Mort the Meek and the Ravens’ Revenge celebrates everything kids find hilarious! It is deliciously gruesome and appetisingly deadly. Creepy characters, bossy baddies and brain-eating ravens fill the pages with grotesque fun. George Ermos’ brilliant illustrations add to the spark of the story and pull readers in. Brutalia is an island of terrifying ugliness. The… Continue reading Mort the Meek and the Ravens’ Revenge by Rachel Delahaye & illustrated by George Ermos
How to Be Brave is a funny and engaging book uniquely told through the power of footnotes. With a chatty style, the reader is pulled right into the story almost as an additional character. The narrator breaks the fourth wall by addressing the reader directly, drawing us into every questions, dilemma and decision. Calla lives… Continue reading How to be Brave by Daisy May Johnson
When I first saw this book, I was immediately reminded of the scene in The Return of Mary Poppins where Mary Poppins and the children visit “The Royal Doulton Music Hall” – with its song that my daughter regularly takes great delight in singing at full volume – especially when she was performing in a… Continue reading The Animals of Madame Malone’s Music Hall by Laura Wood & illustrated by Ellie Snowdon
I love historical novels, especially ones based on true stories! This uplifting book by Karen McCombie (author of the brilliant Little Bird series) tells the tale of the adventurous, quick-witted Dolly Shepherd – a real young woman who became a pioneering aviatrix in the early 1900s. She went against the expectations of young women in… Continue reading The Girl with her Head in the Clouds by Karen McCombie & illustrated by Anneli Bray
The Wizard in the Wood is the third instalment in the The Dragon in the Library series for readers age 7+. The opening perfectly recaps all the magical happenings of the previous story so it could stand alone as a fun adventure without reading the others first. The Wizard in the Wood is engaging right… Continue reading The Wizard in the Wood by Louie Stowell & illustrated by Davide Ortu
Edgar and Adolf is a beautiful story published by Oxford University Press in association with Barrington Stoke. It is the perfect combination of a rich, heartfelt story with accessible vocabulary, spacing and font. This story bridges the gap between middle grade and young adult wonderfully and I can already think of so many children with… Continue reading Edgar and Adolf by Phil Earle & Michael Wagg
I Am the Minotaur is a story of hiding, of darkness, of being alone but it is also a story of find out who you really are and doing the right thing even if no one is there to see it. Matthew is not your usual hero. He is the minotaur – the monster no… Continue reading I Am the Minotaur by Anthony McGowan
In March 2020, I read Orphans of the Tide and was blown away by the intensity of the story and power of the symbolism. Click here to read my review of Orphans of the Tide. Shipwreck Island is the brilliant sequel to Orphans of the Tide – the second in the trilogy. Readers are reunited… Continue reading Shipwreck Island by Struan Murray
I'm am absolutely honoured to host Zillah Bethell on her blog tour for the publication of The Shark Caller - an incredibly powerful story of friendship, forgiveness and bravery. Zillah writes exclusively for Scope for Imagination about the 'deprivations' of her childhood in Papua New Guinea. BLUE GRASS I grew up on a remote island a… Continue reading The Shark Caller: Blog Tour – Zillah Bethell
The True Adventures Series from Pushkin Press is a fresh approach to historical fiction. Inspired by previously untold, true stories, these middle grade novels take readers on gripping adventures revealing incredible heroes of history. Find out about all the books in this series on the Pushkin Press website. The Fog of War: Martha Gellhorn at… Continue reading True Adventures Series – Michelle Jabes Corpora, Kekla Magoon & Devika Rangachari
Scope for Imagination 