Another brilliant title in the ‘Archie’ series which tackles concepts that little children find difficult to understand (No!, Why?, Now!, and More! being previous instalments). This time, it’s Christmas, and Archie the rhinoceros can barely contain his excitement. Archie absolutely loves Christmas and has big plans to make this one the best Christmas ever! From … Continue reading ‘It’s Christmas!’ By Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tim Warnes.
I am very pleased to part of the ‘blog avalanche’ for the latest title by genius best-selling writer, Lisa Williamson. ‘Paper Avalanche’ is no exception as we follow the tale of Ro, the teenage daughter of a compulsive hoarder. On the outside, Ro Snow is a perfectly normal teenaged girl. Slightly anti-social perhaps, but otherwise … Continue reading ‘Paper Avalanche,’ by Lisa Williamson, cover designed by Alice Todd.
Having loved Lucy’s first book, I was very excited to see that she had written a new title set on the Kent coast during the Second World War. I couldn’t wait to dive in... ‘Our Castle by the Sea’ is about a family being torn apart amid rumours of espionage whilst enemy planes fly overhead. … Continue reading ‘Our Castle by the Sea,’ by Lucy Strange, design by Helen Crawford-White.
Today is my stop on the ‘Frostfire’ blog tour and I have a special post by Jamie Smith about Programming vs. Writing. Sabira is honoured to have been chosen to travel high up the dangerous mountain trail to bond with a frostsliver (a sentient fragment of the living glacier which looms over her home.) … Continue reading ‘Frostfire,’ by Jamie Smith, cover by Karl James Mountford.
I finished this poignant title just in time for Remembrance Sunday so wanted to share it beforehand incase any of you were looking for some books set in the time of the First World War. As Evie’s parents struggle to come to terms with the death of their youngest son, Alecky, his older (but underage) … Continue reading ‘Evie’s War,’ by Holly Webb.
With the impending American mid-terms looming large on the horizon, it must surly have been serendipity which saw ‘Dear Donald Trump’ pop through my letterbox. Sam is sick of sharing a bedroom with his brother. He plays on his phone all night, keeping Sam awake and he has had enough! After seeing Donald Trump on … Continue reading ‘Dear Donald Trump,’ by Sophie Siers, illustrated by Anne Villeneuve.
I recently had the pleasure (!?) of a five-hour train journey with my family and thought that the second novel from Australian author Matilda Woods, would be the perfect story to escape into. Was I right, you ask? Yes! Oona Britt is the very much unwanted seventh of seven daughters. A fortune-teller had foretold that … Continue reading ‘The Girl, The Cat and The Navigator,’ by Matilda Woods, illustrated by Anuska Allepuz.
Today I am bringing you another brilliant collaboration between author-extraordinaire, Tom Palmer and dyslexia-friendly publisher Barrington Stoke. Ahead of the First World War armistice centenary, ‘Armistace Runner’ pays tribute to some of the war’s forgotten heroes. This beautiful story focusses on the lives of two runners whose lives are connected across time through memories. Lily … Continue reading ‘Armistice Runner,’ by Tom Palmer, cover illustration by Tom Clohosy Cole.
Having previously met Fiona several times at the Picture Book Club she runs, and listened to talks with her about other authors’ experiences of getting published, I am absolutely delighted to be hosting her very own picture book and special post on my blog today. There is nothing Danny wants more than a real live … Continue reading ‘Danny and The Dream Dog,’ by Fiona Barker, illustrated by Howard Gray.
It’s important that all children find themselves and their beliefs reflected in the books they see around them. This blog post is showcasing two books based in the Muslim world. ‘Night of the Moon - a Muslim Holiday Story’ by Hena Khan, illustrated by Julie Paschkis (Chronicle Books) This beautiful picture book follows the story … Continue reading Tales to Embrace Muslim Culture
If you’re looking for a brooding magic-soaked read, look no further... Welcome to the ‘Snowglobe’ blog tour. Prepare to enter a thousand worlds. Clementine lives alone with her Pa in a red brick terrace house. She has always known that she’s different and has learnt to suppress the flashes of magic which sometimes rise up … Continue reading ‘Snowglobe’ by Amy Wilson, cover by Rachel Vale.
It’s that time of year when minds turn to new shoes, crisp new notebooks and tricked-out pencil cases - Back to School time! And it’s no different at St. Grizzle’s, the boarding school with a difference..... St. Grizzle’s School for Girls, Goats and Random Boys is the very first title in the series and tells … Continue reading St. Grizzle’s School For Girls by Karen McCombie, illustrated by Becka Moor.
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.
This beautiful story was originally published in Syria and has been translated from Arabic by author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan. Everything around Yazan was changing. He never went to the park, he never saw his friends, his mum never painted any more. All she did was watch the news. Yazan was so bored - he … Continue reading ‘Tomorrow,’ by Nadine Kaadan.
I had originally purchased this one for Book Boy to read but the beautiful cover and blurb drew me to it, so I read it first! When a cargo ship flounders in a fearsome storm, a container of robots empties its contents into a turbulent sea. Many sink, some are eventually dashed to pieces on … Continue reading Holiday Read #6: ‘The Wild Robot,’ by Peter Brown.
One of the things I love most about children’s authors, is the seamless way they blend challenging and sensitive issues with humour to make the subject matter approachable for children. ‘Walls’ fits brilliantly into this category with its main character Ned struggling to come to terms with his parents’ divorce and break-up of peer friendships. … Continue reading ‘Walls,’ by Emma Fischel, cover by Sarah Darby.
It was with much anticipation that I cracked open the covers of ‘Storm,’ the third and final installment in the epic The Huntress trilogy featuring daring and courageous Mouse with her loyal crew. Following the breath-taking rescue of her father from the evil mystiks, Mouse is holed up in Hackles, the Sky fortress. When a … Continue reading ‘The Huntress: Storm,’ by Sarah Driver, cover by Ray Tierney, map illustration by Joe McLaren.
It’s encouraging to see a more diverse range of main characters appearing in children’s books at the moment. It’s in this way that we can help develop empathy and understanding of those different to ourselves. That’s why I was very happy to be invited to take part in the blog tour for Double Felix. Felix’s … Continue reading ‘Double Felix,’ by Sally Harris, illustrated by Maria Serrano.
One day, when Julian is on the way home with his Nana, he spots what looks like the most beautiful mermaids. Their long flowing hair and shimmering tails spark something inside Julian. When he gets home, Julian styles his hair, make-up and clothing to transform himself into one of those dazzling creatures. But what will … Continue reading ‘Julian is a Mermaid,’ by Jessica Love.
Father’s Day is always the perfect opportunity to buy a new book for daddies and little ones to snuggle up with. As fate would have it, Raj dropped through my letterbox just in time. Raj and Dad are very excited about heading off on an adventure and have big plans and a long list. All … Continue reading ‘Raj and the Best Day Ever!’ By Seb Braun.
Library Girl and Book Boy 