Dance of Resistance is the vividly engaging story of singer, dancer and spy Josephine Baker. Told through incredibly accessible narrative non-fiction, readers travel with Josephine from East St Louis USA to Philadelphia, New York, Paris and then across Europe and Northern Africa. Her colourful life, full of adventure and self-made opportunity, is completely inspiring while… Continue reading Dance of Resistance by Catherine Johnson: The Josephine Baker Story
Sally and the Lost Photograph is the delightful sequel to Sally in the City of Dreams by Judi Curtin. Sally and Bridget are more settled in New York and starting to feel like real Americans. Letters from home bring mixed emotions - they miss their family but life is exciting as they learn to make… Continue reading Sally and the Lost Photograph by Judi Curtin
There are no women in history - or that's how it appears when you read history books going all the way back to the very first in the year 731. Author Philippa Gregory is determined to right this wrong, first through Normal Women: 900 Years of Women Making History published for adults in 2023, and… Continue reading Normal Women Making History for 900 Years by Phillippa Gregory
Travel back to 1645 and the English Civil War with the ever insightful historical children's author Ally Sherrick. Readers will be drawn into this dangerous adventure of rebellion, spies and deceit as they discover what it really means to be fearless and true. Merriweather Pryce is the daughter of an English nobleman who has left… Continue reading Rebel Heart by Ally Sherrick ~ Blog Tour
Grace Darling has always been a heroine in our house. At the age of three, my daughter was completely enthralled by a boat trip out to the Farne Islands while on holiday in Northumbria. She loved the lighthouse, the puffins and the story of Grace Darling's bravery as she helped her father rescue nine people… Continue reading Becoming Grace by Hilary McKay
Intricately plotted and richly layered, Deep Dark is the first in a wonderful new series by Zohra Nabi. Set in Victorian London, this historical fantasy whisks readers away to the darkest corners of a humming city. A vibrant cast challenge the politics and social justice of the time as ancient rivers carry history beneath their… Continue reading Deep Dark by Zohra Nabi ~ Blog Tour
May 2025 Shrapnel Boys is Jenny Pearson's first historical novel. Led by authentic characters with her trademark spark, this is a funny, heartwarming story with an additional layer of dilemma and emotional depth. It will challenge readers to think about everyone's role in the Second World War and how it affected ordinary people in extraordinary… Continue reading Shrapnel Boys by Jenny Pearson
The Dawn of Adonis is the prequel to one of the most incredible children's books of the past five years - When the Sky Falls by Phil Earle. Readers are transported to the East End of London in 1911 when a baby gorilla is secreted through the docks in an attempt to save its life… Continue reading The Dawn of Adonis by Phil Earle
What could be more perfect for a chilly half-term holiday than a spine-tingling, brain-teasing mystery? Cuddle up with one of these gripping middle grade who-dunnits! School for Fireflies by Erica Gomez (Knights Of) A magical school for extraordinary children, a long-lost diary, a family secret and a decades-old mystery: School for Fireflies has all the… Continue reading Marvellous Middle Grade Mysteries
The first two Bletchley Park Mysteries have been some of my favourite books in recent years. Full of action, mystery and dedication to what is right, they follow a group of children based at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. Uncertain of what their futures hold, they do all they can to support the… Continue reading Wink, Murder: A Bletchley Park Mystery by Rhian Tracey
Scope for Imagination 