Pizazz vs the Demons
Sophy Henn
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Super-talented Sophy Henn’s fourth book starring the irrepressible, eye-rolling, weirdly super-powered 9½ year old superhero, Pizazz sees her having to face not one but five Demon Pizazzes on account of that super bad Copycat with her Super Power Duplicator.
But how does this dastardly device actually work? That is what Pizazz must find out; but the really big issue is that she must defeat those deadly demons or maybe they’re only ‘five awesome but slightly bad’ alter egos, all on her own.

One thing is certain however and that’s the urgent need for an unlimited source of snacks to help things along.
Next day when it seems the situation can’t really get any worse, Mrs Harris picks our narrator(s) to read in the following week’s special happiness assembly.
Can Pizazz possibly get the better of so many demonic selves in this, her trickiest ever undertaking?

Fans of these part graphic novel style stories will devour this in a single sitting and it’s likely Pizazz will also win some new followers too.

Magnificent Mabel and the Very Bad Birthday Party
Ruth Quayle and Julia Christians
Nosy Crow

Young Mabel unleashes her magnificence for three further episodes in this, her sixth book.
In the first, it hardly seems fair that on 25th August, her birthday, despite all her best plans Mabel ends up writing and sending out party invitations to every one of her classmates. It’s either that or face a distinct shortage of presents on the big day.
Then comes the question of those packed lunches her parents send her to school with. Cheese sandwiches, yogurt and a measly apple every day is pretty terrible, especially when one of her classmates, Elsa Kavinsky is allowed to consume such alluring items as Star Bars: it’s enough to leave her weak with hunger. Time to procure one of the tasty treats for herself – uh-oh! But whose lunches contain those most important muscle-building vitamins?
It’s holiday time in story three but rather than being the restful time Mabel so hoped for, her family members are always doing something or other and like them, she doesn’t get a minute to relax. Can Mabel discover the delights of being busy too or is she doomed to have a horrible time away?
At the end of the day, no matter what happens, wherever she goes, whatever she does, this young narrator always emerges as magnificent.

Ruth Quayle’s amusing writing again presents ideas that young children relate to and together with Julia Christians’ equally amusing illustrations aplenty, this is spot on for young readers just starting to fly solo. It would also make a fun read aloud for reception classes.