Owning It is a powerful anthology containing 22 stories from important voices in the writing community. What unites these authors is their experience of growing up disabled. Their stories are unique and told from their own point of view. This provides readers with an incredibly valuable opportunity - a chance to learn from someone with… Continue reading Owning It: Our Disabled Childhoods In Our Own Words, edited by Jen Campbell, James and Lucy Catchpole
Inspired by Jacques Cousteau, the adventures of ocean explorer Sandy Fin take readers to a wonderfully imaginative world set in the same universe as the delightful Bridget Vanderpuff series. The sea and shore is the most amazing place - full of fascinating objects, light and shadows and unusual creatures. Sandy Fin and his friend Lily… Continue reading Sandy Fin: Operation Splash Landing by Martin Stewart
Three ordinary teens with an extraordinary story - People Like Stars explores telling the truth, forming relationships and understanding what makes us who we are. As each teen tells their story, readers are challenged to think about how individuals are connected and how much our actions impact others. Aryton, Stanley and Senna take turns to… Continue reading People Like Stars by Patrice Lawrence
The Thursday Murder Club meets Adventures on Trains in this absolutely brilliant new middle grade mystery series from author Emma Swan and illustrator Katie Saunders. I first spotted Cruise Ship Kid on the Usborne New Books Showcase a few weeks ago. I was completely charmed by both the premise of the story and by the… Continue reading Cruise Ship Kid: Thief at Sea by Emma Swan & illustrated by Katie Saunders
The Forest in the Sky is the gripping finale of the epic Greenwild series by Pari Thomson. I was thrilled to have the opportunity for an early read on NetGalley and jumped in full of anticipation of something wonderful. Teeming with life and rich world-building, The Forest in the Sky is a fantastic story of… Continue reading Greenwild: The Forest in the Sky by Pari Thomson & illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Sally and the Lost Photograph is the delightful sequel to Sally in the City of Dreams by Judi Curtin. Sally and Bridget are more settled in New York and starting to feel like real Americans. Letters from home bring mixed emotions - they miss their family but life is exciting as they learn to make… Continue reading Sally and the Lost Photograph by Judi Curtin
"Thirteen-year-old Samim is a loyal friend, a gifted chess player - and a refugee. Even after her makes the long, dangerous journey from Afganistan to the UK, his safety isn't guaranteed. Can Simon convince the authorities to let him stay?" Meticulously researched, My Name in Samim tells the eye-opening story of so many young people… Continue reading My Name is Samim by Fidan Meikle
There are no women in history - or that's how it appears when you read history books going all the way back to the very first in the year 731. Author Philippa Gregory is determined to right this wrong, first through Normal Women: 900 Years of Women Making History published for adults in 2023, and… Continue reading Normal Women Making History for 900 Years by Phillippa Gregory
Barrington Stoke can always be relied on to create entertaining, meaningful, empathy-filled stories that are accessible and empowering for readers. With dyslexia-friendly font, spacing and page tint, everyone can enjoy these books. The manageable length and carefully chosen vocabulary encourages success and brings children back for more. These four books, by top UK middle grade… Continue reading Middle Grade Gems from Barrington Stoke
Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles by Rachel Emily & Paul Delaney (Farshore) Jenny Peckles Lays Eggs with Speckles is an absolutely brilliant rhyming story about a group of chickens who will do anything to get into a book. Whether it's Chuckleston Barclay who added her own "sparkly" to her eggs or Featherly Botts who… Continue reading Fantastic Picture Books for the Summer Term
Scope for Imagination 