Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]]==Confident readers==__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Alan SkinnerMax Boucherat|title=Furnaces The Last Life of ForgeLori Mills|rating=34.5|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=In this [[Blue Fire and Ice (The Land) by Alan Skinner|sequel]], itWe meet Lori on the first evening she's almost as you weregot the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, except here the mysterious powers of the blue flame are not being used by some outlander arsonistbabysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that is to log on to Voxminer, but have been usurped by two inept young scientists from the Myrmidotsworld-building, to fuel their industrycritter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. We can predict But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this will prove a bad thingstormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, but and then she finds something even more spooky. For the breadth server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of the journey to capture the flametampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and her safe place in the efforts of all our returning characters game has been doctored – well, where is a girl to put things right might still be a surprise.turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0955726859</amazonuk>0008666482

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom PalmerKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Captain Fantastic (Football Academy)Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|summary=Ryan Meet Kit. Like most of the people in his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where a changed boyteam 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. Since he got into hot water with manager Steve Unfortunately for bullying several books agoKit, and his captaincy of the United U12s was threatened, only thing he's seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been determined retired, eaten, and a new trio of questors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to get the goading from the token bully of his socks firmly pulled up. He's worked really hard at redeeming himself too - both on world and off the pitch. Hestumbled into declaring he's more than halfway towards becoming the best captain the ll enter as a team's ever had. So when Craig's attitude suddenly nosedives What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and how could he starts playing dirty during games and being insolent during training, Ryan feels a big responsibility possibly hope to help sort it out. succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141324724</amazonuk>1839945184

{{Frontpage|author=James Sherwood Metts|title=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}}{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Christopher Russell and Christine RussellTom Percival|title=The Quest of the Warrior SheepWrong Shoes

|summary=Take five rare breed sheepWill's life is difficult, put them in a field, and wait for something to fall out the sky on to one multitude of themways. YouHe is bullied because he has 'll find the result is that they gatherwrong shoes', confer among themselveshe 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 out their sacred God Aries is in trouble as because he's lost the only thing to confer his power over job at the sacred Demon of sheep, Lambadcollege, was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and decide to take the fallen object up North to return ithad an accident. A journey Throw into that will take them into London 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 market trucktiny amount of hope. He is good at art, and clings to the moments of joy when he is drawing, down that feel like a light at the Undergroundend of a long, and so much more on their epic journeydark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405243767</amazonuk>1398527122

Goodness me, that Miss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 'un like Al? We'll find out. Luckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, the son of a famous magician who has ambitions to be as good as his father some day, and who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving}}{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Dugald SteerChristopher Edge|title=The Dragon Diary: Dragonology Chronicles Volume 2Black Hole Cinema Club|rating=34

|summary=Daniel Lucas and Beatrice Cook his friends are studying Dragonology with Dr Ernest Drakeall booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, and are awaiting a place that has the hatching nickname of their very own dragon egg'The Black Hole'. But suddenly their parents have gone missing All big movie fans, they're looking forward to lots of exciting films, an illness is killing dragons and it all smells of evil dragonologistmany, Alexandra Gorynytchka. Before they know itmany snacks! However, as the brothermovie starts, sister and they very quickly realise that something about this new dragon chick have to deliver Liber Draconis, the dragon diaryfilm format is very different, and St Petrocthey are swept up into an adventure they couldn's chalice t even imagine. But as they lurch from one film genre to Dr Drake in Hong Weithe next, which may hold can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the secret cinema, and to the cure. As the back cover reads: ''The future of dragon kind hangs in the balance!'' their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0763634255</amazonuk>1839942738

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=John WardAdam Stower|title=The Comet's ChildMurray and Bun

|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Teenage Fin Murray is rescued from 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 remote forest home by Ragg, fancy next of the first man he has ever encounteredtwo. Having such But he's a sheltered childhood bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has equipped Fin with been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the speech and education of regular back garden, but into a nobleman's son but little idea about the real worldof frightening adventure and whiffs. Other This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than relying on his instincts and resourcefulnessMurray was, Fin has no way of knowing who to trustbe honest, or where but he is bound as 's turned up and he leaves home with Ragg.'ll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1905537123</amazonuk>0008561249

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rachel Renee RussellAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Dork DiariesThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|summary=I do like Eli is a blurb to be accuratebusy 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 runs. So when I saw the back cover of this book state the obvious to meEli lives with his lovely gran, "Diary of too – for there is a Wimpy Kid for girls!", I could rest assuredgeneration missing in the family. I didnA few short years ago, Eli't relax fully, howevers parents were both lost to the titular race, for I'd read [[Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) by Jeff Kinney|globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the blue one]] company of those and found it a bit feeble, and [[Diary of magical beast. This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney|bad incident at the yellow one]] and found it eatery leads to a bit fabulousconfession from gran, so I couldn't guarantee any feminineEli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he most hates, pink variant would be worth my timewith the sole aim the prize of magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847387411</amazonuk>0571382231

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ceci JenkinsonHelen Cooper|title=Mirror Mischief (Oli and Skipjack's Tales The Taming of Trouble) the Cat|rating=43.5

|summary=Sid from Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the mouse, up against Gorgonzola the pizza shop is on holiday cat – and in Africa and shecase you's sent presents to her two best customersre seeing a connection, Oli Biggles they live in a cheese shop and Skipjack Haynestherefore all the names used here seem to be the names of cheeses. Oli's present Anyway, Brie is a mirror shunned, scorned and , if you must, mous-tracised, for the way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays itas art and makes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and cast out. It's not just any mirror almost as it seems if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to have magical powerskeep themselves alive. It was perhaps unfortunate that Vernon SurdThis makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as all the mean maths teacher who punishes anyone who can't do fractions and Slugger Stubbins, others had the school bully should be chance to half-inch some cheese while the ones at cat was distracted. But will the wrong end of story have the magical powers but successful sequel it seemed quite appropriate needs when that the first should be transformed into a vulture and the second into a blue-faced baboon.cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571249698</amazonuk>0571376010

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Anthony Horowitz Lauren St John|title=Crocodile Tears (Alex Rider)Finding Wonder

|summary=Fans of Anthony Horowitz' Alex Rider series have had a two-year wait for this installment of our young heroRoo's escapades and they are not going to be disappointedlife has become almost impossibly difficult. He's fourteen year old Her mum died when she was young, and now and not only is he being targeted she finds herself awoken in the middle of the night by a hitman, he's also being pursued by a journalist who wants the police banging on her door to tell the nation all about the fact her that MI6 are using one of her dad has dropped dead on his tender years way to do their dirty workthe corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. The trouble is that he When asked what other family she has, she canonly name her aunt, Joni, who she knows her dad didn't be positive that it was a sniper that caused the car he was in to skid off a Scottish road and land at the bottom think very highly of a Loch. And MI6 don't seem all that bothered about the journalistBut she has no one else, unlessand so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for Roo, that is, Alex might be willing to find some simple information from a GM crop research centreas when she and Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, it breaks down in which case they might be able to have a quiet word with the gentleman.middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406310484</amazonuk>0571376169

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Suzy Brownlee Adam Baron and Benji Davies|title=The Littlest Detective in LondonOscar's Lion

|summary=''The Littlest Detective in London'' We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is the first in this series more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of childrentimes before he has to be ready for school. But when he enters his parents's books by Suzy Brownlee bedroom, all he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and will soon admitting that he won't be followed by the continuing story of Clementine Cordelia Bird's exploits in Parishungry for another two days. The books But there are aimed at young girls, aged between benefits to having a lion around eight and fourteen– it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month.  Clemmy (as she is known) is nine years old, but looks younger And it can shapeshift, due so he can take it to her being rather smallschool and it can get him out of a problem. However And it's wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, she makes up for this by being brave much more lax about the rules, and inventiveso on. We learn early on that her mother disappeared in mysterious circumstances and the books have the underlying theme of Clemmy trying to find her mum again OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0956122205</amazonuk>0008596751

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gary BlackwoodJudith Eagle|title=Mysterious Messages - A History of Codes and CiphersThe Stolen Songbird|rating=54|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=ThereCaro's something utterly cool about codes mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and ciphersis now missing. It's not just the spies with their secret world Her other mother, Ronnie, it's the mystery of an ostensibly random set is having to go up North to take care of letters or picturesher sister who is unwell. It's being able So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to unravel them stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and see what they're hidingconfused and worried. It All her summer holiday plans of building 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 is living there too. But she soon finds herself caught up in a combination mystery, as she discovers a painting of geeky riddle solving (a bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and geeks all across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are cool, so there) thieving artworks and uncovering terrorising people. Is the unknown meanings. Gary Blackwood treats us painting somehow linked to a history of codes and ciphers, looking at their creation, the stories behind them, and how gang? And what has happened to crack them.Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0525479600</amazonuk>0571363148

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Daniel PennacTania Unsworth|title=DogNowhere Island

|summary=Dog was Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the runt of care system – the litter. Unwanted. Half-drowned system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and left to die on find a rubbish tip, you can imagine better starts in life home for this scruffy-looking little puppyhimself. But He is en route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and lets it's not so badride him to his future. Black Nose takes him under her wing and gives him That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a little camp on an island between the two directions of her milk and a lot of her love. More importantlymotorway, she teaches him the rubbish tip ropes a place inaccessible and gives him as much advice about doghood definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and ownerhood as she possibly can. And then..seclusion. Them, and a mute girl also finding a home there's an accident. The last thing Black Nose says to Dog is ''If you go to the town, watch out for the carsalbeit so much more successfully. Dodge Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, little or if this is one, remember.''place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406322741</amazonuk>1804540080

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Robert CrowtherHelen Peters|title=Cars - A Pop-Up Book Of Automobiles|rating=3.5|genre=Children's Non-Fiction|summary=Robert Crowther tells the story of the car, from Cugnot's steam engine, Trevithick's road locomotive and Benz's Motorwagen, right through to the record-breaking Thrust SSC Friends and to future cars, like the biodegradable Eco One. There are plenty of pop-ups and pull tabs to bring it all to life, and it's packed with detail.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406312274</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=James Fitzsimmons|title=The Hudbrax Hoard (Sabrax Clyke Series)Traitors

|summary=Meet Sabrax ClykeEngland, WW2. Not allowed Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to sit around be in service all her life it seems, like the hole in the dryfemale 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-stone wall he paths. The girls are chalk and his family call homecheese, and admire the pretty girl whoif we hadn's just moved in next door, he's persuaded by an urgent message from distant relatives to go to t guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their aid regarding some unmentionable, awful predicamentfirst encounters would only prove it so. His journey there But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the task itself will involve metal dragons, odd standing stones, earth-shattering movements, and unearthly nastiesLord Evesham must be a rum 'un.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0955644216</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Jane Ray|title=Snow White|rating=3.5|genre=For Sharing|summary=Jane Ray has taken the classic fairy tale Midnight deliveries are received under cover of Snow Whitesecrecy, the dwarves and the wicked queentalk is made of meetings with Germans, and created beautiful three-dimensional tableaux. It's a much-loved story not only that everyone is familiar with, and this is a great opportunity to rediscover a classic in an interesting new waylocal Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406311839</amazonuk>1788004647

 {{newreview|author=Children's Trust|title=The Walrus and the Carpenter and Other Favourite Poems|rating=3.5|genre=Children's Rhymes and Verse|summary=Celebrities, including [[:Category:Richard Hammond|Richard Hammond]], Paul O'Grady, Sienna Miller, McFly and Lorraine Kelly, have chosen their favourite poems for this anthology. All proceeds from the book go to [http://www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/ The Children's Trust]. It's a fantastic charity, who help disabled children, and I urge you all to buy a copy of ''The Walrus and the Carpenter'' to support them.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140632650X</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tanya LandmanJamie Littler|title=The Head is Dead (Poppy Fields Murder Mystery) Arkspire

|summary=MeetTwo sisters, once againJuniper and Elodie, Poppy Fieldsborn fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and cheese. When tasked Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to create a murder mystery experience for a school fete she is only surprised become the child in line to find inherit the power of the Watcher, the headmistress - closest to a newly employed battleaxe that no-ruler the district has, and one seems to like - a real-life victim of an assassinthe five major victors in said earlier war. And there is Being trained in the magic that only a school field full five people can use would definitely change the status of suspectsthe whole family. Can she and But in finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be able to gain some power of her best friendown – for good, brainbox Georgeor for very, solve the day and make the staff room a safer place to be? And where does the invisible sheepdog come in?!very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406314633</amazonuk>0241586143

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Michael Morpurgo024162343X|title=The Kites are FlyingStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|genre=Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=Said lives on I was the West Bankbad company other people got into at school. He herds his family I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 's sheepgod'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, spends a lot it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of time talking in his head to his absent brother MahmoudWWII, 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 doesnI didn't do, is talk out loud, even so much want to his new friend Mister Max. Max is a Western journalist who wants to make a documentary learn about how the Palestinian/Israeli conflict affects ordinary people on both sides of the wall. Max is entranced by Said, British army's successes (and his dozens of kites, all bearing the message salaam or peace. He can see that Said has a dreamoccasional failures, but hewe didn's not sure t dwell on those) in what it is. Will came to be called 'the dream come true before Max has colonies' as want to leave? |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406317985</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Tanya Landman|title=Dying dispute what right the army had to be Famous (Poppy Fields Murder Mystery)|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Poppy Fields - an inquisitive young lass, keen on exploring her world - there in a slightly different way to her geeky, walking-encyclopaedia of a best friend, Grahamthe first place. So keen is she to explore the phenomenon that is the latest seen-everywhereLooking back, snappedI still believe I was right -at-all-hours celebrity, she makes but I regret that I lacked the pair of them go maturity to audition for bit parts in approach 'the Christmas production of The Wizard of Oz the star is starting to rehearseproblem' politely. Unfortunately for her, she apparently hasnI wish I't noticed shed had Sathnam Sanghera's in 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 on the playbill''Stolen History''...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406314625</amazonuk>

 {{newreview|author=Michael Rosen|title=A To Z - The Best Children's Poetry From Agard To Zephaniah|rating=5|genre=Children's Rhymes and Verse|summary=Michael Rosen has picked the best modern children's poetry, from John Agard through to Benjamin Zephaniah. It stemmed from Rosen performing in schools and libraries with many of the poets, and as children's poetry anthologies go, it's amongst the very best.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141324503</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philippa Pearce and Helen CraigThiago de Moraes|title=A Finder's MagicOld Gods New Tricks

|summary=Till (that's short for Tillawn) has lost his dog Bess Meet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and he has no idea how headventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. But just when she's going to find being told that by her until a mysterious stranger appearsone-last-chance-giving headteacher, the world changes. Mr Finder interviews various witnessesSuddenly, including practically everything electronic stops working – a catpower-out, a moleeven of electric cars, a heron and Miss Mousey. Ithits not just the town the school's not what Miss Mousey says in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and all that gives Mr Finder powers the vital clue as to Internet, just for our convenience's sake). Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened to Bess, but – the ancient Gods have taken the sketch power of power from us. And so she made of begins her epic quest, to gather all the riverbank at people that can steal it back – namely the time characters from myth that Bess went missing. There's a lot of magic have past form in stealing from the quest to find BessGods, ie the semi-deities, giants, but it's all very confusing for Till half-gods and at one point he even doubts so on known as the motives of Mr Findertricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406319821</amazonuk>178845295X

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Emily BearnHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Tumtum and Nutmeg's Christmas AdventureFinding Bear

|summary=I do look forward to a good children's story, and having read Tumtum and Nutmeg's [[The Pirates' Treasure (Tumtum and Nutmeg) Last Bear by Emily BearnHannah Gold|previous adventure on a pirate shipLast time]] I was particularly looking forward to this one. It's Christmas, and our two friendly little mice have April had been working hardon Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, preparing delicious treats and temptations ready for Christmas Dayfinding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that she called Bear. One evening they go upstairs to check Back home, things on the children who live in their housedomestic and family front are a bit advanced, Arthur and Lucybut not perfect for her, and find their letters to Father Christmas. Last year so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the children didn't get any presents because their chimney islands Bear was blocked up and Father Christmas couldn't get inlast left on. They've asked for the same presents again this year, hopeful that this year Father Christmas will manage to find For a way through even though their father refuses to unblock the chimney for fear of drafts. Tumtum and Nutmeg are worried anyway that the letter won't reach Father Christmas in time, bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and that the children will be disappointed once againwounded. They decide to take matters into their own hands and set off to visit the terrifying Baron Toymouse in Toy Kingdom Desperate to see if make sure he can help. However, with clockwork cats to contend with's OK, she and the capture of Tumtum by the evil Baron, Christmas could turn out her father return 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 FAYZ, a barrier erected by Little Pete - no-one knows how - when the nuclear plant went into meltdown. An uneasy truce between Sam's tribe of Perdido Beach kids Arctic and Caine's Coates Academy kids is beginning to waver. The food is running out and the Darkness has its claws hope that in all those it's encountered. Caine himself is reduced to delirium by the voice a world of the Darkness in his head very white and Lana the healer knows it's inevitable that very dangerous things, she too will answer its call. Sam is struggling to keep any form of order. As more can find one specific white and more kids begin to develop special powers dangerous thing – and that the hunger bites deeper into everyone's bellies, it's inevitable that conflict will break out. And it does, in some very unpleasant waysfriendship can continue. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405251522</amazonuk>0008582017

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sam OsmanSimon Fox|title=QuicksilverDeadlock

|summary=''Quicksilver'' Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the story of Wolfieforce, Tala and Zi'ibthen suddenly rings Archie, three ordinary children demanding he fetch something from three different continentsa secret place, and join him on the run. They have never metget together, until a strange chain but barely begin to smell the whiff of events involving gun-Southern trains when the father is arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, 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 tin his father was it fatedetermined to keep away from his colleagues, chance or and the ley lines that encompass the earth that brought them together? Before you know it they're solving clues and fulfilling bearer of a one thousand year old prophecy. But all they want to do is find their parentswhole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407105736</amazonuk>1839944420

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Joanne Dahme Cath Howe|title=Tombstone TeaMy Life on Fire|rating=3.5

|summary=Having recently moved to Ren's family home is destroyed in a new schoolfire. She, in a new townher parents, Jessie is struggling to make friends and fit inher little brother lose everything. She is afraid to show these new people who she really is doesn't have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick- in knacks from her old school she often found she had 'blank' momentscupboard, when and now she could hear voices and is living at her grandmother'see' people who werens house where they can't really theretouch anything, or do anything, or even eat the foods they normally eat. In desperation When she goes back to become part of a 'group' school she accepts discovers that the dare of class are doing a group special art project, creating boxes of girls their lives, to spend the night in the Cemetery display things that are important to them and collect some gravestone rubbings to prove she was thereshow who they are as a person. Once there she bumps into Paul, the handsome caretakerBut Ren has nothing to put in a box, and so she finds herself in the middle of a strange evening whenstarting to steal things. Small things, Paul claimsthings that people might not really miss, local actors get together to rehearse for something called the 'Tombstone Tea', a play in which not when they portray those buried in the graveyardhave so much already...there's something strange though about these actors and Jessie soon But what will happen to her if someone finds herself caught up in a chilling drama.out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0762437189</amazonuk>1839942835

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=David MillerRob Keeley|title=Sea Wolf|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Hanna, Ned The Boy Who Disappeared and Jik. They're on an unlikely quest to recover the world's biggest and richest pearl, from the hiding place Jik alone knows of, when there's a problem in the shape of a tornado. They're thrown from the craft they're on, Ned disappears - and then there were two. Hanna and Jik get rescued by the occupants of a horrid, piratical craft, engaged in very environmentally-unfriendly fishing. Jik gets overworked and underfed, and then there was one... Only one - Hanna - with the spunk, brainpower and energy to keep her spirit together, and try and get one up on the Maestro who commands the boat.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192729020</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Katie Davies|title=The Great Hamster MassacreOther Stories|rating=4.5

|summary=Meet Anna. Rather than write the usual staid what-I-did-in-my-holidays report for school, she Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is taking back with a return to the time to tell short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us about her pet issues over the summer, from recalling the Old Cat, and the horror that is the New Cat, to the New Rabbit down the road, and her own demands for a hamster or two. There are family secrets to be revealed relating to hamsters of oldeleven new tales, parents each as fun to argue with, and finally a trip to the pet shop - and that's just the start of Anna's troublesread as his previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847385958</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Josh LaceyLaura Noakes|title=Two Tigers on Cosima Unfortunate Steals a StringStar

|summary=Ben's not too keen Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the home she lives in is for the girls to just be sharing his bedroom named by the number they correspond to in the ledger, and they're all Unfortunates – young people with his half-brotherdisabilities, Frankuncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But you don't have Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, as the first ever inmate, and unique in having no known family in the hero of outside world. During a detective adventure such as this book daring escapade to know that as Frank's mother has vanished steal some posh cakes from the face of kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the Earth, Ben will let it lie - girls for a whilehis Institute. Nor is But why, and what does that body entail? And could it too surprising possibly bring Cos closer to see the four Misfitz together, on another case, as they go on the hunt for the missing woman.past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407109782</amazonuk>0008579059

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Patrick O'BrienAlice M Ross|title=You Are The First Kid On MarsNowhere Thief

|summary=Things are pretty grim for PickyAt last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She is thirteen years old, also knows she should be free from worries about being bullied at schoolfound out, and because she has the ability to spend her weekends helping her singleleave this world, working mum and use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to take care enter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the buildings are generally empty of her little brother humans and her senile grandmotherripe for plunder. One eveningWith eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at her Gran's house, she goes up into the attic and tries on an old dress that she finds inside an old chest. shop? The dress turns out to be magic, and she suddenly finds herself back in 17th Century LondonWell yes, struggling with a strange man who is calling her 'Amelia' and is trying to kill her. Picky ends up embroiled in Amelia's 17th century life as she tries to find out the truth of who is attempting to murder heranswer, at but the same time as trying to avoid arousing suspicion with her strange behaviour whenever she returns to the present day.fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0956122280</amazonuk>1839943769

 {{newreview|author=John Abbott Nez |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 - he's around at the birth of powered flight. Will his plans for a pedalled air machine work?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0399250417</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jeff KinneyNatasha Farrant|title=Diary The Rescue of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysRavenwood|rating=4.5

|summary=It This story is a truth universally acknowledged that school summer holidays are only enjoyable if you want to enjoy summeranother excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. Greg here doesn't want to notice itThey are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and would prefer to spend Raffy is there with his days curtains drawnmum, face glued to late night TV or and they are living together as a computer gamefamily. They have grown up swimming in the cove, hand either clicking away roaming through the trees, completely at a controller or shovelling in snacksone with all of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. The last thing he needs, thenBut now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his mother, on other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they'family togethernessre going to live, but if they'' tripll even be together, and on a budget, with bad ideas of what Greg should if Ravenwood itself will be doing insteadtorn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141327650</amazonuk>0571348785

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rick YanceyRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=The MonstrumologistSecret Beast Club: The Terror BeneathUnicorns of Silver Street

|summary=In late 19th century AmericaJayden's nose is forever in a book, young Will Henry has been which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the apprentice phoenixes and unicorns of the sternworld, for example. Aisha is addicted to her new tablet, forbidding Dr Warthrop since where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, as their mothers see it, is that they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the death 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 his parentsthose mythological creatures are real, who were also employed by including the doctorone Aisha thinks she's seen on a bit of local footage. The twelve year old boy has seen many things in his service to crew of the monstrumologist - boat, including a specialist in monsters - but nothing can prepare him for living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the fateful day when an elderly grave robber brings rare critters – and the doctor kids unknowingly have the twin corpses of 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 young girl painting, and become saviours of the headless creature with fangs in his chest who had tried to feast on her.unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>184738546X</amazonuk>0241573483

 {{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=B09XWSXSKY|title=Matt Maestro Orpheus and Davethe World Clock|titleauthor=Yuck's Robotic BottomRobert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski

|summary=It's concerned me for a while that it's relatively easy to pick up early readers for girls – princessesFrederick (or Fred, magic soft toysbut never Freddy, mermaids and pets abound – but thereplease) couldn's t sleep. A tune, rather like the ticking of a much smaller choice for boysclock was playing over and over in his mind. Ithappened every time he came to visit his grandfather. He hadn't really wanted to come; after all, he's important too with early readers that the content is ''interesting'' ten now and reading becomes more than just something which you ''have'all those old clocks don' t appeal to do at school and moves into being fun. Matt and Dave have found the answer in Yuckhim anymore.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847382991</amazonuk>}}

{{newreview|author=Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester Clark|title=The Best of Times|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Most children enjoy a good traditional tale and this lovely book by Michael Morpurgo seems to have all the right ingredients – a handsome prince and a beautiful princess who fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. Or ''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do they? Sadly, not long after Prince Frederico marries is tell the lovely Princess Serafina, she becomes very sadtime. Nobody knows what has caused such great sadness, but poor Prince Frederico is desperate to find a cure And time isn't good for his wife's miseryanything. He tries everything in his power and eventually decides to offer his kingdom to anyone who can make her happy again before she dies of a broken heart. Lots of people come to the palace to try and help but in the end the solution is a simple one provided by some very kind travellers.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405232552</amazonuk>}}''

{{newreview|author=Simon Weston|title=Nelson to And that was why he was looking at the Rescue|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Nelson used to pull Mike clock beside the Milkbed. It was nearly twelve o's milk float, clock but he has now retired. He lives in the stable at midnight the back of the dairy along with a couple of tricky rats, Rhodri and Rhys, a pigeon who has no sense of direction, a frog who thinks he's a secret agent spy and an old racehorse who spends most of his time sleepingclock chimed only six times. Rhodri There was nothing for it but to go and Rhys find a mysterious message on Mikegrandad - but where was he? And why had all the clocks stopped at twelve o's fridge and the animals believe that Mike has been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE. Somehow our hero, Nelson, finds himself travelling down to London, pulling a ceremonial coach for Prince Charles as well as giving a TV interview about his experience.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848510454</amazonuk>clock?

 {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jon BerkeleyNigel Baines|title=The Lightning Key (Circus Trilogy)A Tricky Kind of Magic

|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=I shall start with a word of adviceCooper loves to perform magic tricks. When you're being hounded by His father was a circus mastermagician, and a magician, for named Cooper after the soul of a tiger thatgreat Tommy Cooper. But sadly Cooper's contained in a tigerfather died suddenly, and now Cooper doesn's egg that's contained in the brain of your teddy beart quite know who to be, and your best friend - a fallen angel - is trying her best or how to make sure the other angels do not turn on you in a big way - then you're probably living the third book in a fantasy trilogybe. Still - never mind, the angelAnd when his dad's efforts will involve you entering a dream world of flight and cloud cities, the chase after your enemies will take you across the world prop rabbit starts talking to desert oases and backhim, and friends new and old will be he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on board to help.anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847384447</amazonuk>1444960261