Today I’m sharing one of Barrington Stoke’s excellent dyslexia-friendly titles which is absolutely packed with facts about famous goalies and the history of goalkeeping. I love that it’s celebrating an oft-neglected member of the team. ‘New boy Shane Logan has a temper, but he’s also a talented goalie. When Peter and his friends invite Shane … Continue reading ‘Keeper,’ by Alan Gibbons, illustrated by Chris Chalik.
This gorgeous books is currently making waves all over social media - and rightly so. It is a beautifully written modern fairy tale featuring a tender love story between a merman and a lonely fisherman. It’s brought to life by the beautiful illustrations of James Mayhew. “Far out to sea and deep below the whispering … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Nen and the Lonely Fisherman,’ by Ian Eagleton, illustrated by James Mayhew.
Today I have a story with football at its heart but also so much more. It has the added bonus of being published by Barrington Stoke who specialise in sharp, snappy reads with a dyslexia-friendly format. ‘Pickles the dog and his owner Elsie love football more than anything. And they’ve just heard the most amazing … Continue reading ‘The Dog that Saved the World (Cup),’ by Phil Earle, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
‘The Caravan at the Edge of Doom’ is the hilarious debut novel of comedian, Jim Beckett, and has been dubbed ‘Pratchett for tweens.’ I can see why - its madcap humour, crazy characters, and hilarious take on the afterlife make it a sure-fire winner with fans of funny. I got the chance to ask Jim … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Caravan at the Edge of Doom,’ by Jim Beckett, illustrated by Olia Muza.
I love a good collection of poetry, and what could be wetter than a volume all about the beautiful game? Perfect for sharing in the odd spare minute or to inspire some cheering from the terraces (or performing of poetry!) ‘50 Ways to Score a Goal and Other Football Poems shows Brian Bilston's genuine love … Continue reading ‘50 Ways to Score a Goal and other Football Poems,’ by Brian Bilston, cover by Joe Berger.
Some of you may know that as well as being a primary school teacher and book blogger, I have also co-founded children’s mental health venture Mind Superheroes with my good friend, Vafa Taleban. We are committed to helping children develop the tools they need for good lifelong mental health through the power of stories, positive … Continue reading #SundayBookClub – ‘Tisha and the Blossom,’ by Wendy Meddour, illustrated by Daniel Egnéus.
Today I’m delighted to be sharing a riotous rampage of a picture book packed with animals behaving VERY badly on holiday! A dream combination of crazy escapades, animals who won’t take no for an answer, and the energetic, anarchic illustrations of David Tazzyman! Make sure you read Patricia’s exclusive piece about the inspiration behind her … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘You Can’t Take an Elephant on Holiday,’ by Patricia Cleveland-Peck and David Tazzyman.
We are huge fans of little known facts and strange but true connections in this household. My sons delight in trying to catch me out with facts about weird and wonderful creatures or unbelievable cars, so ‘Factopia!’ is just about the most perfect book for them that you could imagine! Welcome to FACTopia! A wonderland … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Factopia!’ by Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith.
Well I’m not going to lie. I’m a card-carrying member of the Crater Lake fan club so I’d been counting down to its sequel ever since I learnt there was going to be one. I couldn’t wait to see what had happened to Lance and the gang after they survived the Crater Lake school trip … Continue reading ‘Crater Lake – Evolution,’ by Jennifer Killick.
You know that when you start a new Frank Cottrell-Boyce that you’re going to be in for a treat. I wasn’t disappointed when I cracked open the cover of ‘Noah’s Gold’ and hopped aboard the minibus with the pupils of St Anthony’s. ‘Eleven-year old Noah sneaks along on his big sister's geography field trip. Everything … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Noah’s Gold,’ by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton.
Today I am sharing a wild, enchanting adventure steeped in the ancient magic of nature, written by award-winning novelist Melissa Harrison. Her books have the common purpose of trying to connect readers with the natural world and this is her children’s novel debut for readers aged 9+ ‘Three tiny, ancient beings - Moss, Burnet and … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘By Ash, Oak and Thorn,’ by Melissa Harrison, illustrated by Lauren O’Hara.
We absolutely love this highly-illustrated, highly-engaging series for readers aged 8+ This one’s packed with 50 weird and wonderful true stories. ‘Celebrate the greatest names and teams in football history with this collection of 50 true stories.Discover the greatest football moments of all time in this collection of 50 exciting stories, perfect for fans of … Continue reading ‘Football School: Epic Heroes,’ by Alex Bellos & Ben Lyttleton, illustrated by Spike Gerrell.
Well it’s my happy job to wrap up the blog tour for ‘Fred Gets Dressed.’ A story about a little boy who loves nothing better than to run a around naked - I’m sure lots of us can think of a small child like that! ‘Fred loves to be naked! He romps around his house … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Fred Gets Dressed,’ by Peter Brown.
Today I’m very pleased to be able to introduce you to Uncle Pete: explorer and extraordinary adventure-haver. And he’s just about embark on a new mission... ‘Uncle Pete and the Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep tells the story of Harry, a young boy who has never slept his entire life, no matter how hard his parents … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Uncle Pete and the Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep,’ by David C Flanagan, illustrated by Will Hughes.
Uh oh! The irrepressible Levi (aka The Loudmouth Llama) and Yasmin are back for another adventure, but this time (spoiler alert!) Yasmin has found her voice! ‘Yasmin Shah is just like any other ten-year-old girl, with a crazy loud family, the BEST best friend ever and a talking toy llama! With the help of her … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Llama on a Mission,’ by Annabelle Sami, illustrated by Allen Fatimaharan.
Today I’m sharing a new instalment in the Tindims series by Costa and Carnegie-winning author, Sally Gardner. It’s worth. I thing that this whole series is printed in a special dyslexia-friendly font, making it particularly accessible. ‘The tiny Tindims are like the Borrowers-on-Sea, who turn our everyday rubbish into treasure. Mother-and-daughter duo, prizewinning Sally Gardner … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Tindims and the Ten Green Bottles,’ by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Lydia Corry.
Today I have a chucklesome picture book which will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy! I love Haddow’s brilliant ‘Dave Pigeon’ series and Adeola’s illustrations are so full of life - I knew this picture book was going to be roar-some! ‘Shhh. Beware. My dad is a grizzly bear. In this family, it's just … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘My Dad is a Grizzly Bear,’ by Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Dapo Adeola.
Today is officially Earth Day 2021 so it only seems fitting that I share with you ‘Coyote’s Soundbite - A Poem For Our Planet’ - a very clever and funny call to action... ‘Excitement spreads like wildfire through the jungle. Earth-goddesses are planning a conference! From Australia to Antarctica, the Amazon to Africa, goddesses will … Continue reading Earth Day 2021 Spotlight: ‘Coyote’s Soundbite – A Poem for Our Planet,’ by John Agard, illustrated by Piet Grobler.
This time I have an early chapter book for you. Packed with engaging comic-book style illustrations and plenty of laughs, this would be perfect for anyone aged 7+. ‘This fun, anarchic series revolves around a boy called Max and his mission to make the world a better place. In each book in the series Max … Continue reading Earth Day 2021 Spotlight: ‘Max Takes A Stand,’ by Tim Allman, illustrated by Nick Shepherd.
This week, I’m going to be shining the spotlight on titles with environmental themes. Today’s the turn of ‘Green Nation Revolution.’ ‘Take your place in the Green Nation, a nation without geographical borders that unites the youth of today in their fight for the planet. Following on from the success of We Are All Greta, … Continue reading Earth Day 2021 Spotlight: ‘Green Nation Revolution – Use Your Future to Change the World,’ by Valentina Giannella & Lucia Esther Maruzzelli, illustrated by Manuela Marazzi.
Library Girl and Book Boy 