This summer has been a real mix of weather and there have been many occasions when the best idea is to just curl up with a good book and a hot drink, however as I am finishing this post over the holiday weekend the sun has come out and reading starts to be enjoyable in the garden. This has meant that I have managed to read more than my usual quota of books over the last month or so. A few of them are review copies for journals and I have to admit that they have all been ones I enjoyed reading; not something that I take for granted.
“The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club” by Alex Bell is a magical tale, set in an unreal world with Unicorns, miniature penguins and man-eating cabbages to name just a few of the weird and wonderful characters. Stella Starflake Pearl, the heroine, has been brought up by her guardian since he found her as a baby. He is a member of the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club and Stella dreams of joining him in his travels, but girls are not allowed to be explorers. How she overcomes this challenge, fights a range of dangers and finds out about the mystery of her own birth makes for a really exciting and action packed story. There is magic and adventure as well as messages about what family really means and the importance of friendship. I was completely hooked by this story and am really looking forward to the next book about Stella and her friends.
“Greta Zargo and the Death Robots from Outer Space” by A.F. Harrold, illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton. I
was lucky enough to hear this author/poet speak at a conference earlier this year, so I was excited to see what this story would be like. Well, it was just as hysterically funny as you might imagine with a very determined heroine Greta Zargo, who really wants to be an investigative reporter. There is the case of the missing cakes and the competition to win a reporting prize but in the background and moving ever closer to Earth is a Death Robot; can Greta find the culprit and save the planet at the same time. You will have to read it to see.
“Chase” by Linwood Barclay is the first story for children by a well known writer of detective
novels. He has given us a mystery with two main central characters. Their stories start individually but gradually things begin to merge until eventually we understand how they are linked together. Chipper is a dog that has been kept in a scientific research facility since he was young. He knows that the ‘white coats’ have done things to him, but his increased abilities allow him to escape and go on the hunt for someone (unknown) that he just has to find. On the other side of the State lives Jeff, who has gone to live with his aunt after the tragic deaths of his parents. How these two come together and what their connection is makes for a thrilling and very addictive story. The next in the series should be a real roller-coaster I suspect. One for years 6 and 7.
“You can’t make me go to Witch School” by Em Lynas. Daisy Wart just wants to become a great Shakespearean actress but her grandmother insists that she is a witch and sends her off to witch school. Despite her protests she finds that she can do magic and she and her new friends are called upon to save Toadspit Towers (her school) from an ancient curse. can she do this and also achieve her acting ambitions? This is a funny and exciting story about finding yourself and also about friendship. It is great for the lower end of KS2 and those who just want a light and very enjoyable story.
“Podkin One ear” by Kieran Larwood brings back memories of stories by both Brian Jacques and Robin Jarvis, which means that 
perhaps I am showing my age to some extent. It is a fantasy with rabbits as the main characters, so there is also a nod to Richard Adams and ‘Watership Down’. They are anthropomorphized, so that we are taken to a somewhat medieval landscape with warring tribes and three young rabbits who are fleeing from a terrifying enemy and who have to save an ancient treasure. It is a thrilling story for ‘middle grade’ children and could well be a favourite for many years to come.
“The Starman and me” by Sharon Cohen (NG) reminded me somewhat of ‘Stig of the Dump‘by Clive King, ‘Nation‘ by Terry Pratchett and another new book by Adam Stower called ‘King Coo’. When Kofi sees an unusual small and very scruffy person on a roundabout he is in for the most amazing adventure of his life so far. The character finally 
makes contact, but is he from our world and if so, how did he get to England? this is one of those books that gradually hooks you and then reels you in. A really great read.
“Hospital High” by Mimi Thebo (NG). this is a book for teens and is very personal to the author as it is based on a true story. It is the story of Coco, who ends up in hospital after a car accident, where she suffers internal injuries including crushing her voice box. The ensuing months and years follow her struggles to regain her health, but also to see how her relationships with family and friends pan out. It is a totally uplifting tale that I will probably read again and would definitely recommend to other adults as well as to the intended audience.
“School for Skylarks” by Sam Angus (NG) follows the story of Lyla who is evacuated to live with her Great Aunt at the end of 1939. She does not want to leave her mother and hates her father for splitting them up. This is a real roller coaster of a story; the heroine is not one we naturally find sympathetic but over the war years we follow her as she gradually matures, both emotionally and intellectually. More by accident than design Lyla finds that a small girls’ school is billeted in the big house and she learns how to work with others and gradually make friends. It is such an heartbreaking story at times, but eventually we get a satisfying end that works well. This is definitely an author to look out for.
“Ban this book” by Alan Gratz (NG) is a thoroughly thought provoking story of what happens when Amy Anne’s favourite book is banned from the school library. For those of us who have been around for a long time it will bring back memories of “The day they came to arrest the book” by Nat Hentoff. The situation in America is very different and they even have an annual ‘Banned Books Week’, so that people can stand up for their right to read what they like. If you look on the American Library Association website you will see the list of hose books which have been challenged over the years, you can find it here http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/banned .
“The Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library” by Chris Grabenstein (NG) is an exciting story of a group of children who win the change to have a sleepover at the amazing Mr Lemoncello’s Library. It is a place of wonder and mixes science with magic so it is not surprising when the challenge becomes harder and the young people have to learn how to work as a team in order to escape from the ‘lockdown scenario’ they find themselves in. It is a great story and I am looking forward to reading the two other stories featuring the library.
Looking at this group of books I think I have been very lucky with the titles that I have been given access to recently. The range of subjects is wide ranging and the age groups are also wide. There is everything from high fantasy to the really heart rending stories based on real life. Hopefully there is something for everyone, so dip in and give some of them a try.
(NG) Thanks to Net Galley for providing access to a digital proof in return for a review.
series of books by this French Canadian author and which was first published in 1994. It is a short and very witty story about what happens when Miss Charlotte arrives to teach a class of young children who do not enjoy school. Her somewhat eccentric methods eventually make her very popular, but the children find that they have to fight to keep the teacher they have come to love and admire. As a follow on, you might like to read “The Mysterious Librarian” which sees Miss Charlotte take on the challenge of encouraging children to enjoy reading.
“The Spooky School” by Tracey Corderoy and Steve Lenton is another set of short stories about the cake-baking, crime-fighting duo of Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam. They originally started their adventures in picture book format but have now branched out for the next age group. In this book they save jewels, fight ghosts and meet a fiendish new villain; a Red Panda called ‘Red Rocket’. It is great fun.
in the “Tanglewood Animal Park” series which follows the adventures of young Zoe, whose parents have bought Tanglewood Manor and turned it into an Animal Park. This story revolves around Tindu the male Tiger and the attempts to help him settle down in the park, before the arrival of his new mate. It is a charming story with a lot of information and a cast of characters that you can’t help but like. This is a super series, especially if you are an animal lover.
adventures of young Lady Miranda and her dog called Pug as they visit the local boating lake. However when things get out of control and Pug finds himself in the sea and being rescued by another young girl life becomes quite adventurous. This is the first in a series of adventures for the pampered pooch and joins the list of books written about the breed.
Pug related story only this time the hero is called Pugly and he is trying to bake a cake for his owner. Unfortunately his efforts seem to be being sabotaged by Clementine (Clem) the family cat. Most families with a mix of pets will understand the frictions between the main characters and the very funny scrapes that they get themselves in to.
“Marge and the Pirate baby” by Isla Fisher is the second book featuring Marge, a truly unique babysitter. This time she is looking after Jemima and Jake as usual, but finds herself having to look after their demon of a baby cousin called Zara. There are three short stories in this offering and I think that the author is really starting to be comfortable with her characters, which means that we become more involved with the stories. This is a funny and quirky book for both boys and girls.
where he is from. That is the situation that D.J and Gina find themselves in and they then have to try and find a way of sending him back home. This book is the first in a series of comic style books being published by Puffin. It is bright , well illustrated and full of humour; in other words it is great for boys in particular, although the strong female character makes it fun for everyone.
another one of their fantastically funny collaborations. Set in Funfair Moon it is full of zany aliens, dastardly villains and a clever heroine called Emily. As you would expect this will take you on a ‘roller coaster ride’ of excitement. The illustrations are full of the energy and humour that we have come to expect. It is a great book to read alone or to a class.
Teddington, disguised as humans. This book sees them and their friends going to Cornwall on their summer holidays. As usual there are lots of ‘groan worthy’ jokes as well as puns, both written and visual. I love the way that the author’s voice comes across so easily and the illustrator’s ability to translate all of this visually. A really great read for all ages.
on his nose as they are leaving his cave; that is when he finds that all his food is missing. He goes outside and discovers the wonder of the snow. Rabbit offers him a moldy old carrot to eat, which he is very grateful for. However he does not know that it is Rabbit who has stolen his food. When a wolf comes looking for some food the two friends have to work together and Rabbit in particular learns a few things about friendship. What a funny story with some gross elements such as Rabbit eating his own poo (yuck!)
Toad frozen solid in the ice house, little did they guess that it was the (in)famous Toad that they had heard stories of from their grandparents. Toad of course is just as excitable as in the past and when he finds that the weasels have taken over Toad Hall and want to knock it down for a housing estate, he is determined to get it back. With the help of his new young friends he finds a way to challenge the weasels. This is a great story full of charm and humour that really retains the spirit of the original and this is captured by the super illustrations by Holly Swain.
Whilst most of my time on a visit is spent helping the schools, I do get time to look at what has been arriving in the last few months and these are some of the picture books that caught my eye when I visited three weeks ago.
called Alice Jones and I must admit to being a fan. It fits into that group of writers who would be perfectly at home in the “Golden Age” of crime fiction, although these books are set in the current period. A great series for those who love Robin Stevens and Katherine Woodfine.
introduction to the cycles of the Moon, aimed at the youngest of readers. It is told in rhyme and can be read as both a story and as a source of information. Basically it is a conversation between the Moon and a small child who loves watching its changes. The illustrations are beautiful and use the dark blue of the night sky to balance the brightness of the Moon. This is brilliant for Foundation stage and beyond.
The author is well known in the education field and he has produced another clear and concise book about science. The book is divided into nine sections from magnetism to water and nature and there are a range of experiments within each area. As you would expect, there is a good glossary and index, so that this is useful as a class text as well as a library book. The pages are bright and clearly laid out. the text is logical and understandable with the processes being explained in an effective way. A lot of the ‘experiments’ do not require special equipment so they could be done in a classroom, or even at home.
The book begins with the basics and then builds on these by creating various ‘Missions’, where the reader has to build pages and apps in order to move forward in their task. This is not something you can just dip in to, although I am sure that members of a younger generation will find it easier to follow. This is definitely one that my younger son would have loved in his youth, when he was just learning to program.
well laid out and actually understandable. For young people who want to blog and vlog this is a very good place to start; of course it is also definitely for those older people who want to have a go at setting up a blog. It lists the main blog sites but it might be useful for schools to know that WordPress have a separate blog host called Edublogs which is aimed specifically at those working in education and which has more safeguards that normal sites. Yes, that is what I am using as it is a very good and user friendly place to be.
going on in the paintings. Unless the audience is knowledgeable about art they may well not differentiate between the two groups of artists. There is a section at the back of the book which gives thumbnail images and information about each piece of work. It is an excellent introduction to some major artists across the centuries.
visiting a museum and gives information about some of the major civilizations that you are likely to see there. It is aimed at KS1 and asks the reader to search the pictures for hidden items that were important to various ancient cultures. This is bright and cheerful; it is divided into the various sections you might find in a museum but there is no contents, index or glossary.
“50 things you should know about Space” by Professor Raman Prinja is another in this excellent series and the format is the same as the others. The contents page shows that the layout of the book and it starts with the history of the universe and how we have reached the state that exists today; then it looks at our solar system and each of the planets before finally covering the technology that has developed to allow us to explore the space around us. An excellent introduction to the subject.
Moose, Beaver and Bear. Whilst the stories can be read just as picture books, they are also about friendship, sharing and also about the consequences to others when you do something without considering them. The stories and illustrations are amusing, colourful and full of personality as well as providing a lesson for young readers.
The book itself is small (18cm square) and a comfortable size for young readers. The illustrations are clear but almost childlike and there is an element of fun added by the cheeky and amusing worm that appears in all the pages. the words are limited to only two lines of rhyming text per page but they explain the subject manner in a concise and understandable way. You could read this as a story to young children, but the inclusion of an index allows for some degree of searching, although the information given is not always very obvious. This is a nice addition to the mini-beast collections of Foundation and KS1 classes.
and very crawly creatures. The author is a zoologist and TV presenter, so she combines knowledge with the ability to connect with her audience. The illustrations and photographs are clear and accurate, whilst the text explains, without overwhelming the young reader. Even the size of the books is aimed at being comfortable for the small person. There is also a lovely surprise at the back of each book; one has a cut-out spider, whilst the other has a butterfly model. Altogether a well thought out series.
grandson is going to love. it is full of every kind of tractor and bulldozer that he could imagine. The layout is by type of machine and where they are used so that you get a real idea of how the use has developed over the last 100 years. The illustrations are up o date, bright and easily link to the small and concise blocks of text. A great book for KS1 to read and for younger children to share with an adult.
and then back again. Chris Packham is a well know and respected naturalist and he has chosen 15 widely different species to act as examples. Illustrations are used rather than photographs and this allows for some imagination to be added. Most of the images include a group of three children and this links the reading audience with the actual migratory process. Whilst there is not a huge amount of text it does give some fascinating information and acts as a springboard for those who want to go further in their research. It is a great book for KSI classes.
introduction to the world of nature for younger readers. The book is divided into into ‘chapters’ which are just two pages long and consist of beautiful illustrations of various examples of each subject. The text is limited to the names of the plant/animal and perhaps a short question for the reader to answer. It is a lovely book for browsing, but you need additional resources to add to the information.
judging panel. In 2010 we chose Neil Gaiman as the winner of the Carnegie for his book “The Graveyard Book”; the illustrator being Chris Riddell. Since then this duo have collaborated on several other works including “Fortunately the Milk”, a new edition of “Coraline” and “The Sleeper and the Spindle”, which has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie and was the winner of the Kate Greenaway medal for 2016.
It was a great evening with an opportunity to hear our current Children’s Laureate speak and also to catch up with friends and colleagues.
London called Lundinor, that exists below our own city. Ivy and her older brother Seb are left alone when their grandmother is admitted to hospital after a fall (both of their parents are away working) and then strange things start happening and they find themselves transported to Lundinor via a suitcase ! All this is linked to their grandma losing her memory many years before and they face danger and excitement as they try and solve the mysteries.
