Walk like an Egyptian: part two

Caboodle books, 9781919614809

“The Ancient Egypt sleepover” by Stephen Davies  follows young Mo when he wins a place at a sleepover at the British Museum.  However there are villains about and the young students find themselves having to stop a robbery, after all the adults have been drugged by the robbers.  A great read, especially if you are about to visit the Museum itself.

Maverick, 9781848868144

The Heart Scarab” and “The Crocodile Curse”  by Saviour Pirotta and Jo Lindley are the first two adventures in a series by this superb writer of historical fiction for younger readers.  This series is set during the reign of Ramses II and features two brothers, who find themselves in danger from a villainous magician.  A brilliant addition to the list of books about this civilization.

Maverick, 9781848868946

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, , 9780618756384

“Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos” by R L LaFevers is the first in a series featuring a young girl, whose mother is an archaeologist and her father is curator of a large Egyptian collection.  When a mysterious amulet seems to bring the threat of magic and destruction, Theodosia finds herself caught up in the fight to save the country.  There are four books in this series and a theoretical fifth volume, although I have been waiting for quite a few years for this to appear.

Buster books, ‎ 9781780557519

“Sherlock Bones and the Curse of the Pharaoh’s Mask ” by Tim Collins follows the canine detective and his assistant Dr Catson as they take a well earned holiday in Egypt.  But when a gold mask is stolen, they become the chief suspects.  They have to prove their innocence and find the true thieves to avoid going to prison.  This is full of action and adventure and is great for 7-9 year olds who are exploring Egypt for the first time.

Barrington Stoke, 9781800900073

Tutankhamun’s treasure” by David Long is  Barrington Stoke book aimed at introducing young readers to the story of Howard Carter and Tutankhamun.  This is an information book that is told in an easy to read and understand way.  There are plenty of pen and ink illustrations that help the reader to get the feel of the story.

Welbeck Flame, ‎ 9781801300230

“The Mummy’s Curse” by M A Bennett is the second in a series featuring three young explorers, who can use a time machine to help change history.  In this book, they find themselves travelling forward to 1922 and being present at the opening the tomb of Tutankhamun; but what can they do to prevent robbery and more?  This is an excellent series and is unusual in that the heroes travel FORWARD in time for their adventures.

Faber & Faber, 9780571328499

“Secrets of a Sun King” by Emma Carroll is written by an author who is one of our most highly regarded history writers.  In this story, the heroine Lilian finds herself caught up in the suspect death of an archaeologist, a mysterious package and the discovery of a new tomb in Egypt.  The year is 1922 and the world has got Egypt mania, but are there some real dangers to be faced and new stories to be told?  This is a favourite story for use in KS2 studies of Egypt.

Sweet Cherry, 9781782268161

“Tombful of Trouble” by Pip Murphy.  This is the third in the series of stories featuring the twins, Christie and Agatha (yes, they have lived in Torquay!) and this time they find themselves in Egypt at the same time as Howard Carter discovers his famous tomb.  When precious objects start to disappear from the tomb, the girls (who run a Detective Agency) decide to find the culprit and retrieve the treasures.  This is a great read for younger readers and definitely for those who will go on to read Robin Steven.

Candlewick, 9781536205237

“Julius Zebra: entangled by the Egyptians” by Gary Northfield is the third book in the series featuring the less than fearless Zebra called Julius.  The stories are set in the ancient world and so far the hero and his friends have been taken to Rome, then Britain and now find themselves ship wrecked off the coast of Egypt.  They start by being treated as gods, but things rapidly go downhill.  This is a fun filled story that young readers will love.

Elmside Publishing, 9781999364113

“The Adventurers and the Temple of Treasure” by Jemma Hatt follows a group of young people as they follow clues left by their father and persuade their uncle to take them to Egypt, to search for hidden ‘treasure’.  The adventurers love to detect and this story allows them to do just that.  This is the second in the series and will add more fans to the books.

CreateSpace, 9781478305705

“Mystery of the Egyptian Scroll” by Scott Peters (Kid Detective Zet) is first in a series featuring a young boy called Zed, who lives in ancient Egypt.  He is the son of a potter,  but would much rather be solving mysteries and is actually quite successful at what he does.  This series is great for showing a world that is not just in palaces, but also shows the lives of ordinary people.  there are four stories to be read, but I am sure that readers would love some more in the future.

Puffin, 9780141325507

“The Kane trilogy” by Rick Riorden is an absolute must for fans of Percy Jackson.  Set in the same world, this is based around the Egyptian gods  and features Carter and Sadie, the children of Egyptologists as they are caught up in a war between the gods.  This is a fantastic series for middle grade readers and it is a shame that there are only three full length novels in this series, although there are also several short novellas.

Crescent Vista Press, 9781734155211

The Eye of Ra” by Ben Gartner features American siblings, John and Sarah, who accidentally stumble on a cave  and find themselves drawn back to Ancient Egypt.  There they find themselves up against a mysterious character and need to find a way of getting back to their home, without changing the course of history.  This is the first in a series of three titles in which the children visit the Roman Empire and the Aztec Empire.

b small publishing, 9781911509097

An Egyptian Adventure” (The Histronauts)  by Frances Durkin and Grace Cooke is part of a graphic novel series centred around the major ancient civilizations.  In this book, the heroes are taken back to Ancient Egypt  and make friends with a girl who shows them what life is like.  The book is full of factual information and excellent illustrations that bring the period to life.  This makes for a really good introduction to the life and beliefs of the Egyptian people.

CreateSpace, 9781544763774

The Cleopatra Curse” and “The Great Pyramid Robbery” by Katherine Roberts are part of a series called the Seven Fabulous Wonders.  they are adventure stories full of action and history, but also with a magical and mystical element that really hooks the reader.  the Pyramid robbery is set during the reign of Khufu in early Egypt, whereas the Cleopatra Cure is set in the final days of this great civilization, as Rome flexes its military might.

A & C Black, 9780713674552

“Casting the Gods Adrift” by Geraldine McCaughrean is a short story by a Carnegie winning author.  It is an exciting adventure story, set during the reign of the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, when he built his new capital city Amarna out in the desert and away from the Nile river.  This is great for those who prefer shorter books and it deals with a time that is not written about as much.

Andersen Press, 9781849395748

“The Lost Prophesies” by Michael Malaghan  When siblings Callie and Nick go to stay with their uncle at the museum he curates in Egypt, the last thing they expect is to find a message from 4000 years ago and addressed to them.  What follows is a tale of mystery and magic, as they try and unravel centuries of intrigue and danger.

HarperCollins, 9780007514083

Time Hunters; Egyptian Curse” by Chris Blake.  the main character, Tom, finds himself on time travelling adventures to the past after he accidentally breaks a statue at the museum, he sets free a young girl called Isis who had been imprisoned there since ancient times.  They find themselves on a quest to go back in time, retrieve some amulets and in this, the sixth and final adventure Tom finds himself fighting in the forces of Tutankhamun.  Hopefully he will solve the riddle and break the curse that has held Isis captive.

Orion, 9781842556054

“Scribes of Alexandria” by Caroline Lawrence is part of her long series about a small group of children and their detective adventures during some important events in Roman history.  This book sees them in Egypt and having to travel down the Nile in their quest to find the answers to their questions.

Walker books, 9781406361445

“Jake Atlas and the Tomb of the Emerald Snake” by Rob Lloyd Jones is about Jake and his sister Pan as they try and find their parents in the deserts of Egypt.  They face all kinds of problems including thieves and high tec dangers.  This is the first in the series and Jake is not your usual hero, in fact he has some real issues that he has to deal with.

Simon & Schuster, 9781471147197

Violet and the Mummy Mystery” by Harriet Whitehorn this is the fourth adventure for the young sleuth, Violet and her friends.  After a mummy is stolen from the British Museum, Violet hunts for the culprits and is desperate to help her Aunt Matilde, who is an Egyptologist.  This is a delightful and exciting story for young enthusiasts.

 

 

 

With the centenary of the opening of Tutankhamun’s tomb  taking place on at this time, there is a real resurgence in interest; although the fact that it is on the National Curriculum means that there is always a good range of materials available.  I hope that these two blog posts about the subject will spark your interest and that people will discover some new authors to enjoy.

Walk like an Egyptian

This year has seen the centenary of the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, as well as the bi-centenary of the finding of the Rosetta stone and the translation of hieroglyphs by Jean-Francois Champollion.  This has given me the impetus to compile this list of books featuring that fascinating civilization.  It is something that I have wanted to do for a long time.  However I am amazed by the sheer volume of books about the subject.  Mainly I have kept to those published in the last year or so, but I have included some long term favourites from my own library.  I hope you enjoy reading some of them

“The Mystery of the Golden Pyramid” by Adela Norfan and Aaron Cushley is a delightful introduction to Ancient Egypt.  When Sophie moves to Egypt, she is surprised to find a dog in her bedroom, but this is a talking dog who gives her a quest to find and return four lost amulets to the tomb of King Nebra.  It is full of action and humour and will appeal to all KS1 children.  The illustrations are excellent, with some great ‘lift-the-flap’ elements.

The Curse of the Tomb Robbers” by Andy Seed and James Weston Lewis is an exquisitely illustrated story of intrigue and tomb robbery, in which two children are able to foil the robbers and bring them to justice.  It highlights the importance of reading the hieroglyphs and also the respect that was given to the dead, by the Egyptians.

“Secrets of the Dead” by Matt Ralphs and Gordy Wright is produced by the British Museum and looks at the various forms of mummification found around the world.  Egypt is only one of those places, but the chapter in this book looks at the methods used and at some famous examples such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II.  The book makes for a fascinating read.

“The magnificent book of Treasures: Ancient Egypt” by Philip Steele and Eugenia Nobati.  I have written a full blog post about this book and you can see it by looking for the title on the blog site.  It is a gorgeous book.

King Tutankhamun tells all” by Chris Naunton and Guilherme Karsten is written by one of our most well-known and knowledgeable Egyptologists.  The illustrations are cartoon style and full of colour and is written in the form of a memoir by the dead Pharaoh.  There is a great deal of humour in the way that it is written, but it is still full of information about the king and also Ancient Egypt itself.

Mummies Unwrapped” by Tom Froese is written in conjunction with the British Museum and is a fascinating look at the various processes that a mummy underwent; asking many of the questions that young people want to know..  The illustrations are  bright clear and have elements of humour, which really adds to the enjoyment.  The cover is gold, which will add to the attraction for the intended audience.

“Egyptology” by Dugald Steer is the first in a series of truly sumptuous books, full of illustrations, lift the flaps, added artifacts and information about a range of topics.  this book has a gold cover and really gives the reader a sense of the grandeur that was found in Egyptian tombs.  Whilst this is not a new title, it is one that should be the basis of anyone’s collection about Egypt.

Egyptian diary: The Journal of Nakht” by Richard Platt and David Parkins is the story of a young boy living in Memphis with his family and how he helps foil a gang of tomb robbers and eventually get to meet the Pharaoh Hatshepsut, only to discover that they are a woman (one of very few female pharaohs).  this is a large size book with some fabulous illustrations.  Since its publication in 2005 it has become a staple of all school libraries.

“Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx” by Joe Todd Stanton is the second tale in the “Brownstone’s Mythical collection” series and follows the adventures of Marcy, the daughter of the original hero Arthur, as she attempts to save her father from the clutches of the Great Sphinx.  Children will love the graphic novel format and the fast pace of the action.

“I was there: Tutankhamun’s Tomb” by Sue Reid is a great read for younger audiences.  It is based on the fact that a young boy was involved in finding the stairs which led to the tomb discovery.  it is full of action, villains and  of course introduces the audience to Howard Carter and his patron Lord Caernarvon.

This is just the first section of this rather mammoth post, but I found it o difficult to cut down on the titles to be included.  Join me again for part two of this collection.

 

Some Spring Gems

It has been a while since I wrote about some of the latest middle grade fiction that have appeared recently.  There has been a continued interest in all things crime related as well as mythical beasts, alternate worlds and of course witches.  In fact we have all been spoilt for choice, with not just some brilliant new books, but also continuing adventures from some of our favourite authors of the moment

 

Nosy Crow, 9781788000260

“Dragon in the Library” by Louie Stowell, illustrated by David Ortu.  Well anything about a library is going to get me interested and this is no exception.  When Kit and her friend visit the local library to get hold of a book by his favourite author something strange happens.  Kit starts reading an information book and suddenly finds herself transported into the pages of the book; the librarian Faith Braithwaite see all of this and brings Kit back, they then try and find out why this happened.  It turns out that Faith is a wizard and the library and some of the books in it act as portals to travel to other magical libraries, but best of all Kit and her friends find out that there is a dragon called Draca sleeping under the building.  When an unscrupulous developer Hadrian Salt tries to buy the library they will all have to find some way to thwart his plans and save the library and the dragon.  This is a really great story and I hope that there will be more, so that we can follow Kit and her friends as they get more involved with wizards.

Kelpies, 9781782505556

“Guardians of the Wild Unicorns” by Lindsay Littleson is a fantastic story from Scotland and is published by the wonderful Kelpies.  Lewis and Rhona are on a school trip staying in the highlands, far away from their homes in Glasgow, when Lewis sees what appear to be unicorns he thinks he is imagining things, but what if they are real?  The two friends find themselves trying to save these wild unicorns from people who see them as a way to make money, but they find that the task is not as easy as they hope.  The unicorns in this book are not at all like the glittery and colourful ones you find in younger age books; these are wild ones in the same sense that those in Harry Potter are and it brings an added fascination and sense of reality to the theme of the story.  Behind all of this we have the stories of two young people who are each coping with major issues at home and are not telling anyone, but by the end of the story they have realized that sharing problems can have a positive effect.

Piccadilly, 9781848127616

“Potkin and Stubbs” by Sophie Green, illustrated by K.J.Mountford, is a crime thriller but with a decided difference.  Lil has always wanted to be a reporter and because she lives in a city where schools have been closed and her mother is out at work, she has opportunities to follow her ambitions.  One evening she sees a young boy at the bus station cafe and offers to buy him a drink because he looks cold and hungry, however the truth is much stranger than that; Nedly is a ghost and Lil decides to try and discover where he had lived and how he died.  The story gets darker and more dangerous as they get closer to the truth and they find that there are citywide crimes that need to be resolved.  This is a fantastic story for those who love crime stories, with that little added twist of the supernatural.

Stripes, 9781788950220

“The Star-spun Web” by Sinead O’Hart and illustrated by Sara Mulvanney, is a magical tale of parallel worlds that should not connect, but where someone has created a machine to travel between them.  Tessa suddenly arrived on the doorsteps of an orphanage as a baby, but  there were some strange circumstances, such as the snow on her blanket, even though it was not winter.  The story picks up when she is twelve and is claimed by a man purporting to be a relative.  What happens next is strange, as she sees a boy through a mirror in the summerhouse and eventually  she is able to transfer to this alternative world.  It is still a version of the city of Dublin, but  one where there is a war and it seems that someone wants to bring bombers through the gateway in order to conquer her own peaceful version of the city and country.  Sinead O’Hart has a wonderful imagination and has created a group of characters full of caring and friendship on the one hand and some dastardly villains on the other hand.  It is a story that leaves you with a great big smile at the end.

Scholastic, 9781407191553

“Wildspark” by Vashti Hardy (illustrations by George Ermos and Jamie Gregory) is one of those books that you know will leave an impression and you will probably want to read again.  It is set in a world where the spirits of those who have died are able to be transferred into the bodies of animals.  It is also a world where robots are used to do a lot of the work and being mechanically talented is a real skill.  Prue lives on her parent’s farm and is a great engineer, but she has one ambition and that is to try and find the ghost of her brother and have him brought back to this second life.  When she is chosen (or rather her dead brother is) to become an apprentice in the main city of Medlock, she thinks that her opportunity has come.  This is a beautifully written story about what it is to be human, the love of family and the way we use technology and I really recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, steampunk or books of extraordinary imagination.

Quercus, 9781786540782

“A girl called Justice” by Elly Griffiths is definitely one for those who love books by Robin Stevens, Laura Wood, Katherine Woodfine and Fleur Hitchcock among others.  After the death of her mother, Justice  (because her father is a criminal barrister) is sent to boarding school and soon finds an opportunity to use her super sleuthing skills.  One of the school maids has gone missing and Justice suspects foul play.  As she gradually settles into the strange world of a girls’ boarding school and makes friends, she also investigates the mysterious goings on and whether they have any links to a death from the past.  This was a great read for those who love this mix of school and crime and I can’t wait for further adventures from this absolutely ‘spiffing’ heroine.

Nosy Crow, 9781788004503

“No Ballet Shoes in Syria” by Catherine Bruton.  This is an amazing, heart breaking and yet very hopeful story of Aya, a young refugee from Syria and her mother and young brother.  The main part of the story deals with their struggle to be allowed to remain in the UK and the hope that one day they will find Aya’s father, who was feared drowned as the crossed from Turkey to Greece.  The other part of the story is about her love of ballet and the people she meets in a ballet class at the centre where they go to meet the case worker helping them.  We are given parallels between Aya and the ballet teacher Miss Helena, who had come to England on one of the last Kinder transport trains  and there is a lesson to be learnt about honouring those we have lost by achieving the potential that they believed we have.  There is so much hope in this book but it is laced with much sorrow and I really suggest you have a box of tissues at the ready; also don’t read it on the bus or train!

Macmillan, 9781509874217

“Kat Wolfe takes the Case” by Lauren St John, illustrate by Daniel Deamo is the second story about young Kat and her friend Harper as they are caught up in more adventures on the Jurassic coast where they live.  When a dinosaur is found by Harper’s father and his team (they are paleontologists), it leads to theft and possible smuggling by a gang trying to find “Dragons’ teeth” which are supposed to cure those suffering from incurable diseases.  Once again Kat needs the help of her grandfather (the Minister of Defence) and begins to know him better as a person.  This is a great story that mixes geology, animals, mystery and also friendship and family.  It is an ideal story for some adventure and crime fighting.

“Malamander” by Thomas Taylor is a tale of mystery and monsters set in a world similar to ours, but with some major differences.  Young Herbert Lemon works at the Grand Nautilus Hotel as a ‘Lost and Founder’, but he did not expect that he would be asked to find two people who had disappeared 12 years before.  Their daughter, Violet Parma thinks that it is linked to a monster called the Malamander that is said to inhabit the wreck of an old vessel in the bay.  This is a fabulously creepy yet funny book with amazing characters (and that is just their names) and a bookshop that every town should want.  I look forward to further adventures from this intrepid pair of children.

Simon & Schuster, 9781471178733

“Sea-ing is Believing” by Steven Butler and Steve Lenton, is the next episode in the goings on at yet another weird and wonderful seaside hotel; only this time the hotel is for non-human guests and I don’t mean it is a pet hotel.  This hotel caters for yetis, mermaids, and other such unusual clients.  In this adventure Frankie’s great grandfather reappears as a ghost during the celebration of his 175th birthday.  However something is not quite right and it is up to Frankie and a cast of incredible friends to save the hotel and all of those in it.  As always these two Steves have produced a hilarious and very quirky story that will have everyone in stitches and longing for more of the same

OUP, 9780192771605

“The last spell-breather” by Julie Pike takes us to a place where magic still happens and spells are created and then breathed over the recipient.  Rayne is the daughter of a spell breather, who protects their village from an undefined plague that has ravaged the country.  When her mother disappears it is up to Rayne to keep everyone safe, but unfortunately she is not very good at spells and the results leave her running for her life.  Her aim is to go to the city where her mother trained as a spell breather in the hope that she will find her mother and reverse the problems that she has created.  Along the way she meets several new friends, but not all of them are what they seem and there is also a dark and sinister villain who brought the original disaster to the country.  This is a beautifully conceived story with a frustrating young heroine who battles to do the best for everyone, but because she doesn’t always know the full facts, she gets things wrong.  It really is a lesson in communication, listening, trusting people and the importance of family and friends.

Barrington Stoke, 9781781128558

“The Disconnect” by Keren David is a new story from Barrington Stoke and is aimed squarely at the young teen reader, especially those who are attached to their smart phones.  Esther’s year group at school have been asked to do without their phones for six weeks and the winners will each get £1000 and the opportunity to be on a panel looking at the use of social media.  Many of the young people decide not to take part, many fall at some point during the trial but Esther and her friends are determined to win.  This is a fascinating look at how people depend on social media and what it means to be cut off from it.  It is also about fake news and making sure that we understand the consequences of believing anything we read without checking.  This is altogether a very timely book from one of our top authors for young adults.

Andersen Press, 9781781783448043

“The Bolds go Wild” by Julian Clary and David Roberts.  Once again we join our wonderful family of urban hyenas in Surbiton; however this time they get a surprise visit from Fred’s mother Imamu and she is very definitely a WILD hyena.  Whilst the children, Bobby and Betty are delighted by the visit they nearly give away the family secret when they are seen by their headmistress, with their tails showing below their clothes.  However all is not lost, as Mrs Dobson, the head, has her own secret; she has a son who wants to become a chimpanzee.  So the next thing is for the Bolds to help him achieve his ambition and then get him and Imamu back to Africa.  You can always guarantee that there will be zany goings on with this family, but beneath it all there is a real sense of caring about letting people and creatures find their own place in the world.

I do hope that you will find something here that you will enjoy.  We really are so lucky that there are some splendid books being published for this middle grade range and many of them deal with some quite serious subjects but in a very understated way, so that the reader is carried by the story line, rather than feeling they are being lectured.  This is just the start of a much bigger selection that I hope to bring to you in the next month or so.  Happy reading!

 

Great Reads for younger Readers

With the new term about to start there are many teachers out there who are looking for good and exciting books that they can read and recommend to their younger pupils this year.  These suggestions are hopefully ones that will help them; they are really for KS1 and KS2L and whether the children read them individually is obviously a matter for the staff.  However they have all got potential to be read to the children if teachers are looking for funny, interesting or exciting stories that do not take the whole term to read.  Give some of them a try and decide whether they will work with your young people.

Barrington Stoke, 9781781127681

“Rose’s Dress of Dreams” by Katherine Woodfine and Kate Pankhurst is one of the first titles in a new series by Barrington Stoke.  The books are a smaller format than usual and have coloured illustrations, all of which makes them very attractive to the younger reader.  This title is about a young girl and her dream of becoming a dressmaker during the pre-revolutionary period in France.  The young Rose eventually became the first of the famous couturiers and an influence on generations of designers. It is really about holding on to your dreams and trying to overcome the challenges that life throws at you.  It is particularly good for those who have an interest in history or fashion

Usborne, 9781848127333

“Marge and the Secret Tunnel” by Isla Fisher and Eglantine Ceulemans is the fourth in a series about one of the most eccentric babysitters you are likely to meet.  Jemima and Jakey often have to spend time with a babysitter and until Marge came on the scene they had always disliked the experience.  However with Marge everything becomes an exciting adventure and in this story they go exploring in a secret tunnel that they find at the bottom of the garden.  there are actually three stories in this book, the other two being about a”great shopping race” and the “lost kitten”.  Having these short stories makes them very accessible, not only to new readers but also for reading in class; they are just long enough to read the whole tale in one session.  Great for KS1 children.

Usborne, 9781474928120

“Meet the Twitches” by Hayley Scott and Pippa Curnick.  This is a delightful introduction to a young girl, Stevie and the family of toy rabbits called the Twitches.  When Stevie and her mother move from their tower block flat she is given a wonderful and quaint dolls’ house, in the shape of a teapot.  Included are all the furnishings and fitting and a complete library; most fantastic of all are the family of toy rabbits that inhabit the house.  What Stevie does not know is that the rabbits magically come alive and when the father, Gabriel is lost in the garden during the furniture moving, it is up to the family and especially young Silver to find him and get him back home.  It is a lovely story about the importance of home and family and I am looking forward to reading more of their adventures in the future.

Barrington Stoke, 9781781127551

“Hari and his Electric Feet” by Alexander McCall Smith and Sam Usher.  The author is well known for the crime series that he has written over the years, but he has also become known for the stories that he has written for children.  This book is by Barrington Stoke and is a delightful story of hope and how music and dance can have a beneficial effect on people.  Hari and his sister live with their aunt in a big city in India, as their parents have had to go away to earn money and Hari helps by making sweets and delivering lunches.  he is an avid fan of Bollywood films and loves the dancing; so when his sister suggests he tries it himself, he does and discovers a talent to make others dance along with him.  This leads to all sorts of adventures and a happy ending for the whole family.  This is a real “feel good” story and has lots of lessons for the adults of the world, so why not get dancing.

Hodder, 9781444932065

“Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure” by Alex T. Smith is the fantastically funny story of an intrepid adventurer and detective as he searches for a lost treasure.  The fact that he is a penguin  and his sidekick is a spider just adds to the totally whacky plot.  The illustrations are weird and wonderful and Alex T Smith has created a truly original new hero.  there are lot of twists and turns in the plot and you cannot be sure who are the villains and who are the good guys.  I am sure that we will see a lot more of this exciting hero with a love of fish finger sandwiches.

Hachette, 9781444921724

“Rabbit and Bear: Attack of the Snack” by Julian Gough and Jim Field.  This is the third in a series of short stories about Bear and his friend Rabbit.  One day they are out swimming when a creature crash lands in the lake and they pull it out, but they have no idea what it is. Eventually they discover that it is an Owl and all their friends have a view about what type of animal an owl is.  It is a fascinating look at how we are affected by rumours and scaremongering and I think there are many links to what can happen in the real world.  Children however are going to love the information at the end of the story, as the Owl (he is a burrowing owl) explains that he lines his hole in blueberry Poo, in order to attract beetles to eat.  There are brilliant illustrations and  extremely funny characters; it will be a great read for those gaining confidence, but also a lovely class read.

Usborne, 9781474932011

“Tanglewood Animal Park: Elephant Emergency” by Tamsyn Murray is the third story about the Tanglewood animal park and in particular Zoe, the daughter of the owners and Oliver, the son of the park vet.  Each of the stories has followed the fortunes of new animals as they are introduced to the park and in this story it is a family of six elephants who are being re-homed, from a zoo that is closing down.  This is a wonderful story of the ups and downs of looking after animals and there is a real sense that the author truly knows what it is like to be involved with all of these creatures.  For anyone who loved the TV series about Longleat, or just loves wildlife, these are a fantastic read.

Oxford University Press, 9780192764058

Night Zoo Keeper: Giraffes of whispering wood” by Joshua Davidson and Buzz Burman mixes magic and wild animals in a lovely story.  When Will is transported into the world of the night garden he enters a world of imagination where he has to save the animals from the  robotic spiders, called Voids.  It appears that he is the next “Night Zoo Keeper” and he and his friend Riya have to help the giraffes who inhabit this part of the zoo. This is a great story about letting your imagination fly and not being afraid to be different from everyone else.

Well, there they are.  Hopefully you will have found something that excites you.  I would also suggest that you look on the websites of these publishers, because they are going to have other titles that you may want to consider and they often have additional materials that the children can use both in class and at home.  Anyway, do Enjoy!