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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn= 1836285493|title=The Double Life of a Wheelchair User|author=Shannon HaleRob Keeley|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary= Will is a keen player of video games, a conscientious student, a slightly annoying brother and a supportive friend. But most of all, he is an aspiring writer. English is his favourite lesson at his school, Marlowe Park, Dean Hale and LeUyen Phamone at which he excels. This hasn't gone unnoticed by his headteacher, Mrs Howarth, and she has suggested to Will and his mum that he spends a couple of afternoons a week at a different school, Station Road, where his ability might be better extended.}}{{Frontpage|isbn= 1836282028|title=The Princess Fighting Spirit|author=Rob Keeley|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=''Would you like to adopt a ghost?'' ''Young spirit, born 1887, seeks kind home to haunt. Gentleman by birth. Good company. Gets on well with other children. Jokes and shocks a speciality.'' ''If interested, place outside your home three twigs, in Blackthe shape of an arrow, pointing to your front door...'' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is celebrating a decade of his wonderfully entertaining [[Rob Keeley's ''Spirits'' series in Chronological Order|Spirits]] series with a new adventure that 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 rules as usual and absconded from his manor house home, is adopted by them and takes up residence in.... a wardrobe!}}{{Frontpage|author=Rob Keeley|title=Childish Spirits: 10th anniversary special edition|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Around here, we're big fans of children's author Rob Keeley. He's a ball of happy positivity, he understands children, and he writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, not to lecture or hector.  The ''Childish Spirits'' series is one of his greatest achievements. It's a sequence of ghost stories centring on Ellie, a stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the spirit world throws at her, and Edward, a spoiled lordling and the first spirit Ellie encounters|isbn= 1783064617}}{{Frontpage|author=Max Boucherat|title=The Last Life of Lori Mills

|genre=Emerging Confident Readers|summary=Princess Magnolia has a double lifeWe meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. On one hand What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has a perfectly primone main intention, proper and pink castle turret that is to live inlog on to Voxminer, on the other she has world-building, critter-collecting game that is a secret escape tunnelhit in Lori's world. On her head she But first Lori has a tiara, tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her finger a monster alarmown, and then she finds something even more spooky. Her life is also full For the server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of threats – tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on one side a horridher phone screen, blue, goat-eating beastie, on the other a prim and proper visitor intent on finding out if her safe place in the perfect Princess has any secrets. Well we know she game hasbeen doctored – well, but will they be discovered – and which where is the greater threata girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0763678880</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jacqueline WilsonKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=KatyDungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|summary= Eleven yearMeet Kit. Like most of the people in his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old Katy Carr , magical mazes, and race to the exit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. Unfortunately for Kit, the only thing he's seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is a tomboy whothat one team has been retired, despite her best intentionseaten, and a new trio of questors is always getting into troubleneeded. Lively and adventurous Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, Katy is very much he has taken to the goading from the leader token bully of her five younger brothers his world and sisters until an accident damages her spine stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a team. What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and she finds herself confined how could he possibly hope to succeed?|isbn=1839945184}}{{Frontpage|author=James Sherwood Metts|title=Planet Storyland|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary= Things have been a wheelchairbit sticky for the Earthlings. Suddenly KatyAI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they's life is turned upside down re paid to do and she has other tasks that took time to accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get used to learn the most basic things all over againthis technological change and starting to think of other, new ways to redefine her role in the familyspend time, along came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and find a new meaning in life, along with it, all the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141353961</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ursula DubosarskyTom Percival|title=The Red ShoeWrong Shoes

|summary=They may be quite far apartWill's life is difficult, but three houses in a row in the rural suburbs multitude of 1950s Sydney contain some incredibly unusual peopleways. In oneHe is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', a solitary old man of very few words, shuffling to he has the end of wrong shoes because his days, but brandishing a Japanese sword hedad can's purloined after WWII, t work and with a gun in doesn't have enough money for even the corner most basic of things like food, and his dad can't work because he lost his lounge. In job at the middlecollege, was working a family of five, with cash-in-hand job on a father figure suffering from PTSD due to the same war, a mother feeling friendless building site and alone in had an accident. Throw into that mix the isolated time fact that his mum and locationdad are separated, and their three daughters – one of whom has given up on school after an alleged nervous breakdownWill's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, the middle one who barely speaks more than the neighbour, and Matilda, our key interest, who likes the idea of spies, and he still has an imaginary friend who came out a tiny amount of the radiohope. The third house however might be where the most interesting people live – after allHe is good at art, it had been empty, but now and clings to the luxurious building moments of joy when he is home to several shady men in suitsdrawing, who turned up out that feel like a light at the end of the blue in luxury carsa long, and with at least one gun of their own…dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406358746</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Chris Colfer1805141872|title=The Land of Stories: Beyond the KingdomsTeacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley

|summary=''Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last [[The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer|Land of Stories]] book left readers job...'' Goodness me, that Miss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a cliffhanger nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a shock revelation about the identity of the antagonist, the villainous bad 'Masked Manun like Al? We'll find out. Since thenLuckily for Miss Judson, fans, myself includedthe pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, have been waiting desperately for the next book in the series in order son of a famous magician who has ambitions to see how our twin heroes Alex be as good as his father some day, and Conner deal with this surprising twist in the tale. The waiting is over; the new book who thinks Miss Judson is here and ready to transport us once again to the magical Land of Stories...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0316339385</amazonuk>worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Catherine StorrChristopher Edge|title= Clever Polly and the Stupid WolfBlack Hole Cinema Club|rating= 54|genre= Emerging Confident Readers|summary= Polly opens the door one day to find Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a large black wolf standing on place that has the doorstepnickname of 'The Black Hole'. With no preamble whatsoever All big movie fans, not even a cursory hellothey're looking forward to lots of exciting films, the wolf informs Polly that he intends to eat her up. Incredibly Polly invites the wolf into her home and even into many, many snacks! However, as the kitchen! What can she be thinking of? Wellmovie starts, young Polly they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is cleververy different, resourceful, independent and charmingthey are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. The wolf is a wolf of very little brain. Therefore it is not long before she is able But as they lurch from one film genre to outwit the wolf and send him packing. This first story next, can they figure out what on earth is very short but sets going on? Will they ever get back to the scene for the ongoing battle of wits between Polly cinema, and the wolf that will continue for the remaining twelve short stories in this charming and entertaining book.to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141360232</amazonuk>1839942738

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rupert WallisAdam Stower|title=All Sorts of PossibleMurray and Bun

|genre=TeensConfident Readers |summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But he's a bad magician'When s cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the sinkhole openedcatflap they both use can chuck them out, there was no time to break or turn not into the wheelregular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and the old green Land Rover whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was snatched off the dirt road over the smoking rim., to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…|isbn=0008561249}}{{FrontpageSomehow, Daniel makes it out |author=Alex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the sinkhole wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and emerges to safety with just in the evening a few scratches helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and bruisesruns. But Eli lives with his father isnlovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the family. A few short years ago, Eli't so luckys parents were both lost to the titular race, a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast. While This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he lies most hates, with the sole aim the prize of magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran.|isbn=0571382231}}{{Frontpage|author=Helen Cooper|title=The Taming of the Cat|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the mouse, up against Gorgonzola the cat – and in hospital case you're seeing a connection, they live in an induced coma due a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to a severe brain injurybe the names of cheeses. Anyway, Daniel Brie is released into shunned, scorned and, if you must, mous-tracised, for the care of way his aunthabits don't match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and makes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, a woman when he has never metfeels all alone and cast out. It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. There This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as all the others had been a family falling the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out after Daniel?|isbn=0571376010}}{{Frontpage|author=Lauren St John|title=Finding Wonder|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Roo's mother life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when he she was just a babyyoung, and since then it's just been Daniel and now she finds herself awoken in the middle of the night by the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his dadway to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. Although his When asked what other family she has, she can only name her aunt seems nice enough, Daniel finds it difficult to trust Joni, who she knows her or open up dad didn't think very highly of. But she has no one else, and so off she goes to live with herunreliable aunt... Things continue to get worse for Roo, as when she and Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, it breaks down in the middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|isbn=0571376169}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Oscar's Lion|rating=3|genre=Confident Readers|summary=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 school. But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and admitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. 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 thereit can get him out of a problem. And it's a lot wonderful to open up have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax aboutthe rules, and so on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>147114366X</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Fuzzy MudJudith Eagle|authortitle=Louis SacharThe Stolen Songbird

|summary=Tamaya isnCaro't allowed s mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to walk return home from school on her ownrecent work trip abroad and is now missing. And Tamaya doesn't like Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to go up North to break any rulestake care of her sister who is unwell. So when walking partner Marshall insists on taking who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a "shortcut" through the woods one dayhalt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. But she goes with himsoon finds herself caught up in a mystery, even though as she isndiscovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum't really supposed to walk through s old suitcase, and all across London a fearsome gang called the woodsSnakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Unbeknownst Is the painting somehow linked to Tamaya, Marshall the gang? And what has chosen the route in order happened to avoid school bully Chad, who has threatened him with a reckoning. A reckoning for nothing at all - but you know, thatCaro's how school bullies work. But lying mother? Is she somehow involved in the woods is an even greater threat than Chad...mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408864746</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Paul Stewart and Chris RiddellTania Unsworth|title=Scavenger 2: Chaos ZoneNowhere Island

|summary=York Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and find a lad on a missionhome for himself. So would you beHe is en route to yet another fosterer, if your space station habitation was constantly attacked by evolvedwhen he jumps into an anonymous car, mutated and evil robotslets it ride him to his future. Trying That future seems to get to the core be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of things belongings – both the situation and but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the centre two directions of the giant biosphere carrying the last humans to a future planet motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to reside on – he's just starting to enter the second level, alongside some surprising companions (surprising, that isprovide for their safety and seclusion. Them, if you haven't read [[Scavenger 1: Zoid by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell|book one]]) and a lot of gung ho spiritmute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. The next stage is Over a 'mid deck' levelfew weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where all of Earth's habitation zones have been recreated – but nothing, either animal or human, has stayed the same since the ship's launch…life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447234421</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Katherine WoodfineHelen Peters|title= The Mystery of the Clockwork SparrowFriends and Traitors|rating= 53|genre= Confident Readers|summary= This entrancing Edwardian mystery England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is set Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, like the exoticfemale generations before her. The other is Sidney, a girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and cheese, sensuous and opulent world if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is made of meetings with Germans, and not only that, a Department store which draws local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the reader upper class could never be so underhand?|isbn=1788004647}}{{Frontpage|author=Jamie Littler|title=Arkspire|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and cheese. Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in with enticing sightsillicit magic, sounds and smells including relics from prior major wars left out in the startBadlands. When Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the heroine Sophie first steps on religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the child in line to inherit the power of the Watcher, the shop floor she feels like she is "stepping inside closest to a chocolate box". Furthermore there is also something sacred about ruler the experience- "Nowdistrict has, a reverent hush hung and one of the five major victors in said earlier war. Being trained in the airmagic that only five people can use would definitely change the status of the whole family. But in finding something oddly magical, and she found herself almost tiptoeing…gazing around Juniper might just be able to 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 bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the immense chandeliersexistence of a 'god'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the glittering looking-glassesBritish army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the glossy walnut panellingarmy had to be there in the first place. It smelled luscious: no sawdust now Looking back, I still believe I was right - but a glorious fragrance of cocoa and candied violets and some other spicy scent, like I regret that I lacked the cigars that Papa used maturity to smoke after dinnerapproach 'the problem' politely." |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405276177</amazonuk>I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David O'Doherty and Chris JudgeThiago de Moraes|title=Danger is Still Everywhere: Beware of the Dog!Old Gods New Tricks

|summary=Meet GordonTrixie. He's a very safe betForever getting into scrapes, now you have met himlarks and adventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, as he's she could almost be thought a source young goddess of highly intelligent and descriptive warnings about dangernuisance. He and he alone can voice warnings about the Puddle Shark you might get eaten But just when she's being told that byher one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the Parp Donkey that might evict you by farting through your letter boxworld changes. Suddenly, and the Headphones Crab that practically everything electronic stops working – wella power-out, even of electric cars, hits not just the illustration here says it all. Now, I know what youtown the school're thinking. Advice this intelligent and salient could only really come s in but the entire planet (apart from Docter Noel Zonemobile phones, and all that powers the worldInternet, just for our convenience's only Level Five Dangerologistsake). And you'd be right. Gordon is Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the name Noel gives to his wardrobepower of power from us. And Noel is currently living so she begins her epic quest, to gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in Gordon stealing from the wardrobeGods, as his house has been taken over by a messyie the semi-deities, noisygiants, half-gods and incredibly dangerous puppyso on known as the tricksters. Add into the mix a pet contest hosted by the world's most dangerous man and you have a recipe for disaster (when all you wanted was a completely safe recipe for cabbage soup, as well…)|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>014135920X</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Gillian CrossHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title= Shadow CatFinding Bear

|genre= Confident Readers|summary= When Nolan's effervescent mother suddenly takes him [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a surprise journey he is in as much fear lot further north than many people would venture, and doubt as finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that she called Bear. Back home, things on the reader about what will happen next. Meanwhile music sensation Midir's daughter Feather is tired of being controlled domestic and dreading the next photo opportunity family front are a bit advanced, but not perfect for her, and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the pressislands Bear was last left on. Then, one night, as her father prepares for For a shocking, spectacular event, everything changesbear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and wounded. Cross keeps us guessing as Nolan Desperate to make sure he's world is turned upside down OK, she and he has her father return to make difficult choices. Why is his mother the Arctic and hope that in the clouds on an exultant high a world of very white and very dangerous things, she can find one minute specific white and grey, stressed dangerous thing – and in that the doldrums of despair the next? Does Feather really want to be his friend or do they just have the serval they have sworn to protect in common?friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192736736</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Julian Clary and David RobertsSimon Fox|title= The BoldsDeadlock|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= The BoldsLate one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, Mr and Mrs and their two small childrenthen suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a secret place, live in an ordinary semi-detached house in suburban Teddington. They have jobs; Mrs Bold designs and sells flamboyant hats and Mr Bold writes jokes for Christmas crackersjoin him on the run. But they are most definitely not an ordinary family. Oh no! They are in fact hyenas. So far they have managed get together, but barely begin to successfully pretend smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to be human beings. Although very hairy and prone Brighton, toting a tin his father was determined to laughing a lot they have kept the truth (and their tails!) a secret keep away from everyone. But their grumpy next door neighbourhis colleagues, Mr McNumpty, is growing suspicious and then the bearer of a trip to the local safari park has repercussionswhole heap of questions. Will the Bolds' carefully long kept secret be revealed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1783443057</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Maudie SmithCath Howe|title= The Cake, the Wolf and the Witch|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Max doesn't believe in happy endings. How could he, when lovely, brave, caring Mum got killed climbing a mountain? He doesn't like heights or small dark spaces and he doesn't like silly fairy stories. He absolutely hates being dressed in knickerbockers, silk slippers and a cape for Dad and Ilona's wedding, and in fact, the only thing that's worse, in his opinion, is the fact that once it's over he'll have to share his home with a horrible new brother and sister. I mean, come My Life on, people! Nettle is a total grouch who's clearly never cracked a smile in her whole life, and little Wild is just . . . well, to tell the truth, he's plain daft. He prances about the place like a demented butterfly, and he never takes his baseball cap off, even to go to bed. How's Max supposed to get along with that pair?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444015605</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson|title=When I Am HappiestFire

|genre=Emerging Confident Readers|summary=If Dani leaves Ren's family home is destroyed in a fire. She, her parents, and her school for the summer holidays with one souvenirlittle brother lose everything. She doesn't have any of her clothes, it will either be the memories or any of the fabulous friendship her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and now she formed with Ellais living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, who struck a chord in [[My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson|book one]] then moved awayor do anything, or it will be a book even eat the foods they normally eat. When she has written and compiled goes back to remind her of all the happiness school she has encountered along discovers that the way. That is not quite finishedclass are doing a special art project, for the following day is to be the great end creating boxes of year partytheir lives, to display things that are important to them and her classroom decorations show who they are complete and her dress has been bought new speciallyas a person. But not all of life is happiness Ren has nothing to put in a box, and jollity – and Dani is removed from the classroom so she finds herself starting to face very bad newssteal things. What ending is in storeSmall things, things that people might not really miss, for not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her book and for oursif someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1927271894</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Noel Streatfeild Rob Keeley|title=Ballet Shoes The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories

|summary=''Ballet Shoes'' tells Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a return to the short story of three adopted orphans – Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil. Brought format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to 1930s London as babies by an eccentric explorer (Great Uncle Mattheweleven new tales, otherwise known each as Gum), the girls have a comfortable life until the family begin to run out of money. Luckily they are all given places at the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training and soon start fun to earn their own way read as child performers on the stagehis previous offerings. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141359803</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gareth P JonesLaura Noakes|title=Clash of the Rival Robots (Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates)Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|summary=We learn a lot about the world of the Steampunk Pirates in this volume of their adventuresMeet Number One. While having had references to Britain fighting France before nowOr rather, we find the location matters more than [[Attack of the Giant Sea Spiders (Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates) by Gareth P Jones|last time]]Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, as we head back just Cos to Englandher friends. The Pirates have been told of a way practice in the home she lives in is for the girls to get into just be named by the Tower of London number they correspond to steal in the Crown Jewelsledger, and they're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. We also learn But Cosima bears the tag as a lot surname because nothing else seems to be known about their upbringing, if you can call it that – certainly more than last timewhere she came from, as we see what made them piratical in the first placeever inmate, which was and unique in having no known family in the outside world. During a surprise daring escapade to their inventor when it happened. But you never knowsteal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, they may be about to face she discovers a showdown against plan involving said scientist outside world – and, worse, a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for his next generation of robotsInstitute. If only they perhaps had been programmed But why, and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to avoid temptation…the past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847156061</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Karen McCombieAlice M Ross|title= Catching Falling StarsThe Nowhere Thief|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= It is 1940 and after a year of the ''phoney war'' London At last there is suffering new stock in the Blitz. Glory impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her younger brother Rich have now been evacuated to mother run in a country village far seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She also knows she should be free from everything they know and love. When the arrangements made by their mother fall through worries about being found out, because she has the children are sent ability to live with Miss Saundersleave this world, a cold and unwelcoming woman who is not popular in use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where the village sea levels are rising dramatically and Glory wonders if they would have been better off remaining in London despite the danger buildings are generally empty of falling bombshumans and ripe for plunder. The local children appear unfriendly and even in With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the countryside they are not completely safe from shop? Well yes, is the enemy. All Glory wants is to return home to her parents answer, but she will soon discover that her life is to change in unexpected ways and she will learn that her first impressions should not always be trusted.the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407138898</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Alexander McCall SmithNatasha Farrant|title=Precious and the Zebra NecklaceThe Rescue of Ravenwood

|summary=There This story is a new girl at Precious Ramotsweanother excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''s school. Her name Ravenwood is Nancyan old house, in the North of England, where Bea and Precious Raffy have been living for most of their lives. They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is asked to look after there with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is there with his mum, and make sure she settles into schoolthey are living together as a family. PreciousThey have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the trees, already a budding detective completely at such a young age, soon sniffs out that there is a little bit one with all of a mystery surrounding Nancy the nature around the house and on discovering that all Nancy has left loving every inch of her parents the place. But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a fading photograph developer as it's becoming more and a zebra necklace she decides that she must try more expensive to help Nancy discover the truth maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about what happened where they're going to themlive, but if they'll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1780273274</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hilary McKayRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Binny in SecretBeast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=4.5

|summary=Reading Binny Jayden's nose is forever in Secret was rather like that moment when, as a childbook, I discovered that Noel Streatfield had written which means he knows a LOT lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and unicorns of other shoe books orthe world, just a few years ago, when I suddenly discovered Jeanne Birdsall and for example. Aisha is addicted to her Penderwick storiesnew tablet, and I gorged on themwhere she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, utterly delighting in as their humour and kindness. I donmothers see it, is that they are never 't quite know how I havenout there't come across Hilary McKay beforethemselves, but exploring the outside world of course now Hackney, London. But when a long list of her books have gone onto my 'to read' pile because I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I immediately wanted more!|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444913409</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Kate Pankhurst|title= The Disappearing Dinner Lady (Mariella Mystery)|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Mariella has to admit it: the school dinners have been much better lately. When Big G was in chargenarrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, vegetable mush was the order of the dayeducational purpose, but since the 'Ladies Who Lunchand with a past involving Jayden' agency have been supplying the mealss cousin, they have been serving up heavenly dishes like 'Monday Munchie Madness'find a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she'Princess Pie' and 'Pirate Pasta Bake's seen on a bit of local footage. The mystery girls love crew of the new menuboat, but even more than thatincluding a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. Dare they love side with Leila, the new dinner ladywoman on board, Diana Dumpling. When Diana goes missing and her relative who lives as a figure in mysterious circumstancesa painting, Mariella and her friends are on become saviours of the case to discover what really happened to their favourite dinner lady.unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444012347</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Tomiko Inui and Ginny Tapley Takemori (translator)B09XWSXSKY|title=The Secret of Maestro Orpheus and the Blue GlassWorld Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski

|summary=One problem with being four inches Frederick (or so tallFred, as any [[The Borrowers: The Borrowers and The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton|Borrower]]-type creature Ibut never Freddy, please) couldn'm sure will tell you, is getting aroundt sleep. There're A tune, rather like the impracticalities ticking of being so small, encounters with cats, a clock was playing over and a whole lot moreover in his mind. But with this modern world things can happen – such as an English governess-type taking a married couple of Little People It happened every time he came to Japan with hervisit his grandfather. There they have kidsHe hadn't really wanted to come; after all, he's ten now and she leaves them with her favourite pupil – alongside all those old clocks don't appeal to him anymore. ''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is tell the most necessary equipment, a small blue glass goblet, time. And time isn't good for anything...'' And that helps was why he was looking at the human bond with clock beside the Little People by using it to donate milk to them on a daily basisbed. WeIt was nearly twelve o're now into clock but at midnight the second generation of Japanese people looking after them, clock chimed only six times. There was nothing for it but to go and find grandad - but something much more threatening, where was he? And why had all-enveloping and worrying than a cat is around the corner – World War Two.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782690344</amazonuk>clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?