The Night Mare by Robert Westall

This now out of print book is set in the 1930's in Tyneside, North England, where author Robert Westall grew up, and is about a gang of boys who get up to all types of mischief. They have a vendetta against a vicious old hag called Miss Crimond who lives in their street who is constantly checking on those families who rent her houses and threatening them with eviction. Some of the boys' plots backfire miserably but they have the occasional victory. Billy's family used to be wealthy but now they live in this street and face the same economical woes as their neighbours. It doesn't help that Billy's father has a drinking problem and often squanders what little money they have. Throw in a broken-down old mare who pulls the dunny can collectors' cart, who wins Billy's heart, and you have the making of a very enjoyable read.

Size Twelve by Robert Westall

I am a big fan of Robert Westall and have read the majority of his books and it's sad he is not here to write any more books. This novel is a much easier read than his novels like The Machine Gunners and BiltzCat. Valley Road Primary School is very run down, the students are disinterested and unruly...and the teachers have given up. Then along comes one black cat with incredibly large paws who makes friends with one of the most feared boys in the school, Taffy Thomas. Taffy names him Size Twelve and school becomes a much nicer place to be. Students and parents start to see the school in new light and revamp the tired old school. However, Edward Druel, the psychologically-damaged school bully is not won over and Size Twelve is suddenly in grave danger. Westall had a facination for cats and they feature in many of his novels. There are ink drawings by Mark Robertson throughout the book which help bring the characters to life.

The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall

Set in Garmouth in 1941 during the heavy bombing raids of the second world war, this Carnegie Medal novel focuses on Chas McGill and his friends and enemies who collect war souvenirs. Chas chances upon a fully-operational machine gun which will rival the nose-cone his morally-corrupt, arch enemy Boddser has in his possession. He and his friend Cem steal the gun from a fallen HE 111 German bomber plane; never mind the dead German pilot still inside the cockpit. Together with Audrey, Clogger, Carrot-juice and Nicky they set about building their own fortress. Fatty Hardy, the local cop, for whom the lads have absolutely no respect, suspects something is amiss and is hot on their tail trying to avert the inevitable tragedy. Throw in an injured Nazi, Rudi, who finds himself imprisioned by the gang, and you have the making of an exceptional wartime novel which offers excellent insight in the lives of families, (some of which are dysfunctional) struggling with rationing, continued bombing raids, rumours of a Nazi invasion and of course their uncontrollable offspring. Below is the first episode of the 1983 BBC television series based on the book. It is fairly true to the novel, although the end is somewhat shortened but certainly not disappointing. I read this fairly challenging novel to my first grade 6 class at Edith Creek and there are now four copies in the Little Library of Rescued Books, all with different covers. A great book to read along with friends. The author, Robert Westall born in 1915 has sadly passed away, and is one author whom I would have loved to have met. There is one precious video clip of this fascinating man on the web talking about cats and a another novel he penned called Blitzcat : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrRP-FMSv0M

The Kingdom by the Sea by Robert Westall

Harry's family are running to the shelter when the bomb hits. As the rescue team pull him alone out of the rubble, Harry realises he'll be sent off to live with moping, fussy Cousin Elsie - the last thing he needs on top of the shock of losing his family. He runs away, meeting Don, a dog who's also lost his home, on the beach. In wartime every step is full of danger. Getting a meal, sleeping in a haystack, it seems that everywhere Harry goes he finds people full of suspicion, ready to turn in a boy on his own. But Harry encounters sudden kindnesses too. A family have left a caravan open, filled with tinned food for anyone who needs shelter. They all died when a bomb hit their home, but they help Harry when he needs it most. Joining eccentric Joseph Keilty by the sea, Harry learns to scavenge along the beach and makes friends with some nearby soldiers, until once more he is driven on alone. Meet the author...see what Robert has to say about cats!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrRP-FMSv0M

The Scarecrows by Robert Westall

The Scarecrows is a children's novel by Robert Westall was published in 1981. The novel was awarded the Carnegie Medal 1981, and this is the second Carnegie award for Robert Westall. It is a psychological novel with a supernatural twist, dealing with themes of rage, isolation and fear in a plot concerning a thirteen-year-old boy's reaction to his mother's remarriage. The story is a third-person narrative, but the point of view is entirely that of Simon Wood. The novel begins at Simon's boarding school, where the poisonous atmosphere of bullying and denigration has nurtured Simon's "devils", as he describes his blind rages. Here he first sees Joe Moreton, who has given Simon's widowed mother a lift to an event at the school. Simon loathes him at first sight, regarding him as yob and is unimpressed by his fame as an artist…