All Brains Are Wonderful - Scott Evans, Illustrated by The Boy Fitz Hammond

 

All Brains Are Wonderful is the most remarkable book that explores the intricacies of our brain in a way that children will be able to understand and enjoy.  It combines interesting and important facts with bright engaging illustrations to create a book that will prove both enjoyable and useful for readers of all ages. 

Covering a range of relevant topics, including how our brains are formed, the book guides readers through the essential details and also includes some incredible facts (the book definitely taught me some things I didn't know!).

The sections I particularly love are those about Society and Taking Action.  Section two, Society, is all about neurodiversity; the past, present and future; discrimination and whether neurodiversity is a disability.  Each of these areas is sensitively explained in detail, in a way that both neurotypical and neurodiverse people will understand and appreciate.  The final section, Taking Action, looks at how we can look after our brains,  both in terms of nutrition as well as mental health.  

As a teacher, and as a pastoral lead, I am always looking for books that I can use in school and All Brains Are Wonderful is one that I will use repeatedly, both with individuals as well as with classes. 

Publishing on the 3rd February, All Brains Are Wonderful is a book that should be in every school.

Magicalia: Thief Of Shadows - Jennifer Bell

 

I'm a big fan of Jennifer's books and have been since reading the first Uncommoners book.  The first book in the Magicalia series, Race of Wonders, was a brilliant read (you can read my review here) and I've been waiting as patiently as I can for Thief Of Shadows to be published, so its arrival at the end of last week meant it raced straight to the top of my reading pile! (there may have been dancing round the kitchen when I opened it!)

The book begins with Bitsy and Kosh in the middle of a most unusual lesson at the European Conservatoire of Conjuring, after which Kosh is directed to an area of the school he's never been to before.  With Bitsy for company, he finds several members of staff waiting for him but the meeting is quickly interrupted by the Shadowmith, a notorious criminal.  It is then that things go very wrong and Kosh is accused of being the Shadowsmith, which forces himself and Bitsy into a race against time to prove his innocence and to protect the item the Shadowsmith is deserate to get their hands on.

It was absolutely wonderful to be back with Bitsy and Kosh again.  At the end of Race of Wonders (I won't include spoilers), they were determined to make the most of their conjuring skills and their exploits in Thief of Shadows certainly allows them to do that! Their skills and their ability to stay calm in the face of danger is great to read and, along with Mateo, it's a real race against time to save the day.  

As with Race of Wonders, there are a host of magicores to discover and I loved trying to guess which emotion they were based on as well as discovering their personalities (I'm definitely basing lessons on this is school!). 

The book is a rollercoaster of an adventure that will leave readers gripped and breathless. It's a feast for the imagination and a mythical world that is wholly believable.  It's pure escapism that is guaranteed to brighten even the darkest winter day and I can't wait to see what's in store next for our heroes.

Magicalia: Thief of Shadows publishes on the 6th February and I'm absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Jennifer into school this coming Tuesday to talk to us all about the series and to celebrate the publication of this second book.  Having enthralled the school back in 2018 with the final Uncommoners book, I know that we're in for a real treat.

Deep Dark -Zohra Nabi

There is something wonderful about holding physical book in your hands and turning the pages, allowing the story to seep into you, but... there is also the lure of NetGalley which allows bloggers like me to read books before they're available in print. When I discovered that Deep Dark was on NetGalley, I hesitated for all of 5 seconds before hitting the 'read' button and diving in.

Deep Dark is very different to the Kingdom series but is just as wonderful. Upon opening the book, readers are transported to Victorian London and to the plight of the many homeless children forced to make a living on its streets.  For Cassia, her life changed when her father's shipping business went bankrupt and now she and her father live in Fleet Prison, having made the long journey from India in a failed attempt to sort things out. Whilst she is allowed to wander free during the day, her father is confined to their squalid apartment.  As a result, Cassia has no choice but to fend for herself, making money by selling ballads and by teaching the piano, all in an attempt to escape to a better life.  But strange things are happening and children have been going missing all summer.  With nobody willing to help, Cassia and her friends, Felix and Tao, decide it's up to them to save the missing children.  However, what they uncover proves far more sinister than they could have ever imagined and saving the children becomes more urgent than ever. 

Where the Kingdom duology (you can read my reviews here:  The Kingdom Over The Sea   The City Beyond The Stars ) transports readers to the rich and vibrant world of Zahaira, Deep Park brings to life the gritty reality of so many street children who were forced to live on the streets of London, stealing food and making money any way they can.  Zohra's descriptions are vivid and brings the streets of London to life for readers who will find themselves visualising the city as they read.  

Cassia is a fiercely independent and tough character who has a heart of gold; after all she's had no choice. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and desperate to do the right thing.  Life has been far from easy for her and the move from India to London must have been difficult enough but to then have to grow up in prison and fend for herself, it's a wonder she isn't full of spite and bitterness.  She is a truly wonderful character, full of resilience and gumption in the face of adversity - readers are going to love her. Along with her friends, Tao and Felix (characters who couldn't be more different from each other), she is determined to do right by the street children of London, and nothing will stop her.

At its heart, Dark Deep is an unputdownable adventure that will grab readers from the very beginning.  I stayed up way too late last night reading it as I just couldn't put it down and I know that it's going to be a huge hit when it publishes on the 27th March.  The Kingdom books showed us how well Zohra writes and Deep Dark firmly establishes her as a must-read writer.  There are a select group of authors whose books I will read without even looking at the blurb and Zohra has firmly established herself in that group.  If you only pre-order one book this year, make it Dark Deep - I promise you won't regret it. I'm now very much looking forward to getting my hands on a physical copy as I know how much my class are going to love it.

The Adventures Of Rap Kid - Mc Grammar

 

'Meet Z, he only speaks in rhyme.'

'Teased all the time.'

'But now it’s his time to shine.'

 
Quiet in school, Z thinks and speaks in rhyme which is getting him into trouble.  But when his English teacher tells him about The Royal Rap Rumble competition and signs him and his new best friend, SFX, up, everything could change for Z.  He just needs to win the competition! 

This is the sort of book that I just know is going to go down seriously well at school!  From the layout, the illustrations, the interactive nature of the book and the fast-pace, not to mention the direct chat with the reader and the humour - this book is bound to be a huge hit.  Yes, I know this paragraph makes me sound like a middle-aged bore, but I probably am!!  

Z is the sort of character that readers will be able to relate to: he has so much going on in his head and brilliant ideas, but the teachers just don't see that.  It's not until Mr G approaches him about the competition that Z realises that what he thinks is a problem, could actually be the making of him.  The book is full of humour and fun; Z's raps are dotted through the book and readers are encouraged to create their own (I liked that the author has subtly woven grammar bits into the story in a way that readers will find appealing).   

Yes, there's a bully who is determined to thwart Z's efforts in the competition, but The Adventures Of Rap Kid is full of friendship, fun and being yourself.  It's perfect for fans of Loki and Diary of a Wimpy Kid and I can guarantee that it will be grabbed out of my hand within seconds tomorrow morning when I take it in to school. 

The Adventures OF Rap Kid publishes on the 27th February and I can't wait for the next instalment. 

Dragon Riders Of Road - Jenny McClachlan

 

Rose and Arthur have certainly had some adventures in Roar, but now Rose has started writing a story about Roar whilst she's not there.  In her story, she creates a school for dragon riders and puts herself in the lead role as the star pupil.  However, when Arthur has a sneaky read, he is gutted to discover he doesn't appear at all and sets about correcting that.  This leads to a huge argument between the twins, during which the book is shoved into the folding camp bed which is their entry into Roar.  When the twins next head to Roar, they quickly discover that the school in Rose's book is actually real.  But when they arrive, Arthur is suspicious that an evil character that Rose had killed off may not really be gone, but can he prove he's right to Rose?

The Land Of Roar series is such a wonderful one and is escapism at its best, so when Farshore gave me the opportunity to have an early read of Dragon Riders of Roar, a new book set in the same world, I jumped at the chance.

Like all siblings, Rose and Arthur argue and it's this that leads to the loss of Rose's story book into the camp bed.  Arthur's anger at not being included in the book was vented with a pencil in his hand and the changes he made become apparent as the book progresses.  It's clear Rose has created a school where she is the star and that is full of all of her favourite things (I could quite fancy a buttery where hot chocolate is on tap!), but Arthur needs to find his place and it takes him some time.  However, his bravery and courage become increasingly evident as the plot unfolds and, by the end, I found myself filling with pride at his actions.  With some familiar characters returning and a host of new ones to enjoy getting to know, Dragon Riders of Roar is a wonderful new escape in the Roar series.  It's every child's imagination come to life combined with an adventure that will have you utterly gripped (yes, I did stay in bed this morning until after 9 so I could finish the book!).  Perfect if you've read the rest of the Roar series, but equally wonderful as a stand-alone book, Dragon Riders of Roar is an amazing adventure about working together, believing in yourself and never giving up. 

Publishing 13th February, Dragon Riders of Roar is a must-read and I already have my fingers crossed that there will be more from DRAc.

Vanishing Edge - Zillah Bethell

'One morning Apricot Jones wakes up to graffiti on her front door and a man in a black Jaguar who calls himself the Baglan Giant looking for her mum. Apricot wishes she were anywhere else, maybe heading over the horizon for a new life!

But her best friend Charlie knows she will always be here, cleaning up the mess the others leave behind.'

Zillah's middle grade books, The Song Walker and The Shark Caller, were both brilliantly written and powerful reads, so I was intrigued when a proof copy of her first YA, Vanishing Edge arrived for me.

Like her MG books, Vanishing Edge is very well written novel and is a powerful read. It's a deeply dark portrayal of friendship and life in Port Talbot.  Apricot and Charlie most definitely have a love-hate relationship and their story is told as a dual narrative which adds to the insight.  Life isn't easy for either character and amongst the dark humour there is much grit.

There is warning of this at the beginning of the book explaining that the book contains references to self-harm and suicide and I like that Bethell has done this: the book is definitely one for the upper end of YA and not for those who are just beginning their YA journey. 

Publishing 6th March, Vanishing Edge is a book that will captivate readers aged 14+.

Honeysuckle & Bone - Trisha Tobias

Carina has headed to Jamaica to spend the summer caring for the children of a high profile family, the Halls; she's also trying to reinvent herself.  But what starts as a perfect summer escape quickly changes and Blackbead House starts to reveal a more sinister side, one that could halt Carina's reinvention before it's really begun.

My first read of 2025 (and actually my final read of 2024!), Honeysuckle & Bone is a book that transports you effortlessly to Jamaica and you can feel the warmth of the breeze and the smell of the honeysuckle wafting off the page.  The book is rich in Jamaican culture and Carina, a Jamaican American, is quick to discover that she has a lot to learn.  You realise from the start that she is hiding something big, that she's running from something and trying to start afresh but the truth and the lies becomes tangled ... and then there's the duppy which seems intent on scaring her at every opportunity.  What Tobias does so well is keep the reader hanging: you know something has happened, you just don't know what and it leaves you desperate to find out - for me, this definitely gave the book that 'just one more chapter' feel.

At it's heart Honeysuckle & Bone is a gothic ghost story that weaves secrets, lies, grief and discovering yourself deftly through its pages.  A deliciously dark and gripping YA, it's a book that will banish the January blues when it publishes on the 14th January.