This second fantasy adventure by wonderful wordsmith Nicola Davies is brimming with wisdom and heart. A prequel to The Song That Sings Us, and set in that same richly-imagined world, we follow young tiger cub Skrimsli on a perilous journey across mountains, deserts, and seas as he seeks to protect those he calls ‘kin’…
I know what it’s like to read a book on horseback – at least, that’s what reading Lauren St John’s latest middle grade novel feels like! Finding Wonder is a thrilling adventure about daring horse thefts and opening up to life after tragedy strikes – something child protagonist Roo Thorn knows only too well.…
Author Victoria Williamson weaves a rich tapestry of contemporary life in beautiful novel, skilfully showing us what life is like for 11-yr-old Norah in the very opening paragraphs. Norah lives in temporary accommodation and is always afraid she and her dad will be kicked out because because they can’t pay the rent. She worries he…
I was delighted to discover another superb book by author and illustrator duo Lucy Strange & Pam Smy, which, like The mermaid In The Millpond, is another wonderful mix of historical fiction and myth. This story is firmly rooted in the land and lives of a mining family, but also cleverly entwined with the…
“That night my dreams are full of skies.” No, YOU’VE got something in your eye. From the opening page of Budgie you can just tell that this is written by a poet, and not just any poet of course but Joseph Coelho. The gentle yet confident touch with words brings us straight into the life…
This graphic novel was immediately sequestered by my 9-year-old daughter and hoovered up in one sitting. And despite the strong thread of grief and loss running through the story, she would frequently call out to me to share the lines that had made her giggle! That is one of the most astonishing things about this…
Thrilled to be sharing this Q&A with author Lucy Ann Unwin for Day 4 of The Octopus, Dadu and Me blog tour. This book was a very emotional read for me as Sashi’s close relationship with her Dadu, the slow decline of a beloved granparent, and the sharing of a different culture is something that is…
With its illustrious author and illustrator pairing, CRESS WATERCRESS by Gregory Maguire & David Litchfield is sure to delight book lovers young and old. Cleverly written and designed to be read aloud or read alone, the nimble chapters take us quickly into the depths of Hunter’s Wood, and into the life and heart of a…
When Louie is sent to spend time with his dad at work in the remotest part of the Federation, he wasn’t prepared to catch glimpses of people that he should not be able to see. Convinced the death of his brother, Toby, is playing tricks on his mind, he keeps quiet about the grey-faced spirits…
From Lucy Rowland and Becky Cameron, comes Daddy’s Rainbow, a delicately handled picture book about grief and loss. Lucy’s narrative is delicately balanced, with a wonderful poetic tone. Erin adores spending time with her Daddy – it’s time filled with colour, joy and giggles. But, then she notices things are changing, the world becomes greyer…
Tamsin Mori uses the atmospheric setting of Shetland to great effect in her magical Middle Grade novel – The Weather Weaver – a story about family and friendship, and weathering the storms that shake those all-important foundations. When 11-yr-old Stella arrives on Shetland for the summer holidays, she is filled with expectations and excitement about…
Sally Nicholl’s Young Adult novel, The Silent Stars Go By, will whisk you away from the present day to the end of WWI – a time when Christmas was an old-fashioned affair, and societal expectations could be old-fashioned too, especially for young women. When Margot, a reverend’s daughter, returns to her village for the festive…
Selfish Daisy Douglas considers herself the ‘life and soul of the party’ no matter who she offends along the way. Her reputation for being loud and brash proceeds her, to the point that she is unaware of the detrimental effect her life choices have on her friendships and family relationships. When she spectacularly fails to…
Since the death of her dad in a fire that she survived, 13 year old Anna moves to Scotland to live with her estranged mum. Having Asperger’s Syndrome she now has to find a way to change her coping mechanisms to fit with her new life in a strange place with unfamiliar people – ‘a…
Clap When You Land is a truly stunning read from the author of Poet X, Elizabeth Acevedo. Acevedo has created a fast-moving, absorbing verse novel which delves into the very different lives of half-sisters Camino and Yahaira. Camino lives in the Dominican Republic, Yahaira lives in New York. Both are unaware they share a Papi,…
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