Summer 2022 has been so jam-packed with brilliant children's books that it would be very easy to miss some real gems. Game Changer by Tom Palmer (Rebellion) Tom Palmer is an author with so many incredible talents. From his stunning historical fiction to his action-fuelled football adventures, his books are must-haves for school libraries. Timed… Continue reading Super Summer Reads You Might Have Missed
Ophelia Bottom's teachers call her "O-failure" - they have no idea just how wrong they are... Brave, determined and not afraid to be true to herself, Ophelia Bottom is a force to be reckoned with. Having spent many years with her cringeworthy, louder-than-life parents in their travelling theatre with disastrous plays, she wishes for an… Continue reading The Dangerous Life of Ophelia Bottom by Susie Bower ~ Blog Tour & Guest Post
Emma Carroll's storytelling is consistently outstanding. Whenever I pick up one of her books, I know I can count on becoming completely lost in a wonderful adventure - the kind of reading experience that takes you away from everything else, shutting out the world and all its worries entirely. The Tale of Truthwater Lake is… Continue reading The Tale of Truthwater Lake by Emma Carroll
The Club Loser gang are back in Jennifer Killick's funniest, scariest book yet. She truly is the master of the comedy-horror genre for readers in that crucial primary to secondary school transition. I laughed - I shuddered - I couldn't put it down. Then I passed it on to my 12-year-old son (who'd been hovering… Continue reading Fear Ground by Jennifer Killick
Operation Nativity is everything a Christmas story should be: light-hearted, innocent, and fun with a powerful message about the importance of family and love. Peace on Earth? Not this year for Oscar and his costume-loving little sister, Molly. Their family has been summoned to their wealthy grandparents huge house for the annual family nativity. Their… Continue reading Operation Nativity by Jenny Pearson
The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott celebrates extraordinary women doing extraordinary things. Constantly underestimated by her father and told she can't do things just because she's a girl, Katy dreams of a life where she isn't treated differently than her older brother and is able to explore, discover and make a real difference in the… Continue reading The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott by Sharon Gosling
Stories of people getting caught up with the faerie world have always called to me so when I saw The Blackthorn Branch, I knew I had to read it. In a Welsh village where everyone knows everyone else, Cassie and her cousin Sian are trying to cope with the sadness, silence and anger that envelopes… Continue reading The Blackthorn Branch by Elen Caldecott
The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name is something totally different. I was intrigued by the amazing proof box that arrived last week and it jumped up my reading pile. I wasn't disappointed. This story is a very special combination of creative characterisation, magical evil, a captivating mystery and ever-evolving relationships. Told from the… Continue reading The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name by Reece Carter
What's your 'Spark bird'? I think mine was probably the Golden Eagle I saw while sitting on top of a hill north of Fort William in 2000. We saw an Osprey from kayaks on Loch Lomond this week and it doesn't become any less magical spotting such beautiful creatures soaring overhead. Spark by M.G. Leonard… Continue reading Spark by M.G. Leonard
Scope for Imagination 