A trip to the hairdressers always means quality reading time! The Smidgens really hit the spot today – it reminds me a little of The Borrowers, but far more up to date, brilliantly illustrated and much, much funnier! Gafferty Sprout, a Smidgen, thinks that her family is the last of its tiny kind. However, after…
This is yet another cracker from Yuval Zommer – to be honest, there’s not a book by him that I haven’t absolutely loved. Introducing children to the wonder of the Northern Lights, the descriptive, rhyming text is brought to life by Yuval’s beautiful illustrations – every spread is just stunning, a real feast for the…
I actually purchased this middle grade book the day it was released 2 years ago, but somehow it got lost in my Kindle library, only to re-emerge yesterday while I was having an e-book re-organise. I started it this morning, and found that I couldn’t put it down until I’d reached the last page. 11-year-old…
I’ve really enjoyed this fab middle grade book by Sarah J Dodd which, I’ll admit, I was first drawn to because of the beautiful cover art created by Becky Thorn. A wintery tale, it tells the story of Emily and her veterinarian father, who move to a new village 6 months after the loss of…
When the mysterious Frindleswylde creeps into Cora and Granny’s cabin, he breaks their attic lantern and steals the light. With no lamplight to guide her home, Granny is lost in the icy woods. Cora is determined to get the light back. But to do so, she must follow Frindleswylde down a hole in the fishpond…
I had such a laugh reading this book. Aisling and Joe just don’t get why they have to do as they’re told, so when Mrs Grough, a seriously strict, no-nonsense childminder comes to stay on the run up to Christmas and witnesses their bad behaviour, she soon decides – oh horror of horrors – that…
Sat in my usual Saturday morning spot, while my daughter attends her drama group session. I’m not complaining, though, as it’s given me the chance to finish off this lovely middle grade book by Alexandra Page. It tells the story of a young girl (Penny) who, while temporarily staying with her post master uncle, rescues…
I have to confess that I initially bought this book for the illustrations alone – they are simply glorious: autumnal, comical, expressive and if you look at the ‘snort’ picture below, you’ll see the most joyous spread that will make you smile, regardless of the mood you’re in. The story is fab, too – a…
I love these books by David Ouimet. They’re superb examples of how picture books can resonate with readers of all ages. The first book, I Go Quiet, tells the story of an introverted girl who struggles to fit in. Through harnessing her imagination and the power of books, she begins to realise a future where…
This is a really lovely hardback picture book, both written and illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disbury. Eric loves spending time with his grandad and is very excited about going out on his fishing boat for the first time. Unfortunately, he finds some of the onboard tasks quite challenging, and so his grandfather finds the perfect job…