Each time I read a new book over the two week Easter holidays, I’m going to add to this post. Although I tweet a lot about new books, I don’t always blog about them, so this is my chance to share with you all! This is the second graphic novel starring Frankie, who is newly … Continue reading Holiday Reads
If you are looking for a crisp, magical adventure to snuggle down with, look no further than the latest tale from Katherine Orton. Her writing is always exquisite and guaranteed to transport you right into the heart of the story. Katharine’s also written a special piece about what inspired the host of wonderful, fearsome creatures … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Mountainfell,’ by Katharine Orton, cover by Sandra Dieckmann.
ReadyForSpaghetti by @MichaelRosenYes, illustrated by @PollyDunbar is a delicious collection of funny poems for the very littlest of little ones. They beg to be read aloud and stomped around to! Gorgeous, heart-warming illustrations. #poetry This one seems apt given the downpours we’ve been having recently! “From two of the biggest names in children's publishing, this … Continue reading Poetry Spotlight: ‘Ready for Spaghetti,’ by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Polly Dunbar.
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.
Woo hoo! I absolutely love ANYTHING Elys Dolan writes so I was pleased to seen a brand new highly-illustrated chapter book drop through my letter box… Rex is king of the dinosaurs: carnivores want to be him and herbivores want to be eaten by him... That is, until a pesky Ice Age comes along and … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise,’ by Elys Dolan.
It’s here! The second instalment in the brilliantly funny and marvellously magical series which started with ‘The House at the Edge of Magic.’ Nine and her friends have broken the curse on their marvellous, magical House, and are free to travel the worlds once more! Their first stop: The Wizarding Hopscotch Championships. There's only one … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Tower at the End of Time,’ by Amy Sparkes.
Tony Bradman’s ‘Viking Boy’ is used in classrooms across the country when it’s time to learn about the intrepid Vikings. I am sure teachers will be delighted to learn that there’s now an official non-fiction guide written to help readers explore Gunnar’s world! Make sure you read Tony Bradman’s piece about what inspired him to … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Viking Boy: The Real Story,’ by Tony Bradman, illustrated by Thomas Sperling.
A special edition of a well-loved classic makes for a timeless Christmas gift. Below, are some of the latest titles I’ve received which bring classic tales to life in new and surprising ways. Please – draw me a sheep. I blinked. The voice belonged to a charming little prince. The characters of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's … Continue reading Classics for Christmas
Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Ross on his nomination for The Costa Book Awards for his fantastical World War 2 adventure ‘The Midnight Guardians’ - it’s quite unlike anything I’ve read before! So now that you know the calibre of the writer we’re dealing with here, I know you’ll be excited to hear about his … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Chime Seekers,’ by Ross Montgomery, cover by David Dean.
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 hosting a brand new title from Vivian French - The Runaways of Haddington Hall. And if you’d like to know the five books Vivian would take with her to a desert island, read on! ‘After a series of misfortunes, Minnie O’Sullivan is whisked away to Haddington Hall: a nightmarish home for wayward girls. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Runaways of Haddington Hall,’ by Vivian French.
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
‘Reflecting Realities’ is the name of a powerful piece of research conducted by the CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) which focussed on extent and quality of ethnic representation and diversity within children’s literature. Their third report (published in November 2020) found that only 7% of children’s literature published over the past three years … Continue reading Reflecting Realities – Part 1 (diverse ethnicities)
It’s that time of year when some of our thoughts may turn to the spooky or the magical. This blog features some of the latest titles I’ve been sent which reflect these themes. Take a look but don’t get scared…! Board Books ‘Five Spooky Friends,’ by Danielle McLean, illustrated by Rosalind Maroney (Little Tiger Press) … Continue reading Happy Halloween
Emma Chichester Clark is probably best known for her beautiful picture books, but she has also just had a chapter book published for readers aged 6+. ‘Polly Pecorino’ is full of the gorgeous illustrations you would expect, bringing to life Chichester Clark’s tale of human stupidity and greed. ‘Are you brave enough to enter the … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Polly Pecorino- The Girl Who Rescues Animals,’ by Emma Chichester Clark.
When I have to wrestle a book out of my son’s hands and hide it so that I can read it before him, you know that you’re onto a winner. And that is exactly what happened when SkyWake Invasion arrived! An exciting and original debut sci-fi adventure trilogy for the gaming generation, from a screenwriter, … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘SkyWake Invasion,’ by Jamie Russell, cover by Matt Griffin.
With lots of top level sport to enjoy over the summer, children might be looking for a little extra inspiration to help them reach their peak performance level. Award-winning journalist Rick Broadbent has interviewed some of the biggest names in sport and shares some of their inspiring stories in this brilliant book. Make sure you … Continue reading Blog post: ‘Sports Legends: 50 Inspiring People to Help You Reach the Top of Your Game,’ by Rick Broadbent, illustrated by James Davies.
Introducing the second book in the Johnny Ball series - a super-funny series for football mad readers. ‘From the author of Ultimate Football Heroes comes the second book in the Johnny Ball series, funny reading for football-mad kids. Johnny Ball's got a super exciting new job: assistant manager for the Tissbury Tigers! But there's a … Continue reading ‘Johnny Ball Undercover Football Genius,’ by Matt Oldfield, illustrated by Tim Wesson.
We absolutely love this highly-illustrated, highly-engaging series for readers aged 8+ This one’s packed with 50 weird and wonderful true stories. ‘Celebrate the greatest names and teams in football history with this collection of 50 true stories.Discover the greatest football moments of all time in this collection of 50 exciting stories, perfect for fans of … Continue reading ‘Football School: Epic Heroes,’ by Alex Bellos & Ben Lyttleton, illustrated by Spike Gerrell.
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.
Library Girl and Book Boy 