Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot... I am very excited to feature 'Black Powder' on the blog as I'm lucky enough to have Ally Sherrick visiting my school to work with Year 5 very soon. Watch out for a special post next week! This explosive novel whisks the reader back in … Continue reading ‘Black Powder, ‘ by Ally Sherrick, illustrated by Alexis Snell.
Tag: Upper KS2
‘The Railway Children,’ by E. Nesbit, illustrated by Peter Bailey.
Alma Classics have sent me this lovely re-illustrated version of a childhood classic - The Railway Children. After the unexpected disappearance of their father, Bobbie, Phyllis and Peter have to leave their comfortable lives in London to move to a small cottage in the countryside with their mother. As mother struggles to make ends meet by writing … Continue reading ‘The Railway Children,’ by E. Nesbit, illustrated by Peter Bailey.
‘The Horror Handbook,’ by Paul van Loon, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
A Halloween must-have for all would-be monster hunters aged 9-11 years old (or above). But BEWARE , this horrifying handbook is only for the very bravest of readers... Lurking within the pages of this terrifying tome are loads of tips and trivia about ghosts, ghouls and zombies (to name but a few.) A humorous guide … Continue reading ‘The Horror Handbook,’ by Paul van Loon, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
‘Finding Black Beauty.’
I am absolutely delighted to welcome the magnificent Lou Kuenzler to the blog as part of her 'Finding Black Beauty' blog tour - a beautiful version of the classic 'Black Beauty' with a twist. As well as getting read and review her book, I got to ask Lou about where her desire to work with … Continue reading ‘Finding Black Beauty.’
‘Chasing Danger,’ by Sara Grant
Welcome to my stop on the 'Chasing Danger - Mystery at the Ice Hotel' blog tour. You are lucky enough to have reviews of both action-packed adventures in this new series from the fabulous Sara Grant. Book 1 - 'Chasing Danger.' In the first instalment in the series we are introduced to Chase (aka Charlotte) as she is seemingly abandoned … Continue reading ‘Chasing Danger,’ by Sara Grant
‘Foxcraft,’ by Inbali Iserles
I AM FEARLESS. I AM FOX. Welcome to the magical world of the fantastic Foxcraft series by Inbali Iserles. Foxcraft - The Taken (book 1) Isla and her brother, Pirie, spend their days blissfully happy. They play, romp and stalk through the woods and fields surrounding their den - taking care not to bump into … Continue reading ‘Foxcraft,’ by Inbali Iserles
‘Jim Reaper – Saving Granny Maggot,’ by Rachel Delahaye, illustrated by Jamie Littler.
Jim is back in another death-defying (literally) adventure that will make you laugh your socks off! Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride! Jim Wimple has just about come to terms with the fact that his father is, in fact, the Grim Reaper and not an accountant as he had previously believed. To help him … Continue reading ‘Jim Reaper – Saving Granny Maggot,’ by Rachel Delahaye, illustrated by Jamie Littler.
Girl Power! ft. ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World,’ and ‘Ada Twist, Scientist.’
There's been a lot of publicity recently, aimed at encouraging girls to pursue careers involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.) This post celebrates all things 'girl power' as I review some of the titles I've been sent which focus on inspirational women and breaking down stereotypes. But don't worry - they're funny, endearing and … Continue reading Girl Power! ft. ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World,’ and ‘Ada Twist, Scientist.’
‘Crimson Poison,’ by Susan Moore.
In futuristic Hong Kong, Nat Walker (an orphan heiress) lives on a junk boat with her robot dragon and legal guardian. Nat spends her time zooming through Hong Kong's crowded highways on her slider (electronic hover board), racing between school, home and martial arts lessons. Life becomes more complicated when her guardian, Jamuka, suddenly gets … Continue reading ‘Crimson Poison,’ by Susan Moore.
‘The Jungle Books,’ by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Ian Beck.
Everyone knows the famous story of the man-cub Mowgli, a boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India. This new edition from Alma Classics contains all the Jungle Books and added bonus material for young readers. If if you enjoyed the real-life action film version which has just been released on DVD (or love … Continue reading ‘The Jungle Books,’ by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Ian Beck.
‘Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret,’ by Lyn Gardner.
Set in murky Victorian London, this story follows Rose Campion, adopted daughter of Thomas Campion (owner of Campion's Palace of Variety and Wonders), as she tries to unravel a series of mysteries and deadly coincidences. Rose was abandoned on the doorstep of Campion's Music Hall as a baby and she loves it there - the greasepaint, … Continue reading ‘Rose Campion and the Stolen Secret,’ by Lyn Gardner.
‘Dara Palmer’s Major Drama,’ by Emma Shevah, illustrated by Helen Cranford-White
Dara Palmer's life is one big drama. She knows that she's destined to end up on the big screen as a world-famous movie star, so can't understand why she never gets even the tiniest part in her school's plays. Dara is starting to think that the reason she never gets any of the big parts is because … Continue reading ‘Dara Palmer’s Major Drama,’ by Emma Shevah, illustrated by Helen Cranford-White
‘Six,’ by M.M. Vaughan.
Parker Banks has moved with his family from London to New York and is struggling to fit in and make friends at school, unlike his younger sister, Emma (who happens to be deaf.) His dad is at the forefront of pioneering technological advances and is constantly at work for a top-secret corporation. It seemed like … Continue reading ‘Six,’ by M.M. Vaughan.
The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2016!
A fortnight ago, Book Boy received a phone call saying that he had a won a class trip to the Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2016 (or 'The Lollies.') Obviously, we were skipping round the library in excitement as it meant we'd get to see lots of authors and illustrators whose books we loved! The … Continue reading The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2016!
‘Wolf’ by Tommy Donbavand
#TommyVCancer I'm writing this review as part of a month-long blog tour packed with special features, reviews and giveaways to raise awareness of author Tommy Donbavand as he battles cancer. Tommy is the author of the popular 13-book Scream Street series for 7 to 10 year olds, published by Walker Books in the UK and Candlewick … Continue reading ‘Wolf’ by Tommy Donbavand
‘Rent a Bridesmaid’ by Jacqueline Wilson, illustrated by Nick Sharratt
We were delighted to be sent a set of the fabulous new Jacqueline Wilson book before it had even been released on general sale, but not as delighted as the book group who got to review it. You should have heard their squeals! Thank you so much to the Times Educational Supplement and Scholastic who … Continue reading ‘Rent a Bridesmaid’ by Jacqueline Wilson, illustrated by Nick Sharratt
‘L is for London’ by Paul Thurlby
Planning on visiting London Town for some royal birthday celebrations? Then you need this fabulous A-Z guide crammed with all there is to know about our capital city! For those of you who need to 'step into the map' to navigate around a city, the first thing you're greeted with when you open the cover … Continue reading ‘L is for London’ by Paul Thurlby
‘The Whispers of Wilderwood Hall,’ By Karen McCombie
We are thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for the fabulous Karen McCombie's newest book, 'The Whispers of Wilderwood Hall,' with an awesome giveaway! **One lucky reader is in with the chance to win themselves a brand new copy of this brilliant book! To be in with a chance of winning, all you … Continue reading ‘The Whispers of Wilderwood Hall,’ By Karen McCombie
‘100 Facts’ series from Miles Kelly Publishing
Following a plea for more non-fiction books to review, Miles Kelly were generous enough to send us some of their best books - all in the name of science. We're going to kick off by reviewing not one, but three of the brilliant books from their '100 Facts' series. 100 Facts: Stars and Galaxies - In … Continue reading ‘100 Facts’ series from Miles Kelly Publishing
‘Self-destructing Science – Space’ by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Nikalas Catlon
My Super Sidekick was very excited when we received a copy of this fantastic interactive book to review from Bloomsbury. Thank you! 'Self-destructing Science - Space' allows budding astronauts to explore wormholes and the big bang theory through a series of amazing interactive challenges and games. Cutting, scribbling, folding and experimenting - it cleverly combines … Continue reading ‘Self-destructing Science – Space’ by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Nikalas Catlon
Library Girl and Book Boy 