I am huge fan of all things witchy and wizard (mainly thanks to a very popular series of children’s books which shall not be named!) and am always very excited when a magical new series arrives on the scene. Cue ‘Starfell: Willow Moss and the Lost Day’.... and LOOK AT THAT COVER! The wonderfully named … Continue reading ‘Starfell: Willow Moss and the Lost Day,’ by Dominique Valente, illustrated by Sarah Warburton.
Today I am bringing to you a gorgeous tale about a dog and his struggle to keep his family together. I also have an exclusive piece from Carlie about how adopting a rescue dog helped her write this book. Something doesn’t smell right about Cosmo’s boy, Max. What is that scent? Sadness, anxiety, worry? With … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘I, Cosmo’ by Carlie Sorosiak, cover by Ben Mantle.
Today is my stop on the ‘Girl. Boy. Sea’ blog tour. In addition to telling you all about this shipwreck adventure, I also have an exclusive piece from the author himself about the sea-faring adventures that inspired him whilst growing up. This is a story of storm, shipwreck, survival and the formation of an unlikely … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Girl. Boy. Sea.’ by Chris Vick.
After the success of her debut novel, ‘Mold and the Poison Plot, Lorraine is back with her second title: ‘The Maker Of Monsters.’ Fans of her first book will not be disappointed; there’s still the warmth and wit of Mold, interlaced with a layer of lurking menace and fear! The story begins with Brat, isolated … Continue reading ‘The Maker Of Monsters,’ by Lorraine Gregory, illustrations by Meg Hunt.
Introducing a new middle grade adventure set deep underground in a mysterious community of animal-headed people: The Tunnels Below. Interestingly borne out of Nadine’s own experiences of getting lost on the Kennington Loop of the Northern Line, don’t let it put you off having an subterranean adventure of your own! It’s Cecilia’s twelfth birthday and … Continue reading ‘The Tunnels Below,’ by Nadine Wild-Palmer, illustrated by Ellen Shi.
Are you ready to enter a magical new world where whole villages and can be hidden behind a shimmering wall of spells and ailments cured by a carefully worded charm? How about a world where nobody is quite what they seem and danger could be lurking around every corner? Then you need to make sure … Continue reading ‘The Last Spell Breather,’ by Julie Pike, illustrated by Dinara Mirtalipova.
For those of you who’ve read ‘Twister,’ Forrest’s debut novel, it will surely come as very welcome news that her second title is now out in the wild. Borne out her own regret at being unable to say a final goodbye to her grandparents, and her love of a whole spectrum of gloriously-named colours, Forrest … Continue reading ‘The True Colours Of Coral Glen,’ by Juliette Forrest, cover by Jamie Gregory.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for the final instalment in the award-winning ‘My Brother is a Superhero’ series and this time your household appliances are out to get you! I also have a fascinating piece by David Solomons about his anxiety as a child, his interesting treatment and endings actually being beginnings. … Continue reading ‘My Cousin is a Time Traveller,’ by David Solomons, illustrated by Robin Boyden.
Save the library, Save the world! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the magical ‘The Dragon in the Library.’ To say that Kit is not the biggest fan of reading would be an understatement. As far as she concerned there is nothing worse than being stuck inside a dusty old library having … Continue reading ‘The Dragon in the Library,’ by Louie Stowell, illustrated by Davide Ortu.
Empathy Day (June 11th 2019) is a call to action to explore books which can help develop the skill of empathy. In this current climate of change in the U.K. it is more important than ever that our young people are able to understand situations from different perspectives, not just their own. Its organisers, EmpathyLab, … Continue reading Empathy Day – ‘The difference between hearing and listening,’ by Victoria Williamson.
Anna Fargher’s brilliant middle grade title ‘The Umbrella Mouse’ is currently Waterstones Children’s Book Of The month. It tells a tale based on the true stories of some of the animals caught in the conflict of the Second World War, a tale of courage, friendship and resistance. When the Umbrella shop which is the London … Continue reading The Women Who Helped Make D-Day Possible by author of ‘The Umbrella Mouse,’ Anna Fargher.
Jennifer is best known for her ear-fartingly funny ‘Alex Sparrow’ series but ‘Mo, Lottie and the Junkers’ is something a little bit different... Mo Appleby is the kind of boy who appreciates routine and order in his life, so he is understandably put out when things are turned upside down by he and his mum … Continue reading ‘Mo, Lottie and the Junkers,’ by Jennifer Killick, illustrated by Gareth Conway.
Barrington Stoke produce some of the very best short, accessible stories by some of the very best current children’s authors. Although specially produced to be easy on the eye for dyslexic readers, their brilliant collection is perfect for anyone who enjoys short, pacey reads. Lisa Thompson’s debut for Barrington Stoke fits in perfectly. Owen and his … Continue reading ‘Owen and the Soldier,’ by Lisa Thompson, illustrated by Mike Lowery.
I am a huge fan of Cath’s debut novel, ‘Ella on the Outside,’ so was very excited to receive a proof copy of her latest title, ‘Not My Fault,’ and hoped that it would be as carefully observed as the first. I wasn’t disappointed. Maya and Rose are sisters, but they won’t talk to each … Continue reading ‘Not My Fault,’ by Cath Howe, cover by Joel Holland.
*Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2020* After reading and loving Vashti’s debut novel, Brightstorm, it was with much anticipation and excitement that I awaited a copy of her newest adventure ‘WildSpark.’ A whole new world and its inhabitants awaited me. Prue lives on a farm with her Ma and Pa, spending her time … Continue reading ‘WildSpark,’ by Vashti Hardy, cover by George Ermos.
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup firmly in the limelight this year, ‘Lily and the Rockets’ would be an excellent choice of book to introduce readers to the time when the first women’s league was formed and pulled in crowds of over 50,000 at its peak! Lily is tall, broad and has hands the size … Continue reading ‘Lily and the Rockets,’ by Rebecca Stevens, cover by Harriet Taylor Seed.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘Boot: Little Robot Big Adventure,’ the first in a brand new series of highly-illustrated chapter books. I defy you not to fall in love with the rather adorable robot, Boot! Toy robot, Boot, wakes up in a scrapyard with a crack in his face and no … Continue reading ‘Boot: Small Robot Big Adventure,’ by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Ben Mantle.
This is a post for any of you planning to mark Refugee Week 2019 by raising awareness and promoting discussion about acceptance, kindness and refugees in your schools or homes. The books I’m going to share with you should be explored all year round, but I thought a special week may be … Continue reading National Refugee Week 2019 (17th-23rd June)
Today’s my stop on the ‘Runaway Robot’ blog tour and I have a sneaky peek at the opening of the story AND a copy to giveaway to one lucky person! (Find out how at the bottom of this post.) The inspiration for Frank’s newest story came after a visit to the robot exhibition at The … Continue reading ‘Runaway Robot,’ by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton. Take a peek at an extract from the story.
Today my blog is the port of call for the Malamander blog tour. Get ready to set sail for the quaint seaside town of Eerie-on-Sea. At first glance, Eerie-on-Sea appears to be just like any other seaside town. But this is a town shrouded in legend and mystery - when night falls and the mist … Continue reading ‘Malamander,’ by Thomas Taylor, cover by George Ermos.
Library Girl and Book Boy 