Yeehaw! It’s time to saddle-up and head to your nearest bookshop to bag yourself a copy of Jodie Lancet-Grant’s new book! “Buffalo Lil and Buffalo Jill look just the same, but they're as different as an apple pie and a desert cactus. The folks of Lone Ridge love sweet, smilin' Jill, but think Lil's too … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Legend of the Wild West Twins,’ by Jodie Lancet-Grant, illustrated by Katie Cottle.
I was so pleased to see a sequel to the original Greenwild adventure. I loved the lush setting of this world full of green magic and plants sprouting delicious treats. This time, readers are whisked away beneath the waves as Daisy and her friends seek out her kidnapped mother. “Daisy Thistledown is on a mission. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Greenwild – the City Beyond the Sea,’ by Pari Thomson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.
I’m always on the look out for bold and beautiful books which encourage children to celebrate being themselves. I use them a lot with the children I work with to help boost confidence and build self-esteem. It looks as though ‘The Rainbow Flamingo’ is one that I need to add to my collection! “This one … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Rainbow Flamingo,’ by Catherine Emmett, illustrated by Claire Powell.
Today I’m spotlighting a brand new chapter book for newly confident readers: ‘The Narzat.’ Full of laughs, adventures, and a curious cast of characters! Make sure to read author Luke Marchant’s piece about creating villains. Every hero needs a good villain to go up against! “The Narzat lives in the Jumble Jungle Wood with his … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Narzat,’ by Luke Marchant, illustrated by Rory Walker.
I love Catherine’s writing so was excited to have been sent an early copy of this to read back in March. However, it is just about to fly the Nosy Crow nest and out into the world for everyone else to get swept away with. “After the tragic death of his mother, eleven year old … Continue reading ‘Bird Boy,’ by Catherine Bruton, cover by Oriol Vidal.
Lucy Strange is one of those authors whose books always get moved straight to the top of my ‘to be read’ pile. Imagine my delight when a rather special package dropped through my letterbox… “Abandoned at a boarding school on a bleak and remote Scottish island, Faye discovers that she and the other pupils have … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Island at the Edge of Night,’ by Lucy Strange.
Well I’ve kicked off my morning with a power chord of positivity: #FridaTheRockAndRollMoth by @kimhillyard 🎸 🎶 I loved the message about not changing yourself to fit in and lettering your inner brilliance shine through. “Frida is a musical moth who loves to rock out - she puts on her pointy boots and plays her … Continue reading ‘Frida the Rock and Roll Moth,’ by Kim Hillyard.
There is an ever-increasing selection of delightfully creepy reads for middle grade readers. ‘The Doll Twin’ taps right into my horror weak spot - animated dolls (this is as a result of watching a certain film featuring a certain murderous doll when I was much too young!) Thankfully, this new title is age-appropriate and much … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Doll Twin,’ by Janine Beacham, cover by Nathan Collins.
A crumbling mansion, a powerful magic source, and stone gargoyles that come to life? Just some of the ingredients for a fantastic read. Do you think you have what it takes to become a guardian? Read author Tamsin Mori’s special piece about the skills you’ll need… “A crumbling mansion A magical source A living gargoyle … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Gargoyles: Guardian of the Source,’ by Tamsin Mori, cover by David Dean.
Have you seen this wonderful story about a young transracial adoptee’s journey to self-acceptance? #EyesThatWeaveTheWorldsWonders by @JoannaHoWrites & #LizKleinrock, illustrated by @dunghth “From New York Times bestselling Joanna Ho, of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, and award-winning educator Liz Kleinrock comes a powerful companion picture book about adoption and family. A young girl who is a transracial adoptee … Continue reading ‘Eyes that Weave the World’s Wonders,’ by Joanna Ho & Liz Kleinrock, illustrated by Dung Ho
Sometimes books come along that you know you are going to want to read in peace, which is precisely why I saved this book to enjoy as soon as the Easter holidays started. Any new title from Lucy Strange immediately jumps to the top of my ‘to be read’ pile. I love her seamless blend … Continue reading ‘The Island at the Edge of the Night,’ by Lucy Strange, cover by Katie Hickey.
As a teacher, it can be difficult to source high quality texts to use in your reading lessons. Luckily, the titles in this brilliant series have been carefully compiled to include a wide and varied range of extracts to engage readers and encourage deeper comprehension. Today, I’m showcasing the Year 2 Fiction and Poetry collection. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Developing Reading Comprehension Skills: Year 2 Fiction and Poetry,’ by Kate Heap.
I don’t know about you but when I was younger, I used to love those choose your own adventure books where your fate could change with the turn of a page. I was particularly fond of a Famous Five one which had special dice, a code key, and a magnifying glass! There don’t seem to … Continue reading Choose your own adventure…
The Children’s Book Award is the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. It is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and is highly respected by teachers, parents and librarians. It has brought acclaim and strong sales to past winners such as J.K. Rowling, Patrick … Continue reading FCBG Awards ‘The Princess and the (Greedy) Pea,’ by Leigh Hodgkinson.
I am hoping that lots of your reading this post have plans to make a stack of delicious pancakes to celebrate it being Shrove Tuesday. If so, you may also like to celebrate the fact that the picture book classic ‘Mr Wolf’s Pancakes’ is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special foiled edition! “Mr Wolf … Continue reading ‘Mr Wolf’s Pancakes,’ by Jan Fearnley.
One of a book’s many superpowers is the ability to help its readers develop the skill of empathy. Through books, we can explore the lives of others, gain new perspectives, and develop our understandings of ourselves. This year’s Read for Empathy collection features a wonderful range of titles which are guaranteed to get readers thinking. … Continue reading Empathy Day Tour: ‘Geoffrey Gets the Jitters,’ by Nadia Shireen.
Well there couldn’t be a better choice of read to usher in the advent of the Year of the Dragon! Paper Dragons is an intoxicating new adventure from Siobhan McDermott. Be sure to read Siobhan’s piece about how she developed the magical setting of Wengyuen. “An extraordinary destiny unfolds . . .Twelve-year-old Zhi Ging has … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm,’ by Siobhan McDermott, cover by Yuzhen Cai.
There’s a new superhero duo in town - one has super ninja powers and the other is a so-called ‘genius engineer.’ Introducing Peng and Spanners: the unlikely crime-fighting pairing of penguin and cat! With a penchant for pizza and an aptitude for inventions, these two friends vow to get Pizza Pete’s Pizza Place back in … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Peng and Spanners,’ by Steve Webb.
There are far too few middle grade titles where gymnastics takes centre stage. I have been on the look out for my niece who is a fantastic gymnast but in haven’t been able find very much. Luckily, I shall now be able to recommend ‘Winner Takes Gold’! “Young gymnast Pearl dreams of winning gold in … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Winner Takes Gold,’ by Eloise Smith, cover illustrated by Natalie Smillie.
I think anybody with an interest in the world of children’s books will probably be very eagerly awaiting the Spring publication of ‘Keedie,’ the prequel to McNicoll’s barn-storming debut novel, ‘A Kind of Spark.’ ‘A Kind of Spark’ was, for me, in the first wave of real voices stories which featured neurodiverse characters written authentically … Continue reading ‘Keedie’ by Elle McNicoll, cover by Kay Wilson.
Library Girl and Book Boy 