Today’s my stop on the magical ‘Glassheart’ blog tour and I have a special piece from Katharine about the folklore of Dartmoor inspired her story. Orphaned during an explosion in the war, Nona is taken in by Uncle Antoni - a stained glass craftsman. They travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings. When … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Glassheart,’ by Katharine Orton, cover by Sandra Dieckmann.
You know when you receive a package in the post from Tiny Owl that it’s going to contain a beautifully produced title of diverse heritage. ‘Under the Great Plum Tree’ comes from Panchatantra, which is an ancient collection of Indian animal fables. Various versions of the same story can be found around the world (making … Continue reading ‘Under the Great Plum Tree,’ by Sufiya Ahmed, illustrated by Reza Dalvand.
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.
Two girls, a century apart. Together they’ll find freedom. This story is told in two parts, over two different time periods: the present day and 1891. The present day: we meet Semira, an Eritrean refugee who undertook a long a dangerous journey across desert and sea with her mother, accompanied by a man who has … Continue reading ‘The Closest Thing to Flying,’ by Gill Lewis, cover by Paola Escobar.
I am delighted to host something a little different on my blog today: a brilliant new poetry anthology celebrating female poets across the ages. This new collection from anthologist Ana Sampson, features 150 stunning poems from fierce and fabulous women worldwide. There is such a wonderfully diverse range of poets featured: suffragettes, aristocrats, school girls. … Continue reading ‘She is Fierce: Brave, Bold and Beautiful Poems by Women,’ by Ana Sampson.
Last night’s bedtime story took us off down the yellow brick road to visit the Wonderful Wizard of Oz in this great adaption for little ones. In this modern reimagining of a classic children’s tale, preschooler Little Dot is helping peg the washing out when a tornado blows in. Little Dot and her dog, Toto, make it … Continue reading ‘The Wizard Of Oz,’ by L. Frank Baum, adapted by Meg McLaren and Sam Hay.
Sadly, not a weather update, but a new blog post! Our House is currently plagued by chicken pox, so we’ve taken the opportunity to catch up on a bit of picture book reading. I’m am pleased to share with you three pawfect reads you’d be barking mad to miss! Picking Pickle by Polly Faber & … Continue reading Raining Cats and Dogs
”All girls should read The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis.” Malala Yousafzai. This novel centres around eleven-year-old Parvana and her family, who live in one room of a crumbling, bombed out apartment block in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her father was a history teacher before he was injured and would tell Parvana stories of their country’s past whilst … Continue reading ‘The Breadwinner – A Graphic Novel,’ based on the novel by Deborah Ellis.
Library Girl and Book Boy 