Grassy GREEN is the next colour on our rainbow journey…

Crow Thief of Magic

“Twelve-year-old Crow is a thief.

Scraping a living on the winding streets of Starsgard, Crow works for the leader of the criminal underworld, stealing from the city’s wealthy ruling class. But when a routine job takes Crow to the home of a mysterious sorcerer, his whole life is turned upside down – and after a planned heist goes wrong, leaving Crow alone and with nowhere to turn, he finds himself a new position as the sorcerer’s apprentice.

Before long, Crow is introduced to the ancient art of dream magic – catching dream essence and using it to create dreams for the rich citizens from whom he once stole. But when Crow learns of an ancient strain of nightmare magic that threatens to unleash devastation on Starsgard, he must make a terrible choice… and decide who he can really trust.”

This has all the ingredients of a truly thrilling adventure – runaways, sorcerers, and dark magic. I immediately loved Crow and his chosen family. An enchanting read for those ages 9+

We Are Dragon

“Rieka’s world is on fire.

She’s lived her whole life aboard Constructs, giant mechanical creatures that battle each other for territory. Now a new enemy has swept across the land – DRAGON. And even with all the survivors united against it, Dragon is winning.

Technically brilliant, Rieka believes that she alone can turn the war. But the path she sets out on is dangerous, both for her and her friends. And all the while, there is a truth about herself she must face…

If she doesn’t, she could destroy everything she’s trying to save.”

I’m a big fan of Chisholm’s writing and love a thought-provoking dystopian adventure so this who series has been right up my street! Absolutely gripping and left me wishing for my own animal construct.

Sammy Versus the Smartphone

“My parents have a new daughter.

One who’s smarter. Prettier. Better.

Her name is Hollis. And she’s my worst enemy.

Tonight, I made a decision. It’s either her, or me.

I only have one way to win my family back.

I have to KILL Hollis!

Sammy loves football, being creative, and spending time with her family and friends. But when she gets a smartphone for her eleventh birthday, everything changes.

HOLLIS, a holographic AI interface, is Sammy’s perfect digital double. She’s determined to get Sammy hooked on scrolling on social media, posting stunning selfies, and obsessing over likes and comments. Soon enough, Sammy’s family and friends become addicted to their devices too, and, thanks to her tech-obsessed head teacher, the hands-on learning Sammy loved is no more.

Stressed, unhappy, and bullied online, Sammy decides to fight back!

Can Sammy win the war against the attention-sucking smartphones that have taken over her life?”

Readers (and their adults ) will find the themes in this story extremely relatable. I can imagine in sparking some interesting conversations and hopefully prompting some new thinking.

Magicalia Storm of Chaos

“An incredible new invention can duplicate magicores! But when the device is sabotaged, rogue magicores escape across the globe. Bitsy and Kosh embark on a dangerous quest to hunt them down in an adventure that takes them from the Galápagos islands to the rainforest of Borneo. With the help of their  Magicalia  handbook, the friends must confront their greatest fears … or watch chaos destroy everything.

Full to the brim of the most fantastical beasts imaginable, readers will love getting swept up in Bitsy and Kosh’s perilous romp across the globe to prevent devastation and destruction.

Rialto

“Ivy and Dahlia Vicar know this summer’s trip to visit friends in Rialto, Missouri, is going to be different from their usual family vacations.

Twelve-year-old Dahlia, an artist who lives with anxiety, is looking forward to something new. Rialto, after all, has its own abandoned theme park! But mystery-loving, fourteen-year-old Ivy is struggling with how to be the right kind of big sister to Dahlia, and longs for the way things—especially vacations—were when they were younger.

In Rialto, it quickly becomes clear that this vacation will also be different in totally unexpected ways. For one thing, the town stands in the middle of an improbable forest that, according to local legend, swallowed it overnight decades before. Then there are Dahlia’s even more improbable sightings of impossible creatures—a giraffe with antlers and a leopard with wings. And there’s their new friend Remy, whose family inherited the house they’re all staying in from an aunt who left bequests for local friends that Remy must personally distribute.

When he enlists Ivy and Dahlia to help deliver these gifts, they find themselves drawn into a mystery going back to the time when Rialto Park was still open. And it begins to seem that, if they are going to help Remy solve it, they will have to find a way to believe in magic.”

More improbable and unlikely creatures in this magical mystery adventure. Older readers may well relate to artistic Dahlia’s struggles with anxiety and the feelings of helplessness experienced by her older sister. One for confident readers aged 10+

Terrible True Tales: Victorians

“Terry Deary’s Terrible True Tales: Victorians explores the world of the Victorians through the eyes of children who could have lived at the time. Packed with fun illustrations by Helen Flook, these stories feature real people and take place in some of the most recognisable Victorian settings, including London. This new edition features notes for the reader to help extend learning and exploration of the historical period.”

Another title from the new Horrible History series which focusses on real people and their stories. Young readers always love the series’ trademark blend of humour, history, and human nature.

The Mizzy Mysteries: The Shadow on the Wreck

“Spending half-term with cousins in St Jude’s-on-Sea, Mizzy sees a spooky shadow on a wrecked old fishing boat on the shore and thinks she’s found her next mystery. But her cousins seem determined to keep her in the dark about their comings and goings to the wreck, and she’s left alone to help their old Greek-Cypriot grandfather Papou sort out his papers.

Then an anonymous postcard arrives for Papou, featuring a picture of the old wreck and the words WHAT REALLY HAPPENS? Mizzy must solve the mystery of the postcard sender and prove once again that she is the best detective in town!”

I’m a big fan of a cosy mystery and am always on the lookout for new series I can share with young readers. Mizzy’s mysteries certainly fit the bill! Mizzy’s unique take on the world – in part due to her Down’s Syndrome diagnosis – gives her the perfect perspective to spot things other people don’t.

Ben’s Gargoyle

“When Ben sees a monstrous gargoyle creeping across the midnight rooftops, he’s desperate to tell someone. But Ben feels alone in his new home and is finding it hard fitting in at his new school.

Ben’s dad doesn’t believe him. He’s always angry. He says Ben needs to act his age, stand up to the school bullies and “be a man”. But can Ben find the courage to stand up to the biggest bully of all? And every night the gargoyle creeps closer.”

I will never stop singing the praises of the wonderful titles Barrington Stoke publish. This spooky gothic tale has a reading age of 8+ but with content more suited to 9+ It features very relatable themes of facing your monsters and bullying.

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Lots and lots of highly-recommended reads in this post (and lot of new series to get stuck into.) which one will you go for first?

Jo.

*Many thanks to all the publishers who sent me these titles to review*