Every so often, a series of books comes along which is just so perfect for its intended audience that you find yourself recommending it left, right, and centre. Andy Shepherd’s ‘The Boy Who Grew Dragons’ series is one of those rare wonders. I am constantly recommending it to Year 2 teachers or for children aged … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Boy Who Sang With Dragons,’ by Andy Shepherd, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie.
Today’s choice is a lovely story about a little mouse searching for a new home on Christmas Eve and all the creatures she helps along the way. ‘It’s Christmas Eve, and Mouse is trying to find the perfect place to call home. But by the time she’s helped Bunny, Fox and Bear, the sun has … Continue reading Christmas Advent – Day 21 ‘A House for Christmas Mouse,’ by Rebecca Harry.
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.
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.
It’s never too early to start teaching young girls (and boys) that they have the power to do whatever they want to. Luckily, girls are no longer consigned to the role of helpless princess in the books available for them to enjoy. I’m going to share with you some of the celebratory and stereotype-busting titles … Continue reading Here Come the Girls! (International Women’s Day)
Most Disney fans would be able to tell you the stories of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ and ‘Snow White’ according to the Walt Disney Animation Studios - they’ve become so ingrained in the public consciousness. These beautiful new hardback editions offer new insights into these animated classics. As well as retelling these beloved stories, … Continue reading Animated Classics from Disney
This year marks twenty years of the Waterstones Children’s Laureateship, a collection of inspirational individuals committed to promoting a love of reading, books and illustration. To celebrate, Walker Books have compiled this very special anthology which is sure to be treasured by anyone with a love of children’s books. Readers in the U.K. have benefitted … Continue reading ‘Flights Of Fancy – stories, pictures and inspiration from ten Children’s Laureates,’ from Walker Books.
If the stories in the news are to be believed, it would seem that people are more divided and more at odds with each other than ever. Authors, illustrators and publishers are trying to counteract this by producing beautiful books which show actually just how similar we all are. ‘Under the Same Sky’ by Britta … Continue reading We Are All the Same…
Autumn is one of my favourite times of year; the weather is mild, the leaves are a whole rainbow of colours and the evenings are starting to get dark. It’s the perfect time of year for snuggly down under a blanket and sharing a book with someone you love. I have five seasonal books which … Continue reading Autumnal Reads to Snuggle Up With
I am very honoured to be kicking off the blog tour for the Lollies 2018 - a celebration of some of the funniest children’s reads out there! I have always believed in the power of funny books to help transform children into readers and to address tricky issues in an accessible way. Unfortunately, some people … Continue reading Welcome to the Lollies 2018 – being a judge & introducing the short-list.
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.
Welcome to my specially updated post, all ready for the #TheTrainToImpossiblePlaces blog tour. As well as my original review, I’m also honoured to host an exclusive post by P.G. Bell, explains how this magical tale from orally told bedtime story to published book. “Where impossible, becomes possible....” When Suzy is woken up by strange banging, clanking … Continue reading Holiday Read #3: ‘The Train To Impossible Places,’ with exclusive post by P.G. Bell, illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino
Have you ever thought you’ve caught a glimpse of a strange creature from the corner of your eye? Or fancied that the light aircraft flying overhead is actually a dragon? You could just be right. If The Companions are to be believed, mythical creatures walk among us and it’s our responsibility to protect them. Connie … Continue reading ‘Secret of the Sirens,’ by Julia Golding, artwork by Kate Forrester.
I have long been a fan of the work of amazing illustrator/ author Elys Dolan. Her picture books have had my whole family crying with laughter and caused my husband to declare ‘Weasels’ one of his favourite children’s books ever (along with George’s Marvellous Medicine.) Imagine my excitement then, when I received a new chapter … Continue reading Beginners’ Guides from the most bonkers mind of Elys Dolan.
We Enter The Manor At Will We Enter The Manor Unarmed We Enter The Manor Alone Ever since Jane Doe’s arrival on the island of Bluehaven, cradled in her father’s arms, the pair have been a source of hatred and fascination. Jane’s unusual amber eyes, and her father’s semi-catatonic state (paired with their dramatic entrance … Continue reading ‘The Cradle of All Worlds,’ by Jeremy Lachlan, figure illustration by Gelrev Ongbico.
Protecting our oceans in a hot topic at the moment, with campaigners and some big business working to try to reduce the amount of pollution being dumped into the sea. Plastic in particular is being highlighted as a significant danger and was, interestingly, the most-used word in Radio 2s ‘500 Word’ story-writing competition for children. … Continue reading Sailing the Seven Seas
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.
The perfect collection of football poems to enjoy regardless of the highs and lows of the World Cup. This cracking collection of carefully curated poems has been in training for this year’s World Cup and is back and better than ever! From the best-selling poet, John Foster and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Korky Paul, this … Continue reading ‘Fantastic Football Poems,’ by John Foster and Korky Paul.
I was extremely excited to be invited by Scholastic to be on the judging panel for this year’s Lollies. Although the short-list is decided by the judges, the winners are decided purely by readers, librarians and teachers so make sure you visit http://www.scholastic.co.uk/lollies to vote! Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate, today announced … Continue reading The Laugh Out Loud 2018 Book Awards (Lollies) Short-list!
Library Girl and Book Boy 