A fantastical Victorian-esk world with colourful, real characters to enthrall you to the very end. When I picked up Wildspark by Vashti Hardy, I expected not to enjoy it as much as her wonderful debut, Brightstorm. How wrong I was. Wildspark was even more enthralling to me, perhaps because I identified with main character, Prue,…
A rip-roaring adventure with an unusual branch of magic… The Last Spell Breather by Julie Pike, published by OUP in July, is a seat grabbing adventure packed with an unusual branch of magic. Young Rayne is no ordinary girl – she’s an apprentice Spell Breather, destined to look after her village folk through the power…
A modern coming-of-age novel with a voice that pops off the page Things I’m Seeing Without You by Peter Bognanni is an engaging read led by the strong voice of seventeen-year-old Tess Fowler. She pops off the page and I was surprised, when I read in Peter’s acknowledgements, that he said it took years to…
A tasty detective story with a deliciously sweet ending Candy, by Lavie Tidhar, is a tasty detective story with a deliciously sweet ending. A modern twist on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 12 year old private detective Nelle Faulkner has a visit from one of the kids running the candy racket in a city where…
Not for the fainthearted The Ice Sea Pirates by Frida Nilsson is a chilly tale with a warm heart published by Gecko Press. It is set amongst the snowy skerries in the Ice Sea where legend has it that the evil pirate, Whitehead, scours the islands and steals children to work in his diamond mine.…
A swashbuckling Victoriana expedition through the skies Brightstorm, a debut novel by Vashti Hardy published by Scholastic in March 2018, is something of a Northern Lights crossed with sky-ships. I have always loved the notion of flying in a hot air balloon but, being afraid of heights, this book has given my imagination the freedom…
Emma Hamilton, My Book Corner’s Middle Grade Specialist, selects her Best Book of 2017… A Story Like the Wind by Gill Lewis, illustrated by Jo Weaver. Great things come in small packages. Gill Lewis’s A Story Like the Wind is easy to read in one sitting but will stay with you for months. The…
You may never wear rose-tinted glasses again… A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan, published by Usborne, is a fabulous, inventive read. It is as if the phrase ‘rose-tinted glasses’ has been created just for this book which, if you loved Beetle Boy, you will enjoy immensely. A vivid tale with glasses that stop you…
A dark tale, with even darker yet colourful characters. Weaving fact and fiction offering spectacular twists. Witchborn is the debut novel by Nicholas Bowling, published by Chicken House, out in November 2017. It’s been a while since I’ve read middle grade historical fiction and Witchborn, rated 12+, is as beautifully crafted as its cover. The…
A girl powered Walliams-esk, romping read! There is one phrase to describe The Matilda Effect by Ellie Irving and that’s ‘GIRL POWER’! Matilda is a young, enthusiastic inventor who is overshadowed by her male and somewhat useless counterparts. After losing to the ultra-untalented Thomas Thomas at Arnos Yarm’s School Science Competition AND learning her grandmother…
A compelling story about overcoming grief and how hope really can be a feathery friend. Gill Lewis’s Sky Dancer, due out in October 2017, opens with grief stricken Joe and his older brother Ryan scattering their father’s ashes with their mum on the moors in northern England. Having died from a heart attack in…
Not since reading A Monster Calls has a book moved me like A Story Like The Wind by Gill Lewis, illustrated by Jo Weaver. This tale can, and should, be consumed in one sitting, even for the busiest of children or young teens. A Story Like The Wind features 14 year old Rami who is escaping…
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Great review, thanks for posting the pictures. Really makes a difference with picture book reviews. Will order for the store…
His books are a great way help kids read while soaking up important Science concepts without even knowing it. Ironically,…
Ooh, this sounds fantastic!