The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman This was my favourite of the year though was - it's so beautifully told, right from the opening sentence (which I wish I'd written). I was on Bod's side all the way, even in his foolish moments, and the wise and brave Silas is just miles above any other undead hero.
	Killing God by Kevin Brooks I wasn't expecting it to be as funny as it was. Dawn Bundy had a perspective and a voice that made me laugh even as it pulled me right into a grim story (and I loved the character of Mel).
	Dido by Adele Geras I'm a sucker for Greek mythology, especially Troy, and the gods here were just as they should be - real, solid, flawed and interfering - while never being an excuse for the human characters' misbehaviour.

	What are you looking forward to reading in 2010?
	When I Was Joe by Keren David This debut novel is about a boy who has witnessed a crime, who makes the terrible decision to tell the truth, and pays the price by having to become a different person.
	Tall Story by Candy Gourlay Another debut which promises to be fantastic in both senses - the story of a 'giant', it's about "hope, faith, basketball, calamity and culture clash". Set in the Philippines, it has a strong element of magic realism but it also sounds very funny.

Keith Charters

What was your favourite book of 2009?

Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip I must immediately declare an interest here. I’m such an admirer of her writing that, in my guise as MD of Strident Publishing, I published her debut full length novel Bad Faith in late 2008, and recently bought a 4-book series – Firebrand – from her. Crossing The Line is, by some margin, the book I’ve enjoyed most this year. What makes it so good? Well, I could point to the gritty action; the sparky, witty and thoroughly believable dialogue; the tension; or the skilful fleshing out of the characters. But it’s more than that. This is an intelligent but nonetheless highly accessible book. I finished it feeling that I’d topped up my understanding of humanity and why events unfold as they do. And yet I never once felt as if this book was trying to teach me something. The characters spoke for themselves and ultimately I was left to draw my own conclusions.

More: Read about Catherine Forde, Gillian Philip or Keith Charters.

The Comet's Child by John Ward

 Fin in the forest, raised in secret by a woman without a name, has no idea who he is - but out in the world,
all are seeking the promised herald of the New Age, the Comet’s Child. The harsh Authority, the cunning Service,
the desperate outlaws of the Order - each faction is determined to hang the title on Fin. But does he really want
to be the chosen one? And what of Mika, the hunter’s boy who has run away from home, determined to break
with the traditions of his tribe and acquire learning enough to unlock the secrets of his great-grandfather’s
mysterious book? Only one thing seems certain - their paths are destined to cross, and their fates are intertwined.
John Ward’s latest book is a thrilling start to a series charting the adventures of Fin and his struggle with destiny.

The Chess Piece Magician by Douglas Bruton (Floris)

When Corrie's family returns to Uig Bay on the Isle of Lewis for yet another miserable summer holiday, he has no idea of the incredible adventure that lies ahead. He finds a strange figurine on a windswept beach, which looks very like the ancient chess pieces found there centuries ago ...but this one has a magician's staff. Corrie makes friends with local girl, Kat, who tells him the island's legends - of a terrible sea serpent who summoned up never-ending winter, and of a powerful magician who finally banished him. When Corrie hears a voice in the night and the strange little figure starts to glow, he finds himself drawn into an incredible battle between good and evil. Douglas Bruton's brilliant first novel tells a fictional story behind the famed Lewis chessmen, which date from the 12th century and were found in Uig Bay in the 1830s. This gripping fantasy adventure will have both boys and girls on the edge of their seats.

Bree McCready and the Half Heart Locket (Strident)

Life is not much fun for Bree. School is a drag, and nothing happens at home on the Rockwell housing estate. Until she finds two halves of an old locket, which together spell out a set of cryptic instructions. With her best friend Sandy and new kid Honey Pizazz, Bree follows the trail to the hiding place of a dangerous magical book. But the evil Thalofedril is close behind, and determined to seize it from them. The race is on to keep the book out of his hands and Bree must find the courage to face him – and confront her own difficult past. An accomplished debut novel from Hazel Allan. 

Paradise Red by KM Grant (Quercus)

As Raimon and Aimery set off to re-gain the flame and the heart of the Occitan, Hugh prepares to lay siege to the Cathar stronghold where the flame burns. Unbeknown to him, his wife Yolanda flees his castle and into the freezing snow. What is Yolanda running from? What underhand game is Aimery about to bring in to play? And will Raimon's passion for the flame cause him to lose Yolanda and even himself? K M Grant's spectacular novel weaves together the friendship, love and bitter rivalry of her wonderfully evoked characters in a finale to a superb trilogy of romance and adventure.

Counting Birds by Alice Melvin (Tate)

Count the birds from one to twenty and see what they get up to over the course of a day, from the first crow of the noisy cockerel to the rooks flying home to roost. Illustrations combine with a rhyming text, making this a good book to read aloud with children learning to count. A beautiful counting book from Alice Melvin.   

Grass by Cathy MacPhail (Bloomsbury)

It would have been hard to have missed what was written on the wall. Painted in giant whitewashed letters: 'SHARKEY IS A GRASS'. I hadn't a clue who Sharkey was, but I knew one thing. 'Sharkey's a dead man,' I said. Leo knows the value of never grassing and that you never grass on your friends. Everybody, too, knows the gang leaders in town. And you don't grass on them. Not unless you don't value your life - like Sharkey. And then Leo is unlucky enough to witness the murder of one gang leader by another, a man called Armour. Leo is petrified as he realises what he is witnessing and even more petrified when he realises that Armour has seen him. Sure that he is drawing his own last breath, Leo silently says goodbye to his family and everybody he knows. But all Armour does is wink at Leo, very slowly, and leave the scene of the crime. Leo draws a long breath of relief. He has got away with it. But he hasn't - not really. Leo will live to regret that wink and realise that Armour has an insidious hold on him and his family,which will test his family relationships, and his very sense of what is right and wrong. It will take bravery, luck and sheer daring to extricate himself from Armour's deadly web. A riveting and hard-hitting new novel from Cathy MacPhail.   

Monster Hero (Gormy Ruckles) by Guy Bass and Ross Collins(Scholastic) 

Being a monster isn't as easy as it looks. Gormy loves it when his Uncle Kruckles comes to stay - he's the coolest, bravest, most monstrous monster ever. Gormy can't wait for them to go monstering together. This is going to be an adventure Gormy will never forget. Written by Guy Bass with tremendous illustrations from Ross Collins.

What To Do About Holly by Joan Lingard (Catnip)

Joan Lingard returns with yet another fantastic piece of fiction. Holly is mortified when her mother dumps her on Nina Nightingale, the author who came into their school that morning. It’s only supposed to be for a short train journey, but events take an unexpected turn. What follows is an intriguing and thought provoking exploration of an unusual friendship by one of the world’s best children’s authors.

The Keepers' Daughter by Gill Arbuthnott (Chicken House)

Ten years ago, Alaric, leader of the Shadowmen, killed many of the Keepers - the teachers and bearers of ancient knowledge threatening his barbaric rule. Now rebellion is flaring up in the Archipelago again and the Shadowmen are out hunting for Keepers once more. Fourteen-year-old, Nyssa, and her uncle, Marius, descendants of the Keepers, must flee, but there is a greater reason that Nyssa is in danger: on her skull is one half of a strange tattoo, three lines of writing in a strange unintelligible script, the Legeof.

Deathwatch by Nicola Morgan (Walker)

Nicola Morgan returns with a tense thriller...Someone is watching Cat McPherson. Is it a young schizophrenic, a retired scientist, or Cat's ex-boyfriend? Or it could be someone else entirely. An obsession with insects seems to link them all. And Cat hates insects. She's easy prey, especially as she has given away so much on an internet site which her parents have forbidden her to use.

Katie's Beasties by Karen Sutherland (Itchy Coo)

Katie's bonnie Bumbee bizzes roon a flooer, Katie's strippit Clocker looks awfie dour. Katie's siller Slaters bide ablow a stane, Katie's Jecky Forty-Feet steys oot in the rain.

Katie's Beasties is the fourth publication in the best-selling Katie series. This time award-winning illustrator Karen Sutherland turns her attention to Scotland's bugs and creepie-crawlies. The ever-inquisitive Katie gets a close-up view of Reidcoats, Hairy Oobits, Horniegolachs, Jenny Lang-Legs, Clegs, Midgies, Ettercaps and many more.

Shiver by Alex Nye (Floris)

 A year on from laying the ghost of Catherine Morton to rest, the Morton children and their neighbour, Samuel, still suspect that Dunadd House remains uneasy. As winter closes in again on wild Sherrifmuir, they try to unravel the family secrets one last time, hoping to stop Mrs Morton from selling Dunadd and moving on for good. As the electricity shuts down, and the phones lines are cut off, Samuel and Fiona discover that history has one more surprise up its sleeve. Alex Nye's long-awaited sequel to the award-winning Chill, this will not fail to intrigue and enthral readers, who suspected that the story hadn't all been told.

Seriously Sassy by Magi Gibson (Puffin)

13-year-old Sassy is a true 21st Century girl. She's puzzling out the mysteries of parents, boys and why people can't be more like dolphins, and confronting big questions like... Can she become a singer–songwriter and save the world too? (More importantly, can she get Dad to pay for a demo?)

If you want to know more about Sassy and Magi Gibson and get some top eco-friendly tips check out the Seriously Sassy website, it’s seriously classy!

Running on the Cracks by Julia Donaldson (Egmont)

Julia Donaldson may be best known for her hugely successful Gruffalo stories, but Running on the Cracks reveals a different side to her writing, being a complex story aimed at teenage readers, tackling loneliness and life in our multicultural society.  

More: Read about Julia Donaldson, watch her on our video podcast or find out more about Running on the Cracks.

Sylvia and Bird by Catherine Rayner (Little Tiger Press)

Catherine Rayner was shortlisted for 2007 Royal Mail Children's Book Award for Augustus and his Smile, and her illustrations are always charming and instantly likeable. Sylvia and Bird is no exception! 

More: Read about Catherine Rayner and her work or find out more about Sylvia and Bird.

A Heart For Ruby by Franzeska G Ewart (Walker)

Ruby's class will be performing in the school Valentine's Day concert on Friday, but there's just one problem - Ruby can't dance. Auntie Pooja tells her a story about how once she danced so hard that one of her favourite ruby heart earrings flew off, and she never found it. Now she lends Ruby the remaining one for luck.

More: Read about Franzeska G Ewart and her work or find out more about A Heart for Ruby.   

Donkey's Busy Day by Natalie Russell (Bloomsbury)

Donkey is extremely proud to have been put in charge of the farm - and to be responsible for ensuring that all the jobs get done. But when he tries to encourage the animals to help him, they all have their excuses... A charming and very funny story about doing chores that all parents and young children will relate to. 

More: Read Natalie's Q&A with exclusive artwork gallery or find out more about Donkey's Busy Day.

Pink! by Lynne Rickards & Margaret Chamberlain(Chicken House)

Patrick wakes up one day to find he's turned pink overnight! What will his friends think? Poor Patrick runs away in search of pink playmates. He crosses the ocean where he finds some flamingos - but will he ever fit in with them? Patrick soon learns that friendship is never black and white, but that real friends will accept you whatever. A heart-warming story of learning to be different.

More: Read about Lynne Rickards and her work or find out more about Pink!  

The Trouble with Dragons by Debi Gliori (Bloomsbury)

Combining a strong environmental message with an immediately fascinating subject (dragons!) Debi Gliori's new picture book is ideal for young children, but has enough going on under the surface that older readers will be quickly drawn in too.

More: Find out more about Debi Gliori or buy a copy of The Trouble With Dragons.

The Murrian by Robert Dodds(Andersen Press)

Ben and Claire are staying with Aunt Gwen in Antmouth for the summer. They've been told the coast there is haunted by the ghosts of smugglers, but they are soon much more alarmed by the living residents of the village. There's the tall thin fellow in charge of the Insect Zoo, who acts like the worst kind of mad scientist. And then there's all the fish-eyed golfers who seem to be spying on them. Once again, in this fourth Ben and Claire Swift thriller, the thin curtain of normality is ripped aside, plunging the reader into a bizarre world of hidden terror!

Find out more about Robert Dodds or buy a copy of The Murrian.

Grimm by Mike Nicholson(Floris)

If you have the misfortune to spend a night at Hotel Grimm, it may be the last night you spend anywhere! Or so the residents of Aberfintry believe. From its vantage point high above the town, the hotel has long been the source of dead guests and ghost stories. When eleven-year-old Rory McKenna becomes an overnight advertising sensation for Zizz Cola, Hotel Grimm's mysterious owner, Granville Grimm, presents Rory with the task of giving his hotel a new image. Refusal is not an option. Can "Zizz Boy" do it again, or will he become Hotel Grimm's next victim?

Find out more about Mike Nicholson or buy a copy of Grimm.

The Eleventh Orphan by Joan Lingard(Catnip)

In The Eleventh Orphan, Mr and Mrs Bigsby of the Pig and Whistle, Stoke Newington, already look after ten children. When Constable O'Dowd brings her an eleventh orphan he found on the streets, Ma Bigsby is reluctant to take her.

But there's something about Elfie - what had her mother to do with her pub and why does she possess a little watercolour of the Pig and Whistle? As the mystery unravels, Elfie's world will change completely.

Find out more about Joan Lingard or buy a copy of The Eleventh Orphan.

Leabhor nan Gaidheal Oga (CLAR)

Foillsichte 2008. 60+ sgriobhadairean bho sgoiltean air feadh sgire Chomhairle na Gaidhealtachd. Dealbhan dathte. Leabhar beag eireachdail. Sgriobhadh a tha a' toirt dochas dhuinn gum bi sgriobhadairean againn sna bliadhnaichean a tha romhainn!

The Book of the Young Gaels
60+ school-pupils all over the Highland region of Scotland have written stories for this illustrated book which shows us the writers of the future.

Find out more about the Gaelic Books Council here.

Witch Baby and Me by Debi Gilori (Corgi)

Lily is 9. Her sister Daisy is 1. And she's no ordinary baby. Somehow, when she was born, something went rather wrong...and now Daisy is a Witch Baby. Nobody knows this but Lily, and now the sisters have just moved to a new neighbourhood, and their mum wants them to make friends. She decides to throw a party and send Lily and Daisy out to deliver the invitations. They meet some odd characters along the way...Will the party be a big success or will Daisy's magic mean things are even more chaotic than normal?

Find out more about Debi Gliori or buy a copy of Witch Baby and Me.

The Nostradamus Prophecy by Theresa Breslin (Doubleday)

Melisande is the daughter of the king's minstrel and lives among the royal French court. She, like many others, pays little heed to the dire warnings of Notradamus the soothsayer. But when misfortune befalls Melisande's family and she realises that it was predicted by Nostradamus, she turns to the soothsayer for help. Upon his death, he leaves Melisande with some papers which hold the secret of the royal line of France - it is up to her to help fulfil Nostradamus' final prophecy but will she have the courage to do so...?

Find out more about Theresa Breslin or buy a copy of The Nostradamus Prophecy.

Mrs Floss and Mrs Fleece by Vivian French and Natalie Russell (Happy Cat Books)

Mrs Floss and Mrs Fleece are Highland sheep with very different personalities: Mrs Fleece is scared of nothing, Mrs Floss is scared of everything! Mrs Floss’s lamb Ross is big and bold while Reece Fleece is small and trembly. But when the Big Bad Wolf comes to eat them it is trembly Reece who saves the day! This is a funny story, with a message for us all!

Find out more about Vivian French and Natalie Russell, or buy a copy of Mrs Floss and Mrs Fleece.

The Ice Cream Con by Jimmy Docherty (Chicken House)

When Jake Drake gets mugged twice in ten minutes, he comes up with a plan to con the criminals on his estate. With the help of his closest pals, he starts a rumour about a new gangster in town – the Big Baresi, the biggest gangster that never was. The con works, but not for long, as events start snow-balling out of control. Soon Jake and his gang are in trouble. Big trouble. Facing total meltdown, they're stuck with a freezer full of diamonds every bad-guy wants a scoop of.

To read more about Jimmy Docherty please click here or to buy a copy of the book click here.

Competition Terms and Conditions

Only one entry per person. Competition winners will not be eligible to enter any subsequent competition for six months.
We require the entrant’s name, address and age. Applicants must be resident in the UK.
Every entry will be considered.
The decision on winners is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Competition entries will not be returned.
Competitions are not open to employees of Scottish Book Trust and their immediate family.