Cover illustration by Matt Saunders Trying to review this book without giving away any spoilers is as complicated as the mystery Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny find themselves trapped in - thanks Christopher – but I will do my very best... Charlie has moved to the country and isn’t all that happy about it. London had … Continue reading The Longest Night Of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge
Maggie is a middler, worst luck. Jed was born first and is destined for great things once he gets to The Camp to help fight the Quiet War. Trig was born last and is the baby. But Maggie Middler? There's no great destiny, no prizes, nothing. Just the knowledge that her life is laid out … Continue reading The Middler by Kirsty Applebaum
Illustrations by Tom Clohosy Cole Jack loves nothing more than playing video games based on war with his Dad, a member of the Army Reserves. That, and his dog, Finn. And now he's learning all about the D-Day Landings at school before the Year 6 residential trip to Normandy. Life couldn't be better. Then Jack's … Continue reading D-Day Dog by Tom Palmer
I am a huge fan of Lorraine Gregory - her debut, Mold And The Poison Plot is one of my favourite middle grade books, so it’s felt like a very long wait for book two, but ohhhh, was it worth it... Cover illustration by Meg Hunt Brat lives in the isolated castle serving Lord Macawber, … Continue reading The Maker Of Monsters by Lorraine Gregory
Having adored the first two books from Jess (Running On The Roof Of The World and When The Mountain Roared), I was thrilled to receive a copy of Swimming Against The Storm. Eliza lives in the fishing community of Côteville in South Louisiana. Rising sea levels mean the swamps and marshes her family call home … Continue reading Swimming Against The Storm by Jess Butterworth
I’m delighted to welcome Guy Jones to my blog today for The Fire Maker Blog Tour. The Golden Age of Magic I had a magic set when I was a child. I loved it, though of the hundred or so tricks in the book I never managed to master more than a half dozen. I … Continue reading The Golden Age Of Magic, a guest post by Guy Jones
Cover and interior design by Helen Crawford-White The Blurb… Alex loves magic – its glamour, tricks and illusions. He’s good at it, too: he’s reached the semi-finals of a prestigious competition for young magicians. But when he stumbles into eccentric Mr Olmos’s back garden while running from his former best friend, Alex sees something he … Continue reading The Fire Maker by Guy Jones
It’s my stop on The Great Animal Escapade Blog Tour, and I’m delighted to welcome Jane Kerr to talk about the star of the book, Maharajah... The star of The Great Animal Escapade is, of course, Maharajah the Magnificent: “…the brightest, most bewitching beast at Belle Vue. Larger than a mountain. Wider, higher, and just … Continue reading Maharajah the Magnificent by Jane Kerr
Welcome to my stop on The Great Animal Escapade Blog Tour! I was delighted when I heard there was going to be a sequel to The Elephant Thief, one of my favourite books of 2017, and couldn’t wait to see if Danny and Maharajah were settling into their new life at Belle Vue... (You don’t … Continue reading The Great Animal Escapade by Jane Kerr
Every now and again, the sheer strength of love for a book from everyone who has read it can become a barrier for reading it for me, as I worry it won't live up to the expectations I then have for it. Irrational, I know, but true nonetheless. And so, Edward Tulane never quite made … Continue reading The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
