Dragon Mountain - Katie & Kevin Tsang (Released September)

Sometimes a book comes along and, when you first pick it up, you don't realise just how good it's going to be.  Well, for me, Dragon Mountain was one of those books.

Billy has left his family behind in the states and is reluctantly heading to China to spend the holidays at a summer camp improving his Chinese.  There are only 11 others at the camp and Billy is teamed up with Dylan, Charlotte and Ling Fei for their activities.  Things, however, quickly take a dramatic turn when they discover four dragons trapped in an ancient mountain - dragons who need their help to save the Dragon Realm from the Dragon of Death and the nox-wings. 

Whilst Billy is the main character, it's Dylan who wins me over with his touches of self-deprecating humour and wit (he kind of reminds me a little of Ron Weasley!).  And the girls: Charlotte will initially be favoured by many I suspect as she's self-confident, assertive and a dominant force; however, Ling Fei's timid and gentle persona hides a strength of character I really admire.  Then there's the dragons (how can I not mention the dragons?!), all with their own wonderful characters from the start, even before they are given their names, they have such presence and made me want one myself - Buttons without doubt was my favourite, although I also liked the relationship between Billy and Spark.

This book is just full of everything you could want: a host of great characters (both human and non-human); excitement and gripping adventure; bravery and daring; plot twists and an edge of your seat ending that will make you hungry for more!

This is an original plot and a book that will appeal to so many; with elements of myths as well as a strong theme of friendship, it will make you want to head off on your own adventure, will leave you yearning for your own dragon and will give you the most serious book hangover!  I'm counting the months until book 2 so I can find out what happens next.  Dragon Mountain is an utterly unputdownable book that will leave you craving more!

The Wild Way Home - Sophie Kirtley (released July 2020)

Charlie lives on the edge of Mandel Forest and, with friends Beaky & Lamont, the trio spend much of their time there. However, everything changes on Charlie's 12th birthday with the birth of Charlie's baby brother, Dara, who is ill and requires an immediate heart operation.  From feeling excited, Charlie is suddenly resentful and scared - so Charlie runs ... and runs ... back to the forest to hide but comes across an injured boy.  Charlie tries to go for help, only to discover that Charlie has run all the way back to the Stone Age where the boy, Harby, needs help to find his missing sister, Mothga,  And so begins a race to save 2 babies separated by thousands of years.

This is a great book which crosses wonderfully from modern day life to the Stone Age.  The story is easy to get into and is a gripping read - I found myself saying, 'Just one more chapter' and then finding the end of the chapter being such a cliff-hanger that I had no choice but to read on! (hence why I read it in under 24 hours!).

Charlie is impulsive but finds that life changes so suddenly, it's difficult to comprehend what's happening (something I'm sure many children will have experienced at the minute with the changes to our everyday lives).  What was supposed to be a joyous occasion suddenly turns on its head and Charlie's jealousy erupts from nowhere and takes over which is what causes Charlie to run.

You may have noticed that I've used Charlie's name a lot in this review and I haven't used any pronouns and there's a deliberate reason for that: whilst I was reading, I realised that Charlie's gender is never revealed - a deliberate move by Sophie I found through our Twitter conversation and one I particularly like as I think it will help more readers to identify with Charlie (although, I take my hat off to Sophie: I've had enough trouble writing this blog without pronouns so I can only imagine how hard an entire book must have been!).

I very much noticed that nature runs right through this plot in its descriptions and the way nature links the past and the present.  The beginning very much feels like it's taking us back to a time when children spent their summer holidays heading off for long days of exploring and having adventures, a time that was care-free and this contrasts so well to the upset Charlie faces and as well as with Harby's life which is clearly much more difficult and dangerous.  The bond forged between the pair is heart-warming and shows us that language really isn't a barrier - they learn so much from each other and I think, in turn, we can learn so much from them.

The Wild Way Home is a story about family, courage and keeping those we love safe.  It's an adventure through time and nature that will have you gripped.

Sky Pirates - Alex English (Released date: July 2020)

Echo lives in Lockfort with her pet lizard Gilbert and her friend Prince Horace, and as an orphan, is being looked after by the king. It is believed that nothing exists outside the kingdom of Lockfort except the Barren (wasteland).
        One evening, whilst Echo is in her bedroom, an airship piloted by Professor Daggerwing crashes into the castle and Echo comes to the rescue.  He claims to come from a land beyond Lockfort and has with him a map of everywhere that reportedly exist outside the city walls. Is this the key to discovering what lies beyond the Barren and does a hair-pin hold the answer to the truth about Echo's family?

This is such a great book, full of adventure and great inventions (I now want a slideway in my house!), and host of great characters: Echo is a feisty young lady with a whole heap of determination and an apparently fearless nature; Horace is keen to follow the rules but also wants to support his friend, and then there's Professor Daggerwing (what a great name!) who's a wonderfully eccentric and affable person and somebody you'll definitely want to get to know.  Oh, and I can't forget Gilbert: who's a quirky lizard with a wonderful ability to say so much without uttering a word - he was my favourite character, an adorable side-kick and a true friend to Echo.

The worlds that are created are vivid and full of wonderful inventions and I felt I was wandering around them with the characters as I journeyed through the pages of the book; particularly in Port Tourbillon with all its unusual foods and inventions to discover.

This is a gripping page-turner, full of adventure and daring-do, explorations and journeys into unknown lands, and is perfect for fans of Vahsti Hardy, Abi Elphinstone and Peter Bunzl.

March Round-up

Well this really has been the strangest (& longest) of months, hasn't it?  O and I are both getting used to the idea of remote learning (as so many others are); but one things does remain constant in our lives and that's book.  When everything else is topsy-turvy, I find it reassuring that I can still escape into a book - I think it's something we all need right now. 

Here's our round-up of the books we've read this month...

K's books:

Dust Road - Tom Huddleston

Having loved FloodWorld, I was thrilled to receive a copy of DustRoad from Nosy Crow and wasted no time diving in.
Kara and Jo are back in London and we catch-up with them exactly where we left them at the end of FloodWorld where they are still determined to destroy the Mariners and their adventure leads them to the United States where they meet up with some old friends as well as a few new enemies.  
The book is straight into the action and is a page-turner of a read.  The characters are gritty (as they should be under the circumstances) and the strength of the females again were great to see.  After the cliffhanger of an ending, I'm looking forward to seeing where the adventure takes us in book 3!

The Vanishing Trick - Jenni Spangler (Release date: 30th April)

Leander is an orphan, hiding out in the great house where his mum worked, living hand-to-mouth in order to survive.  When he stumbles across the mysterious Madame Pinchbeck, his life changes for ever ... and all he has to do is hand over the only possession he still has: his mother's locket.  Now his soul is trapped for ever within the locket, along with his new friends, Felix and Charlotte, destined to be used to convince people that Pinchbeck is communicating with the dead,  vanish into their Cabinets when she commands.  But can they escape Pinchbeck's control?

This is a book set in times when seances and communicating with the dead was popular and is a dark and mysterious tale with a sinister main character and three determined children, each with their own agenda.  With eerie plot twists and chapter titles that lure you in, The Vanishing Trick is a gripping read.

The Ghost Garden - Emma Carroll.  (release date: 15th July)
I love Emma Carroll's books and also love the way Barrington Stoke adapt their books so to get a Barrington Stoke book written by Emma Carroll is just the icing on the cake!

Fran lives on the grounds of Langbarrow House and when she finds a bone in the grounds, she thinks nothing of it until Leo breaks his leg.  Whilst she is wheeling him round during his recovery, several more strange things occur, but are they just coincidences or is the garden trying to tell them something?

Emma Carroll writes the most wonderful historical fiction and this novella is no exception: in just 78 pages, she manages to capture the essence of pre-WWII Britain whilst creating a tension that must have been felt by the entire country.  With two spirited main characters to get to know, this is a great read with the most poignant and fitting last line of a book.

Orla and the Serpent's Curse - C. J. Haslam (Release date: 2nd April)

Orla, her brothers, her mum and her pet dog, Dave, are beginning a week's holiday on the Cornish coast in what appears to be a shack.  When they first arrive, Orla goes exploring and discovers a necklace when a giant oak tree is uprooted ... and it appears she may have discovered an ancient witch's curse, one which is poisoning the land and everything it touches.  But can she stop the curse?

Orla is a strong character with a determined nature and a keen drive to follow her own path - she's happy going off on her own and she certainly isn't afraid of danger.  However, there are a host of other great characters, from the mysterious goth Raven, to Orla's brohters Richard and Tom whose roles grow as the book develops.  But it's Dave the dog who creeps up and steels the show - he really is a star!

Full of sinister magic, this is a great mystery with plenty of twists in the plot and a host of great characters, this is a great book and then end in particular will have you gripped.  Orla and the Serpent's Curse is perfect for fans of Michelle Harrison's books. 

Amelia Fang and the Barbaric Ball - Laura Ellen Anderson.
Amelia is a vampire who lives in the world of Nocturnia; she and her friends go to Catacomb Academy and love goblin tag.  Her parents are about to host their famous Barbaric Ball which is the event of the year but it's one Amelia never looks forward to as it's full of grown-ups; however, this year, she gets excited when she hears the king and his son will be coming ... that is until she discovers that Prince Tangine is spoilt.  How will Amelia cope>  Especially when she discovers all is not what it seems.

What a great book this is!  Full of wonderful characters and a nocturnal world I'd love to visit.  Definitely the perfect pick-me-up at a time when we need cheering up!  I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series and can't believe it's taken me so long to read the first one!

Bloom - Nicola Skinner.

I have to admit that I'd looked at this book several times when I saw it on the shelves but hadn't got round to buying it so I was pleased when Harper Collins sent me a copy to celebrate the paperback release and now, having read it, I'm kicking myself for not having read it earlier!

Sorrel Fallowfield lives with her mum in a cottage in Little Sterilis, and she's a good girl; such a good girl, in fact, that she's convinced she'll win the schools competition to be the 'most amazing Grittysnit star of the entire school and Little Sterilis' despite the many strict rules about obedience and conveying the norm that govern the place.  But then Sorrel discovers a packet of 'Surprising Seeds' hidden below the patio of her house and all sorts of strange things begin to happen, but can Sorrel and her friend, Neena, figure out exactly what's going on?

Sorrel is a wonderful character: convinced she knows who she is and that being a good girl, and fully obeying every rule is always the right thing to do.  She believes it's her responsibility to make her mum happy and so it's great to watch her as she battles with the challenges she faces through the story.  And then there's Neena who's a little bit feisty and determined to be her own person - despite what anybody else thinks.  I like her spirit and her love of science.  Together they make a great pair in this rather wonderful book. 

Bloom is a wonderful story about finding nature, the power of nature and the wonder that it holds.  It's about finding yourself and being true to who you are, and it's about the power of just a little bit of magic.

Agents of the Wild Operation Honeyhunt - Jennifer Bell and Alice Lickens.

Agnes Gamble lives with her uncle of the 26th floor of an apartment block but she loves nature and wildlife, and longs to be closer to it.  So, one day, when an elephant shrew called Attenborough (Attie for short) arrives in her bedroom insisting she go with him, how could she refuse?  Suddenly she is plunged into the world of SPEARS (the Society for the Protection of Endangered & Awesomely Rare Species) where, after being trained, she is sent on a mission to rescue a bee named Elton from the Brazilian rain forest.

With a host of brilliant animal characters (I particularly like Elton and his love of dancing!) and a determined main character in Agnes, this is a great book that is perfect for children in lower KS2.

O's Books:

Kevin Pietersen Autobiography

This man is one of the best English cricketers, and whilst he polarised opinion more than any other, he is considered as one of the most talented batsmen ever to wear the three lions. This is his story, from his upbringing in South Africa, through to Natal and then his journey through the Birmingham League and county cricket with Notts and Hampshire, all the way to England and the IPL. Even through Textgate and the clique in the dressing room, he was an amazing batsman, from the 2005 Ashes match at the Oval, to the 2013-14 Ashes series. A true legend and his story is amazing.

Shakespeare's Sonnets
This is a book with all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets in. Simple as that. I have always loved Shakespeare, and this is no exception. He is amazing and I love reading his work.







Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman (YA)

Callum is a nought. Sephy is a cross. They can't be seen together, but they are best friends and when Callum gets a chance to go to Heathcroft, Sephy's cross school, he can't wait. But it's not as simple as that. Noughts are fighting for their independence and crosses are trying to contain them. How will they find a way?

This is an interesting book that covers a lot of themes, from the racial divide between noughts and crosses, to the young love story. I loved how Callum never gives up fighting for the greater good, and the writing style shows this as well. I found it interesting that Blackman wrote the novel from two voices, and therefore two perspectives, and that helped show the different lifestyles.
This is a very interesting book, and I would recommend it to people who want a good read, and to people who enjoy well written books. I loved it.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
This is the story of the Earth being destroyed, and one man (Arthur Dent) being left to remember it. He will have to travel with his friend (Ford Prefect), who is writing about Earth for the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is a book within the book. They journey across the galaxy, hitching rides from many different creatures, and they make friends along the way. This is a very funny book, and I loved the story and the main characters. A really funny and interesting book, I loved it.

Jungledrop - Abi Elphinstone

I am a huge fan of Rumblestar so to say that I was excited when a proof copy of Jungledrop landed on the door mat would be an understatement to say the least!

This is the second in The Unmapped Chronicles series and the Faraway is in trouble: drought is ravaging the world as it hasn't rained anywhere for months. This, however, is of no concern to the Petty-Squabbles, a money-grabbing, control obsessed couple, whose family motto is 'to stamp all over other people's feelings'.  Their children, twins Fox and Fibber, have always been pitched against each other and are quickly developing their parents' uncaring ways. Then suddenly, the pair find themselves in the unmapped kingdom of Jungledrop,  and the fate of both worlds is in their hands.  Can the twins, who trust nobody and are rude to everyone they meet, work together in a world where kindness is key and defeat Morg and return the rain to the Faraway?

This really is the most magical book, which sweeps you up and carries you away to the most vivid new world.  The details and the imagination that have gone into creating the kingdom of Jungledrop are clear to see and it's a land that will very quickly feel real to readers (it certainly did for me!).  It's somewhere children will dream of visiting and a land that adults will wish existed when they were young.

But more than the land, I fell in love with the characters and their perfectly created names - Iggy Blether, Doogie Herbalsneeze and the world's best parrot: Heckle, who will tell everybody what you're really thinking!  And, of course, I have to mention the two heroes: Fox and Fibber Petty-Squabble (again, very aptly named) who really are rather unlikable at the beginning of the story: selfish, rude and inconsiderate; yet I found myself rooting for them as they slowly learn that art of manners! It's quiet a journey they make and to share in their journey was an absolute pleasure.

All in all, Jungledrop is a simply brilliant book, full of adventure, excitement and so many positive messages about the power of kindness, friendship and believing in yourself, that I lost count!

My copy is now heading back into school where two of my class have been waiting not so patiently for me to finish reading it so they can dive in because they just can't wait until the release date in May to find out what happens!  There were actual squeals

of excitement when they saw it!

February 1/2 Term's Reading Exploits

What a half-term O and I had: quiet to begin with but we ended with a trip to London which was just brilliant.  The Cursed Child is definitely worth going to see & we can also recommend a tour of The Globe which was very interesting.  And to top it all off, we enjoyed the company of Vashti Hardy, Scott Evans and met some wonderful Twitter friends at the second Primary Book Club live at Scholasitc!

In between all of that, we also managed to read some books!

Troofriend - Kirsty Applebaum

(Publication date: 2nd April)
The Jenson & Jenson Troofriend 650 Mark IV is marketed as the perfect friend for children as they don't bully, harm, lie, covet, steal or envy.
What could possibly go wrong?
With Sarah's best friend away at her mum's every weekend, her parents decide to buy her a Troofriend; however, Sarah is far from impressed: she wanted a dog!  It takes her several days to name her Troofriend (Ivy) and even longer to begin to interact with her, but then she realises that Ivy will tidy her bedroom and can help her gain friends &things start to look up ... for a bit ... until the reports of problems with the Troofriend Mark IV.  Can an android really have human feelings?

This is a unique concept for a book and will most certainly be one that gets everyone talking for a variety of different reasons: 
the great characters (it's hard not to love Ivy); 
the friendship issues the book raises; 
the moral issues of AI having feelings & rights; 
the idea of if/when it's ok to steal or lie ... I could go on.

This book will appeal to so many children that it's a guaranteed success & (dare I say it) will be bigger than The Middler!

Gracefully Grayson

12 year old Grayson is somewhat of a loner at school, choosing to eat lunch in the library and going straight home at the end of the day instead of joining clubs, and all because he is hiding a secret: although, on the outside he's a boy, on the inside he feels like a girl.  He dreams of wearing skirts and dresses but is too afraid to let anybody know how he really feels.  Then Mr Finnegan (Finn) his humanities teacher announces he's directing the school play and Grayson decides to audition.  A brave act for Grayson in itself but then a last minute change of mind at the audition could change Grayson's whole world.

Sometimes a book comes along that just gets to you and you can feel the heart of the book reaching out.  For me, Gracefully Grayson was one of those books.

Grayson is a complex character who has to cope with the death of his parents as well as struggling with who he truly is.  He's desperate to just be himself but needs support to do that, and that support comes in the form of his teacher Mr Finnegan and his uncle.  

As the book unfolds, we discover how accepting people can be and also how mean.  We also discover, in Grayson's aunt, how people can feel they're doing the right thing, but end up causing more hurt and pain - her actions came from a place of love but for all the wrong reasons.

This is a beautiful book that teaches us about bravery, being different and being true to yourself and who you are.  Grayson's struggle is very real and leaves him feeling so very alone - as a teacher myself, it's important to understand that we don't always know what students are struggling with, so it's important to be there for them.

I'm so pleased I found this book (albeit 6 years after it was first published) and I'm pleased to see that it's a perfectly placed MG read as so many books in this genre are aimed at the YA market.  This is a book I definitely recommend for children aged 9+.

 The House of One Hundred Clocks - A. M. Howell

When Helena's father, a clock-winder, accepts a new job, they have to move to Cambridge and move into the house in which he is to work.  However, when they arrive, they discover many more clocks than they'd expected; in fact, one hundred clocks of all shapes and sizes fill the rooms, and it's Helena's father's job to keep them running, for if just one of them should stop, not only will he lose his job but also everything they own.

Very quickly, Helena, along with her parrot, Orbit, discovers that all is not as it seems and there are secrets lurking, but can she work out what they are before the clocks stop ticking?

A great story that builds to an exciting finalé (I read the last third of the book in under 2 hours!).  There are plenty of questions posed to keep readers guessing and characters who aren't quite as they may seem.  I liked the strength of the female characters and the message that girls can do whatever they want - the links to STEM are also a great message to send out. 

The House of One Hundred Clocks is a book about friendship and remembering the importance of family.

The Mask Of Aribella - Anna Hoghton

Aibella's life changes forever the day before her thirteenth birthday when flames shoot out of her fingers.  Then, when trying to escape, she and her friend, Theo, are caught in a dense fog on the waterways of Venice and Theo is bitten by a skull.  Panicking, Aribella fears the worst for her friend until a cloaked gentleman by the name of Rodolfo comes to her rescue.  Curing Theo and returning him home, Rodolfo then takes Aribella to a magical and very secret organisation which just happens to be a very beautiful hotel in the centre of Venice.  Here Aribella meets others who, like her, have their own special powers and she begins to learn how to control her new-found ability.  However, something isn't right and Venice and its residents are in danger - can Aribella and her friends come to the rescue in time?

I really liked Aribella and her conflicting emotions: the bravery of wanting to save her friends and help her father, mixed with her self-doubt in her new-found skills and her desperate need to fit in.  I suspect that there are many who read the book who will identify with this.

There's a glamorous feel to this book (set in Venice, the opulent hotel, the masks, the gondolas...) which contrasts well against the sinister mists and skulls, the threat to Venice and a mysterious death - it all makes for a delicious story that will keep you guessing and will make putting the book down virtually impossible! 

The Good Hawk - Joseph Elliott.

Jamie is an Angler whose clan have arranged a marriage for him with a girl he's never seen from a neighbouring island off the coast of Scotia (Scotland).  However, when things don't go as planned, he and his friend, Agatha, must set out on a perilous quest to save the rest of their clan.

The two main characters are in complete contrast to each other, however, work well: Jamie lacks confidence in himself and, as an Angler who is afraid of the sea, life isn't great; whilst Agatha is proud of what she does but can let her anger rule her emotions.  She also has to cope with questions raised by members of her clan because she was born with Downs Syndrome.

This is a book full of atmosphere and bravery, told largely in dual narrative by Jamie and Agatha.  It's a book about bravery, believing in yourself and proving people wrong.  I'm looking forward to book two.

YA Books.

Bearmouth - Liz Hyder.

Life in the mine at Bearmouth is tough and relentless: 6 day weeks for very little other than the prospect of reward from the Mayker in the next life.  Conditions are harsh and can be dangerous.  

Newt has only ever known life down the mine but when Devlin arrives, things begin to change and the pair start to ponder whether escape and a new life is possible.

Written from the point of view of Newt who is learning his letters, the entire story is written as he speaks: with spelling errors and minimum punctuation.  At first, it slowed my reading down but I quickly began to appreciate the unusual style and it helped me to really understand and associate with Newt.  (I can imagine it must have been a challenging style to write).

It's a dark story and, in many ways, claustrophobic (long days down the mines, no escape from the constraints of the camp), yet Newt's innocence and sense of hope shines through and I felt myself rooting for Newt.

This is a great YA novel. 

With the Fire on High - Elizabeth Acevedo

This story is about Emoni, a girl with an American mother who died when she was young, and a Dad who lives in Puerto Rico. She is taken care of by her 'Buela, and has a two year-old daughter. On top of all this, she is studying to try to get into college. She has a lot on her plate, and the thing she loves to do most is cooking, so when a culinary arts class starts at school and a new student arrives, her life gets even more busy. How will she cope?

This is an amazing book about a girl who wants nothing more than to cook and spend time with her 'Buela and daughter. I loved how she is dedicated to everything she does and cares about everything, even with her busy life. This is a great read and I absolutely recommend it.

Sofa Surfer - Malcolm Duffy

Tyler has everything he wants: amazing friends, lots of football and a summer holiday to look forward to. But then his parents decide to move up to a quiet part of Yorkshire from London. He is immediately bored and, with nothing to do, he starts teaching someone to swim, not knowing that she would turn his life upside down.

Malcolm's second book, this was an incredibly truthful story about homelessness and abuse. I found the way Tyler wanted to help Spider incredibly thoughtful and I loved every second of it.

January/February Mash-up

Ok, so I may have just realised that we forgot to post January's blog so it's now become a mash-up of January & some of our February reads that we haven't yet posted about...

The Kid Who Came From Space - Ross Welford

When Tammy goes missing on Christmas Eve, the entire village is devastated, but nobody more-so than her twin brother, Ethan.  Whilst the village mobilises to search for Tammy, it's Ethan and his friend Iggy who discover the truth: that she's been abducted and is being held as an exhibit in a human zoo on an other planet.  It's up to Ethan, Iggy and their new friend, Hellyann, to try to save her.

This is a great book that shows what the disappearance of a child can do to a family and how heart-wrenching it is.  However, it also shows the power of sibling (and twin) love,as well as friendship (from whichever planet your friends may come from).  What a brilliantly different story this is that reminds us of the importance of our thoughts and emotions, and prompts us to always do our best.

North Child - Edith Pattou

Rose was born facing north, something her mother tried to hide to stop the prophecy that all north born children need to wander and explore.  When her sister becomes very sick, a white bear arrives and offers to heal her if Rose leaves with him.  She agrees and so begins an extraordinary journey to a mysterious castle and then onward, for Rose and the bear are destined to be together ... aren't they?

Beauty and the Beast meets The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, with a very definite sense of a traditional tale in the writing and the way it's told.  I really enjoyed this book and it's perfect for curling up with this winter.

The Highland Falcon Thief

Harrison Beck is being forced to spend 4 days on an old steam train's final journey with his Uncle Nat whilst his mum is in hospital having his baby sister.  It's fair to say that Harrison is fed-up with this and really isn't looking forward to his time on the Highland Falcon.  However, when precious jewellery goes missing, things take a definite turn for the better (for Harrison anyway!).  But can Harrison and his new friend, Lenny, get to the bottom of the mystery before the end of the journey.

Harrison is a bold and adventurous young man who very quickly begins to appreciate his uncle's love of trains and I can imagine readers wanting to be in his position!  It's an unputdownable book & the perfect combination of old-world train travel with a modern day adventure; it's gripping and utterly readable, and the illustrations enhance the story perfectly (& are just wonderful to look at).  This will be a guaranteed hit at school.

The Bigwoof Consipracy - Dashe Roberts

Lucy Sladan is convinced there are alien life-forms out there & often heads out looking for them in her hometown, with nothing to show for her efforts ... until one night when she believes she's stumbled on a 'big hairy creature that might have been a Sasquatch' or Bigfoot.  She also meets Milo, a very well-spoken, slightly strange boy; however he may have captured the Bigfoot on his camera-phone, and so begins an unlikely friendship as the pair attempt to discover what on earth is going on in Sticky Pines.

This book is full of quirky characters, from Lucy and her purple hair & conspiracy theories, to Milo & his rather formal attire & a host of others - they are bound to keep readers entertained.  It's full of action and twists & turns that will keep you on your toes and biting your nails.  Think The X-Files meets Gravity Falls; this is the first in a new series and people are going to love it.

The Adventures of Harry Stevenson Guinea Pig Superstar - Ali Pye.

Join Harry and his owner Billy on two new adventures.  In the first, Billy takes Harry to school as his show and tell; however, when one of his classmates also brings a pet, chaos ensues.

In the second, Harry and Maya end up in a rather fancy hotel whilst Maya's parents are guarding Sparky FC's league winning trophy.  Somehow, Harry manages to tag along which causes all sorts of troubles - but can he also save the day?

The Monster In The Lake - Louie Stowell

Kt is back, along with her friends Alita and Josh.  Kit is learning how to be a wizard with Faith by her side; however, things start to go wrong, such a talking animals, and when Lizzie, a Lesser Nessie, turns up in the lake at the local park, the children and Faith set off on an adventure up to the lochs of Scotland to help put things right.

What a great sequel this is: magic & mysterious occurrences that will keep readers hooked.

I'm also adding the link to O's cricket book blog onto here, in case there are any other readers who are as cricket mad as he is!!

https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2020/02/os-cricket-books.html

We'll do a post about our half-term reads at the end of the week.