Circus Maximus: Race to the Death is a powerful story of strength, daring and truth. Set on the sporting stage of Ancient Rome, Dido dreams of becoming the first girl to race chariots in the grand stadium of the Circus Maximus where the best horses and charioteers compete. Having lost her mother at a young… Continue reading Circus Maximus: Race to the Death by Annelise Gray
The Lost Child’s Quest is the first book in a wonderful fantasy adventure series, Tales of Truth and Treasure. Full to the brim with legends, nature and magic, this story holds a powerful message of hope and trust. Ten-year-old Tia is an orphan. Left in a children’s home at a young age, she has never… Continue reading The Lost Child’s Quest by James Haddell
Writing is like a spell. It can melt hearts and fry brains, twisting and turning as the magic works. Want the world to fall at your feet, destroyed by the might of your pen? - Sharpen your powers of persuasion - Sky-rocket your debating skills - Add ooomph to your reports - And lots more!… Continue reading Wicked Writing Skills: Over 90 Non-fiction Activities by Lexi Rees
Windrush Child is a story about what it means to be British and the protection of human rights. Written with compassion, insight and purpose, it delves deep into the realities faced by so many families who were a part of the Windrush generation. Leonard is a small child in 1950’s Jamaica. His parents are very… Continue reading Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh is inspirational, touching and downright funny! Billy Plimpton has a stammer. As he leaves Year 6 and begins secondary school, he is terrified of others finding out. He does all he can to hide his voice and think of ways to cure his stammer so he can follow his… Continue reading The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh by Helen Rutter
The Abbey Mystery is a perfect mix of classic Austen style and a Nancy Drew mystery. As a huge fan of both, I was thoroughly charmed from the very first page, laughing to myself at Julia Golding’s earnest girl detective and clever turn of phrase. It’s 1789 and thirteen year old Jane Austen is the… Continue reading Jane Austen Investigates: The Abbey Mystery by Julia Golding – Blog Tour
A Thing Called Snow is a gorgeous picture book from Yuval Zommer celebrating the change of seasons in the far north and the beautiful magic of snow. Hare and Fox are the best of friends. When the clever Tern tells them about a mysterious thing called snow just before setting off on his autumn migration,… Continue reading A Thing Called Snow by Yuval Zommer
It was just the right sort of night for adventure and, in this wonderful picture book, Bramble the fox does just that. He is on the search for fireflies. Wandering through the shadowy forest, he insists that foxes don’t get scared until he spots his reflection in the lake and mistakes it for another fox.… Continue reading Along Came a Fox by Georgiana Deutsch & illustrated by Cally Johnson-Isaacs
This series of award-winning, intensely powerful picture books highlight key moments and individuals of the First World War. Using story told in verse and rhyming poems that build up line-by-line, page-by-page, there is strength in every word that communicates such important details of war, peace and the legacy that remains. Following the story of Ray,… Continue reading Where the Poppies Now Grow: First World War series by Hilary Robinson & Martin Impey
El Deafo is a great book about a small girl, called Cece, who was really poorly with meningitis when she was little and she lost her hearing. Cece had to wear a hearing aid that was a box that had straps that she had to put her arms through. Coming out of the sides of… Continue reading El Deafo by Cece Bell ~ Review by Lucy, age 10
Scope for Imagination 