When I was a child, I loved the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. If you want to explore the castle, turn to page 71. If you want to battle the troll, turn to page 96. There were so many possibilities and so many endings. This week, I was thrilled to discover two new books that… Continue reading Choose Your Own Adventure for the next generation
Curse of the Dearmad is an engaging new middle grade fantasy from Emma Mylrea. Twins, Percy and Nell, are starting high school. As if that isn't challenging enough, there is something the matter with their mother and she has to go away to get well. Heartbroken, Percy and Nell struggle to think of anything they… Continue reading Curse of the Dearmad by Emma Mylrea
Together is a beautiful picture book that teaches young readers that sadness doesn’t have to last – there is comfort in friendship and community. Being together is always better than being alone. This story follows a little gorilla alone in the jungle. Something big and scary comes along. It seems frightening but it’s actually a… Continue reading Together by Jane Chapman
Betsy Buglove is a girl who loves bugs! She does all she can to help them. When she receives a special present from Gran, it opens up a whole new world for her. This magic magnifying glass allows her to hear the insects speaking to her. As they share their worries, she realises they’re in… Continue reading Betsy Buglove Saves the Bees by Catherine Jacob & Lucy Fleming
Our children love exploring the sea: swimming, digging in the sand and discovering the creatures who live beneath the waves. We were so pleased to see this lovely book in the National Trust shop at Corfe Castle when we were on holiday in Dorset. This beautiful picture book follows a small child and their gran… Continue reading The Wide Wide Sea by Anna Wilson & Jenny Lovlie
The Royal Rebel is the inspirational story of Sophia Duleep Singh, granddaughter of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, heir to the Sikh Empire in India. As goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Sophia lived a life torn between two nations. She never felt completely at home in England or in India. This book tells her story as she… Continue reading The Royal Rebel: The Life of a Suffragette Princess by Bali Rai
The Edelweiss Pirates is a powerful, eye-opening story of a group of German teenagers who fought against the expectations of young people under the Nazi regime. Instead of continuing with the Hitler Youth, 14-year-old Josef takes a risk and leaves to join a secret gang – the Edelweiss Pirates. These teens are cool with long… Continue reading The Edelweiss Pirates by Dirk Reinhardt
The Chime Seekers is a magical story of an unusual world that exists alongside our own. A world where faeries rule and nothing quite makes sense. On nights when the veil between this world and our own is thin, anything can happen. Darkness creeps in, tricks are played, babies stolen and lives changed. When Yanni… Continue reading The Chime Seekers by Ross Montgomery
Hide and Seek is a thrilling historical adventure from acclaimed children’s author and former BBC sports journalist Robin Scott-Elliot whose debut, The Tzar’s Curious Runaways was a Telegraph and an Observer children’s Book of the Year. Summer, 1942. Paris is boiling hot and thirteen-year-old Amélie Dreyfus is hiding in the dark cool of her mother’s wardrobe. The sound of heavy boots signals… Continue reading Hide and Seek by Robin Scott-Elliot ~ Blog Tour
Hal and his Uncle Nat are back with the fourth Adventures on Trains mystery! This time, they find themselves journeying across Europe to the mountains of Germany to find the answers to an old family curse, an unexplained death and a missing will. They’ve packed plenty of intuition, deduction and determination to see them through.… Continue reading Danger at Dead Man’s Pass by MG Leonard & Sam Sedgman
Scope for Imagination 