Difference between revisions of "Newest Children's Non-Fiction Reviews"

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[[Category:Children's Non-Fiction|*]]
 
[[Category:Children's Non-Fiction|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Children's Non-Fiction]]
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==Children's non-fiction==
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn=1839948493
{{newreview
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|title=A World of Dogs
|author=Dan Green and Simon Basher
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|author=Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe
|title=Basher Science: Oceans
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|rating=5
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=I've often wondered why this planet is called 'earth' when three-quarters of it obviously isn't and it seems that I'm not aloneDan Green and Simon Basher have decided to take a close look at the oceans and other bodies of water on the planet and to explain them in simple words, accompanied by Simon Brasher's illustrations which are almost - but not quite - mangaIt's a style which kids are going to be comfortable with - and they're not going to associate it with something boring which they have to learnIt's fun.
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|summary=In the interests of full disclosure, I must tell you that I'm a sucker for dogs.  In nearly eight decades, I've never met one I didn't trust and I've loved most of themI wish I felt the same about human beingsSo, any book about dogs, I'm going to sit down and devour.  Then I'm going to go back and read it properly.  And so it was with ''A World of Dogs'', with ninety-six pages devoted entirely to my four-legged friendsAuthor Carlie Sorosiak found herself the accidental owner of an American Dingo - she's learned quite a lot about dogs since then.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0753433443</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529507987
|author=Richard Brassey
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|title=The Repair Shop Craft Book
|title=The Queen
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|author=Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)
|rating=4
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|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Those of us who've been around for longer than the Queen has been on the throne tend to forget that not everyone knows about her history or who-is-who in the familyRichard Brassey has set out to remedy that with this easy-read, almost comic-style book about Her Majesty and there's lots in there in the way of fascinating information, some fun facts and (I'll confess!) a few anecdotes which left me chuckling, sometimes with and sometimes... er, well, I think we'll gloss over that bit, but let me say that this book is not at all sycophantic!
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|summary=I love ''The Repair Shop''.  It's my go-to programme when I want to be cheered up.  After a hard day, there's nothing better than watching experts repair treasured items without ever mentioning what they're worth.  You see, the value is in what these possessions are worth to the people who own them and the memories they holdNo expense appears to be spared and the experts spend as much time and effort as is required to achieve the desired result.  Regular viewers know the experts and they're all brilliant at explaining what it is they're doing.  But how did they start?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001272</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
[[Category:Confident Readers]]
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|isbn=024162343X
{{newreview
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|title=Stolen History
|author=Ellen Emerson White
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|author=Sathnam Sanghera
|title=Titanic: An Edwardian Girl's Diary 1912
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|rating=5
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Margaret Anne Brady had been at the orphanage for several years when one of the Sisters told her that she'd been asked to accompany a lady who was crossing the AtlanticThis was a dream come true for Margaret as he only relative - her brother William - lived in Boston and he'd been trying to save up her fare so that she could join him in the USAMrs Carstairs is wealthy and she and Margaret will be travelling First Class - on the maiden voyage of RMS ''Titanic''.  All Margaret's dreams seemed to be coming true at once.
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|summary=I was the bad company other people got into at school.  I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'.  Where was the proof?  In history lessons, it was probably worse stillNot too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to be there in the first placeLooking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem' politelyI wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407131419</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Jeremy Dronfield and David Ziggy Greene
|author=Christopher Edge
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|title=Fritz and Kurt
|title=How to Make Money: Smart Ways to Make Millions
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Most kids seem to feel that they could do with more money and short of the parentals coughing up the dosh they have to find some way of earning it for themselvesChristopher Edge has some ideas which might appeal in ''How to Make Money'', with its particularly eye-catching sub-title ''Smart Ways to make MILLIONS''.  Now I rather thought (hoped) that the last bit might be hyperbole, fearing that the country might be over-run by a flood of teenage millionaires, but read on...
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|summary=We start with the pair of brothers Fritz and Kurt, and their muckers, doing things any Jewish lad in 1930s Vienna would want to do – kicking things around the empty market place, helping the neighbours, being dutiful when it comes to the synagogue choir and at a vocational schoolKurt has to make sure the lamps are turned on at their very Orthodox neighbours' each Friday night – the Sabbath preventing them for using anything nearly as mechanical and workmanlike as a light switch.  But this is the time just before the Austrian leader is going to cave to Hitler's will, and instead of having a national vote to keep the Nazis out, invite them in with open arms.  ''Kristallnacht'' happened in Vienna just as much as in Germany, as did all the round-ups of JewsThese in their turn leave the younger Kurt at home with his mother and sisters anxious to hear word of an evacuation to Britain or the US, while Fritz and his father are, unknown initially to each other, packed off on the same train to Buchenwald and the stone quarry there. And us wondering how the titular event for the adult variant of all this could come about…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407129651</amazonuk>
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|isbn=024156574X
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913750353
|author=Karen Blumenthal
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|title=Britannica's Word of the Day
|title=Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different
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|author=Patrick Kelly, Renee Kelly and Sue Macy
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Biography
 
|summary=Framed by Jobs' iconic speech at a Stanford College graduation ceremony, and the three stories he told the students, about connecting the dots, love and loss, and mortality, this biography gives a succinct and balanced account of Jobs' life, his successes and his failures, his passions and his ideals, and his infamously polarized personality. The author actively annotates the backstory of Jobs with references from this speech, as well as future events, carefully chosen statistics, and Jobs' own reminiscence, giving a rich context to his story. Jobs' achievements are incredible and they're not simply down to his genius, but his attitudes towards life and his incredible charisma.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408832062</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Emily Hawkins
 
|title=Illusionology
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=If there was a prize for the most lavish book received here at Bookbag Towers for review, this would definitely be on the shortlist.  A lovely large format hardback, the cover is a delight itself - with a 3D lenticular image, embossed bits, a plastic gem stuck in it...  And inside there are packets of goodies to open and explore, making this more of a literary toy than a book. The book aims to introduce the cleverer child to the wonders of stagecraft and magic, and so here are props for some tricks for you to do, some instructions for other illusions of your own, and a historical guide to how the masters of their trade did it.
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|summary=''Britannica's Word of the Day'' has a sub-title: ''366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus'' which probably tells you all that you need to know about this brilliant book.   It starts on January 1st with ''Razzmatazz'', tells you how to pronounce it (''raz-muh-TAZ''), gives you a definition and then includes the word in a sentence so that you know how it should be used.  You also get an engaging and frequently amusing illustration too. I don't think I've ever encountered a word which uses the letter Z four times before!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848772084</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=0711266204
|author=Patricia McKissack, Frederick L McKissack Jr and Randy DuBurke
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|title=The Secret Life of Birds
|title=Best Shot in the West
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|author=Moira Butterfield and Vivian Mineker (illustrator)
|rating=4
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|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary='We're going to do the real West, NatYou're as real as the rest of 'em - Bat Masterson, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill, the Earps.'  So says a publisher to a lowly railroad porter, NatBut if this guy's as real as the rest of those famous names, why does his not trip off the tongue? Is it purely because as the most famous African-American cowboy, he still was not allowed to be as famous as he should?
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|summary=I have recently discovered a great pleasure: I sit and watch the vast numbers of birds which visit our garden on a daily basis.  An hour can pass without my noticingI've established which species feed from the ground, which pop to the feeders for a quick snatch of some food and who settles in for a good munch but I wish I was more knowledgeableIt would have been wonderful if, as a child, I'd had access to a book such as ''The Secret Life of Birds''. So – what is it?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0811857492</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=0192779230
|author=Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
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|title=Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: The Invisible World of Germs
|title=A Horrid Factbook: Horrid Henry's Sports
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|author=Isabel Thomas
|rating=4
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|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Horrid Henry is back with another book of freaky facts and random trivia.  We loved his book about [[A Horrid Factbook: Horrid Henry's Bodies by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross|Bodies]] and this time the lovable lad (well, I'm sure that's what his mother said...) is back with a book about sportAnd in the year of the London Olympic Games, what could be more suitable? It's not just a crammer for [[How to Watch the Olympics: Scores and laws, heroes and zeros an instant initiation to every sport by David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton|every sport in the Games]] or [[The Story of the Olympics by Richard Brassey|the background to the Games]] themselves.  This is the book which swoops into the World Cow Poo Throwing Contest and delves into the Bog Snorkling Championships.
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|summary='Germs' seems to have become a catch-all word to cover anything unpleasant which has the potential to make you ill.  In the first book in what looks to be a very promising new series, OUP and Isabel Thomas have provided a clear and accessible introduction to the world of germs.  We get an informed look at how people originally thought about diseases and what they thought caused them and how the thinking has developed over time.  The vocabulary can be confusing but Thomas gives a regular box headed 'speak like a scientist' which explains some of the trickiest concepts and you'll soon be familiar with bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses – and how we should protect ourselves.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001647</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1800464495
|author=Sam Hay
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|title= 100 Ways in 100 Days to Teach Your Baby Maths: Support All Areas of Your Baby’s Development by Nurturing a Love of Maths
|title=Archie the Guide Dog Puppy: Hero in Training
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|author=Emma Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=I don't often pick up a non-fiction book for the 7+ age group, find it riveting reading and informative about a subject with which I'm already familiar, but that was the case with ''Archie: Hero in Training''.  Archie is a puppy destined to be a guide dog for a blind person and he's just one story in a book about the pups-in-training, the working dogs, the adults who have guide dogs, or struggle to learn the techniques - or even what happens to the dogs who don't turn out to be what's needed. There's a full range as well as information about what a guide dog costs - and it's not cheap!
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|summary=''Babies seem to be born with an amazing number sense: understanding shapes in the womb, being aware of quantities at seven hours old, assessing probability at six months old, and comprehending addition and subtraction at nine months old.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>033053792X</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
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Did you know this? I didn't! How about:
|author=Steve Backshall
 
|title=Predators
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Many readers would probably know that on the simple count of humans they helped to dispatch, mosquitoes may be the most deadly animals ever. But did you know that if you take into account the success rate of hunts, diversity and spread, ladybirds are more successful predators than tigers?  
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444004174</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
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''Maths ability on entry to school is a strong predictor of later achievement, double that of literacy skills.''
|author=Ewa Solarz, Aleksandra Mizielinski and Daniel Mizielinski
 
|title=Design
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=
 
Although this is a book for children I can imagine plenty of grown ups who would find it fascinating!  It's a wonderful dip in and out book and I actually found myself keeping it in our washing basket in the bathroom so I could have a quick read whenever I needed to spend a penny!  It depicts 69 objects from all over the world that were designed in the last 150 years. There's everything here from octopus-inspired lemon juicers through to sofas made to look like a pair of lips or an Ottoman that resembles a shapely lady's bottom!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877467839</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
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I didn't know this either! I think most parents are aware that giving your children a good start in literacy - reading stories, teaching pen grips, singing rhymes - gives children a solid foundation when they start school. But do we think the same way about maths, beyond counting? I don't think we do, in part because so many of us are afraid of maths. But why are we? Most of us use maths in daily life without realising and it follows that giving our children a similar pre-school grounding will be just as beneficial.
|author=Lois Rock and Steve Noon
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}} 
|title=The Lion Bible in its Time
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{{Frontpage
|rating=4
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|isbn=1406395404
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|title=The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Super-Charges Your Teenage Brain
|summary=
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|author=Nicola Morgan
This factual book approaches stories from the bible in a historical way, looking at the lives people would have been living at the time, the sort of homes they had and the reigning monarchs of each eraWorking through from the old testament to the new testament it covers a wide range of biblical stories and is illustrated throughout with fascinating, detailed pictures.
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|rating=5
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745960154</amazonuk>
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|genre=Teens
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|summary=2020 has been a strange year: I doubt anyone would argue with that statement.  Lots of our routines have been completely dismantled and for some teenagers this will have brought about sleep problems.  Some teens will dismiss this as irrelevant ('who needs sleep? - I've got loads to be doing) and others will worry unnecessarilyMost people, from children to adults will have the odd bad night but worrying about your lack of sleep is only likely to make it worse.  And there's also the fact that for far too long, lack of sleep has been lauded as a virtue and sleep made to seem like laziness.  Being up early, working late has been praised and the ability to survive on little sleep has almost become something to put on your CV.
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1849767343
|author=Chris Barnardo
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|title=Count on Me
|title=Dragonolia
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|author=Miguel Tanco
|rating=4
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|rating=4.5
|genre=children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=
 
This book is, first of all, a rather beautiful book to behold.  The red cloth hardback cover with the curled-up golden dragon on the front immediately make you want to pick it up and look inside!  It's also a rather unusual book, being a mix of both fiction and non-fiction, so when you begin it you're initially not quite sure what you're looking at.  As you read on you discover that there's a story running throughout by Sir Richard Barons, a famous dragon hunter, and with each story he tells there is also a craft project of something related to make!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1904967248</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
|author=Philip Ardagh
 
|title=Philip Ardagh's Book of Kings, Queens, Emperors and Rotten Wart-Nosed Commoners
 
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=If you deem a good children's historical trivia book to be one that tells you, the adult, something they didn't know about historical trivia, then this is a good exampleI didn't know George V broke his pelvis when his horse fell on him, startled by some post-WWI huzzahs.  I didn't know Charles VI of France nearly got torched in some drunken bacchanalThe length of time Charlemagne sat on a throne (over 400 whole years (even if he wasn't wholly whole all that time)) was news to me, as was the raffle that was held (more or less) for being the unknown soldier.  Therefore this is a good book for children and the adults willing to instill some historical trivia into them.
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|summary=The title and format of this book might lead you to think that it's either about responsibility - or it's a basic 1-2-3 book for those just starting out on the numbers journeyIt isn't: it's a hymn of praise to mathsIt's about why maths is so wonderful and how you meet it in everyday life.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330471732</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1849767009
|author=Robert Leroy Ripley
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|title=It Isn't Rude to be Nude
|title=Ripley's Believe It or Not! 2012
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|author=Rosie Haine
|rating=4
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|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Here at Bookbag we don't usually cover annuals.  In our experience people either know they want them or don't bother with them and once the year is out there's not a lot of interest in them, particularly if they're based on a character which might well have gone out of fashion.  Ripley's ''Believe It Or Not!'' is differentThe series is about interesting facts – all of which are true - which are going to surprise the readers and will continue to surprise them years down the lineJust to test this out we had a look back at the [[Ripley's Believe It or Not 2010 by Robert Leroy Ripley|2010 edition]] and it's still as shocking, gruesome and downright compulsive as it was when we first saw it.
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|summary=This could have been one of those books which 'preaches to the choir': the only people who'll buy it are the people who know that nudity is OK and the ones who ''know'' that it's shameful will avoid it like they avoid the hot-and-bothered person in the supermarket who is coughing fit to bustBut... Rosie Haines makes it into something so much more than a book about not wearing clothes.  It's a celebration of bodies: bodies large and small and of every possible hueBodies with disabilities and markings.  They're fine.  In fact, they're wonderful.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847946704</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776572858
|author=Stephen Law
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|title=How Do You Make a Baby?
|title=The Complete Philosophy Files
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|author=Anna Fiske and Don Bartlett (translator)
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre=Home and Family
|summary=''The Philosophy Files'' and ''The Philosophy Files 2'' were first published in 2000 and 2003 respectively. Now we have them combined and reissued with illustrations by the wonderful Daniel Postgate.
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|summary=It's more than sixty years since I asked how babies were made.  My mother was deeply embarrassed and told me that she'd get me a book about it.  A couple of days later I was handed a pamphlet (which delivered nothing more than the basics, in clinical language which had never been used in our house before)  and I was told that it wouldn't be discussed any further as it ''wasn't something which nice people talked about''.  I ''knew'' more, but was little ''wiser''. Thankfully, times have changed.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444003348</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1526362759
|author=Geraldine McCaughrean and Richard Brassey
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|title=Dosh: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It
|title=Great Stories from British History
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|author=Rashmi Sirdeshpande
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=''Since when was History True?'' is the heading of the first chapter and it's one which you need to read ''before'' you buy this beautiful book, because it would be easy to assume from the title and the pictures on the cover that it's a history ''text'' book you're going to invest inIn ''some'' ways you are but what you are actually acquiring is a ''story'' bookThis is a book of the great stories of British history.  Some of them are (broadly) true, some have been debunked by historians and some have simply fallen into disuse – but Geraldine McCaughrean would hate to see them lost altogether.
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|summary=What a relief!  A book about money, for children, with clear explanations of what it is, why it matters, how to acquire more of it (nope - robbing banks is out) and what you can do with it when you've managed to get hold of it.  Your reasons for wanting money don't matter: we all need it to some extentYou might want to go into business, be a clever shopper, a saver (you might even become an ''investor'') and there might be something you really, ''really'' want to buyThere's also the possibility of using to do good in the world.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001426</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=178112938X
|author=Betty G Birney
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|title=Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission
|title=Humphrey's World of Pets
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|author=David Long and Stefano Tambellini (illustrator)
|rating=4
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|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre=Dyslexia Friendly
|summary=
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|summary=It's fifty years since the Apollo 13 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, but the story of that journey remains one of the greatest survival stories of all time.  ''Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission'' is a brilliant retelling of what happened.
The verb to pet means to cosset, pay loving attention to, to have loving, touching time with.  It might as well mean to have in your household while spending a lot of money on, and being duty-bound and beholden toFish (which you can't even properly pet, of course) need a permanent power supply for their water's thermometer.  Chinchillas need a special sand for their bathing in.  There's even pet-friendly detergents for washing out your hamster cages.  Wherever you look there's time and money expenditure in owning a pet.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571270263</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
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|author=Kathleen Boucher and Sara Chadwick
 +
|title=Nine Ways to Empower Tweens
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|rating=4.5
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|genre=Confident Readers
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|summary=''9 Ways to Empower Tweens'' is a self-help book for tweens, setting out to show them vital #lifeskills. Don't groan! I know there is a market glut of such books for we grown-ups and for young adults too, but there is a needful space in an increasingly technological world accessible to younger and younger children for material for tweens too. 
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|isbn= 0228818826
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=David Borgenicht
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|isbn=1609809173
|title=WCS Junior SurviveoPedia HC (Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook Junior Editions)
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|title=Eiffel's Tower for Young People
|rating=4
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|author=Jill Jonnes
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=You probably recall all the Worst-Case Scenario books that were a big publishing phenomenon about a decade ago.  They itemised things that might be a cause for concern, whether in the office, or the dating world, or the jungle. And then they seemed to run out of info, and vanish.  But worry not, for the main instigator, David Borgenicht, is back, with a range of similar books for the junior audience. And here he offers a large format encyclopaedia pictorially warning us about dangers in the world around us, and offering advice for us to memorise so we can escape as best we can.
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|summary=Brash and elegant, sophisticated, controversial and vibrant, the 1889 World's Fair in Paris encompassed the best, the worst and the beautiful from many countries and cultures. The French Republic laid out model villages from all their colonies, put on art shows, dance performances, food festivals and concerts to stun the senses. And towering above it all, the most popular and the most hated monument to French accomplishment and daring – the Eiffel Tower.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>081187690X</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1848576536
|author=Caitlin Watson and Vic Le Billon
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|title=Humanatomy: How the Body Works
|title=Marvin and Milo: Adventures in Science
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|author=Nicola Edwards and Jem Maybank
|rating=4
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|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=My dad studied physics, and I think he was always a little disappointed that I didn't fall in love with the subject too.  Perhaps if he'd had a Marvin and Milo book to share with me things would've been different?  Marvin and Milo are a cat and a dog who like doing experiments, and this book contains 45 of their experiments which you are most definitely encouraged to try at home!
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|summary=''Get under your own skin, pick your brains, and go inside your insides!''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230758495</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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That's what ''Humanatomy'' invites you to do and honestly, I don't see how you could resist. This informative book provides a wonderful primer about the human body to curious children- from the skeletal system to the muscular system via circulation, respiration and digestion, right up to the DNA that makes who we are.
|author=Camilla de la Bedoyere, Clive Gifford, John Farndon, Steve Parker, Stewart Ross and Philip Steele
 
|title=Discover the Extreme World
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=In my day it would have been called 'an encyclopaedia'.  It would have had a lot more text, been rather dull – and remained largely unread by those who received it as a worthy present.  For 'Discover the Extreme World' you need to start at the opposite end of the scale. It's about visual impact.  A fact is linked to a picture and the more striking the better – and only then is it explained.  The text is as simple as possible – clear, unambiguous wording which drives the point home as quickly as possible.  The layout encourages you to move the book so that you see the pictures better and can read the words.  It's fun and (say it quietly) it's educational.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184810474X</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=Langford_Emily
|author=Richard Brassey
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|title=Emily's Numbers
|title=The Story of the Olympics
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|author=Joss Langford
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=It's the story of the Olympics from earliest times – 776 BC and the first Games at Olympia right through to the 2012 Games in London and even a few hints about how things might be different for the 2016 Games in Rio de JaneiroIt's told in the form which seems to appeal to every child – the comic strip – but don't be mislead into thinking that this is light-weight or superficialIt's anything but.
+
|summary=Emily found words ''useful'', but counting was what she loved best.  Obviously, you can count anything and there's no limit to how far you can go, but then Emily moved a step further and began counting in twos.  She knew all about odd and even numbersThen she began counting in threes: half of the list were even numbers, but the other half was odd and it was this list of odd numbers which occurred when you counted in threes which she called ''threeven''.  (Actually, this confused me a little bit at first as they're a subset of the odd numbers but sound as though they ought to be a subset of the even numbers, but it all worked out well when I really thought about it.)
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444000489</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=Buckingham_Dawn
|author=Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner
+
|title=The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus
|title=The Comic Strip Big Fat Book of Knowledge
+
|author=Caz Buckingham and Andrea Pinnington
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Graphic Novels
+
|genre=Animals and Wildlife
|summary=Who doesn't like a nice comic, eh? There's something so accessible about the lovely picture and text combos, and facts are far from dull when they come via speech bubbles, don't you think? Taking full advantage of this fact, Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner have, for some time, been creating factual books for children which pass on their insight and Important Information through the medium of comics. Now for the first time, you can collect 3 of their titles in one simple volumeCombining the previous reviewed [[The Comic Strip History of the World by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner|History of the World]] and [[The Comic Strip History of Space by Sally Kindberg and Tracey Turner|History of Space]] with the ''Greatest Greek Myths''
+
|summary=What a treat!  I really did mean to just ''glance'' at ''The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus'' but the pull of the sounds of a dozen different birds singing their hearts out was far too much to resist on a cold and rather wet February morningI spent an indulgent hour or so reading all about the birds and listening to their song. Then - just because I could - I went back and did it all again and it was just as good the second time around.  So, what do you get?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408808242</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=Pankhurst_Women
|author=Judy Bartkowiak
+
|title=Fantastically Great Women Who Made History
|title=So You've Passed Your Driving Test... What Now? Advanced Driving Skills For Young Drivers
+
|author=Kate Pankhurst
|rating=4
+
|rating=5
|genre=Home and Family
 
|summary=It's always struck me that the most difficult time for young drivers is that period just after they pass their driving test.  Someone has told you that you're an OK driver, right?  ''But'' you're out there, all on your own, without anyone to explain those odd things which you still haven't come across or to be the extra pair of eyes.  You've got a sense of freedom, but somehow it's a little bit ''daunting''. Judy Bartkowiak offers something a little bit different.  It's not another book about road signs, driving etiquette and stopping distances – it's some ideas for getting into the right mindset to absorb the new experiences and learning some skills which might help you in other areas of your life too.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908218371</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jason Heller
 
|title=The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook: A Guide to Swashbuckling with the Pirates of the Caribbean
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=You don't see pirates reading many books. If you ask me, it's because their hooks make the pages hard to turn. Of course, the salty damp air would do nothing for a book's longevity, just one more reason to make sure you've read and understood this before you take to the ocean wave and set sail on your adventures.
+
|summary=A lot of history is about men. Kings and generals and inventors and politicians. Sometimes, it feels almost as though there were no women in history at all, let alone ones young girls might like to read about or regard as role models. Of course, this isn't true and there are plenty of women who, throughout history, have achieved amazing things or shown incredible bravery, or created something never seen before. So here, in this wonderful picture book from Kate Pankhurst, are the stories of some of them.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1594745048</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=Ignotofsky_Sport
|author=Claudia Myatt
+
|title=Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win
|title=Go Green! A Young Person's Guide to the Blue Planet
+
|author=Rachel Ignotofsky
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Go Green!? Forget that title. What planet does that come from? Let's start again. This fantastic book is about the ''blue'' stuff, everything from oceans to raindrops. The book covers just about every angle that a child passionate about water might conceivably find of interest – marine creatures, icebergs, sunken volcanoes, tsunamis, undersea exploration, bores and whirlpools, inland waterways, tides, lochs and locks. There are answers to lots of questions of the 'Why is the sea blue?' variety. Sandwiched into this comprehensive guide to the physical geography and biodiversity of the seas (probably enough for GCSE) is a large dollop of green ketchup, to be sure, but my instinctive reaction is that here is the best children's introduction to 'water' that I've ever seen.
+
|summary=''Women in Sport'' is coming to us just before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February 2018. It celebrates a century and a half of the development of women's sport by looking at fifty of its highest achievers, covering sports as diverse as swimming, fencing, riding, skating, and much more. Think of a sport and a pioneering woman succeeding at it is probably in this book somewhere. Each entry is a double-page spread with a brief biography and a striking portrait.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1906435014</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Lindsey Fraser
 
|title=J K Rowling: the Mystery of Fiction
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Easily one of the most renowned authors of the 21st century, J.K. Rowling's incredibly successful Harry Potter series shook the core of the literary world. It provoked a reaction, the likes of which have never been seen before, and likely never will. A unique set of factors combined in order for the Harry Potter books to reach the level of success they enjoyed, and these factors are explored in this biography of Rowling.  It is difficult not to be fascinated by the person who is responsible for the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, and although writing is a profession that doesn't have a typical path by which it can be reached, Rowling's story is anything but orthodox, and her personal 'rags to riches' story only enhances the Harry Potter legacy.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1906134693</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Michael Bond
 
|title=Paddington's Guide to London
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Some things are just a brilliant idea.  Young Paddington Bear has written a guide book to his adopted home in the way that only he could do it.  All his old friends are there – Mr and Mrs Brown and their children Jonathan and Judy along with their housekeeper Mrs Bird and of course we mustn't forget Paddington's old friend Mr Gruber who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of London.  So, where is Paddington planning to take you?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007415915</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Chris Van Allsburg
 
|title=Queen of the Falls
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=Annie Edson Taylor was sixty-two years old and a widow.  She didn't have very much money saved and she was worried about her future - until she had an inspiration.  She would have a barrel made - a very stout and water-tight barrel - and she would be the first person to brave the thundering waters of Niagra Falls in this barrel.  Chris Van Allsburgh tells us her story from the moment of inspiration right through to the times after the epic trip, but in truth the words are simpy there to eleborate on his wonderful drawings. They're so good that you could be forgiven for thinking that they're black and white photographs on occasions.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392722</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Judy Bartkowiak
 
|title=NLP For Teens
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Home and Family
 
|summary=
 
NLP For Teens is part of the Engaging NLP series and is a follow-on from NLP for Children. Many a parent has been tempted to leave home when their children are teenagers; difficult as it is for the parents it's a traumatic time for the teens and anything which makes it a little easier is to be applauded particularly when the changes will come from the teens rather than being imposed by the parent.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1907685901</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
 
|title=A Horrid Factbook: Horrid Henry's Bodies
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=When you eat or chew, did you know that little clumps of earwax fall out of your ears!  And in a lifetime you produce enough urine to fill about 450 baths!  Do you know how loud the loudest burp was?  Or what a bogey is made of?  If these are the sort of facts and figures, complete with a handful of Horrid Henry and Tony Ross' illustrations, that would rock your child's world then this is the book for you!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001620</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Ruthie Knapp and Jill McElmurry
 
|title=Who Stole Mona Lisa?
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Taking in a history of its production, as well as its theft, ''Who Stole Mona Lisa?'' is an intriguing look at La Gioconda. The story is told from the point of view of Leonardo da Vinci's painting herself, and will strike a chord with any intelligent and curious youngsters.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408811588</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=Rooney_Dino
|author=Melissa Wareham
+
|title=Discovering Dinosaurs
|title=Take Me Home: Tales of Battersea Dogs
+
|author=Anne Rooney and Suzanne Carpenter
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Melissa Wareham always wanted a dog but her parents would never allow it and she didn't get good enough exam results for her next option – becoming a vet. Not one to be deterred she joined the staff at Battersea Dogs Home, first as a kennel maid and eventually as the head of rehoming.  'Take Me Home' is the story of some of the highlights of her life at the home and some of the dogs which she met whilst she was there.
+
|summary=Lift the flap books have progressed somewhat since I was a child. This one comes with sounds! Taking us layer by layer, through various different ages of dinosaurs, we meet a variety of creatures, some of whom are very familiar but some I'd never heard of before! Each scene peels open, layer by layer, showing you what the various dinosaurs are getting up to, with background noises, roars and squawks to accompany them! The book creates a dinosaur experience, rather than just being facts about dinosaurs it's very visual, placing the dinosaurs in their habitats and giving us sounds too that spike your imagination.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849413924</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=Mason_poo
|author=Patrick Dillon and P J Lynch
+
|title=The Poo That Animals Do
|title=The Story of Britain
+
|author=Paul Mason and Tony de Saulles
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Author Patrick Dillon has put together a clear, well-written and beautifully concise story of Britain, summing up the history of Britain and Ireland in a little over 320 pages. Significant events, ranging from the Norman Conquest to the South Sea Bubble, and groups of people ranging from highwaymen to the Romantic poets, are each dealt with in between 1 and 3 pages written in Dillon's chatty, easy to read style. There are also maps, including those of the D-Day
+
|summary=I know, I know, sometimes you really don't want to encourage your children's poo jokes, but this book is brilliant! I sat and read it by myself when the kids had gone to school and found it fascinating! Who knew there was so much I didn't know about poo? The book manages to be both funny (and silly) as well as being very interesting and educational. Using a mixture of facts and figures, photographs and funny cartoons, you come away having sniggered a little at the vulture who poos on its own feet but also knowing a lot about different types of poo, why poos smell, and why wombats do square poos.
landings and the Civil War battles, a timeline for each major period (Middle Ages, Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians, Victorians and Twentieth Century) and some gorgeous illustrations by former Kate Greenaway winner PJ Lynch.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406311928</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest Children's Rhymes and Verse Reviews]]
|author=Nina Grunfeld
 
|title=How To Get What You Want
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=Teens
 
|summary=How To Get What You Want is a self help book aimed at young people 'at a crossroads in their life', who are unsure what to do next. The author is a Life Coach who recognises that simply knowing what you want to do is half the battle towards achieving it, and sets out to help the reader identify who they are and what they really want using self awareness type exercises like the 'Balance Chart'. Later on the book deals with how to achieve those goals by giving advice on how to focus and think positively.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406323845</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Ruth Wickings and Frances Castle
 
|title=Pop-Up: A Paper Engineering Masterclass
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=With its subtitle of ''A Paper Engineering Masterclass'', you know exactly what you're getting from ''Pop-Up''. You'll see how pop-up books are made, learn the tips of the trade, and make four elaborate 3D models yourself. If you're not rushing out to buy it immediately, there's something wrong with you!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140633085X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Wallace and Gromit
 
|title=Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=We don't have many rules around these 'ere parts, but one of them is that we don't review TV tie-in books. It's not snobbery; it's just that there's only so many books we have time to cover and TV covers itself quite nicely already. So I'm being naughty by reviewing ''Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention'', but I don't care. I couldn't resist it! And Christmas is coming up, so you need some gift ideas, don't you?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007382189</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alan James Brown
 
|title=The Tolpuddle Boy: Transported to Hell and Back
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=In 1834, six men from the Dorset village of Tolpuddle were deported to Australia for their trade union activities. This book, written in a very simple style for children, tells the true story of what happened to them, the politics of their arrest and deportation and the campaign by trade unionists and other supporters of trade union rights to overturn their convictions.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905512775</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

Latest revision as of 13:29, 9 September 2023

1839948493.jpg

Review of

A World of Dogs by Carlie Sorosiak and Luisa Uribe

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

In the interests of full disclosure, I must tell you that I'm a sucker for dogs. In nearly eight decades, I've never met one I didn't trust and I've loved most of them. I wish I felt the same about human beings. So, any book about dogs, I'm going to sit down and devour. Then I'm going to go back and read it properly. And so it was with A World of Dogs, with ninety-six pages devoted entirely to my four-legged friends. Author Carlie Sorosiak found herself the accidental owner of an American Dingo - she's learned quite a lot about dogs since then. Full Review

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Review of

The Repair Shop Craft Book by Walker Books and Sonia Albert (Illustrator)

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I love The Repair Shop. It's my go-to programme when I want to be cheered up. After a hard day, there's nothing better than watching experts repair treasured items without ever mentioning what they're worth. You see, the value is in what these possessions are worth to the people who own them and the memories they hold. No expense appears to be spared and the experts spend as much time and effort as is required to achieve the desired result. Regular viewers know the experts and they're all brilliant at explaining what it is they're doing. But how did they start? Full Review

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Review of

Stolen History by Sathnam Sanghera

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to be there in the first place. Looking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's Stolen History. Full Review

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Review of

Fritz and Kurt by Jeremy Dronfield and David Ziggy Greene

4star.jpg Confident Readers

We start with the pair of brothers Fritz and Kurt, and their muckers, doing things any Jewish lad in 1930s Vienna would want to do – kicking things around the empty market place, helping the neighbours, being dutiful when it comes to the synagogue choir and at a vocational school. Kurt has to make sure the lamps are turned on at their very Orthodox neighbours' each Friday night – the Sabbath preventing them for using anything nearly as mechanical and workmanlike as a light switch. But this is the time just before the Austrian leader is going to cave to Hitler's will, and instead of having a national vote to keep the Nazis out, invite them in with open arms. Kristallnacht happened in Vienna just as much as in Germany, as did all the round-ups of Jews. These in their turn leave the younger Kurt at home with his mother and sisters anxious to hear word of an evacuation to Britain or the US, while Fritz and his father are, unknown initially to each other, packed off on the same train to Buchenwald and the stone quarry there. And us wondering how the titular event for the adult variant of all this could come about… Full Review

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Review of

Britannica's Word of the Day by Patrick Kelly, Renee Kelly and Sue Macy

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Britannica's Word of the Day has a sub-title: 366 Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus which probably tells you all that you need to know about this brilliant book. It starts on January 1st with Razzmatazz, tells you how to pronounce it (raz-muh-TAZ), gives you a definition and then includes the word in a sentence so that you know how it should be used. You also get an engaging and frequently amusing illustration too. I don't think I've ever encountered a word which uses the letter Z four times before! Full Review

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Review of

The Secret Life of Birds by Moira Butterfield and Vivian Mineker (illustrator)

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I have recently discovered a great pleasure: I sit and watch the vast numbers of birds which visit our garden on a daily basis. An hour can pass without my noticing. I've established which species feed from the ground, which pop to the feeders for a quick snatch of some food and who settles in for a good munch but I wish I was more knowledgeable. It would have been wonderful if, as a child, I'd had access to a book such as The Secret Life of Birds. So – what is it? Full Review

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Review of

Very Short Introductions for Curious Young Minds: The Invisible World of Germs by Isabel Thomas

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

'Germs' seems to have become a catch-all word to cover anything unpleasant which has the potential to make you ill. In the first book in what looks to be a very promising new series, OUP and Isabel Thomas have provided a clear and accessible introduction to the world of germs. We get an informed look at how people originally thought about diseases and what they thought caused them and how the thinking has developed over time. The vocabulary can be confusing but Thomas gives a regular box headed 'speak like a scientist' which explains some of the trickiest concepts and you'll soon be familiar with bacteria, fungi, protists and viruses – and how we should protect ourselves. Full Review

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Review of

100 Ways in 100 Days to Teach Your Baby Maths: Support All Areas of Your Baby’s Development by Nurturing a Love of Maths by Emma Smith

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Babies seem to be born with an amazing number sense: understanding shapes in the womb, being aware of quantities at seven hours old, assessing probability at six months old, and comprehending addition and subtraction at nine months old.

Did you know this? I didn't! How about:

Maths ability on entry to school is a strong predictor of later achievement, double that of literacy skills.

I didn't know this either! I think most parents are aware that giving your children a good start in literacy - reading stories, teaching pen grips, singing rhymes - gives children a solid foundation when they start school. But do we think the same way about maths, beyond counting? I don't think we do, in part because so many of us are afraid of maths. But why are we? Most of us use maths in daily life without realising and it follows that giving our children a similar pre-school grounding will be just as beneficial. Full Review

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Review of

The Awesome Power of Sleep: How Sleep Super-Charges Your Teenage Brain by Nicola Morgan

5star.jpg Teens

2020 has been a strange year: I doubt anyone would argue with that statement. Lots of our routines have been completely dismantled and for some teenagers this will have brought about sleep problems. Some teens will dismiss this as irrelevant ('who needs sleep? - I've got loads to be doing) and others will worry unnecessarily. Most people, from children to adults will have the odd bad night but worrying about your lack of sleep is only likely to make it worse. And there's also the fact that for far too long, lack of sleep has been lauded as a virtue and sleep made to seem like laziness. Being up early, working late has been praised and the ability to survive on little sleep has almost become something to put on your CV. Full Review

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Review of

Count on Me by Miguel Tanco

4.5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

The title and format of this book might lead you to think that it's either about responsibility - or it's a basic 1-2-3 book for those just starting out on the numbers journey. It isn't: it's a hymn of praise to maths. It's about why maths is so wonderful and how you meet it in everyday life. Full Review

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Review of

It Isn't Rude to be Nude by Rosie Haine

5star.jpg For Sharing

This could have been one of those books which 'preaches to the choir': the only people who'll buy it are the people who know that nudity is OK and the ones who know that it's shameful will avoid it like they avoid the hot-and-bothered person in the supermarket who is coughing fit to bust. But... Rosie Haines makes it into something so much more than a book about not wearing clothes. It's a celebration of bodies: bodies large and small and of every possible hue. Bodies with disabilities and markings. They're fine. In fact, they're wonderful. Full Review

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Review of

How Do You Make a Baby? by Anna Fiske and Don Bartlett (translator)

5star.jpg Home and Family

It's more than sixty years since I asked how babies were made. My mother was deeply embarrassed and told me that she'd get me a book about it. A couple of days later I was handed a pamphlet (which delivered nothing more than the basics, in clinical language which had never been used in our house before) and I was told that it wouldn't be discussed any further as it wasn't something which nice people talked about. I knew more, but was little wiser. Thankfully, times have changed. Full Review

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Review of

Dosh: How to Earn It, Save It, Spend It, Grow It, Give It by Rashmi Sirdeshpande

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

What a relief! A book about money, for children, with clear explanations of what it is, why it matters, how to acquire more of it (nope - robbing banks is out) and what you can do with it when you've managed to get hold of it. Your reasons for wanting money don't matter: we all need it to some extent. You might want to go into business, be a clever shopper, a saver (you might even become an investor) and there might be something you really, really want to buy. There's also the possibility of using to do good in the world. Full Review

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Review of

Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission by David Long and Stefano Tambellini (illustrator)

5star.jpg Dyslexia Friendly

It's fifty years since the Apollo 13 mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, but the story of that journey remains one of the greatest survival stories of all time. Survival in Space: The Apollo 13 Mission is a brilliant retelling of what happened. Full Review

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Review of

Nine Ways to Empower Tweens by Kathleen Boucher and Sara Chadwick

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

9 Ways to Empower Tweens is a self-help book for tweens, setting out to show them vital #lifeskills. Don't groan! I know there is a market glut of such books for we grown-ups and for young adults too, but there is a needful space in an increasingly technological world accessible to younger and younger children for material for tweens too. Full Review

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Review of

Eiffel's Tower for Young People by Jill Jonnes

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Brash and elegant, sophisticated, controversial and vibrant, the 1889 World's Fair in Paris encompassed the best, the worst and the beautiful from many countries and cultures. The French Republic laid out model villages from all their colonies, put on art shows, dance performances, food festivals and concerts to stun the senses. And towering above it all, the most popular and the most hated monument to French accomplishment and daring – the Eiffel Tower. Full Review

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Review of

Humanatomy: How the Body Works by Nicola Edwards and Jem Maybank

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Get under your own skin, pick your brains, and go inside your insides!

That's what Humanatomy invites you to do and honestly, I don't see how you could resist. This informative book provides a wonderful primer about the human body to curious children- from the skeletal system to the muscular system via circulation, respiration and digestion, right up to the DNA that makes who we are. Full Review

Langford Emily.jpg

Review of

Emily's Numbers by Joss Langford

4star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Emily found words useful, but counting was what she loved best. Obviously, you can count anything and there's no limit to how far you can go, but then Emily moved a step further and began counting in twos. She knew all about odd and even numbers. Then she began counting in threes: half of the list were even numbers, but the other half was odd and it was this list of odd numbers which occurred when you counted in threes which she called threeven. (Actually, this confused me a little bit at first as they're a subset of the odd numbers but sound as though they ought to be a subset of the even numbers, but it all worked out well when I really thought about it.) Full Review

Buckingham Dawn.jpg

Review of

The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus by Caz Buckingham and Andrea Pinnington

5star.jpg Animals and Wildlife

What a treat! I really did mean to just glance at The Little Book of the Dawn Chorus but the pull of the sounds of a dozen different birds singing their hearts out was far too much to resist on a cold and rather wet February morning. I spent an indulgent hour or so reading all about the birds and listening to their song. Then - just because I could - I went back and did it all again and it was just as good the second time around. So, what do you get? Full Review

Pankhurst Women.jpg

Review of

Fantastically Great Women Who Made History by Kate Pankhurst

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

A lot of history is about men. Kings and generals and inventors and politicians. Sometimes, it feels almost as though there were no women in history at all, let alone ones young girls might like to read about or regard as role models. Of course, this isn't true and there are plenty of women who, throughout history, have achieved amazing things or shown incredible bravery, or created something never seen before. So here, in this wonderful picture book from Kate Pankhurst, are the stories of some of them. Full Review

Ignotofsky Sport.jpg

Review of

Women in Sport: Fifty Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win by Rachel Ignotofsky

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Women in Sport is coming to us just before the Winter Olympics in South Korea in February 2018. It celebrates a century and a half of the development of women's sport by looking at fifty of its highest achievers, covering sports as diverse as swimming, fencing, riding, skating, and much more. Think of a sport and a pioneering woman succeeding at it is probably in this book somewhere. Each entry is a double-page spread with a brief biography and a striking portrait. Full Review

Rooney Dino.jpg

Review of

Discovering Dinosaurs by Anne Rooney and Suzanne Carpenter

4star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

Lift the flap books have progressed somewhat since I was a child. This one comes with sounds! Taking us layer by layer, through various different ages of dinosaurs, we meet a variety of creatures, some of whom are very familiar but some I'd never heard of before! Each scene peels open, layer by layer, showing you what the various dinosaurs are getting up to, with background noises, roars and squawks to accompany them! The book creates a dinosaur experience, rather than just being facts about dinosaurs it's very visual, placing the dinosaurs in their habitats and giving us sounds too that spike your imagination. Full Review

Mason poo.jpg

Review of

The Poo That Animals Do by Paul Mason and Tony de Saulles

5star.jpg Children's Non-Fiction

I know, I know, sometimes you really don't want to encourage your children's poo jokes, but this book is brilliant! I sat and read it by myself when the kids had gone to school and found it fascinating! Who knew there was so much I didn't know about poo? The book manages to be both funny (and silly) as well as being very interesting and educational. Using a mixture of facts and figures, photographs and funny cartoons, you come away having sniggered a little at the vulture who poos on its own feet but also knowing a lot about different types of poo, why poos smell, and why wombats do square poos. Full Review

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