You know that you are going to be in safe hands when you open up a Stewart Foster novel. Author of the award-winning ‘The Bubble Boy’ has a brand new title coming out on the New Year for us to enjoy: ‘All Sam wants is a family of his own, a home instead of a … Continue reading ‘The Perfect Parent Project,’ by Stewart Foster.
If there are any teachers reading this who are looking for a new text with strong environmental themes and links to the Arctic, this is the book for you. A gorgeous story with stunning illustrations from the masterful Levi Pinfold - publishing in February 2021. ‘There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At … Continue reading ‘The Last Bear,’ by Hannah Gold, illustrated by Levi Pinfold.
The 7-9 age group can be tricky to find appropriate books for. This illustration-packed comedy sequel to ‘The Great Reindeer Escape’ would be just the ticket! There’s trouble on Yule-1 (the real home planet of Father Christmas) and the Trubshaw family are being flown back there from Earth to help. Once again, siblings Sadie and … Continue reading Christmas Advent – Day 18 ‘Trouble on Planet Christmas,’ by Kate Saunders, illustrated by Neal Layton.
If you haven’t already discovered this excellent time-slip adventure series featuring siblings Alex and Ruby, nows your chance as they slip through their aunt’s mirror and head off for a Victorian Christmas. Ever since discovering that the mirror in their aunt’s hallway is a portal to the past (see - ‘A Chase in Time’), siblings … Continue reading Christmas Advent – Day 16 ‘A Christmas in Time,’ by Sally Nicholls, cover illustration by Isabelle Follath.
On the ninth day of book advent, my true love gave to me... a shiny gold edition of Ben Miller’s Christmas book! Jackson knows all about the flying reindeer; he knows about the elves and the secret North Pole workshop; he knows about the magic which allows Father Christmas to deliver presents around the world … Continue reading Christmas Advent – Day 9 ‘The Night I Met Father Christmas,’ by Ben Miller, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini.
Today’s advent pick is a wry, clever and downright hilarious journey towards finding the real meaning of Christmas. The International Postal Service is in the red and this spells bad news for seasonal worker, Santa. He’s going to have make some cutbacks: reindeer hire and insurance is a major expense, and as for some of … Continue reading Christmas Advent – Day Four ‘Santa Gets a Second Job,’ by Michele D’Ignazio, illustrated by Sergio Olivotti, translated by Denise Muir.
I am always in awe of anyone who can juggle writing a cracking MG adventure alongside a busy job and family life, but James Haddell has done it! Introducing ‘The Lost Child’s Quest’ - full of history, mystery and magic. Tia is an orphan. She has lived in an orphanage, looked after by the kindly … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Lost Child’s Quest,’ by James Haddell.
Classics are classics for a reason, but they can sometimes be inaccessible to younger readers. The collection of books I’m about to share with you are all innovations and reimagining of so true literary greats, but with twists, tweaks and turns which will make them more accessible to today’s readers. Perhaps then, they will be … Continue reading Classics with a Twist
As it’s National Non-Fiction November, I think it’s only right to share with your some of the stunning information books I’ve been sent recently. Both my sons are fascinated by books featuring gadgets, gizmos and gobsmacking vehicles so these next four have been given thorough testing! ‘In the Sky: Designs Inspired by Nature,’ by Harriet … Continue reading Fantastic Inventions!
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.
Ross Montgomery is one of my favourite middle grade authors - whichever of his books you choose to read, you know you’re not going to be disappointed. But I must warn you that his latest title, ‘The Midnight Guardians,’ is a compulsive, read-past-your-bedtime, adventure. With bombing raids ravaging London, Col has been evacuated to live … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Midnight Guardians,’ by Ross Montgomery, cover by David Dean.
You can always rely of DK for engaging, good quality information books packed with diagrams, timelines and photographs so I was pleased to see that they have produced which looks exclusively at timelines from the perspective of Black history. It is compiled from updated material from their previous timeline books along with new content to … Continue reading ‘Timelines From Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies,’ with foreword by Mireille Harper.
As the night’s draw in and the weather turns chillier, my thoughts always turn to snuggling up under a blanket with a good book. Halloween is a great time to find a new favourite read - whether magical or spooky so I’m bringing you some of the newest choices around. ‘Mirabelle Gets Up to Mischief,’ … Continue reading Happy Halloween!
Introducing the third children’s book by actor and comedian, Ben Miller. With flavours of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and the Brothers Grimm, get ready to dive headfirst into an adventure beyond your wildest dreams! Lana is fed-up of her brother Harrison pretending he’s too grown-up to play games with her now that he’s started senior … Continue reading ‘The Day I Fell Into A Fairytale,’ by Ben Miller, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini.
Books with a football theme are perennially popular - both in school libraries and at home with my own children. I was delighted to see a new series of fictionalised biographies about some of the game’s biggest players. Written by football fanatic, Harry Coninx, this series is infused with hints, tips and his own special … Continue reading ‘Tales From the Pitch,’ by Harry Coninx, cover by Ben Farr.
You know the drill when it comes to fairytales - princess gets locked in a tower/ put to sleep/ kidnapped by a witch and is rescued by a handsome prince, right? Wrong! What I have for you today are four fabulous collections of reimagined fairy tales for a more modern era. ‘Fearless Fairy Tales,’ by … Continue reading Fairy Tales Reimagined
There’s something rather magical about cracking open a brand new encyclopedia and immersing yourself in the knowledge within. Although people can now find any answer they want with a click of a button, I think there will always be a place for wonderful books like this - they contain worlds of possibilities and undiscovered wisdom … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia,’ from Britannica Books, edited by Christopher Lloyd.
The two books featured in this post will take you deep into places you’ve never dared explore before! ‘Gut Garden’ will take you into the wonderful of microbes hidden within your body, whilst ‘Unseen Worlds’ exposes the millions of microscopic creatures hiding in your bed and kitchen cupboards - not for the faint-hearted! ‘Unseen Worlds,’ … Continue reading Journeys into the Unknown
Today I’m sharing two books with strong environmental themes from the fabulous dyslexia-friendly publisher, Barrington Stoke. ‘The Invasion of Crooked Oak,’ by Dan Smith, illustrated by Chris King. The local community are very unhappy about the fracking site on Carpenter’s Field. The local children used to play there - catching fish and building dens. When … Continue reading Stories with Environmental themes from Barrington Stoke
Stories about war are as relevant and important as ever. They allow us to educate readers about conflicts past and present, encouraging them to empathise and reflect. Barrington Stoke have an excellent range of conflict-themed tales written by some of our most talented children’s authors, for readers of all levels of confidence. ‘Daisy and the … Continue reading Conflict-themed Stories from Barrington Stoke
Library Girl and Book Boy 