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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Anna Wilson and Kathryn Durst1836285493|title=Vlad the World's Worst VampireThe Double Life of a Wheelchair User|author=Rob Keeley|rating=3.5

|summary=Meet Vlad. He's Will is a vampire. You know the typekeen player of video games, the characters that live practically the opposite to us – at night and not by daya conscientious student, in the dark a slightly annoying brother and not the light, drinking fresh blood as opposed to making black pudding out of it firsta supportive friend. But Vlad is not like one most of thoseall, for he can't fly, can't remember is an aspiring writer. English is his roots that favourite lesson at his family are teaching himschool, Marlowe Park, and canone at which he excels. This hasn't turn into a bat. He also – shockgone unnoticed by his headteacher, horror – is interested in the world of the humansMrs Howarth, having turned away from monster stories and she has suggested to Will and his mum that give him daymares and found he spends a couple of afternoons a week at a novel about human different school life. This, thenStation Road, is the drama that unfolds when he does break away from the spooky nocturnal world even he finds scary, and takes himself and where his pet bat off to the world of the human childability might be better extended.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847157424</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Ellie Irving1836282028|title= The Matilda Effect|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= When you're wronged, and you know you've been wronged, it's the worst feeling in the world. When someone takes credit for something you have done, claiming a prize that is rightfully yours, it's a horrible, horrible injustice, and that's the same whether it's a Nobel Prize or simply the blue ribbon (and excessive amounts of dog food) given away at a school science fair. Now parents might tell you that life's not fair, you win some you lose some, or any of a number of clichés, but if your name is Matilda you just can't let it lie. And, when she finds out that her granny was side-lined for a much bigger award, for work she did 50 years ago, she makes it her mission to right the wrong and let the world know exactly what happened. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0552568376</amazonuk>}}{{newreviewFighting Spirit|author=Dan Walker|title=Sky ThievesRob Keeley

|summary=Zoya Delarose never quite fitted in at the orphanage and she's about 'Would you like to learn why. Abducted at the end of adopt a school tripghost?'' ''Young spirit, Zoya is knocked unconscious born 1887, seeks kind home to haunt. Gentleman by birth. Good company. Gets on well with other children. Jokes and wakes up in shocks a creaking sky ship speciality.'' ''If interested, place outside your home three twigs, in the dead shape of nightan arrow, pointing to your front door... She attempts to escape but when she's caught and brought in front ' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is celebrating a decade of the shiphis wonderfully entertaining [[Rob Keeley's captain, Zoya discovers ''Spirits'' series in Chronological Order|Spirits]] series with a new adventure that is both a history reboot and a threat that will change her life forevercontinuation. 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....|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192747010</amazonuk>a wardrobe!

{{newreview|title=High Spirits (Spirits 4)Frontpage

|summary=Around here, we''Millions re big fans of people will die in the war, Ellie. And itchildren's our job to make sure it happensauthor Rob Keeley. ThatHe's why our work isn't easya ball of happy positivity, he understands children, and he writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, not to lecture or hector.''

And if thatThe ''Childish Spirits's not ominous, I don't know what series isone of his greatest achievements. It's been two years since a sequence of ghost stories centring on Ellie's last adventure in , a stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the spirit world or talked to throws at her friend, the ghost of and Edward Fitzberranger. She has tried to do what Viewpoint asked her to do and live , a normal, boring, human life. Mum is still working for the Journeyback historical re-enactment company but it looks as though her job won't last much longer. Money is tight spoiled lordling and Mum, as ever, is stressed. Dad got compensation for his accident, so he is living the life of Riley. He's eager to help out but Mum won't hear of it. And first spirit Ellie has a romantic interest in Luke. All in all, things could be better but they could also be worse. No more spirits. No more corrupting of timelines.encounters|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1788036158</amazonuk>1783064617

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gwyneth ReesMax Boucherat|title=Libby in the MiddleThe Last Life of Lori Mills|rating=4.5

|summary=TwelveWe 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 Libby , on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has an older sisterone main intention, Bella. Bella used and that is to be a real confidante log on to Libby but things have changed since she got a boyfriend. NowVoxminer, Bella makes Libby feel childishthe world-building, foolish and unwanted. The close friendship they had shared has gone and Libby worries critter-collecting game that it will never come backis a hit in Lori's world. Libby also But first Lori has a younger sistertiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, Graceand then she finds something even more spooky. Grace is lovely but it seems For the server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to Libby that Grace, as the baby enter shows signs of the familytampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, commands all the parental love and attention. Libby is well and truly stuck her safe place in the middlegame has been doctored – well, without where is a role of her own.girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408852772</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Stephan LompKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Wilfred and Olbert’s Totally Wild ChaseDungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=Meet Wilfred and OsbertKit. They're not only Like most of the kind to completely flout people in his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the rules sport where a team of the natural history explorer's club they belong towarrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, but when they both spot an undiscovered butterfly togethermagical mazes, they are the kind to fight tooth and claw race to be the first to lay claim to it aloneexit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and devil take the other onepoints they grant you along the way. What they donUnfortunately for Kit, the only thing he't know s seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that the drama that ensues when they're tailing this particular specimen will involve no end of peril – nearly drowningone team has been retired, almost being eaten by a lion, crashing and a hot air balloon one new trio of them just so happened questors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to have in the goading from the token bully of his pocket… world and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a team. ThisWhat chance does this friendless, thenmuscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, is a fun and silly biology lesson – but that's only the best kind, surelyhow could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848696795</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Clare HibbertJames Sherwood Metts|title=Around the World in 80 MapsPlanet Storyland|rating=34.5|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Maps – Things have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're there paid to make sure you don't go wrong. They might portray one town, do and the streets or the canals other tasks that feature in it, with proud city walls surrounding the place; took time to accomplish. Just as they may convey the complex coast were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of a newly discovered islandother, or even in the case of Australia a whole continent; or they may just be coloured pink new ways to show off what you consider to be your land. Either way, they have certainly progressed from the early days, getting more and more accurate on the wholespend time, and portraying a more honest look at our worldalong came an awful pandemic. But what can we learn from scanning back to when they were less informative Life was pretty much shut down and allowed you to go very wrong, when they had sea monsters and 'here be dragons'along with it, and just plain looked daft? This book is one of all the more informative ways to find out the answer to that questionmany daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0712356932</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Clare HibbertTom Percival|title=Around the World in 80 MapsThe Wrong Shoes|rating=3.5|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Maps – theyWill're there to make sure you don't go wrong. They might portray one towns life is difficult, and the streets or the canals that feature in it, with proud city walls surrounding the place; they may convey the complex coast of a newly discovered island, or even in the case multitude of Australia a whole continent; or they may just be coloured pink to show off what you consider to be your landways. Either wayHe is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', they he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have certainly progressed from enough money for even the early daysmost basic of things like food, getting more and more accurate on his dad can't work because he lost his job at the wholecollege, was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and portraying a more honest look at our worldhad an accident. But what can we learn from scanning back to when they were less informative Throw into that mix the fact that his mum and allowed you to go very wrongdad are separated, when they had sea monsters and Will'here be dragons's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, and just plain looked daft? he still has a tiny amount of hope. This book He is one of the more informative ways good at art, and clings to find out the answer to moments of joy when he is drawing, that questionfeel like a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0712356932</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Pam Smy1805141872|title= ThornhillThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline'Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, this story is hauntingMiss Judson, mysterious and touching. Mary is really a unique child; she's introverted safecracker! With police and very talentedher gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, spending most of her time by herself creating her fantasies through making puppetsMiss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job.. She is being severely bullied, but her bully has gone further than most. She torments her'' Goodness me, haunts that Miss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her steps and takes every opportunity manage to make Maryget mixed up with a bad 'un like Al? We's life a living hellll find out. Too scared to sleepLuckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, too uncomfortable the son of a famous magician who has ambitions to eat with othersbe as good as his father some day, Mary has become an isolated mute stuck in her room at Thornhill.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910200611</amazonuk>and who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Cornelia FunkeChristopher Edge|title= Dragon Rider: The Griffin's FeatherBlack Hole Cinema Club|rating= 54|genre= Confident Readers|summary= The last Pegasus on Earth has three eggs but unfortunately Pegasus eggs need their mother's saliva to allow them to magically grow Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their mother died recently. Despite growing increasingly transparent the eggs are harder than diamond and before too long they will become local cinema, a tomb for place that has the winged horses insidenickname of 'The Black Hole'. Our plucky adventurers have All big movie fans, they're looking forward to seek out a special feather from potentially lots of exciting films, and many, many snacks! However, as the most dangerous creature on the planetmovie starts, a griffin. That they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is if griffins even exist! A gorgeous very different, and loving book that just oozes empathy and care for all of nature. This is they are swept up into an utterly brilliant adventure that gripped me they couldn't even imagine. But as they lurch from the start and if I was 10 years old this would be one of film genre to the most wonderful adventures I could go next, can they figure out what on earth is going on. ? Will they ever get back to the cinema, and to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1911077880</amazonuk>1839942738

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Robert Hegarty and Marcelo BadariAdam Stower|title=Time Atlas: An Interactive Timeline of HistoryMurray and Bun|rating=34.5|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers |summary=While it's always useful for Murray is supposed to be a child to have access to an atlashumble, so they know where they are tidy and what there friendly cat, one who is in every other locationable to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, it's equally important that they know ''when'' they arewell, and what has happened at any other place in timewhatever takes his fancy next of the two. ThatBut he's the ethos behind this ''Time Atlas'a bad magician's cat, which only so his favourite bun has been turned into a few spreadshyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, but takes us right back to prehistoryand the catflap they both use can chuck them out, through not into the birth of civilisationregular back garden, and up to today – as well as asking but into a few questions world of what might happen in the futurefrightening adventure and whiffs. It This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter isexpected – well, after allone much bigger than Murray was, vital we know not only where we areto be honest, but where we may be going…he's turned up and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848575920</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ian LivingstoneAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Fighting Fantasy: The Port Glorious Race of PerilMagical Beasts|rating=4.5|genre=Fantasy Confident Readers|summary=As I promised I would when I looked back at Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the beginning of the 35 year history of ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebooks [[Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain wondrous library we start by Steve Jackson visiting with him, and Ian Livingstone|(here)]], I took to in the evening a helper at the brand-new-for-2017 volume with my pen, mapping paper, dessert cafe his gran owns and most importantly, diceruns. For the first time in a longEli lives with his lovely gran, long time, I would not read too – for there is a book for reviewgeneration missing in the family. I would play it. And soA few short years ago, armed with healthy staminaEli's parents were both lost to the titular race, reasonable luck but frankly embarrassing skill, I set offa globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast. 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 most hates, with the report sole aim the prize of that journey magic at the end – as well as hopefully being the usual useful book reviewonly thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407181297</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sharon CohenHelen Cooper|title=The Starman and MeTaming of the Cat|rating=43.5

|summary=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''He wasn't an alienre seeing a connection, I was sure they live in a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be the names of thatcheeses. It was more like Anyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, if you must, mous-tracised, for the way his habits don't match the other mice he'd walked in through an ancient door lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the past... except cheese for bedding – he was here, in my bedroom displays it as art and his misty forest was somewhere real makes stories based on the visuals on Planet Earthit.'' Twelve And that story-year-old Kofi thought he was seeing things telling will come in handy one night, when he spied a tiny human on a roundabout near to his housefeels all alone and cast out. But he wasn It'ts almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. Rorty Thrutch is This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as real as you or meall the others had the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. But how did Rorty come to be hiding out in will the story have the middle of a roundabout in Bradborough? And why is he so insistent successful sequel it needs when that he'll soon be ''bad dead''cheese runs out? |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1786540088</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreview <!-- remove 5/8 -->Frontpage|titleauthor=Eye Spy IILauren St John|authortitle=Tessa BuckleyFinding Wonder

|summary=Fresh from Roo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was young, and now she finds herself awoken in the success middle of solving its first case, Eye Spy Investigations is certainly up for another. So twins Alex and Donna jump at the chance night by the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to investigate the strange things happening at the Priory, home corner shop to school friend Jimmy Devlinbuy a lottery ticket. Alex doesn When asked what other family she has, she can only name her aunt, Joni, who she knows her dad didn't believe in ghosts think very highly of. But she has no one else, and he is very keen so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to persuade Donna that they donget worse for Roo, as when she and Joni leave London in Joni't exist.s old campervan, it breaks down in the middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1788032667</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gareth P Jones Adam Baron and Steve MayBenji Davies|title=Escape from Planet Bogey (Pet Defenders)Oscar's Lion|rating=3.5

|summary=Mitzy the cat and Biskit the dog are Pet Defenders – perhaps some of the creatures best suited We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to defend the planet from alien invasion, seeing as they have inbuilt animal instinctshis mother – or father, and live alongside some but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of the strangest critters out there, in mankindtimes before he has to be ready for school. But when theyhe enters his parents're thinking life bedroom, all he sees is too quieta mahoosive male lion on their bed, only looking sheepish, and admitting that he won't be hungry for a rat another two days. But there are benefits to come along with having a tale of being enveloped in snot and taken lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a different corner of birthday party for Oscar the universe entirelyother month. And it can shapeshift, they're only too keen so he can take it to investigateschool and it can get him out of a problem. ThatAnd it's especially true of Biskit, when he learns that the adventure may allow him clues wonderful to solve have around the disappearance of house – not limiting his previous partner…biscuit intake, being much more lax about the rules, and so on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847157874</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marian Orlon, Jerzy Flisak and Eliza Marciniak (translator)Judith Eagle|title=Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery (Detective Nosegoode 1)The Stolen Songbird|rating=3.54

|summary=The lovely village of Lower Limewood is coming awake as it usually doesCaro's mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and people are happily going about their businessis now missing. Business for the statelyHer other mother, Ronnie, well-known but happily retired Detective Nosegoode is merely idling his time on a park bench reading the newspapers having to go up North to take care of her sister who is unwell. So who is going to his dog – a dog that can talk look after Caro? Sent to him in human languagestay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, if not readshe feels frustrated and confused and worried. But not all people welcome the new day 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 joy – a clockmakeran orphan boy, Albie, who had been working for is living there too. But she soon finds herself caught up in a week now at repairing mystery, as she discovers a music box with painting of a porcelain dancer on top bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and all across London a clockwork mechanism, finds it – fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and only it – has been stolen from his businessterrorising people. It's only a step to find Is the owner was under the illusion it was a clue painting somehow linked to some long-lost treasure, but who could have burgled the workshop and taken itgang? And what place has happened to play Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the mystery does a strange man have, what with his avidly watching the Detective from behind a giant and clearly fake beardtoo?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1782691553</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jo CotterillTania Unsworth|title=A Storm of StrawberriesNowhere Island

|summary=Darby lives on a strawberry farm with her mum, big sister, step dad and step brotherMeet Gil. She loves musicJust twelve, dancing, chocolate egg hunts he is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and her big sister Kaydeefind a home for himself. She He is warm and funnyen route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and she has Down's syndromelets it ride him to his future. The story looks at the events That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of one weekend belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in Darby's life when a camp on an island between the farm is threatened by two directions of a motorway, a tornadoplace inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and seclusion. Them, and her family is threatened by the revelation of a closely-guarded secretmute 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>1848126166</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Pip Jones and Adam StowerHelen Peters|title=Piggy Handsome: Guinea Pig Destined for Stardom!Friends and Traitors|rating=3.5|genre=Emerging Confident Readers |summary=Meet Piggy HandsomeEngland, WW2. He Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is a very bequiffed guinea pigNancy, and he is frustrated that everyone destined to be in his long line of Handsome guinea pigs has become famous for somethingservice all her life it seems, except himlike the female generations before her. Annoyed The other is Sidney, a girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that he has not even got his face in the local newspaperbeen removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and cheese, he has complained to his friend Jeffry the Budgie more than onceand if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. But on this daysomething is amiss, Jeff has a chance to solve the issue and get some peace first separately and quiet for himself – there 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 chip eating contest in townlocal Spitfire factory has been attacked. But can Piggy get there in time, can he down a bowl of chips quickly enough to winsurely the girls are wrong, and what about the pair of idiot thieves that also have something on their mindupper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571327540</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chae Strathie and Anna ChernyshovaJamie Littler|title=Captain Firebeard's School for Pirates: The Sneaky Sweet StealerArkspire

|summary=The ''Rusty Barnacle'' is set to sail againTwo sisters, with a second term for the wannabe pirates Juniper and their teachers Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and crewcheese. TommyJuniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, despite being lateincluding 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, is perhaps even to become the child in line to inherit the power of the keenest pupil there – after allWatcher, he the closest to a ruler the district has great friends, enemies he can easily vanquish, and a very good novice parrot for companyone of the five major victors in said earlier war. But everyone on board has reason for concern when they set sail – Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the prize sweets from status of the tuck shop are going missing in great quantitieswhole family. Who could possibly But in finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be behind this mystery?able to gain some power of her own – for good, or for very, very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140716340X</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Cathy Hopkins024162343X|title=The Valentine's Day KittenStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating=45|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=Marcie is distraughtI was the bad company other people got into at school. On ValentineI was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 's Day last year shegod'd didn't receive a single card and her parents could see that she . Where was upsetthe proof? In history lessons, so when she came home from school there was a box on the kitchen table and in it was the most gorgeous fluffy silver kittenprobably worse still. Misty and Marcie were soon inseparable until Not too long after the day that Misty went out without a collar on - and end of WWII, I didn't come home. Marcie blamed herself: Mistyso much want to learn about the British army's collar had broken successes (and sheoccasional failures, but we didn'd never got round t dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to buying a new onebe there in the first place. Mum has put notices up everywhere she can think of and rung the local vets and animal rescue centresLooking back, I still believe I was right - but thereI regret that I lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem's no sign of Mistypolitely. Then Marcie starts having dreams, about a boy, a hotel, a painting - and MistyI wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''. Will there be a happy ending?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178112678X</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Shane HegartyThiago de Moraes|title= Darkmouth: Hero RisingOld Gods New Tricks|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Things seem as bad as they can get for FinnMeet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, trainee Hunter she could almost be thought a young goddess of all those nasty things nuisance. But just when she's being told that keep trying to get through to our by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the world from the Infested Sidechanges. His dad has been sacked Suddenly, leaving him practically alone to face the baddieseverything electronic stops working – a power-out, both monstrous and humaneven of electric cars, he has no weapons or back-up hits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from his friend Emmiemobile phones, and all that powers the family has even been kicked out of the house theyInternet, just for our convenience've lived in for generationss sake). Of course Trixie, in luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the way power of the best storiespower from us. And so she begins her epic quest, you only have to hint gather all the people that things couldn't get worse for them to do exactly can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that. And any beastie that's got all have past form in stealing from the monsters from Gods, ie the other dimension scared is not going to be a doddle to fight. Farsemi-deities, giants, far from ithalf-gods and so on known as the tricksters. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007545622</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tamsin CookeHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Stunt DoubleFinding Bear

|summary= Finn wants to be actor but[[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, when his first ever lines in a film are cutlot further north than many people would venture, he's happy to settle for stunt-double. He has all the skills for this demanding role: he's and finding a natural dare devil ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a karate black-belt (almost)polar bear – that she called Bear. The only downside is Back home, things on the person Finn has to double domestic and family front are a bit advanced, but not perfect for: Finn her, and teenso can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was last left on. For a bear doing very Bear-star Blake have history y things has been shot and a relationship of mutual hatredwounded. Pretty soon, however, this is the least of Finn Desperate to make sure he's worries. The eccentric film directorOK, Novak, pushes him she and her father return to the limits with increasingly dangerous stunts, manipulating Finn into doing the stunts without safety gear. But Arctic and hope that seems tame when they transfer to film on location in a remote part world of Papua New Guinea very white and Finn discovers what Novak really has planned for himvery dangerous things, she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that the friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>019274982X</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David Roberts and Alan MacDonaldSimon Fox|title=My Burptastic Body Book (Dirty Bertie)Deadlock

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=OhLate one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, to be young and innocentthen suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a secret place, and join him on the run. They get together, but barely begin to smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to be full Brighton, toting a tin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, and the bearer of a whole heap of questions. Questions like |isbn=1839944420}}{{Frontpage|author=Cath Howe|title=My Life on Fire|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Ren's family home is eating my bogies good for me'destroyed in a fire. She, or 'why is poo brown'her parents, or 'what makes sweat smell'and her little brother lose everything. You donShe doesn't have to be a kid like Dirty Bertie to want to know the answers – respectivelyany of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, no; itand now she is living at her grandmother's down to dead bacteria; and it doesnhouse where they can't – it's other bacteria againtouch anything, or do anything, or even eat the foods they normally eat. If you think you have When she goes back to school she discovers that the class are doing a lad (orspecial art project, let's face itcreating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to them and show who they are as a lass) interested person. But Ren has nothing to put in learning such stuffa box, this book could well be the place and so she finds herself starting to turnsteal things. Small things, things that people might not really miss, not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847156754</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Matt StantonRob Keeley|title= Funny Kid for PresidentThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories|rating= 54|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Max Walburt has Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a real problem with his teacher and nothing seems return to the short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new tales, each as fun to make it better. Running for class president seems like a good way out of read as his problems but inevitably it doesn't run smoothlyprevious offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0008220166</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Kid NormalLaura Noakes|authortitle=Greg James and Chris SmithCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|summary=Murph Cooper is fed upMeet Number One. He and his mum have moved house Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Again Or rather, just Cos to her friends. This means another new The practice in the home she lives in is for the girls to get used just be named by the number they correspond toin the ledger, and they're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. This means another new school But Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to get used be known about where she came from, as the first ever inmate, and unique in having no known family in the outside world. During a daring escapade to. This means another set of friends left behind. And if that weren't enoughsteal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, this time he doesn't even have she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a new school devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to go want toadopt all the girls for his Institute. Everywhere is full But why, and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to the past she has so little link with?|isbn=0008579059}}{{Frontpage|author=Alice M Ross|title=The Nowhere Thief|rating=4. Eventually, a place 5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=At last there is found new stock in the impoverished yet over- at ''The School'', a strange place hidden away full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a back streetseaside town. ''The School'' is a school unlike any other Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. It caters for children with superpowers. But Murph doesn't have any superpowers She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the ability to leave this world, and is soon consigned use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the socially undesirable super zeroes gangbuildings are generally empty of humans and ripe for plunder. The kids with superpowers are not kind With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the super zeroes...shop? Well yes, is the answer, but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408884534</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Max BrooksNatasha Farrant|title= Minecraft: The IslandRescue of Ravenwood|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Max Brooks perfectly captures This story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, in the experience North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of playing Minecraft without instructions or assistance from 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. They have grown up swimming in the random punching stage cove, roaming through to building towers that touch the skytrees, completely at one with all of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. Just But now the house is under threat, as schools around Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the world are using Minecraft property to teach computer science a developer as it's becoming more and other skills Brooks uses his novel more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they're going to demonstrate how valuable life lessons can live, but if they'll even be learned from this online phenomenatogether, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>178089774X</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gillian Cross Robin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Secret Beast Club: The Demon Headmaster: Total Control Unicorns of Silver Street

|genre=Confident Readers |summary= Lizzie and her younger brother Tyler arenJayden't looking forward to returning to Hazelbrook Academy. Howevers nose is forever in a book, when they arrivewhich means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and unicorns of the world, they find everything has changed. And it's not for the betterexample. Every pupil Aisha is now perfectly behaved and suddenly everyone seems addicted to have a special talenther new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. Even the teachers are acting strangely. And The problem, as their mothers see it, if is that isnthey are never 't enoughout there' themselves, Lizzie inexplicably finds herself throwing food around exploring the canteen and being accused outside world of vandalising the schoolHackney, London. Lizzie is determined to But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find out what has caused a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the sudden change in everyone's behaviour but it's hard because no one seems to be able to talk about whatAisha thinks she's going seen ona bit of local footage. It's almost as if The crew of the Hazelbrook students boat, including a living gargoyle, are no longer able tasked with saving the rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to think and act for themselvesjoin in. Could it Dare they side with Leila, the woman on board, perhapsand her relative who lives as a figure in a painting, be something to do with and become saviours of the mysterious new headmasterunseen? |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192745743</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Laura PowellB09XWSXSKY|title= The Last Duchess: a Silver Service MysteryMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Being a Lady's maid doesnFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sound sleep. A tune, rather like the ticking of a whole lot of funclock was playing over and over in his mind. It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. Don He hadn't read novelsreally wanted to come; after all, which will make you dissatisfied with your condition. Be observant he's ten now and cheerful at all times, and grateful for the benefits you receive from your employment - however difficult it may seem, it those old clocks don't appeal to him anymore. ''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is, after all, far better than living in poverty on tell the streetstime. And never express your own opinion, even if your mistress asks time isn't good for itanything... These are '' And that was why he was looking at the rules (among many, many others) used to train girls clock beside the bed. It was nearly twelve o'clock but at Mrs Minchin's Academy of Domestic Servitudemidnight the clock chimed only six times. There are no rules was nothing for what goes on in the privacy of your own head, however, it but to go and Pattern, generally considered find grandad - but where was he? And why had all the Academyclocks stopped at twelve o's most gifted student, has plenty of opinions which, if she said them aloud, would cause her teachers to faint in genteel horror.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509808906</amazonuk>clock?