Geraldine McCaughrean

I want to highly recommend "The White Darkness" by Geraldine McCaughrean. I found a sale table paperback copy at the University Book Store. It is the first book of hers I have read...and she's been writing children's books for years. I wish I had discovered her sooner. This book is for all ages. The main character is a 15 year old girl who has fallen in love with the long dead Antarctic explorer Titus. She carries on conversations with Titus, which I know sounds really weird and mentally unstable, but it's incredibly intriguing and oddly humorous. When she goes to the Antarctica with her genius uncle, a total mystery himself, she find herself depending on Titus more and more for her survival. Full of surprises, beautiful descriptive writing of Antarctica and powerfully imaginative...storytelling doesn't get any better. I'll probably end up spending big money for a signed 1st edition British copy of this book. I've already loaned out my sale paperback copy.

I also highly recommend her book "The Death Defying Pepper Roux"(2009). This is a completely different type of book...a darkly humorous adventure by an excellent storyteller. Here's the first paragraph...

On the morning of his fourteenth birthday Pepper had been
awake for fully two minutes before realizing it was the day he
must die. His heart cannoned like a billiard ball off some soft
green wall of his innards. This had to be the day everyone had
been waiting for--and he was terrified he would disappoint
them, make a poor showing, let people down.

I checked out this book from the library and loved it so much, I ordered a signed British first edition online for big bucks. Trust me...I'm stingy when it comes to parting with my money...but oh my...what a book!