An animal whodunit for new readers, entertaining little witches on a mission, dragons and danger, exploring life on the Moon and a ghostly visitor in the fog feature in my selection of books for children this month.

Gruff Justice by Ross Montgomery illustrated by Marisa Morea

The third of Ross Montgomery’s stories for Barrington Stoke’s Little Gem series is sure to make young readers giggle. Targeted at the 5+ age group, Little Gems are well designed to support brand new readers and the humorous illustrations by Marisa Morea add much to this lovely little package.

Billy Goat Gruff has a reputation on the farm for eating things. Lots of things! So when the farmer discovers that the birthday cake he has made for his wife has a huge bite taken out of it you may be able to guess where suspicion falls. The angry farmer threatens to turn poor Gruff into goat pie but Gruff knows that he didn’t do it. How can he prove his innocence?

Gruff is aided in his search for justice by his sister Billie and we follow their investigations as they travel around the farm in search of the truth. Gruff tends towards the confrontational style of interrogation and this is balanced by his younger sister’s more considered approach. A delightful whodunit for small children, that even incorporates the gathering of all the suspects for the big reveal in true Agatha Christie style, Gruff Justice is a delight. However there is also a valuable lesson about the risks of jumping to the wrong conclusion in haste. The jolly illustrations contain many funny details, for example the goat siblings dressed in classic detective styling and the little pig at full stretch demonstrating that he couldn’t possibly have reached the cake. The jokes inside the front cover are an added bonus. Great fun and perfect for encouraging new readers this is published on 13th February by Barrington Stoke. Thank you to Poppy McLean for my review copy.

The Notwitches by Gary Panton illustrated by Dotty Sutton

As a school librarian I was frequently asked by children for a ‘funny book with pictures’ and this hugely entertaining fiction debut by Gary Panton with its wonderful illustrations by Dotty Sutton would definitely be top of my recommendations at the moment. At times laugh out loud funny The Notwitches also features some brilliant characters and kindness and positivity too. Eleven year old Melanda lives with her three aunts who are the villains of this story and their treatment of Melanda has readers rooting for her from the first page. She is forced to do all manner of gruesome jobs for these women who make the child’s life miserable and Melanda escapes this by writing stories.

All this changes one morning when a young witch knocks on the door. Her name is Mitch and accompanied by her talking cat Rolo she is going to take Melanda on an adventure involving the Hairy Skulls Biker Gang, a visit to Gnomeland, and a meeting with some extremely unusual mermaids. This adventure will, the girls hope, lead to the ultimate defeat of the three aunts but their plan is not without problems and set backs.

There is a kind tone to this uplifting story and it is refreshing to read a children’s book where the “baddies” although gruesome are frankly more like squabbling children than sinister villains. Melanda and Mitch are a great team and their determination is inspiring for young readers as the girls remain positive in the face of adversity. The wonderful illustrations by Dotty Sutton reminded me a little of Gerald Scarfe’s style and her depiction of some of the characters, particularly the Aunts and the Hairy Skulls gang, add to the humour of this enjoyable adventure. Reading this brightened up a wet and gloomy day for me and I have a feeling it will raise the spirits of its intended audience too. There is a sequel due later in the year and I will be keen to follow these two likeable protaganists. Aimed at a readership aged about 7+ this would be suitable for readers of this age who have started to gain confidence and would also work well read aloud, particularly for an adult who enjoys “doing the voices”. The Notwitches is published on 13th February by Chicken House and I would like to thank the publishers and Laura Smythe for my review copy.

Dragon Riders of Roar by Jenny McLachlan

The Land of Roar is a magical place beloved by many young readers who read the original trilogy, the first book of which was published in 2019. Dragon Riders of Roar brings back the popular main characters, twins Rose and Arthur, plus some old friends and will no doubt be warmly welcomed by previous fans. This new adventure, the first of three more books, explores new areas of Roar and sweeps Rose and Arthur up into fresh danger and excitement. Jenny McLachlan will delight her old readers and encourage new ones with this fast paced tale of sibling rivalry, friendship, danger and dragons.

Arthur and Rose are desperate to return to Roar which they visit via the old camp bed in their Grandad’s attic. Unfortunately their Aunt is visiting with their baby cousin Lila so their visit has been delayed. Rose is cross and feeling thwarted writes about their special world instead, describing the Dragonlands and a school where young dragon riders are trained. Whilst looking after Lila Arthur discovers Rose’s notebook and is angry at the way he is depicted in the story. On impulse he adds his own ‘extras’ to the story. When the twins finally get to Roar they realise that now they must deal with the potential disaster they have set in motion. They will have to become Dragon Riders, have ‘fire in their hearts’ and overcome a sinister villain.

A story with a portal to a magical world, fearsome dragons and brave children battling against the odds is sure to be a hit and the added element of the power of imagination provides an extra hook for young readers. It’s a lovely touch to give the child characters some control over the world they visit. Even if it doesn’t go entirely to plan! The content is suitable for the younger end of the middle grade readership and although almost 400 pages long the chapters are short and the wonderful black and white illustrations by Alla Kharkevich break up the text and help to bring the drama to life. Published by Farshore on 13th February with cover illustration by Ben Mantle. Thank you to Chris at Farshore for my proof copy.

How to Survive on the Moon: Lunar Lessons from a Rocket Scientist by Joalda Morancy illustrated by Aaron Cushley

In this illustrated guide to lunar survival children will learn how to build underground cities in lava tubes, and shield themselves from razor-sharp moon dust. How To Survive on the Moon is written by rocket scientist Joalda Morancy, who is currently working at Blue Origin where they are working on the lunar lander that will be used in NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions to the Moon. Morancy takes young readers into the future, where they join astronauts as they try to survive the hazards of lunar life. The book opens with a brief background to space travel and previous moon missions identifying those, from many different backgrounds, who worked behind the scenes to make it possible.

There is information about a broad range of aspects including how you may be able to breathe while living on the moon, what you could eat, how you would communicate with those at home, and what you could use for fuel and energy. The author also speculates how a government of a moon colony would be structured, what people would use for money and what kind of society would develop. Some of the possible developments in lunar science such as the use of space robots, a space lift and a giant catapult that could be used to transport things back to Earth are explored both in the text and the illustrations. Aaron Cushley’s detailed and humorous illustrations, some of them in an almost graphic novel style, widen the appeal and enjoyment of this inventive book too. Finally, the book contains a glossary including terms such as gravity, Apollo Program, orbit and NASA plus a helpful index. Overall the merging of scientific fact and informed hypothesis make for an appealing, exciting and enlightening book. This has a different tone to many ‘space books’ for children and may well inspire budding scientists, astronomers and astronauts. How To Survive on the Moon is published by Neon Squid and I should like to thank Malu Rocha for my review copy.

The Boy at the Window by Lucy Strange illustrated by Rohan Eason

Lucy Strange’s latest novella for Barrington Stoke is a gothic ghost story that gradually creeps up on you, sucking you in like the fog in which it is set. Told with great skill The Boy at the Window is a truly haunting tale that leaves the reader feeling unsettled.

We meet the story’s narrator, young Hugo, in the opening sentence, “I first saw the ghost on a cold autumn night.” and from this point his voice draws the reader slowly onward towards the chilling ending. Hugo lives with his mother in an old house, both of them living with the sadness of the absence of Hugo’s father who has not returned from the war. His mother distant and distracted living in the forlorn hope of her husband’s return. Hugo is convinced that he has seen a ghost at the window and that it is not a trick caused by the fog that envelops the old house. The ghostly boy’s eyes haunt him. The housekeeper, Mrs Stubbs, encourages him to play outside, the gardener, Mr Meddle, asks Hugo to help him and all the time the boy is aware of the ghostly boy of similar age to himself. Should he let the ghostly boy inside? What would happen if he did?

This may be pitched at a target audience of 9+ but I found this story with its Gothic flavour quite chilling. Lucy Strange builds the atmosphere and the tension through spare writing and this together with the perfectly matched illustrations by Rohan Eason increase the sense of foreboding. The combination of well-known tropes of the Gothic genre make this an excellent book to use for class study at KS3. However it will also be popular with fans of spooky stories at the upper end of primary school too. Published on 13th February by Barrington Stoke. Thank you to Poppy McLean for my review copy.