This post is celebrating two books which positively demand audience participation... ‘Do Not Open This Book’ by Andy Lee, illustrated by Heath McKenzie (Studio Stories) Originally written as a first birthday gift for his nephew, George, this book was never actually meant to be published. Luckily for us, it was! Monster is absolutely desperate for … Continue reading Audience Participation Required!
Every so often a book comes along which perfectly mirrors life in the society about which it is written. I am very sad to say that ‘Running on Empty’ does just that. Focussing on the timely issues of modern-day poverty and young carers, it sharply brings into view the pressures faced by children and their … Continue reading ‘Running on Empty,’ by S.E.Durrant, cover by Rob Biddulph. Plus exclusive guest post.
Today, three stunning non-fiction books grace the pages of my blog, each of them teaching me something new about the amazing world we live in. A Year in the Wild by Helen Ahpornsiri (Big Picture Press) A stunningly beautiful book with artwork crafted from hand-pressed blooms and foliage. These are then carefully cut and arranged … Continue reading The Beauty Of Nature
I am delighted to welcome ‘Planet Stan’ to my blog today to round off its blog tour. I am even more delighted that I had the opportunity to ask author, Elaine, some quizzing questions. The story revolves around the tricky sibling relationship between space-loving Stan and his disgusting younger brother Fred. Stan is struggling to … Continue reading ‘Planet Stan,’ by Elaine Wickson, illustrated by Chris Judge plus exclusive Q&A.
We absolutely love the Jolley-Rogers series so we’re very excited to have received this absolute gem of a book - there’s gold on them thar pages! This book revisits one of our favourite landlubbers, Matilda, and her band of pirate friends as they head off to the holiday resort de rigeur for any discerning swashbuckler … Continue reading ‘The Pirates of Scurvy Sands,’ by Jonny Duddle.
A beautiful cloth-covered reissue of Shakespeare’s classic tale, originally published in 1945. When the Fairy Queen, Titania, and King of the Fairies, Oberon, argue about who should be responsible for a little changeling boy, Oberon and his servant, Puck, cast a mischievous spell on Titania. This spell causes her to fall madly in love with … Continue reading ‘Titania and Oberon – A Fairy Tale,’ written by Jo Manton, illustrated by Phyllis Bray.
Today we’re travelling back in time to the realms of the Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Romans with two book from an excellent new non-fiction series by James Davies. Meet the... Ancient Egyptians The book starts off with a map and background information which explains how Egypt was united into one Kingdom by Menes. This … Continue reading Meet the Ancients…
When I was younger, I was a huge fan of the tv show, ‘Knightmare,’ and of the ‘choose your own path’ adventure books. So imagine my excitement when the newest Fighting Fantasy adventure popped through my letterbox! ’Part story, part game - you are the hero!’ Based on the successful Fighting Fantasy series by Steve … Continue reading ‘Fighting Fantasy: The Gates Of Death,’ by Charlie Higson, cover illustration by Robert Ball.
Once upon a time, there was a BIG BUNNY. What starts off as an innocent story about a normal, if slightly large, bunny innocently eating some normally-sized carrots soon turns into a tale of a giant, truck-eating monster! But is he? Just how big will Big Bunny be? It turns out that it’s all just … Continue reading ‘Big Bunny,’ by Rowboat Watkins.
This is the third fangtastic instalment in the brilliant series about a sparky little vampire in a dark and gloomy world. In this adventure, Amelia and her pals: Florence the yeti, Grimaldi the Death and Prince Tangine, plus pet pumpkin, Squashy must bravely enter the terrifying Kingdom of Light to try to find Tangine’s missing mother, … Continue reading ‘Amelia Fang and the Unicorn Lords,’ by Laura Ellen Anderson.
A beautiful new addition to the clever ‘Search & Find’ series from the team at Studio Press. This time it’s Rudyard Kipling’s timeless tale, The Jungle Book which has been reimagined in this enchanting picture book. Explore the highly-illustrated pages and classic story in unison as you track Mowgli learning the laws of the jungle … Continue reading ‘Search & Find – The Jungle Book,’ by Sarah Powell, illustrated by Federica Frenna.
Well according to the calendar, Spring has officially sprung and we can look forward to some glimmers of sunshine and possibly some Easter chocolate. If you are looking to give something a little longer-lasting and better for your teeth than an Easter egg, how about one of these bookish treats...? The First Egg Hunt by … Continue reading Spring has Sprung!
It seems like I’ve been waiting for a lifetime for the second instalment in James Nicol’s ‘The Apprentice Witch’ series. But now it’s here and I’ve read it! Well safe to say, I wasn’t disappointed! In this second book, things have taken a darker turn in the village of Lull with a host of supernatural … Continue reading ‘A Witch Alone,’ by James Nicol, illustration by Daniela Terrazzini.
Today, I have the pleasure of rounding off the ‘Hopeless Heroes’ blog tour with an author spotlight. Book Boy has long been obsessed with Greek Gods so was thrilled to discover a new series of books from Stella Tarakson - ‘Hopeless Heroes.’ Our full review of two books in the series can be found here. … Continue reading Author Spotlight – Stella Tarakson and ‘Hopeless Heroes,’ illustrated by Nick Roberts.
I am very excited to have been asked to be an official cheerleader for one of the amazing nominees for 2018’s Children's Book Award. Organised by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, these are the only awards where the nominees and winners are chosen entirely by children. The nominated book I’ve been asked to celebrate … Continue reading Children’s Book Award nominee – ‘The Explorer,’ by Katherine Rundell, illustrations by Hannah Horn.
Every so often a book series comes along which is to children what catnip is to cats - highly addictive and likely to result in great excitement. William Bee’s Wonderful World of Tractors and Farm Machines The third title in William Bee’s extremely popular series showcases William’s fantastic collection of farm machines. Within its pages … Continue reading William Bee’s Wonderful World…
I think mums might be the least acknowledged group of superheroes on the planet. They walk among us without flashy costumes or theme music playing, but constantly perform heroic deeds without even realising and without applause. This book, from Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger, is an ode to all those Superhero Mums masquerading as regular … Continue reading ‘Superhero Mum,’ by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Joe Berger.
‘Trailblazers who dared to be different.’ This year has already provided many fantastic excuses to celebrate amazing women. We’ve had the 100th anniversary of the first women gaining the right to vote in this country, and on the 8th March, it’s International Women’s Day. If you consider these events excellent reasons to buy a new … Continue reading ‘Anthology of Amazing Women,’ by Sandra Lawrence, illustrations by Nathan Collins.
Beaky Malone is back. The world’s favourite liar still can’t lie and now fame is calling. Surely a few little truths couldn’t hurt...? As a result of his sister shoving him into Madame Shirley’s truth-telling machine, Beaky Malone can no longer tell a lie. This could be the cause of major humiliation - will Beaky … Continue reading ‘Beaky Malone – Weirdest Show on Earth’ by Barry Hutchison, illustrated by Katie Abey.
Unicorns are currently riding high on a wave of popularity - there’s a constant queue of children clamouring for magical titles in our school library. That’s why I know they (and our librarian) will be delighted to learn about the sparkling new ‘Unicorn Academy’ series by Julie Sykes, illustrated by Lucy Truman and published by … Continue reading Unicorn Academy…Where Magic Happens.
Library Girl and Book Boy 