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| Book Reviews - Children's Fiction |
Current book reviews for this category are shown below.
You may add your own review if you wish. |
| Lost Island of Tamarind, The |
Nadia Aguiar
£5.99, Puffin Books
Three children. Alone on the ocean waves, after a fierce storm throws their parents from the Pamela Jane into the icy waters below. Maya, Simon and Penny now face a wild rescue adventure that will lead them to a truly magical place . . .
Imagine an island with green mountains looming over pink sandy beaches and tide pools lit by the moon. An island with the darkest of secrets, where pirates lurk and jaguars roam – and a precious stone holds a power that is both wondrous and terrifying. This is where the children must go.
No one from the Outside has escaped the island before. Danger is everywhere. But they can’t turn back now. Could you
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| My Brother's Hot Cross Bottom |
Jeremy Strong
£4.99, Puffin Books
Nicholas and his family are hatching eggs for his school's Easter Fair. But the eggs keep going missing and their new rabbits, Saucepan and Nibblewibble, are causing havoc in the garden. Perhaps Cilla, their nosy new neighbour, is even more trouble than she seems?
(Warning! Side effects include split sides, aching cheeks and tears of laughter).
If you're craving more silliness and love Jeremy Strong books, joing Jeremy's Krazy Klub at www.jeremystrong.co.uk |
| Monsterbook: Pongdollop and the School Stink |
Michael Broad
£4.99, Puffin Books
Pongdollop wants his fellow monsters to join him in an uprising – and his secret weapon is a real stinker! Urk and Will have sniffed him out, but can they stop this smelly scoundrel from taking over the world?
This book has lots of very disgusting monsters in it (And some seriously stinky smells...)! |
| Operation Storm City |
Joshua Mowll
£12.99, Walker Books
Book Three of The Guild Trilogy: the adventure continues and the stakes are higher than ever.
Book Three of The Guild Trilogy finds Becca and Doug back at their old family home in Lucknow, India, where they discover research papers containing clues to their missing parents’ expedition route and to the location of Ur-Can – the fabled Storm City. Soon they are on a perilous journey to the Takla Makan desert, racing against the enemy by steam train, riverboat, and airship across the Himalayas. But the race is on to take control of Ur-Can – ancient source of power and threat to the security of the planet. Can Becca, Doug and the Guild get there in time? And has their quest taught them enough to solve the final mystery of Storm City, or will they find their parents only to lose them again for ever? Suitable for readers aged nine years plus.
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| Lump Of Coal, The |
Lemony Snicket
£9.99, Harper Collins
There is an old Christmas tradition that good boys and girls get presents and terrible children get lumps of coal. Can you imagine how terrible this makes a lump of coal feel? Lemony Snicket, the author of many other depressing books, would like to share the tale of one such lump of coal in his new book. If you would like Mr Snicket to dampen your holiday spirit, be sure to read this latest charming tale from the author of the wildly popular Series of Unfortunate Events book and film series. |
| The Birthday Book |
Various
£16.90, Kids at Random House
In this special birthday book, we have collected new and previously published pieces by today's most acclaimed children's writers, and extracts from well-loved children's literature, all accompanied by stunning artwork from leading illustrators. This collection includes stories, poems, fiction and non-fiction extracts - all specially chosen around the theme of birthdays and all with introductions by authors and celebrities.
Royalties will go to the Prince's Foundation for Children and the Arts, which works closely with local and national arts providers (like theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries) and schools to provide high quality and sustained access to the arts for children who would otherwise not have this access.
This anthology gathers together some of the best-known authors and illustrators writing and illustrating for children, including:
Philip Ardagh * Peter Bailey * Nicola Bayley * Ian Beck * Patrick Benson * Anna Bhushan * Malorie Blackman * Quentin Blake * Valerie Bloom * Lewis Carroll * Emma Chichester Clark * Eoin Colfer * Susan Cooper * Frank Cottrell-Boyce * Kevin Crossley-Holland * Roald Dahl * Alexis Deacon * Maura Dooley * Sara Fanelli * Anne Fine * Hannah Firmin * Catherine Fisher * Michael Foreman * John Foster * Jamila Gavin * David Gentleman * Emily Gravett * Anthony Horowitz * Norman Hunter * Eva Ibbotson * Bruce Ingman * John Lawrence * Mick Manning & Brita Granström * Geraldine McCaughrean * Roger McGough * Michael Morpurgo * Andrew Motion * E. Nesbit * Philip Pullman * Arthur Ransome * Chris Riddell * David Roberts * J. K. Rowling * Axel Scheffler * Nick Sharratt * Posy Simmonds * Joel Stewart * Noel Streatfeild * Eleanor Updale * Charlotte Voake * Jacqueline Wilson * Chris Wormell * Kit Wright |
| Grimble at Christmas |
Clement Freud
£7.99, Kids at Random House
Ten-year-old Grimble is worried. His parents are not very organized and they seem to have completely forgotten Christmas. Grimble tries his hardest to make the old Grimbles remember - dropping lots of hints, humming Christmas carols round the house and pointing out turkeys and Christmas puddings in the shops. But, with only nine days to go, Grimble decides there is only one thing to do . . . Arrange Christmas himself . . . |
| Cinderella Files |
Alan Durant
£7.99, Walker Books
Rumpelstiltskin, a private investigator employed by the king and queen, is looking into allegations that Cinderella is a gold-digger and fraud, only after Prince Charming's money. Open the evidence in the envelopes and discover the real Cinderella!
A retelling of the traditional Cinderella story with a novelty twist, for children six years and older. |
| I Will Surprise My Friend! An Elephant & Piggie Book |
Mo Willems
£4.99, Walker Books
One of a series of delightfully humorous tales for beginner readers from the award-winning creator of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can. Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to. Gerald and Piggie are best friends. In I Will Surprise My Friend!, Gerald and Piggie want to play a game and surprise each other, but the best surprise is the one they least expect.
The Elephant & Piggie books are original funny tales for ages seven years plus, told entirely in speech bubbles to help even the earliest readers gain confidence.
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| Hooray For Anna Hibiscus |
Atinuke
£3.99, Walker Books
Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her family in a wonderful house in a beautiful garden in a big city. Join Anna as she sings for the president, gets in a terrible tangle with her hair and visits the other side of the city.
A collection of four linked stories about family life set in modern west Africa from a fresh, new storytelling voice, for children aged seven years and over. |
| Tale Of Two Mice |
Ruth Brown
£9.99, Walker Books
Meet Billy - a timid little mouse who just knows there’s a big, scary monster following him about…
A big old house can be a frightening place when you're only a small mouse. And whilst big brother Bo fearlessly searches the rooms for their supper, little brother Billy can't help feeling something is lying in wait. "Don't be so STUPID!" cries Bo in frustration after the fourth false alarm. But is Billy really being silly? Or is Bo in for a BIG surprise?
Peep behind the flaps to discover what lurks in the dark corners of the old house - and be surprised by the pop-up cat finale. |
| Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes |
Helen Oxenbury
£10.99, Walker Books
Nothing is sweeter or brings more joy than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes!
All over the world, babies are different. Yet in some ways they are very much the same: each one has ten little fingers and ten little toes – to play with, to tickle, to wave. And each child is very, very special to its parents… From Helen Oxenbury, best loved as the illustrator of the classic nursery join-in picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes will fast become the essential book for baby playtime – and the perfect gift for a new arrival!
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| Happy Hector |
Polly Dunbar
£9.99, Walker Books
Hector is so happy sitting on Tilly’s lap – until the others all join in and spoil it. But Tilly knows just how to show Hector how special he is to her … she has painted a picture just for him!
From inspired picture-book creator Polly Dunbar comes a colourful and charming new series, following the escapades of Tilly and her friends, for children aged two years plus. |
| Hello Tilly |
Polly Dunbar
£9.99, Walker Books
Tilly lives in a little yellow house with her best friends. In this first book of the series, meet Tiptoe and Hector, Doodle, Pru and Tumpty as they play the trumpet, bang the drum, eat a feast and dance the Wiggle Wiggle Woo! Whump! Bump! Whoops!
From inspired picture-book creator Polly Dunbar comes a colourful and charming new series following the escapades of Tilly and her friends, for children aged two years plus. |
| Peanut: with Mini Peanut Toy |
David Lucas
£10.99, Walker Books
The story of a little monkey as big as a nut, alone in the wide, wide world!
Peanut is a very tiny monkey who's afraid of everything. When the wind blows, he thinks his tree is falling down; when the sun sets, he thinks the whole sky is on fire; and when everything goes dark, all Peanut can do is close his eyes and wait for The End. He's so busy waiting that when Beetle tries to squeeze past him, the pair of them fall from their branch. Luckily, Peanut's tail comes to the rescue and as they sit together to recover from their fright, a new day dawns. Watching the sunrise, Peanut realizes his new world isn't really frightening at all, and he and his new friend set out to explore their tree together.
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| Maisy's House and Garden |
Lucy Cousins
£14.99, Walker Books
Exciting, impressive; the perfect gift! This stand-up, fold-out, carousel now has a second floor, more toys, a bath, Maisy's friends, plus a colourful garden.
There’s so much for Maisy and her friends to do – dressing, dancing, cooking, having a picnic, riding a trike, gardening, watering, playing hide and seek, tidying up, having a bath … and finally going to bed, with Panda. This book offers endless scope for imaginative play with press-out figures of Maisy, Tallulah, Cyril and Charlie and over 40 press-out toys, plus more than fifteen flaps for little hands to explore … perfect for curious toddlers. A pull-out booklet full of suggested activities for children and parents is also included.
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| Encyclopedia Mythologica: Fairies and Magical Creatures |
Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda
£19.99, Walker Books
The kings of pop-up return with the magical new Encyclopedia Mythologica series!
In the first of a thrilling new pop-up trilogy, the masterminds behind the phenomenal Encyclopedia Prehistorica explore the characters of magic and myth with glittering special effects. Fairies take to the air on fluttering wings, while pixies, gnomes, goblins and trolls career across the pages. Peer through the windows of the Elven Castle to see the magical interior and marvel at the enchanted tree and transforming flowers. Unicorns, griffins, merfolk and other fantastical beasts from all around the world are also covered in this breath-taking start to the series.
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| The Monster Who Ate Darkness |
Joyce Dunbar
£10.99, Walker Books
When a monster's appetite for darkness prevents Jo-Jo from sleeping he discovers that there's more to life than eating...
There is a tiny monster under Jo-Jo's bed, who discovers he likes to eat darkness; and the more darkness he eats, the bigger and hungrier he grows. What will happen if the monster eats all the darkness in the world?
An extraordinary hardback picture book for four years plus.
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| Bag of Bones, The |
Vivian French
£5.99, Walker Books
The good witches of Wadingburn are worried – there's a new witch in town with a bag of magic bones, and she's so evil she makes their toes ache... Another fun-filled fantasty in the Tales from the Five Kingdoms stories that started with The Robe of Skulls.
Truda Hangnail is a very wicked witch, banned from the Five Kingdoms because of her use of deep magic. Then she comes up with a fiendish plan to restore evil to the Five Kingdoms, transforming the good witches of Waddingburn into shrivelled, wicked old witches who will help her take over King Frank’s kingdom on his fiftieth birthday. Luckily, a sweet-natured half-human, half-elf named Loobly is witness to Truda’s evil spell and sets off to fetch help. As the birthday party looms and Truda’s evil gathers strength, Loobly enlists the help of Prince Marcus of Gorebreath and Gracie Gillypot, as well as old friends Gubble the troll and Marlon and Alf the bats, to stop Truda and send her packing to the house of the Ancient Crones to face her just deserts.
Suitable for readers aged nine years plus. |
| The Most Stupendous Atlas of the Whole Wide World |
by The Brainwaves
£12.99, Dorling Kindersley
Meet the Brainwaves, hilarious little mischief-makers who are about to take your child on an amazing journey around the world to discover everything about our planet.
These pint-sized pals will show children all about what the planet is made of, where the highest football stadium is and why Brazil is called Brazil. They’ll join the teeny travellers as they take a camel trek to the pyramids, have a ball at a bonzer Australian beach party, and play the maddest game of crazy golf across North America.
Packed with fantastic fold-out pages with mad maps, perfect pull-outs and fabulous facts on places and people, your child will learn loads of stuff about climate, oceans and Earth in space. It’s a terrific tour of our world!
A funny and fascinating look at the countries of the world with the unstoppable Brainwaves, for 10 - 14 year olds.
|
| Alfie Green and the Snowdrop Queen |
Joe O'Brien
€7.99, O'Brien Press
It’s Christmas Eve in Budsville and Alfie Green wishes it would snow. There is one person who can help his wish come true – the Snowdrop Queen. But she lives near the top of the Perilous Peaks in Arcania. This is a place too dangerous for his friends, the tools, who often help him on his adventures in Arcania. So how can Alfie get there? Maybe Santa will help…
Eighth in the hugely popular Alfie Green series for readers aged six years and over.
|
| Her Mother's Face |
Roddy Doyle
£10.99, Scholastic
Siobhán missed her mother dearly. She spent her days reminiscing about the time they spent together. She remembered her mother's voice singing and her mother's hands combing her hair, but no matter how hard Siobhán tried she could never see her mother's face...
Roddy Doyle’s touching and uplifiting story about love and loss.
|
| Mothstorm |
Philip Reeve
£9.74, Bloomsbury Publishing
When an evil demigod and its army of moth-riding blue lizards threatens civilisation (i.e. Queen Victoria), Art, Myrtle and Jack must step into the breach in this singularly brilliant, hilarious fantasy
When the festive season arrives at Larklight, so does some unsettling news. A sinister-looking cloud is fast approaching the outskirts of the Known Universe. The closest planet, Georgium Sidus, has but two human inhabitants: the missionary Rev. Cruet and his daughter Charity. Their most recent communication read: ‘Great danger – imperative that-’
And so, aboard a Naval gunship, Art, Myrtle and family bravely go where only one man and his daughter have gone before, to determine the nature of the menacing cloud and rescue the Cruets.
But the evil which awaits them is far beyond their imagining, and it looks as though Mother may have finally Met Her Match. Lucky, then, that Jack Havock is hot on their heels to help in the battle to save the Universe (again) from an evil demigod and army of blue lizards, intent on deposing none other than Queen Victoria, to this gain control of the Universe.
|
| Battle Fleet - The Adventures of Sam Witchall |
Paul Dowswell
£5.24, Bloomsbury Publishing
A swashbuckling and action-packed finale to Sam Witchall’s epic naval adventures. Escaping pirates and a violent storm, Sam returns to England to sail into battle at Trafalgar on none other than the HMS Victory. Patrick O'Brien for kids.
Sam escapes death in Australia when the truth about his false conviction is finally revealed. But on the journey back to England he faces pirates and a terrible storm, before making the longed-for trip back up the River Thames. Finally reunited with his family in Norfolk, Sam realises how much life at sea has become part of him. So when he hears that Napoleon plans to attack England, he is tempted to join the Navy once more, and finds himself Midshipman on none other than the Victory, preparing for one of the most epic battles in history: Trafalgar. |
| Hate That Cat |
Sharon Creech
£9.99, Bloomsbury Publishing
A celebration of language, poetry, cats and dogs
Jack is back at school and still enjoying lessons with Miss Stretchberry. But he doesn't agree with everything about her, for example Miss Stretchberry likes cats, and Jack hates them. Or does he ...
A delicious book perfect for reading alone, or aloud, that displays once again Sharon Creech's incredible skill as a writer of fiction for young readers.
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| GLITTERWINGS ACADEMY: Christmas Fairy |
Titania Woods
£4.49, Bloomsbury Publishing
A fabulous Christmas Glitterwings story that captures all the magic of the Christmas season, building on the publication of the 8 Glitterwings books already published
It is the Christmas holidays and fairy Twink has her friend Bimi to stay. To their horror they see a human walk into the forest where Twink's parents live and start to cut a tree down! Twink is horrified and as she desperately tries to stop the man cutting the down the tree she gets entangled in the branches and is taken away with the tree in the man's car. Twink is desperately afraid. Where is she being taken to? How will she get home? Twink evenutally makes friends with the man's daughter, Lindsay, who does all she can to help Twink get home. And in the meantime both Twink and Lindsay learn much from each other about the spirit of Christmas...
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| Rapunzel's Revenge |
Shannon and Nathan Hale
£9.99, Bloomsbury Publishing
Rapunzel's Revenge is a graphic novel with a difference. It is a Wild West retelling of the classic Grimm Brothers' fairytale. Bestselling and award-winning author Shannon Hale teams up with first-time author and husband Dean Hale, and with Nathan Hale (no relation to either) to create a stunning comic book.
Escaping from the enchanted tree where Mother Gothel imprisoned her, Rapunzel sets off alone through the ghost towns and Badlands of Gothel’s Reach. She is determined to find Gothel’s Villa and teach Mother Gothel a long-overdue lesson for her years of treachery and lies, and help her real mother get out of the mine camps where Mother Gothel has kept her enslaved.
Rapunzel’s adventures take her across a country much akin to the Wild Wild West, where she is soon wanted – dead or alive – for horse thieving, kidnapping, jail breaking and using her hair in a manner other than nature intended!
In this highly original take on the familiar story of Rapunzel, Shannon and Dean Hale introduce us to a feisty and dynamic heroine and Nathan Hale’s illustrations offer a striking visual feast, ensuring this is a truly unforgettable reading experience.
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| The Tales of Beedle the Bard |
J.K. Rowling
£6.99, Bloomsbury Publishing
A richly magical collection of tales from J. K. Rowling that will satisfy fans and new readers alike.
'You've never heard of The Tales of Beedle the Bard?' said Ron incredulously. 'You're kidding, right?' (From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
Published by the Children's High Level Group in association with Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, The Tales of Beedle the Bard is the first new book from J. K. Rowling since the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Tales of Beedle the Bard played a crucial role in assisting Harry, with his friends Ron and Hermione, to finally defeat Lord Voldemort. Fans will be thrilled to have this opportunity to read the tales in full. An exciting addition to the canon of Harry Potter, the tales reveal the wonderful versatility of the author, as she tackles with relish the structure and varying tones of a classic fairy tale. There are five tales: 'The Tale of the Three Brothers', recounted in Deathly Hallows, plus 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', and 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'. Each has its own magical character and will bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril. Translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, the tales are introduced and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. Also included are notes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by kind permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters' Archive.
CHLG is a charity co-founded by J. K. Rowling and Emma Nicholson MEP and campaigns to protect and promote children's rights and make life better for vulnerable young people. £1.61 from every sale of Bloomsbury's edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be donated to the Children's High Level Group
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| Killer Spiders |
SUSAN GATES
£5.99, Usborne
Third in the Animal Investigators series. Living with scientist
Professor Tolltrees, Effie and Meriel both have special skills that help with animal investigations. They have different feelings towards TV explorer Jack Nelson and the experimental space dome he has built on wasteland near them as a trial for a mission to Mars.There are strange rumours about the wasteland, one of which is that there are caves underneath. An email from Jack saying he’s under attack by giant spiders must mean he is hallucinating, but why? it all needs investigating, but at what cost? A very old, skilled predator is at loose and no one is safe. This is
a dramatic, pacey adventure with more than one hair-raising moment. Not recommended for arachnophobes — it made my skin crawl, and I like spiders! Fair sized print, edium length novel. |
| Peter Pan |
Robert Sabuda
£19.99, Simon and Schuster Hb
A glorious pop-up, theatrical version of the story of the boy who wouldn’t grow up. We see how he meets Wendy and her brothers; their lives in Neverland; their Indian friends and their encounters with enemies, Captain Hook and his pirates. Each double page has a breathtaking pop-up scene with a booklet telling the part of the story relating to it. This too is full of pop-ups of the characters as they appear. A great way to get really involved in the story. |
| Nutcracker |
JAN PIENKOWSKI
£17.99, Puffin Hb
I am always excited to get a new book by this fabulous illustrator and this more than lives up to my expectations. It is the magical story of Clara and her Christmas present of a Nutcracker who comes to life and fights the Mouse King. Full of curses and bravery we learn the background to their feud and how it is resolved. The story is retold by David Walser in a gorgeous gold and red glittered covered sumptuous edition with silver bordered pages illustrated with white silhouettes on glittering coloured backgrounds. It climaxes in a fantastic 3D scene. This really is a book to keep and treasure. |
| Hey Diddle Diddle |
Sam Foster
£7.99, (Summersdale Publishers hb
Most of us love to listen to Nursery Rhymes and join in when we are young. They sound good and are fun to recite, and you probably think they are just nonsense verse written for children. In fact most are commenting on serious
events or customs and are hundreds of years old, some going back to the thirteenth century, as this book explains. From having a ‘dig’ at unfair taxes to commenting on punishments and secret attempts to hide refuges from the law the real stories behind the rhymes are fascinating and
often far from the innocent chants they seem! |
| The Bumper Book of Betsey Biggalow |
MALORIE BLACKMAN
£6.99, Barn Owl
Ten short stories in one book about effervescent Betsey. She has strong ideas and fancies, doesn’t always get what she wants, but always bounces back! See what happens
when she puts on a show, tries magic trainers, battles a monster burger, finds her animal side and gets on the telly. Lots of fun with this engaging character. Large print and
some pictures to encourage new young readers onto novels. New fans will be pleased to know there are more
stories available. |
| Bambert’s Book of Missing Stories |
REINHARDT JUNG
£9.99, Egmont Hb
Being very short and unable to get around easily, Bambert
prefers living in the world of his imagination, making up stories. When he has written ten of the eleven stories for his ‘Book of Wishes’ he decides to put each in an envelope and send it out into the world to find its own setting. He puts a letter in with the story asking whoever finds it to return it to him and then waits. He even sends the last story of blank pages believing it will write itself. As they return he adapts them to the place they were sent from. They are an interesting and unusual mixture of stories which he realises reflect parts of his own life. Bambert waits
anxiously until only the unwritten one is left. Will his book ever be finished? The answer is in this curious, very entertaining book with a few twists. Don’t expect lots of happy endings, some of the stories are quite dark. With quite a few pictures, fair sized print and full of short stories it could encourage reluctant, older readers. |
| The Battle For Christmas |
JEREMY STRONG
£4.99, Puffin
Ellie’s present comes with a warning — they are cosmic pyjamas and the top and bottoms should never be worn together. Of course she has to try them on and ends up shrunk in a magical Christmas shop with her brother. They
are in the middle of a serious battle between a fed up Christmas Fairy who wants to stop Christmas and a bunch of toys who don’t want her to. Ellie and Max are drawn in — can they save Christmas? Read this very funny, and ever so slightly silly story to find out. Fair size print and some pictures to encourage developing readers. |
| Tail-End Charlie |
MICK MANNING/BRITA GRANSTROM
£11.99, Frances Lincoln Hb
The true story of the authors’s father’s life during the war before and after he joined the RAF. It is presented as a scrap book with the story told in pages from a diary pinned to pictures with comic strip illustrations, postcards, photos and cuttings. This all gives a very personal view drawing the reader in and making it accessible to even the most reluctant reader. We live through Charlie’s home life, recruitment, training and battle experiences including the
Battle of the Bulge. It all paints a vivid picture, you almost feel you are experiencing it |
| Olivia Helps with Christmas |
IAN FALCONER
£6.99, (Simon & Schuster
As Christmas approaches, Olivia is eager to help as usual —
decorating the tree (and herself), making two trees out of one and ensuring all is ready for Santa’s visit. Christmas Day finally arrives with presents and plenty of fun for Olivia’s family and the reader. There is something so endearing about this piggy family, especially Olivia herself. Her enthusiasm is catching. A lovely story with more details in the expressive pictures, with a few sentences on each
page it is perfect for new readers. |
| Cookie |
JACQUELINE WILSON
£12.99, Doubleday Hb
Beauty doesn’t like her new posh school. She finds it impossible to live up to her hated name which has promoted many unkind nicknames from her classmates. It was her dad’s idea, one of many that cause her sorrow, but
he isn’t approachable or the type of man you tell he’s made a mistake. He is very domineering and both Beauty and her mum live in fear of upsetting him, which is easily done. One day he goes too far and they leave him, but where can they go and can Beauty’s mum manage on her own? All is revealed in this unputdownable story told with great sensitivity in Beauty’s own words making the reader feel involved. Fair size print, full length novel. |
| The Spy Manual |
Andrew Parkinson
£12.99, Haynes Publishing
Is your bedroom bugged? Are you being watched? Do you need a disguise?
All boys and girls aged 7 to 11 need to be good spies. They need to know about surveillance, be able to make cunning gadgets and send messages in code. How else will they outwit the baddies and survive without being caught?
The Spy Manual from Haynes reveals the hush-hush world of espionage and explains how to be a brilliant secret agent. To train to be a spy, youngsters must get someone they trust to buy them this book and then guard it with their life – it must not fall into enemy hands. Then, by reading it covertly, they can learn about codes, disguises and invisible inks. Budding undercover agents will be able to send messages in code, find special hiding places and secretly observe unusual goings on. Importantly, they will protect their bedroom, make their own spy toolkit and arrange special parties for secret agents.
Never before has the undercover world of international espionage been revealed in this way. The Spy Manual has loads of tricks to impress friends and family plus many games and challenges. It has masses of photographs and everything is explained clearly. Equipped with the knowledge in The Spy Manual, agents will be able to exchange messages with fellow spies in Morse code, use special handshakes and passwords and build a tin telephone.
It's no secret that Haynes is famous around the world for publishing manuals which explain about everything from cars and washing machines to babies and caravans. They are now branching in to new fun manuals for children (where the ‘how to’ content is made by the children themselves), keeping with the accuracy and detail that Haynes manuals have built their reputation on.
About the author
Andrew Parkinson was awarded a coveted silver Blue Peter badge when he was only 12. Later, he travelled all over Europe as something to do with the music business, he says, and dealt with undercover operations in marketing and advertising. These days he claims to be a copywriter. He refuses to disclose where he got the knowledge to write The Spy Manual, but is thought to live somewhere in Devon.
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| Pirate Manual |
Andrew Parkinson
£12.99, Haynes Publishing
Does you want to be a lily-livered landlubber all your life? Of course you doesn't! You wants to be a pirate. Pirates is bold and brave. Pirates explores the world and finds treasure. Pirates sails the seas, fights battles and makes their enemies walks the plank. Pirates talks pirates language.
The Pirate Manual, published by Haynes, is a treasure chest for all budding pirates between 7 and 11 years. It explains how to make pirate things such as cutlasses and telescopes. It shows what pirates must wear – from arm hooks, eye patches and earrings to three-cornered hats and make-up. It looks at pirate ships, weapons, facts and legends. It explains parts of a pirate ship – flags, knots and nautical expressions. It shows how to make pirate's pudden' as well as maggots on tack, tiddlers' scramble and pirate punch.
The Pirate Manual has clear instructions for all pirates-to-be and many photographs of everything to do with piracy. There are suggestions for pirate parties, treasure hunts for pirates and most importantly, ways to make enemies walk the plank.
Don't be a landlubber merely watching your pirate heroes on television or on film – be a pirate like them. Demand The Pirate Manual, learn how to be a pirate, then begin plunderin' and lootin' for treasure.
Haynes is famous around the world for publishing manuals which explain about everything from cars and washing machines to babies and caravans! They are now branching in to new fun manuals for children (where the ‘how to’ content is made by the children themselves), keeping with the accuracy and detail that Haynes manuals have built their reputation on.
About the author
Andrew Park | | |
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