Rudy and the Ghastly Gathering
Paul Westmoreland, illustrated by George Ermos
Oxford Children’s Books

When Rudy and Femi are invited to Edie’s birthday party they are warned that ghost parties are ‘a little different’. It’s in a haunted house after all, but why has Edie been keeping the event under wraps? Nevertheless the two are determined to make it her best birthday so far. Come Saturday the friends skate their way to Edie’s home taking with them her special present, a present they decide won’t compete with the super bike her dad conjures up. As expected Edie wants to try it out at the Skateway immediately, so off they go, with Edie’s little spirit-sister Holly tagging along.

Once there Holly straightway starts drawing attention to herself pretending to vanish and it becomes difficult to tell which disappearances are pretence and which real. It’s down to the friends to work out what’s what and find Holly before she’s washed away by raging river water. Can they do so and what about Edie’s birthday party? Will a spookily special celebration be shared by all?

This latest exciting adventure wherein friendship and teamwork are vital will be eagerly seized by fans of the series. Those who have yet to discover the joys of Paul Westmoreland’s gothic-inspired early readers, powerfully illustrated by George Ermos, would be better to read the first story Rudy and the Wolf Cub beforehand.

Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy Blasts Off!
Thomas Flintham
Nosy Crow

I know many Super Rabbit enthusiasts who will want to join Sunny and Super Rabbit Boy on another adventure. As the book opens a party is under way in Animal Town in celebration of the dastardly King Viking having gone away for ever, destination outer space. But suddenly in the middle of town a rocket lands from which disembarks a green alien calling itself Glob Glorp. The message is that King Viking and his army of robots is causing a lot of trouble in outer space. The alien lends Super Rabbit Boy his Level 1 rocket and off zooms the rabbit to deal with things.

Tasks entail overcoming mega Rocket Robots and their bosses and saving lots of aliens including Flobs and Roo-Roos, in order to upgrade his rocket to higher levels, till he has a Level 10 rocket, but he still hasn’t found the evil King Viking. Eventually with a Level 11 rocket, Super Rabbit Boy lands and comes face to face with the being he thinks is the one he seeks. But could it be somebody else? If so, then what?

This fifth episode moves at a rapid pace that will please young video game enthusiasts as well as fans of the series. It’s also a good one to offer older reluctant readers.