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Hello from The Bookbag, a site featuring books from all the many walks of literary life - [[:Category:Fiction|fiction]], [[:Category:Biography|biography]], [[:Category:Crime|crime]], [[:Category:Cookery|cookery]] and anything else that takes our fancy. At Bookbag Towers the bookbag sits at the side of the desk. It's the bag we take to the library , the charity shop and the bookshop. Sometimes it holds the latest releases, but at other times there'll be old favourites, books for the children, books for the home. They're sometimes our own books or books from the local library. They're often books sent to us by publishers and we promise to tell you exactly what we think about them. You might not want to read through a full review, so we'll give you a quick review which summarises what we felt about the book and tells you whether or not we think you should buy or borrow it. There are also lots of [[:Category:Interviews|author interviews]], and all sorts of [[:Category:Lists|top tens]] - all of which you can find on our [[features]] page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the [[Book Recommendations|recommendations]] page.

<!-- Mick Herron Linda Jones -->

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===[[Joe Country (Jackson Lamb 6) Deadwood Hall by Mick HerronLinda Jones]]===

[[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:ThrillersConfident Readers|ThrillersConfident Readers]]

IIn late December Dylan Beaumont and his sister Emily were on their way to spend the week before Christmas at their grandfather'd like to say s house. It was snowing heavily and you could sense that all their parents were becoming annoyed at the old crew are bickering in Slough House but the rate back of natural (or unnatural) wastage is such as to have Health and Safety worriedthe car. Roderick HoEmily was rather brusque with her nine-year-old brother's there thoughbehaviour, narcissistic as ever, and so's Louisa Guy. She's getting over the death of Min Harper to the extent but then that she's not your prerogative when you''too'' concerned when she gets re a phone call from Clare Harper, Min's wifegrown-up eleven year old. River Cartwright has got death on his mind too, but in his case it's the impending demise of his beloved grandfather The snow was getting heavier and former spook, the OB. Diana Taverner has taken over from Claude Whelan as First Desk at Regent Park and she's going to make changes: one of journey longer when Emily opened the first is car window just a shockcouple of inches. An argument with Emma Flyte sees the head dog departing the service. Meanwhile at Slough House, Catherine Standish is buying booze again, Jackson Lamb is offensive as ever There was a dreadful smell and Shirley Dander and J K Coe do their best to remain unnoticedDylan saw a horrible, snake-like figure clawing at the latter by saying nothingcar window. [[Joe Country (Jackson Lamb 6) Deadwood Hall by Mick HerronLinda Jones|Full Review]]

<!-- Laurain Denzil Meyrick -->

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===[[Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain, Jane Aitken A Breath on Dying Embers (translator) and Emily Boyce (translatorDCI Daley)by Denzil Meyrick]]===

[[image:4.5star4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:General FictionCrime|General FictionCrime]]

Vintage 1954 starts Few government trade missions arrive by thrusting several completely different characters upon usluxury liner, before deciding to run with them and formulate a plot. So we have an American biker, just landing in Paris but unfortunately not with the wife who shared his dream of visiting the city together. We have a goth girl who everyone recognises from an American crime show, but actually cruise ship ''Great Britain'' is a humble restorer of antiquesberthed in Kinloch harbour and on board are high-powered international delegates. We have a cocktail barman, infatuated with It's hard to avoid the goth girl. We also have a man ruling suspicion that it's not ''entirely'' about work as the roost over a whole suite of individual apartments fabricated from billionaires, entrepreneurs and their civil service minders tour the Haussmann-era mansion his family once owned. Finally something conspires to get them togethercountry, golfing and drinking from the same bottle sightseeing with their entourage of a rare 1954 red winesecurity personnel. Only It's an event which DCI Daley hopes will pass quickly, particularly as his formal uniform is far too tight for comfort, but it's not long before one of them has a bizarre incidence in his family history that also features the same plonk – where crew members and a grandfather imbibed, and walked out the door one rainy morning, never to be seen againlocal bird watcher go missing. But of course nobody will be doing any disappearing now, though – will they? [[Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain, Jane Aitken A Breath on Dying Embers (translator) and Emily Boyce (translatorDCI Daley)by Denzil Meyrick|Full Review]]

<!-- Ford James -->

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===[[The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind Starlight Watchmaker by Jackson FordLauren James]]===

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:ThrillersDyslexia Friendly|ThrillersDyslexia Friendly]], [[:Category:Teens|Teens]]

As the title suggests, this book This is all about a girldyslexia-friendly, Teagan Frost, who has psychokinesisscience fiction novella for young adults. Forced to secretly work for It tells the government along with a few unique (tale of Hugo, an unwanted and shady) individualsrather lonely android, Teagan has to use her power who makes a living for unimaginable tasks. All of this whilst under the pretence of working for a movinghimself mending time-companytravel watches. After her latest job goes wrong and her and the team escape by the skin When one of their teethhis clients demands that his broken watch be mended, Teagan finds herself as Hugo realises there is a murder suspect when the victim mystery to be solved, and is found in such a way that only she could have committed the crimetoo ready to help. The rest An exciting journey of the story discovery unfolds in , which takes Hugo out of his drab attic workroom and into a fast-paced race against time scary adventure with some amazing new friends, exploring regions of the planet never before known to clear Teagan's name and find out exactly what has happenedexist. Is it possible that someone with a gift like Teagan's has managed to fly under the radar? [[The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind Starlight Watchmaker by Jackson FordLauren James|Full Review]]

<!-- Caro Ramsay Stuart MacBride -->

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===[[The Suffering of Strangers Cold Granite (Logan McRae) by Caro RamsayStuart MacBride]]===

[[image:4star4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Crime|Crime]]

Roberta (please call her DS Logan McRae is just back from a year'Bobby') Chisholm is sleep depriveds sick leave after he was attacked by a killer. SixHe's just about OK and he's supposed to be easing himself back into the swing of the job in a gentle way -weekuntil three-year-old Sholto doesn't ''ever'' seem to sleep, so BobbyDavid Reid's like body is discovered in a robotditch. ThereHe's a little light on the horizon, though: her husband James is up d been missing for a new job, which could mean quite a bit more money. When he rings to tell her some time and it came as no surprise that he's got it was dead but he's obviously over the moon and tells Bobby to go first of several child murders. To add to the local shop and get complications the police even have a bottle of champagne so that they can celebratebody but no child reported missing. For once Sholto has dropped off to sleep A serial killer, a child killer and abuser, is on the loose in Aberdeen and when Bobby gets to the shop she's reluctant press are missing no opportunity to disturb him: surely there wonbay for blood. As if that wasn't bad enough there seems to be a problem if she dashes into the shop to get the bubbly? She can keep an eye on the car through the shop windowleak from within Force Headquarters: a local journalist, Colin Miller, but when she comes quickly finds out, the car has gone..everything that's happening. [[The Suffering of Strangers Cold Granite (Logan McRae) by Caro RamsayStuart MacBride|Full Review]]

<!-- Christopher Edge -->|-| style=''width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''|[[image:1788004949.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1788004949/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]] | style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category: Confident Readers|Confident Readers]] ''If you go into the woods, Old Crony will get you.'' Secrets, spies or maybe even a monster... What lies in the heart of the wood? Charlie, Dizzy and Johnny are determined to discover the truth, but when night falls without warning they find themselves trapped in a nightmare. Lost in the woods, strange dangers and impossible puzzles lurk in the shadows. As time plays tricks, can Charlie solve this mystery and find a way out of the woods? But what if this night never ends...? [[The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge|Full Review]] <!-- Rachel Lynch Angela Marsons -->

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===[[Bold Lies Child's Play (DI Kelly Porter 5D I Kim Stone) by Rachel LynchAngela Marsons]]===

It was the smell which announced the presence of the body in the wheelhouse of There's a boat prologue and identification wasnwe know that we't going to be easy as the man was stark nakedre dealing with someone who is very disturbed. There were all the signs of a brutalThe descriptions are horrifying, cold-blooded execution but gradually worst of all is the man was traced back to Allendale House, the estate coldness of the former Lord Allendale, and then to London, where two more bodies, naked, in a staged setting in a garage, were discoveredkiller. Senior Investigating Officer DI Kelly Porter had to go to London and was shocked to discover that the SIO for ''that'' case was DCI Matt Carter, her manipulative and untrustworthy ex-lover. It was going to be anything but easy to work alongside Matt the Tw... Ah, well let[[Child's not go there. [[Bold Lies Play (DI Kelly Porter 5D I Kim Stone) by Rachel LynchAngela Marsons|Full Review]]

<!-- Jonathan Meres Chiang -->

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===[[Special Delivery Exhalation by Jonathan MeresTed Chiang]]===

[[image:4star5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Dyslexia FriendlyScience Fiction|Dyslexia FriendlyScience Fiction]], [[:Category:Confident ReadersShort Stories|Confident ReadersShort Stories]]

How do Over the past twenty-eight years Ted Chiang has published fifteen science fiction short stories. These magnificent stories have won twenty-seven major science fiction awards so if you explain to children about dementia? Injuries or illnesses are obvious, but when the problem a science fiction fan it is likely that you have already come across some of the brain which isn't functioning quite as it used to it isn't as easy to graspwork by Ted Chiang. Frank was a normal nine year old I cannot speak highly enough of this collection of short stories, they are so wide ranging in their themes and like many nine year olds what he wanted was so beautifully written, Chiang has written an absolute masterpiece of a new bikecollection. HeIf you come across Chiang'd had his for about seventy-eight years and he didn't want to raise the seat any more. Mum pointed out that it wasn't his birthday or Christmas any time soon and bikes cost a lot of moneys work before, which didn't grow on trees. His sister Lottie had a solution: Frank could help her with her paper round. Frank agreed despite thinking that it would take him a thousand years this opportunity to save up the money for a bike AND he had to get up at six o'clock in the morningdo so now. Trust me; your imagination will be grateful. [[Special Delivery Exhalation by Jonathan MeresTed Chiang|Full Review]]

<!-- Vivian French Lawrence -->

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[[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] ==[[:Category:Dyslexia Friendly|Dyslexia Friendly]]Rose, [[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident ReadersInterrupted by Patrice Lawrence]]===

Suzi Simms loved running and it was her ambition to win the 100 metres race on sports day at the end of term - and that was next week. We're going to read about what happened in her diary, although there's a warning that we really shouldn't be reading it, particularly as it's about Barbie Meek. To say that the two girls don't get on at all well is a bit of an understatement. Suzi wouldn't actually do anything about it, but Barbie is a troublemaker and she wants to win the 100 metres race too - by fair means or foul[[image:4star. jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[The Spectacular Revenge of Suzi Sims by Vivian French:Category:Teens|Full ReviewTeens]]

Rose and her brother Rudder have recently escaped from cult-like fundamentalist Christian sect, the Pilgrims, along with their mother. While Mum works endless hours at agency cleaning jobs trying to keep the rent paid on their tiny flat, Rose and Rudder are trying to navigate the worldly world. It's not easy when everything is new and the rigid rules you've always lived by are suddenly missing. [[Rose, Interrupted by Patrice Lawrence|Full Review]]<!-- Pye Kate Atkinson -->

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===[[The Adventures of Harry Stevenson Started Early, Took My Dog (Jackson Brodie) by Ali PyeKate Atkinson]]===

[[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Confident ReadersCrime|Confident Readers]] Meet Harry Stevenson. He's a typical guinea pig, except he's perhaps a bit more ginger than normal. And more lazy than usual. And his appetite is possibly bigger than the norm. Apart from that he's a regular guinea pig. But the stories in which he features are nothing like. In the first one here, the lad who owns and looks after him is being forced to move house. It should be a simple journey for Harry, safe in his cage from all the predators that watching nature documentaries have put into his imagination, but he gets distracted and – shock horror – left behind. It takes some bravura slapstick and a charming contrivance for him to be found again. In the second, for we get two full-length stories in this volume, there's a party being held to get the lad used to his new schoolmates, and Harry used to life in a garden hutch. And one more wonderful conceit that drives high drama. [[The Adventures of Harry Stevenson by Ali Pye|Full Review]] <!-- Angie Kim -->|-| style="width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;"|[[image:1529374944.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1529374944/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style="vertical-align: top; text-align: left;"|===[[Miracle Creek by Angie Kim]]=== [[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Thrillers|ThrillersCrime]]

The Yoo family originated I guess that most of us have made the odd impulse purchase but Tracy Waterhouse, security chief at the Merrion Centre in Seoul. Yoo Young and her daughter Meh-hee came on ahead Leeds, blew most people's ideas of the father an impulse purchase out of the family, Yoo Pak, as a couple in Baltimore offered to provide accommodation for Young and Meh-hee in exchange for assistance in their grocery storewater one morning. What Young had not appreciated was that she was to work from 6 Seeing a.m. until midnight, seven days known prostitute dragging a week. For years she hardly saw toddler through the shopping mall whilst cursing at her daughter except when , Waterhouse followed the Kangs brought Meh-hee to see her at woman and bought the storegirl for £3000. Meh-hee became Mary The difficulty of a purchase like this is knowing what to do next and struggled at school: her fellow pupils were no exceptions to the rule that children can be cruel Tracy's humdrum life is replaced with one of stress, fear and Mary was an easy targetoverwhelming love for four-year-old Courtney. [[Miracle Creek Started Early, Took My Dog (Jackson Brodie) by Angie KimKate Atkinson|Full Review]]

<!-- Megan E O'Keefe Chloe Daykin -->

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===[[Velocity Weapon Fire Girl, Forest Boy by Megan E O'KeefeChloe Daykin]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science FictionConfident Readers]]

The last thing Sanda remembers is her gunship explodingMaya has to escape. She expected 's on the run in a country she doesn't know and has no idea who to be recovered by salvagetrust. Raul is escaping too -medics and travelling back to awaken in friendly handshis home where a terrible tragedy happened, patched-up and ready to rejoin stir up trouble. When their paths collide in the fight. Instead she wakes up 230 years later, on a deserted enemy starship called The Light middle of Berossus - orthe jungle, as he prefers the sparks begin to call himself, 'Bero'fly. Bero tells Sanda As modern world corruption meets the war is lost. That magic and legends of ancient times, can Maya draw on her hidden light to find the entire star system is dead. But is that way through to the full storytruth? After all, in the vastness of space, anything is possible . . . [[Velocity Weapon Fire Girl, Forest Boy by Megan E O'KeefeChloe Daykin|Full Review]]

<!-- Parker Angela Marsons -->

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[[image:4star.jpg|link===Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[The Chessmaster's Secret by Mary Parker:Category:Crime|Crime]]===

[[image:4starThere's a prologue and we know that we're dealing with someone who is very disturbed. The descriptions are horrifying, but worst of all is the coldness of the killer.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Confident ReadersChild's Play (D I Kim Stone) by Angela Marsons|Confident ReadersFull Review]]

Belle and Joe travel to London in 1944, towards the end of World War II. Orphaned evacuees, they haven't had a good time of it - especially Joe, who is a sensitive child and was badly bullied. Meeting them is Uncle Griff, a kindly man, but one without much money. He is more than happy to have the children stay during the school holidays. Uncle Griff owns the ''Shop of Mechanical Marvels'' and the children love all the old things it contains. Uncle Griff hopes to restore it to profitability and bring some wonder back into London's bombed out streets. [[The Chessmaster's Secret by Mary Parker|Full Review]] <!-- Rob Walker Gregory -->

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[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] ==[[:Category:Lifestyle|LifestyleI Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory]]===

The curse put on reviewers is that we get to read through a book which is really better dipped into, or read gradually and thoughts allowed to be provoked[[image:4. And so it was with ''The Art of Noticing''5star. It's a simple premisejpg|link=Category: the pace of modern life and rapidity of technological advances means that we are constantly overwhelmed and distracted. Rob Walker wants us to be able to steal our attention back. He gives us his thoughts on various areas of our lives and then provides 131 exercises to help us recover our attention. {{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[The Art of Noticing: Rediscover What Really Matters to You by Rob WalkerCategory:Teens|Full ReviewTeens]]

Gemma has just started her A levels at school. She's a keen student and she has a good, close set of friends. Gemma loves country music and in her spare time she enjoys writing and singing country songs. She's pretty good at it too. Home life is busy - Gemma's brother Michael has a chance at a football career and the whole family, propelled by Gemma's rather over-invested dad, is supporting him with everything they've got. Gemma hasn't had a serious boyfriend yet, so when the handsome Aaron appears and an instant attraction fizzles between them, Gemma is keen to see where romance could lead... [[I Hold Your Heart by Karen Gregory|Full Review]]<!-- Lesley Thomson Davis -->

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===[[The Playground Murders What's That in Dog Years? by Lesley ThomsonBen Davis and Julia Christians]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:CrimeConfident Readers|CrimeConfident Readers]]

Rachel Cater George and Gizmo have been together ever since George was having an affair with her boss, Chris Philips, an auctioneerborn. It wasGizmo has always been a fun, she told her mother, love at first sight. Her mother was more sceptical adventurous dog and wondered whya loyal friend, if it had been love at first sightbut just recently, it had taken him so long George has noticed that he's starting to do anything about itslow down a little. Still, more than anything, she wanted her daughter A visit to the vets leaves George worried that Gizmo might not be happy. That was what Rachel wanted too around for very much longer, and it was why she went so he begins to write Gizmo a bucket list, of all the Philips' family home, determined to adventures that they can still have it all out together in the openGizmo's last days. Instead she was stabbed fifteen times. But are they his last days? Her lover was convicted of her murder. And who will help George to stay calm when Gizmo is gone? [[The Playground Murders What's That in Dog Years? by Lesley ThomsonBen Davis and Julia Christians|Full Review]]

<!-- Dare Hlad -->

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| style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[Walks In The Billion Pound Lie Wild by Bill DarePeter Wohlleben and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Translator)]]===

[[image:4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:ThrillersAnimals and Wildlife|ThrillersAnimals and Wildlife]], [[:Category:Politics and Society|Politics and Society]]

Can you imagine what it would be like to win a billion pounds? The UK''An instruction manual for the forest'' is how Wohlleben's biggest ever lottery winners were a couple from Ayrshirepublisher described the idea for this book, who won a £161 million EuroMillions jackpot a few years ago. Thatand that's so much money that basically what it landed them on is – although right at the Sunday Times Rich List of end the UK's thousand most wealthy people. So a billion pounds. That's a lot, right? Can you imagine author says that it? What would you do? Would you try is not intended to remain anonymous? Andbe a reference book, if you did, how would this affect your relationships with your nearest and dearest? What it would be like? How could you keep your friends and family from knowing that you were now one of the richest people in the country? but an appetiser. [[Walks In The Billion Pound Lie Wild by Bill DarePeter Wohlleben and Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp (Translator)|Full Review]]

<!-- Vaughn M T Edvardsson and Rachel Wilson-Boyles -->

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===[[Across the Void A Nearly Normal Family by S K VaughnM T Edvardsson and Rachel Wilson-Boyles (translator)]]===

[[image:4star4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Science FictionCrime|Crime]], [[:Category:Thrillers|Science FictionThrillers]]

Sea epics? So 20th centuryWe're going to hear this story through the viewpoints of three different people: Adam Sandell, his wife, Ulrika and his daughter Stella. Try Adam's a pastor in the Church of Sweden and Ulrika is a space epiclawyer. Stella is, well, just difficult. You sense that she's always been difficult and there have even been occasions when Ulrika has let slip that she wishes that Stella was more like her best friend, Amina Bešic - and no one has ever said that if they don't think that the other person is better. We first meet the family on Stella's 18th birthday and we get a sense of Adam's controlling nature. Permission has to be given for a glass of wine for Stella at the celebration meal. [[Across the Void A Nearly Normal Family by S K VaughnM T Edvardsson and Rachel Wilson-Boyles (translator)|Full Review]]

<!-- McLean Green -->

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===[[The Van Apfel Girls are Gone House of Light by Felicity McLeanJulia Green]]===

[[image:4star4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Thrillers|Thrillers]], [[:Category:General FictionConfident Readers|General FictionConfident Readers]]

When Tikka Molloy was eleven Bonnie is growing up on a slightly strange island, living with her grandfather, scavenging for food, and one-sixth years old, rubbish that has washed up on the Van Apfel sisters disappearedbeach that she and her grandfather can use to make things. In There is some sort of ban against anyone else landing on the long hot summer island, and lots of 1992suspicion around those who live there, in an isolated suburb including a great fear of Australia surrounded by Bushland, the girls vanished during the school's Showstopper concert at the riverside amphitheatreanyone who gets sick. Did they run away? Were they taken? While But when Bonnie is on the search for the sisters united the small communitybeach one day and discovers not only an intact boat, they were never found. Returning home years laterbut a young boy cowering beneath, Tikka must make sense of that strange moment rather than turn him in time – of to the summer that shaped herauthorities she takes him home and hides him, smuggling him boiled eggs and blankets in the girls shed whilst she never forgottries to figure out what to do. [[The Van Apfel Girls are Gone House of Light by Felicity McLeanJulia Green|Full Review]]

<!-- Stowell Foster -->

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===[[The Dragon in the Library Check Mates by Louie Stowell and Davide Ortu (Illustrator)Stewart Foster]]===

[[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident Readers]], [[:Category:Emerging ReadersTeens|Emerging ReadersTeens]]

It In many ways Felix is the start of the summer holidays and Kit has plans. These plans involve climbing treesa typical boy in Year 7, getting muddy enjoying playing games on his PS4 and being outside. Her friends, Josh and Alita, on hanging out with his friend Jake at the other hand want to go to the libraryweekend. Kit hates reading and can't see the point of books However Felix is struggling at all school. He is not a problem child but is very reluctantly persuaded he does have a problem. His ADHD makes it hard for him to go concentrate, he keeps getting into trouble and his grades are slipping. When his Mum suggests that he spends more time with the others to the local libraryhis grandfather Felix is horrified. Once there the children meet the librarian Ever since Grandma died his Granddad has been grumpy and Kit makes an incredible discovery; the librarian is a wizard! Even more incredibly, Kit eccentric than before. All he wants to do is a wizard too sit in the dark and play chess. Felix knows that this will be extremely boring. But sometimes we learn valuable lessons where we least expect to and she perhaps Granddad and her friends have an important taskFelix can help each other. They must save the library…and save the world! [[The Dragon in the Library Check Mates by Louie Stowell and Davide Ortu (Illustrator)Stewart Foster|Full Review]]

<!-- Stuart MacBride Jane O'Connor -->

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===[[All ThatNeedlemouse by Jane O's Dead (Logan McRae 12) by Stuart MacBrideConnor]]=== [[image:5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:General Fiction|General Fiction]], [[:Category:Women's Fiction|Women's Fiction]]

We first meet Sylvia Penton on her birthday and her boss, the Prof, is taking her out to lunch. This is her favourite day of the year, not because it's her birthday but because of the special time she gets to spend with the man she loves. He's told her that he and his wife are going to divorce - Martha is apparently having an affair - and Sylvia is convinced that the Prof will then declare his love and they can be together. She hasn't fully constructed 'together' in her own mind - she envisages it as romantic, but her imagination hasn't yet progressed to the sexual part of the relationship. There's time though - she's only been the prof's PA for fifteen years. [[Needlemouse by Jane O'Connor|Full Review]]<!-- Various-->|-| style=''width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''|[[image:1529006031.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1529006031/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[Return to Wonderland by Various Authors]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:Confident Readers|Confident Readers]], [[:Category:Short Stories|Short Stories]] In following a young girl called Alice down the rabbit hole a few years ago, when the first book she was in [[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (150th Anniversary Edition) by Lewis Carroll and Anthony Browne|hit 150 years of age]], I found that I didn't really find too much favour with it. The wacky-for-the-sake-of-it did not gel, and I don't remember loving it more as a child. But I would suggest I am the perfect audience for this book. I had every chance to enjoy these short stories that come at the core from a tangent, that show the benefits of the oblique glance. I've always preferred coming to an author's output through their least obvious, allegedly throw-away pieces, and it's the same with franchises – I'd more likely go for Bree Tanner's short novella than the whole Twilight saga (although that remains just a hunch, for obvious reasons). For another thing, there was every reason to expect some kind of greatness here – with Carroll much loved by millions, surely pieces written with that love in mind could only provide for success after success? [[Return to Wonderland by Various Authors|Full Review]] <!-- Elphinstone -->|-| style=''width: 10%; vertical-align: top; text-align: center;''|[[image:1471173666.jpg|link=http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1471173666/ref=nosim?tag=thebookbag-21]]  | style=''vertical-align: top; text-align: left;''|===[[Rumblestar (The Unmapped Chronicles) by Abi Elphinstone]]=== [[image:4.5star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:CrimeConfident Readers|CrimeConfident Readers]]

It seemed like a good idea. Logan 'Lazarus' McRae was back at work after a Rumblestar follows the haphazard adventures of the anxious 11-year off sick. He'd been stabbed in -old Casper Tock who timetables his every movement, makes countless to do lists and is hounded by wealthy bullies with the line absurdly humorous and appropriate names of duty Candida Cashmere Jumps and recovery had been slow: he still had some painLeopold Splattercash. His first case was to be He stumbles across a simple one - magic portal by accident just to ease him back like Lucy of Narnia fame, meets a feisty girl troubled by her past and is plunged into work - but it turned out to be anything but. Professor Wilson, a high-profile anti-independence campaigner has gone missing, apparently abducted from his home, but nothing was left behind except some bloodstainsperilous quest. In much a kingdom where the same way that Brexit is dividing people south dark mythological forces of Midnights threaten the border, there's going weather Marvels (equated here to be a war between the pro- and anti-independence factions in Scotland - and the police are not above being involvedmiracle of nature) conjured by magical creatures, only unlikely heroes can battle against evil. [[All That's Dead Rumblestar (Logan McRae 12The Unmapped Chronicles]) by Stuart MacBrideAbi Elphinstone|Full Review]]

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===[[The Evil Occupants of Easingdale Castle by Ray Filby]]=== [[image:4.5star4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:CrimeTeens|CrimeTeens]]

If you were looking back to when it began youJason likes chess. He'd have to say that s pretty good at it was before 1995too - a level eight on his computer programme, with level ten being Grand Master level. Meredith Vincent (that wasnHe't her name then) had gone to Greenham Common on her seventeenth birthday, dressed as a teddy bears also good at systems, having contributed to protest about nuclear weaponsthe relational database that has streamlined his school's administration. It was whilst she was there that she met Samantha, fell head over heels in love with her and went to live in a squat in LondonJason's school, leaving behind her A levelsEasingdale Comprehensive, her recently-widowed mother - is very big on technology and her twin brotherits head, PeteMr Johnston, is keen to look after herinvolve his pupils wherever they show promise. Samantha was there occasionally but Meredith was drawn into forming a band So Jason's friends have also helped out. Liz is great with the boys from the squat hardware and against all helped with the odds Cohen went on to become school's card reader system. Becky has a sensation flair for software and it wasn't long before Meredith was living in has recommended lots of curriculum-enhancing apps. And Bill is a mansion rather than the squattalented programmer... [[The Last Stage Evil Occupants of Easingdale Castle by Louise VossRay Filby|Full Review]]

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===[[Wild Child: Growing Up a Nomad Stone Cold Heart by Ian MathieCaz Frear]]===

[[image:5star4star.jpg|link=Category:{{{rating}}} Star Reviews]] [[:Category:AutobiographyCrime|AutobiographyCrime]]

For Ian Mathie fans there DC Cat Kinsella is good and bad news. Ian has come up with back at the missing link in his narrative, Met after a secondment to the story of a very unusual childhood (yes, London Mayor's Office: the very years that made him hours were good but the amazing man he became)job was boring. The bad – well it She's hardly news two years later – is that grateful to be back with the book is published posthumouslyold team - her partner DS Luigi Parnell, boss DCI Kate Steele and DC Rénee Akwa. As always, it She's beautifully written, with many exciting moments. What I most enjoyed was still not prepared to say anything about the feeling that many identity of her boyfriend: the questions in Ian Mathieknowledge that she's later books are answered in ''Wild Child'' a relationship with Aiden Doyle, the brother of a satisfying clunkmurder victim and moreover a murder with which her father might have had some involvement could finish her career. Seemingly all that's now left in Kinsella and Parnell are called to the discovery of the drawer is unpublishablebody of a young woman: Naomi Lockhart was Australian, just twenty-two years old and her body was discovered by her flat mate, Kieran Drake, an ex-offender. [[Wild Child: Growing Up a Nomad Stone Cold Heart by Ian MathieCaz Frear|Full Review]]