Doctor Who is so popular with young viewers that the books are an obvious way to tempt them to read. Even my 6 year old granddaughter had a stab at one when she saw the cover, although she soon gave up when she found there weren’t any pictures.
This is quite an old page so most of the stories feature the ninth and tenth doctors (Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant). But there are dozens of Dr Who novels available, covering all his regenerations as well as books about the series itself.
Made of Steel
by Terrance Dicks
(BBC Books)
Set after the battle for Canary Wharf, this book starts with a bang. Huge silver metal figures steal electronics from a shopping mall and go on to blow up a Government research centre. Returning to earth, the Doctor and Martha Jones land right in the middle of the action. When Martha is kidnapped by our favourite mechanical monsters, the Cybermen, the Doctor is forced to join forces with Captain Shelia Sarandon to find their secret base. Terrance Dicks, author of 50 Doctor Who books, has created a gripping book for the Quick Reads promotion that’s short enough to tempt reluctant readers. The racy action, clever twists and electrifying end mean you
can’t put it down.
Interestingly, Justin Richards, author of The Resurrection Casket (reviewed below) thanks Terrance Dicks for sparking his own interest in reading.
(reviewed by Catherine Randle)
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The Price of Paradise
by Colin Brake
(BBC Books)
Four armed giant hairy aliens with huge talons, a mad professor and a human boy Rez orphaned on an alien world are all part of the mystery The Doctor and Rose have to solve on the Paradise Planet, Laylora. They land there after following the distress signal of the SS Humphrey Bogart. All is not well and the native shaman, Brother Hugan, believes the planet is sick. He wants to heal Laylora with a blood sacrifice and Rose is his perfect victim. This book will appeal to readers who like exploring ancient ruins of primitive worlds.
(Reviewed by Cat Randle)
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Art of Destruction
by Stephen Cole
(BBC Books)
Alien pollution forces the Doctor and Rose Tyler to land the TARDIS in Africa 2118. They are discovered in a high tech field next to a volcano. When gold starts rolling out of Mt Tarsus larva tubes swallowing every creature in their way, everyone is plunged into the heart of an ancient alien war. Stephen Cole has created a cast of cool alien races with names like the Valnaxi, Wurms and the eight legged cactoid art thief Faltato. This book is for readers who like to escape into a future full of fascinating aliens.
(Reviewed by Cat Randle)
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Sting of the Zygons
by Stephen Cole
(BBC Books)
Martha and the Doctor end up in Westmorland, 1909. “Only a year and a few thousand miles out,” protests the Doctor, as they were aiming for Berlin 1908. Instead, after hitch-hiking with a hunter, they find themselves face to face with the ‘Beast of Westmorland’, which the Doctor identifies as a dead Skarasen. The Doctor is troubled because where there’s a Skarasen, there are sure to be Zygons. The whole book is infused with shape-shifting, spaceships and lactic fluid. My favourite part would be seeing Martha’s expression as the Doctor transformed into a Zygon. An inspiring read for all ages.
(reviewed by Azaria Rees)
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Feast of the Drowned
by Stephen Cole
(BBC Books)
Watery ghosts are appearing all over London inviting people to join the feast of the drowned. They started appearing after a sunken naval cruiser The Ascendant, was towed up the Thames. Rose’s friend Keisha, lost her brother when the ship sank, but he’s back or is it an alien manipulating everyone’s mind? The Doctor, Rose and Mickey are soon in over their heads as they race around and under the Thames River trying to solve the mystery. This book is full of neat ideas and snappy Doctor one liners. It’s an action packed alien thriller with an explosive end.
(reviewed by Azaria Rees)
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I am a Dalek
by Gareth Roberts
(BBC Books)
With only 128 pages, this is one of the shortest of the Doctor Who novels in the shops, but it’s still a great read. Fast moving and pacey with plenty of action, it keeps the reader turning the pages as Rose and the Doctor struggle to stop a resurrected Dalek reinstating the whole race.
(Part of the Quick Reads promotion for reluctant readers)
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The Resurrection Casket
by Justin Richards
(BBC Books)
Pirates and Doctor Who! What more could any boy want? But these aren’t ordinary pirates – they operate in space in steam powered ships. The book gets off to a great start with the opening line “Death was hiding in Kaspar’s pocket.” Within pages, Kaspar has met his end at the paws of an apologetic monster, the Doctor is struggling with a major fault in the Tardis and the scene is set for an intriguing plot that keeps you turning the pages all the way to the good twist at the end.
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The Stone Rose
by Jacqueline Rayner
(BBC Books)
With its first chapter set in a visit to the British Museum with Mickey and Roses’s mum, this book gets off to a much gentler start than the one above. But then they find a stone statue of Rose that’s 2000 years old and Rose and the Doctor set off to discover how it was made. The horrible secret they discover soon sets the Doctor racing to save Rose. This is a plot steeped with time paradoxes so it’s likely to be particularly popular with readers intrigued by the intricacies of time travel.
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