“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman. Herstory is a gorgeous collection of biographies featuring some of the world’s most inspiring women and girls. Drawn from all walks of life and … Continue reading ‘Herstory – 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World,’ by Katherine Halligan, illustrated by Sarah Walsh.
Ella is the new girl at school and she’s hiding a secret. A secret so terrible that surely no one would want to be friends with her anyway, even if they did notice her existence! When Queen Bee, Lydia, decides to grace Ella with her friendship, Ella can’t believe her luck - suddenly all the … Continue reading ‘Ella on the Outside,’ by Cath Howe, illustration by Nicola Theobald.
Her Ladyship (Library Girl), is delighted to invite you to peruse three glorious new illustrated texts at your leisure... The Knight Who Said “No!” By Lucy Rowland, illustrated by Kate Hindley (Nosy Crow) Little Ned the Knight is always such a good boy. Whenever anyone asks him to do something, he says yes. Until one … Continue reading Princes and dragons and knights – oh my!
Two vibrant interactive books from award-winning author Jane Clarke, stunningly illustrated by the uber-talented Britta Teckentrup. Firefly Home Poor Florence Firefly is lost - all she wants to do is find her way back home to the other fireflies. Unfortunately for her, there are lots of other lights around to lead her astray: lighthouses, trains … Continue reading ‘Firefly Home’ and ‘Neon Leon,’ by Jane Clarke, illustrated by Britta Teckentrup.
Every so often a book comes along which perfectly mirrors life in the society about which it is written. I am very sad to say that ‘Running on Empty’ does just that. Focussing on the timely issues of modern-day poverty and young carers, it sharply brings into view the pressures faced by children and their … Continue reading ‘Running on Empty,’ by S.E.Durrant, cover by Rob Biddulph. Plus exclusive guest post.
Well according to the calendar, Spring has officially sprung and we can look forward to some glimmers of sunshine and possibly some Easter chocolate. If you are looking to give something a little longer-lasting and better for your teeth than an Easter egg, how about one of these bookish treats...? The First Egg Hunt by … Continue reading Spring has Sprung!
I think mums might be the least acknowledged group of superheroes on the planet. They walk among us without flashy costumes or theme music playing, but constantly perform heroic deeds without even realising and without applause. This book, from Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger, is an ode to all those Superhero Mums masquerading as regular … Continue reading ‘Superhero Mum,’ by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Joe Berger.
Unicorns are currently riding high on a wave of popularity - there’s a constant queue of children clamouring for magical titles in our school library. That’s why I know they (and our librarian) will be delighted to learn about the sparkling new ‘Unicorn Academy’ series by Julie Sykes, illustrated by Lucy Truman and published by … Continue reading Unicorn Academy…Where Magic Happens.
We’ve already had children asking for this in the school library - the mark of an excellent book series! I’m sure they won’t be disappointed by the newest instalment of Izzy’s adventures - The Phantom Lollipop Man! Every day for, well, forever, the same grumpy old lollipop man has safely escorted Izzy and her pals … Continue reading ‘The Phantom Lollipop Man!’ By Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Thomas Flintham.
‘You have to make more noise than anybody else,’ Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the British suffragette movement. To celebrate the centenary anniversary of the Representation of The People Act 1918, which have the vote to some women for the first time, Nosy Crow commissioned a very special collection of stories from a stellar collection of … Continue reading ‘Make More Noise!’ from Nosy Crow, cover by Steph Baxter.
‘A guzzle! A gollop! Who wants to eat goats? I’ll chomp little children and chew up their coats.’ Troll is fed up of eating goats for his dinner so he sets off to find something much more tasty - children! On bikes, in cars or packed on buses. They’re all equally delicious. However the children … Continue reading ‘Troll Stroll,’ by Elli Woollard, illustrated by David Barrow.
Unicorns are a major trend at the moment, with every self-respecting child (and adult) of a certain age are clamouring after everything sparkles and rainbows. Throw in some crafty colouring too and you have pretty much their perfect book. When this fabulous book arrived in the post, I knew the perfect group of testers - … Continue reading ‘Press Out and Decorate Unicorns,’ by Kate McLelland.
So I've shared some of my top picture books choices for this Christmas, now it's the turn of chapter books. I absolutely LOVE picture books for readers of ALL ages, not just the little ones but sometimes you just a longer book to sink your teeth into or delay bedtime for a few minutes longer. … Continue reading Festive Chapter Book Fancies
One of the greatest things about running a book blog is the regular deliveries of books dropping through your letter box. This is never truer than in the run-up to Christmas when little festive treats are delivered to me by the book elves. My 'to be read' pile is suddenly awash with gold, red, green … Continue reading Have a Picture (book) Perfect Christmas
Books about vehicles are always surefire winners in our household and these brilliant board books don’t disappoint. Both these books have a fantastic ‘follow-the-hole’ feature which really allows little readers to interact and get involved with the adventure. In ‘Look, there’s a Submarine!,’ you can dive to the bottom of the ocean and meet some … Continue reading ‘Look, there’s a….’ series from Esther Aarts.
This month, I've been enjoying scaring myself with some of the newest spooky releases for readers aged 8+ and have a ghoulish prize for one lucky book-fan. 'Vlad the World's Worst Vampire' by Anna Wilson, illustrations by Kathryn Durst (Stripes Publishing) Firsty up is this little book with bite which would be perfect for readers … Continue reading Happy Halloween!
As we enter the month of October, I am looking forward to sharing with you books which celebrate Autumn and all things spooky. My very first offering is the gorgeous 'Cat Learns to Listen at Moonlight School,' the third title in the Moonlight School series. Tonight, Miss Moon is taking her class of pupils out … Continue reading ‘Cat Learns to Listen at Moonlight School,’ by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Ali Pye.
Now that Autumn is officially with us, I thought I'd share some titles which sum up the very essence of the season: squirrels, sticks and hibernation! 'The Nut Stayed Shut' by Mike Henson (Templar Publishing) Rodney is a champion nut cracker, so the task of cracking three nuts should be easy, right? Wrong! The third … Continue reading Autumnal Delights
****Breaking News!!!**** Congratulations are due to the excellent David Solomons as ‘My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord,’ won the PopJam Readers’ Choice Award at the Lollies 2017 award ceremony tonight! I am absolutely thrilled for everyone involved and can’t wait for another instalment in the future. I am so excited and honoured to be … Continue reading Lollies 2017 Winner! ‘My Gym Teacher is an Alien Overlord,’ by David Solomons, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson, typography by Rob Biddulph
These next three books are perfect for fans of all things dinosaur. We have some fabulous fiction, non-fiction and a gorgeous colour and discover book. 'The Book of Prehistoric Beasts,' from Angela Rizza and Jonny Marx (Buster Books) This gorgeous book is a clever mix of facts, profiles and fearsome creatures to colour in. … Continue reading Dinotastic Discoveries!
Library Girl and Book Boy 