Today’s featured book is perfect now that spooky season is well and truly upon us - a haunting portal thriller, partly inspired by the author’s fervent childhood desire to track down the wardrobe which would grant her entry to the magical realm of Narnia. Be sure to read Susan’s special piece about how the Irish … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The World Between the Rain,’ by Susan Cahill.
My first festive share of the season and it’s an absolute stonker! Introducing ‘Sprouts’ by Sibéal Pounder. Be sure to read Sibéal’s piece about women as festive characters - Mrs Claus and Christmas witches finally get the recognition the deserve! “In the year 4024, there lived a young girl with jet black hair who truly … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Sprouts,’ by Sibéal Pounder, cover by Sarah Warburton.
Get ready for the compelling tale of George Brewster - a young boy with a passionate wish to be the last ever climbing boy. This thought-provoking story highlights the terrible conditions endured by young chimney sweeps and will have readers rooting for George. Make sure you read Eve’s special piece about the inspiration behind her … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Last Boy,’ by Eve McDonnell.
Welcome to Pizza Pete’s second adventure - full of magic, silliness, and mystery! This is a fanatic series for newly confident readers who are searching for highly-illustrated chapter books to enjoy. “Pizza Pete is back! But he’s worried about seeing his friends after a long summer holiday selling pizzas from his van with Dad. He’s … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Pizza Pete and the Missing Magic,’ by Carrie Sellon, illustrated by Sarah Horne.
I always look forward to a new book from Lindsay; her writing always manages to beautifully combine historical fact with the magical and mythical. Ever since her debut middle grade title, Darwin’s Dragons, I have been a big fan. “London, 1666 When fire breaks out, eleven-year-old Gil is separated from his family in the chaos. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Great Phoenix of London,’ by Lindsay Galvin, illustrated by Gordy Wright.
Bridget is back in another cake-flinging, chaos-creating adventure! This whole joyful series is a treat for readers, and don’t worry if you haven’t read the other instalments yet; there’s enough backstory woven in for newbies to pick up what is going on. “Bridget Vanderpuff is the Best Worst Baker in the World. A recipe for … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Bridget Vanderpuff and the Monster Mountain Mystery,’ by Martin Stewart, illustrated by David Habben.
Welcome to the second stop on the time travelling Silver Express on an exhilarating journey through Egyptian history and culture with Laila Rifaat, author of the Aliya series. Make sure you read the fascinating letter from Aliya to her Geddo (grandfather) describing Egyptian clothing and fashions. Visit the other blogs on the tour for more … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Aliya Aboard the Time Train,’ by Laila Rifaat, cover by Gaia Alessi.
Today, I’ve been Time Travelling With a Tortoise as I join Al on a mission to set right the ripples his time-travelling escapades have caused in the multiverse. A great sequel to Time Travelling With a Hamster by @rosswelford Cover by #TomClohosyCole “Al Chaudhury travelled back in time to save his father’s life. And it … Continue reading Holiday Reads: ‘Time Travelling With a Tortoise,’ by Ross Welford.
My first holiday read was this whimsical tale from Hilary McKay. Featuring cats, magic, and the beautiful city of Venice, there is so much to enjoy. I’d like a second instalment to see what happens next for Rosa. #RosaByStarlight ✨ Gorgeous cover & illustrations by @keithrobinson.illustrator @macmillankidsuk “Rosa lives in a world where she discovers … Continue reading Holiday reads: ‘Rosa by Starlight,’ by Hilary McKay.
I have been asked on a number of occasions for picture books which explore parental separation or divorce, and it’s a request I’ve always found quite difficult to fulfil. Thankfully, the publication of ‘Roots of Love’ has made that search an awful lot easier! “Tia has had the best day ever, until her parents tell … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Roots of Love,’ by Sarah Asuquo, illustrated by Ruthine Burton.
I’m thrilled to be showcasing a fantastic debut sci-fi adventure from Sarah Merrett. I was completely hooked in by the isolated setting of the observatory which Reuben and Grandma call home, and intrigued by just why Rueben was forbidden from venturing beyond the walls of the grounds. Sarah has written a wonderful piece about how … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Others,’ by Sarah Merrett, cover by Holly Ovenden.
The teacher in me is thrilled to finally have a quality chapter book centred around the days leading up to the legendary eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the end of the city of Pompeii. ‘Delta and the Lost City’ is told from the perspective of a young wolf-dog and focuses on the growing tumult in … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Delta and the Lost City,’ by Anna Fargher, illustrated by David Dean.
Introducing the second adventure in the Pirate Acadmey series - Missing at Sea. This series is actually set in the same swashbuckling world as VAMPIRATES but they can be read independently of each other. Pirate Academy is set five years earlier but there are some cross-over characters, including ‘golden boy’ Jacoby. Author, Justin Somper, has … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Pirate Academy: Missing at Sea,’ by Justin Somper, illustrated by Teo Staffa.
Polly Ho-Yen is an author whom you can trust to write stories you are going to want to read. They have such heart and always leave me thinking. ‘The Last Dragon’ is no exception. “Yara has only glimpsed the last dragon on Earth twice. She’s got other things to worry about: her sister is in … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Last Dragon,’ by Polly Ho-Yen, illustrated by Charis Loke.
I was thrilled to receive a copy of this brand new Dino adventure for middle grade readers. Unused to be impossible to get good quality dinosaur fiction once readers wanted something wordier than picture books, but now they’re very lucky to have a growing number of titles to choose from - ‘Sar Wylda’ being one … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Sar Wylda and the Legendary Goldbreaker,’ by Jake R. Wilson, illustrated by Kimberley Laura Walker.
I was so pleased to see a sequel to the original Greenwild adventure. I loved the lush setting of this world full of green magic and plants sprouting delicious treats. This time, readers are whisked away beneath the waves as Daisy and her friends seek out her kidnapped mother. “Daisy Thistledown is on a mission. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Greenwild – the City Beyond the Sea,’ by Pari Thomson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
I love Catherine’s writing so was excited to have been sent an early copy of this to read back in March. However, it is just about to fly the Nosy Crow nest and out into the world for everyone else to get swept away with. “After the tragic death of his mother, eleven year old … Continue reading ‘Bird Boy,’ by Catherine Bruton, cover by Oriol Vidal.
Lucy Strange is one of those authors whose books always get moved straight to the top of my ‘to be read’ pile. Imagine my delight when a rather special package dropped through my letterbox… “Abandoned at a boarding school on a bleak and remote Scottish island, Faye discovers that she and the other pupils have … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Island at the Edge of Night,’ by Lucy Strange.
Well I’ve kicked off my morning with a power chord of positivity: #FridaTheRockAndRollMoth by @kimhillyard 🎸 🎶 I loved the message about not changing yourself to fit in and lettering your inner brilliance shine through. “Frida is a musical moth who loves to rock out - she puts on her pointy boots and plays her … Continue reading ‘Frida the Rock and Roll Moth,’ by Kim Hillyard.
There is an ever-increasing selection of delightfully creepy reads for middle grade readers. ‘The Doll Twin’ taps right into my horror weak spot - animated dolls (this is as a result of watching a certain film featuring a certain murderous doll when I was much too young!) Thankfully, this new title is age-appropriate and much … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Doll Twin,’ by Janine Beacham, cover by Nathan Collins.
Library Girl and Book Boy 