I've reviewed Mal Peet's new novel, Exposure, for the Guardian. It's the third of his books to feature Paul Faustino. The first was the wonderful Keeper, which I'd recommend to anyone interested in football or South America. You can read my review here.

Grk Takes Revenge is the sixth book in the Grk series. The story is set in London, Paris and Stanislavia. It will be published in the UK in May 2009.

Martha - you sent me this email; I wrote back to the address that you left; but my email got bounced back. Let me know your actual email address and I'll get in touch again.

Your Name: Martha Clayden
Subject: books
Message: My name is Martha and I love the GRK books. I have all of them going to keep them for a very long time. My favourite book is GRK And the pelotti gang. Are you going to write any more because I can\'t wait? Where did you get your ideas from for writing them? From Martha!!!!!

I've been invited to do a live web forum on the Write Away website on 17 July. It'll probably run from 7.30 to 8.30. The subject is "Shakespeare in Children's Books". Come along and join in.

http://www.writeaway.org.uk/

“Josh Lacey brings alive Elizabethan England, especially London, with the relish of a tour guide... Bearkeeper is a well-told story with a strong sense of time and place. Pip is drawn with engaging sympathy as a growing lad trying to make his way honourably in a brutal world... this is a highly enjoyable read that firmly hooks into the turn of the 17th century, triggers interest in Shakespeare's plays and makes you pause to think about cruelties humans inflict on animals, now as well as then.”

The Guardian, 17 May 2008

Full review here:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,334182597-110738,00.html

"London in 1601 is the setting for Josh Lacey's Bearkeeper. The thronging citizenry and sewery stench of the capital are brought to stark, vivid life as he tells the story of Pip, a country boy who leaves his village home to seek the father he has believed to be dead for seven years.

For a time Pip falls in with the denizens of the Globe Theatre - Shakespeare included, of course - but it's when he takes custody of a fighting bear that he discovers his true calling, as well as a chance of saving his dad from a gang of vicious debt collectors.

Lacey inserts brief segments of history lesson into the narrative, but in such a way that they don't intrude and instead make the past more tangibly real to readers: he comments on the lack of police in the 17th century or compares a journey that takes 20 minutes by train now but back then was two days' walk. Bloody, brutal and bold, Bearkeeper informs as it entertains and intrigues as it enlightens."

The Financial Times, 10 May 2008

Amanda Craig has written a great review of Bearkeeper in The Times. She says: "Boys of 9+ will love Josh Lacey's Bearkeeper... Pip is someone that every boy will identify with... Like C.S. Lewis, Lacey addresses his readers in informative asides that some will find reassuring and others irritating. But the humour and wisdom of his tale will win him new fans."
You can read the whole review here:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_reviews/article3814930.ece

Bearkeeper isn’t officially published for another week, but the first reviews have arrived. The Daily Telegraph describes it as “a vivid, unusual portrait of boyhood in Shakespearian England". The Bookbag says “the delights of the story and setting come through strongly in a most engaging and powerfully dramatic adventure” and concludes “We recommend it firmly”.

A Dog Called Grk has just been published in Romanian - the title translates as UN CĂŢEL NUMIT GRK. You can see full details on the publishers website:
http://edituracorint.ro/shop/item.asp?itemid=982

GRK SI BANDA FRAŢILOR PELOTTI will be published soon.

Thanks to Shauki for telling me about this.

A dog called Monkey reading A Dog Called Grk... This was sent to me by Judi James, who I met at the Booked Up party last year. Monkey belongs to her daughter. As you can see, he's a great Grk fan.