10 books like Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast

This book again gives us an outsider’s perspective on the great detective, this time from the perspective of his underestimated younger sister.

Adrift in a detailed, exciting, and often horrifying Victorian London, Enola must not only search for her missing mother - and the titular missing marques - but also avoid the constraining, dangerous “help” offered by her well-meaning but obliviously sexist older brothers.

To do so, she learns how to turn seeming weaknesses into strengths, in entertaining and often very relatable ways. And I feel compelled to say that while the movie is fine, the book is much better.

This is a fun Chapter Book title, told through the narration of a cat, Fluffy, otherwise known as John Watson. His Siamese buddy, Spot, declares himself to be Dr. Sherlock Holmes, based on the fact that the man who owns them loves everything Sherlock and reads stories about the famous detective aloud.

I recommend this book because I loved both the cleverness of the cat characters and their silly moments, where they are rather like kids in their behaviour! Having had cats and children myself, as well as working with children over a 35-year-period, I can see the connection. It also has a strong bond of friendship throughout the story.

This is an engaging chapter book for younger readers, (especially reluctant readers), whom this story is aimed at. Kate Gordon has cleverly used her protagonist Juno Jones (who hates reading), to create a fun story with her class diary. She battles her antagonist class bullies deftly. And by thinking that her school would be closing, the option to keep it open by reading and creating class journals becomes a reality. As a new writer of chapter books myself, I loved it. And if it creates a new generation of readers, even more wonderful. Recommended for the 8-10-year-old readership.

This is a super adventure, which, whilst fiction, at its heart tackles some serious issues via the means of its five animal Superheroes: Simon, Catt, Patty, Freddy, and Bash. Issues such as bullying, not fitting in, being without a family, missing animals, and neglected children. I felt a real connection and empathy with the characters, who work as a group to solve a mystery and make the world a better place. Young readers will enjoy this tale where good wins over all obstacles and dishonesty. There are strong emotional moments, that many children experience in their lives. Well recommended, especially for the 8-12 age group.

Ernest Shackleton was Scott’s rival and companion, the one who was smart enough not to die. A later Antarctic explorer, Sir Raymond Priestly, famously said, “For scientific discovery give me Scott. For speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen. But when disaster strikes and all hope is gone, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.” Shackleton’s last expedition was the stuff of legend. His ship the Endurance was trapped in the ice for ten months, and finally crushed by the ice and sunk. Shackleton marshalled his men to march across the floes dragging their boat, and then they sailed across the polar seas to Elephant Island where they finally were rescued more than two years after they set out. It’s an almost unbelievable feat.

This book is hard to find, but it was in the Tompkins County Jail Library and I fell in love on the first page, when the authors began describing the process of finding the inner strength to finish a seemingly impossible journey.  In their case, the journey was an Antarctic expedition—but the words felt surprisingly germane to my own journey through the legal system.

“Success on an expedition (as in life),” the authors wrote, “isn’t about brute strength, or even endurance, but resilience: the ability to remind oneself, over and over, of the joy of living, even amid the greatest hardship.”

I copied those words into the inside of a notebook and read them back to myself again and again until I’d nearly memorized them. Before jail, it wasn’t even the sort of thing I would have typically read. But being locked up forced me to try out books I… show more.

This isn’t a traditional travel book and not a traditional memoir about depression, but a combination of both. Her journey to Antarctica becomes a metaphor for her mental health struggles throughout her life, starting from childhood. 

What I love about this book, and her writing in general, is the dark humour, her acerbic observations and true understanding of how paralysing and perilous depression can be. She understands how painful depression is, the depths it can take you to and seeing your own darkness reflected by someone else is both comforting and validating.

Author Susan Solomon is a senior scientist with the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. She has uncovered what I believe is the real reason why Scott’s party couldn’t stagger back to safety. In the polar regions, the reason is always the climate. Even if you prepare carefully and well, sometimes it’s just too cold for human life. Scott and four companions were fighting an unbeatable foe, and they knew it. They died gallantly anyway, which is why a hundred years later we haven’t forgotten them. Solomon’s book came out in 2001, and she brings the tools of modern climate science to bear on Scott’s fate.

This fascinating book presents science side by side with creation stories drawn from every part of the world. Ghosh’s scientific explanations of the origins of our universe are succinct and clear. He tells us what is known about our beginnings, what is supposed, and what we do not know and may never understand. And he lays out creation stories from many parts of the world along with information about the cultures from which those stories came. How Did It All Start? is perfect for older children or for adults who want to deepen their understanding of both the science and the myths that surround our beginnings.

This is a book for older readers who love action and adventure. All of Dan Smith’s books are dynamic and engrossing stories, but as I’ve always been drawn to colder climates, I think this is my favourite. The breathless action takes place at Outpost Zero in Antarctica where secrets and all kinds of new technology are discovered. 

I’m a huge film fan and could definitely imagine this as a big-screen blockbuster. But be warned: be prepared for thrills and chills!