Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird

My son introduced me to this book one afternoon as I picked him up from school. "Mum, you have to read this book, you'll love it." So I did, and it deserves it's place on my bookshelf. Oranges in No Man's Land follows the lives of Ayesha and her younger brothers in war torn Beirut. With … Continue reading Oranges in No Man’s Land by Elizabeth Laird

Boy X by Dan Smith

Boy X is on the shortlist for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017 in the Hooked on Books category, so was instantly added to my summer reads pile to get ahead of the game, ready for the release of the shortlist in October. I settled down on my sunbed and was thrown straight into the … Continue reading Boy X by Dan Smith

Ned’s Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher

Ned Waddlesworth's life is boring. His school is boring, the town he lives in is boring, his Dad is boring; boring and overprotective. And then it's Ned's 13th birthday; bring on the clowns! They don't just banish the boring, they turn Ned's world upside down. Everything Ned imagines about magic and monsters turns out to be … Continue reading Ned’s Circus of Marvels by Justin Fisher

Looking at the Stars by Jo Cotterill

A very worthy winner of the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2016, Hooked on Books category. My book group unanimously voted this as their winner, with all saying they had cried at various points in the story (including the boys). The story follows Amena and her family through their lives in a civil war torn country, … Continue reading Looking at the Stars by Jo Cotterill

Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard

Full of charm and quirkiness, with characters to both love and loathe, M.G. Leonard creates a tale of mystery, adventure and beetles with a side order of slapstick that just cries out for one more chapter, which is how I finished it in a day! The settings she creates from the depths of the Natural … Continue reading Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard

Cogheart by Peter Bunzl

Peter Bunzl creates vivid settings, likeable heroes and despicable villans in a fabulous adventure through a Steampunk Victorian England. Lily, with the help of her friend Robert and her mechanical fox Malkin, search for the truth behind her father's disappearance, uncovering long kept secrets and learning who they can trust on the way. Pacey, emotionally … Continue reading Cogheart by Peter Bunzl

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge

This is one of the shortlisted books for the Hooked On Books category for the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards 2017. Think quantum physics meets Doctor Who and you're some of the way to understanding how this tale of coming to terms with the loss of a loved one takes shape. When Albie's mum dies, he … Continue reading The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge

The Riotous Rocket Ship Robbery by Kim Donovan

(St Viper's School for Super Villains #1) The book follows Demon Kid as he arrives for his first term at St Viper’s School for Super Villains, where he begins his World Domination training. His dad is a brilliant Super Villain, so he has a lot to live up to. With his friends Wolfgang, Stretch and … Continue reading The Riotous Rocket Ship Robbery by Kim Donovan