Does anyone else love the Wolfsong series as much as I do? The Mysterious Island is book number 3 and it’s just as brilliant as the first 2. For those who haven’t come across the books before, this atmospheric adventure series is set in late Neolithic times and The Mysterious Island takes us on an…
I’m sticking with the panda theme today, albeit red pandas this time. This is the first in Jess Butterworth’s new junior fiction series and I’ve got to say I really like it. The story revolves around 8-year-old Tilly who wins a competition to take part in an expedition to Nepal to monitor red pandas. She…
Well, that was an unexpected 6-week break from the blog! Some family upheaval meant that life got in the way for a while, but I’m now looking forward to getting back to reading… This is a brilliant book to start with. We are big fans of the fantastic and hilarious Dave Pigeon series, and so…
The Fabulous Cakes of Zinnia Jakes is a fun and entertaining junior fiction series, which my daughter – who is a keen baker – has really enjoyed. Zoe Jones is a 9-year-old secret pastry chef who goes by the alias Zinnia Jakes. Together with her cat, Coco, her best friend, Zoe, and her Auntie Jam,…
Today I am rounding off the blog tour for News Hounds: The Puppy Problem. Gizmo, a clever city dachshund, moves to a village called Puddle with his journalist owner. He initially finds country ways rather strange, but after meeting his new K9 neighbour Jilly, he starts to settle in to his new life. When he…
Another dive into the reading pile today – this time a junior fiction adventure mystery that feels fresh and original yet has an old-fashioned charm to it. Property Jones was abandoned in a bookshop as a baby and has grown up surrounded by books – there’s just one problem, though, she can’t read, which she’s…
A very belated Happy New Year to you all. Being back in lockdown again means that this homeschooling malarkey is seriously getting in the way of my reading and reviewing schedule! I had some time to myself last night, though, because the third story in the Dragon in the Library series arrived and I couldn’t…
Ha! This funny, modern and original festive adventure has had us chuckling this week. Who knew that the North Pole was merely a docking station and that Father Christmas and his gang actually live on planet Yule-1, where it’s Christmas Eve every day? With computer hacking and other nefarious deeds being carried out by the…
This lovely junior fiction story, written and illustrated by Jill Murphy (of Worst Witch fame), was recommended to me by a European bookseller earlier in the year. It’s a heartwarming tale of an anxious deerhound pup who goes missing, and his distraught, young owner’s attempts to find him. While lost, the dog is befriended by…
If you liked Bad Nanna then you’ll love Pizazz: the first in a fab new series (for readers aged around 7+), written and illustrated by Sophy Henn. It has bold illustrations and creative, mixed typefaces, coupled with comic-strip layouts interspersed throughout, which make it a real feast for the eyes – brilliant for those readers…