Erin the Literary Cat : Middle grade adventure

Showing posts with label Middle grade adventure. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 November 2025

I AM REBEL

Written by Ross Montgomery

Small copy of book cover. The cover, done in a painted fashion, shows the head and shoulders of a dog, Rebel, who is the central character in this story. He has typical flopped over triangular ears, and brown eyes. He occupies the middle bottom three fifths of the page. His fur is blend of is a blend of light and dark browns. Around his neck is a red neckerchief. His head points to his right. Behind him to neck height is a mountain range in dark brown, purples and black. Above that is a sunset/sunrise of white and yellow set above the mountains and below a pale blue and dark cloud scattered sky. The title "I AM REBEL is given a white paint brush effect, that because of the way the cover is embossed from behind, raises it and gives an almost 3D appeal. Rebel the dog, and the authors name along the bottom of the page, are also raised and textured. To the right hand side at shoulder height there seems to be a structure burning, and a red/purple smoke can be seen palling into the sky and off the cover.

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, settled in beside the fire with a box of tissues and glass of sherry, lets get this adventure under way . . .

Large copy of book cover. The cover, done in a painted fashion, shows the head and shoulders of a dog, Rebel, who is the central character in this story. He has typical flopped over triangular ears, and brown eyes. He occupies the middle bottom three fifths of the page. His fur is blend of is a blend of light and dark browns. Around his neck is a red neckerchief. His head points to his right. Behind him to neck height is a mountain range in dark brown, purples and black. Above that is a sunset/sunrise of white and yellow set above the mountains and below a pale blue and dark cloud scattered sky. The title "I AM REBEL is given a white paint brush effect, that because of the way the cover is embossed from behind, raises it and gives an almost 3D appeal. Rebel the dog, and the authors name along the bottom of the page, are also raised and textured. To the right hand side at shoulder height there seems to be a structure burning, and a red/purple smoke can be seen palling into the sky and off the cover.

AUTHOR: Ross Montgomery (Web page LINK click here.)

Illustrations by: Keith Robinson (Web page LINK click here.)

Published by: Walker Books (Web page LINK click here.)

Publication date Paperback: June 2024. OUT NOW

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-152 950 2909

Paperback price on Amazon at time of posting: £7.35

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £3.49

Audible available? YES, one credit.

Pages: 298

Age range: 8+

Any dogs or cats? Yes, both, and more. And much there is about life they do impart.

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

I am exceedingly grateful to Mrs Hudson for treating me from her pension so we can share this amazing canine story.

The plot

12-year-old Tom lives with his mum and dad on their sheep farm. It is a summer dawn, and Tom’s dog, Rebel, awakes beside his friend and, though he does not think of it that way, master. Life is good, and Rebel knows the day will be good, like all the days before since Tom rescued Rebel from the snow as a puppy.

Tom has never been beyond the nearby small town of Connick. He longs to travel and to climb the big nearby mountain and see the sights he has heard about. Tom sketches a lot with his charcoal and loves to do sketches of Rebel. They play and do all the things a dog and his boy do, games of stick and having tummies tickled. Rebel is a good dog and appreciates how lucky he is.

Later that same day, up in the top pasture tending the sheep, Tom spots the king’s guards patrolling the road. Villagers and farmers need permits to travel to market, to anywhere. The king has decreed that if they don’t pay the high taxes, they will have their permits to use the road removed. No permit or travel means no selling of livestock to earn the money to pay the high taxes. And so a downward spiral is created that sees the farmers turned out of their homes, their land salted, and buildings burned. They patrol at night and punish all who break the curfew, or speak against the new king. He wants it all, and lives on the other side of the mountain in a tall palace.

Then one day everything changes, and Rebel’s life becomes so different, unpredictable and dangerous.

Rebel awakes to raised voices in the kitchen below: two guardsmen have arrived and are demanding double taxes. Things get heated, and Tom shouts at the guards, who then smash his mother’s fine china set as they leave. They pass on a warning that the king is after a stranger to the parts, a man dressed in wolf skins. Anyone found harbouring him will be shot.

The huge injustice of it all and his dad’s acceptance of it, drives a wedge between Tom and his father that continues the next day. Tom is for action, but his father says they are farmers, not fighters. Up in the top pasture, a man dressed in wolf skin startles Tom and Rebel. Tom listens to what he has to say, and decides that he will join the revolutionaries, called the Reds, who wear a red neckerchief.

Now Rebel really does not trust the man, who goes by the name of Rider. Tom, however, is not afraid and goes off with him to a meeting of like-minded people. Rebel is a good dog and obeys his master despite his misgivings. Tom returns later, and far later than his parents would wish, and about his person his father spots a red neckerchief. The ensuing argument seems to have been resolved the following morning when Tom apologises for thinking of joining the Reds, and says he has burnt the neckerchief. Rebel is elated; life will once more be perfect.

But when Tom returns to tend the sheep that day, he orders Rebel to stay and not follow him as he ventures to join the gathering storm and uprising to topple the corrupt king. Before he leaves, he ties the red neckerchief around Rebel's neck.

So begins the true story of how Rebel learns he needs to break his master’s command and follow Tom’s trail before it disappears, no matter where it takes him. All so he can rescue his friend and keep him safe.

Pretty much everything that you could throw at a terrier happens in the ensuing tale. It is one of discovering his own inner dog, the truth and sometimes horrible and conflicting choices friendship and duty bring, and the hardships and brutality of war. Mix in also the uncertainty of what to do, who to trust and a need to get to Tom before war does, and you have a powerful combination. If I tell you more, where would the fun be in discovering an exceptional, heart-stopping and emotional story?

So, what did we think? Spoiler alert!

Very much like the storytelling in ‘Small Wonder’, the latest middle grade story by Ross Montgomery, I Am Rebel is incredibly well written. It is the distillation and concentration of an emotional, heart-tugging, action adventure.

I was totally locked in to this from early on, and would have read it from cover to cover given the opportunity, but other things got in the way. It wasn’t until Mrs H and I hit the home straight that we had the opportunity to read on to the end. I have to say it tugged at the heartstrings, and even Mrs H had the handkerchief out a few times and had to take a break.

It would be fair to say that every Lassie movie, and every dog and doggedly determined (and that is a most apt turn of phrase) that has hit the big and small screen since, carries an element of the magic in this tale, as this does of those. Whilst it is unfair to compare different entertainment formats, this is the most rounded, most vivid, and accomplished adventure to date.

The characters are well defined, lovable, and also easily disliked. There are challenges for the young Tom, confrontations, and decisions to be made and risks, mostly unknown, to endure.

Rebel’s journey is much the same, arguably much worse and with unique challenges. Though Mrs H said that, if you look closely, you can see Rebel and Tom’s journeys are actually very similar. Tom heads off with the wild and rough stranger, Rider, and Rebel journeys with Jaxon, a dog of the wilds and no master. Seeing through Rebel’s eyes, achieved very well by the author who clearly knows canines, as well as cats, made this an exceptionally involving tale.

The cover is very tactile. The title is raised from the page and seems very much a thick white paint has been used. Rebel, too, is embossed and adds an extra sense and dimension to the already wonderful work from the artist, Keith Robinson. Do click the link to his website to enjoy some more of his brilliant book-size art masterpieces.

We both found there was a brief statement made periodically through the adventure that spoiled the flow of things for us slightly by dropping us out of our stride, engrossment, and investment in the characters. Maybe you will spot this or read through and not notice it at all. That said, this does not diminish the drama, the emotional ending, or the huge amount of glee we got from journeying along with Rebel and Jaxon in this tale.

Whilst Tom’s part in this journey is technically rather small, it provides a lot of motivation and action opportunities. What we can draw from this tale, as an aside, is maybe how dogs and masters trust each other. This, at the end of the day, is a tale, but brave dogs have existed throughout time and endured many hardships alongside humans. In its own way, this tale is a tribute to them all.

Also, if you wish to analyse these things, the meaning of the red neckerchief that Rebel wears, could be a symbol of belonging as well as belonging to another; of servant and servitude, as well as liberation. It is an interesting thought to conclude this review, and one that we will ponder for a while yet.

Crunch time.

A most worthy wearer of the crowning title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2024. And an amazing treat for animal adventure readers of any age who enjoy a well-crafted tale.

As a holiday season is almost upon us, I can recommend ‘I Am Rebel’ as well as ‘Small Wonder’ as perfect gift ideas. Click HERE, to read our review of SMALL WONDER.

Against a wintery grey sky, with leaves flying all-around, Tick, protagonist, rides a grey horse bareback and reinless, his arm around its neck. The horse, bears from left to right, with its neck bent towards the cover middle. Tick wears a white shirt with waistcoat on top, a red scarf around his neck and a small pouch flaps near his waist. Author's name in white at top, & the title in bold yellow brush strokes at bottom, with"If you have one chance, make it count" is written in white below.

I hope you enjoyed those adventures.

Before we get on with the selfies, we just wanted to announce that our first adventure book, 'Chumley and Hudson Investigates. The King Herod's Mystery', is now available in a dyslexia friendly font format for readers almost everywhere!

Front book cover of Chumley and Hudson Investigate, the King Herod's Mystery. Book sits on a blue background.

***

And now for something completely different . . .

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to visit their site and to get the LATEST code to add to your own blog . . .

Small image. The Cat on My Head Sunday Selfies Blog Hop badge. Features a yellow-haired lady with a tuxedo cat on her head.

Erin lays curled up, her feet and face pointing left. Her whiskers on her left face are nearly all straight.She lays on her short-pile grey fleece bedspread, which occupies the top four fifths of the image. The bottom fifth is the pink duvet cover. Her tail is looped over her hind feet, and her forearms extend slightly and her nose rests on them part way down. She sleeps easily.

©Image Copyright

If you look closely at this week's selfie, you can see near perfect whisker alignment. Mrs H says I spend far too much time whisker aligning and grooming. I say for good results, copious amounts of time in the bedroom straightening them (aka asleep) pays dividends!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that adventure, and will dip your toes into the amazing world of Middle Grade literature. Whilst most are quite short by comparison to adult reads, as they are for some of the most discerning of readers, they can be incredibly fulfilling.

Now that is likely to be last review of the year. We have a ton of editing to do and so little daylight and time to do it in. We have some great books to read, not least the third adventure for the Freddie, the Buddhist cat, (written by Julian Worker) which is entitled: Tree-Hugging Cats.

Thursday, 6 November 2025

FLIPPED

Written by Philip Caveney

Small book cover. A matt, paler royal blue cover, which has a light ruffled page texture, sports cameo images of Pip and Flip, protagonists back to back, emerging as it were from respective halves of a large opened book. The book and images are in matt black. The image is reflected underneath, with the book tittle and author name shown in large mid yellow matt capitals across the space between the reflected open book. The characters can be identified as Pip, on the left is wearing victorian garb, whereas Flip on the right has a hoodie. The quote at the bottom right corner says in small lettering: 'It's 2020 and the world is in lockdown. Meanwhile, Flip is trapped . . . in the pages of a really famous book.'

©Image Copyright

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, happy that we have our own published novels to get sucked back into, lets get this review on the road!

Large book cover. A matt, paler royal blue cover sports cameo images of Pip and Flip, protagonists back to back, emerging as it were from respective halves of a large opened book. The book and images are in matt black. The image is reflected underneath, with the book tittle and author name shown in large mid yellow matt capitals across the space between the reflected open book. The characters can be identified as Pip, on the left is wearing victorian garb, whereas Flip on the right has a hoodie. The quote at the bottom right corner says in small lettering: 'It's 2020 and the world is in lockdown. Meanwhile, Flip is trapped . . . in the pages of a really famous book.'

AUTHOR: Philip Caveney. (Website link CLICK HERE.)

Published by: Fox and Ink Books. (Website link CLICK HERE.)

Publication date Paperback: 6th Nov 2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-1916747739

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £3.99

Pages: 276

Age range: 9 - 16+

Internal illustrations?: No

SPOILER ALERT

Yes, some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams, publicist, and Fox and Ink Books for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and will enjoy.

The plot

It is late July 2020, the school summer holidays have arrived, and it is the height of the Covid pandemic. 15/16-year-old Philip Gregory, aka Flip, is spending his days out and about on his own, exploring the Kent Marshes near his home. His mother is a nurse practitioner in the A&E of a local hospital, managing the brunt and cruel side of the virus. On his latest walk, he heads up a rise and finds in the valley beyond, and hidden from view, an abandoned Victorian redbrick house behind a wired fence. Dilapidated and boarded up, he finds his way inside. What awaits him is a sort of house stuck in time; cobwebs, mouldy old furniture abound, and rubbish left by other visitors is the only sign of modern-day life.

Then, out of the blue, he sees a young, imperious-looking girl about his age, staring at him from an upper landing. Stranger yet, it seems she was expecting him. She calls him Pip, a name he hasn’t been called since early childhood, and has a task for him to complete. Unwittingly, Flip seems to have been seconded to undertake a task for Miss H. Curious how the girl knew his past name, and despite his protestations to the contrary that he is not ‘Pip’, the girl introduces herself as Estella, and leads a confused Flip, aka Pip to where he is to work. He has been tasked with cataloguing all the items in the house’s large and dusty attic, and to look out in particular for a large book that Miss H has lost.

During the search, which does not go well, Flip finds an old and loaded rifle and blows out an attic window by mistake. Taking this as the ideal reason to flee, he makes his excuses, and heads to the ground floor. Estella is not best pleased and insists that he should return the next day, saying that if he does not, Miss H will have ways to ensure he does.

A surprise awaits Flip that evening as, after a very realistic dream where he is running on the Marshes and comes across a stranger who sounds like his absent dad, he awakes to find Estella in his garden! She is there to ensure he returns the next day, and will confront his mother if Flip does not.

Needless to say, Flip is starting to get worried and overwhelmed by all this, but to keep the peace and not get his mum involved, the next day he returns to the old house, Satis House.

The next day dawns, and Flip heads off to the Marshes, and into what becomes a very exciting adventure. As time progresses, it is obvious to him that he is being drawn into the book, Great Expectations, of which he knows little, and is perceived by other characters as Pip from the novel. Indeed, he seems to become Pip, in clothes and worn appearance. But Flip soon realises he has not replaced Pip, just displaced him. Why this is happening, he doesn't know, but somehow he needs to figure out and quickly to make sure he doesn't get stuck back in Pip's world!

Worse is to come, as the characters are seeping into 2020, too. When he arrives in the study of none other than the author, Charles Dickens, himself, things get really fun, and a touch surreal.

Like all great novels, the fun is in the details and telling as they progress. Which is where and why we must leave this review.

So, what did we think?

Great Expectations may well be known to you – if not read, then viewed on the television. What the author has skilfully done here is create multiple stories. We have a retelling, albeit abbreviated, of the Dickens classic, then the tale of Flip and his mother and estranged father. Finally, we have the resulting tale as the casts of both come together, in good ways and bad, and across the two other tales, creating a mini-classic in its own right.

This new tale will appeal to modern and younger readers, but has enough of Dickens’ classic to provide a delightful read for the older reader too. The sometimes pithy wit was well received in this household, as were Flip and Pip’s confusion and responses to situations they found themselves in . Poor Mr Dickens has a rough time of it as well, and his role added a lovely twist/extra layer and dimension that takes it up a notch.

Picking the pandemic as a present-day timeline was a stroke of genius. While most kids of Flip’s age will not have heard or even thought about Dickens’ story, they will instantly relate to that period when they lost freedom, friendships, and saw loved ones if not die, then become sick or seriously ill. This tale ably hits on how life was for each generation, and links and draws comparisons briefly to the cholera epidemic of Victorian times. It also brings together elements of family life, breakups, and tragedy.

One key reason for this plot working so well for us is that the two stories mirror each other in elements that slowly get revealed as the story progresses. Not wishing to spoil things, but it isn’t just the similarity in names that the protagonist Flip shares, but also the life story of key secondary characters as well. So, if you have read Great Expectations, you should be able to see where this is going and why. Though not necessarily how it all works out. That was a lovely twist right at the end, which, while a largish clue was left early on, we ultimately just didn’t see it coming.

So, crunch time.

A masterstroke of plotting, creating a cross-generational tale that Mr Dickens might well have appreciated, had he got his head around his characters not doing what they were told. Well worth a read for all in this age group and above. And we do hope this gets the publicity and credit it deserves in the classroom and beyond.

And as it's time for the Sunday Selfies, here's something equal full of nature and soft and gentle – me!

Here is yours truly caught in what Mrs H says is my 'contemplative, artist's model pose'.

Erin sits face inclined to her left whilst body is nearly sideways on to the camera and points to sofa back. She sits on the fav green seat pad on her blue sofa. Behind is a stack of books in her read pile.

I hope you enjoyed that adventure review and our selfie.

Till laters!

ERin