For those of you who’ve read Benjamin’s debut novel, ‘Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow,’ it will come as no surprise that his second title is equally as joyous with a LGBTQ+ theme appropriate for its middle grade audience. It’s one of those books that will leave you with a huge smile … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Secret Sunshine Project,’ by Benjamin Dean, illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat.
I was immediately intrigued when I opened up this package. I hadn’t read any tween books set in this particular time period and was looking forward to the dual narrative structure of the story. ‘What would you risk for a friend you've never met . . . ? In 1960s Berlin the Wall is everywhere. … Continue reading ‘The Boy Behind the Wall,’ by Maximillian Jones.
Pam Smy’s first novel, ‘Thornhill,’ was met with much critical acclaim and nominated for several awards so my expectations of ‘The Hideaway’ were high. Well let me tell you, she has crafted another beautifully told tale interwoven with atmospheric greyscale illustrations. Pam has written an exclusive piece for this blog about being an illustrator. You … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Hideaway,’ by Pam Smy.
Today’s my stop on the StormTide blog tour - the third gripping instalment in the FloodWorld trilogy. I also have Tom’s top 5 deep sea story recommendations for you to enjoy! A world-ending storm is coming, and only Kara and Joe can hold back the tide. In the ocean depths lies a deadly secret: an … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘StormTide,’ by Tom Huddleston
This time last year, I had just finished this title’s predecessor, ‘The Monsters of Rookhaven’ - a delightfully brooding read full of gothic motifs, lurking menace, and the idea of embracing those different to yourself. As the nights draw in and Halloween swiftly approaches, I would suggest you might like to get yourself a copy … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Shadows of Rookhaven,’ by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Edward Bettison.
If you are looking for a dark, mysterious, brooding read for young teen readers, then this is what you need to get hold of. It is very rare that I am so enthralled by a book that I am compelled to read it in one sitting. But that is exactly what happened with ‘The Ash … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Ash House,’ by Angharad Walker.
I was completely blown away by this powerful novella which chronicles the inner dialogue of Rex, a young teen whose father has very recently passed away. There were smiles and there were tears as I watched him struggle to come to terms with his loss and with his final moments with his father. Definitely something … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Dream House,’ by Laura Dockrill, illustrated by Gwen Millward.
Well I’m not going to lie. I’m a card-carrying member of the Crater Lake fan club so I’d been counting down to its sequel ever since I learnt there was going to be one. I couldn’t wait to see what had happened to Lance and the gang after they survived the Crater Lake school trip … Continue reading ‘Crater Lake – Evolution,’ by Jennifer Killick.
This week, I’m going to be shining the spotlight on titles with environmental themes. Today’s the turn of ‘Green Nation Revolution.’ ‘Take your place in the Green Nation, a nation without geographical borders that unites the youth of today in their fight for the planet. Following on from the success of We Are All Greta, … Continue reading Earth Day 2021 Spotlight: ‘Green Nation Revolution – Use Your Future to Change the World,’ by Valentina Giannella & Lucia Esther Maruzzelli, illustrated by Manuela Marazzi.
Today I’m sharing an exciting new book for teen readers packed with daring exploits and audacious crimes. AND I have the second part of Chapter Two for you to enjoy. If you’ve missed reading Chapter One and the first part of this chapter, check out which stops on the blog tour to visit on the … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne,’ by Jonathan Stroud, cover by Tom Cole.
As all children look set to returning to school over the coming days, I know that emotional wellbeing will be a key concern for many. With lots of pupils having felt very isolated over the past few months, anxiety about returning to school or even being in large groups of people may be looming large. … Continue reading ‘Swan Song,’ by Gill Lewis.
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.
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
With World Mental Health Day (Saturday 10th October) and International Day of the Girl (Sunday 11th October) coming up, today seems like an excellent time to share this fantastic book with you all. Written by a world-leading expert in body image research, it is packed with advice you can trust. This book is full of … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Body Image Book for Girls: Love Yourself and Grow Up Fearless,’ by Dr. Charlotte Markey, cover by Zoe Naylor.
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
Well the shortlist for this year’s CLiPPA (CLOE Children’s Poetry Award) has been announced and we can all start making some new additions to our poetry diets. As well as sharing that shortlist with you now, I also have a piece from one of the nominees, A.F. Harrold about just how he whittled down the … Continue reading The CLiPPA 2020 – with a special piece from A.F. Harrold
Today I have a deliciously creepy title from Carnegie-nominated author, Pádraig Kenny for readers aged ten and up. Mirabelle has always known that she’s different. A monster. But she has always felt safe and loved behind the magical enchantments shielding her and the rest of ‘the Family’ from the human world. The House of Rookhaven … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Monsters of Rookhaven,’ by Pádraig Kenny, illustrated by Edward Bettison.
We love graphic novels in our household and Book Boy always has to have the first read. Last week, he was relaxing in the paddling pool with ‘Donut the Destroyer.’ He’d already enjoyed Sarah Graley’s previous graphic novel, ‘Glitch,’ so was excited to read this next one. Make sure you read Sarah’s awesome piece about … Continue reading ‘Donut the Destroyer,’ by Sarah Graley and Stef Purenins.
It is so refreshing to see a wave of ‘real voices’ titles appearing in the middle grade category. Interesting and often challenging stories told from an authentic viewpoint. In this case, we get to read about Addie, an autistic girl, written by neurodivergent author, Elle McNicoll. Addie has been having a tough time recently. Her … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘A Kind of Spark,’ by Elle McNicoll.
Library Girl and Book Boy 