Halloween Childrens Books for All Ages as featured in The South Wales Evening Post Oct 31st

Fiendishly Good Books For Kids at Halloween. 

HAUNTINGLY GOOD BOOK OF THE WEEK

KNITBONE PEPPER-GHOST DOG BY CLAIRE BARKER

An endearing tale about a ghost dog called Knitbone who wants to reconnect with his owner Winnie Pepper whilst stopping dastardly thieves from steal their family home. Helped by other ghost pets called 'Beloveds', can Knitbone save the day? A charming and sensitive story for animal lovers and any child who has lost a pet. The hardback format and adorable illustrations make it a great gift for Christmas and Birthdays.

ISBN:9781409580379 HB Usborne Publishing Ltd £9.99

PICTURE BOOK 3+

PUMPKIN SOUP BY HELEN COOPER

A richly illustrated rhyming book about three friends Cat, Duck and Squirrel who make pumpkin soup every day. Cat prepares, Squirrel stirs, Duck adds salt. But what happens when Duck wants to try Cat's job? A warm comforting read about friendship and sharing. The stunning artwork of copper colours make it the perfect Autumnal read as the nights close in. A veritable feast that is great for class room discussion plus a pumpkin soup recipe.

ISBN:9780552545105 PB Random House Children's Publishers UK £7.99

CHILDRENS 7+

THE WORST WITCH BY JILL MURPHY

An hilarious children’s classic and a perfect read for little girls always getting into trouble without meaning to! Many children will empathise with Mildred, a disastrous trainee witch who keeps messing up with hilarious results. My favourite was when she put a bucket of water on her teachers head! The colourful characters and beautiful illustrations in this special hard back edition bring Mildreds story to life and paves the way for when they start reading Harry Potter.

ISBN:9780141344515 HB Penguin Books Ltd £10.99

CHILDRENS 11+

THE BOX OF DEMONS BY DANIEL WHELAN

Winner of the Write Now! Children’s book award ,this ambitious fantasy is a cross between Alice in Wonderland and His Dark Materials. Ben has always been in possession of a box of demons which has caused him nothing but trouble. How can he get rid of it? Touches on difficult issues, including the loss of a parent, which are interwoven into a complex and dangerous world of demons and angels.

ISBN:9781447267263 HB Pan Macmillan £10.99

Halloween Childrens Books for All Ages for The South Wales Evening Post Oct 24th

My Childrens Book Selection for the South Wales Evening Post Oct 24^th featuring Halloween Books for all ages. 

SCARIEST BOOK OF THE WEEK

ONCE UPON A ZOMBIE BY BILLY PHILLIPS

CHILDRENS BOOK 10+

What would happen if all your favourite childhood characters became zombies and ghouls? The world of fairy tales is fast decaying and only 14 year old Caitlin can save the likes of Rapunzel and Snow White. A unique zombie fairytale mashup that will hold you in it's grasp until the cliffhanger ending. Really enjoyed seeing the classic princesses of old as more feisty heroines. A spine tingling good start to a new series.
ISBN:9781935668343 HB Toon Studio of Beverly Hills £10.99
4/5 stars

PICTURE BOOK 3+

TEN SPOOKY SKELETONS BY PATRICIA HEGARTY

A spooky counting adventure that will amuse your young ones for Halloween. A single skeleton starts looking for friends, finding one, then two, then a whole gang! Ten skeletons finish with a big glow in the dark party that will be sure to delight. Alongside the witty rhyming text are bold illustrations that offer lots to look at. It's a great lesson in numbers that is perfect for bedtime reading without giving nightmares!!
ISBN: 9781848574519 HB Little Tiger Press Group £10.99

5/5 stars

CHILDRENS 9+

SLAPPY AND OTHER HORROR STORIES BY R.L.STINE

A collection of some of the best Goosebumps stories by master of childrens horror, R.L. Stine are adapted into comic format as part of the Graphix series. Evil ventriloquist dummy Slappy is also back in a new terrifying story alongside werewolves, evil ghosts and a mysterious theme park. The creepy stories come to life with new graphic illustrations that are sure to scare all the little monsters out there. Read it under the covers if you dare!

ISBN: 9781407163437 PB Scholastic £ 6.99

4/5 Stars

YOUNG ADULT FICTION 13+

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA BY APRIL GENEVIEVE TUCHOLKE

A darkly romantic Gothic tale set on the coast that is reminiscent of a Daphne Du Maurier novel. Handsome stranger River rents a summer house on Violet's crumbling estate. Is she falling for his seductive nature or is there something more ominous behind her feelings. Be careful as this story has a nasty twist in the tale. These are flawed and disturbed characters that may not be to everyone's taste in this evocative horror story.
FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE

ISBN:9780571307906 PB Faber & Faber £7.99

4/5 stars

Evening Post Childrens Book Column Oct 17th inc The Last Wild by Piers Torday and Rugby Books

Evening  Post Childrens Book Column, The Reading Chair

My pick of childrens books for The South Wales Evening Post which range from picture books to young adult fiction and non fiction. 

As well as my Book of the Week which is the fantastic The Last Wild by Piers Torday I also picked a selection of Rugby books for obvious reasons!! 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

THE LAST WILD BY PIERS TORDAY

Childrens book 9+
A futuristic adventure about the perils of climate change. Kester is an extraordinary boy who is the only one that can save the last animals on the planet from extinction. A gripping read for animal and adventure lovers. It's message is simple and clear, we can work together to save our beautiful planet or risk losing it for future generations. A cracking start to an epic quest from the winner of The Guardian Childrens Fiction Prize.
ISBN: 9781780878300 PB Quercus Publishing £6.99
5/5 stars

Picture Book 3+

THE LITTLE WELSH RUGBY FAN BY MARK WILLIAMS

The perfect book for little rugby fans. Gareth loves Welsh Rugby but he can't go to see it live because his Dad is always working on game days. He gets the opportunity to see it with a friend but really he wants to go with his Dad. An endearing story about a father and son relationship and their love for the national team. Suitable for boys or girls with bold illustrations and simple text.

ISBN: 9781847714398 PB Y Lolfa Cyf £3.95
4/5 Stars


Childrens Book 5+

THE USBORNE RUGBY STICKER BOOK BY JONATHAN MELMOTH

I have given in to rugby fever!! For those young fans who can't wait until the next match this should keep them occupied for a while! With 300 stickers in which they can create their own teams, become manager, set up team formations and even create a scrum. Women’s teams and wheel chair rugby is also included alongside clear explanations to the often complicated rules of this exciting game. A perfect accompaniment for The World Cup.
ISBN:9781409595106 PB Usborne Publishing Ltd £5.99

5/5 Stars

Childrens Book 8+

RUGBY ACADEMY: COMBAT ZONE BY TOM PALMER

Well known for his much loved football books Tom now turns his attention to rugby with great success. School boy Woody uses rugby to help him stop worrying about his dad, who's an RAF pilot and in imminent danger. Boys who prefer contemporary stories will love this double dose of adventure, danger and excitement between father and son. NB. Barrington Stoke books are suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers also.

ISBN 9781781123973 PB Barrington Stoke £5.99

5/5 Stars

Evening Post The Reading Chair Childrens Book Review Oct 10th

South Wales Evening Post Children's Book Column Oct 10th

My pick of childrens books for this week. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

THORFINN AND THE AWFUL INVASION BY DAVID MACPHAIL

Childrens 6+

A new action packed Viking series full of fun facts and puzzles for young readers. Thorfinn is the most lovable and misunderstood Viking since Hiccup. He's far too polite and nice, much to his fearsome Dad's horror so, Thorfinn is sent off on a raiding mission to prove his worth. Hilarious writing and witty illustrations that will have all young bookworms hooked. For lovers of Horrid Henry and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

ISBN:9781782501589 PB Floris Books £4.99

Picture Book 3+

OI FROG BY KES GRAY, JIM FIELD

A ludicrously hilarious rhyming tale about a frog who will not sit on his log even if every other animal has their own special seat. A real treat to read out loud and would be perfect for a nursery group. Children can join in with the anarchic text while enjoying the comical illustrations. A cautionary tale and a new take on the cat on the mat classic story and deserves several retellings.
ISBN: 9781444910865 PB Hachette Children's Group £6.99

4/5 Stars

Children's book 6+

BIG BOOK OF SCIENCE:THINGS TO MAKE AND DO BY REBECCA GILPIN, LEONIE PRATT

The powers that be keep telling us to encourage girls and boys to have more of an interest in science and this is the perfect introduction that will appeal to both. An activity book with easy instructions for lots of fun and simple experiments like a spinning helicopter or magic flowers. Alongside these are explanations, internet links and most importantly 850 stickers to decorate the projects with. Eureka!

ISBN: 9781409539001 PB Usborne Publishing £9.99

5/5 Stars

Young Adult Fiction 13+

THE SELECTION BY KIERA CASS

A dystopian story that will appeal to your inner Cinderella. Prince Maxim picks feisty heroine America but her first love is the unsuitable Astor. America is obnoxious and manipulative but later you warm to her feisty, honourable nature. It is this hot, cold appeal that will keep you reading. If you like reality TV, princes and fairytales with a little nip rather than bite this is the book for you. Hunger Games meets Pageant Queen!
ISBN: 9780007466696 PB HarperCollins £7.99

4/5 Stars

Book Review The Way We Were By Sinead Moriarty

The Way We Were by Sinead Moriarty

Synopsis

'He needed something else. He wanted more.' Alice and Ben are a couple like any other bound together by love, work, children, familiarity and a shared sense of purpose.

But when Ben decides to pursue a dream of his own, he brings devastation on his family and, as far as they know, their lives will never be the same again.

Alice and Ben are now on different paths: she needs to put their shared life behind her; he needs to remember it to survive.

So, what happens if they get a second chance? Can they - should they - go back to the way they were? "Smart family drama that packs a punch." (Heat on The Secrets Sisters Keep). "Fans of Sinead know they can expect honesty, humor and great story-telling." (Hello).

My Musings

A tantalizing plot that observes the repercussions on a family when a much loved husband and father literally comes back from the dead after two years. Can you just go back to how it was when all the family's lives have moved on? This fascinating premise is told from four points of view, Alice, the wife, Ben the husband and their two daughters.

Sinead handles the complex plot deftly whilst wracking up the emotional onslaught as they all struggle to survive after Ben's disappearance (presumed dead) and then struggle again to come to terms with his reappearance. They have all moved on in various ways so it is a fascinating conundrum on how to put someone back in your life they thought had gone for good. My heart was in my mouth when Alice gets the call Ben is alive just as she is about to get engaged to her knight in shining armor!!

Sinead has clearly researched similar cases and scenarios and you are taken on a nail biting and emotional journey with the family as they valiantly try to do the right thing while remaining true to themselves. Cracks start to appear and secrets and home truths are revealed. This has real pathos, twists and turns and the end is especially romantic.

An enthralling romance with so may hidden depths you become completely lost in it. 

**This book was kindly sent to me by Penguin. The review in unbiased. **

• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 448 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Publication Date: 30/07/2015
• ISBN: 9781844883493

The Reading Chair Children's Book Column for South Wales Evening Post Oct 3rd

The Reading Chair Children's Book Column for   South Wales Evening Post Oct 3rd
My pick of childrens books for this week ranging from picture books for toddlers to young adult fiction.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

MISTER CLEGHORN'S SEAL BY JUDITH KERR
Inspired by her father the legendary author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea tells a heartwarming story of Mr Cleghorn who rescues a seal pup called Charlie and takes it home to his flat. A poignant tale full of adventure and mishaps highlighting the special bond we can share with animals. Is there a happy ever after? The audio book is delightfully read by the actor Bill Nighy and has an afterword by Judith Kerr
ISBN: 9780008157302 HB HarperCollins £12.99

5/5 Stars

Picture Book 2+

PLEASE MR PANDA BY STEVE ANTONY

A deceptively simple tale teaching pre schoolers the rewards of good manners as delivered by a deadpan panda. When he offers his friends doughnuts why won't he give them one? Maybe because they won't say the magic word? Will spark discussion and deserves multiple readings. I love Mr Panda's expression's and have felt that way myself when people aren't polite. Your best buy BEFORE Christmas especially for little ones yelling I WANT!

ISBN 9781444916652 PB Hachette Children's Group £6.99

5/5 Stars

Childrens Book 6+

MEET AT THE ARK AT EIGHT! BY ULRICH HUB

This is an unusual and comical retelling for the young of Noah and his ark as seen through the eyes of three penguins! Two of the penguins who have tickets smuggle their friend onto the ark while having all sorts of theological debates but they stick together in the growing crisis. Full of dry wit and clever insights this is one to be shared and enjoyed by both children and adults
ISBN 9781782690870 PB Pushkin Children's Books £6.99
4/5 Stars

Young Adult fiction 13+

FROZEN BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ AND MICHAEL JOHNSTON

A hybrid book mixing dystopian with fantasy. Think Mad Max meets X Men meets The Wild West! Nat is in Las Vegas hiding her special skills that are hunted and used by the brutal authority. The only way to survive is to find a mythical land called Blue with the help of mercenaries who harbour their own secrets. A unique mix of genres that sets it apart and is suitable for boys and girls.

ISBN 9781408334669 PB Hachette Children's Group £6.99

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REVIEW

4/5 Stars