These titles are longer chapter books often with more challenging themes and plotlines. Best-suited to more confident readers aged 9+
I am a huge fan of Kieran’s writing (if you haven’t read his award-winning Legend of Podkin One-Ear series, you need to immediately!) so I was very happy to hear that he had embarked on an entirely new endeavour - Carnival of the Lost. ‘Sheba the wolf girl joins an unusual troupe of performers that … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Carnival of the Lost,’ by Kieran Larwood, illustrated by Sam Usher.
Oh my goodness, if you’re looking for a new title to fit with a WW2 topic, or for an atmospheric ghostly class read, then this is absolutely the book for you! Make sure you scroll down to read Dan’s Q&A about the inspiration and process behind writing Nisha’s War. Malaya, 1942. Nisha’s home is destroyed by … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Nisha’s War,’ by Dan Smith.
You are in for an absolute treat if you decide to pick up this outstanding debut from Lisette Auton. And you definitely should! I was Haven Point's first Wreckling, but I certainly wasn't the last. There are forty-two of us now, not including the mermaids. When you're a Wreckling, you mainly spend your days squabbling, … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Secret of Haven Point,’ by Lisette Auton, illustrated by Valentina Toro.
It’s here! The second instalment in the brilliantly funny and marvellously magical series which started with ‘The House at the Edge of Magic.’ Nine and her friends have broken the curse on their marvellous, magical House, and are free to travel the worlds once more! Their first stop: The Wizarding Hopscotch Championships. There's only one … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Tower at the End of Time,’ by Amy Sparkes.
Introducing a super-funny blast around the galaxy featuring some very empathetic aliens! Make sure you read author, James Bishop’s piece on how he set about creating and unusually empathetic alien race. Meet Mylan - an ordinary blue alien. He's travelling the universe, looking for someone having a bad day, to help them. Meet Chloe. She's just … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Worst Day Ever,’ by James Bishop, illustrated by Fay Austin.
Well my first read of 2022 was an absolute belter! Get ready to step aboard the Anthos and set sail on a thrilling adventure… Nico Cloud desperately wants to be an explorer, but her parents think adventures aren’t for girls. Fate intervenes when Nico chases a kitten on board a ship . . . and … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Ship of Cloud and Stars,’ by Amy Raphael, cover by George Ermos.
I cannot think of a more wonderfully Christmassy book to start off my festive book advent. And I have a copy for one of you lucky people to WIN over on Twitter. Visit my pinned tweet and follow the instructions. Wish it could be Christmas every day? Well, for nine-year-old Holly Carroll and her family, … Continue reading Book Advent – Day 1 – ‘The Christmas Carrolls,’ by Mel Taylor-Bessant, illustrated by Selom Sunu.
A special edition of a well-loved classic makes for a timeless Christmas gift. Below, are some of the latest titles I’ve received which bring classic tales to life in new and surprising ways. Please – draw me a sheep. I blinked. The voice belonged to a charming little prince. The characters of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's … Continue reading Classics for Christmas
Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Ross on his nomination for The Costa Book Awards for his fantastical World War 2 adventure ‘The Midnight Guardians’ - it’s quite unlike anything I’ve read before! So now that you know the calibre of the writer we’re dealing with here, I know you’ll be excited to hear about his … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Chime Seekers,’ by Ross Montgomery, cover by David Dean.
I’ll be honest, I am a huge Chris Riddell fangirl so I am always going to love anything he’s illustrated. However, if you pair his illustrations with the the masterful writing of award-winning author Kevin Crossley-Holland and thrilling Arthurian legend. Well, then you have something really rather special! ‘The definitive retelling of the legends of … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Arthur the Always King,’ retold by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Chris Riddell.
Today I’m hosting a brand new title from Vivian French - The Runaways of Haddington Hall. And if you’d like to know the five books Vivian would take with her to a desert island, read on! ‘After a series of misfortunes, Minnie O’Sullivan is whisked away to Haddington Hall: a nightmarish home for wayward girls. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Runaways of Haddington Hall,’ by Vivian French.
The very first Thimble Monkey adventure: ‘Thimble Monkey Superstar,’ was shortlisted for the Laugh Out Loud Book awards. The series now has a fourth LOL-worthy instalment in the form of ‘Thimble and the Girl From Mars.’ Make sure you read author, Jon Blake’s piece featuring eight (possibly) interesting facts about the creation of this story. … Continue reading ‘Thimble and the Girl From Mars,’ by Jon Blake, illustrated by Martin Chatterton.
Pam Smy’s first novel, ‘Thornhill,’ was met with much critical acclaim and nominated for several awards so my expectations of ‘The Hideaway’ were high. Well let me tell you, she has crafted another beautifully told tale interwoven with atmospheric greyscale illustrations. Pam has written an exclusive piece for this blog about being an illustrator. You … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Hideaway,’ by Pam Smy.
‘Reflecting Realities’ is the name of a powerful piece of research conducted by the CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) which focussed on extent and quality of ethnic representation and diversity within children’s literature. Their third report (published in November 2020) found that only 7% of children’s literature published over the past three years … Continue reading Reflecting Realities – Part 1 (diverse ethnicities)
It’s that time of year when some of our thoughts may turn to the spooky or the magical. This blog features some of the latest titles I’ve been sent which reflect these themes. Take a look but don’t get scared…! Board Books ‘Five Spooky Friends,’ by Danielle McLean, illustrated by Rosalind Maroney (Little Tiger Press) … Continue reading Happy Halloween
Today’s my stop on the StormTide blog tour - the third gripping instalment in the FloodWorld trilogy. I also have Tom’s top 5 deep sea story recommendations for you to enjoy! A world-ending storm is coming, and only Kara and Joe can hold back the tide. In the ocean depths lies a deadly secret: an … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘StormTide,’ by Tom Huddleston
Get prepared for an absolute belter of a read with a villain you will despise, a hero you will cheer for, and a grim dystopian London set somewhere in the future! You also need to scroll down and read author Michael Mann’s masterclass on how to write a truly terrifying villain… ‘Kidnapped and forced to … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Ghostcloud,’ by Michael Mann, cover by Chaaya Prabhat.
Today I have a middle grade book which is perfect for fans of funny books with an edge. This one just happens to feature a genius baby and a super-villain determined to rid the world of the problem of childhood. Make sure you read the special piece by Daniel about why this book was twenty … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Little Horror,’ by Daniel Peak.
This time last year, I had just finished this title’s predecessor, ‘The Monsters of Rookhaven’ - a delightfully brooding read full of gothic motifs, lurking menace, and the idea of embracing those different to yourself. As the nights draw in and Halloween swiftly approaches, I would suggest you might like to get yourself a copy … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Shadows of Rookhaven,’ by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Edward Bettison.
Emma Chichester Clark is probably best known for her beautiful picture books, but she has also just had a chapter book published for readers aged 6+. ‘Polly Pecorino’ is full of the gorgeous illustrations you would expect, bringing to life Chichester Clark’s tale of human stupidity and greed. ‘Are you brave enough to enter the … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Polly Pecorino- The Girl Who Rescues Animals,’ by Emma Chichester Clark.
Library Girl and Book Boy 