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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]]==Confident readers==__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jane RayMax Boucherat|title=Snow WhiteThe Last Life of Lori Mills|rating=34.5|genre=For SharingConfident Readers|summary=Jane Ray has taken We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the classic fairy tale of Snow Whitehouse to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, the dwarves and the wicked queenmother at work, and created beautiful threejust an avidly rule-dimensional tableauxbreaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. It's What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a much-loved story blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that everyone is familiar withto log on to Voxminer, and this the world-building, critter-collecting game that is a great opportunity to rediscover a classic hit in an interesting new way.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406311839</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=ChildrenLori's Trust|title=The Walrus and the Carpenter and Other Favourite Poems|rating=3world.5|genre=Children But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn's Rhymes and Verse|summary=Celebrities, including [[:Category:Richard Hammond|Richard Hammond]], Paul O'Grady, Sienna Millert find herself entirely on her own, McFly and Lorraine Kelly, have chosen their favourite poems for this anthologythen she finds something even more spooky. All proceeds from For the book go server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to [http://wwwenter shows signs of tampering.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/ The Children's Trust]. It's a fantastic charity When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, who help disabled childrenand her safe place in the game has been doctored – well, and I urge you all to buy where is a copy of ''The Walrus and the Carpenter'' girl to support them.turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140632650X</amazonuk>0008666482

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tanya LandmanKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=The Head is Dead (Poppy Fields Murder Mystery) Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|summary=MeetKit. Like most of the people in his world, once againit seems, Poppy Fieldshe is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, 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. When tasked to create a murder mystery experience Unfortunately for a school fete she is Kit, the only surprised to find thing he's seen of the latest race on the headmistress - a newly employed battleaxe inn TV equivalent is that no-one seems to like - team has been retired, eaten, and a real-life victim new trio of an assassin. And there questors is only a school field full of suspectsneeded. Can she and her best friendPossibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, brainbox George, solve he has taken to the goading from the day token bully of his world and make the staff room stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a safer place to be? team. And where What chance does the invisible sheepdog come this friendless, muscle-free-zone have inactually managing that, and how could he possibly hope to succeed?!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406314633</amazonuk>1839945184

 {{newreview|author=Michael Morpurgo|title=The Kites are Flying|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Said lives on the West Bank. He herds his family's sheep, spends a lot of time talking in his head to his absent brother Mahmoud, and he makes a great many kites, which he sends across the wall to the girl in the blue headscarf who lives in the occupiers' settlements. What Said doesn't do, is talk out loud, even to his new friend Mister Max. Max is a Western journalist who wants to make a documentary about how the Palestinian/Israeli conflict affects ordinary people on both sides of the wall. Max is entranced by Said, and his dozens of kites, all bearing the message salaam or peace. He can see that Said has a dream, but he's not sure what it is. Will the dream come true before Max has to leave? |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406317985</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tanya LandmanJames Sherwood Metts|title=Dying to be Famous (Poppy Fields Murder Mystery)Planet Storyland

|summary=Meet Poppy Fields - an inquisitive young lassThings have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, keen on exploring her world - in a slightly different way often replacing jobs they're paid to do and other tasks that took time to her geeky, walking-encyclopaedia of a best friend, Grahamaccomplish. So keen is she Just as they were beginning to get used to explore the phenomenon that is the latest seen-everywhere, snapped-at-all-hours celebrity, she makes the pair of them go this technological change and starting to audition for bit parts in the Christmas production think of The Wizard of Oz the star is starting other, new ways to rehearsespend time, along came an awful pandemic. Unfortunately for herLife was pretty much shut down and, along with it, she apparently hasn't noticed she's in all the third book in a series of young reader murder mysteries, and deaths more unexpected than having a house land on you might just be many daily social interactions on the playbill..which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406314625</amazonuk>1736128426

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Michael RosenTom Percival|title=A To Z - The Best Children's Poetry From Agard To ZephaniahWrong Shoes

|summary=Till (thatWill's short for Tillawn) life is difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has lost the wrong shoes because his dog Bess dad can't work and he has no idea how hedoesn's going to find her until a mysterious stranger appears. Mr Finder interviews various witnessest have enough money for even the most basic of things like food, including a catand his dad can't work because he lost his job at the college, was working a mole, cash-in-hand job on a heron building site and Miss Mouseyhad an accident. It's not what Miss Mousey says Throw into that gives Mr Finder mix the vital clue as to what has happened to Bessfact that his mum and dad are separated, but the sketch she made of the riverbank at the time that Bess went missingand Will's life seems bleak in every direction. There's And yet, he still has a lot tiny amount of magic in hope. He is good at art, and clings to the quest to find Bessmoments of joy when he is drawing, but it's all very confusing for Till and that feel like a light at one point he even doubts the motives end of Mr Findera long, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406319821</amazonuk>1398527122

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Emily Bearn1805141872|title=Tumtum and Nutmeg's Christmas AdventureThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley

|summary=I do look forward to a good children's story, and having read Tumtum and Nutmeg's [[The Pirates' Treasure (Tumtum Seventeen banks and Nutmeg) by Emily Bearn|previous adventure on a pirate ship]] I was particularly looking forward to this onejeweller’s have been raided. It's ChristmasThe police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, and our two friendly little mice have been working hardMiss Judson, preparing delicious treats is really a safecracker! With police and temptations ready for Christmas Day. One evening they go upstairs to check her gangster boyfriend Al on the children who live in their housetrail, Arthur Miss Judson and Lucy, and find their letters to Father Christmas. Last year Ben go on the children didn't get any presents because their chimney was blocked up and Father Christmas couldn't get inrun. They've asked But Al needs them for the same presents again this year, hopeful that this year Father Christmas will manage to find a way through even though their father refuses to unblock the chimney for fear of draftsone last job. Tumtum and Nutmeg are worried anyway that the letter won't reach Father Christmas in time, and that the children will be disappointed once again. They decide to take matters into their own hands and set off to visit the terrifying Baron Toymouse in Toy Kingdom to see if he can help. However, with clockwork cats to contend with, and the capture of Tumtum by the evil Baron, Christmas could turn out to be an even bigger disaster than they'd thought...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405250267</amazonuk>}}'

{{newreview|author=Michael Grant|title=Hunger|rating=4.5|genre=Teens|summary=The kids of Perdido Beach are still within the FAYZGoodness me, that Miss Judson is a barrier erected by Little Pete - no-one knows how - when the nuclear plant went into meltdown. An uneasy truce between Samterror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 's tribe of Perdido Beach kids and Caineun like Al? We's Coates Academy kids is beginning to waverll find out. The food Luckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is running out and Ben, the Darkness son of a famous magician who has its claws in all those it's encountered. Caine himself is reduced ambitions to delirium by the voice of the Darkness in be as good as his head father some day, and Lana the healer knows it's inevitable that she too will answer its call. Sam who thinks Miss Judson is struggling to keep any form of order. As more and more kids begin to develop special powers and the hunger bites deeper into everyone's bellies, it's inevitable that conflict will break out. And it does, in some very unpleasant ways. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405251522</amazonuk>worth saving

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sam OsmanChristopher Edge|title=QuicksilverBlack Hole Cinema Club|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=''Quicksilver'' is the story of Wolfie, Tala and Zi'ib, three ordinary children from three different continents. They have never met, until a strange chain of events involving gun-toting gangs and eccentric old men means they all end up in Thornham, a London suburb. They soon realise they are connected: they all have green eyes with golden flecks and a missing parent. But was it fate, chance or the ley lines that encompass the earth that brought them together? Before you know it they're solving clues and fulfilling a one thousand year old prophecy. But all they want to do is find their parents.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407105736</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Joanne Dahme |title=Tombstone Tea|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Having recently moved to a new school, in a new town, Jessie is struggling to make friends and fit in. She is afraid to show these new people who she really is - in her old school she often found she had 'blank' moments, when she could hear voices and 'see' people who weren't really there. In desperation to become part of a 'group' she accepts the dare of a group of girls to spend the night in the Cemetery and collect some gravestone rubbings to prove she was there. Once there she bumps into Paul, the handsome caretaker, and finds herself in the middle of a strange evening when, Paul claims, local actors get together to rehearse for something called the 'Tombstone Tea', a play in which they portray those buried in the graveyard...there's something strange though about these actors and Jessie soon finds herself caught up in a chilling drama.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0762437189</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=David Miller|title=Sea Wolf|rating=3.5

|summary=Meet Hanna, Ned Lucas and Jik. They're on an unlikely quest to recover the world's biggest and richest pearlhis friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, from a place that has the hiding place Jik alone knows nickname of, when there's a problem in the shape of a tornadoThe Black Hole'. They're thrown from the craft All big movie fans, they're onlooking forward to lots of exciting films, Ned disappears - and then there were two. many, many snacks! Hanna and Jik get rescued by However, as the occupants of a horridmovie starts, piratical craft, engaged in they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very environmentally-unfriendly fishing. Jik gets overworked and underfeddifferent, and then there was one..they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. Only But as they lurch from one - Hanna - with film genre to the spunknext, brainpower and energy can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to keep her spirit togetherthe cinema, and try and get one up on the Maestro who commands the boat.to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192729020</amazonuk>1839942738

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Katie DaviesAdam Stower|title=The Great Hamster MassacreMurray and Bun

|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Anna. Rather than write the usual staid what-I-did-in-my-holidays report for schoolMurray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, she one who is taking the time able to tell us about her pet issues over sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the summertwo. But he's a bad magician's cat, from recalling the Old Catso his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the horror that is the New Catcatflap they both use can chuck them out, to the New Rabbit down not into the roadregular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and her own demands for a hamster or twowhiffs. There are family secrets 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 revealed relating to hamsters of old, parents to argue withhonest, and finally a trip to the pet shop - and thatbut he's just the start of Annaturned up and he's troubles.ll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847385958</amazonuk>0008561249

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Josh LaceyAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Two Tigers on a StringThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|summary=Ben's not too keen to be sharing 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 bedroom gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his half-brotherlovely gran, Franktoo – for there is a generation missing in the family. But you donA few short years ago, Eli't have s parents were both lost to be the hero of titular race, a detective globe-trotting adventure such as this book where all entrants have to know that as Frank's mother has vanished from navigate the world in the face company of the Earth, Ben will let it lie - for a whilemagical beast. Nor is it too surprising This has made the race anathema to see the four Misfitz togetherpair – but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, on another caseEli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he most hates, as they go on with the sole aim the prize of magic at the hunt for end – the missing womanonly thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407109782</amazonuk>0571382231

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Patrick O'BrienHelen Cooper|title=You Are The First Kid On MarsTaming of the Cat|rating=43.5|genre=For SharingConfident Readers|summary=It is Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the mouse, up against Gorgonzola the cat – and in case you're seeing a connection, they live in a sci-fi future cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be the names of no danger whatsoevercheeses. Anyway, with no technological breakdownBrie is shunned, scorned and no fatal meteor strike, but that of course is only to be expected if you must, mous-tracised, for this marketthe way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with. I say They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it more to highlight how well as art and makes stories based on the book has been illustratedvisuals on it. Digital airbrush techniques And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and more have taken cast out. It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. This makes Brie the antiseptic sheen off top dog in the whole experiencemouse community, though, but have still allowed for a great detail in as all the machinery, and also a lovely warmth in others had the face of chance to half-inch some cheese while the lad we're empathising withcat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0399246347</amazonuk>0571376010

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Mary NaylusLauren St John|title=The DresskeeperFinding Wonder

|summary=Things are pretty grim for PickyRoo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. She is thirteen years old, being bullied at schoolHer mum died when she was young, and has now she finds herself awoken in the middle of the night by the police banging on her door to spend tell her weekends helping that her single, working mum dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to take care of her little brother and her senile grandmotherbuy a lottery ticket. One eveningWhen asked what other family she has, at she can only name her Gran's houseaunt, Joni, who she goes up into the attic and tries on an old dress that she finds inside an old chestknows her dad didn't think very highly of. The dress turns out to be magicBut she has no one else, and so off she suddenly finds herself back in 17th Century London, struggling goes to live with a strange man who is calling her 'Amelia' and is trying to kill herunreliable aunt. Picky ends up embroiled Things continue to get worse for Roo, as when she and Joni leave London in AmeliaJoni's 17th century life as she tries to find out old campervan, it breaks down in the truth middle of who is attempting to murder her, at the same time as trying to avoid arousing suspicion with her strange behaviour whenever she returns to the present day.nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0956122280</amazonuk>0571376169

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=John Abbott Nez Adam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Cromwell Dixon's Sky-Cycle|rating=4|genre=For Sharing|summary=Meet Cromwell Dixon. He's a real tinkerer, forever in a barn or somewhere building something manically unusual. Luckily - although his long-suffering mother may disagree with that word - heOscar's around at the birth of powered flight. Will his plans for a pedalled air machine work?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0399250417</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Jeff Kinney|title=Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysLion|rating=4.53

|summary=It 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 truth universally acknowledged that couple of times before he has to be ready for school summer holidays are only enjoyable if you want to enjoy summer. Greg here doesnBut 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 want be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to notice having a lion around – it, and would prefer can be shown as an unspoken threat to spend his days curtains drawnthe bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, face glued so he can take it to late night TV or school and it can get him out of a computer game, hand either clicking away at a controller or shovelling in snacksproblem. The last thing he needs, then, is And it's wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his motherbiscuit intake, on a ''family togetherness'' tripbeing much more lax about the rules, and so on . OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a budget, with bad ideas of what Greg should be doing insteadwonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141327650</amazonuk>0008596751

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rick YanceyJudith Eagle|title=The Monstrumologist: The Terror BeneathStolen Songbird

|summary=In late 19th century AmericaCaro's mother, a world-famous whistler, young Will Henry has been the apprentice failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to go up North to take care of the sternher sister who is unwell. So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, forbidding Dr Warthrop since the death she feels frustrated and confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of his parentsbuilding herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, Albie, who were also employed by the doctoris living there too. The twelve year old boy has seen many things But she soon finds herself caught up in his service to the monstrumologist - a specialist in monsters - but nothing can prepare him for the fateful day when an elderly grave robber brings the doctor the twin corpses mystery, as she discovers a painting of a young girl bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and all across London a fearsome gang called the headless creature with fangs Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to the gang? And what has happened to Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in his chest who had tried to feast on her.the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>184738546X</amazonuk>0571363148

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matt and DaveTania Unsworth|title=Yuck's Robotic BottomNowhere Island|rating=4.5

|summary=It's concerned me 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 home for a while that it's relatively easy himself. He is en route to pick up early readers for girls – princessesyet another fosterer, magic soft toyswhen he jumps into an anonymous car, mermaids and pets abound lets it ride him to his future. That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but there's that someone lives with his brother in a much smaller choice for boys. It's important too with early readers that camp on an island between the content is ''interesting'' two directions of a motorway, a place inaccessible and reading becomes more than just something which you ''have'' definitely ignored enough to do at school provide for their safety and moves into being funseclusion. Matt Them, and Dave have found the answer in Yucka mute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847382991</amazonuk>1804540080

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester ClarkHelen Peters|title=The Best of TimesFriends and Traitors|rating=4.53

|summary=Most children enjoy a good traditional tale and this lovely book by Michael Morpurgo seems England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to have be in service all her life it seems, like the right ingredients – female generations before her. The other is Sidney, a girl from a handsome prince hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and a beautiful princess who fall in lovecheese, get married and live happily ever afterif we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. Or do But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they? Sadly, not long after Prince Frederico marries realise the lovely Princess Serafina, she becomes very sadLord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Nobody knows what has caused such great sadness Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, but poor Prince Frederico talk is desperate to find a cure for his wife's misery. He tries everything in his power made of meetings with Germans, and eventually decides to offer his kingdom to anyone who can make her happy again before she dies of not only that, a broken heartlocal Spitfire factory has been attacked. Lots of people come to But surely the palace to try girls are wrong, and help but in the end the solution is a simple one provided by some very kind travellers.upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405232552</amazonuk>1788004647

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Simon WestonJamie Littler|title=Nelson to the RescueArkspire

|summary=Nelson used Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to pull Mike be chalk and cheese. Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the Milk's milk float, but he has now retiredBadlands. He lives Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the stable at child in line to inherit the back power of the dairy along with a couple of tricky rats, Rhodri and RhysWatcher, the closest to a pigeon who ruler the district has no sense of direction, a frog who thinks he's a secret agent spy and an old racehorse who spends most one of his time sleepingthe five major victors in said earlier war. Rhodri and Rhys find a mysterious message on Mike's fridge and Being trained in the animals believe magic that Mike has been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBEonly five people can use would definitely change the status of the whole family. Somehow our hero, NelsonBut in finding something oddly magical, finds himself travelling down Juniper might just be able to Londongain some power of her own – for good, pulling a ceremonial coach or for Prince Charles as well as giving a TV interview about his experience.very, very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848510454</amazonuk>0241586143

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jon Berkeley024162343X|title=The Lightning Key (Circus Trilogy)Stolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating=4.5|genre=Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=I shall start with a word of advicewas the bad company other people got into at school. When you're being hounded by a circus master, and a magician, for I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the soul existence of a tiger that's contained in a tiger's egg thatgod's contained in . Where was the brain of your teddy bearproof? In history lessons, and your best friend - a fallen angel - is trying her best to make sure the other angels do not turn on you in a big way - then you're it was probably living the third book in a fantasy trilogyworse still. Still - never mindNot too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the angelBritish army's efforts will involve you entering a dream world of flight successes (and cloud citiesoccasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the chase after your enemies will take you across colonies' as want to dispute what right the world army had to desert oases and be there in the first place. Looking back, and friends new and old will be on board I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to helpapproach 'the problem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847384447</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andy StantonThiago de Moraes|title=What's For Dinner, Mr Gum?Old Gods New Tricks

|summary=As soon as heroine Polly turns her backMeet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and leaves adventures involving flooding the town school aircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a young goddess of Lamonic Bibber for a day at nuisance. But just when she's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the seasideworld changes. Suddenly, Mr Gum falls practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out with his best friend, causing carnivorous carnage even of electric cars, hits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and all over that powers the placeInternet, just for our convenience's sake). Meat is getting thrown around like it's going out of fashionTrixie, luckily, and we realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have to doubt whether Polly and her companions can ever utilise taken the power of love and put things to rightspower from us. Especially And 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 stealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on known as this book does not contain a magic unicorn called Elizabeththe tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405248246</amazonuk>178845295X

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jean UreHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Fortune CookieFinding Bear

|summary=Fudge Cassidy [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, and the Cupcake kid are best friendsfinding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that she called Bear. If Back home, things on the names remind you of domestic and family front are a certain film then you'd bit advanced, but not perfect for her, and so can easily be spot on as that's where Fudge's father got the idea ignored when word comes through from. They're actually chalk and cheese – Fudge is loud mouthed and opinionated and Cupcake is quiet and thoughtful – but the combination worksislands Bear was last left on. They've just started at secondary school and Cupcake has rather For a lot on her plate. Her brother Joey bear doing very Bear-y things has muscular dystrophy been shot and his problems are becoming more obviouswounded. Add Desperate to this that her father couldn't cope with the problems and make sure he now has another family. It's just CupcakeOK, Joey she and her mother – and not a lot of money.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007224621</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Dave Eggers|title=The Wild Things|rating=4|genre=General Fiction|summary=Meet Max. When I say he sometimes gets the wrong end of the stick about adults, or dislikes his mother's new boyfriend, or gets a bit feisty when he feels the need for revenge, I am certainly understating the facts. He is a bit of a rascal father return to say the least. But all Arctic and hope that might change when he finds himself travelling to in a strange land world of roisterous animals, very white and ends up installed as their king.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241144221</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Jeremy Strong|title=Christmas Chaos for the Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog |rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Trevor's troublesome dogvery dangerous things, Streaker, has had three puppies. They were fathered, according to local bully Charlie Smugg, by she can find one of his Alsatians. Trevor would ideally like to keep them, at least until Christmas, but his parents have other ideas specific white and dangerous thing – and put them up for sale. Charlie Smugg declares that he's entitled to half of the money from the sale of the puppies, but before they friendship can be sold the three puppies go missing in the park and it's up to Trevor and his best friend Tina to try and track them down before Charlie demands his cash!continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141327243</amazonuk>0008582017

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Annie TaylorSimon Fox|title=VioletDeadlock

|summary=Violet Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, and then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a very special hipposecret place, and join him on the run. She They get together, but barely begin to smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is extremely small but that does not make her adoptive parents Albert arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, toting a tin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, and Mavis love her any the less. However, they are slightly worried that Violet has bearer of a very unusual habit whole heap of turning pink without warning and for no explicable reasonquestions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1906847371</amazonuk>1839944420

 {{newreview|author=A J Healy|title=Tommy Storm and the Galactic Knights|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Tommy Storm. He's one of five teenagers snapped up from around the universe to be a gang of heroic detectives charged with rescuing EVERYTHING from destruction. Not just the planet, or the solar system, or even the galaxy, but EVERYTHING. Nobody seems to know what's going to cause this destruction, or when, but he and his friends and their ship seem to be the only people proactively going about saving the day. So it's a pity that they start this book strung up by a nasty loony who's about to kill them.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847247555</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jeanette WintersonCath Howe|title=The Battle of the SunMy Life on Fire

|summary=London 1601. Elizabeth I Ren's family home is getting on destroyed in yearsa fire. Her capital city is a busy She, her parents, bustling place. Boats fill the river and people fill the streetsher little brother lose everything. Jack is happy because it She doesn's his birthday t have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and his present now she is his heartliving at her grandmother's desire: an excitable black puppy named Maxhouse where they can't touch anything, or do anything, who's or even eat the foods they normally eat. When she goes back to school she discovers that the class are doing a ''licking special art project, creating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to them and show who they are as a running and a leaping and a jumping and a tummy person. But Ren has nothing to put in the air and a tail wagging box, and a barkingso she finds herself starting to steal things. Small things, racingthings that people might not really miss, braking, spinning energy dog of delight''not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140880042X</amazonuk>1839942835

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jean Ure|title=Love and Kisses|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Tamsin and Katie were just thirteen and worried that they were boring. They'd been best friends since forever and were the good girls. Neither missed school, skipped her homework nor had boyfriends. Well, that is, not so far. Up until then Tamsin had been the boffin head – consistently strong academically and looking forward to going on to university. All that seemed to change when she met Alex. Well, when I say 'met' I should perhaps clarify and say that Alex pushed his wheelbarrow into her, from the building site where he worked. Oh, and did I mention that he was seventeen, Polish and spoke very little English?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007281722</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Neal Layton|title=Surf's Up (Mammoth Academy)|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Having successfully seen off the rather unpleasant humans in earlier volumes, our favourite junior mammoths Oscar and Arabella have nothing much else to do apart from return to Mammoth Academy for lots more double periods of Difficult Sums. They're supposed to be making presentations about what they did during the holidays too, but Oscar hasn't done any preparation and, frankly, he can't really remember what he actually did do with all that free time other than no Difficult Sums. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>034098967X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Ursula Jones and Sarah GibbRob Keeley|title=The Princess Boy Who Had No KingdomDisappeared and Other Stories

|summary=The princess who has no kingdom wanders around in a cart pulled by her horse Pretty. She's very polite, friendly, and kind-hearted, but she feels like something Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is lacking because she doesn't have back with a kingdom of her own. return to the short story format! The other royals she meets treat her nicely enoughBoy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new tales, but there's always a feeling that she's not quite each as good fun to read as them because she isn't the princess of anywherehis previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846160421</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tim Pigott-SmithLaura Noakes|title=Shadow of Evil (Baker Street Mysteries)Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|summary=If ever Victorian England needed the Baker Street IrregularsMeet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, it's nowjust Cos to her friends. The great Sherlock Holmes practice in the home she lives in is dead - drowned at sea whilst attempting to foil one of Professor Moriarty's evil plans. More ships are likely for the girls to just be sabotaged and named by the shipping owners are up number they correspond to in arms. To make matters worsethe ledger, Queen Victoriaand they's granddaughter has been kidnappedre all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. Would- But Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be clients are queuing up at 221b Baker Streetknown about where she came from, as the first ever inmate, but Dr Watson is and unique in having no known family in the outside world. During a daring escapade to turn them away. And steal some posh cakes from the more Sam Wiggins seeskitchen one afternoon, the more he's convinced that she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the various shenanigans are related to one another. If only Holmes were there to tell him exactly howgirls for his Institute. But he isn'twhy, and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to the only people who are around are children. past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>034096006X</amazonuk>0008579059

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jean Ure Alice M Ross|title=Star Crazy MeThe Nowhere Thief

|summary=This book At last there is about Carmen, but to understand new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her you first need to know mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She also knows she should be free from worries about her family. There's her motherbeing found out, who is quite laid back when it comes because she has the ability to all things schoolleave this world, but rather obsessed with looks (despite being the kind and use an unworldly portal of person kaleidoscope colours to drive everywhereenter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and get winded walking up a flight the buildings are generally empty of stairs). There's her Nan, who used to live with them humans and always encouraged Carmen's talent, perhaps to an embarrassing extentripe for plunder. Still With eviction imminent, it's good can Elsbeth nab anything to have support. And there's her fatheractually generate custom at the shop? Well yes, who we don't know much about. But thenis the answer, neither does Carmen.but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007224613</amazonuk>1839943769

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marcus Sedgwick Natasha Farrant|title=Ghosts and Gadgets (Raven Mysteries)|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Edgar, raven and self-appointed guardian of Otherhand Castle, has reason to be worried. The second-eldest Rescue of the Otherhand offspring, Cudweed, ran into something in the forbidden south wing of the castle and was in shock for days. Upon recovery, he reports the culprit was a ghost. When more victims begin popping-up - maids, stable-boys and shoe-polishers, all quite literally scared-to-death – Edgar takes it upon himself to save the day.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842556940</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Margaret Mayo, Geraldine McCaughrean, Rose Impey, Andrew Matthews, Jane Ray, Ian Beck, Angela Barrett, Emma Chichester Clark and Alan Snow|title=Magical Princess Stories|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Most little girls would love a pretty pink book all about princesses, wouldn't they? This one has seven retellings of traditional fairy tales accompanied by beautiful illustrations and would make a lovely gift for a birthday or Christmas.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140830516X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Kate DiCamillo |title=The Magician's ElephantRavenwood

|summary=Peter Augustus Duchene hovered outside This story is another excellent adventure from the fortune-tellerauthor of 's tent 'Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, in the market squareNorth of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is there with his mum, and they are living together as a family. To go They have grown up swimming in and get an answer to the only question he had would cost cove, roaming through the trees, completely at one with all of the nature around the money that he had – house and he'd been given it to go out and buy loving every inch of the cheapest, poorest food that was availableplace. But he had to have an answer to now the question and when he asked he was told that, yeshouse is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his sister other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it''was'' alive s becoming more and that the elephant would take him more expensive to hermaintain. But The children find themselves worrying not only about where in this chillythey're going to live, but if they'll even be together, northern clime would he find an elephant?and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406324477</amazonuk>0571348785

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chris PriestleyRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Tales Secret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Terror from the Tunnel's MouthSilver Street|rating=4.5

|summary=Young Robert Jayden's nose is put on forever in a book, which means he knows a train back lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and unicorns of the world, for example. Aisha is addicted to school by his stepmotherher new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. It The problem, as their mothers see it, is that they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the outside world of Hackney, London. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the first journey heone Aisha thinks she's made seen on his own. It turns out to be more a bit of a challenge than he could ever have imaginedlocal footage. The train stalls at crew of the mouth of boat, including a tunnel living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and while the other passengers sleep through kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. Dare they side with Leila, the waitwoman on board, and her relative who lives as a mysterious woman figure in white tells him a series painting, and become saviours of stories - stories with a difference. the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408800144</amazonuk>0241573483

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=B09XWSXSKY|title=Paul Fleischman Maestro Orpheus and David Robertsthe World Clock|titleauthor=The DunderheadsRobert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski|rating=3.54

|summary=The vile Miss Breakbone hates kids and is forever shouting at her class. When the teacher confiscates the one-eared cat that Theodore Frederick (better known as Junkyardor Fred, but never Freddy, please) is giving to his mum for her birthdaycouldn't sleep. A tune, rather like the Dunderheads hatch ticking of a plan clock was playing over and over in his mind. It happened every time he came to get it back, and teach Miss Breakbone a valuable lessonvisit his grandfather. What follows is an elaborate plot He hadn't really wanted to come; after all, weaving elements of the ''Bash Street Kids'' with ''Mission Impossiblehe's ten now and all those old clocks don't appeal to him anymore.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406322555</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=Toad Surprise|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=I was going to mention, at some time in this review, that you would be hard pushed to confuse this book with the same author's [[Once by Morris Gleitzman|Holocaust stories]], but as it begins with an apocalyptic massacre in a hit and run road crash, perhaps you might. 'Who needs old clocks anyway? Such All they do is tell the lot of the humble cane toadtime. Always having to take the warty with the smooth. Or so youAnd time isn'd think, until Limpy identifies the next driver to pull up near their swamp as Santat good for anything. At last - his chance to improve human-cane toad relationships, by getting his species recognised as Santa's new little helpers. And so he hops on the truck with his best friend, the macho Goliath, and drives off with Santa. ...Or does he?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141326948</amazonuk>}}''

{{newreview|author=Andrew Klavan |title=The Last Thing I Remember (Homelander)|rating=4And that was why he was looking at the clock beside the bed. It was nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the clock chimed only six times.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Charlie West - US Air Force hopeful There was nothing for it but to go and karate expert find grandad - remembers when his main concern but where was whether schoolmate Beth would go out with him. So he? And why is he strapped to a chair in a windowless cellhad all the clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0755352998</amazonuk>

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hazel Allan Nigel Baines|title=Bree McCready and the Half-heart LocketA Tricky Kind of Magic

|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=If you want Cooper loves to keep your children quiet perform magic tricks. His father was a magician, and busy for a while then this would be a good book to give themnamed Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. Twelve year old Bree and her two friendsBut sadly Cooper's father died suddenly, Sandy and Honeynow Cooper doesn't quite know who to be, find themselves running for their lives when a message on a heart locket necklace leads them or how to an old, magical book that has enormous powersbe. A monstrous enemy, Thalofedril, is trying to get And when his claws on this book so that he can continue dad's prop rabbit starts talking to reek death and destruction in the worldhim, and it is up to Bree, and her friends, to save us all...he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1905537115</amazonuk>1444960261

{{newreview|author=Helen Stringer |title=The Last Ghost: A Belladonna Johnson Adventure|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Belladonna Johnson can see and talk to ghosts and no one else can. In fact she lives with two; her dead parents. But something is happening – the ghosts are disappearing. Her mother vanishes and her father tells her he doesn't have much time either. The doors are closing, the doors to the Other Side and there is only one left, but just as he says this, he is gone too. Not wanting to lose her parents again, Belladonna sets out Move on a journey with the help of Steve, a boy from school. They need to find the entrance to the Land of the Dead, the door to where the last ghost, Elsie, waits, before it's too late… |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230715044</amazonuk>}}[[Newest Cookery Reviews]]