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.
It was with great interest that I read this title because it has been written in collaboration with Libby Scott, the 11-year-old girl whose piece of writing, ‘The Life of a Perfectionist,’ about being autistic went viral in 2018. ‘Can You See Me?’ is a blend of narrative story and diary entries written by Libby … Continue reading ‘Can You See Me?’ by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott, type design by Aaron Cushley.
Inspired by the stories of her childhood like ‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit’ and ‘The Silver Sword,’ Catherine decided to write a story of her own, inspired by the unfolding migrant crisis. The result is ‘No Ballet Shoes in Syria.’ A book about a child displaced from her home in Syria, fleeing across Europe and … Continue reading ‘No Ballet Shoes in Syria,’ by Catherine Bruton, cover by Kathrin Honesta.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Fire Maker,’ a story of magic tricks, genies and dangerous ambition. Alex’s life is consumed by his love of magic and his quest to win Young Magician Of The Year which is being judged by one of his idols, Jack Keller. Despite being teased at … Continue reading ‘The Fire Maker,’ by Guy Jones, cover by Helen Crawford-White.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Middler,’ the epic debut middle grade novel by Kirsty’s Applebaum. Make sure you read her exclusive piece about how her own childhood influenced her story. Maggie lives a quiet, protected life in the self-isolated town of Fennis Wick. Her whole world for the eleven years … Continue reading ‘The Middler,’ by Kirsty Applebaum – with guest post! Cover by Matt Saunders.
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the wild and snow-filled ‘She Wolf’ by Dan Smith. Northumbria, 886. Life is harsh. You need to be tough to survive. This is a lesson Ylva has to learn very quickly when her mother is murdered by a three-fingered man, leaving her alone in the world … Continue reading ‘She Wolf,’ by Dan Smith, cover by Jill Calder.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for the awesome ‘A Witch Alone’ - the final (at present) instalment in the magical ‘The Apprentice Witch’ series. In addition to this review, you can also listen to me interviewing James about the series HERE on the Library Girl and Book Boy podcast. If you’ve ever … Continue reading ‘A Witch Alone,’ by James Nicol, cover illustration by Daniela Terrazzini – The Blog Tour!
I’m always very interested to read titles which have been translated from other languages; they often have a completely different style and feel from the children’s books published here in the U.K. The fairy tale, ‘Arnica, the Duck Princess’ has been translated into English from the original Hungarian. Princess Arnica was the daughter of King … Continue reading ‘Arnica, the Duck Princess,’ by Ervin Lázár, illustrated by Jacqueline Molnár, translated by Anna Bentley.
Library Girl and Book Boy 