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 really enjoy reading a good historical fiction novel, especially if there’s an element of mystery afoot. If you’re anything like me, you’ll thoroughly enjoy A.M. Howell’s new title which was inspired by a notable clock collection housed in Bury St. Edmund’s Moyse’s Hall museumS. What would it be like to live in a house … Continue reading ‘The House of One Hundred Clocks,’ by A.M. Howell, illustrations by Saara Söderlund.
Empathy is a vital human force. One that creates happier children, stronger communities and a better world. It’s come into sharp focus during the pandemic and right now, we’ve never needed it more. Empathy is being able to imagine and share someone else’s feelings. The good news is that it's a skill you can learn, … Continue reading Empathy Day: ‘Flight,’ by Vanessa Harbour.
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.
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.
Today’s my turn to shout about ‘Rise of the Shadow Dragons,’ the gripping follow up to Liz Flanagan’s award-winning ‘Dragon Daughter.’ Make sure you read Liz’s special piece about some of the main themes in this gripping epic. Joe wakes up smiling with the lingering memory of a dream where he was riding on the … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Rise of the Shadow Dragons,’ by Liz Flanagan.
I was super-excited to dive into this book because I had heard lots of excellent things about it on Twitter and then, I received a most intriguing box of goodies, including a class set of samplers, which went to Book Boy’s school. Freddie Yates likes facts, and that’s a fact. But it’s not all that … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates,’ by Jenny Pearson, illustrated by Rob Biddulph.
We’re back for a post-bank holiday Tuesday Reviews Day. This week Book Boy has chosen a Derby Daredevils title. Best friends Kenzie and Shelly are desperate to enter a real life roller derby. When their local league announced there’ll be a new junior division, they can’t believe their luck! There’s only one problem - to … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay: ‘The Derby Daredevils: Kenzie Kickstarts a Team,’ by Kit Rosewater, illustrated by Sophie Escabasse.
Chris Haslam is Chief Travel Writer at The Sunday Times, writer of black comedy thrillers for adults and now the author of his first book for children: ‘Orla and the Serpent’s Curse.’ Orla and her family head to a secluded Cornish cottage for they hope will be a relaxing break away from the hustle and … Continue reading ‘Orla and the Serpent’s Curse,’by C. J. Haslam, cover by Paddy Donnelly.
As a parent of a child in Year 6, I am keenly aware that Book Boy may not be returning to school in time to do all the usual 'end of Year 6' things - performances, shirt signings, the sex education session which I am sure many parents (including myself) are not overly confident in … Continue reading Books to use in RSE (Relationships and Sex Education) in Year 6.
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.
Ooh readers, you are in for a treat. I read this brilliant curse-filled tale over the course of the day and thoroughly loved it! When Noah Bradley and his family arrive at their newest house in the middle of the night, he can’t help but wonder how long he will be able to call it … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Thirteenth Home of Noah Bradley,’ by Amber Lee Dodd,
As part of our new schedule, #BookBoy and #BookBoyJr will be posting new reviews every Tuesday (#TuesdayReviewsDay.) This weekend, Book Boy has been reading the first in a new series of pun-filled mysteries from Piccadilly Press. Mark Anchovy (aka Colin Kingsley) is a pizza delivery boy and aspiring private detective - he is desperate for … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay ‘Mark Anchovy: Pizza Detective,’ by William Goldsmith.
Welcome to the blog tour for “TrooFriend” by Kirsty Applebaum - make sure you read her thoughts on whether she’d like to own a TrooFriend herself. Having read and loved her debut, “The Middler,” I was very impatient to read her next title and I had high expectations. I was not disappointed. ‘I am a … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘TrooFriend,’ by Kirsty Applebaum,
As part of our home-schooling timetable, #BookBoy and #BookBoyJr will be writing book reviews to go on the blog. Our very first review, of ‘Super Stan,’ has been composed by #BookBoy who had his nose buried in it all weekend! Title: Super Stan Author: Elaine Wickson Illustrator: Chris Judge Publisher: Oxford University Press Synopsis: This … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay ‘Super Stan’ by Elaine Wickson, illustrated by Chris Judge.
With Spring in the air and daffodils donning their yellow bonnets, now is the time of year when my thoughts turn to gardening. Pruning rose bushes and planting bulbs in the hopes of a riot of colour and creepy-crawlies come Summer. My boys love helping me choose which bulbs and bedding plants to purchase and … Continue reading How does your garden grow?
Today I am sharing the creepy, magical tale of a pair of siblings and a house full of secrets: ‘The House on Hoarder Hill.’ I also have a Q&A with the two authors, Mikki Lish and Kelly Ngai, about the pros and cons of writing as a duo and where their inspiration cane from. Hedy … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘The House on Hoarder Hill,’ by Mikki Lish & Kelly Ngai, cover by Maxine Lee-Mackie.
Jennifer Killick is one of the most amazing authors of funny books (see her Alex Sparrow series or Mo, Lottie and the Junkers) so I was more than a little intrigued when I heard that her next book was going to be scary. Maybe even - a horror! Would she keep her trademark humour or … Continue reading ‘Crater Lake,’ by Jennifer Killick.
I’m kicking off the blog tour for second instalment in Tom Huddleston’s apocalyptic middle grade series - ‘DustRoad.’ I also have a cracking guest post from Tom about some other brilliant apocalyptic tales his readers might also enjoy. Just to fill you in briefly, FloodWorld finds main protagonists Kara and Joe living in the impoverished … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Dust Road,’ by Tom Huddleston
I’m starting wonder if the hit Netflix series, ‘Stranger Things,’ is partly responsible for the slowly growing trickle of spooky, kooky Sci-Fi novels with a good dollop of retro. ‘The Bigwoof Conspiracy’ would definitely fit into that category. Twelve-year-old Lucy Sladan is obsessed with the ‘unexplained.’ And there’s plenty of unexplained occurnaces in her home … Continue reading ‘The Bigwoof Conspiracy,’ by Dashe Roberts, illustrations by Bill Bragg.
