The Questioneers are back for another mystery-packed adventure and I have a peek at the first chapter - just for you! This time our favourite child-architect, Iggy Peck, is taking the lead. When Ada Twist's Aunt Bernice inherits an old house full of rooms from all of Iggy's favourite architectural periods, his head's swirling with … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Questioneers: Iggy Peck and the Mysterious Mansion,’ by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts.
If you haven’t read any of Sharon Creech’s stories, ‘Saving Winslow’ is a great place to start, followed up by her verse novel ‘Love that Dog.’ Louie had been hoping for a puppy to care for but instead his father brings home a sickly newborn donkey from his uncle’s farm. Louie doesn’t have a great … Continue reading ‘Saving Winslow,’ by Sharon Creech, illustrated by Sarah Horne.
This week Book Boy Jr. has chosen to share the first in a new series of ‘Dream Team’ chapter books from Tom Percival. Erika is sick to death of her baby brother, Randall, getting away with everything and of her parents being too tired or busy to talk to her. After a particularly bad day, … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay: ‘Dream Team: Attack of the Heebie Jeebies,’ by Tom Percival.
I am huge fan of Emer’s hilarious writing (see the Lollies 2018 winner - The Big, Fat, Totally Bonkers Diary of Pig) so was thrilled time see that she had an entirely new series out soon - ‘Pests.’ “When the lights go off the Pests come out!” Told from the perspective of inquisitive mouse, Stix, … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Pests,’ by Emer Stamp.
Welcome one and all. I am splendiferously excited to introduce you to the first title in the Scribble Witch series by Inky Willis. Any book which urges you to bring along your favourite pencil case and features a list of top ten pencil topper in the first few pages is fine with me. It totally … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Scribble Witch: Notes in Class,’ by Inky Willis.
Fans of funny and all things Barry Loser will be delighted to learn that creator of craziness, Jim Smith is back with a BRAND NEW series! The Pebble family (humans not stones) are moving to Donut Island and it would be fair to say that neither of the kids (Melvin and Violet) are looking forward … Continue reading ‘A Super Weird Mystery: Danger at Donut Diner,’ by Jim Smith
I live in a house of football-mad boys and although there are plenty of football-themed titles for my eldest (10-year-old) son, it has been much trickier to find any decent biographies for my six-year-old. That’s why I was so delighted to be sent copies of two of the titles in the ‘Football Superstars’ biography series, written … Continue reading The ‘Football Superstars’ from Welbeck Publishing.
After my recent round up of doggy titles, it’s time for the cats to take over! From picture books to middle grade titles, there’s something for all fans of fabulous felines. ‘It’s My Sausage,’ by Alex Willmore (Maverick Publishing) There are five cats but only one sausage. And none of them are that keen on … Continue reading What’s New Pussycat?
As children become more confident and independent readers, they often want a chapter book they are able to enjoy on their own, as well as a read-aloud. Stripes Publishing have an absolutely beautifully produced range which I am going to share with you now. The whole series is hardback with glossy pages and colour illustrations … Continue reading Gorgeous First Chapter Books from Stripes Publishing
Bravery and self-confidence are not things which come naturally to all children and are certainly emotions which can fluctuate over time. But both, I believe, are key to good mental health, over-coming barriers and being resilient. This lovely title from Wacky Bee’s ’Buzzy Reads’ series is a great introduction to these ideas for young children … Continue reading ‘Alfred and the Blue Whale,’ by Mina Lystad, illustrated by Åshlid Irgens.
I personally believe that as adults and educators, it’s imperative that we encourage our young people to develop and empathy for others and to understand some of the wider issues in the world around. Based on an award-winning poem of Rumble’s, ‘Mustafa’s Jumper’ would be an excellent choice to open up discussions about what it … Continue reading ‘Mustafa’s Jumper,’ by Coral Rumble, illustrated by Charlotte Cooke.
Paralympian and author, Ade Adepitan has added a new book to his super ‘Cyborg Cat’ series. This one’s a bit special because Ade and Piccadilly Press have pledged to donate all profits from the sale of this book to Children In Need! After facing starting at a new school and making new friends, Ade (aka … Continue reading ‘Cyborg Cat and the Night Spider,’ by Ade Adepitan, illustrated by Carl Pearce.
Lots of children love to be scared. If you happen to know one of them, they might just love one of these chilling chapter books suitable for readers aged 5+ ‘Isadora Moon Puts on a Show,’ by Harriet Muncaster (OUP) One of my favourite, glittery half-fairy, half-vampires is back in her tenth adventure. Isadora is … Continue reading Chilling Chapter Books…
I recently had a great time at the Oxford Reading Spree, hosted by Ed Finch at Larkrise Primary School. I had been invited to run a workshop about how and why to introduce ‘classic’ children’s literature in a primary school, based on my own experiences. I chose to share some of the texts and activities … Continue reading Introducing classic texts in a primary school (part 2): ‘Treasure Island’ as seen at the Oxford Reading Spree.
I am a huge fan of Chris Ridell’s work - stories and illustrations - so imagine my excitement when I discovered he was writing a brand new magical adventure series AND that I was invited to be part of its blog tour! The Kingdom Of Thrynne is a place of ancient magic, but those seen … Continue reading “The Cloud Horse Chronicles: Guardians Of Magic,” by Chris Riddell.
Today is my stop on the ‘My Family and Other Ghosts’ blog tour. I am very excited to be on board as I’ve loved all the previous books of Lou’s that I’ve read and I have a special piece from her about how the story reflected her relationship with her brother growing up. But first … Continue reading ‘My Family and Other Ghosts,’ by Lou Kuenzler, illustrated by Steve Brown.
This blog post has a sea-faring theme with a selection of books for readers of all ages about pirates, the sea, and the creatures who live in it. ‘Lula and the Sea Monster’ by Alex Latimer (OUP) Lula lives by the beach in her beautiful family home and she loves it. She loves looking for … Continue reading Books Ahoy!
Environmental activism is high on the agenda at the moment, with young people in particular campaigning to take care of our planet before it’s too late. There’s a rich seam of books being published at the moment which contain useful tips to help you make a difference and plenty of fiction books around environmental themes … Continue reading Planet in Peril
Today I’m bringing you the lowdown on Scoop McLaren: Detective Editor with an exclusive Q&A with Scoop herself! Scoop is a 13-year-old reporter and investigator who runs online newspaper, Click!, so she is not pleased when Sonny Fink, evil reporter extraordinaire, starts uploading the most terrible news reports on his online newspaper at one minute … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Scoop McLaren: Detective Editor,’ by Helen Castles, illustrations by Beatriz Castro.
With the 50th anniversary of the moon landing being celebrated this July, I’m seizing the opportunity to share all of the fantastic Space-themed books I’ve been enjoying recently. ‘Molly’s Moon Mission’ by Duncan Beedie (Templar Books) Duncan Beedie is one of my favourite picture book creators. All of his books are right on target as … Continue reading Take-off With A Good Book!
Library Girl and Book Boy 