Evening Post Childrens Book Review Column Nov 28th The Reading Chair

EVENING POST CHILDRENS BOOK REVIEW NOV 28TH

My childrens books of the week. Old bears tell bedtime stories while a little bear wants to know if its Christmas yet. Young animals find adventure in the snow and a young boy strives to find his place in the world.

BOOK OF THE WEEK
CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOK 3+

OLD BEAR'S BEDTIME STORIES BY JANE HISSEY

A new picture book to treasure featuring beloved characters from the Old Bear series. The endearing illustrations will continue to enchant a new generation of children. Gentle soothing stories full of delightful adventures, old friends, theatre, the seaside and a circus make it the perfect book to share with little ones before they go off to the land of dreams. A beautiful present suitable all the year round from Christmas to Birthdays and Christenings.

ISBN:9781910706152 HB Salariya Book Company Ltd

CHILDRENS 2+

IS IT CHRISTMAS YET? BY JANE CHAPMAN
A little board book with a soft squidgy cover perfect for preschoolers who keep asking that familiar question, Is it Christmas yet? Featuring only a Daddy bear and his son it will appeal to single parents as well. I really like, leading up to the big day, that they work together to avert disaster making the little bear forget about what day it is when it actually arrives! Very appealing in the run up!
ISBN: 9781848691513 HB Little Tiger Press Group

CHILDRENS 6+

ON A SNOWY NIGHT BY VARIOUS AUTHORS
A charming collection of animal winter tales by a selection of top childrens authors. Will the young Arctic foxes find food? Can a zebra help Santa? Perfect for little animal lovers everywhere and great for bedtime stories with its adorable illustrations. Also perfect for teachers to discuss in class and inspire creative writing stories before Christmas. Fascinating facts also in the back.
ISBN: 9781847156426 PB Little Tiger Press £5.99

CHILDRENS 10+

GEORGE

BY ALEX GINO

 This is a gently story of a young boy George who knows she's really a girl.

A transgender book for kids that gives support to those who need it and informs those who have little knowledge of this area which included me! Sensitive, thought provoking and heartbreaking. A simple but powerful message for acceptance and about not being afraid of who you are which will, I hope, invite much discussion and appeal to a wider audience.

ISBN: 9781407158273 HB Scholastic £8.99

Book Review: George by Alex Gino

BOOK REVIEW: GEORGE BY ALEX GINO

SYNOPSIS

BE WHO YOU ARE.

When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.

George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.  

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

MY MUSINGS

This is a transgender book aimed for kids that will help support those who need it in this situation and inform those who have little knowledge of this area which includes me. I really didn't know what to expect and fully admit my ignorance on the subject in general apart from seeing the news on certain celebrities.

 This is a gently story of a young boy George who knows she really should be a girl.

George's best friend is fully understanding and aims to help George be true to herself but the part I found particularly endearing was the relationship with his older brother. When George tells him that he is transgender his brother feels like he is seeing his sibling for the first time and its as if a weight has been lifted from him and he can have a closer more honest relationship with his brother.

Sensitive, thought provoking and surprisingly endearing. A simple but powerful message for acceptance and about not being afraid of who we are.

I also think it will speak to a much wider audience than just the transgender community regarding feelings of isolation and struggling to 'fit in'. It is a great, heartbreaking, sensitive, thought provoking story that I hope will invite much discussion and greater understanding. 

Childrens Book Review Column for South Wales Evening Post Nov 21st #TheReadingChair

My selection of childrens books for The South Wales Evening Post for Nov 21st.
Includes a beautifully illustrated visual poem to innocence and kindness, a farmyard caper, a guide for little budding astronauts and an Arabian adventure. 

BOOK OF THE WEEK

FOOTPATH FLOWERS BY JON ARNO LAWSON
PICTURE BOOK 3+
A wonderful wordless book about finding beauty in unlikely places if we just take the time to look. As the little girl collects flowers from urban cracks and crevices unbeknownst to her dad she redistributes them to those who would most appreciate them. As the book slowly fills with colour we are reminded of what we can miss in our fast paced lives. A visual poem to the importance of small but significant acts of kindness.
ISBN 9781406362084 HB Walker Books Ltd £11.99
5/5 Stars

CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOK 3+

WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD NEXT BY JULIA DONALDSON AND LYDIA MONKS

The hilarious sequel to bestselling picture book What The Ladybird Heard. This farm yard caper is bursting with colour and fun. Ladybird hatches a plan with her farmyard friends to capture two dastardly robbers trying to steal Hen's eggs. Donaldson's witty rhymes paired with the bold illustrations of Monks will delight all their little fans again and again. Its all about team work!
ISBN: 9781447275954 HB Pan Macmillan £11.99

5/5 stars

CHILDRENS 9+

THE ASTRONAUTS HANDBOOK BY LOUIE STOWELL

With a forward by the British Astronaut, Tim Peake this is perfect for little stargazers. Colourful pages and fascinating facts that include the rigours of the astronauts training, the International Space Station and fun bits that everyone wants to know such as how they go to the toilet! It covers all the aspects that you can think of and more regarding the technology and experiments. Inspirational and entertaining.

ISBN: 9781409590743 PB Usborne Publishing £6.99

5/5 stars

YOUNG ADULT FICTION 12+

A THOUSAND NIGHTS BY E.K.JOHNSTON

A richly embroidered tale of family loyalty, bravery and adventure. Based on Scheherazade, a young woman saves her sister by becoming the new wife of a demon king but how will she survive her imminent death? This is an empowering story showing that the mind can be mightier than the sword. Brimming with magic and myth this will sweep you away into an ancient desert kingdom with a bold and beautiful heroine. Epic.
ISBN: 9781447284116 HB Pan Macmillan £12.99

5/5 stars

Childrens Book Review: Return To The Secret Garden by Holly Webb

SYNOPSIS

Return to Frances Hodgson Burnett's timeless classic, The Secret Garden, in this magical sequel by bestselling author Holly Webb.

It's 1939 and a group of children have been evacuated to Misselthwaite Hall.

Emmie is far from happy to have been separated from her cat and sent to a huge old mansion.

But soon she starts discovering the secrets of the house - a boy crying at night, a diary written by a girl named Mary, and a garden.

A very secret garden...

MY MUSINGS

A welcome return to one of my favourite classics is sure to weave its spell over a new generation. Set against the backdrop of World War Two it tells of a lonely orphan Emmie sent to Misselthwaite for safety. She is  isolated and desperately unhappy. Her only friend was a little stray cat which she was forced to leave behind in London. Holly Webb really captures the atmosphere of what it must have been like as a child to be sent away from home to 'safety' in the country. None of the children, orphan or otherwise knew what to expect. 

However Emmie is one of the lucky ones and despite pining for her cat there is a secret garden to be uncovered and a little robin to befriend. This is a book that can be read with or without reading the original story. For me however it was a delight to revisit old familiar characters and see what happened to them and what their future holds.  

The realities of war are never far away however heralding new beginnings and endings. Holly Webb had a great deal of courage to write a story that was truthful to its period while still retaining the magical idyll of The Secret Garden. I won't reveal any spoilers but there was an exceptionally sad part of the story that I recognised had to be told and understand why Holly wrote it this way. This only adds to the richness of the story and it does end with feelings of hope and new beginnings.  This is an atmospheric, beautiful read I thoroughly enjoyed and a worthy successor to the original.

 A beautiful gift to give to any little book worm. 

ISBN 9781407144856 Scholastic HB £8.99

My Childrens Weekly Book Column for The South Wales Evening Post Nov 14th

My Childrens Weekly Book Column for The South Wales Evening Post Nov 14th


BOOK OF THE WEEK

RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN BY HOLLY WEBB
CHILDRENS 9+
A welcome return to one of my favourite classics is sure to weave its spell over a new generation. Set against the backdrop of World War Two it tells of a lonely orphan Emmie sent to Misselthwaite for safety. Whilst pining for her cat left behind in London there is a secret garden to be uncovered. The realities of war are never far away however heralding new beginnings and endings. This is an atmospheric, beautiful read I thoroughly enjoyed.
ISBN 9781407144856 Scholastic HB £8.99

PICTURE BOOK 3+

THAT'S POO! BY BOBADEG

A charming and unique book that you can personalise with your own child's photo and name throughout. The kids will love being part of the bold and colourful illustrations in this laugh out loud story about animals and their different types of poo! There is a whole range of books suitable for girls and boys for you to pick from. A great personalised way to help develop your childs learning.
www.bobadeg.com PB £9.99


CHILDRENS BOOK 9+

FIRE GIRL BY MATT RALPHS

An historical magical adventure about friendship, loyalty and bravery. Set in an alternative Cromwellian England Hazel, a young witch and her grumpy familiar, a dormouse called Bramley search for her kidnapped mother. She is forced to team up with two witch finders while trying to keep her true identity a secret. But will they help or betray her? Aimed at a younger audience, its great for boys and girls who are confident readers
FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE
ISBN 9781447283553 PB Pan Macmillan £6.99




YOUNG ADULT FICTION 13+

THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE BY LEILA SCALES

A lot of teen readers will relate to Elise's feelings of being the outsider when she goes to a new school. How can she become popular whilst staying true to herself? Only when Elise discovers a secret warehouse party where she can DJ does she start to feel accepted as well as finding her own niche. Can she juggle her double life? Some great life lessons wrapped up in a coming of age story.
FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE
ISBN 9781447252832 PB Pan Macmillan £6.99

Childrens Book Review Fire Girl by Matt Ralphs

FIRE GIRL BY MATT RALPHS

SYNOPSIS

Twelve-year-old Hazel Hooper has spent her whole life trapped in a magical Glade created by her mother, Hecate.

She's desperate to meet new people and find out about the world. And, more than anything, she wants to be a witch. But when her mother is kidnapped by a demon - everything changes ...Suddenly Hazel is alone in the world.

Well ...not quite alone. For it turns out that Hazel does have magic - she's just not very good at controlling it. And she may have accidentally created a grumpy familiar in the form of a dormouse called Bramley. Determined to rescue her mother, the young witch and her mouse set out to track down the demon and find Hecate.

However, it turns out that life outside the Glade is far more dangerous than Hazel ever could have imagined.

Witch Hunters are everywhere - and the witches are using demons to fight back! Luckily for Hazel she manages to enlist the help of a handsome boy called David, and his drunken master, Titus White, who are expert demon hunters. And witch finders ...Fire Girl is a fantastic new magical adventure from Matt Ralphs - perfect for young readers with a taste for the extraordinary!

MY MUSINGS

This is a historical magical adventure about friendship, loyalty and bravery. Set in an alternative Cromwellian England Ralphs cleverly mixes fact with fiction full of witches, demons and magic. 

Hazel, is struggling to find her magical powers but when her mother, a powerful witch, is kidnapped by a demon, she quickly finds out she is a fire witch.  On Hazel's thrilling quest to find her mother we meet her familiar, a grumpy dormouse called Bramley who I especially loved, mostly for his sarcastic humour!!  I found their bond one of the lynch pins of the story and really hope their strong bond grows in the next book. Hazel also teams up with two witch finders while trying to keep her true identity a secret. But will they help or betray her? 

A gripping fast paced read great for confident readers and as a bedtime story. There's enough depth and bite to keep parents interested as well as the children. Ralphs builds up a powerful magical world and there are definitely a few scary bits. Hazel is a lively, strong character who learns from her mistakes as she goes along.  Cleverly there are some unanswered questions such as who is Hazels father? Why is it a secret? These are just some of the twists and turns in the plot that will have you chomping for the next installment. Aimed at a younger audience with shorter chapters and no sexual or overly violent content its great for boys and girls

AGE 9+

This book was kindly sent to me by Pan Macmillan in return for an honest review.

• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan
• Publication Date: 13/08/2015
• Category: Fantasy
• ISBN: 9781447283553

Childrens Book Review for Remembrance Day in The South Wales Evening Post Nov 7th

Childrens Book Review for Remembrance Day in The South Wales Evening Post Nov 7th

A Selection of Books for Children to mark Remembrance Day 

 I picked four books for all ages which feature both World Wars.  Where The Poppies Now Grow is a sensitive book for the very young giving a gentle introduction to WW1. I wanted to include a poetry book as I think children should be introduced to this genre from a young age and they are short, you can dip in and out and can sometimes capture the time of war in the most powerful way. The Snow Goose and War Horse are both classic books that should be read. They both contain a powerful message of loyalty and love and will live on in the memory long after these book has been finished.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

SNOW GOOSE BY PAUL GALLICO

A hauntingly beautiful book that in my opinion is a forgotten classic and which has stayed in my memory since I was a teenager. It tells the story of an unlikely love between a disfigured artist and a young girl whilst they care for an injured bird and is set against the ravages of the Second World War. A story that will touch your heart with its rawness of emotion and nobility of spirit.
ISBN 9780140299526PB Penguin Books Ltd £7.99
5/5 Stars

PICTURE BOOK 5+

WHERE THE POPPIES NOW GROW BY HILARY ROBINSON
A movingly poetic story about the strength of friendship in a time of war. Two young friends innocently sign up to fight in WW1, proud to do their duty but not fully understanding the reality and the horrors they will experience. Aimed especially for young children it first shows two friends pretending to be soldiers to the reality of actually fighting in the trenches. The lyrical writing and beautiful illustrations make it accessible for all ages.
ISBN 9780957124585PB Strauss House Productions £6.99
5/5 Stars

CHILDRENS 9+

POEMS FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR BY GABY MORGAN

Poems about the war written by those who have experienced it first hand can elicit a truly visceral reaction which evokes the reality of the time. This comprehensive collection serves as a great introduction to First World War poetry. Alongside the most well known ,such as Wilfred Owen's haunting Dulce Et Decorum Est, its good to see many women’s voices, such as Vera Brittain and Eleanor Farjeon, included.

ISBN 9781447248644PB Pan Macmillan £5.99

5/5 Stars

CHILDRENS BOOK 9+

WAR HORSE BY MICHAEL MORPURGO

A children’s classic that shows the realities of World War One through the eyes of a horse called Joey. We all know the horrendous human loss but Morpurgo shows the enormous sacrifice that was made by animals at the time as well. Joey sees the best and worst of humanity, however his devotion to his first master remains. It is an emotional adventure that highlights loyalty and friendship.

ISBN 9781405226660 PB Egmont UK Ltd £6.99

5/5 stars