An introduction to graphic novels highlighting friendship and fun, time travel to Ancient Greece and a historical adventure of family and magic make up this latest selection of children’s books for a variety of ages and reading abilities.

Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Mount Choco Meltdown by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson 

Recent research findings regarding children’s attitude to reading for pleasure have highlighted the importance of individual choice in reigniting children’s interest in books. I think that the third in this series of funny graphic novels for new readers is sure to be hit with its warm and friendly tone plus bags of entertainment value. The second book, Escape from Balloonia is shortlisted for The Week Junior Awards and the steady growth in the popularity of graphic novels is proof that many children find this style of reading appealing.

Mount Choco Meltdown sees our three friends enter an epic cream sundae-making competition. Barry is determined to win at any cost and wants to find the best chocolate ice cream the world has ever seen! Meanwhile Blue and Pancakes just want to have fun. The ensuing quest involves scaling a mountain, confronting a yeti and a dance off competition all of which will make readers smile. Running through the humour are gentle themes of friendship and teamwork which add to the appeal of this lovely book. At the end of the story are instructions for making a comic book of your own and an amusing look at dance moves and ‘must haves’ for your adventure packing list. I would highly recommend this for new readers who are not quite ready for the Bunny vs Monkey series and it would be lovely for KS1 classrooms or school libraries. Published by Rock The Boat on 3rd July and I would like to thank Dannie Price for my copy.

Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime by Jennifer Claessen

As a child I was fascinated by time travel in both books and film so when I read the synopsis of this new title from Jennifer Claessen, author of the Month of Magic trilogy, I could not resist. A combination of adventure, new friendship and a feminist retelling of Greek myth, Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime should have a wide audience appeal.

Netta’s little brother Remy is history obsessed so when her parents take the family to an old villa in Crete for their summer holiday he is delighted but this is most definitely not Netta’s idea of fun. However shortly after their arrival Netta starts having realistic dreams in which she is dragged back thousands of years to Ancient Greece. Once there she meets a young princess, daughter of King Minos, and finds herself caught up in the preparations for the opening of the King’s precious labryinth. There is intrigue, rumours of monsters and conflict in this ancient time and Netta finds herself drawn increasingly to the past and her present day self is becoming less strong. Netta and Remy gradually unite to try to work out what is happening, solve the puzzle and ultimately save Netta in an increasingly tense drama. The growing friendship between Netta and the young Ariadne is key to the plot as is the loyalty Remy shows to his older sister and this adds warmth to the mystery and excitement.

Readers will not have to be familiar with Greek Myths to enjoy this adventure and may in fact be prompted to investigate further having read this book. Jennifer Claessen also includes an explanatory note providing more detail about some of the references included such as Ariadne, Daedalus and Icarus. A welcome addition to other fiction for children based upon Ancient Greece this is suitable for readers of about 9+ and at just under 250 pages is not too overwhelming in length. Published by Fox and Ink Books (formerly Uclan Publishing) on 25th June. Thank you to Graeme Williams for arranging my review copy.

A Place of a Thousand Wishes by Sarah Merrett

Set in 1899 this tale of magic, family and friendship a A Place of A Thousand Wishes this adventure with a Dickensian feel is rooted in reality.

During the summer of that year there was a lengthy heatwave and this is replicated in this story and does, in fact, feature in the plot. Mason, the likeable main character is the son of an ice cream seller and during this historical period the ice cream trade was experiencing a boom. These details are incorporated within the plot alongside detailed description of the setting bringing the story to life, all of which provides an authentic feel to the background to this mystery.

Mason helps his father with their ice-cream business and as the story opens things are not going well for them. But when the famous wish-maker, Darlington, arrives in town Mason is staggered to find that he receives and invitation to his first performance. That night events take a dramatic turn and Mason discovers that he and Darlington share strange magical gifts. These gifts and their source are envied by some dangerous enemies and when Darlington disappears Mason races against time to rescue him or risk losing everything that is important to him.

At the heart of this story are themes of family discord, envy, greed and the abuse of power. The jealousy between people who should be close is the cause of unhappiness and difficulty in this well told historical drama. Confident readers of about 10 upwards will find this a rewarding read and the growing friendship between Mason and young Clem will appeal too. The stunning, monochrome illustrations throughout by Ewa Beniak-Haremska are perfect for the story being gothic in style with a slightly sinister feel. Published by Everything With Words on 29th May and thank you to Mikka Haugaard for my copy.