You Choose - Maze of Doom / The Haunting of Spook House by George Ivanoff
Published by Random House Australia
As a child I loved the Choose Your Adventure series by R. M. Montgomery and as a librarian I am constantly being asked by children and parents for similar, so it was with great delight I started reading George Ivanoff’s You Choose stories.
The stories are in the typical format of the reader choosing until the reader comes to the end at which point they can go back and choose a different path or retrace their steps and go on another adventure. This format gives the reader a chance to have an input into the story and the adventure albeit within the confines of the authors’ offerings.
The cover of the book says it all ‘Two action-packed stories, hundreds of different choices. Flip me’ and that’s what I did. I started with Maze of Doom which took me into a carnival side show maze where I encountered Madame Zoltar, the fortune teller, a young girl named Xanda and a fire-breathing dragon. I was tied up, chased by two minotaurs and found a treasure box. I survived once, was killed by a horseman and found that it was all a dream and that was just the first four readings.
With visions of ghosts and things that go bump in the night I started on The Haunting of Spook House and it wasn’t long before the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up. Spiders loomed in every corner, a gnarly old woman screeched and doors slammed on their own but with help from the police and a few friends, things work out in the end, well they did in one version.
The language is very descriptive, the pages are well set out and easy to follow the chosen path and expressive pencil drawings are placed intermittently throughout the book. With enticing covers, You choose… by George Ivanoff is an exciting new addition to the genre of Choose your own adventures and I highly recommend this to readers aged 8+.
Parents will also enjoy reading this series out loud and participating in the adventure.
CKT Book Reviewer
Author: George Ivanoff
Title: You Choose - Maze of Doom / The Haunting of Spook House
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 9780857989536
Published: December 2015
Age: 7+
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Writing can be a lonely profession. By necessity, you need to work alone much of the time. But it is wonderful to have a website which eases that by connecting creators with each other and with a wealth of information and resources.
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Creative Kids Tales offers a brilliant platform for established and emerging creators to keep in touch and learn from each other. That is a great thing for this most isolated of all professions (apart from On-site Antarctic Penguin Imitators). - 
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'The long-distance marathon of writing, illustrating and publishing usually begins along a very foggy road, in the dark, shoeless. But wait! What's that light on the horizon? A glowing little cafe, full of a bunch other runners plotting out mud-maps on napkins and exchanging anecdotes, warning about ditches and praising short-cuts. Stop for a while, have a cup of tea, maybe even a shoe-fitting, then get yourself back on the road for the long slog to sunrise.' - 
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'CKT is a great resource for both established and emerging authors. I like the way you're always coming up with new and exciting initiatives at your site. And I love reading the fascinating journeys and achievements of the writers you profile here.' - 
'I stumbled on to Creative Kids Tales by accident. I thought it was kid's tails. I'd been doing some research about goats and how their tails were actually a fifth leg, a very long time ago. Or did I just dream that? In any case, I was bitterly disappointed at first to find not tails, but tales. However, while I was at the site I had a wander around, and soon discovered that it was even better than a goat's site - no kidding! This is a brilliant haven for writers, new and not so new; a place to showcase their work and to learn from others.' Well done, Georgie. You've done a fantastic job. - www.enterprisingwords.com.au
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'Creative Kids Tales is a unique and valuable online resource for new and established authors. The site provides a wealth of information and insight into the children's writing world.' 'Thanks for all your support, Georgie, and keep up the good work.' - 
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'If a website can be described as 'homely' or 'a friendly place for emerging writers to visit' then that's how I would describe Creative Kids Tales. It's probably the only Australian website for children's writers that I visit regularly and actually feel part of. When I need motivation, interesting writers to read about, or just a peek at my own 'baby steps' towards being a published writer, I visit the Creative Kids Tales family.' A big thank you to Georgie and Rod for a great website. - 
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What a terrific, enthusiastic, informative and creative resource - of value and interest to so many people.
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'Creative Kids Tales offers new writers the joy of publication on their journey of craft and creativity.'
'Creative Kids Tales is ambitious, specific and professional - the Top Tips section alone is a must-read for every aspiring children's writer.' - 
'Buckets of thanks to Georgie for creating Creative Kids Tales. There’s a wealth of wonderful information and resources for everyone interested in creating books for kids – and a warm sense of community.'