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…
This short, specially-written World Book Day story by David Almond is a little gem. Written in Almond’s signature poetic, ethereal prose it’s a story of a girl called Louise and her father visiting the northern island of Lindisfarne. They go every year to remember the memory of her dead mother. On the way to the…
During World War II, children from families who lived in the cities were evacuated to the countryside but what happened to all the pets? When the war comes, who will save the animals? Miriam Halahmy’s The Emergency Zoo is an adventure story with fantastic leaps and turns, the reader is taken on a journey to…
This sumptuous, epic Young Adult novel is firmly rooted – with its glorious prose and tone – in the Deep South of 1838. It’s a nuanced, wonderful Gone-With-The-Wind type adventure that conjures up sticky, humid nights laced with fear and fun. The Floating Theatre is, in fact, a Jane Austen novel set in America and…
Katherine Rundell (The Wolf Wilder, Rooftoppers) and Emily Sutton’s (Lots) One Christmas Wish is heart thumpingly beautiful, tender and uplifting. It is THE book to gift on Christmas Eve. Without a doubt. ‘It was Christmas Eve, and Theodore was fighting a cardboard box.’ …and so the story begins. Theo is alone, apart from a snoring babysitter.…
It’s another fabulously funny caper from Tom McLaughlin, thanks to his Accidental series. The Accidental Father Christmas is a great novel which doesn’t fail to hit the festive funny bone. Ben is a curious kid. Does Father Christmas really, really exist? Ben has sent him plenty of letters over the years, all nicely written, asking for…
WARNING: AN ELVES ONLY PICTURE BOOK REVIEW Let’s talk about stocking fillers. I’m always a bit flummoxed when online stocking filler searches offer up bulky, bank-busting suggestions. Although wonderful, a helicopter, a personalised football and an engraved child’s bracelet (with birthstone!!!) are not, to my mind, stocking fillers. Traditionally, Christmas stockings were stuffed with small…
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…
I WANT A MINIATURE DINOSAUR! The Polar Bear Explorer’s Club is the latest middle grade novel by Alex Bell, illustrated by Tomislav Tomic. Stella is a snow orphan, and has been taken in and raised as a daughter by the fabulous Felix, a famous explorer. She is instantly the coolest hero I’ve ever come across…
Pirates in Classroom 3 is the latest picture book from writer Alison Donald (The New LiBEARian), teaming up with illustrator Ben Whitehouse. When Ms Bitsy steps out of classroom 3, who would have thought that a pirate would arrive? Captain Calamity is searching for the treasure, which he must get to before Pirate Bloodloss. The…
Follow Finn is the new title from Peter Goes, the author of international bestseller Timeline. It sold over 20,000 copies! Let me say from the beginning, this book is a stunner! It’s got ‘gift potential’ written all over it. Rich in detail and brilliantly imaginative, it held our attention for an absolute age. The narrative…
You Choose In Space is the exciting follow up to the hugely successfully You Choose picture book which fired up imaginations everywhere. Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt have done it again, encouraging little readers to zoom into space… with exciting results. Let’s begin with those imaginative endpapers – chock-a-block full of wonderful phrases, hinting at the…
Inverness 1889, accused of starting a fire that destroys the market and the livelihood of many in the city, 12 year-old Phin runs for his life. Escaping the harsh hands of a bitter uncle and an angry mob of traders, he finds himself in-tow with a family of travelling entertainers. Desperate not to be found…
Camilla Chester’s debut, Jarred Dreams, will have you sitting on the edge of your seat as you turn the pages not knowing what lurks within. When 12 year-old Sade moves to a new town, she soon realises that all is not as it seems. There’s something not quite right about the colourless, robot-like inhabitants of…
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…
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