One of the world’s favourite redheads is back in updated editions of her wonderful stories illustrated by Mini Grey and published by Oxford University Press to celebrate her 75th anniversary. When her 7-year-old daughter was ill, author Astrid Lindgren was looking for a way to entertain her and began telling imaginative stories. The wonderful Pippi Longstocking… Continue reading Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren & illustrated by Mini Grey
Girl by day, Cat by night, Ready for Adventure Kitty is ready to be a superhero and use her feline powers to help others! With the wonderful ability to talk to cats, Kitty and her cat crew of Pumpkin, Figaro, Pixie and Katsumi make sure their neighbourhood is happy and safe. She is as charming… Continue reading Kitty and the Treetop Adventure by Paula Harrison & Jenny Lovlie
I first fell in love with the mysteries of Venice many, many years ago. As a child, I listened to the audio book “Vivaldi’s Ring of Mysteries” with gondolas, masks, music and the Island of the Dead. In 2017, I was so fortunate to visit this floating city myself. I was enchanted by the maze-like… Continue reading The Mask of Aribella by Anna Hoghton
Everyone has bad days. There is no way around it. It’s how you deal with those bad days that makes all the difference and remember, the good thing about bad days is that they come to an end. The bad times don’t last forever. The Good Thing About Bad Days is a practical, thoughtful guide… Continue reading The Good Thing About Bad Days by Margaret McAllister & Nigel Baines
The end of Year 6 is supposed to be exciting - the start of a new adventure - but for Freddie Yates, a sudden turn of events causes him to question everything he knows. For someone who loves facts, this is very unsettling. He decides to set off on his greatest adventure to find a… Continue reading The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson
What a question! When I asked it on Twitter, I never imagined the number of responses I would receive: over 300 comments and more than 200 different book recommendations ranging from picture books to young adult. Favourite authors were praised too with many comments simply stating, “Anything by Katherine Rundell / Emma Carroll / Eloise… Continue reading Which Children’s Books Would You Recommend For Adults?
Take yourself back in time to Edwardian Cambridge: a city of learning and invention as well as hardship and loss. It’s 1905 and Helena finds herself moving to a strange house full of all kinds of clocks. The owner, Mr Westcott, is obsessed with keeping these clocks ticking. They must never stop. Helena’s father is… Continue reading The House of One Hundred Clocks by A.M. Howell
The Little People Big Dreams series is the most beautiful set of non-fiction children’s books I have ever come across. Each gorgeous hard cover book is a child-friendly biography of a significant person from history. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive Amelia Earhart, Martin Luther King Jr, Stephen Hawking, David Attenborough, Muhammad Ali and Rosa… Continue reading Little People Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Thursday 23rd April 2020 is World Book Night UK – a celebration of reading on Shakespeare’s birthday! You can find out more about World Book Night here: https://worldbooknight.org/ Today's questions have been taken from a selection of fairly recent and absolutely fantastic middle grade children's books. I really hope you enjoy the quiz! Good luck!… Continue reading Middle Grade Book Quiz for World Book Night 2020!
Like Shakespeare, the language of Charles Dickens is an enormous part of our lexicon and everyday life. A familiarity with his stories is a key part of a well-rounded general knowledge about British literature, history and culture. Dickens’ links to the Industrial Revolution and Victorian Britain also make him an important part of the Key… Continue reading A World Full of Dickens Stories by Angela McAllister
Scope for Imagination 