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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Julia GoldingMax Boucherat|title= The Diamond Last Life of Drury LaneLori Mills|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Set in 18th Century London, this historical thriller captures all the rawness of life in the grimy city. A young girl, Cat, who was orphaned at birth, is taken under the wing of a kind benefactor, Mr Sheridan, who found her abandoned on the steps of his theatre. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, is an exciting place to grow up, and Cat becomes a well-loved member of the staff behind the scenes. While running errands in the theatre, she dreams of being a famous writer herself one day. Before her dream is realised though, Cat has an important role to play in solving a mystery - the mystery of a diamond hidden in the Theatre Royal itself.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405285303</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Ryder Windham|title=Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 2)|rating=3.5

|summary=I've never actually held by We meet Lori on the theory that first evening she''The Empire Strikes Back'' is s got the best film house to herself – no neighbour to pop in the series. To me, as a youngsterbabysitter poorly, I got the willies suitably with what happens to one charactermother at work, and it was great to meet the Emperor at lastjust an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, but beyond the assault on Hoth there was too much that didn't work for meher lonesome. I certainly wasn't impressed by the kissy-kissy nonsense interrupting the great space-faring action. What could possibly go wrong? But I have always been eager enough to revisit itSnuggled in a blanket fort, as the film I've seen the least of the sevenshe has one main intention, and these YA variants of the films – adaptations of the canonical 2004 DVD editions, and first published at that time – are about the best way to do that.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405285435</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Bobbie Peers|title= William Wenton and the Luridium Thief|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Bobbie Peers is a pretty talented guy. Not only did he win a ''Palme d'Or'' award for a film he wrote and directed in 2006, but with this, his first book, he's turned his hand to writing for young people. And the list of awards he's collecting in his native Norway are testament log on to his vivid and entertaining imagination. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>140637170X</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Amanda WoodVoxminer, Mike Jolley and Frances Castle|title=Spot the Mistake: Lands of Long Ago|rating=4.5|genre=Children's Nonworld-building, critter-Fiction|summary=You'll like as not have seen collecting game that is a childrenhit in Lori's book before and harangued it for containing errorsworld. This book But first Lori has at least two hundred, and that's not a problem. Yes, in personifying the idea of learning through your mistakes, we get ten large dioramas of historical activity, all containing twenty things tiny inkling that shouldnthis stormy night doesn't be therefind herself entirely on her own, and then she finds something even more spooky. Your task, For the server she and her bestie and nobody else should you choose be able to accept it, is to try and find them allenter shows signs of tampering. And the learning is also hereWhen malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, as we get text to tell us what and her safe place in the goofs were designed to show us. Make no mistakegame has been doctored – well, this where is a clever and absorbing read…girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847809634</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryder WindhamKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Star WarsDungeon Runners: A New Hope Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 1)Hero Trial

|summary=It takes a greater mind than mine to keep track Meet Kit. Like most of all the different versions people in his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of ''Star Wars Dungeon Running – A New Hope'' that there have been. That was never the name it was known under at the startsport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, for one thingmagical mazes, but beyond and race to the exuberant cinema classic known to so manyexit, you get perhaps bothering with the digitally retouched version, then treasure or the DVD version, which both added to big bad and took away some of those changesthe points they grant you along the way. And as it is with the filmUnfortunately for Kit, so it is with the novels. This new presentation only thing he's seen of the YA trilogy, while bearing latest race on the 2017 Copyright mark, inn TV equivalent is the 2004 children's novelisationsthat one team has been retired, as far as I can make outeaten, minus the picturesand a new trio of questors is needed. You do getPossibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, on this first one, a '40 years he has taken to the goading from the token bully of Star Warshis world and stumbled into declaring he' sticker, which is proof ll enter as a team. What chance does this is a classic we're looking atfriendless, but more than muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, just goes and how could he possibly hope to make me feel old…succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285427</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matthew Clark Smith and Matt TavaresJames Sherwood Metts|title=Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman PilotPlanet Storyland

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=WeThings have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're in Paris, paid to do and – not other tasks that took time to be too rude about things – we seem surrounded by idiotsaccomplish. For one, it seems Just as they think the perfect place were beginning to get used to experiment with manned hot air balloon flights is in the middle of the biggest city in the world. For another, they think only men could suffer the slightly colder all this technological change and slightly thinner air experienced on such an adventure – women would never be able starting to cope. Meanwhile, a young girl is dreaming think of flightother, as so many are wont new ways to dospend time, completely unaware that she will soon marry one of the most famed balloonistsalong came an awful pandemic. They will have joint journeys skywardLife was pretty much shut down and, before his early demise – leaving the young woman, Sophie Blanchardalong with it, to go it alone and become all the first female pilotmany daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0763677329</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lorraine Gregory Tom Percival|title=Mold and the Poison Plot The Wrong Shoes

|genre=Confident Readers |summary=MoldWill's mum abandoned him life is difficult, in a dustbin when multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he was a baby but has the binmen didnwrong shoes because his dad can't want him. Luckily old Aggy gave him a home work and doesn't have enough money for even the most basic of things like food, andhis dad can't work because he lost his job at the college, with was working a crusty onecash-legged sailor as in-hand job on a friend, Mold is happybuilding site and had an accident. Happy until Aggy is accused of poisoning Throw into that mix the Kingfact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. Suddenly Mold finds himself alone and thrust into the unlikely role And yet, he still has a tiny amount of herohope. He sets off to rescue Aggy is good at art, and along the way finds himself trying clings to save the King and prevent moments of joy when he is drawing, that feel like a war with light at the Boggers. It's end of a lot for one small boy with an enormous nose but luckily he finds he's uniquely fashioned to sniff out dangerlong, dark tunnel. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192745824</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Danny Wallace1805141872|title= Hamish and the Gravity BurpThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=BUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPPPP''Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker!With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job...''

A terrifying noise Goodness me, that Miss Judson is rumbling through the sleepy town of Starkley (the fourth most boring town in Britain) and having a peculiar effect terror! How on the residents. Gravity has gone into reverse and the poor townsfolk are floating skyward, helplessly trying earth did a nice teacher like her manage to grab onto whatever they can in order to slow their ascent. Hamish Ellerby has just arrived home to find his family stuck to the ceiling, along get mixed up with a bowl of fruit, six batteries and a wind-up meerkat. What could be causing this strange phenomenon? Could it be leading up to something biggerbad 'un like Al? A ''gravity-belch'We'll find out. Luckily for Miss Judson, or heaven forbidthe pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, the son of a ''gravity-FART''? It's up famous magician who has ambitions to Hamish and be as good as his gangfather some day, the PDF, to solve the mystery and restore order to Starkley in time for the official visit from the Public Office of Pride, or POP (shouldn't it be POOP?).|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471147126</amazonuk>who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah CarrollChristopher Edge|title=The Girl In BetweenBlack Hole Cinema Club

|summary=After Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a family argumentmovie marathon at their local cinema, a girl and her mother are stuck out on place that has the streets nickname of Ireland, finding shelter finally in an old, abandoned mill'The Black Hole'. The mill becomes the girl's castleAll big movie fans, where she finally feels safe from the lurking threat of they'the authorities' and some re looking forward to lots of the strange men in her mother's life. Her motherexciting films, howeverand many, seems to be tumbling deeper into depressionmany snacks! However, keeping her daughter locked upas the movie starts, out of sight insidethey very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, and now there they are strange men in hard hats coming around the mill to measure and make notesswept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. Can But as they lurch from one film genre to the two of them move next, can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the cinema, or will they be too late and to escapetheir real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471160629</amazonuk>1839942738

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jonathan Litton and Thomas HegbrookAdam Stower|title=The Earth Book: A World of Exploration Murray and WonderBun

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers |summary=The Earth. I kind of quite like itMurray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, you know – it seems one who is able to serve my purposesleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. I donBut he't think Is a bad magician've taken too much 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 whiffs. This time round itdrops them into a Viking land, all toldwhere a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, and if itbut he's divided turned up into 200 countries Iand he'm getting close ll have to having visited do…|isbn=0008561249}}{{Frontpage|author=Alex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Eli is a quarter of thembusy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in the evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. But way back when I just didn't get on Eli lives with studying ithis lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the family. I didnA few short years ago, Eli't like geography – what with having s parents were both lost to draw mapsthe titular race, oxbow lakes and whatnot I think it was one a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of those subjects I was put off through a magical beast. This has made the race anathema to the pictorial element pair – and dropped it as soon as I could. But thenbut when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he most hates, I didn't have with the sole aim the likes prize of this book magic at the end – the only thing to inspire me…possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848575246</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Meg RosoffHelen Cooper|title=Good Dog McTavishThe Taming of the Cat|rating=3.5

|summary=McTavish did wonder whether he was making Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the mouse, up against Gorgonzola the cat – and in case you're seeing a mistake connection, they live in adopting the Peachey family: it was a decision which came from cheese shop and therefore all the heart rather than names used here seem to be the headnames of cheeses. You see the Peacheys were dysfunctional: Ma PeacheyAnyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, an accountant by professionif you must, decided that she was fed up with chasing around after an ungrateful familymous-tracised, so she resigned and dedicated herself to her yoga for the way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with half a hint that she might also dedicate herself to her yoga teacher. She gave They nibble up cooking, cleaning, baking, washing paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and all makes stories based on the other things which kept the family goingvisuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, such as finding lost keys when he feels all alone and getting people cast out of bed so that they got . It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to wherever they were going on timekeep themselves alive. And This makes Brie the top dog in the family? Wellmouse community, though, they as all the others had no idea of how the chance to cope, with one exceptionhalf-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126836</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom AnglebergerLauren St John|title=Marvel Rocket and Groot: Keep on Truckin'Finding Wonder

|summary=Last time our favourite space-gun toting smallRoo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was young, furry woodland creature and his humanoid yet woody friend Groot, escaped a [[Marvel Rocket and Groot: Stranded on Planet Shopping Mall by Tom Angleberger|planet-sized shopping mall of death]], complete with their new companion now she finds herself awoken in the form middle of the night by the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a tape dispenserlottery ticket. When asked what other family she has, and an old friend (for Ishe can only name her aunt, Joni, who she knows her dad didn'm sure Rocket would t think very highly of any old space ship of his as a friend. But she has no one else, and so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for Roo, much as Iwhen she and Joni leave London in Joni'm sure that if s old campervan, it breaks down in the reverse were technically possiblemiddle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|isbn=0571376169}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Oscar's Lion|rating=3|genre=Confident Readers|summary=We start incredibly bluntly, the ship would never do the same back)with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to be ready for school. But when they run out of fuelhe enters his parents' bedroom, as we were led to expectall he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, there is only one optionlooking sheepish, and admitting that is he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to land on the nightmarish world having a lion around – nightmarish it can be shown as an unspoken threat to Rocketthe bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, at least – so he can take it to school and it can get him out of HappyHappyFunFuna problem. But whatAnd it's this? The whole world's inhabitants are now stuck hiding in caves for fear of wonderful to have around the dangers of house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the roadrules, as every vehicle is seemingly and so on a collision course with them, in a planet-wide instance of road rage. Surely even Rocket, who laughs in the face of danger, and GrootOK, who says it can''I am Groot'' in the face of danger, cannot hope to help?t work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285478</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom AnglebergerJudith Eagle|title=Marvel Rocket and Groot: Stranded on Planet Shopping MallThe Stolen Songbird

|summary=Caro''I am Groot''s mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. I know what you're saying thereHer other mother, Ronnie, it ''is'' good having to go up North to see the japery take care of our favourite small woodland creature and tree-man-thing in book form, even if here it her sister who is a particularly unusual formunwell. Everything here So who is unusualgoing to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, on Planet Shopping Mallsomeone Caro has heard her mother despises, where our heroes have arrived – she feels frustrated and confused and not by choiceworried. Take the first place they go All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought toa halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. But she soon finds herself caught up in a dry-cleanersmystery, so that Rocket can clean his clothes as she discovers a painting of space piranha blood – a bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and all across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to the toilet gang? And what has happened to Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in back just tries the mystery too?|isbn=0571363148}}{{Frontpage|author=Tania Unsworth|title=Nowhere Island|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to eat escape the care system – the system that constantly puts himin futureless places that are not homes – and find a home for himself. The sickly-sweet sweet shop He is manned by angry robot tooth fairiesen route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and lets it ride him to his future. That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the two directions of a battle modemotorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and they too have the consumption of peculiar life-forms in mindseclusion. Can the stranded duo battle every evil thing aroundThem, and survive to find a way off-world? mute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. And Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can they cope with being forced to enter partnership with a purple tape dispenser?combine, or if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140528546X</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philip Ardagh and Tom Morgan-JonesHelen Peters|title=Norman the Norman from Normandy (Little Gems)Friends and Traitors|rating=53|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Meet NormanEngland, WW2. Norman Two young girls are new at the Normancountry pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, from Normandylike the female generations before her. Not Big Bad Norman the Norman The other is Sidney, a girl from Normandy, and not Norma the Norman a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from Normandy – bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and not even Nora the Norman fromcheese, well it doesnand if we hadn't say, but my guess is Normandyguessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. Norman isn't very big at all – he's just a little boyBut something is amiss, and hefirst separately and then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a rum 's not badun. Or at least he doesn't think he Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk ismade of meetings with Germans, and not only that, a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But because his father, Big Bad Norman, is buried in three parts (don't ask)surely the girls are wrong, and little baby Norman has inherited Big Bad Norman's big bad Norman sword, he's going to visit the three parts – but only good will happen… Rightupper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126976</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Jane MitchellJamie Littler|title= A Dangerous CrossingArkspire|rating= 54|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Award winning author Jane Mitchell passionately believes in using literature as a conduit to highlight Human Rights' issues that children need Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to understand be chalk and talk aboutcheese. She explains Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, ''Children hear including relics from prior major wars left out in the political rhetoric Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the right side and religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the left side – that we should open our doors and let everybody child in, versus we should build barriers, we should build walls, we should ban people. And children are struggling line to make sense inherit the power of itthe Watcher, adults are struggling the closest to make sense of ita ruler the district has, we don't know what approach to take and what our views are because this is new, this is completely different to all one of usthe five major victors in said earlier war.'' 'A Dangerous Crossing' gets to Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the heart status of the matterwhole family. But in finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be able to gain some power of her own – for good, or for very, very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910411582</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Jane Kerr024162343X|title=The Elephant ThiefStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|genre= Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary= In 1872 Maharajah I was the elephant bad company other people got into at school. I was sold at auction disruptive in Edinburgh to religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a zoo owner'god'. Shortly Where was the proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after boarding the train end of WWII, I didn't so much want to his new home he destroyed learn about the train carriage British army's successes (and his new owner then decided that they would walk 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 his new home be there in Manchesterthe first place. The journey Looking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to take them ten daysapproach 'the problem' politely. Jane Kerr has used this event as the inspiration for her debut novel for children that tells a story that is exciting, compelling and ultimately very moving I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910655759</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Joshua KhanThiago de Moraes|title= Dream MagicOld Gods New Tricks|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= It's great to welcome our old friends back in thisMeet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the second of their adventuresschool aircon with fart powder, even though we know it means they'll she could almost be going through all sorts thought a young goddess of terrors and dangers once more as they battle not one but two enemies bent on destroying Gehennanuisance. Lady Lilith Shadow may be the sole heir to her country, but But just when she's still just a girl and therefore expected to do nothing more useful than marry some feeblebeing told that by her one-last-chance-witted prince to forge an alliance with a stronger kingdom. Her friend Thorngiving headteacher, on the other handworld changes. Suddenly, is practically everything electronic stops working – a peasant boy from a neighbouring country with a talent for getting into scrapes and an absolutely wonderful giant bat he uses to travel round on (when power-out, even of electric cars, hits not just the town the batschool's in but the mood to be helpfulentire planet (apart from mobile phones, and all that ispowers the Internet, just for our convenience's sake). Together they make a great team Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the power of power from us. And so she begins her epic quest, to gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in stealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on known as the tricksters. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407172093</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elena Favilli Hannah Gold and Francesca CavalloLevi Pinfold|title=Good Night Stories for Rebel GirlsFinding Bear

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=It's [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been said very often on Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, and finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that 'history is told by the winners'she called Bear. Well, too often historyBack home, things on the news domestic and even destinies family front are written by mena bit advanced, but not perfect for her, and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the proof is between these coversislands Bear was last left on. I didn't know anything about this before reading it, even if it For a bear doing very Bear-y things has become the most richly-backed crowd-funded book everbeen shot and wounded. I'd never heard of the Hollow Flashlight, powered purely by body warmth – which is rich if you're old enough Desperate to remember the brou-ha-ha when a maverick British bloke did a wind-up radio. Imake sure he'd never read about the Niger female who has successfully made a stand against forced, arranged marriages OK, rejecting a cousin for a fate she wishes and her father return to write for herself. My ignorance may, perhaps, show me up to be a chauvinist of sorts, but I think it is further evidence that 'the gaze is male' Arctic and that the media are phallocentric. I hope too that this book doesn't turn any in a world of its readers into a feministvery white and very dangerous things, for she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that would be as bad as the chauvinist charge against mefriendship can continue. If anything it is designed to create equals, and that is as it should be, even if there is still a long way to go…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>014198600X</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Evie's GhostSimon Fox|authortitle=Helen PetersDeadlock|rating=4.5

|summary=Evie Late one night Graham Blake is not happy. Not only has her mother disrupted their hitherto happy duo by getting marriedlate back from his shift on the force, she has flown off on honeymoon with new husband Marcus and sent Evie off to stay with then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a godmother she hasn't seen for years secret place, and can join him on the run. They get together, but barely remember. And if that weren't bad enoughbegin to smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, godmother Anna lives in toting a creaky old mansion miles tin his father was determined to keep away from anywherehis colleagues, without such necessities as internet access and the bearer of a mobile phone signal. Anna doesn't even own a television, for heavens sakewhole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857638424</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Sarah DriverCath Howe|title= The Huntress: SeaMy Life on Fire|rating= 45|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Feisty heroines who refuse to accept the limitations set on them by men abound Ren's family home is destroyed in literature at the moment – which is all to the good – a fire. She, her parents, and thirteen-year-old Mouse is no exceptionher little brother lose everything. She lives a precarious but happy life on the doesn''Huntress'' with t have any of her clothes, or any of her onespecial little knick-eyed grandmaknacks from her cupboard, who and now she is the shipliving at her grandmother's captainhouse where they can't touch anything, or do anything, and her little brother Sparrowor even eat the foods they normally eat. Their tribe worships When she goes back to school she discovers that the whales class are doing a special art project, creating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to them and show who they are as godsa person. But Ren has nothing to put in a box, protecting and working together with them so she finds herself starting to defeat the vicious and bloodthirsty terrodylssteal things. Small things, things that people might not really miss, and despite not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her young age Mouse if someone finds out what she is already a gifted diver for the pearls which they trade for food. doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405284676</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Stargazing for BeginnersRob Keeley|authortitle=Jenny McLachlanThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories

|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=Meg loves space. And when we say Meg loves space, this doesn't quite explain how much Meg loves space. Meg loves all things space Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a return to the exclusion of almost everything else. She has a space mural in her bedroom. She belongs short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to a stargazing club with her grandfather. She is determined to become an astronaut one day. And she dreams of winning a competition that will earn her a place on a trip eleven new tales, each as fun to NASA in Houstonread as his previous offerings. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408879751</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryan Tubridy and P J LynchLaura Noakes|title=Patrick and the PresidentCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|genre=Emerging Confident Readers |summary=Meet PatrickNumber One. Such a direction is a little facetious hereOr rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, because it's who ''he's'' going just Cos to meet that's the keyher friends. He The practice in the home she lives in New Rossis for the girls to just be named by the number they correspond to in the ledger, County Wexfordand they're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, and his school has been chosen to perform uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But Cosima bears the tag as a choir for the much-anticipated arrival of President J F Kennedysurname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, as the man traces the path of his Irish ancestryfirst ever inmate, and unique in what (having no known family in addition the outside world. During a daring escapade to stop-overs in England and Italy on steal some posh cakes from the same trip) was kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to be want to adopt all the girls for his last state visit abroadInstitute. But surely just being one among three hundred on such an auspiciouswhy, yet brief, occasion is not enough for such an enterprising ladand what does that body entail? Well, no, for his connected parents have got another trick up their sleeve for him…And could it possibly bring Cos closer to the past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406366927</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matt ForbeckAlice M Ross|title=Star Wars: Rogue One: Junior NovelThe Nowhere Thief|rating=34.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=At last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the ability to leave this world, and use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the buildings are generally empty of humans and ripe for plunder. With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the shop? Well yes, is the answer, but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|isbn=1839943769}}{{Frontpage|author=Natasha Farrant|title=The Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=This story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is there with his mum, and they are living together as a family. They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the trees, completely at one with all of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they're going to live, but if they'll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|isbn=0571348785}}{{Frontpage|author=Robin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Secret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=4

|summary=The bad thing about bad people Jayden's nose is they keep on getting worse. The Empire has done so much evilforever in a book, but they're finding new depths which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – they've managed to get enough the phoenixes and unicorns of a special kind of crystal the world, for example. Aisha is addicted to power a her new planet-shattering weapontablet, the Death Starwhere she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The Rebel Allianceproblem, such as their mothers see it , is, have found that they are never 'out this is no mere rumourthere' themselves, courtesy of word from the horse's mouth in exploring the shape outside world of an escaped Imperial pilotHackney, London. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and news has followed it that could inspire them to fight backwith a past involving Jayden's cousin, of they find a potential set magical world they never knew existed. For many of plans showing a flaw in those mythological creatures are real, including the weaponone Aisha thinks she's constructionseen on a bit of local footage. But The crew of the boat, including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the search for rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the plans going magical sight needed to be so dangerousjoin in. Dare they side with Leila, the woman on board, and with anything that might result from them going to be such her relative who lives as a figure in a hare-brained responsepainting, how dare they possibly commit any and become saviours of their limited resources on even getting themthe unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285680</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=B09XWSXSKY|title=Meurig Bowen, Rachel Bowen Maestro Orpheus and Daniel Frostthe World Clock|titleauthor=The School of MusicRobert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski|rating=34|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=I have a love/hate relationship with musicFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. I love it in that I own several large bookshelves full A tune, rather like the ticking of CDs, a clock was playing over and have seen and met quite a few noted performers, from Radiohead to Philip Glass, but I hate it over in that as regards making it I can only hit things (and that only with my hands, never with my feet at the same his mind. It happened every time)he came to visit his grandfather. Only in the last few years have people been at He hadn't really wanted to come; after all appreciative of my singing, for want of a better word, he's ten now and one of all those suggested closing my eyes to sound better (I think she also may have plugged her ears when I wasnold clocks don't looking)appeal to him anymore.  ''Who needs old clocks anyway? That from a kid who was lumbered with something big and brass to lumber about on All they do is tell the school bus with, dammittime. But hey, whatAnd time isn't good for anything...''s  And that was why he was looking at the clock beside the use of my own example being so off-putting, when there is a world of pleasure, mental and physical exercise and fun to be had from being active in music? bed. This book, dressed as It was nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the lesson programme of a full-on, proper musical college, is clock chimed only designed six times. There was nothing for it but to encourage go and inform. find grandad - but where was he? But does itAnd why had all the clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847808603</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Paul GallicoNigel Baines|title= ThomasinaA Tricky Kind of Magic|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Emerging Readers|summary= A father and his six year old daughter, Mary MacDhui, are struggling Cooper loves to cope with the death of Mary’s motherperform magic tricks. They move from Glasgow so that Mr MacDhui can take up His father was a new job as Vet in a small Scottish seaside resort. Burying his head in a job he does not wholly love, Mr MacDhui spares his young daughter little time or attentionmagician, and she finds solace in her new friends and her beloved pet catnamed Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. Thomasina But sadly Cooper's father died suddenly, a remarkable catand now Cooper doesn't quite know who to be, drives the plot in this storyor how to be. And when his dad's prop rabbit starts talking to him, which Paul Gallico tells with heart breaking and emotional twists and turns.he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007395183</amazonuk>1444960261