“Even something very small can make a BIG difference” The theme of Poppy and the Blooms, the latest picture book by Fiona Woodcock, will appeal to little children who so often feel powerless in a grown up world. Four flower friends prove that with some determination and teamwork you can make a difference, whatever your…
There was high excitement in my house when we realised we were going to get a sneak preview of Sue Hendra and Paul Linnets’ new Supertato picture book: Evil Pea Rules! My youngest (now 6) has been a fan of the heroic spud since he swapped his World Book Day voucher for the first Supertato book…
At the heart of Hayley Long’s Sophie Someone there is a superb story about discovering who you are and finding the good in people, even those who are flawed. It is a complex read but very satisfying for older readers who want to be challenged and who enjoy word games. Sophie is fourteen and lives…
“Did I just kill my dad?” Lenny, the protagonist of Abby Sher’s Young Adult novel All the Ways the World Can End, is struggling. Her Dad is dying of cancer – and everyone in her family has her own way of coping. Lenny’s mum works long hours as a supreme court justice. Big sister Emma…
The Song from Somewhere Else, by A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold, is a wonderfully powerful story about friendship for anyone from about 9 years old. Frank has a secret. She is dealing with awful bullies at school and can’t talk to anyone about it. But at least she isn’t the huge and peculiar Nick Underbridge,…
Murder in Midwinter, by Fleur Hitchcock, is a gripping page-turner, which hooks you in from the start. Described by The Times as a “hard-boiled crime novel for beginners”, it has action, suspense, danger and excitement on almost every page. Maya, a schoolgirl in London, gets tangled up in a violent and dangerous crime when a snapshot…
While E Lockhart’s book Fly on the Wall explores some controversial and challenging themes, this book is also an easy read with a lot of humour. Gretchen, a student at arts school in New York, gets her wish and becomes a fly on the wall in the boys’ locker room. E Lockhart quickly hooks you…
We Are Giants is the debut novel by Amber Lee Dodd that is being described as “A total page-turner” by Jacqueline Wilson. The story centres on the family of nine year-old Sydney at a time when things are not going well. Sydney’s mum is only 124cm tall, the perfect height according to Sydney. But Mum…
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