If you’re looking for for something a little bit different this Halloween, I would strongly suggest that you purchase yourself a copy of the gloriously gothic ‘The House Of Madame M.’ Are you brave enough to enter the house of the mysterious Madame M? It’s full of creepy monsters, cobwebbed hiding places and sights to … Continue reading ‘The House Of Madame M,’ by Clotilde Perrin, translated by Daniel Hann.
Today I’m delighted to be sharing Kirsti Beautyman’s beautiful debut picture book, ‘The Mist Monster.’ Penny and her dad have just moved house but Penny’s not sure that she likes it. Dad convinces her to go and explore, but she’ll only go once they’ve found mum’s old explorer hat. Unfortunately the dog takes a fancy … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Mist Monster,’ by Kirsti Beautyman.
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 have to confess that not all of these picture books are petrifying but they do contain some seriously spooky characters as well as cracking stories! ‘Where’s Mrs Witch?’ by Ingela P Arrhenius (Nosy Crow) A special spooky edition joins one of my favourite board books series. This one sees a whole host of Halloween … Continue reading Petrifying Picture Books!
After reading the magical Snowglobe, I couldn’t wait to read Amy’s newest title: ‘Shadows of Winterspell,’ which I read over the summer but have had to wait until nearer its publication date to review (17th October). Finally, the wait is almost over! Winterspell Forest inhabited by the magical fae folk and haunted by the dark … Continue reading ‘Shadows Of Winterspell,’ by Amy Wilson.
It is with much excitement that I introduce you to Sally Gardner’s first middle grade title since the award-winning ‘I, Coriander,’ 14 years ago! When Celeste wakes up in a costume basket at the Royal Opera House, she hopes that her encounter with the strange man in an emerald green suit at the bottom of … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Invisible in a Bright Light,’ by Sally Gardner.
If you like seriously creepy tales of ghouls and ghosties mixed with an inept Nancy Drew-style lead, look no further than ‘The Ghouls Of Howlfair’! Make sure you read Nick’s spooktacular piece about how his main character Molly Thompson came about - the geeks and the weirdos will prevail! Howlfair is a town built on … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Ghouls Of Howlfair,’ by Nick Tomlinson, illustrated by Kim Geyer.
Today, I’m lucky enough to have a special piece from Ben Davis about his top ten fictional dogs in honour of Gizmo, the canine star of his own book: ‘What’s That in Dog Years?’ (OUP) I’ll let Ben fill you in on the plot of this gorgeous book, but if you want my review of … Continue reading ‘What’s That in Dog Years?’ By Ben Davis, illustrated by Julia Christians.
The National Curriculum states that children should be exposed to a wide range of texts, including those from our own cultural heritage. So what exactly does that mean? You may have heard these books referred to as ‘heritage texts’ or ‘classics.’ Either way, we aren’t lucky to have a wealth of classic children’s books to … Continue reading Introducing classic texts across the primary school: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (as seen at Reading Rocks South)
Climate change is a major issue on the world’s political agenda but it has also become the motivator for a major campaign by young activists across the globe. Inspired by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, there have been waves of pupil strikes to ensure the voice of the younger generation is heard and to try … Continue reading ‘We are all Greta: Be Inspired to Save the World,’ by Valentina Giannella, illustrated by Manuela Marazzi.
Space has never ceased to be an endless source of fascination for adults and children alike. Some of you may recognise renowned space scientist Dr. Maggie from her work on tv programmes ‘The Sky at Night’ or CBeebies ‘Mini Stargazing.’ If so, you’ll be pleased to learn that you can now get your hands on … Continue reading ‘Dr. Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System,’ by Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock (MBE), illustrated by Chelen Écija.
Sibéal Pounder has imagined what would happen next, following on Eva Ibbotson’s classic tale ‘The Secret Of Platform 13.’ Get ready to revisit The Island Of Mist and its magical inhabitants. When Lina was dragged to the train station by her parents to visit her aunt in Salzburg, the last thing she expected was to … Continue reading ‘Beyond Platform 13,’ by Sibéal Pounder & Eva Ibbotson, illustrated by Beatriz Castro.
Recently, we’ve enjoyed a lot of excellent books about human heroes (watch out for a blog post coming soon!), but today the blog is celebrating some rather remarkable creatures who have earned their place in the history books. Let me introduce ‘WildLives’ by Ben Lerwill - Make sure you scroll down to read his exclusive … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘WildLives: 50 Extraordinary Animals that Made History,’ by Ben Lerwill, illustrated by Sarah Walsh.
Flat Stanley is the classic tale of a boy who’s as flat as a pancake and now it’s available in a new picture book version for younger fans to enjoy! When Arthur Lambchop alerts his parents to an accident which has occurred in the bedroom he shares with his brother Stanley, they seem more concerned … Continue reading ‘Flat Stanley’ – the picture book edition by Jeff Brown, illustrated by Rob Biddulph.
Today’s my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Boy With the Butterfly Mind’ and I have a fascinating piece from its author about how she sets about writing a book and constructing a story - very useful to share with adults and children alike. Told as a dual narrative, we follow the lives of … Continue reading ‘The Boy With the Butterfly Mind,’ by Victoria Williamson.
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.
“A boy. A drone. And the danger below.” Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for ‘Spylark,’ with a special piece by Danny Rurlander about the beautiful Lake District setting for his book. Since his accident, Tom’s not only struggling with the loss of his father but also loss of mobility. Retreating into the … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Spylark,’ by Danny Rurlander, cover by Doaly.
With waiting lists for children’s mental health services getting longer than ever, and pupils sometimes having to wait for years before they get appointments, schools and parents are having to be more proactive than ever when it comes to promoting and developing good mental health in their children. Helping children recognise and manage their feelings, … Continue reading Introducing the ‘Level Headers’ series by Beth Cox & Natalie Costa, illustrated by Vicky Barker.
Today I’m sharing another great picture book about the power of friendship. This one’s just a little different as its focus is on the power collaboration - perfect for team-building at the start of another school year. I can see it prompting a lot of interesting conversations and projects on being a good friend and … Continue reading ‘Together We Can,’ by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Ali Pye.
Library Girl and Book Boy 