GENRE: Science Fiction, Adventure, Short fiction

 

Back in May this year, Green Rising by Lauren James was EGA Library’s book of the month.For our return to school, this month’s chosen title is also by Lauren James and is called The Starlight Watchmaker. The book is published by Barrington Stoke, a really important and respected publisher based in Edinburgh. Barrington Stoke publishes short books, usually no more than 130 pages, aimed at reluctant or dyslexic readers. They are physically designed to be easy to read, with large, widely spaced out type and coloured pages The stories are just as exciting as longer novels and written by established, popular authors including Malorie Blackman, Melvin Burgess, Eve Ainsworth and Marcus Sedgwick.

 

Hugo is an old android, abandoned by his owner on a strange planet. He sets up a business fixing watches. When a student from a local private school brings him a watch to fix, Hugo discovers that quantum energy is being stolen from watches, and with the help of fellow robots, humans and aliens, he begins the search for the suspected terrorist (they believe that only a terrorist would need that much quantum energy to make a bomb) trying to destroy the planet where they live, work and study.Alongside Hugo, student Dorian and his friends attempt to find the thief Through their investigation they meet and interrogate a diverse array of characters expertly and fantastically imagined by Lauren James.

 

If you are a reader who prefers a shorter novel, or a less confident reader, try this book or any other in the Barrington Stoke range, kept in the library in the ‘Easy Reading’ section.