Sarah Ann Juckes' middle grade novel, The Night Animals, is a beautiful exploration of our determination to always be strong and "fine", even when faced with difficult circumstances. Through gentle story-telling that shimmers with hope, readers see that everyone needs help sometimes and come to understand what it really means to be strong. Nora's mum… Continue reading The Night Animals by Sarah Ann Juckes
Where am I? What am I doing here? Who am I? When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the desert, she has no idea who she is. She's wearing one shoe, a black dress, and she is carrying a strange, heavy case. She meets Tarni, who is on a quest of her… Continue reading The Song Walker by Zillah Bethell
Why I love graphic novels: I love graphic novels because I like the combination of the words and the pictures. It really helps me to imagine what's going on in the story. They're quick and fun to read. You can go back to reread them lots of times and spot something different every time. Every… Continue reading Remarkably Ruby by Terri Libenson ~ Guest Post by Lucy (age 12)
Little Gems books from Barrington Stoke are perfect for children in Reception and Key Stage One who are ready to add some variety to their reading diet. Pitched between picture books and chapter books, these early readers give children the feeling of an older book with accessible vocabulary and spacing to help them on their… Continue reading Barrington Stoke ~ Little Gems
The Mystery of the Missing Mum by Frances Moloney (Pushkin Children's) Told from the charmingly intense point of view of Jake, The Mystery of the Missing Mum, addresses parents' mental illness and how children cope in a gentle, funny way. Jake wakes up one morning to find his mother is missing. He makes a list… Continue reading Marvellous Middle Grade from Summer 2022
Wren is a glorious celebration of dark Welsh folklore, clever engineering and the power of a girl with a dream - all wonderfully woven together in a story of a house that seems to be alive, mysterious family history, the thrill of flight and a desire to be free. Wren is wild. Inspired by her… Continue reading Wren by Lucy Hope
Autumn Moonbeam: Dance Magic is just the book my dance-loving daughter would have adored when she was a little bit younger. Just like my little girl, Autumn is a twin who is trying to find where she belongs. When Sparkledale Dance Academy opens up for auditions for the Black Cats dance squad, Autumn can't wait… Continue reading Autumn Moonbeam: Dance Magic by Emma Finlayson-Palmer & Heidi Cannon
Reading The Unexpected Tale of the Bad Brothers is like being back with old friends. Bastien, Theo, Alice and all the orphans care about each other so dearly. That kindness flows off the page and pulls the reader right into their gang. The addition of the fiery dancer Mathilde adds a new sense of feistiness… Continue reading The Unexpected Tale of the Bad Brothers by Clare Povey
The natural world has a magic all its own. Even though we know so much about how plants grow, reproduce and fill our world, it is still inexplicably wondrous to be surrounded by something so alive - the damp shadows of the forest, the new shoots of a seed, the medicinal powers not created by… Continue reading The Magic of Nature in Middle Grade
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcM_yQbOaz_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Every Cloud is fantastic book about a girl called Amy who is in Year 6 and is waiting to find out what high school she’s going to. She’s really hoping to go to Valley High with the rest of her friends but since she’s moved house, it’s looking like that might not happen. She… Continue reading Every Cloud by Ros Roberts ~ Review by Lucy, age 12 ~ Blog Tour
Scope for Imagination 