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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Cas Lester1836285493|title= Do You Speak Chocolate?The Double Life of a Wheelchair User|author=Rob Keeley|rating= 45|genre= Confident Readers|summary= When Will is a keen player of video games, a new girl arrives at Jaz's school she is delighted conscientious student, a slightly annoying brother and warms to her immediatelya supportive friend. The only problem But most of all, he is that Nadima does not speak any an aspiring writer. English is his favourite lesson at his school, Marlowe Park, and one at allwhich he excels. However Jaz is the type of girl who is not going This hasn't gone unnoticed by his headteacher, Mrs Howarth, and she has suggested to let this get in her way Will and in her typical straightforward manner determines to make sure his mum that this friendship blossoms. Initially this appears to have worked and the girls bond through he spends a shared love couple of musicafternoons a week at a different school, movies and foodStation Road, especially chocolate! But then difficulties, misunderstandings and past traumas get in the way and Jaz struggles to cope with the consequenceswhere his ability might be better extended.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471405036</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jenny Oldfield1836282028|title=Storm CloudThe Fighting Spirit|author=Rob Keeley

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Kami Miller was invited ''Would you like to stay at Wolf Ridge Farmadopt a ghost?'' ''Young spirit, born 1887, the seeks kind home of her best friend Macy Lucas, for the summerto haunt. Gentleman by birth. Good company. Gets on well with other children. They were both going to be working as real cowgirls Jokes and there was shocks a herd speciality.'' ''If interested, place outside your home three twigs, in the shape of 300 cows an arrow, pointing to be brought back from the mountains to the ranchyour front door... It wasn't going to be easy work, particularly as Macy' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is celebrating a decade of his wonderfully entertaining [[Rob Keeley's father was recovering from an accident and couldn't ride. All the pressure of running the ranch has fallen on Macy's brother, Wes - and heSpirits's not coping well. Kami's upset series in Chronological Order|Spirits]] series with a new adventure that he's taking it out on one of is both a reboot and a continuation. Just like Doctor Who, Edward Fitzberranger, our incorrigible Victorian ghost boy, has some new companions. Ruby and Jayden respond to this intriguing advertisement and Edward, who has broken the young coltsrules as usual and absconded from his manor house home, Storm Cloud, but what can she do about it?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781126895</amazonuk>is adopted by them and takes up residence in.... a wardrobe!

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Anna Wilson and Kathryn DurstRob Keeley|title=Vlad the World's Worst VampireChildish Spirits: 10th anniversary special edition|rating=3.54

|summary=Meet VladAround here, we're big fans of children's author Rob Keeley. He's a vampire. You know the typeball of happy positivity, he understands children, the characters that live practically the opposite to us – at night and not by dayhe writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, in the dark and not the light, drinking fresh blood as opposed to making black pudding out of it firstlecture or hector. But Vlad  The ''Childish Spirits'' series is not like one of those, for he can't fly, can't remember his roots that his family are teaching him, and cangreatest achievements. It't turn into s a bat. He also – shock, horror – is interested in the world sequence of the humansghost stories centring on Ellie, having turned away from monster stories that give him daymares and found a novel about human school life. This, then, is stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the drama that unfolds when he does break away from the spooky nocturnal spirit world even he finds scarythrows at her, and takes himself Edward, a spoiled lordling and his pet bat off to the world of the human child.first spirit Ellie encounters|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847157424</amazonuk>1783064617

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Ellie IrvingMax Boucherat|title= The Matilda EffectLast Life of Lori Mills|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= When you're wronged, and you know you've been wronged, itWe meet Lori on the first evening she's got the worst feeling house to herself – no neighbour to pop in the world. When someone takes credit for something you have done, claiming a prize that is rightfully yoursbabysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, it's on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a horribleblanket fort, horrible injusticeshe has one main intention, and that's is to log on to Voxminer, the same whether itworld-building, critter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. But first Lori has a Nobel Prize or simply the blue ribbon (and excessive amounts of dog food) given away at a school science fair. Now parents might tell you tiny inkling that life's not fair, you win some you lose some, or any of a number of clichés, but if your name is Matilda you just canthis stormy night doesn't let it lie. Andfind herself entirely on her own, when and then she finds out that her granny was side-lined for a much bigger award, for work something even more spooky. For the server she did 50 years ago, she makes it and her mission bestie and nobody else should be able to right the wrong enter shows signs of tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and let her safe place in the world know exactly what happened. game has been doctored – well, where is a girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0552568376</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Dan WalkerKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Sky ThievesDungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|summary=Zoya Delarose never quite fitted Meet Kit. Like most of the people in at his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the orphanage sport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, and she's about race to learn why. Abducted at the end of a school tripexit, Zoya is knocked unconscious perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and wakes up in a creaking sky ship in the dead of nightpoints they grant you along the way. She attempts to escape but when she Unfortunately for Kit, the only thing he's caught and brought in front seen of the ship's captainlatest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, Zoya discovers and a history new trio of questors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to the goading from the token bully of his world and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a threat team. What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that will change her life forever., and how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192747010</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=James Sherwood Metts|title=High Spirits (Spirits Planet Storyland|rating=4).5|genre=Confident Readers|summary= Things have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're paid to do and other tasks that took time to accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of other, new ways to spend time, along came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and, along with it, all the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|isbn=1736128426}}{{Frontpage|author=Tom Percival|title=The Wrong Shoes|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Will's life is difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have enough money for even the most basic of things like food, and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the college, was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. Throw into that mix the fact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a tiny amount of hope. He is good at art, and clings to the moments of joy when he is drawing, that feel like a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.|isbn=1398527122}}{{Frontpage|isbn=1805141872|title=The Teacher Who Knew Too Much

|rating=4.5

|summary=''Millions of people will die in Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the wartruth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, EllieMiss Judson and Ben go on the run. And it's our But Al needs them for one last job to make sure it happens. That's why our work isn't easy..''

And if Goodness me, thatMiss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 's not ominous, I donun like Al? We't know what isll find out. It's been two years since Ellie's last adventure in Luckily for Miss Judson, the spirit world or talked to pupil who discovers her friendterrible secret is Ben, the ghost son of Edward Fitzberranger. She a famous magician who has tried ambitions to do what Viewpoint asked her to do and live a normal, boring, human life. Mum is still working for the Journeyback historical re-enactment company but it looks be as though her job won't last much longer. Money is tight and Mum, good as ever, is stressed. Dad got compensation for his accidentfather some day, so he and who thinks Miss Judson is living the life of Riley. He's eager to help out but Mum won't hear of it. And Ellie has a romantic interest in Luke. All in all, things could be better but they could also be worse. No more spirits. No more corrupting of timelines.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1788036158</amazonuk>worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gwyneth ReesChristopher Edge|title=Libby in the MiddleBlack Hole Cinema Club

|summary=Twelve-year-old Libby has an older sisterLucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, Bella. Bella used to be a real confidante to Libby but things have changed since she got a boyfriendplace that has the nickname of 'The Black Hole'. Now All big movie fans, Bella makes Libby feel childishthey're looking forward to lots of exciting films, foolish and unwantedmany, many snacks! However, as the movie starts, they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, and they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. The close friendship But as they lurch from one film genre to the next, can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they had shared has gone ever get back to the cinema, and to their real lives?|isbn=1839942738}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Stower|title=Murray and Libby worries that it will never come backBun|rating=4. Libby also has 5|genre=Confident Readers |summary=Murray is supposed to be a younger sisterhumble, tidy and friendly cat, Grace. Grace one who is lovely but it seems able to Libby that Gracesleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, as whatever takes his fancy next of the baby of two. But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the familycatflap they both use can chuck them out, commands all not into the parental love regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and attentionwhiffs. Libby This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well , one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and truly stuck in the middle, without a role of her own.he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408852772</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Stephan LompAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Wilfred and Olbert’s Totally Wild ChaseThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=Meet Wilfred Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in the evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and Osbertruns. TheyEli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the family. A few short years ago, Eli're not only s parents were both lost to the kind titular race, a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to completely flout navigate the rules world in the company of a magical beast. This has made the natural history explorer's club they belong race anathema to, the pair – but when they both spot an undiscovered butterfly together, they are a bad incident at the kind eatery leads to fight tooth and claw to be the first a confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is to lay claim dare to it aloneenter what he most hates, and devil take with the sole aim the other one. What they don't know is that prize of magic at the drama that ensues when they're tailing this particular specimen will involve no end of peril – nearly drowning, almost being eaten by a lion, crashing a hot air balloon one of them just so happened the only thing to have in possibly save his pocket… This, then, is a fun and silly biology lesson – but that's only the best kind, surely?gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848696795</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Clare HibbertHelen Cooper|title=Around The Taming of the World in 80 MapsCat

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Maps – they're there to make sure you don't go wrongOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. They might portray one townIn this case, principally, and we have Brie the streets or mouse, up against Gorgonzola the canals that feature cat – and in itcase you're seeing a connection, with proud city walls surrounding the place; they may convey the complex coast of live in a newly discovered island, or even in cheese shop and therefore all the case of Australia a whole continent; or they may just be coloured pink to show off what you consider names used here seem to be your landthe names of cheeses. Either Anyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, if you must, mous-tracised, for the way, they have certainly progressed his habits don't match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the early days, getting more cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and more accurate makes stories based on the wholevisuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and portraying a more honest look at our worldcast out. But what can we learn It's almost as if there were another character from scanning back fable who had had to when they were less informative and allowed you tell stories to go very wrongkeep themselves alive. This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, when they though, as all the others had sea monsters and 'here be dragons', and just plain looked daft? the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. This book is one of But will the more informative ways to find out story have the answer to successful sequel it needs when that question.cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0712356932</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Clare HibbertLauren St John|title=Around the World in 80 MapsFinding Wonder|rating=3.54|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Maps – theyRoo're there to make sure you don't go wrongs life has become almost impossibly difficult. They might portray one townHer mum died when she was young, and the streets or the canals that feature now she finds herself awoken in it, with proud city walls surrounding the place; they may convey middle of the complex coast of a newly discovered island, or even in night by the case of Australia a whole continent; or they may just be coloured pink police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to show off what you consider the corner shop to be your landbuy a lottery ticket. Either wayWhen asked what other family she has, they have certainly progressed from the early daysshe can only name her aunt, getting more and more accurate on the wholeJoni, and portraying a more honest look at our worldwho she knows her dad didn't think very highly of. But what can we learn from scanning back she has no one else, and so off she goes to when they were less informative and allowed you live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to go very wrongget worse for Roo, as when they had sea monsters she and Joni leave London in Joni'here be dragons's old campervan, it breaks down in the middle of nowhere and just plain looked daft? then bursts into flames! This book is one of the more informative ways to find out the answer to that question.Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0712356932</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Pam SmyAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title= ThornhillOscar's Lion|rating= 53|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Perfect We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to be ready for fans of Neil Gaimanschool. But when he enters his parents's Coralinebedroom, this story all he sees is hauntinga mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, mysterious and touchingadmitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. Mary is But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to school and it can get him out of a unique child; sheproblem. And it's introverted and very talentedwonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, spending most of her time by herself creating her fantasies through making puppets. She is being severely bulliedmuch more lax about the rules, but her bully has gone further than mostand so on. She torments her OK, haunts her steps and takes every opportunity to make Maryit can's life t work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a living hell. Too scared to sleep, too uncomfortable to eat with others, Mary has become an isolated mute stuck in her room at Thornhillwonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910200611</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Cornelia FunkeJudith Eagle|title= Dragon Rider: The Griffin's FeatherStolen Songbird|rating= 54|genre= Confident Readers|summary= The last Pegasus on Earth has three eggs but unfortunately Pegasus eggs need their motherCaro's saliva to allow them to magically grow and their mother died recently. Despite growing increasingly transparent the eggs are harder than diamond and before too long they will become , a tomb for the winged horses inside. Our plucky adventurers have world-famous whistler, has failed to seek out a special feather return home from potentially the most dangerous creature on the planether recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, a griffin. That is if griffins even exist! A gorgeous and loving book that just oozes empathy and having to go up North to take care for all of natureher sister who is unwell. This So who is an utterly brilliant adventure that gripped me from the start going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and confused and if I was 10 years old this would be one of the most wonderful adventures I could go onworried. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1911077880</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Robert Hegarty and Marcelo Badari|title=Time Atlas: An Interactive Timeline All her summer holiday plans of History|rating=3.5|genre=Childrenbuilding herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's Non-Fiction|summary=While it's always useful for a child to have access to house, along with an atlasorphan boy, Albie, so they know where they are and what who is living there is too. But she soon finds herself caught up in every other locationa mystery, itas she discovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum's equally important that they know ''when'' they old suitcase, and all across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are, thieving artworks and what has happened at any other place in timeterrorising people. That's Is the ethos behind this ''Time Atlas'', which only has a few spreads, but takes us right back painting somehow linked to prehistory, through the birth of civilisation, and up gang? And what has happened to today – as well as asking a few questions of what might happen Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the future. It is, after all, vital we know not only where we are, but where we may be going…mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848575920</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ian LivingstoneTania Unsworth|title=Fighting Fantasy: The Port of PerilNowhere Island

|genre=Fantasy Confident Readers|summary=As I promised I would when I looked back at Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the beginning of care system – the 35 year history of ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebooks [[Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Steve Jackson system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and Ian Livingstone|(here)]], I took find a home for himself. He is en route to the brand-new-for-2017 volume with my penyet another fosterer, mapping paperwhen he jumps into an anonymous car, and most importantly, dicelets it ride him to his future. For That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the first time in two directions of a longmotorway, long time, I would not read a book place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for reviewtheir safety and seclusion. I would play it. And soThem, armed with healthy staminaand a mute girl also finding a home there, reasonable luck but frankly embarrassing skill, I set offalbeit so much more successfully. This Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is the report of that journey – one place where life as well as hopefully being the usual useful book review.we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407181297</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sharon CohenHelen Peters|title=The Starman Friends and MeTraitors|rating=4.53

|summary=''He wasn't an alienEngland, I was sure of thatWW2. It was more like he'd walked in through an ancient door from Two young girls are new at the pastcountry pile called Stanbrook... except he was here One is Nancy, destined to be in my bedroom and his misty forest was somewhere real on Planet Earthservice all her life it seems, like the female generations before her.'' Twelve The other is Sidney, a girl from a hoity-yeartoity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-old Kofi thought he was seeing things when he spied a tiny human on a roundabout near to his housepaths. But he wasn The girls are chalk and cheese, and if we hadn'tguessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. Rorty Thrutch But something is as real as you or me. But how did Rorty come to be hiding out amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the middle Lord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of a roundabout in Bradborough? And why secrecy, talk is he so insistent made of meetings with Germans, and not only that he'll soon , a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be ''bad dead''so underhand? |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1786540088</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreview <!-- remove 5/8 -->Frontpage|titleauthor=Eye Spy IIJamie Littler|authortitle=Tessa BuckleyArkspire

|summary=Fresh Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and cheese. Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the success Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of solving its first casethe religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the child in line to inherit the power of the Watcher, the closest to a ruler the district has, Eye Spy Investigations is certainly up for anotherand one of the five major victors in said earlier war. So twins Alex and Donna jump at Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the status of the chance whole family. But in finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be able to investigate gain some power of her own – for good, or for very, very bad…|isbn=0241586143}}{{Frontpage|isbn=024162343X|title=Stolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating=5|genre=Children's Non-Fiction|summary=I was the strange things happening bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the Prioryend of WWII, home I didn't so much want to school friend Jimmy Devlin. Alex doesnlearn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't believe dwell on those) in ghosts and he is very keen what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to persuade Donna be there in the first place. Looking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that they donI lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''t exist.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1788032667</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gareth P Jones and Steve MayThiago de Moraes|title=Escape from Planet Bogey (Pet Defenders)Old Gods New Tricks|rating=34.5

|summary=Mitzy the cat Meet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and Biskit adventures involving flooding the dog are Pet Defenders – perhaps some of the creatures best suited to defend the planet from alien invasionschool aircon with fart powder, seeing as they have inbuilt animal instincts, and live alongside some she could almost be thought a young goddess of the strangest critters out there, in mankindnuisance. But just when theyshe're thinking life is too quiets being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, only for the world changes. Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a rat to come along with a tale power-out, even of being enveloped electric cars, hits not just the town the school's in snot but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and taken to a different corner of all that powers the universe entirelyInternet, theyjust for our convenience're only too keen to investigates sake). That's especially true Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the power of Biskitpower from us. And so she begins her epic quest, when he learns to gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the adventure may allow him clues to solve characters from myth that have past form in stealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on known as the disappearance of his previous partner…tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847157874</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marian Orlon, Jerzy Flisak Hannah Gold and Eliza Marciniak (translator)Levi Pinfold|title=Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery (Detective Nosegoode 1)Finding Bear|rating=34.5

|summary=[[The lovely village of Lower Limewood is coming awake as it usually doesLast Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, and a lot further north than many people are happily going about their business. Business for the statelywould venture, well-known and finding a ridiculously unexpected but happily retired Detective Nosegoode is merely idling his time on delightful friendship with a park bench reading the newspapers to his dog polar bear – a dog that can talk to him in human language, if not readshe called Bear. But not all people welcome Back home, things on the new day with joy – domestic and family front are a clockmakerbit advanced, who had been working but not perfect for a week now at repairing a music box with a porcelain dancer her, and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was last left on top and . For a clockwork mechanism, finds it – and only it – bear doing very Bear-y things has been stolen from his businessshot and wounded. ItDesperate to make sure he's only a step to find the owner was under the illusion it was a clue OK, she and her father return to some long-lost treasure, but who could have burgled the workshop Arctic and taken it? And what place to play hope that in the mystery does a strange man haveworld of very white and very dangerous things, what with his avidly watching she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that the Detective from behind a giant and clearly fake beard?friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1782691553</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jo CotterillSimon Fox|title=A Storm of StrawberriesDeadlock

|summary=Darby lives Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on a strawberry farm with her mumthe force, big sister, step dad and step brother. She loves musicthen suddenly rings Archie, dancingdemanding he fetch something from a secret place, chocolate egg hunts and her big sister Kaydeejoin him on the run. She is warm and funnyThey get together, and she has Down's syndrome. The story looks at but barely begin to smell the events whiff of one weekend in Darby's life Southern trains when the farm father is threatened by arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, toting a tornadotin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, and her family is threatened by the revelation bearer of a closely-guarded secretwhole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848126166</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Pip Jones and Adam StowerCath Howe|title=Piggy Handsome: Guinea Pig Destined for Stardom!My Life on Fire|rating=3.5|genre=Emerging Confident Readers |summary=Meet Piggy HandsomeRen's family home is destroyed in a fire. He is a very bequiffed guinea pigShe, her parents, and her little brother lose everything. She doesn't have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and he now she is frustrated that everyone in his long line of Handsome guinea pigs has become famous for somethingliving at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, or do anything, except himor even eat the foods they normally eat. Annoyed When she goes back to school she discovers that he has not even got his face in the local newspaperclass are doing a special art project, creating boxes of their lives, he has complained to his friend Jeffry the Budgie more than once. But on this day, Jeff has a chance display things that are important to solve the issue them and get some peace and quiet for himself – there is show who they are as a chip eating contest in townperson. But can Piggy get there Ren has nothing to put in timea box, can he down a bowl of chips quickly enough and so she finds herself starting to winsteal things. Small things, and what about the pair of idiot thieves things that also people might not really miss, not when they have something on their mindso much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571327540</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chae Strathie and Anna ChernyshovaRob Keeley|title=Captain Firebeard's School for Pirates: The Sneaky Sweet StealerBoy Who Disappeared and Other Stories

|summary=The ''Rusty Barnacle'' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is set to sail again, back with a second term for return to the wannabe pirates and their teachers and crew. Tommyshort story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new tales, despite being late, is the keenest pupil there – after all, he has great friends, enemies he can easily vanquish, and a very good novice parrot for companyeach as fun to read as his previous offerings. But everyone on board has reason for concern when they set sail – the prize sweets from the tuck shop are going missing in great quantities. Who could possibly be behind this mystery?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140716340X</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Cathy HopkinsLaura Noakes|title=The Valentine's Day KittenCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Marcie is distraughtMeet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. On Valentine's Day last year The practice in the home shelives in is for the girls to just be named by the number they correspond to in the ledger, and they'd didn't receive re all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But Cosima bears the tag as a single card and her parents could see that she was upset, so when surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came home from school there was a box on , as the kitchen table first ever inmate, and unique in having no known family in it was the most gorgeous fluffy silver kittenoutside world. Misty and Marcie were soon inseparable until the day that Misty went out without During a collar on - and didn't come home. Marcie blamed herself: Misty's collar had broken and she'd never got round daring escapade to buying a new steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one. Mum has put notices up everywhere afternoon, she can think of and rung discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the local vets and animal rescue centres, but there's no sign of Mistygirls for his Institute. Then Marcie starts having dreams, about a boy, a hotelBut why, a painting - and Misty. what does that body entail? Will there be a happy endingAnd could it possibly bring Cos closer to the past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>178112678X</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Shane HegartyAlice M Ross|title= Darkmouth: Hero Rising|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Things seem as bad as they can get for Finn, trainee Hunter of all those nasty things that keep trying to get through to our world from the Infested Side. His dad has been sacked, leaving him practically alone to face the baddies, both monstrous and human, he has no weapons or back-up apart from his friend Emmie, and the family has even been kicked out of the house they've lived in for generations. Of course, in the way of the best stories, you only have to hint that things couldn't get worse for them to do exactly that. And any beastie that's got all the monsters from the other dimension scared is not going to be a doddle to fight. Far, far from it. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007545622</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Tamsin Cooke|title=Stunt DoubleThe Nowhere Thief

|summary= Finn wants to be actor but, when his first ever lines At last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a film are cut, he's happy to settle for stunt-doubleseaside town. He Elsbeth knows this because she has all the skills for this demanding role: he's a natural dare devil with a karate black-belt (almost)stolen it. The only downside is She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the person Finn has ability to double for: Finn and teen-star Blake have history leave this world, and a relationship use an unworldly portal of mutual hatred. Pretty soonkaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, however, this is where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the least buildings are generally empty of Finn's worrieshumans and ripe for plunder. The eccentric film director With eviction imminent, Novakcan Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the shop? Well yes, pushes him to is the limits with increasingly dangerous stuntsanswer, manipulating Finn into doing but the stunts without safety gear. But that seems tame when they transfer to film on location in fact a remote part of Papua New Guinea and Finn discovers what Novak really has planned for him.mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>019274982X</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David Roberts and Alan MacDonaldNatasha Farrant|title=My Burptastic Body Book (Dirty Bertie)The Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=4.5|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=OhThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, to be young and innocentin the North of England, where Bea and to be full Raffy have been living for most of questionstheir lives. Questions like 'They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is eating my bogies good for me'there with her Uncle Leo, or 'why and Raffy is poo brown'there with his mum, or 'what makes sweat smell'and they are living together as a family. You don't They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the trees, completely at one with all of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to be a kid like Dirty Bertie to want to know the answers – respectively, no; developer as it's down becoming more and more expensive to dead bacteria; and it doesn't – it's other bacteria againmaintain. If you think you have a lad (orThe children find themselves worrying not only about where they're going to live, letbut if they's face itll even be together, a lass) interested in learning such stuff, this book could well and if Ravenwood itself will be the place to turntorn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847156754</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Matt StantonRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title= Funny Kid for PresidentSecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating= 54|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Max Walburt has Jayden's nose is forever in a real problem with his teacher book, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and nothing seems unicorns of the world, for example. Aisha is addicted to make her new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, as their mothers see it better, is that they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the outside world of Hackney, London. Running for class president seems like But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a good way out magical world they never knew existed. For many of his problems but inevitably it doesnthose mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she't run smoothlys seen on a bit of local footage. The crew of the boat, including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. Dare they side with Leila, the woman on board, and her relative who lives as a figure in a painting, and become saviours of the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0008220166</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=B09XWSXSKY|title=Kid NormalMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Greg James Robert Penee and Chris SmithJoanne Grodzinski

|summary=Murph Cooper is fed upFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. He A tune, rather like the ticking of a clock was playing over and over in his mum have moved housemind. Again. This means another new home to get used It happened every time he came tovisit his grandfather. This means another new school to get used to. This means another set of friends left behind. And if that weren He hadn't enoughreally wanted to come; after all, this time he doesn's ten now and all those old clocks don't even have a new school to go appeal tohim anymore. Everywhere is full. Eventually, a place is found - at ''The School'', a strange place hidden away in a back street. ''The School '' Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is a school unlike any othertell the time. It caters for children with superpowers. But Murph doesn And time isn't have any superpowers and is soon consigned to the socially undesirable super zeroes gang. The kids with superpowers are not kind to the super zeroesgood for anything...''|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408884534</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Max Brooks|title= Minecraft: The Island|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Max Brooks perfectly captures And that was why he was looking at the experience of playing Minecraft without instructions or assistance from clock beside the random punching stage through to building towers that touch bed. It was nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the skyclock chimed only six times. Just as schools around the world are using Minecraft There was nothing for it but to teach computer science go and other skills Brooks uses his novel to demonstrate how valuable life lessons can be learned from this online phenomena.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178089774X</amazonuk>find grandad - but where was he? And why had all the clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?