Today I’m sharing a magical adventure with dragons, poachers, and wildsmith magic. The first in a new series suitable for readers aged 7+. I also have a special piece from Liz about where her story ideas come from. "When war threatens her beloved city, Rowan and her mother must flee to the Dark Forest. There … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest,’ by Liz Flanagan, cover by Joe Todd-Stanton.
I am sure that many of you will already have been transported back in time with Emma Carroll’s incredible historical adventures, or have been enchanted by Eva Ibbotson’s transportative writing. Lots of you who work in schools may also have used ‘Journey to the River Sea’ as part of a topic on rainforests. Well, now … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Escape to the River Sea,’ by Emma Carroll, cover by Katie Hickey.
I have to admit to having read this some time ago but only now posting the review! I had been very eagerly anticipating this title, having previously read and loved Chisholm’s novel, Orion Lost, so had high expectations of his next futuristic adventure. ‘The robot Adam-2 has been locked in the basement of a lost … Continue reading ‘Adam-2,’ by Alastair Chisholm, cover by Dan Mumford.
Today I’m sharing a beautiful picture book based on real events in Syria: ‘In a war-torn city, a little girl tends to the last garden. But everyone is leaving and soon the girl has to leave too. The garden is all alone now but soon the seeds scatter throughout the city and the roots take … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Last Garden,’ by Rachel Ip, illustrated by Anneli Bray.
Today’s my stop on the magical ‘Glassheart’ blog tour and I have a special piece from Katharine about the folklore of Dartmoor inspired her story. Orphaned during an explosion in the war, Nona is taken in by Uncle Antoni - a stained glass craftsman. They travel everywhere together, replacing stained-glass windows in war-torn buildings. When … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Glassheart,’ by Katharine Orton, cover by Sandra Dieckmann.
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
I’m always so pleased to be able to share with you a beautiful picture book for the diverse publisher, Tiny Owl. Their books promote diversity not only through their themes and content, but also the wonderful collection of authors and illustrators they work with. I was recently asked to produce a video of myself reading … Continue reading ‘There’s Room for Everyone,’ by Anahita Teymorian.
In honour of International Dogs Day, here’s a round up of some of the fab books I’ve received featuring some of the most brilliant dogs around! ‘This is a Dog’ by Ross Collins (Nosy Crow) Uh oh! A very loveable but slightly excitable young pup has broken into a First Book of Animals and taken … Continue reading Puppy Love
Anna Fargher’s brilliant middle grade title ‘The Umbrella Mouse’ is currently Waterstones Children’s Book Of The month. It tells a tale based on the true stories of some of the animals caught in the conflict of the Second World War, a tale of courage, friendship and resistance. When the Umbrella shop which is the London … Continue reading The Women Who Helped Make D-Day Possible by author of ‘The Umbrella Mouse,’ Anna Fargher.
This is a post for any of you planning to mark Refugee Week 2019 by raising awareness and promoting discussion about acceptance, kindness and refugees in your schools or homes. The books I’m going to share with you should be explored all year round, but I thought a special week may be … Continue reading National Refugee Week 2019 (17th-23rd June)
Inspired by the stories of her childhood like ‘When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit’ and ‘The Silver Sword,’ Catherine decided to write a story of her own, inspired by the unfolding migrant crisis. The result is ‘No Ballet Shoes in Syria.’ A book about a child displaced from her home in Syria, fleeing across Europe and … Continue reading ‘No Ballet Shoes in Syria,’ by Catherine Bruton, cover by Kathrin Honesta.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for ‘The Middler,’ the epic debut middle grade novel by Kirsty’s Applebaum. Make sure you read her exclusive piece about how her own childhood influenced her story. Maggie lives a quiet, protected life in the self-isolated town of Fennis Wick. Her whole world for the eleven years … Continue reading ‘The Middler,’ by Kirsty Applebaum – with guest post! Cover by Matt Saunders.
Today is my stop on the blog tour for the awesome ‘A Witch Alone’ - the final (at present) instalment in the magical ‘The Apprentice Witch’ series. In addition to this review, you can also listen to me interviewing James about the series HERE on the Library Girl and Book Boy podcast. If you’ve ever … Continue reading ‘A Witch Alone,’ by James Nicol, cover illustration by Daniela Terrazzini – The Blog Tour!
An orphan girl, a wealthy stranger and many alternate realities.... Tess De Sousa has grown up in Ackerbee’s Home for Lost and Foundlings, but with her passion for scientific experimentation and pet tarantula, Violet, Tess is not your average orphan. Her arrival at the home was shrouded in mystery - left on the doorstep with … Continue reading ‘The Star-Spun Web,’ by Sinéad O’Hart, cover by Sara Mulvanny.
Book Boy is an absolute fiend for a big chunky non-fiction book. There is nothing he likes better than settling down with a pack of sticky tabs in one hand and a pen in the other, ready to mark the important pages. ‘Timelines of Everything’ is a little different to other books in its category … Continue reading ‘Timelines of Everything,’ from the team at DK
Having loved Lucy’s first book, I was very excited to see that she had written a new title set on the Kent coast during the Second World War. I couldn’t wait to dive in... ‘Our Castle by the Sea’ is about a family being torn apart amid rumours of espionage whilst enemy planes fly overhead. … Continue reading ‘Our Castle by the Sea,’ by Lucy Strange, design by Helen Crawford-White.
I finished this poignant title just in time for Remembrance Sunday so wanted to share it beforehand incase any of you were looking for some books set in the time of the First World War. As Evie’s parents struggle to come to terms with the death of their youngest son, Alecky, his older (but underage) … Continue reading ‘Evie’s War,’ by Holly Webb.
Introducing ‘Absolutely Everything! A History Of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things too Numerous to Mention,’ a book of true wonderment which has been long-listed for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2019, in the ‘Best Book With Facts’ category along with some other stunning titles. Devised after a camping trip where Lloyd released that, … Continue reading ‘Absolutely Everything!’ by Christopher Lloyd, cover illustration by Justin Poulter.
This beautiful story was originally published in Syria and has been translated from Arabic by author and illustrator Nadine Kaadan. Everything around Yazan was changing. He never went to the park, he never saw his friends, his mum never painted any more. All she did was watch the news. Yazan was so bored - he … Continue reading ‘Tomorrow,’ by Nadine Kaadan.
Library Girl and Book Boy 