Category Archives: Book Review

Reading Matters – children’s book news

Welcome to this week’s catch up with what has been happening in the world of children’s books. Although this weekly round up of news concentrates on aspects of reading, literature, education and libraries any other news round up this week … Continue reading

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Big Book of Boats by Luogo comune translated by Catherine Bruzzone

The Big Book of Boats is a information book for children with high shelf appeal. Its bright and clear cover draws the eye and tempts you to open the book and discover more. There is a lot to discover within … Continue reading

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The Raven Riddle by Vashti Hardy illustrated by Natalie Smillie

The third instalment of this steampunk fantasy series by Vashti Hardy for Barrington Stoke is another large scale adventure told in just over one hundred pages. As we return to Moreland our heroes attempt to solve a new mystery and … Continue reading

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The Travelling School Mysteries: Libby and the Parisian Puzzle by Jo Clarke illustrated by Becka Moor

Jo Clarke’s debut for children, Libby and the Parisian Puzzle, is an appealing combination of adventure, detective mystery and boarding school story. It has all the ingredients to encourage young readers to feel part of the fun and the puzzle … Continue reading

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New Children’s Picture Books – It’s About Time!

Sometimes by happy coincidence books arrive together that complement each other, sharing similar ideas or themes or characters with comparable personalities. Two picture books published recently caught my eye as they both concentrate on an aspect of life that matters … Continue reading

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Wrath by Marcus Sedgwick

Award winning author Marcus Sedgwick’s YA debut for publishers Barrington Stoke is a layered, unsettling and intense novella that will capture teen readers’ attention. Wrath is a story that drew me in and compelled me to read to the end … Continue reading

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The Big Book of Festivals by Joan-Maree Hargreaves and Marita Bullock Illustrated by Liz Rowland

The Big Book of Festivals is crammed with information and facts celebrating the diversity of the world’s celebrations and the importance of them to our sense of community. A joyful look at the way people mark special occasions expressed in … Continue reading

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Circus Maximus: Rivals on the Track by Annelise Gray Blog Tour

Dido is back, and so is the breathtaking action of the first instalment, Race to the Death. However this enjoyable and stirring adventure is really about family, the bonds that bring individuals together in a shared endeavour not only to … Continue reading

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The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros

Eloquent and insightful, the English adaptation of the award winning Welsh novel The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros is a memorable read. As I turned the last page of this deeply affecting story I wanted to go … Continue reading

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Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice – A Retelling by Laura Wood

The publishers Barrington Stoke aim to produce super readable books that enable all children and young people to experience the joy of reading. The classics can be daunting for many as the language, the complexity and the length may be … Continue reading

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