Category read it yourself

Star of the Show

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I have a guest reviewer today: my relation Emmanuelle, an 11 year old, avid reader. Here’s what she had to say:

Star of the Show
Jacqueline Wilson, illustrated by Rachael Dean
Puffin Books

Jaqueline Wilson’s latest book is an amazing tale of family and hardship. Tess, from whose viewpoint the story is told, and her family live in Victorian England. Sadly their Ma has just died and their Pa has walked out on the children. The five siblings, Maggie, Connor, Tess, Tommy and baby Ada do their best to support one another, the older brother and sister doing all they can to earn some money. Tess though dreams of being a dancer. but she has to attend The Ragged School where she looks after little Ada.
One day she learns of a pantomime that is to be performed at The Grand Theatre and she determines to audition for a role dancing in Cinderella … Can she possibly fulfil her wish?

I really loved reading this story, especially the way in which you are introduced to the characters and gradually learn more about them all as the narrative unfolds. It’s great to see how, from such a bad situation at the start, things get progressively better for every one of them.
One thing I found surprising was that readers only truly understand the title in the second part of the book.

A wonderful story and one I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys stories set in bygone days or wants to pursue a dream.

The Boy Who Cried Ghost

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The Boy Who Cried Ghost
Ian Eagleton
Scholastic

This story of Richard Barnes is a very personal one for author Ian Eagleton: Richard has OCD, with which Ian was diagnosed in his late teens.

Richard and his mother move into what was Grandma’s house just before the beginning of Year 6 and the likelihood that this is permanent, taking him away from his friends, troubles the boy greatly. Everything about his new room troubles him too: he lies awake on his first night thinking about starting at a new school and listening out for the strange sounds that seem to be coming from the old wardrobe in the corner. He resolves to keep it locked to prevent anything hiding inside from escaping. He checks it many more times before leaving for school, which makes him late but Richard believes it’s the only way to keep him and his mother safe.

One day his mum’s friend, Tony, who has been doing some painting in their house, collects Richard from school, accompanies him home and reveals that the boy’s mum has already told him about there being something in the wardrobe. Moreover, he’s also found its key and insists on unlocking the door. Richard is horrified at his thoughtless attempt to show the boy that his anxieties are unjustified: he fears that the ghost has now been released into the room with the result that he experiences a massive panic attack.
However when he tries explaining, both Tony and then his mother tell him that his anxieties about the released ghost are down to his over-active mind.

Scared and very angry he decides to enlist the support of his new school friends. They are willing and together settle on calling it ‘The Whisperer’. Meanwhile Mum reveals something about his Grandma and Richard wonders, could she be the Whisperer?

Richard’s friends come to a sleepover with the aim of banishing the spirit once and for all. They reveal lots about themselves during the night but they don’t see the ghost. Then things go disastrously wrong, Mei is hurt and Richard ends up falling out with them, albeit temporarily. Now he feels totally isolated and desperately in need of help. Can Richard finally admit he needs to find somebody to talk to about what is going on and the debilitating voices in his head? Only then might he be able to live comfortably with himself.

Written from the heart, with themes of acceptance, confronting fear, family, friendship and mental health, this powerful story needs to be read widely by older KS2 and KS3 readers as well as adults, many of whom have little or no understanding of OCD. It made me feel I should have been far more empathetic towards a teacher I once worked with who has OCD and frequently turned up late for school. There’s humour and laughter in this book too and in the author’s notes at the end of the book, he pays tribute to his dad who loved jokes, using humour to help him and others deal with their worries.

Yomi and the Curse of Grootslang / Let Sleeping Gods Lie

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Yomi and the Curse of Grootslang
Davina Tijani, illustrated by Adam Douglas-Bagley
Little Tiger

In this third fantasy adventure in Davina Tijani’s Nkara Chronicles series with Adam Douglas-Bagley’s dramatic illustrations, Yomi and her younger brother, Kayode, accompany their Uncle Lou ( a researcher for the Sacred Beast League) to South Africa. Shortly after they arrive the siblings meet the Vilha Treasure Hunters, a group of children who have heard about their bravery when they rescued a Senegalese dragon king and saved a city. The Treasure Hunters believe the qualities the siblings exhibited are exactly what will be required if they agree to join them in their quest to find the Tusk Diamond and bring it back to the rightful owners as well as hopefully, to break a curse issued by the elephantine serpent, Grootslang in whose cave the jewel is hidden. Yomi and Kay agree and so begins their adventure.

On finding the cave the adventurers try bargaining with Grootslang using the pyronite Kayode had brought in exchange for their freedom and the diamond.

When this fails can they come up with something else to persuade her and ultimately help bring peace and harmony to Vilha?

The author weaves mythology, culture and details of South African landscapes into her fast-paced story which also demonstrates the importance of camaraderie and working together, leaving it neatly set up for the next adventure in the series, set in the Congo. Bring it on.
There’s mythology too in

Let Sleeping Gods Lie
Thiago De Moraes
David Fickling Books

Following her adventure with trickster gods in Old Gods New Tricks, Trixie dos Santos is settling back into her usual way of life, this includes school. She manages to tolerate the boredom of lessons but hates the taunting from some of the pupils, so on some days she spends her time elsewhere, wandering in the woods for instance. It’s on one of these occasions that she loses track of time and reaching home late, is greeted with the news that her grandmother has died and they have to go to Norway for the funeral.

Shortly after arriving there’s some talk of Grandma’s magical cauldron but it isn’t where it’s supposed to be. Trixie notices some strange marks on the kitchen floor. She decides to take a look outside and with Bragi the dog, she sallies forth into the freezing cold. In a clearing in the wood she encounters Baba Yaga.

It turns out that the witch knew Trixie’s grandmother and knows about her magic cauldron. Thus begins Trixie’s next mission: to travel to the Land of the Dead and search for the cauldron.

While in the underworld, having met her dead grandma, Trixie comes upon Hel (goddess of death) and her father Loki, the latter she already knows. Can she trust the trickster when he offers to help. her? Not only he but all the other tricksters that offer assistance as her quest continues taking her through many underworlds. There’s really no choice if Trixie is to prevent the evil army from taking over the world.

A breath-taking tale with plenty of humour, that introduces mythology from various cultures. It will have readers on the edge of their seats as they root for Trixie at every twist and turn. The author’s black and white illustrations are superb – striking, often intricate and very powerful. I can’t wait for Trixie’s next foray into the world of mythology; her emergence from this quest has left her mentally stronger.

The Secret of Golden Island

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The Secret of Golden Island
Natasha Farrant
Faber Children’s Books

Yakov has had to leave his war ravaged home country and now is staying with relations. He struggles to fit in at school and cope with being away from his loved ones. Skylar’s struggles are with how she feels after her grandfather’s stroke (he’s always been her rock) and a bullying incident at school for which she is suspended.

Skylar: ‘I’m not crying.’ Yakov: ‘I know.’ These are the very first words the two children exchange and somehow this brief interaction is the beginning of a friendship, one they both desperately need. Both of them too have a strong desire to change things for the better and not just for themselves but for those they love. It’s this that brings them even closer to one another as they enter a competition, the prize for which is the ownership of the nearby Golden Island. How though can two children compete successfully against adults with schemes and plans of their own?

Certainly, the call of the island is very strong but the quest they embark upon must be kept secret from family members and they only have one another to rely upon for their safety. As the adventure progresses Skylar and Yakov’s friendship deepens, they reveal more about themselves allowing things they’ve kept deep inside to be exposed.

Trying to solve the clues they’ve been given, the pair come up against some competitors who will go to any length to achieve what they want. Can they overcome all the obstacles that arise during their quest, including a desperate race against time with way more at stake than the competition?

Totally gripping, compassionate and exquisitely told, this book swept me away and as I reached the final paragraphs I felt tears welling up, such is its power.

A wonderful read for older KS2 readers and beyond.

The Great Crisp Robbery / The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks

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The Great Crisp Robbery
Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Thomas Flintham
Nosy Crow

The latest story narrated by Izzy unfolds on a night train from Aberdeen to London. None of the young travellers has been on a sleeper train before and the realisation that it means bunk beds adds to the excitement. A BIG ADVENTURE indeed: Gary Petrie even has his silky dressing gown and judging from the enormity of her suitcase it would appear that Maisie thinks she’s going to be away for ages. Why though has Miss Yu and not Miss Jones been designated ‘teacher in charge’ when the children have only known her for a few days? Surprising to Izzy is that Jodi suddenly appears on the train having escaped early from the wedding she’s been at and she’s still wearing a floaty pink bridesmaid dress.

As the journey is about to get under way Izzy looks out the window and gasps in horror: on the platform stands a hooded figure watching them: surely it has to be a train robber. Those familiar with Pamela Butchart’s child characters know that it doesn’t take much for imaginations to run wild and their misunderstandings to become suspicions that lead to them being way off beam as they become certainties. Here we have a group of hysterical youngsters on account of Gary’s sixteen missing packets of crisps, albeit Tesco Finest varieties, not to mention all the spending money.

How on earth – make that on railway lines – is this all going to end? Actually it doesn’t exactly do so for puffing and panting and puzzling over what Miss Yu will say in her ‘quick chat’ readers leave the train about an hour from its destination.

Primary readers will devour this faster than Gary’s crisps and the sandwiches from the refreshments trolley and then want more. With its multitude of twists and turns, this adult reviewer was left decidedly dizzy especially at the impending BIG TROUBLE facing Izzy and her pals.

The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas of Lottie Brooks
Katie Kirby
Puffin Books

Presented in diary form as usual, with plenty of Lottie’s amusing doodles, this one relates the events from New Year’s Day to the day after Valentine’s day.

January 1st sees Lottie in high spirits about her new boyfriend, Daniel, but as readers might expect, Amber is jealous and makes plenty of mean remarks about the relationship. She even starts giving out application forms at school for the role of Amber’s boyfriend, and then holds auditions.

With regard to Lottie however, she has an abundance of hugely embarrassing moments due to eyebrow alterations and style icon attempts with over-size earmuffs, just to name a couple. Then comes brother Toby’s announcement of his new year’s resolution: to get a dog and for once in her life, Lottie is in agreement with him, even going so far as to aid and abet his plan for mum persuasion. Eventually there comes a new member of the household: enter five-month old golden cockapoo, named Snookers, though that soon gets changed to Pot Noodle, thanks to a remark by Mum. Said pooch is adorable but there’s a major snag, he’s full of mischief, destructive and definitely, despite what Dad was led to believe, NOT toilet trained. How on earth is Lottie meant to cope with a new boyfriend and a new dog that insists on leaving deposits of poo all over the carpet and in other extremely annoying places.

Assuredly she has a whole lot less time to spend on other people – her gang especially, one of whom, Jess, shares the news that she might be gay.

My goodness all that and more in just a few weeks. It’s easy to see why the Lottie Brooks books have become so popular with’tweenage’ girls. I have no doubt fans of the series will eagerly devour this and readers new to Lottie will be equally enthusiastic after reading this one.

Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker

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Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker
Sufiya Ahmed
Bloomsbury Education

Rosie Rajah’s third adventure is possibly even more exciting than her previous two. As the story starts, Rosie and her papa are parachuting over the Belgian countryside. On landing they are met by Brigitte, an American. The Americans have recently joined the war but it soon appears that Brigitte has her own agenda when it comes to the Nazis. Both of them though are involved in rescue missions; and there’s also a meeting up between Rosie’s papa and an old school friend.

Pretty soon, Papa announces that they need to head back to England, but first Rosie must change her appearance as the Nazis have issued an alert regarding her .
Once safely on English soil, Papa’s mission is to find the Nazi spy operating undercover at Station X aka Bletchley Park. His first stop though is at RAF Abingdon where he’s been asked to check out something and while so doing, Rosie meets Noor Inayat Khan. She’s working there as a radio operator deciphering messages and is a descendant of Tipu Sultan.

One of the amazing codebreakers Rosie encounters is Alan Turing who despite his genius, is a shy retiring character. But, there are also resistance fighters and double-crossers so Rosie has much to contend with and decide whom to trust especially when her father is in very serious danger. Can she keep her head and do something to save him?

Meanwhile back in pre-partition India, Rosie’s aunt, Rani-K is very involved in Gandhi’s Quit India Movement that is working to gain independence from British rule – another important piece of political history children will be made aware of.

Another truly gripping episode in the life of a girl who occasionally lets her emotions rather than her mind guide her actions. I was enthralled throughout.

A History of My Weird

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A History of My Weird
Chloë Heuch
Firefly Press

For Mo, the narrator of this story, things are changing way too fast. She’s just started secondary school where one of the teachers in particular doesn’t understand how to work with what they call her disruptive behaviour, sending her out of the classroom frequently. Mo is neurodivergent and has trouble making real friends; they tend to be bemused by her stimming and annoyed by her tendency to correct factual things when others, teachers included, get them wrong. Add to this, the fact that her body is developing she hates the ‘rubbery blobs that have appeared seemingly overnight’, on her chest.

Then Mo meets Carys, preferred name Onyx; who appears to like her; could this be the true friend she’s been hoping for. She certainly encourages Mo to go to drama club.

During history the class hear of a disused Victorian asylum in the locality. This sparks Mo’s interest but Dad tells her Denham is private property and exceedingly dangerous. However after school one day she and Onyx manage to get in, albeit only for a short while. So, despite Onyx’s father having told his daughter that Mo’s a bad influence they resolve to make another visit, at night this time, fuelled by the possibility that her great uncle had been kept there. Meanwhile rehearsals for the drama club’s forthcoming production take up some of Mo’s time and energy.

When Halloween night comes the friends keep their promise to each other and return to the asylum. There Onyx opens up to Mo about the issues she’s dealing with, but as they proceed disaster strikes: the floor and Onyx vanish down into blackness. What will be the outcome of the accident?

Mo is a very endearing character and her friendship with Onyx/Carys is really well portrayed, which is no surprise as the author, Chloë Heuch is herself neurodivergent, a part-time teacher and a parent. Highly recommended for older readers.

Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck / Missing At Sea

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Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck
Justin Somper, illustrated by Teo Skaffa
uclan publishing

ARRR! me ’earties! It’s time to fast forward to the year 2507 and step aboard for a cracking pirate adventure.

Classmates Jasmine and Jacoby are privileged to be studying at the Pirate Academy under the tutelage of legendary pirates. Like their fellow students – fifteen are chosen each year – Jasmine and Jacoby are from famous pirate families and are in Barracuda class. All is not well though: unexpectedly Jacoby receives an unfavourable assessment; this the lad graciously accepts promising to do better in future. Then Jasmine is summoned to Captain Salt’s office where she’s hoping to hear about what has caused the non-return of her parents and their ship. Tensions rise even further when Captain Raven Moon dramatically removes her son, Wing, from the Academy, ominously telling Jacoby, “These are dangerous times to be a pirate … be careful my precious boy.”.

Shortly after, another boy, Neo Splice, mysteriously arrives at the school. He tends to keep himself to himself, which arouses the suspicions of others and Jasmine has a feeling she’s seen the lad before somewhere. Is he trustworthy or an enemy? There are certainly enemies at work outside the Academy but could there be a traitor within threatening their safe world too? There’s definitely a surprise in store for Jacoby. It’s crucial that Jasmine and Jacoby set aside any differences and work together using all the skills they’ve learned.
This action-filled page-turner ends on a cliffhanger leaving readers eager for the second adventure;

Missing At Sea

Book 2 starts four weeks later with Barracuda class about to face the first challenging test of their abilities, the Oceans Bound.weekend. The pirate apprentices are divided into five teams, each with a leader, one of whom Jacoby hopes will be himself and when this isn’t so he’s devastated. Jasmine though is selected and this makes their relationship somewhat tricky but eventually she, Neo and Jacoby form a team.

A much greater difficulty emerges when she learns that her Uncle Noah – a ringleader of the League of True Pirates – has somehow managed to escape from Pirate Federation’s maximum security prison. Nonetheless she refuses to let this put her off participating in the event and her crew sets sail along with the other four. Before so doing each leader is given a coloured glass bottle continuing a note on which is written the first of a series of tasks.

Soon members of one team (you can probably work out which) find themselves facing unexpected dangers in the form of highly venomous vipers and spiders with a poisonous bite,

as well as a skull. Eventually another crew’s members become concerned that a rescue might be required; they just need to persuade the remaining Barracudas to join them in operation rescue mission.
Even so, it will take all they’ve got for the tenacious young pirates to complete the course and triumph against their heinous enemy.

With some shocking plot twists, the story like the first one, ends on a cliff hanger that will ensure readers are left thirsting for book three.

Dirty Bertie: Pets and Pests / The Determined Kitten

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Dirty Bertie: Pets and Pests
Alan MacDonald and David Roberts
Little Tiger

This is a bind up of three previously published Dirty Bertie books: Fleas!, Rats! and Bees! each of which contains three episodes in the life of the lad with a magnetic attraction to mischief-making possibilities. He’s involved in such escapades as flea catching (thanks to Whiffer, the house is infested with the things); Bertie and Gran take the pooch to the vets where as you’d expect, chaos soon ensues. In another episode, having locked the supply teacher in a cupboard, Bertie learns what it’s like to be a teacher, under the watchful eye of a slightly bemused school inspector.

He also participates in a cross country run with his classmates that results in a too close for comfort encounter with cows, sets a mouse loose in the classroom (accidentally of course) and decides to try his hand at being a bee-keeper courtesy of Mr Monk’s bees. All this and more besides.

Adult readers aloud, youngsters just starting to fly solo, and listeners at home or in the classroom will find it impossible not to come under the Bertie charm especially with the wealth of comical black and white illustrations.

The Determined Kitten
Holly Webb
Little Tiger

While out walking the dog in the park with her Dad, Rosie comes upon a box containing five ginger kittens, evidently they’ve been abandoned by someone. There appears to be something wrong with one of the kittens but nevertheless Rosie manages to persuade her Dad to take them home. Once Mum sees them, she insists they must be taken to the local animal shelter. To Rosie’s surprise, Sam the cat fosterer lives in an ordinary house and is willing to take them on and help them find new homes. She tells Rosie that she’s welcome to come and visit the kittens at the weekend but also mentions the possibility that little Bill has something called cerebellar hypoplasia, also called wobbly cat syndrome. Rosie continues visiting and helping Sam but it’s not long before all the kittens except Bill have gone to new homes.
Rosie is determined to persuade her parents to let her adopt Bill but Mum is quick to remind her of what her teacher has said about her struggling to concentrate in lessons. The reason for this however, is because she’s being bullied but Rosie doesn’t say so at that point.
How will the bullying problem be resolved and where will kitten Bill eventually find a home?

Just right for animal loving readers around Rosie’s age, especially those who have a penchant for cats.

Where the Water Takes Us

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Where the Water Takes Us
Alan Barillaro, illustrated by the author
Walker Books

When eleven year old Ava learns she’s to spend the summer at her grandparents’ remote island cabin with her Nonno and Nonna, because her mother’s twin pregnancy has become complicated, she can’t let go of the fact that she’s been labelled a ‘burden’. In addition she feels terrified that something awful could happen to her mother.

Soon after her arrival when out paddling the canoe, Ava notices a boy standing with a fishing rod on the dock. He endeavours to make conversation but she turns down his offer of showing her pike and continues paddling before ending up in the water. Ava is so tired that once she’s pulled herself out she falls asleep. She’s awoken by a powerful storm and a woodpecker falling at her feet, which she is unable to revive. This leads to second encounter with the boy, Cody MacDonald, who is with his father and he insists on seeing that she gets safely back to her grandparents’ island.

That evening when Ava and Nonna are talking about birds, Nonna says that a dead bird falling at your feet or on your doorstep can be a sign that a death will come to the family. Ava then hears her mother is back in hospital and decides that nothing else matters except that her mother must be saved. She returns to Deer Island to make a deal with the dead woodpecker. Back at the cabin, Ava is told that rather than trying to call her Mum she should write her a letter and as a further distraction, she should walk to the spring with Nonno to collect some jugs of water.

At the spring there’s another chance meeting with Cody and despite Ava denying she’s friends with him Nonno leaves her with the boy to fill their jugs. While there Ava discovers two eggs – robin’s eggs so Cody says. During the ensuing conversation despite herself, Ava finds she’s getting closer to the boy, and she then takes the two eggs back to her grandparents home for protection. Caring for two baby robins with her Nonna’s help might just be what she needs.

Then a situation unfolds which puts Cody’s life in danger and Ava must summon both her swimming skills and courage to save the day.

With themes of protection, friendship and identity, this is a truly compelling, sensitively written story full of lyrical descriptions about the natural world. The author’s occasional delicate watercolour illustrations have a quiet power of their own: be sure to follow the development of the two eggs along the bottom and up the edge of the recto pages.

Ettie and the Midnight Pool

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Ettie and the Midnight Pool
Julia Green, illustrated by Pam Smy
David Fickling Books

Eleven year old Ettie is living a peaceful life with only her grandma for company. They grow their own food, sell anything they don’t need and the girl spends much of her time listening to stories, reading, sketching, and roaming the beautiful countryside surrounding High Fell House, their home. Ettie’s mother, a doctor, left to go travelling but war, sickness and grounded planes have prevented her from returning or even sending letters. This leaves a deep sadness residing within the girl.

One afternoon while exploring the woods, Ettie spies a girl who seems to be walking with a fox. Enter the mysterious Cora: Ettie finds herself drawn to the stranger and follows her. Grandma is horrified when that evening, Ettie tells her she’s come across the disused quarry, a place that lingers in her mind long into the night, leaving her determined to return the following morning.

When she does so, Ettie discovers Cora is lying hurt in one of the old slate mine tunnels. She just has to help her but without letting Grandma know. A friendship begins to develop: Cora teaches Ettie how to dive into freezing water. Another late return upsets her grandma but Ettie is resolved to keep her adventuring a secret. Grandma however is becoming more and more worried about her grandaughter’s protracted absences and her change of attitude towards their restrained life together, asking lots of questions and even giving her an old watch. Ettie in turn is convinced something secret is being kept from her too.

While Ettie is strongly attracted to Cora’s wild existence, readers have a mounting sense of unease. Maybe Cora can lead Ettie to discover the truth about the secret; on the other hand she could be leading her towards tragedy. Tension mounts to a dramatic climax – a life or death situation – after which Ettie has to face a difficult decision: who is she and what does she want? Cora’s identity remains a mystery though the author’s interweaving of myths provides clues and Grandma eventually shares her tragic tale about the pool and goes on to agree that Ettie should live her own best life, darkness and all.

Enhanced by Pam Smy’s powerfully evocative illustrations, Julia Green’s wonderful descriptions of the countryside, in combination with intrigue and nail-biting moments, make this a mesmerising story that lingers in your mind long after you’ve set the book aside.

Here’s what Emmanuelle (11) an avid reader, had to say about the book:
Julia Green’s new book is thrilling and full of secrecy. Ettie lives in the countryside with her grandma. One day, whilst out in the forest, she sees another girl and follows her to a hidden quarry pool. She soon makes friends with the girl, whose name is Cora. But Ettie notices that she never gives answers to any of her questions about where she came from. Ettie is in awe of the stunning pool but soon discovers that it holds deep and dangerous secrets; so too does Cora.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy adventure, family stories and mystery. It has you hooked right from the beginning and keeps you turning the pages right through to the end. The story builds to the biggest scenes where Ettie finally swims in the quarry pool and learns a massive secret. This reader was left wanting to know more.


Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise

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Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise
Adeola Sokunbi
Nosy Crow

Destiny is one of life’s enthusiasts who finds every day an adventure. As the book opens she is excited to be going to the park to meet her best friend, Olivia. On the swings Olivia reminds her of tomorrow night’s sleepover when the two will be spending the night in a tent under the stars in Olivia’s back garden. Destiny’s tummy starts to feel a bit funny though she assures readers that it’s not because of the sleepover or the possibility of scary monsters. Her mum’s reassuring words “It’s going to be INKTASTIC” followed soon after by “It’s OK if you feel a bit nervous,” don’t completely allay her fears.

Back at home Destiny creates her own tent in her bedroom for a practice sleepover to prepare both herself and Fuzzy, her hamster. She plays in the tent but come bedtime, despite Dad’s brainwave of lending her his torch, she’s still wide awake at 01:28. Suddenly she becomes aware of something strange and the torch reveals an actual monster. A monster – Trog by name – that is clearly scared too and is accompanied by a pet named Furbs. Trog, she learns, is scared of being away from home so Destiny sets about showing her new friend that there’s nothing to be frightened of.

Come the morning with her own fears dissipated, she feels somewhat different. Is she now ready to enjoy her own sleepover at Olivia’s?

It’s great to see how Destiny uses her creativity in overcoming her apprehension and fearfulness.
Adele Sokunbi’s description of how, helped at one point by her Dad, Destiny uses a silk scarf to protect her hair in bed is a detail that will be new to many young readers/listeners, but equally important for those familiar with the practice to see themselves reflected in the story.

Look out for Talent Show Magic, the next sensitively written episode in the life of the delightful Destiny Ink coming this autumn.

The Secret Hen House Theatre

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The Secret Hen House Theatre
Helen Peters
Nosy Crow

The author has drawn on her own childhood memories of life on a farm to create this exciting family story.

Since her mum died some ten years ago, eleven year old Hannah’s life has been pretty chaotic. Her dad is working as hard as he can to keep the family farm going but things get worse day by day and she and her siblings are called upon to do all they can to help. Hannah isn’t worried about having to search jumble sales for clothing or cook the family meals, finding refuge in her love of theatre and passion for acting although she has little time for so doing, especially as her Dad thinks it’s a waste of time. But then the landlord doubles the rent charged for the farm putting it in jeopardy and Dad’s money raising plans (he’s only a tenant farmer) are never going to raise enough, even those that work.

So, Hannah decides to enter a play competition with a first prize of £500 which she will give to her dad, should her play win. Her best friend Lottie and other family members (unbeknown to Dad) all help and together they set about turning an old disused hen house into a theatre and Hannah gets to work writing the play. Thus the secret theatre begins to flourish but things don’t go quite to plan. Friendships are tested to their limits; Hannah however is a determined character and she’s not prepared to give up without a fight. Raise money she must; but what will Dad say when he finds out what has been going on?

With a powerful plot, a splendid cast of characters and a setting that feels timeless, this story (first published over a decade ago) is totally absorbing and you won’t want to put it down till you reach the final page.

The same farm is under threat again in The Great Farm Rescue, to be published in August.

Freya’s Gold

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Freya’s Gold
Fiona Longmuir
Nosy Crow

This cracking adventure is set in Edge, the same sleepy seaside town as the author’s debut novel Looking for Emily.

Twelve year old Freya lives with her Granny Kate and together they run the popular B&B on the old boardwalk. This B&B is also their home and during the summer when the town is alive with activity, their home is full of happy holidaymakers. Now though it’s February and things feel totally different with sleety rain and sea mist replacing the crowds of people and Freya has much more time to spend with her best friend, Lin. The B&B is empty until a strange woman with a false smile and heavy suitcase arrives at reception and asks for a room. Something about her makes Freya feel ill at ease although her gran is only too happy to have Ms Oleander as a guest in the off-season.

One morning Freya and Lin are on the otherwise deserted beach using their jointly owned metal detector and hoping to find some treasure to help Granny Kate and they come upon a gold coin. Later that day Freya sees Ms Oleander talking to the mayor outside the town hall and almost immediately Freya senses someone else close at hand: it’s a boy but he disappears in a flash. It transpires that on account of Ms Oleander, the town is under serious threat; but why is the boy seemingly following this woman?

A few days later, determined not to let this unpleasant woman ruin their town, Freya and Lin head for the beach again with the metal detector and make for the caves, Freya’s courage rapidly evaporating as they enter the dark However, things don’t go to plan; the two girls have a row and part company. Meanwhile the clock is ticking. It’s time for Freya to face her fears, summon her inner strength and search the tunnels properly for the legendary pirates’ treasure. Can she do it? Perhaps, with the assistance of her bestie and Teddy, the boy she has now befriended, since that first fleeting sighting.

With its twisting, turning plot this fast-paced tale is full of suspense and mystery and will engulf readers like the sticky salt off the sea that coats the town in winter.

Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Dash of Daring / The Summer Dolphin

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Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Dash of Daring
Sarah Todd Taylor
Nosy Crow

This is the fourth and sadly, final story in the delicious series starring creative, kind, resourceful Alice Eclair.
Alice and her mum are anticipating a relaxing week in the mountains when they arrive at Hotel Anise. It’s not long though before Alice starts feeling disappointed: the atmosphere is far from exciting and she isn’t getting the opportunity to enjoy the hotel’s facilities. However Claude’s appearance on the scene, talking of a complex, ingenious cipher machine that can convert messages into unreadable code in seconds soon dispels her frustration. The problem is the machine has gone missing, along with its maker, Claude’s inventor friend, Jan.

Before long Alice is drawn into a mystery. Then her dastardly Uncle Robert appears on the scene: what is he doing in the hotel? Meanwhile, iJan’s daughter who is staying at the Olympic training camp on the outskirts of the city with her brother, has been receiving unpleasant messages as she prepares to compete in the cycling events to be held in Berlin.

Having persuaded her mother to let her go to the training camp, Alice begins working undercover while at the same time tackling the tricky issue of creating healthy but tasty desserts in the Olympic kitchens. Then to her surprise and delight, her friend Sophie, France’s most talented engineer appears and she offers to introduce Alice to the cyclist Adele and her brother, Hugo. Hugo in turn introduces her to his carrier pigeon. Determined to solve this case, Alice faces many challenges as she follows the numerous clues, some of which as you might expect, are red herrings, sets about working out who she can trust and cracking lots of codes along the way.

A tasty conclusion to the tale and the series: Alice emerges with some new friends including Hugo who happens to use a wheelchair. The author took advice from a fellow author and friend in her sensitive portrayal of this character.

The Summer Dolphin
Holly Webb, illustrated by David Dean
Little Tiger

Lillie and her family are having a fortnight’s holiday in the Gower, Wales, staying in Gran and Grandpa’s new home. Things get off to a disappointing start for Lillie who discovers that she’ll have to sleep on the attic floor between the beds of her older sister, Frankie and their cousin Lara.
Almost immediately the older girls gang up and Lillie is made to feel a baby, excluded from their activities but no one else appears to notice she’s lonely and upset.

Then during a boat trip around the harbour, the crew mate Alice, mentions a tidal island that’s a wild bird reserve during the summer months where they might see dolphins as well as seals and birds. Suddenly there in the water they spy a flicking tail, then more; it’s dolphins swimming alongside the boat. One of them in particular, it seems to Lillie, is happy and this makes her feel happy too. Surely that dolphin smiled at me, she thinks to herself.

Later, Frankie and Lara flatly refuse to let Lillie accompany them on a rock-pooling expedition. Instead she decides to go off by herself in the hopes of seeing the dolphins, especially the calf, again, something that when her parents discover where she is, troubles them considerably. However it doesn’t stop Lillie going off exploring alone again after Lara is particularly horrible to her. There’s a problem though, for Lillie doesn’t understand the tide at all and she’s lost track of time. Worse, is that with water up to her chest, she can’t remember any of the special ways to keep safe she’d been told of in school. Then she catches sight of a dolphin; could it be trying to help her?

Whether read by newly confident solo readers or aloud to a class, this mix of sister dynamics and adventure is a story that will be enjoyed by animal lovers especially. David Dean’s black and white illustrations underscore the characters’ feelings throughout the book.

Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial

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Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial
Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton
Nosy Crow

Set in the land of Zerb, as the story begins, Kit a gnorf – part gnome, part dwarf- is sitting in the local inn glued to a screen showing the finals of the Dungeon Runners, the favourites being Ultima Squad, winners for the four previous years. Commentator, Jenna the Giant, thinks it will be a close thing between them and the Night Beasts; all the latter need to do is defeat tonight’s monster or find the hidden treasure, either of which would mean extra points. Suddenly the other commentator, Dirk the Orc makes an unexpected announcement: one of the teams has had an accident with a frost dragon and that means there’s space for a brand-new Dungeon Runner team. The trials will be held in just two weeks.

Kit is excited but knows he stands little chance; but when Breg, the bullying troggle, kicks him out of the inn and then challenges him to enter the trials, he finds himself accepting. This he quickly regrets for he has no team, no skills and no weapon. Pretty much no chance at all of succeeding or worse still, getting through the trial alive. What does Grandfather Klot, an erstwhile Dungeon Rum champion, have to say other than he was much older than Kit when he won.

Feeling pretty down, Kit then meets another gnorf – Sandy Sanders – a mage in training.

Now with Kit as the ‘fighter’ and Sandy the ‘mage’, all that’s needed is a ‘healer’. Fortunately Sandy knows Thorn Darkblood, a vegan vampire, can you believe? These three form team Triple Trouble. By working together can they possibly overcome all the odds. Assuredly they face trials that test their problem-solving skills, resilience and nerves

but their positivity and teamwork might just be the key to success.

Team Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton have co-created an exciting fantasy that is just right for newly independent readers who will delight in the weird and wonderful characters, be rooting for the underdogs throughout their adventure and be thrilled to learn that this is the first of a new series.

One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List

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One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List
Tricia Seabolt, illustrated by Lucy Rogers
Lantana

Ten-year-old Ellie Anderson (who has Down’s syndrome) anticipates having the best summer ever. She loves hanging with her big brother, 15-year-old Ben though of late he’s been paying her less attention on account of soccer and his stock-taking job. Now he’s become even more preoccupied with new neighbour, Sara, even inviting her on outings Ellie thought were special for her brother and herself – their nature hike and the Ability Centre (AC) dance, for instance. She feels like she’s losing Ben.

Things get even worse when her best friend, Ling, claims that according to her list Ben and Sara are getting married, That means they will move away forever. Ling’s list has six steps including hand-holding and kissing; Ben and Sara are working their way through these steps and when they reached step three, it’s panic stations. The two friends start operation stop Sara and Ben’s wedding at all costs, either that or Ben could end up as a Hawaii husband. It’s impossible not to be amused at what Ellie and Ling get up to as, list in hand, they track him.

They begin training to enable them to use the treehouse in Ellie’s garden to scare Sara so much she never comes near again. However Ellie finds herself carrying out the plan by herself, things go wrong, people’s feelings are hurt and Ellie herself feels terrible. Moreover she doesn’t even get to help Ben when he DJs at her AC dance, though she does help her magician Dad at the event.

But nothing else seems to work out right and Ellie ends up endangering the weeping willow tree in her garden she loves so much. With so much at stake, can she possibly find a way to rekindle her brother’s affection toward her as well as save her favourite tree from being cut down?

There is so much to love about this book: Ellie is such an endearing character with her extra sparkle: she is artistic and full of life despite having to cope with speech difficulties and ‘wobbly spaghetti’ muscles. Her family members, particularly Ben, are very supportive and her friendship with Ling is really heartwarming. Indeed the whole story, with Lucy Rogers’ superbly expressive illustrations, is one that deserves to be read widely.
At the back of the book author Tricia Seabolt gives information about Down’s syndrome and various therapies that enable people who are neurodivergent to flourish.

The Super Sunny Murder Club

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The Super Sunny Murder Club
ed. Serena Patel & Robin Stevens, illustrated by Harry Woodgate
Farshore

This follow up to The Very Merry Murder Club has thirteen tales written by almost the same authors as the previous book: Abiola Bello, Maisie Chan, Benjamin Dean, Roopa Farooki, Sharna Jackson, Patrice Lawrence, Elle McNicoll, E.L. Norry, Serena Patel, Annabelle Sami, Dominique Valente and Nizrana Farook, with Robin Stevens contributing one of his own.

With suspense aplenty, not all the stories involve a murder but each tells of a mysterious, disturbing happening, the perpetrator of which, young investigators set out to discover.

Robin Stevens’ offering is a murder mystery that takes place in a second-hand book shop called Mystery and Mayhem that the mother of Gracie, the story’s narrator visits to do some research of her own. It’s there young Gracie meets the shop owner’s offspring, Why, and three days later the two of them have to turn detective, Why clad in a trench coat and sporting dark glasses. It’s crucial they discover the real murderer of customer Mr Rustin because Gracie’s mother has been arrested for the crime.

In Roopa Farooki’s A Midsummer Night’s Murder Mystery, an awful lot of yogurt is consumed in the run up to the school play but there’s something not right about Yoglicious: people start getting stomach problems after eating it. Teacher Mr Ofu is concerned there won’t be any children left to act as they’re all stuck in the loo. But who is responsible for the dodgy yogurt? Ali and Tulip’s Nan-Nan is on the case: can she get to the bottom of what Ali calls ‘a proper medical mystery. A poison plot and a bad guy in disguise!’ ?

There’s a story that stands out as being very different from the others: Mistlight takes the form of a diary written by Jormun Jaegerson who is to turn twelve in just two months time. On that fateful day, so his grandma, Ska, tells him, he must leave the island and make a new life, forgetting all about his previous one. Either that or be turned into a sea serpent on account of a curse-bargain struck between the world of monsters and that of humans. But then Jormun finds a scale has grown on the back of his neck and soon after his sister Elowen notices it too. She though suggests it might be a feather. Does that mean that perhaps her brother could be the one to break that curse and what then?

There’s no need to read the stories in order; readers can just dip in and out of the book and almost immediately their little grey cells will be working overtime along with the young detectives’ in the stories. And make sure to take time to appreciate Harry Woodgate’s black and white illustrations; there’s one for each mystery.

Terrible True Tales: Romans / Terrible True Tales: Egyptians

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Terrible True Tales: Romans
Terrible True Tales: Egyptians
Terry Deary, illustrated by Helen Flook
Bloomsbury Education

Having watched his parents slain by the Romans, the boy narrator of the first tale The Captive Celt, is taken from Britannia to Rome as a slave, not to a Roman but to Celtic hero Caratacus.

There he learns vital fighting skills and three years later, his master frees him to return to his homeland.
With maternal death, human sacrifice, brutal corporal punishment, genocide, and child slavery this is pretty terrifying stuff but Terry Deary’s dark, wicked sense of humour shines through it all and children love it.
They will also enjoy the three other stories – The Fatal Fire, The Grim Ghost and The Goose Guards. The Fatal Fire gives a short account of the burning of Rome and of the Emperor Nero.
The Grim Ghost refers to the subject of a tale told to a young boy, Pertinax as he keeps the great Pliny company in the garden. The Goose Guards tells of a boy priest who is determined to get his revenge on fellow pupil Flavia for making him look stupid during a lesson with the head priest.
Each story has an afterword giving a factual historical summary, as well as a ‘You Try’ activity or two.

Egyptians too has four stories loosely based on real events. The Gold in the Grave is told from the viewpoint of Paneb a tavern owner’s son, renowned for his thieving skills. In the robbery he’s aided and abetted by Dalifa,

Both are tasked with getting the treasure out of Tutankhamen’s tomb after the funeral ceremony. You could say of some concerned with this thievery, greed comes before a fall.
The Plot on the Pyramid centres on the pyramid builders, with farmers being required to work for the Pharaoh building a pyramid during Akhet, the time of year when the river rises, flooding the surrounding fields. We read of the trials and tribulations of one farmer, Yenini, member of a gang working under the direction of the bullying Ahmes. With lots of gory details, many young readers will relish this.
In The Magic and the Mummy a father tells his young daughter Neria she’s to assist him in the House of Death where mummies are made. To her surprise she is asked to mummify the pharaoh’s cat so it can accompany him to the Afterlife. There’s a big problem however: this cat looks very like her own cat, Katkins so there’s no way she wants to kill and gut the creature. Is there any way she can save the cat and not get caught and punished for so doing?
The Phantom of the Nile sees Menses, a bit of a chatterbox, training to be a scribe in the local temple. In order to earn extra money to buy his father a much-needed new boat for fishing, he takes on another job, to help Maiarch get rid of the phantom that haunts her new house. When Menses visits the woman a second time he is accompanied by his friend Ahmose who quickly surmises that it’s no ghostly being that is alarming Maiarch. So who is it and what is the intruder’s purpose? Can Menses come up with a plan to expose him and even earn the money his family so badly needs? Greed and doing the right thing are at the heart of this story.

Irreverent and huge fun – the fun being added to by Helen Flook’s illustrations. Put both books in a primary classroom and children will be clamouring to read them.

Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit

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Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit
Clare Harlow, illustrated by Karl James Mountford
Puffin Books

Since arriving in the curious town of Shelwich searching for her father who has gone missing, and been hoodwinked by one Alexo Rokis, Ista Flint has become familiar with its winding cobbled streets. Whereas most of the town’s residents are born with a magic gift – a Tide-blessing – of some kind, Ista is a face-changer with the magical ability to take on the appearance of anyone she encounters, something she makes use of for all manner of purposes.

As we read, ‘Amongst the cobbled streets of Shelwich, magic rises and falls with the tide.’, but something weird is happening; many townsfolk are mysteriously disappearing and it seems to be happening more often.

Then Issa meets Nat and Ruby, both of whom are on searches of their own but to save the town they need to work together and find out what is really going on. A perilous enterprise it turns out to be and one readers are quickly caught up in, desperate to uncover the truth along with the three child protagonists. as their quest takes numerous twists and turns.

With its richly imagined, immersive world building, enriched by Karl James Montford’s wonderful illustrations, dark magic aplenty and much uncertainty as to who is and who isn’t, a villain, the book ends in such a way that some things are left open for further adventures of Ista, that readers, including this reviewer, eagerly anticipate.

Finding Alfie: A D-Day Story

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Finding Alfie: A D-Day Story
Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman
Scholastic

Created by two masters of children’s literature and published in collaboration with the Royal British Legion, to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on 6th June 2024, this intensely moving story pays tribute to all those who served in the Second World War.

Author Michael Morpurgo’s journey is one he undertakes in search of the answer to what happened to the painter of a picture that he saw on the wall of Aunty Iris’s room in her nursing home every time he visited her and which now hangs on his own bedroom wall.

It was some years after her death that, having discovered a photo he’s sure is of Alfie, he set out to discover why the young soldier never returned despite promising to do so.. Telling his mother he’s going off sketching, he heads first to Bradwell in Essex and there comes upon an old man who gives him one piece of Alfie’s story. As a result of what he learns our narrator then crosses the Channel to Normandy.

There he finds Alfie’s grave and further pieces of the story and in so doing learns a powerful lesson about service to others be they from your own home country or another.

Both the written narrative and the illustrations are beautiful; together they make for a profound, powerful story, just one of so many that could be told of those who stood, determined and dedicated, against the threat of invasion in 1940, and played their part in the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy in 1944 and in the liberation of Europe from occupation and tyranny.

We owe it to them to keep their story alive and one way to do so is to share this book with children in school. Another is to buy a copy, a contribution of £1 from the sale will be given to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. (The historical background to the story is chronicled by Philippa Rawlinson, Director of Remembrance, Royal British Legion and includes photographs of the landings.)

I Am Wolf

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I Am Wolf
Alastair Chisholm
Nosy Crow

I read this thrilling dystopian story in proof form but liked it so much that when a finished copy arrived I couldn’t resist reading it again.

Coll, the main character has two prosthetic limbs – a leg and an arm – more advanced that those currently available, as the author discovered when researching limb differences for the book. Like many of the people he met through the Limbo Foundation and Finding Your Feet, Coll’s limb difference is part of him, but does not define him.

When first we meet twelve year old Coll, having been used to living aboard Wolf, the gigantic construct that is almost always moving, he is finding standing on still ground weird. However he joins crewmate, Luna to salvage whatever useful bits and pieces they can, mostly lost by Hyena after the previous evening’s battle between the two massive machines, when their rival was defeated.
But shortly after the two have delivered their sacks of salvaged pieces Coll learns that senior crew member Alpha, who had promised him he could go on a mission he really wanted to, now won’t let him; Coll puts this down to his limb differences. Instead she, who is not proud of being his mother, suggests he accompany her into Scatter to speak to the Mayor.

While Alpha and Mayor Ruprecht talk, Coll wanders off and comes upon a child being attacked by a group of others. He intervenes and horrified by what he’s told, takes responsibility for the boy who had once been a member of Boar. “That child is your problem now”, Alpha insists. Coll renames the terrified child Fillan (little Wolf) so he can fit in aboard Wolf.

Then the others of Wolf crew return with a cache that had been hidden and it’s time to move on, but almost immediately there is an attack from an enemy construct. After rounds of fierce fighting and an accident that involved Rieka, she, Coll and Fillan find themselves left behind by Wolf. Not long after they come upon another stranded girl, named Brann.

Coll is Wolf, but he starts to question everything he believes himself to be and wants to be. Does his original family really have his best interests at heart? It’s time to confront uncomfortable truths, shed his preconceptions and learn that trust and new relationships are possible. Is Rieka right when she says, ‘perhaps I’ll find a better way to live.’ Maybe, as Brann suggests, ‘A Cub way’.

With awesome world building, perils aplenty, sack loads of suspense, some quiet contemplative moments and several terrific characters, this is a read that grips you tight. Moreover the ending leaves you dangling, eagerly awaiting the sequel, I Am Raven.

Super Sausage Dog To The Rescue

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Super Sausage Dog To The Rescue
Rachel Morrisroe, illustrated by Jenny Taylor
Puffin

When this story starts – the first in a new series – Dottie, an adorable dachshund is residing at Doris Darling’s Home for Dogs. In order to find a forever home however, she is keeping under wraps the fact that this dachshund cross has super skills; she can fly and she can talk. Then into the rescue centre come Harry and his dad and before Dottie can say ‘treat’ she’s in a car heading for a new abode.

Once settled in, it’s not long before Dottie’s super skills are discovered by Harry and the pooch takes the risk of sharing her entire life history with the boy. Happily he thinks Dottie is amazing.
As the two are talking together, a squirrel appears at the window and using its breath and paws writes a message on the glass urging them to attend a meeting the following dawn. Dottie’s powers are urgently needed by Rebecca Refractor who runs Superpets, a secret organisation of superhero pets that keep the world safe from super villains.  How though can the superpets keep the world safe when they are being kidnapped by a supervillain intent on making them part of her collection? 

It’s up to ‘Super Sausage’ Dottie and Harry to stop the petnapping of the remaining superpets by Sparkletta Collector, either that or face being her next victims. Can the duo do it?

The two lead characters take turns to narrate their action-packed adventure giving readers a lot of laugh-out-loud moments: Dottie describes her farts thus, ‘My trumpets are louder than twenty trombones in an orchestra. Big, broccoli-scented bottom belches billow down into the room.’
More laugh-out-loud moments, including one of the Prime Minister glued to the wall wearing his polka-dot pants, are provided by Jenny Taylor’s drawings.

And who wouldn’t want to visit ‘The Factual History Museum’ – just one of Rachel Morrisroe’s splendidly playful phrases. I found myself giggling every couple of minutes as I read this zany tale and like its target audience of primary readers, will eagerly await book two.

Fireborn: Starling and the Cavern of Light

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Fireborn: Starling and the Cavern of Light
Aisling Fowler, illustrated by Sophie Medvedeva
Harper Collins Children’s Books

Slightly darker than the previous books in the series, this concludes the trilogy. As the book opens, with the Master’s army converging and moving closer to Ember, the witches virtually destroyed and the whereabouts of her friends Six and Seven not known to her, Phoenix is feeling especially low. “We should have marched north, to rescue Six from Victory and the Master … And to find Seven,” she says to her pet squirrel Widge.

Moreover, Ember can only survive the imminent fight for survival if, rather than fighting among themselves, the clans join forces and defeat their common enemy. To bring this about an address by Phoenix will, it’s hoped, be instrumental. “I think they’ll actually listen to you, Hoarfrost insists.
She agrees and speaks to them that same evening, revealing in so doing that she’s an elemental. Responding to the question “What is this ‘Master’ she tells the crowd, “He controls all dark creatures, bends them to his will effortlessly. …I can promise you this, when you face the Master and his monstrous army, the differences between your clan and another will suddenly look very small indeed…. He has united the dark creatures; if we are to survive, we must at least be as united as they are.”

There is hope lying within the Cavern of Light in the form of a hidden weapon, but embarking on a journey filled with horrific beasts and peril like they’ve never before experienced is a choice that must be made. A final showdown looms but can Phoenix possibly defeat the Master and save her beloved friends.

The battle scenes, when they eventually take place, are the stuff of nightmares, with Phoenix taking a decision she may regret. To say this book is suspenseful is an understatement; a handy box of tissues close by is advisable as you draw near to the end with Phoenix’s past and present coming together and sacrifices being made by certain characters.

With amazing world-building, a gamut of emotions and occasional dramatic illustrations by Sophie Medvedeva, this is an awesome end to a brilliant series. As the Guardian says in the final chapter, “This world is full of marvels, Phoenix. Life and wonder and glorious possibility exist alongside the darkness.”

Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea

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Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea
Pari Thomson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Macmillan Children’s Books

For me this sequel, is every bit as good as Greenwild: The World Behind the Door. Herein Daisy’s adventures alongside her Five O’Clock Club friends – animal whisperer Indigo, The Prof, Acorn and cat Napoleon, as well as new member of the cast, Max, a fugitive with a distinctive birthmark on his face and a past he is keeping hidden or doesn’t remember – continue apace.

Botanists are being found dead in the Amazon region and the adults likely have plans of their own, plans concerning what to do. As you’d expect, Daisy is very worried about the safety of her mother who has been taken captive in the area. Rescuing her from there is not possible as it means taking on the environment-destroying Grim Reapers; but could Daisy follow her mother’s wish and enlist help from the people of the Kingdom of Iffenwild, a place most don’t even believe exists? Maybe, though Iffenwild is somewhere that has cut itself off from the rest of the world for reasons unknown to Daisy et al.

In this book the author creates a backdrop that is powerfully intricate and fascinating; there’s Iffenwild and the Nautilus Theatre Company and its players that come to life as if before your very eyes as Daisy and friends have to evade or face ambushes from the evil Grim Reapers whose effect on the coral and seaweed is devastating. They also need to find out whether the Duchess of Iffenwild is to be trusted or not. All this as well as riding majestic wild water horses and rescuing rare creatures from an animal market, not to mention how to control their individual magical gifts and learning how to trust each other. Their aim is to put paid to the evil scheme of a regent and obtain the much needed assistance for the critical conflict that is to come.

Overflowing with magical happenings, places and otherworldly creatures, some of which are portrayed in Elisa Paganelli’s awesome illustrations,

Pari Thomson’s wondrous tale is totally gripping and not only that, it gently nudges readers into thinking about the vital importance and conservation of the natural world.

Magicalia: Race of Wonders

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Magicalia: Race of Wonders
Jennifer Bell, illustrated by David Wyatt
Walker Books

Bitsy’s life is pretty normal as she endeavours to find interesting events to cover in her attempt to follow in her journalist mother’s footsteps. She enjoys creating podcasts with her best friend, Kosh, but things are pretty dull in Oddington, until that is a raven-haired woman appears in her home accompanied by a magical beast. An argument about a book ensues and this is followed by the disappearance of her Dad (an astrophysicist), along with the woman and the purple hamstoceros beast. Not however before Dad has summoned a creature of his own, Quasar, and instructed it to protect Bitsy and Kosh.

Bitsy then decides to search for clues as to where her Dad might have been taken. She comes upon an old book entitled Magicalia wherein are lists of majicores and the emotions that conjure them. The two children must use this book both to locate Eric (Bitsy’s Dad) and to work out why he was taken. First stop the address atop a letter Bitsy has found, and.there she learns things about her parents, secrets that they’d been keeping from her..

With the help of the powerful Magicalia book what follows is an incredible adventure- a race against time – taking them across the globe to places as far apart as India’s Taj Mahal and Paris as they too become conjurors of majicores and follow the clues in the hope of rescuing Bitsy’s Dad from a mysterious enemy.

Building a world of majicore beasts created by emotions is an awesome achievement on Jennifer Bell’s part: her spellbinding tale wherein the importance of creativity and courage and the power of friendship are key, will grab you from the outset and hold you captive until the end. Part of the magic also lies in David Wyatt’s illustrations of the majicores that introduce each of the twenty six chapters. Happily though it isn’t quite the end; Race of Wonders is the first of a series.

Michael the Incredible Super-Sleuth Sausage Dog

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Michael the Incredible Super-Sleuth Sausage Dog
Terrie Chilvers, illustrated by Tim Budgen
Firefly Press

In this second Michael story, the sausage dog decides that in addition to being a celebrity mind-reading expert, he wants to be a detective mastermind. The reason being Susan the Chocolate Labrador has gone missing. Could it be a case of dognapping as Police Detective Wrinkles suspects: if so that will mean the filming of Michael’s TV show featuring said Labrador will have to be halted. However, when a ransom note is discovered signed by DogX and Associates, there’s no doubt in Michael’s mind: a detective he must be. That way he can surely boost his TV ratings, which have recently nose-dived.

Time to use your talent and charm to your advantage, Michael and you’d better be quick about it. There’s just two days to drive to Three Paw Creek, meet the villainous kidnapper, be a su-paw hero and rescue Susan, then get back in time to restore your show to the top of the ratings chart.


Things don’t go exactly to plan however. To say the overnight accommodation – Dog House Motel – is substandard is being generous, especially as Detective Wrinkles has booked herself in at the vastly superior Bouncy Ball Hotel.

Far worse is to come though, for Michael’s plan goes completely off the rails when he too is dognapped. With Pamela calling the shots, this is cheesily catastrophic . How on earth is Michael going to extricate himself, not to mention Stanley and Susan from their place of incarceration? And what of that all important show?

A witty tail wagging, twisty turning delight for KS2 readers especially the dog-loving kind. Tim Budgen’s illustrations add to the zestiness of the tale so make sure you paws and look at them properly.

How To Stop The End of the World

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How To Stop The End of the World
Tom Mitchell
Harper Collins Children’s Books

Col Coleridge is facing a boring summer holiday especially as his parents are far from happy about the time he spends on his Xbox; time they think he should be spending keeping himself fit, especially as he’s just messed up a relay race his family were running in. Then Col notices some strange chalk markings on the pavement close to his home, followed shortly by the appearance of strangers acting suspiciously who claim to be to do with installing super fast broadband in the locality. Could they be burglars perhaps? Col decides to dial 999. However the police and his parents, who are both solicitors, are not at all impressed.

Having had a somewhat strange conversation about strangers in his garden with his young golf fanatic neighbour Noah, Col goes out and formulates a plan, the first part being to further investigate the strange markings. While so doing he encounters Lucy who has only recently moved to the area; she too is intrigued by the markings and is sure they are not to do with broadband. They are runes she informs Col, Anglo Saxon runes.

Another strange thing is that having put up special cameras given him by Lucy, Noah and his dad become convinced they are to spy on Noah’s golfing shots and come a-knocking on the Coleridge’s door to complain. Of course Col doesn’t tell them the real purpose is to watch for the strangers but says he’s bird-watching.

Things get progressively crazier as both Col and Lucy embark on a quest that involves combat re-enactment, an ancient mythical sword, a curse and a mission to save the world.

The writing is bursting with droll humour as the pacy plot twists hither and thither towards the dramatic denouement. A book that will work well as a KS2 class read aloud and for individual readers.

Pages & Co: The Last Bookwanderer

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Pages & Co: The Last Bookwanderer
Anna James, illustrated by Marco Guadalupe
Harper Collins Children’s Books

All good things must come to an end: that oft used sentence is now sadly applied to the wondrous and wonderful Pages & Co. series. Sadly for its countless followers, but not necessarily so for Tilly, Milo, Oskar and Alessia as you will discover herein. They are still endeavouring to stop the Alchemist carrying out his final plan, as well as finding a way to untangle what he’s done thus far and to save Pages & Co and indeed save bookwandering and the imagination for everyone.

To begin with they venture into Arthurian legend to find the first bookwanderer, the wizard Merlin, keeper of The Book of Books. To succeed in this final quest and get everything they require and discover all they need to know, Milo and Alessia then have to separate from Oskar and Tilly as they travel into different aspects of stories and mythologies. By so doing, can they succeed and receive the help they require?

Milo and Alessia travel into Norse mythology to try and make a deal with Loki. Tilly and Oskar travel into Greek mythology and meet the Muses

Tilly and Oskar meet Calliope, chief of the muses

and the Fates: it’s through information thus acquired that Oskar asks Lachesis, “Bookwandering isn’t as old as imagination?” “Certainly not as you understand it,” comes her reply.

So, Bookwandering is not what they understood it to be ‘. but neither is it what some people desire it to be; Moreover, one character they meet is not what he leads the children to believe either.

The narrative twists and turns so many times that it’s well nigh impossible to recount all that happens but that would surely spoil the book for those who have long awaited its arrival.Let me reassure you though, that there’s a thrilling, satisfying finale, with friendship, imagination and the power of story being key throughout. Who could ask for more; certainly not this reviewer.

The Bravest Word / The Feeling Good Club: Believe in Yourself, Bella!

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The Bravest Word
Kate Foster
Walker Books

A powerful story of trust and love between a boy and a dog that addresses depression in youngsters, it will surely help readers who are struggling to recognise the symptoms in themselves. It will also reassure those readers that they aren’t alone and however confused and scared they might feel, there are ways to cope, so long as they seek help from somebody.

Eleven year old Matt, a soccer star is suddenly beset with thoughts of “I can’t do this” especially when it comes to playing his favourite game and he feels tired all the time. He’s way too scared to talk to his mum who clearly cares but puts his troubles down to hormones, and he won’t say anything to his dad for fear of upsetting him

Then, as he’s out walking with his dad, they come across an abandoned dog that has clearly been very badly treated. Matt is determined to save the creature and decides to call him Cliff after his grandad. He also finds a scrap of paper with the words UGLY, SAD DOG. HE’S YOURS close by. Off they go to the emergency vet and having followed the required procedures, and persuaded Mum, Cliff finally goes to live with the Brown family.

As Matt cares for the newcomer, we see that boy and dog exhibit similar emotions: Cliff recovers physically but remains withdrawn and anxious while Matt remains determined to restore the pooch’s faith in human beings as well as restoring his own zest for life. It’s an arduous slow process, the highs and lows of which Matt shares with his new canine buddy.

In doing so, Matt perceives his own situation with increasing clarity. Bit by bit, the boy begins to open up, sharing, his despair, his sickness, his hopes, through Cliff’s social media presence, which soon becomes viral. There’s enormous on-line support for the dog and by association Matt, from virtual strangers, which finally forces the boy to find the courage to ask for help. “I think I might be depressed,” he tells his Dad. Dad’s response is enormously understanding; he’s clearly proud of his son and feels great empathy towards him. Matt then discovers that he’s not the only person who has problems with their mental health. Then surrounded by love and support, he is allowed to rest and begin to heal.

A hugely important, beautifully written, honest book that shows children they are not alone in their struggles, and that as Matt’s Dad tells his son, asking for help is the bravest thing.

The Feeling Good Club: Believe in Yourself, Bella!
Kelly McCain, illustrated by Jenny Latham
Little Tiger

Bella, Archie and Shazmin are three friends who set up a mindfulness club to help them understand and handle their feelings. This has really boosted Bella’s self-confidence, until the three decide to enter the Muddy Assault Course Challenge in the hope of winning £50, which they intend donating to WaterWorks (a charity). They call themselves Ace Team but they’re one person short. Billy, a rather loud, over-confident boy offers not only to join their team but also to coach them. Training begins in earnest that weekend and after one session Bella wants to pull out of the event.

Things go from bad to terrible when the team hold a training session in Bella’s garden and end up wrecking Mum’s favourite plant pots and making a whacking great hole in Dad’s new fence panel and the only one who doesn’t straightway apologise to Bella’s parents is Billy.
Somehow Bella needs to find the courage to talk with Archie and Shazmin, Billy too, about how she really feels. Can she do so and set Ace Team back on the road to enjoying preparing for and participating in, that challenge?
She’s fortunate to have Jess, her older sister, to discuss everything with; among other things that really helps her get her feelings about Billy out in the open, though as events unfold she ends up with a much greater understanding of why he behaves in ways she doesn’t like and ends up calling him a friend.

This is Bella’s second turn of sharing her diary with readers: I wonder who will be next in this very enjoyable series. Make sure you check out the mindfulness activities at the end of the book.

Knowing the Score

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Knowing the Score
Ros Roberts
Little Tiger

Gemma knows very little about her family members other than her mum with whom she has lived for as long as she can remember. However despite their closeness, Gemma is keen to find out about the others – Gran and Uncle Jo(e) – whom she has included in her special people mind map drawn during the year six residential from which she’s just returned. She’s aware that following her return from the USA, Mum fell out with Gran and since then they seldom see one another. She also has hazy memories of visiting Gran’s house and her Uncle’s disastrous wedding, after which all contact stopped.

Then Mum is invited to join Terry and two other friends on a month long, adults only Caribbean cruise. With some persuasion, she agrees to let Gemma stay with Gran, something the girl sees as an opportunity to start healing the family rift. At the last minute though comes news that Gran has fallen and broken her hip. Mum’s initial reaction is to cancel her plans but finally she allows her daughter to stay with Uncle Joe instead.

It’s evident to his niece from the start that he’s friendly, fun and generous, clearly with much more money that Gemma’s mum, though it’s his qualities not his wealth that Gemma values. When she learns that Uncle Joe has work commitments during the first part of her stay and that he has enrolled her in a tennis camp, she’s more than a little worried, but agrees to give it a try. It’s thanks to the camp that Gemma eventually discovers a vital secret about her mum; she also finds that she’s a quick learner when it comes to tennis and has a lot of potential as a player. Now all she needs to do is to bring her fractured family back together. Can she do that without upsetting anyone?

Embracing some of the harsher realities of life, this sensitively written story of a complex family
with its themes of forgiveness, new beginnings, healing and risk taking will be especially enjoyed by older KS2 readers.

North and the Only One

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North and the Only One
Vashti Hardy
Scholastic

Having woken fourteen days ago from a seemingly endless sleep, twelve year old Rose, has no memory of any life before, not even her name. What caused the scar on her head? Why does she feel lost in her own home? These are just two of the many questions she has. The only thing that feels familiar is North, her puppy. Yes, the woman she lives with, says she is Rose’s mother but despite the pleasant life the three have together, as the days pass something feels wrong. Fragments of her past come to Rose in dreams. She’s walking among the trees – there’s a forest: home perhaps? Nothing like the place she now finds herself in. Then one night Rose makes an unsettling discovery about this ‘Mother’ of hers and it drives her to leave the house, with North beside her. She runs towards the only thing that feels real to her – the forest: surely there she can find other humans.

What Rose finds is that she’s on a frightening journey through a city with a political set up based on control and fear wherein her very existence is both a threat and threatened; and where she doesn’t know whom to trust: the tour guide mouse or the charming fox and rabbit droids working for a travelling theatre. A journey that makes readers feel they’re part of the girl’s search for the truth.
Probably THE most important thing of all Rose discovers is the power of stories; stories that help us make sense of things, that connect us both to the past and one another. Stories make us human and reveal our truth.

With its STEM and environmental references, this is a compelling story for older readers that is highly thought-provoking, exploring as it does, what being human means and what makes a family.

Ferris

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Ferris
Kate DiCamillo
Walker Books

This story, set I think in the late 20th century, unfolds around ten year old Ferris (Emma Phineas Wilkey), so called because she was born beneath a ferris wheel at the fairground. Ferris is sensitive, serious and a lover of words, the last thanks to her 4th grade teacher.

It’s an eventful summer for certain. It was then that a ghost appeared to her grandmother Charisse, that Ferris’s six year old sister, Pinky, decided to become an outlaw and that her Uncle Ted left Aunt Shirley, his wife to live in the basemen of Ferris’s home, hoping to paint a masterpiece. Oh yes and it was the summer that Dad declared there was a racoon in the attic; moreover Charisse said she was unwell and agreed to see a doctor.

Add to the mix Ferris’s best friend, Billy Jackson a pianist who hears music in his head all the time, Boomer the dog, teacher Mrs Mielk, Billy’s dad Big Billy Jackson and Charisse’s oft quoted assertion that “every good story is a love story” and you realise that those words definitely apply to Kate DiCamillo’s moving, memorable, quirky tale. Assuredly there’s love in abundance, but there’s also reunion, plenty of humour supplied mainly due to Pinky’s misdemeanours, as well as loss and birth.

Jawsome: Licence to Rock

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Jawsome: Licence to Rock
R.J. Timmis
Allen & Unwin

There’s not one but two stories in this action-packed volume, the first being the titular Licence to Rock. Let me now introduce, as he says himself. ‘Finley – supernormal shark kid by day, totally famous rock star by night.’ His fellow band members are his best friends Hunter (Harriet Heartens), Gilleon (Greyson Glitter) and Gnash (Gnarly Nelson). Adult readers will find themselves smiling at these punning names,
As the first story opens the band are preparing to head off to participate in the Euro-fishin competition in Shellbania but then at the last minute Gnash fails to show up.

With just two days before the contest the clock is ticking if the other three are to find him in time. Off they go to Gnash’s home to look for a lead and there find a card with a fish symbol that sends them rushing to the Business District. Having managed to get themselves into FISH HQ, they learn that not only is Gnash there but that using his talent for rhythm, he’s helping a super-secret spy agency track down the evil organisation, A.B.B.A (Alliance of Brutally Bad Anglerfish)

and stop them from shrinking the sun; and it transpires, from taking over the entire ocean. Can Gnash crack the vital code and with his friends prevent ABBA causing crab-tastrophe? If so, is there any way that Jawsome can get to that competition in time to compete in Euro-fishin.

In the second adventure Zombie Sharks Attack! Finley is fearful about playing wrong notes in the Rhythm and Chews festival and becoming a laughing stock. The big problem though is the sudden arrival on the music scene of The Killer Wails, they’re even top of the popularity polls, stealing audiences from Jawsome by the minute. Come festival day, the four arrive on stage and find that they have no audience at all. Cancellations follow, but also something extremely seaspicious: the school is empty save for Principal Flotsam who has turned into a zombie. In fact every shark in Chumville is zombified. It seems that this is down to the sinister doings of Killer Wails. The only ones not under the mind control of the new group are Jawsome. They need to investigate pronto. Ear muffs on guys, if you’re to stand any chance of overcoming the dastardly Killer Wails; followed quickly by Jawsome’s performance of their lives.

The power of friendship and determination are crucial here, and Jawsome have those in abundance though none is flawless. For KS2 readers, liberally illustrated, this is super silly, fast paced punning fun with elements borrowed from tv shows and films. I wonder how many they will identify.

Elf Dog and Owl Head

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Elf Dog and Owl Head
T.M. Anderson, illustrated by Junyi Wu
Walker Books

This weird magical novel is set during a covid lockdown. Clay O’Brian is tired of the virus that has forced him to stay home away from his friends. All he has to play with is a frisbee but nonetheless he enjoys the time he spends in the forest exploring, it’s far better than being cooped up indoors with his siblings. As he goes to retrieve his frisbee a dog suddenly bursts out of the bushes, a strange-looking dog with long ears, red inside – an elf-hound, Clay calls her. The creature – Clay thinks she’s saved him from a bear – follows him home and decides to stay.

Next day out walking with the dog, Clay overhears that her collar has a name, Elphinore, and that the two men speaking to one another think she’s a royal hunting dog belonging to the People Under the Mountain.

Time passes, the school term ends and Clay has even more time to spend with Elphinore, more time rambling in the forest. Allowed to lead the way, she takes Clay ‘on one of the paths that led through crooked elfin ways up the flank of the mountain.’ It’s thus that he meets the owl-head people, in particular an Owl Boy, Amos from a village full of such people.

One afternoon a while later after a strange incident with a shaker that Clay has acquired, his sisters decide to follow him and find out from where he got it. They creep after their brother and the dog, steered by the latter, so they stay on the right path. Along that same path, DiRossi (Clay’s angsty elder sister) also forms a strange friendship with a miserable giant Vud, that her brother accidentally woke from a deep sleep. Somehow her mood seems to improve as this happens. Clay meanwhile is having to spend time helping his Dad.

Come New Year’s Eve, the absorbing tale builds to a dramatic climax with an event – ‘a party between the worlds’ – on the slopes of Mount Norumbega, after which comes a final resolution with Clay having to decide where he, Amos and Elphinore really belong.

A brilliantly clever amalgam of fantasy and the everyday world, equally brilliantly illustrated with Junyi Wu’s black and white pencil art. A book that will leave readers with a feeling of wonderment.

Lenny Lemmon and the Alien Invasion / Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond

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Lenny Lemmon and the Alien Invasion
Ben Davis, illustrated by James Lancett
Nosy Crow

This is the third in the laugh-out-loud series starring Lenny whose daft doings delight younger solo readers. As this book begins, Lenny is complaining of boredom: it’s the school holidays and his two best mates, Sam and Jess are, so he believes, both away enjoying life in distant parts. His Dad meanwhile is busy inventing crazy contraptions that are doomed to fail. Lenny is sent to return something to his Grandma’s ice-cream shop but unexpectedly, he finds that she’s not her usual cheerful self when he arrives. Due to lack of customers, she realises it’s either do something to boost sales or close down the shop for good.

On his way home, Lenny discovers that Sam and his family are not away, indeed they too are worried about lack of customers, to their bookshop in the town. The boys determine not to let these once much loved shops close forever. On go their thinking caps for project SAVE THE TOWN. To boost sales at the local establishments, Sam reluctantly agrees to don a alien costume and participate in a pretend alien invasion; that will surely attract attention.

Inevitably, things don’t go quite to plan. Yes the town is constantly full of tourists but it becomes under intense scrutiny from the media. With business booming who should return to the scene but their other friend. If Sam and Lenny reveal their doings, will it be a case of game over? Sir Percival Hickenbottom representing the Enormomall, certainly wants it so. Time to take him on: the chaos is only just beginning but friendship is key.

Bursting with James Lancett’s’ crazy illustrations, this riotous romp is great for newly confident solo readers or as a class read aloud.

Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond
Hartigan Browne
Macmillan Children’s Books

Murdle has already established itself as hugely popular with adults and now younger readers have the opportunity to get cracking on a case courtesy of the Hartigan Browne Detective Agency. Herein Dave the dog has been pup-napped and it is up to you, the reader as a newly recruited agent, to find out why and who the culprit is. This is the first of many puzzles that will, hopefully, lead you to the discovery of the Dumpleton Diamond.
To get those little grey cells all a-buzz, there’s a variety of puzzling tasks from codes to logic problems, picture puzzles to anagrams – probably something for everyone, including adults who want to stick their noses into the book. You might even want to make solving this case a joint family enterprise. Better that than cheat and look up the answers, which are given at the back of the book.

Shadow Fox

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Shadow Fox
Carlie Sorosiak
Nosy Crow

Set in the harsh environment of secret islands of the Great Lakes in Minnesota, this story is told from the viewpoint of a female fox mysteriously calling herself YAAAARRRRAAAWWWAAAARRR.
Pitifully thin, extremely hungry and cold in the snow, said fox is looking for Nan, only Nan; all other humans she hates but gentle fingered Nan, provider of tasty trout has gone missing. Suddenly a voice calls out, it’s not Nan but a girl wearing one of Nan’s jumpers, who appears to be missing someone too.

Feeling let down by the only human she trusts, the fox teams up with the girl, Beatrice or Bee for short and together they set out to search for Nan and put the world to rights once again. An adventure unfolds, which takes them to a mysterious island and unbeknownst to the fox, she possesses magical powers which the islanders are hoping to tap into. They find themselves battling to preserve the beauty and natural integrity of their surroundings. But can they together work to restore natural harmony; it’s either that or the magic of the place will be forever lost.

Slightly surreal, this is a wondrous fantasy story, at the heart of which is the power of friendship, that will draw you in from the start. It’s beautifully written with quirky details of the intelligent, intuitive fox and a potent sense of place that will ensure that readers pick up the subtle message about the vital need for us all to stop abusing our planet and look after it.

Jack Splash / Stitched Up

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Jack Splash
Tom Daley (with Simon James Green), illustrated by Luna Valentine
Scholastic

Jack, whose parents have separated, lives with his dad and does his best to live up to the sporting expectations he thinks his father, a diving coach, has. To that end he joins the AquaDucks, a diving squad, despite having a fear of drowning and hating heights. he’d much rather be spending his time on his hobby – knitting. Unsurprisingly Jack (the story’s narrator) is the worst member of the diving team but then to his surprise he performs well in an event.

Fortunately for him, a rather unusual boy named Billy joins his year 5 class. Billy, a great swimmer, is more than willing to share some diving tips with Jack. Despite the new boy’s strangeness, Jack takes a liking to him.’He seemed to sparkle – like fun and joy just shone out of him. Maybe he was just what this dull, wet little town needed,’ he tells readers. With Billy as a motivational force, perhaps Jack’s luck is about to change. He certainly has an opportunity to improve his diving and thus please his dad, but more important, through his new friend, he comes to understand what being a member of a team really means. (Supporting fellow team members through their ups and downs is a vital life skill to learn whichever sport a child participates in.)

Then, with the important regionals competition for the AquaDucks looming, Billy is kidnapped.
With the fate of a secret underwater world hanging in the balance, can Jack and the rest of the diving crew save the day? What is the importance of a ring that so many people want to have in their clutches, or rather on a finger?

As Jack discovers, winning a golden trophy is not the most important thing. Being part of a team and giving fellow members a second chance feels a lot like winning. As does being a great friend, and having your dad recognise it. And you never know, some friendships might just last forever.

With themes of friendship, teamwork and perseverance, this wonderful, gently humorous tale with a touch of fantasy, written in collaboration with Simon James Green, is full of really important messages for child readers, not least about standing up to bullying.. Equally, the book would make a terrific read aloud to a KS2 class; make sure you share Luna Valentine’s occasional black and white illustrations. I love the fact that knitting plays an important role in the story.

Also featuring knitting as a pastime:

Stitched Up
Joanne O’Connell
Macmillan Children’s Books

Cassie, the book’s narrator, loves vintage fashion but when she starts at Silverdale High School she makes friends with Azra, who is obsessive about fashion labels. Very quickly she feels under pressure to fit in, which means changing her interests to current trends rather than fashion history. Then, thanks to her neighbour, she joins a local knitting group, The Knitwits. There, in what feels more like a big family set up, she’s able to embrace her passion and be herself, while also keeping up appearances in school. (Anybody who is into knitting will enjoy the knitting element with the descriptions of patterns and stitches, and it may even encourage other readers to embrace a new hobby.)

When Cassie, eco-warrior Fern and Azra are tasked with redesigning the school uniform, Cassie feels conflicted, and finds that she’s having to lead a double life, particularly when Azra begins to ask questions. Torn between proclaiming her new passion and keeping it under wraps, things are far from easy. Can she keep this crazy double life from unravelling entirely?

With vital life lessons about being true to oneself and standing up for your beliefs and what is important to you, this is a story that will appeal to readers slightly below and above Cassie’s age particularly those who enjoy using second-hand clothing shops and believe strongly in upcycling, though the author uses a gently humorous style that never feels preachy.

Uprising

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Uprising
Jennifer A. Nielsen
Scholastic Press

Set in Poland during World War 2, this book is based on the real life story of Lidia Durr – a girl whose life changed irrevocably when the Nazis invaded Poland. Lidia, a talented pianist, is just twelve in September 1939. She and her family went into hiding in their basement when the Nazis began bombing Warsaw as part of their house was smashed by bombs. When the German takeover was complete, Lidia and her family went back to living upstairs but then were forced out as the Germans took the house for themselves. Papa meanwhile has donned his uniform from WWI and gone to fight for Poland.

The Durr family – Lidia, her mother and brother, Ryszard, together with a Jewish woman their former maid, Doda, and Doda’s mother relocate to a tiny apartment adjacent to Warsaw’s Jewish quarter from where, at the mercy of their occupiers, Lidia helplessly watches family, friends, and countless strangers suffer terrible cruelty, starvation and injustice.

With life becoming ever more difficult, Lidia, desperate to fight back, seeks opportunities to play her part. She sneaks food into the ghetto and enrols in an underground school but as she gets older, with Ryszard having joined the resistance, she finds this isn’t enough. Always hoping for liberation, she begins to fear that the world has forgotten Warsaw.

Frustratingly, her brother doesn’t talk about his resistance work so Lidia finds her own ways to increase her participation. She begins by running messages for the resistance but soon becomes a crucial element taking on ever more dangerous assignments. Admitted into the circle of people planning Operation Tempest, Lidia (code name Cello) rapidly rises up the ranks.

This is a powerful story with Polish people who are not Jewish as its main characters that demonstrates just how very dangerous it was to speak out of turn, let alone be a pro-active member of the resistance movement. Lidia survived and was eventually reunited with her mother in Chicago, dying in 2011: her father and brother perished during the war.

Child readers and adults cannot fail to feel in awe of what she and others like her contributed to her country. (Some black and white photographs of Lidia and her family follow the main narrative.)

The Time Machine Next Door: Rule Breakers and Kiwi Keepers / The Time Machine Next Door: Rebellions and Super Boots

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The Time Machine Next Door: Rule Breakers and Kiwi Keepers
The Time Machine Next Door: Rebellions and Super Boots
Iszi Lawrence, illustrated by Rebecca Bagley
Bloomsbury Education

In the first story, having failed at the first fraction in his maths test at school, Sunil runs into the toilets crying. His pretence at being ill results in his being sent home sick from school. Sunil is fed up: no cricket practice for him, insists Dad who asks Aunt Alex – she with the ‘Boring Machine’ – to babysit for the evening. Perhaps things won’t be so bad after all. However Alex refuses to let Sunil dabble with her potentially dangerous time machine. Creating a distraction, the determined boy sneaks next door into her house (although sneaks isn’t quite the right word for her creates a big disturbance with a ladder). Having located the Boring Machine and pressed the ON button, the next thing he knows is rather than going back a little bit to before his maths test as intended, the machine malfunctions and he’s talking to a girl who tells him her name is Rosa.

It’s Rosa Parks who becomes a leader in the civil rights movement in America.

This is only the first of his travels through time in Rule Breakers and Kiwi Keepers. Before the time machine is fixed, Sunil meets a very young Genghis Khan, so Alex tells him on his return; and then a young Lady Elizabeth who, despite what she says to Sunil, becomes the queen of England. All the while Wiki, the kiwi is annoyingly making his presence felt.

In Rebellions and Super Boots, the loss of his lucky T-shirt just as he’s about to go to his cousin’s house to watch the India v South Africa test match sets Sunil off on another crazy adventure whizzing back through time with Alex and the pesky Wiki. Confusingly for Sunil, there’s another Alex in this book who, except for her metal Doc Marten boots, looks exactly like his neighbour. Apparently she’s Alex-from-the-future. What begins as a search for Sunil’s T-shirt quickly turns into a visit to Roman Britain circa 31CE (time to polish up your Latin perhaps?) where Sunil is instrumental in saving the life of Caractacus but is in Alex’s bad books for being responsible for the loss of her Talk Torc.

Two further forays into the past see Sunil oddly clad in underwear and shirt delivering a message supposedly from Lord Stanley to the King, and trying to get back Alex’s Talk Torc. His third time trip takes him to the 17th century when he has to contend with a witch trial of his own. I learned a new word in that episode – pilgarlick. You’ll need to get a copy of the book to discover its meaning.
All’s well that ends well with Sunil back in the present concluding that he can cope with life without his lucky T-shirt.

Quirky assuredly but Iszi Lawrence’s fun books offer insights into many aspects of history that young readers can then delve further into. The time machine might be powered by boredom but children certainly won’t be bored by Sunil’s forays into the past amusingly illustrated by Rebecca Bagley.

For lower KS2 classrooms and home collections.

When the Wild Calls

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When the Wild Calls
Nicola Penfold
Little Tiger

In this powerful sequel to Nicola Penfold’s Where the World Turns Wild we join Juniper and her brother Bear in a raw and incredibly thought-provoking dystopian adventure that sees them (against their father’s wishes), returning from their new home in Ennerdale where they live with their Dad, his new partner, Willow, and their baby, Fern, to the city. They feel driven by the thought that
their beloved grandmother, Annie-Rose, and friend, Etienne, are still in the city where disease is fast spreading.

Juniper is determined to rescue them and bring them to safety, and at the same time, bring hope to the ever more barren city, a place where there are signs that the iron-fisted control of ruthless leader, President Steel, is starting to weaken. However, the possibility of insurgence by a group called the Polecats has made the authorities more aggressive. Determined to fight for freedom, Etienne who has participated in the disease trial, finds himself in extreme peril and in need of rescue from more than the city itself.

The story unfolds through the increasingly anxious voices of Juniper and Etienne who speak in alternating chapters enabling readers to see what is happening both in the Wild and in the city alongside each other. Both show enormous courage and strength of character as they give their all to what they believe in, and fight for those they love.

The threat of disease, vaccine trials, restrictions on normal life and fear of strangers will remind many readers of our own recent pandemic though Nicola tells us that her story was written prior to COVID. It’s a story from which the author’s love of the natural world shines out as she describes vast landscapes and the minutiae thereof; a story that holds powerful messages about the vital importance of caring for nature. A wonderful read and a call on us all to play our part in helping our precious natural world.

Puppet

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Puppet
David Almond, illustrated by Lizzy Stewart
Walker Books

David Almond’s sublimely written poignant fable, with Lizzy Stewart’s impressive illustrations will really pull at your heartstrings.

Silvester is a widowed puppet maker; together with his wife, Belinda, he gained a reputation for creating some of the most beautiful puppets and shows in the area. As a result, the local museum wants to exhibit the subjects of his work and a young woman, Louise from the university wants to write a short history of his creations to be offered for sale when the exhibition opens. All he has left are his memories, posters, and photographs of his beloved Belinda.

So what can a puppet master do when he’s old and alone? Pondering this question, Silvester feels strangely free. Days pass and one night, awaking from his dreams, the attic seems to call to him. Up he climbs, sits at his workbench and fashions a new puppet. Then comes, “E-O.” That’s the first sound the puppet makes: Silvester thinks he’s imagining it. Next morning he tries to get the puppet to stand; it’s a tough call but eventually he succeeds. “Hello, Puppet,” says Silvester. “E-O” comes the reply.

Puppet is a quick learner, he walks and it’s not long before the old man has found a firm place in his affections for his creation. They visit the park together and there they meet a rather unusual girl named Fleur and her mum, Antonia. The latter remembers some of Silvester’s magical shows from her childhood. The puppet becomes known in the local community as Kenneth and soon Fleur becomes Silvester’s ‘apprentice’, learning how to create and use puppets.

This eventually leads up to a public performance – but all the while, Silvester has been growing more and more tired. With the show over and everything cleared away, telling his friends, he’s seldom been happier, the old man heads home with Puppet and they lie down to sleep together. “Jam,” whispers Puppet the next morning … “Da- ad” but … . I had tears in my eyes at this point, such was the emotion I’d built up inside.

With his wondrous tale of creativity, playfulness and the circle of life, David Almond shows that with trust, love and the power of the imagination, anything is possible. Share it with a class: the children will be swept away by the magic of the telling, as will individual readers.

A Spy in the Jam Factory / The Deadlands: Survival

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These are both the concluding books in series from Walker Books: thanks to the publisher for sending them for review.

A Spy in the Jam Factory
Chrissie Sains, illustrated by Jenny Taylor

When, thanks to a spate of local newspaper articles, the jam factory (Willow Green villagers’ pride and joy) comes under surveillance by the Alien Intelligence Agency, its intention is to find a reason to evict Fizzbee from Earth. Yes, there have been several mishaps of late: giant green vegetables running wild, burglaries and worst of all, children floating in the air after consuming figgy jam thanks to one of Fizzbee’s alien ingredients getting a tad out of control but Fizzbee’s reputation is a rock bottom. Scooter and his pals decide it’s time for Operation Make Fizzbee Look Good to dispel the fears of the village residents. There’s a big problem however in the form of Agent Fleur De Vious, the only spy in the Alien Intelligence Agency. She believes Earth should be alien-free and is determined to get the agency’s director to sign an eviction notice for Fizzbee.

Off she sets aided and abetted by Bottie the inept little spaceship. She certainly appears to be making headway when she starts using subterfuge.

Will Scooter, the boy with a wealth of determination and creativity, be able to stop her in time?

There’s a surprise twist at the end as well as a vital message for every one – characters and readers – from Fizzbee: “Some humans find difference scary. But differences should be celebrated, not feared.”
Many readers will be sad to learn that Chrissie Sains and Jenny Taylor’s fourth book in the Jam Factory series featuring expert inventors of wondrous jams, Scooter and his alien sidekick Fizzbee is the final one. So too was this reviewer, despite the satisfying ending.

The Deadlands: Survival
Skye Melki-Wegner

In this thrilling finale to the cracking trilogy, at the heart of which are five outcasts, former enemies, who are the only hope to save their warring dinosaur kingdoms from impending doom, author Melki-Wegner reassembles her all-dinosaur cast for a furious, climactic battle.
With a massive army to face, frenzied fights, treachery from supposed allies, ambushes, as well as betrayals, narrow squeaks, and courageous exploits the action races towards a climax that is spent against an enormous inferno and a deluge. Through all the trials, the trust Eleri et al have in one another provides a powerful support and the battle’s momentous outcome depends on loyalties and holding fast to their honourable ideals and values.
A showstopping conclusion to the adventures of the intrepid heroes that have kept many older readers, especially danger-loving ones, gripped.

Secrets of the Snakestone

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Secrets of the Snakestone
Piu DasGupta
Nosy Crow


Set above and below the Parisian streets towards the end of the nineteenth century, this utterly compelling story forced me to set aside my recently purchased adult novel in order to finish reading Snakestone in bed.

A cursed gemstone, a dark secret society – the Brotherhood of Blood, a circus full of vibrant characters, and a baby sloth, all this in a city where Zélie Dutta, a young girl from Calcutta, hopes to find her missing father and solve the mystery of why she was so suddenly taken out of school and sent to Paris. (The story of owing the Malaises money somehow doesn’t ring true, she knows there is more to it than that). Providing the lens through which we see the city – a place of innovation, decadence, and also great poverty – Zélie, our intrepid narrator, works as a lady’s maid with the formidable Madame Malaise. Because the girl’s eyes don’t match, the other servants in the house see her as a witch and are ready to blame whatever goes wrong in the household on her.

The second key character is Jules, a young boy working in the sewers, who has found a golden locket belonging to Zélie’s father. Suddenly emerging from a sewer, unaware of the way his life is about to turn, Jules – unwillingly to begin with – is drawn into Zélie’s adventures and plays an invaluable part henceforward. They make a brilliant team with the girl’s resourcefulness, determination and willingness to go to any lengths to help those she loves, not to mention her affirming pep talks that she sometimes gives herself, combined with the boy’s careful and considered attitude to things.

Full of mystery and adventure with themes of family, friendship and trust, along with the important lesson of not making hasty judgements about people, and the weaving into her story, real historical elements and allusions to colonisation, this is a great and unforgettable read for older primary children and beyond.

Bringing Back Kay-Kay

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Bringing Back Kay-Kay
Dev Kothari
Walker Books

When Lena’s older brother Kay-Kay fails to return from summer camp in Goa, despite rather enjoying feeling a bit special at home for a change in his absence, Lena knows she must find him. His parents are grief-stricken but believe that the police, who think he’s run away, are doing everything they can. His friends say they don’t know why he disappeared from the train back to Lamora but, convinced that Kay-Kay would never run away, Lena suspects that one, Samir, who also went to Wildlife Adventures camp, knows more than he is letting on.

Devastated by the idea of living without her brother and finding her parents’ pain unbearable, she decides to embark on a mission to investigate, with the aim of locating Kay-Kay and bringing him home. ‘Without you, Kay-Kay, there’s no sun, no warmth, no light. I will find you – my brother, my friend. I will find you and bring you back,’ she says. Looking for clues in his room, she discovers that Kay-Kay has been keeping part of himself hidden from the family – his secret dreams and his fears of not living up to parental expectations; these he reveals in his powerful, heartfelt poetry.

Determinedly retracing his journey across India, she meticulously begins to reassemble clues leading to his disappearance. Can she find Kay-Kay and save him before it’s too late?

This mystery set in contemporary India grips the reader from the start. Written from Lena’s view point, it’s frequently gut-wrenchingly moving, especially when she addresses her thoughts to her brother. A terrific debut that pays tribute to the power of sibling bonds especially in desperate situations as well as showing that the creative arts are every bit as valuable as engineering and medicine, subjects that in common with so many Indian parents, are favoured by Kay-Kay’s parents.

The Lighthouse at the World’s End

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The Lighthouse at the World’s End
Amy Sparkes
Walker Books

Nine (a pickpocket girl) and her friends, Eric the troll, and wizard Flabberghast are back for their final adventure. They have to head back to the mortal realm to find a priceless lost stargold locket, a family heirloom that is hidden in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. Not only that but if she’s successful, Nine must then find a way to release its power once and for all.

Desirous to get hold of the very same object and also residing in the House at the Edge of Magic is the most troublesome witch in all the realms, Flabberghast’s sister. Said witch has some connection to Nine, and may have the answers to some of her questions.

Despite the very idea of returning to the place guarded by her old foe Pockets, the formidable gang master of all the London thieflings, making Nine feel sick, off they go. The adventure is filled with threats, there are dangers aplenty including a close call for Flabberghast, and as the oft repeated words remind us ‘things are seldom what they seem’.

Amy Sparkes has a wonderful way of making her readers feel they are truly part of Nine’s journey, a chronicle about developing a sense of belonging, about the importance of friendship, about one’s family being what you make, rather than those you are related to, and about redemption and embracing differences. Like many others who first met Nine in The House at the Edge of Magic, despite the throughly satisfying finale to the quartet, this reviewer feels sad about bidding farewell to her and her friends.

Kevin the Vampire: A Wild and Wicked Witch / Goosebumps House of Shivers: Goblin Monday

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Kevin the Vampire: A Wild and Wicked Witch
Matt Brown, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino
Nosy Crow

In this sequel to A Most Mysterious Monster Kevin (almost eleven) and his family, plus human best friend Susie Cabbage who now lives with them, and the Carnival Monstromo carriages are heading to Monstro City to take part in the Dragon Parade. Reluctantly, Susie is clad in an exceedingly itchy, scratchy dress.

As they are running late, Kevin’s family take a shortcut through the perilous Wild Woods, a place nobody ever goes on account of the dastardly witch who lives there. Everything should be fine as long as no one gets out and no one eats anything … err? Kevin will be at the Festival before you can say incredible (which Susie does) After all, nothing goes wrong for the Carnival Monstromo, never ever …
With the performing of awesome tricks including the Danger Dive of Death, revelations relating to Uncle Drax’s falling out with Lazarus Vandross, the disappearance of Dog, some serious sadness for Susie,

and aided and abetted by The Sphinx, the fizzling out of Grayvon Fury, the most evil witch in Grackelser Odd, this is a real humdinger of an adventure. Those familiar with the first book will recognise some of the magical monstrous creatures from that, but Matt Brown has invented some additional characters, mostly of the humorous, even slightly bonkers variety. All this plus Flavia Sorrentino’s weird and wonderful illustrations: primary age readers could ask for nothing more.

Goosebumps House of Shivers: Goblin Monday
R.L. Shine
Scholastic

This story is narrated by Mario who has recently moved with his family from Florida to Philadelphia. He’s been invited to join his new friends Todd and Jewel on their winter holiday at their grandparents’ home in Vermont and is thrilled at the prospect of seeing snow for the first time.

Pretty soon after they arrive, Mario starts to suspect that something really weird is going on inside this house. Todd and Jewel’s grandparents are more than a little odd: Grandpa Tweety really loves his birds and in the evenings tells tales about goblins, gremlins and imps; he’s also written books about them. MomMom loves to make stews and she knits strange green outfits. However, the real terrors begin when Mario finds that the fairy tales may not be made up stories after all. He’s attacked by a creature in the garden and his friends’ parents disappear.

Full of twists and turns, it’s all a bit creepy and anyone prone to nightmares is advised not to read this just before bedtime.

The Magician Next Door

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The Magician Next Door
Rachel Chivers Khoo, illustrated by Alice McKinley
Walker Books

Callie and her father have moved out of London to a mountainous area of Northern Ireland; she feels far away from her friends and her memories too. One night sleepless and struggling to settle into her new life, as she stares out of her window there comes a loud BOOM! An upside-down house has appeared in her back garden. Next morning no house is there, so despite the large crater on the lawn as well as a piece of tile, she decides it must have been a dream. Then the boy from across the fields appears and he knows her name as she does his; Sam believes what she says about the previous night’s strange occurrence but Carrie remains unconvinced until that is, some weeks later she finds a mysterious paper aeroplane on her duvet on which is a message from Winnifred Potts, a magician from the strange house who is urgently asking for her help.

Carrie meets her at midnight and learns that Winnifred’s Wanderlust, the adventure magic that protects her house from attack by magical beings is lost and she begs Carrie to go and bring it back.
Can Callie and her new friend, Sam, who has hidden himself away and overheard the conversation, provide the help Winnifred and her house need?

Not only that but will she be able to transcend the overwhelming sense of loss she feels after her mother’s untimely death and her homesickness for her London community? With the help of new friends and different experiences, can she find hope for her life in the future?

With a sprinkling of Irish folklore, some great characters, and lots of sensitivity, Rachel Chivers Khoo has written a wonderful tale of magic and mayhem, with a vital message about the true meaning of home. To add to its spellbinding nature are liberal scatterings of Alice McKinley’s delightfully quirky black- and-white illustrations. A great read for children from Y2 and beyond.

Girl on the Fly

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Girl on the Fly
Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl
David Fickling Books

The story begins in April 1992 Philadelphia when Kamaria (Kam) and her relay team mates, Luce, Alexis and Neeka have just finished their practising for the day. Determined to win the upcoming championships, the regional and then the big state one, Kam has decided that the team needs something special: a chant maybe that will ensure the team all pull together – and who should write it, she should of course.

Now Kam is a girl who finds change difficult to cope with so when she’s told that her Aunt Rose from Tanzania, who is going through a hard time, has been invited to stay, she isn’t happy. With all the intense running practice, plus school work as well as the fact that she and her best friend, Odie, have stopped talking though she’s not sure why, it seems to Kam that this is just too much to handle all at once. How will she be able to concentrate on anything with her mind in a turmoil and an aunt she’s never met before, sharing her room?

However, largely thanks to Aunt Rose, who tells lots of stories, shares her beautiful kangas and their meanings, cooks delicious meals and offers carefully considered advice, – ‘To hear what is around us is very, very important. To hear what is inside us, maybe more so’ – Kam changes, becoming more placid. It’s not just Kam however, who is affected by Aunt Rose’s four week visit; she has a positive impact on Kam’s Momma and Baba too. She certainly made this reviewer’s heart soar and go ‘boom, boom, boom, boom’ and like myself, readers will find themselves rooting for Kam from the outset of this wonderfully heart-warming story.

The Girl Who Wasn’t There

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The Girl Who Wasn’t There
Jacqueline Wilson
Puffin Books

When Dad drives Luna (nearly eleven), her younger sister Aurora (almost six) and their Mum to the foot of a hill and stops the car, everyone is amazed at the tower perched atop the hill. “It’s like Rapunzel’s tower!” comments Luna. But then Dad announces that it’s to be their new home, their shocked Mum thinks he’s joking. Not so. Having lost his restaurant, Dad has somewhat recklessly bought this crumbling/tumbledown building at a bargain price and to say it needs some work done on it before they can move in is putting it mildly.

With the room at the very top strictly out of bounds, it’s anything but the ‘happily ever after’ fairytale abode Aurora imagined. However Dad promises Luna that they can have a puppy. despite the fact that temporarily they are going to have to live in a caravan. The following weekend he takes the family out to lunch to meet an elderly couple, the Stanleys, who have a pup – Molly – but are finding it too lively. They agree that a new home with Luna and her family is the ideal solution.

As someone who frequently gets her own way, Aurora has never been to school before, though thanks to her big sister, she can read and write well. However at the end of the summer there’s no choice, go to school Aurora must. Unlike her sister who is quick to make friends, Aurora decides that she hates her classmates and prefers the company of Tansy, an imaginary friend. Luna meanwhile worries that Mum and Dad might split up with so little real progress being made on their new home even though Dad now has the help of two new friends. She’s also concerned about her status in the family – is she truly a part of it when Dad isn’t her birth father?

As time passes, Aurora’s make-believe life becomes problematic for all the family, particularly as she insists Tansy is real. Could she perhaps be a ghost? And is there a curse on the tower? If so, can Luna be the one to break it?


I was fortunate that on the day this arrived it was the only book delivered so I was able to indulge myself and read right through to the end. It’s a wonderful mix of magic, the power of the imagination, family life, human resilience and love.

One of my relations, Emmanuelle an avid reader in Y6 was keen to read the book and review it: here’s what she wrote:
Jaqueline Wilson’s new book is a beautifully-written story complimented by delightful illustrations from Rachel Dean.
This book is perfect for anyone struggling with change or anyone finding it hard to be an elder sibling. They will be able to relate to Luna, the main character, who has to adapt to moving to live in an unfamiliar place and, on top of that, has a sister who she occasionally finds hard to deal with.

For fans of fairytales, there is an allusion to the story of Rapunzel because the main character is a girl with blonde hair who moves to live in a tower.
In my opinion, surprisingly, the title does not link to the main theme of the story. I think the theme of the story is Luna’s journey in adapting to a new house, a new school, a new life, whereas the title links to the fact that Luna’s little sister, Aurora, has an imaginary friend who actually used to live in the same tower that they own now.
Because of its cliffhanger ending, I think this book begs for a sequel. The final enigma leaves the reader hungry for more.