This is another cracking novella from Lisa Thompson. How she’s able to layer so much empathy and compassion into a short story I’ve no idea, but as always, it’s been skilfully done in her trademark way. The story centres around Anna, who is anxious about having to befriend a new girl in her class who…
Does anyone else love the Wolfsong series as much as I do? The Mysterious Island is book number 3 and it’s just as brilliant as the first 2. For those who haven’t come across the books before, this atmospheric adventure series is set in late Neolithic times and The Mysterious Island takes us on an…
I’m sticking with the panda theme today, albeit red pandas this time. This is the first in Jess Butterworth’s new junior fiction series and I’ve got to say I really like it. The story revolves around 8-year-old Tilly who wins a competition to take part in an expedition to Nepal to monitor red pandas. She…
Well, that was an unexpected 6-week break from the blog! Some family upheaval meant that life got in the way for a while, but I’m now looking forward to getting back to reading… This is a brilliant book to start with. We are big fans of the fantastic and hilarious Dave Pigeon series, and so…
Arctic Star is a real cracker of a read. It tells the story of 3 friends serving in the Royal Navy during WW2 on the Arctic convoys between the UK and Russia. As you might expect if you have read some of Tom Palmer’s other stories, he pulls no punches with this book – it’s…
We’ve been ratcheting up the miles over the past week, and while we often listen to audiobooks to help while away the time, I always struggle to find a story that both kids enjoy as they have such different tastes in literature. I absolutely struck gold with this, though, as both of them were absolutely…
The Fabulous Cakes of Zinnia Jakes is a fun and entertaining junior fiction series, which my daughter – who is a keen baker – has really enjoyed. Zoe Jones is a 9-year-old secret pastry chef who goes by the alias Zinnia Jakes. Together with her cat, Coco, her best friend, Zoe, and her Auntie Jam,…
When searching for a middle grade book (for readers aged around 10+) with a trans protagonist, I was looking to find one that had been written from a position of understanding as I’d read another that just didn’t feel authentic. I’m really glad, therefore, that I came across George as Alex Gino has written such…
Today I am rounding off the blog tour for News Hounds: The Puppy Problem. Gizmo, a clever city dachshund, moves to a village called Puddle with his journalist owner. He initially finds country ways rather strange, but after meeting his new K9 neighbour Jilly, he starts to settle in to his new life. When he…
I’ve really enjoyed this cracking debut story from Janae Marks. Zoe Washington has never met her dad as he is serving time in jail for a serious crime. On her 12th birthday, she receives a letter from him, and subsequently begins a clandestine correspondence as her mum and stepdad do not want her to be…