The House At The Edge Of Magic - Amy Sparkes

The story follows Nine, an orphan, who is desperate for a home to call her own. After stealing an ornament from a stranger, she gets more than she bargained for when the ornament grows into a house! However, this isn't like any other house; inside Nine finds Dr Spoon, Eric the troll and Flabberghast who tell her that the house has been cursed - this means that they are unable to leave, but also that there are many strange things that happen inside, including the tea cupboard being enchanted, the toilet walks around ... and it's up to Nine to undo the curse.

This was a great book with a whole heap of wonderful characters.  Nine herself is feisty and determined; she's been on her own for so long that she cannot show her true emotions, yet internally she longs for nothing more than a home to call her own and to feel like she belongs somewhere.  It's undoubtedly this reason that means that she is rude to the others and refuses to be nice to them. In contrast, you have Eric the troll who just wants to please Nine - I grew rather fond of him!  Together with Dr Spoon and Flabbergast, they make an incredibly eclectic group.

The plot is an exciting one and full of imagination and magical surprises; the sense of urgency is there, especially when Nine discovers that the house and its residents will be shrunk until they no longer exist if she cannot break the curse - you won't help but be pulled in.  There is very much a fun element to this book which will make you laugh; however, there are also themes of friendship, supporting each other and sibling rivalry which are high on the agenda.

This is a magically wonderful book that you will love to disappear into when it's released in January.

The Elephant - Peter Carnavas

 

Olive lives with her father and grandfather ... and a large grey elephant that follows her father wherever he goes. All Olive wants is for the elephant to go away, especially when she is asked to bring something old into school to share with the class. She is desperate to bring in her bike, the bike that belonged to her late mother, a bike that is broken and needs her dad to fix it. Olive decides that it's up to her, with the help of her maternal grandad, to chase the elephant away and hopefully get her bike fixed in time.

The idea of grey animals following people around is clever and one that I fell children of all ages will be able to understand. Olive is the only one who can see the creatures and she seems to understand how they effect her father (and her grandad).  With the help of her best friend, Arthur, and her grandad, she works out to help those around her.

This is a simply wonderful book that deals with the issue of mental health, grief and depression so skilfully. A beautiful story in its own right, it will also be perfect for those children who need to understand that grief can effect people in different ways. 

The Elephant could be used in so many ways: as a book for children to read on their own; as a book for a parent to read to/with a child and also as a book to use in school.  In whichever way it's read, it will provide a great way to open up discussion about a subject that many can find difficult to discuss and explain. 

Publishing 28th January 2021

The Perfect Parent Project - Stewart Foster

Sam has been passed from foster home to foster home for as long as he can remember and all he wants is a family - parents to call his own.  He has a list of what the perfect parents must have which includes owning a BMW MS and going to Disneyland on holiday, but most of all he wants a home (not a house), so when his friend, Leah, suggests that he actively go out and find his parents, he agrees and so The Perfect Parent Project begins. Advertising for the perfect parents, Sam and Leah design posters and deliver them to houses that Sam thinks he would like to live in. But things don't quite go as planned and he begins to wonder if he'll ever find his perfect parents. 

A wonderfully written book, this story gets right to the heart of how children like Sam must feel.  He is desperate to find a family who will love and hug him yet, having been hurt so many times in the past, he's afraid to show his true emotions and to open up and let his current foster family in.   He spends his life expecting to have to pack-up and leave at a moment's notice (& who can blame him) so spends every day on edge, waiting for the end to come and being afraid to commit to things such as a role in the school production of Bugsy, in case he's moved before he can see it through. He just wants to belong somewhere and call somewhere home.

We see so many sides of Sam throughout the book:  the young boy who's hiding at the beginning of the book in Eric, a bin down a side-alley; his outward portrayal of himself as somebody who doesn't care when he's around his current foster family; his desire to hide his home-life from his friends in drama club... it's only with Leah that he really feels he can be himself. Life must be exhausting for him and that comes across in many different way, not least of which in his attempts to keep up with his lies when he's with Josh and his aunt and uncle.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Reilly, the 6 year old son of Sam's current foster parents with whom Sam shares a bedroom. The pair spend quite a bit of time playing computer games, and Sam's caring side comes out strongly here when he is happy to constantly help Reilly. He's a wonderful character whose young age means that he has no motive and simply loves Sam for who he is, and I think that is why Sam allows himself to grow close to him. 

Stewart Foster has a way of writing books that allow children to become immersed in and understand situations that they may never find themselves in - they help children to empathise with issues that other children will experience in a way that is interesting and gripping. The Perfect Parent Project is a heart-warming story that made me want to constantly reach into the book to save Sam, sometimes from the situation he was in and sometimes from himself.  It shows us the importance of trust, friendship and family, of belonging, love and also how much we need hugs. (and yes, I cried and hugged the book at the end!).

Due for release on the 21st January, The Perfect Parent Project will be an other hit for Stewart Foster - I already have several children eyeing it up at school!

Concrete Rose - Angie Thomas

Maverick is living with his mum, and loves basketball, family, and hanging out with his girlfriend, Lisa. However, a DNA test for his best friend’s baby comes back and it’s actually his! Now he has to take care of his new son, whilst also finding a job to make some money, and on top of that he needs to graduate college. Can he do it? Find out soon...

From the start, I loved the style of writing, and the development of the characters was enthralling: I literally cried out “No!!” when I finished the sample! I could not put it down, and just wanted to keep reading. I found Maverick to be a very enjoyable character to read about, and I started to really sympathise with him. This is a very good start to the novel, and I cannot wait to read more.

Daydreams and Jellybeans Alex Wharton (Released 28th January 2021)

 

I enjoy reading poetry but have to admit that I don't read as much as I should do, so when I say that this book made me stop everything and read it as soon as I'd downloaded it, it's quite a feat!

It was Sophie Anderson's cover reveal that alerted me to the book and then Firefly Press said it was available on NetGalley and I was there like a shot!  I decided to just have a peek at the first couple of poems to see what it was like and I didn't put it down until I'd finished!

From the very first poem, Night Music, the pages are just bursting to come alive and the poems are begging to be read aloud ... indeed my husband and son were subject to me spontaneously reading to then as I uttered those words 'Oh, you have to hear this one!'

With themes ranging from snails to maths tests; jam to painting lines on the road, this collection is full of poems that will invoke a full range of emotions.  Lost Smile, in particular, is a poem that I think many will be able to relate to at the minute and made me want to hug the boy in the picture. 

The imagery created in the poems is joyful; the vocabulary and phrasing made my heart sing and Katy Riddell's illustrations are the perfect accompaniment.

These are poems that are begging to be heard and need to be read aloud so they can live in the air and dance into other people's minds to be savoured and enjoyed.  The book is like a hug and the emotionally positive lift we all need at the minute.

Daydreams and Jellybeans will definitely be one of those books I will read and reread and is, without doubt, a book that I will share over and over again with my class, and I know that they will love every poem just as much as I've done.

Huge thanks to Sophie for the cover reveal alert, and to Firefly Press for approving my Netgalley request so quickly. 

Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters - Jordan Kopy

At this time of year, I love to dive into a good book that involves ghosts, monsters, vampires or mummies, so imagine my delight when I discovered that Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters has all of that and more!

Left in the graveyard as a baby one Halloween, Theodora is discovered by Georgie the zombie and Bandit his cat who take her to their rather unconventional home, otherwise known as the Monstrous League of Monsters.  Unfortunately, there is a slight problem as the League have a strict set of rules:

1.         Keep monsters hidden from humans
2.         Protect humans from bad monsters
3.         Help bad monsters become good monsters

Strictly speaking, the first rule means that the League should return the baby to the humans; however, as there are goblins who believe she would make a delicious treat and the humans within their locality aren't deemed suitable to bring up the baby, rule two comes into play. The League decide to keep this whole thing a secret, name the baby Theodora and she is brought up by the most unconventional of families.  We then join Theodora when she is ten and find a happy girl who is quite at home amongst Mummy, Dracula, Sir Pumpkin-de-Patch and the others.  But then anonymous letters begin to appear, covered in wax, which threaten to reveal the League's hidden secret ... Theodora!

This book is the perfect recipe for this time of year: full of a brilliant set of quirky characters, a mysterious plot that needs solving, some characters you'll enjoy hating (for me it was Ms Frumple) and just the right amount of eeriness for this time of year.  Combine that with the chatty narration and quirky quips that accompany the main story (which added just enough humour and I personally loved) and you've got one heck of a book that will entice children and capture their imagination (I can see many wanting their own Sherman once they've finished reading!).

Theodora is one of those characters that I absolutely love to see in children's books: she's not afraid of breaking the rules (for all the right reasons, of course!), there's a fiery determination to her, she loves her family and has the best friends!  Sherman the spider is a brilliant character, particularly his attire! (... and I'm afraid of spiders!) and his loyal to Theodora is evident throughout the book.  And Dexter shows us that, no matter how scared you are, you can do anything if you really want to.

With a vibrant, shiny front cover and a host of illustrations by Chris Jevons that help to enhance the story, Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters will be a monstrous hit this October!

Tinsel (The Girl Who Invented Christmas) - Sibéal Pounder

'It's the tiny, ordinary things that snowball to make life truly magical.'

Blanche Clause is living on the streets of Victorian London and hates Christmas: she's alone and spends the day counting down the seconds until it's over.  But then a stranger gives her a red Christmas bauble, her first ever Christmas present, telling her: 'Never underestimate the gifts you are given.  What you see inside might surprise you.'  Shortly after that, she meets a young girl called Rinki who is thrilled to have found somebody she can call a friend and their friendship becomes something that will change the world forever.  Determined to have her own sleigh and to deliver a present to every child in the world, Tinsel, is the story of how Santa and the Christmas traditions we know and love today came to be.

Ok, so, disclaimer: I love Christmas!  I put the tree up at the beginning of December, play Christmas songs at full volume and will happily read any book to do with Christmas at any point in the year, so I was very much looking forward to diving into Tinsel and starting the festivities early this year (goodness knows, we need it!).  And oh boy, what a book this is!  From learning about the elves to discovering how Santa met Rudolf; from the creation of Tinsel to why Santa dresses in the red suit and beard, this book puts a rather wonderfully feminist twist on things that just make complete and utter sense when you read them!  And as for Santa ... well, I should have known: we women always do have the best ideas!!!

Blanche is a wonderful character, full of spirit and determination, and somebody who knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid of hard work in order to get there.  She's prepared to take chances and is a wonderfully feminist protagonist who will inspire girls and make them want to go out and change the world.

To be fair, this book is full of wonderful characters: Rinki is a delight and full of positivity; Teddy is following his own dreams of creating costumes and being his true self; Cook is everything you could want and a little bit more (Brussel sprout brew anyone?!) , and as for Mr Krampus - well he's just the bad guy you're going to enjoy! OOOh, and I have to mention the Carols and, most of all Eggnog, who is quite possibly the best Christmas tree in the whole history of Christmas!

From mince pie picnics (yes, they are a thing and I desperately want it to snow so I can enjoy one!) to climbing up and down chimneys, this book oozes festive spirit, is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face, make you laugh and leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.  Full of magic, Tinsel is like a hug in paper format, a cosy blanket you'll want to wrap yourself in and is an absolute must read when it's released on the 29th October!