This is my first read of 2023 and I had high hopes based on what I’d read online. I wasn’t definitely not disappointed - I read the whole book in a day as I was so caught up to Sashi’s story. ‘FACT: Octopuses have three hearts. FACT: Octopuses have BEAKS, like BIRDS. FACT: The octopus … Continue reading ‘The Octopus, Dadu and Me,’ by Lucy Ann Unwin, cover by Selom Sunu, illustrations by Lucy Mulligan.
People have long been fascinated by the highwaymen who used to strike fear into the heart of many a wealthy traveller. Lots of us will have studied Alfred Noyes’ famous poem ‘The Highwayman’ at school, and generations of children continue to do so. This book would be a great choice to read along side for … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Stand and Deliver,’ by Philip Caveney, illustration by Jill Tytherleigh.
Chris Vick is a stunning writer - his debut novel ‘Girl. Boy. Sea.’ was shortlisted for the 2020 Cilip Carnegie award. When I was given the chance to read his newest title, I just couldn’t pass it up! I also have a special Q&A from Chris for you to enjoy! ‘From killers to conservationists, Carnegie-shortlisted … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Last Whale,’ by Chris Vick, cover by Jessie Price.
I think anybody with tweens or who teaches Year 6 upwards, should have heard of Yang’s ‘Front Desk’ series which follows the life of Mia Tang and her family as they try to fit in with the American way of life whilst staying true their Chinese roots. If you haven’t, then you need to get … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Key Player,’ by Kelly Yang.
Oh my goodness. Book Boy and I have been eagerly awaiting for the second instalment of Scarlett and Albert’s adventures (see my review of the first in the trilogy HERE) and now it’s here! This post also features a special piece by author, Jonathan Stroud, about the key roles and characters of the landscapes within … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Notorious Scarlett and Browne,’ by Jonathan Stroud, cover by Tom Clohosy Cole.
Our young people live in an increasingly visual world - branding, advertising, and online images are a part of everyday life. The ability to decode and critically analyse images is key to becoming aware of when art is seeking manipulate your emotions or thoughts in some way. This fascinating book explores how typography, colour, and … Continue reading ‘Art of Protest – What Revolution Looks Like,’ by De Nichols, illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Saddo, Olivia Twist, Molly Mendoza, and Diego Becas.
I’ll be honest, I am a huge Chris Riddell fangirl so I am always going to love anything he’s illustrated. However, if you pair his illustrations with the the masterful writing of award-winning author Kevin Crossley-Holland and thrilling Arthurian legend. Well, then you have something really rather special! ‘The definitive retelling of the legends of … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Arthur the Always King,’ retold by Kevin Crossley-Holland, illustrated by Chris Riddell.
Today I’m kicking off the blog tour for a brand new title by award-winning novelist Sita Brahmachari. ‘When Shadows Fall’ pis a powerful exploration of grief, exclusion, and friendship for teen readers told in prose and free verse. There are also stunning illustrated pages and sections throughout which echo the story’s theme of the therapeutic … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘When Shadows Fall,’ by Sita Brahmachari, illustrated by Natalie Sirett.
It’s in those post-primary school years that reading for pleasure can tend to take off in tweens. A monthly book subscription from Parrot Street Book Club could be just what they need to keep them hooked! What makes these subscriptions so special is that each month, the recipient gets a carefully selected book from beyond … Continue reading Parrot Street Book Club – The Macaw Subscription for 12-14 year olds.
In the wake of multiple lockdowns and as a result of a mental health service struggling to keep up with demand, there has been a worrying rise in the number of children suffering from a mental health condition. This increase has resulted in the publication of lots of wonderful journals and activity books designed to … Continue reading Books to Boost
The Oxford University Press have produced a brand new range of highly-readable titles for less confident KS3 readers (aged 11 up.) They’ve created the ‘Super-readable Rollercoasters’ in collaboration with Barrington Stoke who are known for their dyslexia-friendly format and snappy, engaging stories. I was lucky enough to be sent two of these titles to review, … Continue reading ‘Dark Peak,’ by Marcus Sedgwick, cover by Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor.
10 Stories to Make a Difference is a collection of original illustrated stories published by children’s literature non-profit development agency Pop Up, which has been bringing books, schools and communities together for 10 years. Pop Up has collaborated with 20 writers and illustrators and a host of editing and design professionals from 12 publishers, and crowdsourced … Continue reading Pop Up: 10 Stories to Make a Difference
Justin Somper’s swaggering fantasy adventure series has been reissued with striking new covers and bonus additional content including ‘origins stories’ for its lead characters, interviews, and reading group notes. Today I’m sharing the first of those with you, plus an exclusive piece by Justin about how he researched his characters. ‘The year is 2512. The … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Vampirates,’ by Justin Somper, cover illustration by Crush Creative.
I am sure that lots of you will already have read and loved Elle’s stellar debut title ‘A Kind of Spark’ (if you haven’t, do it!) and were blown away by the power of her writing. Like me, you will probably have been eagerly awaiting her next publication, hoping it will be just as brilliant. … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Show Us Who You Are,’ by Elle McNicoll, cover by Kay Wilson.
Ever since reading the first instalment of Robert Muchamore’s Robin Hood series earlier in 2020, Book Boy has been counting down to the release of the second in January 2021. Luckily for him, I was kindly sent a review copy before that which he promptly whisked from under my nose and set about devouring. ‘The … Continue reading ‘Robin Hood: Piracy, Paintballs and Zebras,’ by Robert Muchamore.
How about giving something a little this Christmas - the gift of poetry. This beautiful volume would be the perfect introduction to the world of poetry for any teenager or adult. Every day from the 1st December through to the 29th February has at least two poems for readers to enjoy and be inspired by. … Continue reading Christmas Advent – Day 13 ‘A Poem for Every Winter Day,’ edited by Allie Esiri.
Today is my turn to share with you this truly wonderful graphic novel which depicts the true story of life in a refugee camp through the eyes of a young boy. For almost as long as he can remember, Omar and his brother Hassan have lived in the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Although … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘When Stars are Scattered,’ by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed.
I am almost ashamed to admit that I hadn’t read any of Welsh Children’s laureate, Eloise Williams’s titles before ‘Wilde,’ but I had heard the most amazing things about her writing so was excited to get engrossed by Wilde’s story. Wilde has managed to get herself expelled from boarding school, again. Rather than face a … Continue reading ‘Wilde’ by Eloise Williams.
This week, Book Boy got to pick our Tuesday title and he selected this updated take on the classic story of Robin Hood. After his coder father is falsely imprisoned following a disagreement with local gangster, Guy Gisborne, twelve-year-old Robin escapes into the sprawling and dangerous Sherwood Forest. Full of snakes and bandits, no one … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay Robert Muchamore’s ‘Robin Hood,’ cover by Alessandro Taini.
When I saw that there was a new instalment to Michelle Paver’s iconic and award-winning ‘Wolf Brother’ series, I knew that I HAD to get my hands on a copy! I absolutely devoured all the other titles whilst on maternity leave, tapping on my kindle with my one free finger to turn the page. This … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Viper’s Daughter,’ by Michelle Paver.
Library Girl and Book Boy 