Does anyone else suffer from the phenomenon that is the TBR (To Be Read) black hole? I was so excited to read this sequel to Brightstorm that I had it on pre-order: it arrived on publication day last year, was placed on my TBR trolley (which is now a TBR cupboard ?), and then got…
I take my hat off to picture book authors who have the emotional intelligence and skill to take difficult topics and distil them in such a way that young children can understand them. These superb books are a fantastic example of this, helping children to explore and better understand their emotions, as well as offering…
I bought this after seeing it recommended by @mssburns (my factual book, home-schooling go-to on Insta). I thought my daughter – who loves art – might like it. It’s quite a substantial tome – a good inch thick – and it’s really beautifully done. When it says it’s a history of art, it truly is:…
A very belated Happy New Year to you all. Being back in lockdown again means that this homeschooling malarkey is seriously getting in the way of my reading and reviewing schedule! I had some time to myself last night, though, because the third story in the Dragon in the Library series arrived and I couldn’t…
This is the perfect book to feature on Christmas Eve. Set in Norway in the late 70s, The Good Bear is a beautiful, atmospheric story about connection, blended families and acceptance (see synopsis in photo below). It’s the sort of book that creates a bit of a dilemma: do you take your time reading it…
After reading the first in this great, junior fiction time-slip series a month or so ago, we were keen to catch up with Ruby and Alex’s adventures in this festive story. A Christmas in Time takes us back to the Victorian era, and like the first book, is rich in historical details: fashions, festive activities,…
Here come the girls… (if you’re a person of a certain age in the UK, you’ll now have the old Boots Xmas advert song playing in your head – sorry about that!). Tinsel is a funny, magical and empowering Yuletide adventure for readers aged 8+, which is served with a satisfying side dish of friendship…
Ha! This funny, modern and original festive adventure has had us chuckling this week. Who knew that the North Pole was merely a docking station and that Father Christmas and his gang actually live on planet Yule-1, where it’s Christmas Eve every day? With computer hacking and other nefarious deeds being carried out by the…
With trips restricted at the moment, I managed to travel vicariously to the streets and underground tunnels of Paris last night, thanks to this fab adventure. Nell Magnificent takes the opportunity to visit France with her (downright horrible) parents to try and track down her old friend and nanny, from whom she hasn’t heard lately.…
I’ve been struggling to get into the festive spirit this year, but this has definitely done the trick. Catherine Doyle’s modern re-telling of A Christmas Carol is magical, humorous, hopeful and warm, and while clearly based on the literary classic, feels fresh and original. An exciting and, at times, poignant, adventure, it has great characterisation,…