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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rachel Renee RussellMax Boucherat|title=The Misadventures Last Life of Max Crumbly: Locker HeroLori Mills

|summary=We start this book introducing us to Max Crumbly in meet Lori on the dark. Literally – I don't mean as regards knowing very little about him and it. Itfirst evening she's clearly a diary-styledgot the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, heavily pictorialmother at work, light read for a young audiencejust an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, but we're in the dark as regards Max because ''he'' is in the darkon her lonesome. School bully Thug Thurston What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has locked him in his lockerone main intention, and he's scribbling a goodbye that is to log on to Voxminer, the world in his journal-building, with the help of critter-collecting game that is a handy pocket torchhit in Lori's world. Over an extended flashback – But first Lori has a flashback tiny inkling that would never really work otherwise in a diary-styled book – we see this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and then she finds something even more of who Max isspooky. He's buddy to For the boyf of Nikki Maxwell from this author's other series, server she and her bestie and is a friendless yet cool chap at his middle school, which he's riding out – complete with Thug – because the alternative is his gran's version nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of home-schooling, which is much worsetampering. But when the locker, official notes of his attending lateWhen malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and problems with classroom beauty Erin all conspire to make Max hate school even moreher safe place in the game has been doctored – well, you might just expect him where is a girl to change his mind. But events here will more than make up his resolve…turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471144623</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom Moorhouse Kieran Larwood and Holly SwainJoe Todd-Stanton|title=The New Adventures of Mr ToadDungeon Runners: A Race for Toad HallHero Trial|rating=3.54

|summary=''Poop-poop!'' Meet Kit. Yes, that must be the Like most inaccurate representation of the noise a toad makes. But of coursepeople in his world, it's not just ''a toad''seems, but Mr Toad he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – Toad the sport where a team of Toad Hall. The irrepressible juvenile driverwarrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, thrusting himself into the Edwardian eramagical mazes, and scaring race to the bejaysus out of his friendsexit, Moley, Ratty perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and Badgerthe points they grant you along the way. But Unfortunately for Kit, the only thing he's long gone. Toad Hall seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is a shell – a ruin compared to what it once was. Stumbling into its underground regions (don't ask) are Mothat one team has been retired, Ratty and TJ – Toad Junioreaten, in full – and what they're about to discover will shock thema new trio of questors is needed. But that's nothing compared Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to the shock that what they find will face, for Mr Toad will be revived after a century goading from the token bully of being frozen, his world and not like what stumbled into declaring he finds one bit'll enter as a team. ApartWhat chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that is, from the modern cars…and how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192746731</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lucy WorsleyJames Sherwood Metts|title= My Name is VictoriaPlanet Storyland|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Miss V is Things have been a bit sticky for the daughter of Sir John ConroyEarthlings. Sir John Conroy is the comptroller of the household of the widowed Duchess of KentAI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're paid to do and other tasks that took time to accomplish. And the widowed Duchess Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of Kent is mother other, new ways to the young Princess Victoriaspend time, who will go on to be one of Britain's most memorable monarchsalong came an awful pandemic. Miss V is also called Victoria - wellLife was pretty much shut down and, Victoire actually - but distinctions of rank are importantalong with it, especially when one of you will become a queenall the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408882019</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Trenton Lee StewartTom Percival|title= The Secret KeepersWrong Shoes|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Reuben Will's life is a small boy growing up with his mum difficult, in a big city full multitude of injustice ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and fear. The family doesn't have little enough money for even the most basic of things like food, and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the college, was working two jobs means a cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. Throw into that Reubenmix the fact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's mum trusts him to be on his own a lotlife seems bleak in every direction. For a young child Reuben develops And yet, he still has a lot tiny amount of independence, which really helps him when he finds an unusual and precious object and decides to try to uncover its secrethope. He hopes it might be valuable is good at art, and dreams of being able clings to buy his mum her ideal home. Unfortunately there is someone else also looking for the object and Reuben enters into a dangerous game moments of hide and seek as joy when he dares to take on is drawing, that feel like a light at the most powerful and ruthless man in the cityend of a long, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1911077287</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Lisa Thompson1805141872|title=The Goldfish BoyTeacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley|rating=4.5

|summary=Matthew has OCD. Not that he knows that's what it is'Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. He just likes things cleanThe police are baffled, he really hates germsbut only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, or going outsideMiss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and he feels safest upstairs in his room her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the front bedroomrun. But Al needs them for one last job...'' Goodness me, where he can control the dirt, and where he can watch everything thatMiss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 's going on outside, making notes on his neighboursun like Al? We' activitiesll find out. When a little boyLuckily for Miss Judson, Teddythe pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, from next door goes missing one day, it turns out that Matthew was the last person son of a famous magician who has ambitions to see him, and with all of his neighbours be as good as suspects Matthew struggles against his crippling anxieties in order to try father some day, and uncover the truth of what happened to Teddy.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407170996</amazonuk>who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gwynedd Rae and Clara VulliamyChristopher Edge|title=All Mary (Mary Plain 2)Black Hole Cinema Club

|summary=Mary is growing up – Lucas and going out into his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a place that has the worldnickname of 'The Black Hole'. Which you might expect All big movie fans, they're looking forward to lots of a young girl in societyexciting films, and many, many snacks! However, as the movie starts, but they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is a young girl 'very different, and they are swept up into an adventure they couldn'bear'' in societyt even imagine. StillBut as they lurch from one film genre to the next, she's finding can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the Ps cinema, and Qs to their real lives?|isbn=1839942738}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Stower|title=Murray and her manners are equally as important as our daughters wouldBun|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers |summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But when shehe's told to be on her best behaviour a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and she thinks whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is something expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to sit uponbe honest, is there any hope?but he's turned up and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405281235</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gwynedd Rae Alex Bell and Clara VulliamyTim McDonagh|title=Mostly Mary (Mary Plain 1)The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|summary=Meet Mary Plain. She's Eli is a bearbusy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, living and in the evening a pit in helper at the Swiss city of Bernedessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, and bears have been too – for there as is a tradition for centuriesgeneration missing in the family. She's not been there longA few short years ago, for sheEli's just an exuberantparents were both lost to the titular race, slightly stroppy and definitely naïve, little cub, trying a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to catch up to her two slightly-older cousins, loving life with her aunt and uncle, and navigate the world in the generations above themcompany of a magical beast. She's got This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a lot bad incident at the eatery leads to learn about lifea confession from gran, however – from how snow and ice change her world Eli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what sitting on sticky paint can mean. Oh he most hates, with the sole aim the innocence prize of little tykes magic at the end – such as these books were written forthe only thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405281227</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Katherine WoodfineHelen Cooper|title= The Painted Dragon (The Sinclair's Mysteries)Taming of the Cat|rating= 3.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Ornate hatsOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the best cigarsmouse, fine foods up against Gorgonzola the cat – and delicate perfumes – Mr Sinclair offers it all in his wondrous new department storecase you're seeing a connection, they live in a marvel never before seen on cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be the streets names of Londoncheeses. Comfort Anyway, Brie is shunned, refinement scorned and luxury abound, if you must, mous-tracised, for the way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with smoking rooms, tea rooms and even an . They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art gallery to excite and intrigue makes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and cast out. It''haut monde'' s almost as they examine if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. This makes Brie the merchandise and chatter their days away. But beneath top dog in the wealth lies something more sinistermouse community, and once again Sophie and Lil find themselves solving a complicated and multithough, as all the others had the chance to half-layered mysteryinch some cheese while the cat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405282894</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Maz EvansLauren St John|title=Who Let the Gods Out?Finding Wonder

|summary=Zeus retired as chief god a long time ago, so the rulers of things are the Constellations, even when theyRoo're a far-too-juvenile nineteen hundred year old like Virgos life has become almost impossibly difficult. Feeling left outHer mum died when she was young, and now she steals finds herself awoken in the ambrosia that middle of the night by the Earth resident known as Prisoner Forty-Two needs, with hardly any clue as police banging on her door to what to do with it or where he is. So it's no surprise tell her that she crashlands her dad has dropped dead on the farm where Elliot lives. He's got enough problems without worrying about a girl who seems doolally arriving – his father is nowhere way to be seen, his mother has got dementia and the farm is corner shop to buy a week from being repossessedlottery ticket. It's the birth of a most mismatched partnership – the wise-cracking but hard-done-by ladWhen asked what other family she has, she can only name her aunt, and his problemsJoni, and the godlike girl who thought she could do it all, but stumbles at the first receipt knows her dad didn't think very highly of sarcasm. But not even together can they see the bigger problems around the cornershe has no one else, and so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for both of them – nor Roo, as when she and Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, it breaks down in the enormity middle of the help they might end up calling on…nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910655414</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Alex WoolfAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title= The Shakespeare Plot 1: AssassinOscar's CodeLion|rating= 4.53|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Shakespeare's London – a vibrantWe start incredibly bluntly, colourful city rich with promiseOscar hoping to have his mother – or father, new discoveries and great artbut mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to be ready for school. A place But when he enters his parents' bedroom, tooall he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, rife with conspiracies and schemes admitting that he won't be hungry for murder and mayhemanother two days. Add But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the mix bully that ruined a mysterious codebirthday party for Oscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, a girl disguised as a boy so he can take it to school and it can get him out of a young servant asked problem. And it's wonderful to spy on have around the house – not limiting his aristocratic masterbiscuit intake, and being much more lax about the stage is set for thrills rules, and adventureso on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1911242385</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sue Hardy-DawsonJudith Eagle|title=Where Zebras GoThe Stolen Songbird|rating=3.54|genre=Children's Rhymes and VerseConfident Readers|summary=I doubt if you could have zebrasCaro's mother, foxes, the end of the a world-famous whistler, penguins, dinosaurs has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and people out of fairy tale all together if it wasn't in a book of poetryis now missing. Even short stories would struggle Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to go up North to fit the breadth take care of content into as few pages as this volume doesher sister who is unwell. Add in home lifeSo who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, school life she feels frustrated and, er, football, confused and you really do have a diverse selection of subjectsworried. All have caught the eye her summer holiday plans of our author ever since she started building herself some equipment to practise her career – some of these poems date back gymnastics are brought to a decade – and now halt whilst she is going to try her damnedeststuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with some brilliant designan orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. But she soon finds herself caught up in a mystery, as she discovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, to make sure they and all catch across London a fearsome gang called the eye of youSnakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to the gang? And what has happened to Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910959316</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Judd WinickTania Unsworth|title= Hilo: Saving the Whole Wide World (Hilo Book 2)Nowhere Island|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Judd Winick certainly knows how Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to keep his readers escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in suspensefutureless places that are not homes – and find a home for himself. The first ''Hilo'' book ended on a massive cliffhanger He is en route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and I've been eagerly awaiting the next instalment lets it ride him to find out what happens nexthis future. The first book was pure comic-book joy, That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with bright and bold artwork and his brother in a camp on an engaging fish-out-island between the two directions of water story about a boy with superpowers who fell motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to earth with no memory of his identityprovide for their safety and seclusion. In this sequel Them, Hilo returns and discovers that mysterious portals are opening up all over towna mute girl also finding a home there, releasing all sorts of strange creatures from other dimensionsalbeit so much more successfully. As the townsfolk run in panic from the invading monsters Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, its the job of Hilo and his friends to send them back or if this is one place where they came from and seal the portals for good.life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141376902</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Sam GaytonHelen Peters|title= His Royal WhiskersFriends and Traitors|rating=3.5

|summary= What would you do if your only son was accidently transformed into a cat? England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, like the female generations before her. The Czar other is beside himselfSidney, as a war chiefgirl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and cheese, the emperor of the land, he needs an heir strong enough to follow his legacyand if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. Instead But something is amiss, he has and first separately and then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a fluffy ginger kittenrum 'un. He Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is the laughing stock made of his enemiesmeetings with Germans, and he really needs to turn these odds back in his favournot only that, a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. So he forces those responsible to change But surely the cat into a giant cat through girls are wrong, and the same magic they used the first time: alchemy. upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1783443820</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Mary HoffmanJamie Littler|title=TiltArkspire

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=To make an authorTwo sisters, Juniper and Elodie, you first show someone books. To make a readerborn fifteen minutes apart, you first show them the books they want are growing to, be chalk and/or can, readcheese. To make a builder, you first show someone buildings. I use those platitudes to introduce Simonetta, or NettaJuniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, who lives in Pisa late including relics from prior major wars left out in the thirteenth centuryBadlands. She Elodie is surrounded by fabulous buildings – it's not for nothing intent on getting closer to power in one of the area will religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become known as the Field child in line to inherit the power of Miraclesthe Watcher, for the Cathedralclosest to a ruler the district has, Baptistry and bell tower look gorgeousone of the five major victors in said earlier war. But something is wrong with Being trained in the latter one – it's magic that only five people can use would definitely leaning, cracks are showing, and over change the hundred-plus years it's taken to get this far people have built the floors at odd angles to correct status of the problemwhole family. Netta is intent on being the person who can solve itBut in finding something oddly magical, alongside Juniper might just be able to gain some power of her father who's employed to finish it off. But therein lies the problem own – it's all well and for good showing someone buildings, and making them want to be an architector for very, but if they're the wrong gender then all hope is lost… or is it?very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781125651</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Linda Newbery024162343X|title=Until We WinStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|genre=Dyslexia Friendly Children's Non-Fiction|summary=The best journeys are made with little stepsI was the bad company other people got into at school. Lizzy is slowly leaving her boring village behind – by being cheeky yet clever at her lessons, and getting I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a job in an office in 'god'. Where was the nearest proper town – and by saving to buy, and teaching herself to rideproof? In history lessons, a bicycleit was probably worse still. All that's under Not too long after the watchful eye end of a mother insistent she learns WWII, I didn't so much want to knuckle down with learn about the housework British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on behalf of those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the men, and an older brother working at army had to be there in the village huntfirst place. At Looking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the office, however, further steps are suggested maturity to her – shorthand and typing classes, but she gets divertedapproach 'the problem' politely. A chance encounter in a tea rooms puts more stepping stones in her way – en route to becoming a fully committed Suffragette, concerned only with making demands for votes for womenI wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781125791</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Barry HutchisonThiago de Moraes|title= Worst Ever School Trip: Beaky MaloneOld Gods New Tricks|rating= 4.5

|summary=Dylan 'Beaky' Malone has a reputation as a prolific liarMeet Trixie. He lies to his teachers Forever getting into scrapes, friends larks and family and has become so good at itadventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, he rarely gets caught outshe could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. Everything changed, however, But just when he stepped into Madame Shirleyshe's magical truthbeing told that by her one-telling machinelast-chance-giving headteacher, the world changes. Now it Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out, even of electric cars, hits not just the town the school's impossible in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and all that powers the Internet, just for Beaky to tell a lieour convenience's sake). Trixie, but worse than thatluckily, he now realises what has a habit happened – the ancient Gods have taken the power of blurting power from us. And so she begins her epic quest, to gather all the truth out without warning. So whether people that can steal it's telling back – namely the headteacher characters from myth that his breath smellshave past form in stealing from the Gods, confessing undying love for ie the dinner ladysemi-deities, or embarrassing his friends by sharing their deepest secretsgiants, half-gods and so on known as the saying: ''the truth hurts'' has never been more appropriatetricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847157750</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Kevin SandsHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title= Mark of the Plague: a Blackthorn Key AdventureFinding Bear|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= London during the plague [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, and finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – a terrifying place to be in any erathat she called Bear. And in 1665 Back home, a time when relics things on the domestic and blessings family front are considered just as effective – if a bit advanced, but not more perfect for her, and so – than medicines, it spreads at can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was last left on. For a horrific ratebear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and wounded. Imagine it: if one person in a family starts Desperate to show the distinctive signsmake sure he's OK, everyone in she and her father return to the household is sealed Arctic and hope that in, meaning that they too will almost inevitably succumb and die a painful death. Quacks sell all manner world of rubbish to desperate townsfolkvery white and very dangerous things, she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and prophets draw large crowds as they preach repentance for sinthat the friendship can continue. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141360666</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elizabeth LairdSimon Fox|title=Welcome Deadlock|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, and then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a secret place, and join him on the run. They get together, but barely begin to smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to NowhereBrighton, toting a tin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, and the bearer of a whole heap of questions.|isbn=1839944420}}{{Frontpage|author=Cath Howe|title=My Life on Fire

|genre= TeensConfident Readers|summary= Omar Ren's family home is destroyed in a twelvefire. She, her parents, and her little brother lose everything. She doesn't have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-year-old boy knacks from her cupboard, and now she is living in Bosraat her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, or do anything, Syriaor even eat the foods they normally eat. He works two small jobs before and after When she goes back to school. He prefers she discovers that the jobs to school. Omar dreams of becoming class are doing a successful entrepreneur with a network special art project, creating boxes of businesses their lives, to rule over. He's already developing display things that are important to them and show who they are as a successful sales patterperson. Omar But Ren has a clever sister who wants nothing to be put in a teacherbox, and a clever brother who few realise is clever because he has cerebral palsy and so she finds herself starting to steal things. Small things, things that people can't see past his speech impediment. He has a father who works for the governmentmight not really miss, a mother who worries too not when they have so much, a hypercritical granny and a couple of annoying younger siblingsalready. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1509853448</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Sarah RubinRob Keeley|title= Alice Jones: The Ghost LightBoy Who Disappeared and Other Stories|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Actors are superstitious creatures at the best of times, but it doesn't help that the cast (including Alice's twin Della) Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is rehearsing in back with a historic old theatre once ravaged by fire and haunted, so they say, by return to the ghost of a former leading lady. After a spate of inexplicable and apparently random accidents threaten the show Alice's sister insists she investigate and stop the culprit before someone is seriously hurt. But can it all be blamed on the shady businessman who wants short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to tear the place down and build a multi-plex insteadeleven new tales, or is the explanation something a good deal more spooky? each as fun to read as his previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910002879</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Karen McCombieLaura Noakes|title=St Grizzle's School for Girls, Goats and Random BoysCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|genre=Confident Readers |summary=Dani's mum Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the home she lives in is a zoologist which – according for the girls to just be named by the number they correspond to Dani – means she's obsessed with penguins' bums. There are lots of penguins in Antarctica the ledger, and itthey'sre all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, thereforeuncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, not surprising that Dani's mum can't turn down as the once-first ever inmate, and unique in having no known family in-the outside world. During a-lifetime opportunity daring escapade to join steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a three month expedition plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to study her beloved penguins in their natural habitatwant to adopt all the girls for his Institute. But where why, and what does that leave Danibody entail? Mum thinks And could it means sending Dani possibly bring Cos closer to a sensible boarding school for girls. Dani hates the idea and past she hates the school even more when she arrives and discovers the new headteacher has made some rather unusual changes. Dani's convinced there is no way she'll ever fit in in a school where students run wild, where the receptionist barely speaks English, and where they have to remember to lock their dormitory door to keep out the resident goat.so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847157769</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Alice M Ross Welford|title=What Not to Do If You Turn InvisibleThe Nowhere Thief

|summary=Meet EthelAt last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Yes, Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it's an old-fashioned name for such a young girl. She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, but because she has connections with the generations that came beforeability to leave this world, in that she lives with her gran in the far north-east and use an unworldly portal of England. Mother deadkaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, and dad long absent, it's them and where the dog, sea levels are rising dramatically and very little in the way buildings are generally empty of friendship, mostly because Ethel is not allowed to be as cool as she would wish, humans and because she has horrendous acneripe for plunder. The nearest thing With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to a friend would seem to be a boy in class who has allegedly awful BO, and obviously worse, is an Arsenal fan. So why are we meeting Ethelactually generate custom at the shop? Oh Well yes, it's because she woke up one morningis the answer, after trying but the fact a sunbed that had been offloaded on to her for free, to find she'd been on it well over an hour, and had in fact become totally invisible.mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0008156352</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jason FryNatasha Farrant|title=Star Wars Rogue One: Mission FilesThe Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers |summary=Out This story is another excellent adventure from the author of several books I've seen to tie-in to the seventh official cinema movie in 'Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''Star Wars'' universe, this – and the resulting review – is the greatest source of spoilers. What you get Ravenwood is a surprisingly mature look at an old house, in the background North of England, where Bea and events to ''Rogue One'' Raffy have been living for such most of their lives. They are part of a juvenile bookcomplex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with some fine stills photographsher Uncle Leo, and Raffy is there with his mum, and they are living together as a volume that introduces family. They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the trees, completely at one with all of the nature around the main characters house and gears you up to understand and enjoy a lot loving every inch of the events of place. But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the filmproperty to a developer as it's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. So if you donThe children find themselves worrying not only about where they't want re going to know those in advancelive, look away now. But certainly consider this as a purchase for reading once youbut if they've watched itll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285036</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Amy LeeRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Amy Lee and the Darkness HexSecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=34|genre=Emerging Confident Readers |summary=Amy Lee wakes up from one Jayden's nose is forever in a book, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and unicorns of the world, for example. Aisha is addicted to her usual dreamsnew tablet, where she combats an evil piratecan see videos of anything that might be out there. You would think The problem, as their mothers see it, is that was they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the outside world of Hackney, London. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the only nastiness in her life – one Aisha thinks she lives in 's seen on a lovely place in bit of local footage. The crew of the Land of Loveboat, including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and doesn't the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to worry about paying for steaks for her nine dogs, nor salmon for her catsjoin in. She can go to her favourite tree who will entertain her Dare they side with a storyLeila, the woman on board, and she can go adventuring with her bottomless rucksackrelative who lives as a figure in a painting, and spend all day daydreaming become saviours of a wicked new house for her dogs… Until she sees threatening purple clouds over the forests. And not even in this fantasy world do you want to see purple clouds…unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407172239</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Christian O'ConnellB09XWSXSKY|title=Radio BoyMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski

|summary=Meet SpikeFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. There're two things he loves in life: Katherine HamiltonA tune, rather like the unattainable girl at school everyone does their best ticking of a clock was playing over and over in his mind. It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. He hadn't really wanted to warn him offcome; after all, he's ten now and radioall those old clocks don't appeal to him anymore.  ''Who needs old clocks anyway? He All they do is tell the youngest person volunteering time. And time isn't good for his local hospital station – anything...'' And that was why he's read all was looking at the books and knows that's clock beside the best classroom to learn his trade inbed. But heIt was nearly twelve o's been sacked – clock but at midnight the clock chimed only listener recently six times. There was nothing for it but to go and find grandad - but where was someone whohe? And why had all the clocks stopped at twelve o'd died and not turned her radio offclock?}}{{Frontpage|author=Nigel Baines|title=A Tricky Kind of Magic|rating=4.5|genre=Emerging Readers|summary=Cooper loves to perform magic tricks. Never mind, thoughHis father was a magician, and named Cooper after the horrid headmaster has always promised the school its own radio – but prime presenter will not be Spike, but the headmastergreat Tommy Cooper. But sadly Cooper's own sonfather died suddenly, and now Cooper doesn't quite know who is not only Katherine's squeeze but the biggest bully aroundto be, or how to be. Is there any way for Spike to possibly get And when his lips dad's prop rabbit starts talking to the mike and his talents him, he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on to the airwaves?anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0008183325</amazonuk>1444960261