Today is my stop on the blog tour for the final instalment in the award-winning ‘My Brother is a Superhero’ series and this time your household appliances are out to get you! I also have a fascinating piece by David Solomons about his anxiety as a child, his interesting treatment and endings actually being beginnings. … Continue reading ‘My Cousin is a Time Traveller,’ by David Solomons, illustrated by Robin Boyden.
In my experience, poetry can be an area often overlooked in schools. But why? Personally, I didn’t feel that I knew enough about composing poetry to teach it properly. But what about sharing poems, performing poems, dipping into a volume and seeing what grabs you? That’s the beauty of a good poetry book and the … Continue reading The CLiPPA Shortlist (premier poetry picks)
Save the library, Save the world! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the magical ‘The Dragon in the Library.’ To say that Kit is not the biggest fan of reading would be an understatement. As far as she concerned there is nothing worse than being stuck inside a dusty old library having … Continue reading ‘The Dragon in the Library,’ by Louie Stowell, illustrated by Davide Ortu.
The unicorn trend is still going strong with readers wanting a touch of glitter and sparkle in their bedtime stories. I am pleased, however, to see a new breed of unicorns breaking through. Unicorns who refuse to conform to their sweet and sugary image. Bring on the Grumpycorns, the hungry-corns and the downright naughty-corns (and … Continue reading Unicorns: glitter and rainbows?
Empathy Day (June 11th 2019) is a call to action to explore books which can help develop the skill of empathy. In this current climate of change in the U.K. it is more important than ever that our young people are able to understand situations from different perspectives, not just their own. Its organisers, EmpathyLab, … Continue reading Empathy Day – ‘The difference between hearing and listening,’ by Victoria Williamson.
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.
Jennifer is best known for her ear-fartingly funny ‘Alex Sparrow’ series but ‘Mo, Lottie and the Junkers’ is something a little bit different... Mo Appleby is the kind of boy who appreciates routine and order in his life, so he is understandably put out when things are turned upside down by he and his mum … Continue reading ‘Mo, Lottie and the Junkers,’ by Jennifer Killick, illustrated by Gareth Conway.
Learning to read can be a tricky (and sometimes tedious) business. Although it can be beneficial to read a series of books based on familiar characters, the stories can end up being a little formulaic and uninspiring. My years of teaching (and parenting) experience have shown me nothing if not that variety is the spice … Continue reading Maverick Early Readers – Purple to Gold.
Barrington Stoke produce some of the very best short, accessible stories by some of the very best current children’s authors. Although specially produced to be easy on the eye for dyslexic readers, their brilliant collection is perfect for anyone who enjoys short, pacey reads. Lisa Thompson’s debut for Barrington Stoke fits in perfectly. Owen and his … Continue reading ‘Owen and the Soldier,’ by Lisa Thompson, illustrated by Mike Lowery.
I am a huge fan of Cath’s debut novel, ‘Ella on the Outside,’ so was very excited to receive a proof copy of her latest title, ‘Not My Fault,’ and hoped that it would be as carefully observed as the first. I wasn’t disappointed. Maya and Rose are sisters, but they won’t talk to each … Continue reading ‘Not My Fault,’ by Cath Howe, cover by Joel Holland.
*Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2020* After reading and loving Vashti’s debut novel, Brightstorm, it was with much anticipation and excitement that I awaited a copy of her newest adventure ‘WildSpark.’ A whole new world and its inhabitants awaited me. Prue lives on a farm with her Ma and Pa, spending her time … Continue reading ‘WildSpark,’ by Vashti Hardy, cover by George Ermos.
For those of you who think back wistfully to your own childhood days of devouring book-upon-book of The Secret Seven or The Famous Five but are perhaps looking for alternatives more in line with contemporary views, then the new Cliff Toppers series by Fleur Hitchcock could be just the thing you’re after. For cousins Aiden, … Continue reading ‘Cliff Toppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure,’ by Fleur Hitchcock, cover by Tom Clohosy Cole.
I am absolutely delighted that publishers are finally waking up to the fact that people want to know about female footballers and the rise of the women’s game. These four latest additions to the Ultimate Football Heroes series have been released just in time for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 (kick off is the … Continue reading Ultimate Football Heroes: Women’s Special! (written by Charlotte Browne, illustrated by Dan Leydon)
With the FIFA Women’s World Cup firmly in the limelight this year, ‘Lily and the Rockets’ would be an excellent choice of book to introduce readers to the time when the first women’s league was formed and pulled in crowds of over 50,000 at its peak! Lily is tall, broad and has hands the size … Continue reading ‘Lily and the Rockets,’ by Rebecca Stevens, cover by Harriet Taylor Seed.
Today I’m delighted to be part of the blog tour for the very beautiful ‘The Tide’ which captures a child’s perspective on her grandfather’s memory loss. I also have a special piece from Clare about using picture books to promote resilience and positive mental health. This is a story about a little girl, her grandfather … Continue reading ‘The Tide,’ by Clare Helen Welsh, illustrated by Ashling Lindsay.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘Boot: Little Robot Big Adventure,’ the first in a brand new series of highly-illustrated chapter books. I defy you not to fall in love with the rather adorable robot, Boot! Toy robot, Boot, wakes up in a scrapyard with a crack in his face and no … Continue reading ‘Boot: Small Robot Big Adventure,’ by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Ben Mantle.
This is a post for any of you planning to mark Refugee Week 2019 by raising awareness and promoting discussion about acceptance, kindness and refugees in your schools or homes. The books I’m going to share with you should be explored all year round, but I thought a special week may be … Continue reading National Refugee Week 2019 (17th-23rd June)
Today’s my stop on the ‘Runaway Robot’ blog tour and I have a sneaky peek at the opening of the story AND a copy to giveaway to one lucky person! (Find out how at the bottom of this post.) The inspiration for Frank’s newest story came after a visit to the robot exhibition at The … Continue reading ‘Runaway Robot,’ by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton. Take a peek at an extract from the story.
Today my blog is the port of call for the Malamander blog tour. Get ready to set sail for the quaint seaside town of Eerie-on-Sea. At first glance, Eerie-on-Sea appears to be just like any other seaside town. But this is a town shrouded in legend and mystery - when night falls and the mist … Continue reading ‘Malamander,’ by Thomas Taylor, cover by George Ermos.
There has been a huge upsurge in the number of children being referred to mental health services across the U.K. causing an increasing number of schools to take matters into their own hands and teach their pupils about mindfulness and emotional regulation. The titles featured in this post encourage children to process their emotions and … Continue reading ‘Stay Strong!’ and ‘Be Brave!’ by Dr. Sharie Coombes, illustrated by Katie Abey.
Library Girl and Book Boy 