Gorilla city by Charlie Small

The full title of this book is Gorilla City: The amazing, astonishing, incredible and true adventures of me! by Charlie Small.  Found washed up on the banks of a river in England, this is the true story of Charlie Small and his grand adventure that begins when he takes his raft out on the river near his house and gets swept away in a storm.  He ends up in a strange land with even stranger creatures, and an intense urge to get home to his family, his life, and even his school.

This is the first book in a series that I picked up because a parent had come into work trying to find the series.  It sounded as though it may be a popular series so checked it out to read and ended up reading it in a single session.  Charlie is an interesting character and the "voice" of Charlie is bouncing, lively, and keeps the story moving along at a decent clip.  Throughout the book are interesting images of the different animals that Charlie stumbles across in the jungle.

Best suited to children about 8 - 12 years of age, this is a fun read that has lots of interesting mental (and not so mental) imagery, and a great pace.  If the rest of the series is this good then it should be a great story for young readers.

If you like this book then try:

• The field guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• The Onts by Dan Greenburg
• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
• Bartlett and the ice voyage by Odo Hirsch

Reviewed by Brilla