Cover illustration by Aitch The Blurb… Asha lives on the family farm with her mother in rural India. Her father is away working in the city, and when the money he sends stops suddenly, a wicked aunt arrives. She’s determined to seize the property – and the treasure rumoured to be hidden on the land. … Continue reading Asha & The Spirit Bird by Jasbinder Bilan
Cover illustration by Emma Trithart The Blurb… Join Effie Kostas as she fights to become Student Council President in her new school. With a campaign team of loveable misfits, she tackles the truly important subjects: gender imbalance, outdated school conventions...and good-looking boys stealing the last slice of chocolate cake at lunchtime. A laugh out-loud rallying … Continue reading Vote For Effie by Laura Wood
Ember and Ness are the very best of friends and would do anything for each other. Theirs is the kind of friendship where just a look can cause the kind of laughter that brings tears of joy with it. When Ness dies, very suddenly, Ember is lost and empty. A dead dog, curious cat and … Continue reading The Afterwards by A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Emily Gravett
Cover and internal illustrations by Chris Mould When Truth Pixie was small, her Great Aunt Julia cast a spell which means she can only ever tell the truth. And that’s a good thing, right? Wrong! Lonely and miserable, the Truth Fairy has upset her family and friends with her truths to the point she rarely … Continue reading The Truth Pixie by Matt Haig, illustrated by Chris Mould
Cover illustration by Manuel Šumberac Having loved The Boy With One Name, I was delighted when ReadingZone asked me to review the second tale from the Badlands... Since their commencements, none of the three Badlanders have the life they had wanted. Thomas Gabriel’s magic is fading, and Ruby needs Jones for hers to work properly. … Continue reading The Black Amulet by J R Wallis
Having read and adored Giant, I was really excited to read Just Jack, but knew I’d want an uninterrupted time to do it. So, I saved it until I could take Jack on holiday. Once I’d got myself settled in the shade on my sun lounger I tucked in… Ever since Dad left, Jack and … Continue reading Just Jack by Kate Scott, illustrated by Alex Gunn
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but between the captivating cover by Helen Crawford-White, and the enticing opening, I couldn’t wait to dive straight in… “The first time Stella Martin ran away, it was in her sleep. The second was by accident. But the third time she did it on purpose, … Continue reading The Girl Who Thought Her Mother Was A Mermaid by Tania Unsworth
Publication Date: 5 July 2018 It’s Elvis’s 12th Birthday, and as he blows out the candles on his cake, it’s time to ask the question: “Why?” Why was he left on a bench at the zoo 12 years ago, and who left him there? With the only clues to where he came from being the … Continue reading The Boy Who Hit Play by Chloe Daykin
It’s a pleasure to welcome Anne Booth to the blog today with a wonderfully thought-provoking guest-post, as part of the Across The Divide Blog Tour, to discuss religious characters in children’s books... In my new children’s novel, Across The Divide, I have, as one of the main characters, a teenage boy who wants to do God’s … Continue reading Characters Who Pray by Anne Booth
Publication Date: 7 June 2018 Cover illustration by Serena Rocca When Olivia’s mum is arrested for her role in a pacifist protest, she finds herself rushed off to Lindisfarne to stay with her dad, a man she barely knows anymore. With life at home in complete turmoil, that’s the last thing she needs if she’s … Continue reading Across The Divide by Anne Booth
Mrs Cleveland is reading... 