Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher

The Clockwork Crow is an engaging combination of Welsh folklore and clockwork magic. This gothic Christmas tale is a must read for every fan of fairies, frost and mysteries. Seren Rhys is an orphan who has lost everyone close to her. As she travels to live with her godfather and his family is a small… Continue reading The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher

Book Review, Illustrated Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction

A Mummy Ate My Homework by Thiago de Moraes

A Mummy Ate My Homework is the first book in a fun new time-travel adventure series by Thiago de Moraes, the incredibly creative author and illustrator of The Myth Atlas.  11 year-old Henry loves school and learning. He thinks the summer holidays are boring and he can’t wait to get back to finding out new… Continue reading A Mummy Ate My Homework by Thiago de Moraes

Book Review, Picture Books

Paris Cat by Dianne Hofmeyr & illustrated by Piet Grobler

1920’s Paris and a bold, adventurous cat who believes in herself from the tip of her tail to the ends of her whiskers makes for a wonderful combination! Cat starts life as a Paris alley cat – nothing special, nothing important but she has a dream. She wants to make something of herself and find… Continue reading Paris Cat by Dianne Hofmeyr & illustrated by Piet Grobler

Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The House of Hidden Wonders by Sharon Gosling

Sherlock Holmes meets Dickens in this heart-stopping Victorian mystery. It is the perfect book for anyone who loves to explore the dark, haunted side of a historic city. There are new twists at every turn as Zinnie strives to uncover the truth. This is a wonderful story of challenging female stereotypes and finding strength in… Continue reading The House of Hidden Wonders by Sharon Gosling

Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery

Even when things seem at their darkest, there is always a flicker of light. The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery is so much more than a story about the Second World War. It explores darkness, light, hope and love within layers and layers of meaning. Both the internal and external battles portrayed in this story… Continue reading The Midnight Guardians by Ross Montgomery

Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The Vanishing Trick by Jenni Spangler & illustrated by Chris Mould

Dark, mysterious, captivating… The Vanishing Trick pulled me in from the very first moment Leander spotted the strange, black carriage and met the eerie Madame Pinchbeck. “It wasn’t a sin to steal if you only took forgotten things” and this lost, forgotten, empty boy needs nothing more than to belong – to someone, to something.… Continue reading The Vanishing Trick by Jenni Spangler & illustrated by Chris Mould

Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley

Reading this, I felt like I had travelled back in time to when I first read and loved Austen in high school. The writing is so similar in style - Lucy Worsley has really captured the essence of Austen and what her stories were all about. The charm of the characters jumps off the page… Continue reading The Austen Girls by Lucy Worsley

Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley

The Wild Way Home is a captivating story of self-discovery and realising what is truly important in life. In the stillness of the forest, twelve-year-old Charlie and her friends explore the ancient paths and walk where many people have come before. When Charlie discovers a special deer tooth, she has no idea to whom it… Continue reading The Wild Way Home by Sophie Kirtley

Book Review, Middle Grade Fiction

The House of One Hundred Clocks by A.M. Howell

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

Book Review, Non-fiction Books

Little People Big Dreams series by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

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