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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Max Boucherat|title=Cheeky Charlie: Bugs The Last Life of Lori Mills|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that is to log on to Voxminer, the world-building, critter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and then she finds something even more spooky. For the server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and Bananas (My Crazy Brother Book 2)her safe place in the game has been doctored – well, where is a girl to turn?|isbn=0008666482}}{{Frontpage|author=Mat WaughKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|summary=Cheeky Charlie Meet Kit. Like most of the people in his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, and race to the exit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. Unfortunately for Kit, the only thing he's seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has already had [[Cheeky Charlie by Mat Waugh|one book]] written about him been retired, eaten, and now a new trio of questors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has another. His slapstick adventures are related once more by taken to the goading from the token bully of his sister Harry. I love Harryworld and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a team. Harry is by turn infuriated What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and amused by her brother Charlie. And Harry also brims over with enthusiasm. how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>B072F58644</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Claire FayersJames Sherwood Metts|title= Journey to Dragon Island (The Accidental Pirates)Planet Storyland|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Two questsThings have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. Can the crew of the good ship Onion (donAI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they't ask) help their young friend Brine re paid to find her home? And does the legendary island do and other tasks that took time to accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of dragons really exist or – a rather important pointother, new ways to spend time, this – if the ship keeps sailing westalong came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and, will along with it just topple off the edge of , all the world? Of course, if you think a little thing like terrible peril and near-certain death should stop Captain Cassie and her shipmates from going wherever many daily social interactions on which they fancy, then you're reading the wrong seriesdepend so heavily. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447290623</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Bear GryllsTom Percival|title= New Jungle Book Adventures: Spirit of the JungleThe Wrong Shoes|rating= 35|genre= Confident Readers|summary= This book Will's life is technically excellent but unfortunately it falls flat difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the actual execution. Grylls uses trusted storytelling techniques such as wrong shoes', he has the herowrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn's journey t have enough money for even the most basic of things like food, and Chekovhis dad can's Gun to produce t work because he lost his job at the college, was working a cash-in-hand job on a frame building site and had an accident. Throw into that should be engaging with mix the target audience but unfortunately it does not quite hit the markfact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a tiny amount of hope. What we ultimately have He is a great idea with some wonderful good at art, and clings to the moments of joy when he is drawing, that never really recovers from feel like a light at the end of a slow beginninglong, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1509828486</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1805141872|title=Spudboy and ChipThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=David WindleRob Keeley|rating=4.5

|summary=''Sticky Toffee Trifle flavour mashed potatoSeventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. This one's The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a winnersafecracker!'' ErWith 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.. ok then. Not.''

Colin Sludge's parents run Goodness me, that Miss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a fish and chip shop and it isnbad 't doing so well. So Colinun like Al? We's mum is trying ll find out new recipes to tempt in more customers and Colin's dad is using Colin as a guinea pig. The only problem Luckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is that Colin has eaten quite enough exotic mashed potatoBen, thankyouverymuch. He's practically bursting with it. And the house is practically bursting with potato peelingsson of a famous magician who has ambitions to be as good as his father some day, so it's no wonder that Colin slips and falls when he's taking them out to the garbage bins.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>154314702X</amazonuk>who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chris PriestleyChristopher Edge|title=Flesh and BloodBlack Hole Cinema Club|rating=54|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Families change Lucas and his friends are all booked in wartime – in sizefor a movie marathon at their local cinema, if not any other waya place that has the nickname of 'The Black Hole'. Bill and Jane have already had to get used to their father being away to fightAll big movie fans, ''and'' they've tried the evacuee experiencere looking forward to lots of exciting films, but are back in London – just in time for the Battle of Britainand many, which is a circumstance Bill hates Jane formany snacks! However, as he quickly grew to love the countrysidemovie starts, while Jane resisted the idea of them settling therethey very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, so and they were returned to are swept up into an allegedly safe capitaladventure they couldn't even imagine. One night after a bombing raid But as they settle outside lurch from one film genre to the neighbourhood's token emptynext, boarded up and deserted home – only for Bill can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to convince himself he hears someone inside. The unidentifiable the cinema, and severely burnt child that gets rescued becomes a kind of new family member – but does this have anything to do with Bill's resent-filled wish for a brother to replace Janetheir real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126887</amazonuk>1839942738

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matilda WoodsAdam Stower|title=The Boy, the Bird Murray and the Coffin MakerBun

|summary=Alberto Eli is a carpenterbusy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in the very best evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the town of Allorafamily. But after the plague sweeps through the townA few short years ago, taking many of the citizens and AlbertoEli's wife and childrenparents were both lost to the titular race, he turns his skills away from furniture and toys a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to making coffinsnavigate the world in the company of a magical beast. Wrapped in sadness, and waiting only for This has made the plague race anathema to come and claim his life too, Alberto lives alone, keeping company with the dead who are delivered pair – but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, Eli knows his house only hope is to dare to await their coffin. One day, however, enter what he realises that he must have a living visitormost hates, as food starts to go missing. He begins to leave scraps with the sole aim the prize of food, magic at the end – the only thing to try and discover who possibly save his mystery thief is…gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407178695</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gill Lewis and Jo WeaverHelen Cooper|title= A Story Like The Taming of the WindCat|rating= 3.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= A small group of people huddle together 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 tiny boat connection, they live in a large seacheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be the names of cheeses. Strangers to each Anyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, if you must, mous-tracised, for the way his habits don't match the other but united by a common experiencemice he lives with. They have each lost everything nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and yet each has a dream of seeking makes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and finding refugecast out. They each have hope It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. A small hope This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as all the others had the chance to half-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>0192758950</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryder WindhamLauren St John|title=Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 3)Finding Wonder

|summary=We open here with the Rebellion in disarray, and our heroes separatedRoo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Obviously they need to rescue the ones imprisonedHer mum died when she was young, liaise with and now she finds herself awoken in the ones acting as secret agents, and get back to what they do best. For middle of the Empire are doing night by the same – they are building another Death Star – a new, bigger, quicker one without a piddly little hole in it police banging on her door to tell her that just happens her dad has dropped dead on his way to allow the goodies the chance corner shop to destroy it at the first attemptbuy a lottery ticket. OhWhen asked what other family she has, and our main heroshe can only name her aunt, LukeJoni, still who she knows her dad didn't think very highly of. But she has the matter of who he should count as a family member no one else, and so off she goes to settle… live with her unreliable aunt. YesThings continue to get worse for Roo, this is the third film made as when she and Joni leave London in the 'Joni'Star Wars'' universes old campervan, it breaks down in a handy form for the eager junior novelisation reader.middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285443</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Julia GoldingAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title= The Diamond of Drury LaneOscar's Lion|rating= 43|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Set in 18th Century LondonWe start incredibly bluntly, this historical thriller captures all the rawness with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of life in the grimy citytimes before he has to be ready for school. A young girl But when he enters his parents' bedroom, Catall he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, who was orphaned at birthlooking sheepish, is taken under and admitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the wing of bully that ruined a kind benefactor, Mr Sheridan, who found her abandoned on birthday party for Oscar the steps of his theatreother month. The Theatre Royal And it can shapeshift, Drury Lane, is an exciting place so he can take it to grow up, school and Cat becomes it can get him out of a well-loved member of the staff behind the scenesproblem. While running errands in And it's wonderful to have around the theatrehouse – not limiting his biscuit intake, she dreams of being a famous writer herself one daymuch more lax about the rules, and so on. Before her dream is realised though OK, Cat has an important role to play in solving it can't work a mystery - the mystery of dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a diamond hidden in the Theatre Royal itselfwonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285303</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryder WindhamJudith Eagle|title=Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 2)Stolen Songbird|rating=3.54

|summary=I've never actually held by the theory that ''The Empire Strikes Back'Caro' s mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is the best film in the seriesnow missing. To meHer other mother, as a youngsterRonnie, I got the willies suitably is having to go up North to take care of her sister who is unwell. So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with what happens to one characterGam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and it was great confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to meet the Emperor at lasta halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, Albie, but beyond the assault on Hoth who is living there was too much that didn't work for me. I certainly wasn't impressed by the kissy-kissy nonsense interrupting the great space-faring action. But I have always been eager enough to revisit itshe soon finds herself caught up in a mystery, as the film Ishe discovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum've seen the least of the sevens old suitcase, and these YA variants of all across London a fearsome gang called the films – adaptations of Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the canonical 2004 DVD editions, and first published at that time – are about painting somehow linked to the best way gang? And what has happened to do that.Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285435</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Bobbie PeersTania Unsworth|title= William Wenton and the Luridium ThiefNowhere Island|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Bobbie Peers is a pretty talented guyMeet Gil. Not only did Just twelve, he win is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and find a ''Palme d'Or'' award home for a film himself. He is en route to yet another fosterer, when he wrote jumps into an anonymous car, and directed lets it ride him to his future. That future seems to be in 2006, jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with this, his first bookbrother in a camp on an island between the two directions of a motorway, he's turned his hand a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to writing provide for young peopletheir safety and seclusion. And the list of awards he's collecting in his native Norway are testament to his vivid Them, and entertaining imaginationa mute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140637170X</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Amanda Wood, Mike Jolley and Frances CastleHelen Peters|title=Spot the Mistake: Lands of Long AgoFriends and Traitors|rating=4.53|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=You'll like as not have seen a children's book before and harangued it for containing errorsEngland, WW2. This book has Two young girls are new at least two hundred, and that's not a problemthe country pile called Stanbrook. YesOne is Nancy, destined to be in personifying service all her life it seems, like the idea of learning through your mistakesfemale generations before her. The other is Sidney, we get ten large dioramas of historical activity, all containing twenty things a girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that shouldn't be has been removed thereaway from bomber flight-paths. Your taskThe girls are chalk and cheese, should you choose to accept and if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it, is to try and find them allso. And the learning But something is also hereamiss, as we get text to tell us what and first separately and then in combination they realise the goofs were designed to show usLord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Make no mistakeMidnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, this talk is made of meetings with Germans, and not only that, a clever local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and absorbing read…the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847809634</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryder WindhamJamie Littler|title=Star Wars: A New Hope Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 1)Arkspire

|summary=It takes a greater mind than mine to keep track of all the different versions of ''Star Wars – A New Hope'' that there have been. That was never the name it was known under at the startTwo sisters, for one thingJuniper and Elodie, but beyond the exuberant cinema classic known to so manyborn fifteen minutes apart, you get the digitally retouched version, then the DVD version, which both added are growing to be chalk and took away some of those changescheese. And as it Juniper is with the filman eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, so it is with including relics from prior major wars left out in the novelsBadlands. This new presentation Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the YA trilogyreligious districts of Arkspire, while bearing perhaps even to become the 2017 Copyright markchild in line to inherit the power of the Watcher, is the 2004 children's novelisations, as far as I can make out, minus closest to a ruler the pictures. You do getdistrict has, on this first and one, a '40 years of Star Wars' sticker, which is proof this is a classic we're looking at, but more than that, just goes to make me feel old…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405285427</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Matthew Clark Smith and Matt Tavares|title=Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot|rating=4.5|genre=Children's Non-Fiction |summary=We're five major victors in Paris, and – not to be too rude about things – we seem surrounded by idiotssaid earlier war. For one, it seems they think Being trained in the perfect place to experiment with manned hot air balloon flights is in magic that only five people can use would definitely change the middle status of the biggest city in the worldwhole family. For anotherBut in finding something oddly magical, they think only men could suffer the slightly colder and slightly thinner air experienced on such an adventure – women would never Juniper might just be able to cope. Meanwhile, a young girl is dreaming gain some power of flight, as so many are wont to do, completely unaware that she will soon marry one of the most famed balloonists. They will have joint journeys skyward, before his early demise her own – leaving the young womanfor good, Sophie Blanchardor for very, to go it alone and become the first female pilot.very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0763677329</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Lorraine Gregory 024162343X|title=Mold and the Poison Plot Stolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|genre=Confident Readers Children's Non-Fiction|summary=Mold's mum abandoned him 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 dustbin when he 'god'. Where was a baby but the binmen proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want him. Luckily old Aggy gave him a home to learn about the British army's successes (andoccasional failures, with a crusty one-legged sailor but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as a friend, Mold is happy. Happy until Aggy is accused of poisoning want to dispute what right the King. Suddenly Mold finds himself alone and thrust into army had to be there in the unlikely role of herofirst place. He sets off to rescue Aggy and along Looking back, I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the way finds himself trying maturity to save approach 'the King and prevent a war with the Boggersproblem' politely. It I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's a lot for one small boy with an enormous nose but luckily he finds he's uniquely fashioned to sniff out danger'Stolen History''. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192745824</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Danny WallaceThiago de Moraes|title= Hamish and the Gravity BurpOld Gods New Tricks|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=BUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPPPP! A terrifying noise is rumbling through the sleepy town of Starkley (the fourth most boring town in Britain) and having a peculiar effect on the residentsMeet Trixie. Gravity has gone Forever getting into reverse scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the poor townsfolk are floating skywardschool aircon with fart powder, helplessly trying to grab onto whatever they can in order to slow their ascentshe could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. Hamish Ellerby has But just arrived home to find his family stuck to when she's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the ceilingworld changes. Suddenly, along with practically everything electronic stops working – a bowl power-out, even of fruitelectric cars, six batteries and a wind-up meerkat. What could be causing this strange phenomenon? Could it be leading up to something bigger? A ''gravity-belch'hits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, or heaven forbidand all that powers the Internet, a ''gravity-FART''? Itjust for our convenience's up to Hamish and his gangsake). Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the PDFpower of power from us. And so she begins her epic quest, to solve gather all the mystery and restore order to Starkley people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in time for stealing from the official visit from Gods, ie the Public Office of Pridesemi-deities, giants, or POP (shouldn't it be POOP?)half-gods and so on known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471147126</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah CarrollHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=The Girl In BetweenFinding Bear|rating=4.5

|summary=After [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a family argumentlot further north than many people would venture, and finding a girl ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that she called Bear. Back home, things on the domestic and her mother family front are stuck out on the streets of Irelanda bit advanced, finding shelter finally in an oldbut not perfect for her, abandoned milland so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was last left on. The mill becomes the girlFor a bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and wounded. Desperate to make sure he's castleOK, where she finally feels safe from the lurking threat of 'and her father return to the authorities' Arctic and some of the strange men hope that in her mother's life. Her mother, however, seems to be tumbling deeper into depression, keeping her daughter locked up, out a world of sight insidevery white and very dangerous things, she can find one specific white and now there are strange men in hard hats coming around dangerous thing – and that the mill to measure and make notesfriendship can continue. Can the two of them move on, or will they be too late to escape?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471160629</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jonathan Litton and Thomas HegbrookSimon Fox|title=The Earth Book: A World of Exploration and WonderDeadlock

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=The Earth. I kind of quite like itLate 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, you know – it seems to serve my purposeand join him on the run. I don't think I've taken too much out of it, all toldThey get together, and if it's divided up into 200 countries I'm getting close but barely begin to having visited a quarter smell the whiff of them. But way back Southern trains when I just didn't get the father is arrested, leaving Archie on with studying it. I didn't like geography – what with having the late express to draw mapsBrighton, oxbow lakes and whatnot I think it toting a tin his father was one of those subjects I was put off through the pictorial element – determined to keep away from his colleagues, and dropped it as soon as I could. But then, I didn't have the likes bearer of this book to inspire me…a whole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848575246</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Meg RosoffCath Howe|title=Good Dog McTavishMy Life on Fire

|summary=McTavish did wonder whether he was making a mistake Ren's family home is destroyed in adopting the Peachey family: it was a decision which came from the heart rather than the headfire. You see the Peacheys were dysfunctional: Ma PeacheyShe, an accountant by profession, decided that she was fed up with chasing around after an ungrateful familyher parents, so she resigned and dedicated herself to her yoga with half a hint that she might also dedicate herself to her yoga teacherlittle brother lose everything. She gave up cookingdoesn't have any of her clothes, cleaningor any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and now she is living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, bakingor do anything, washing and all or even eat the other things which kept foods they normally eat. When she goes back to school she discovers that the family goingclass are doing a special art project, such as finding lost keys and getting people out creating boxes of bed so their lives, to display things that they got are important to wherever them and show who they were going on timeare as a person. And the family? WellBut Ren has nothing to put in a box, they had no idea of how and so she finds herself starting to copesteal things. Small things, things that people might not really miss, with one exceptionnot when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126836</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom AnglebergerRob Keeley|title=Marvel Rocket The Boy Who Disappeared and Groot: Keep on Truckin'Other Stories

|summary=Last time our Hooray! Bookbag favourite space-gun toting small, 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 Rob Keeley is back with their new companion in the form of a tape dispenser, and an old friend (for I'm sure Rocket would think of any old space ship of his as a friend, much as I'm sure that if return to the reverse were technically possible, the ship would never do the same back). But when they run out of fuelshort story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new tales, each as we were led fun to expect, there is only one option, and that is to land on the nightmarish world – nightmarish to Rocket, at least – of HappyHappyFunFun. But what's this? The whole world's inhabitants are now stuck hiding in caves for fear of the dangers of the road, read as every vehicle is seemingly on a collision course with them, in a planet-wide instance of road ragehis previous offerings. Surely even Rocket, who laughs in the face of danger, and Groot, who says ''I am Groot'' in the face of danger, cannot hope to help?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285478</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom AnglebergerLaura Noakes|title=Marvel Rocket and Groot: Stranded on Planet Shopping MallCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|summary=''I am Groot''Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. I know what you're saying thereOr rather, it ''is'' good just Cos to see her friends. The practice in the japery of our favourite small woodland creature and tree-man-thing home she lives in book form, even if here it is a particularly unusual form. Everything here is unusual, on Planet Shopping Mall, where our heroes have arrived – and not for the girls to just be named by choice. Take the first place number they go correspond toin the ledger, a dry-cleanersand they're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, so uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Rocket can clean his clothes of space piranha blood – Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But Cosima bears the toilet in back just tries tag as a surname because nothing else seems to eat him. The sickly-sweet sweet shop is manned by angry robot tooth fairiesbe known about where she came from, with a battle modeas the first ever inmate, and they too have unique in having no known family in the consumption of peculiar life-forms in mindoutside world. Can During a daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the stranded duo battle every evil thing aroundkitchen one afternoon, and survive to find she discovers a way off-plan involving said outside world– a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for his Institute. But why, and what does that body entail? And can they cope with being forced could it possibly bring Cos closer to enter partnership the past she has so little link with a purple tape dispenser?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140528546X</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philip Ardagh and Tom Morgan-JonesAlice M Ross|title=Norman The Nowhere Thief|rating=4.5|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 Norman 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 Normandy (Little Gems)these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|isbn=1839943769}}{{Frontpage|author=Natasha Farrant|title=The Rescue of Ravenwood

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Meet NormanThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Norman Ravenwood is an old house, in the NormanNorth of England, from Normandywhere Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. Not Big Bad Norman the Norman from NormandyThey are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and not Norma the Norman from Normandy – Raffy is there with his mum, and not even Nora they are living together as a family. They have grown up swimming in the Norman fromcove, well it doesn't sayroaming through the trees, but my guess is Normandy. Norman isn't very big completely at one with all – he's just a little boy, of the nature around the house and he's not badloving every inch of the place. Or at least he doesn't think he But now the house is. But because his father, Big Bad Normanunder threat, as Leo is buried in three parts (donunder pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it't ask), s becoming more and little baby Norman has inherited Big Bad Normanmore expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they's big bad Norman sword, he's re going to visit the three parts – live, but only good if they'll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will happen… Right?be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126976</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Jane MitchellRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title= A Dangerous CrossingSecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating= 54|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Award winning author Jane Mitchell passionately believes Jayden's nose is forever in using literature as a conduit to highlight Human Rights' issues that children need to understand and talk book, which means he knows a lot about. She explains, ''Children hear the political rhetoric on mythological creatures – the right side phoenixes and unicorns of the left side – that we should open our doors and let everybody in, versus we should build barriersworld, we should build walls, we should ban peoplefor example. And children are struggling Aisha is addicted to make sense her new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, as their mothers see it, adults is that they are struggling to make sense never 'out there' themselves, exploring the outside world of itHackney, London. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, we donand with a past involving Jayden't know what approach to take and what our views s cousin, they find a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are because this is newreal, this is completely different to all including the one Aisha thinks she's seen on a bit of uslocal footage.'' 'A Dangerous Crossing' gets The crew of the boat, including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. Dare they side with Leila, the heart woman on board, and her relative who lives as a figure in a painting, and become saviours of the matter. unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910411582</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Jane KerrB09XWSXSKY|title=The Elephant ThiefMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski|rating=54|genre= Confident Readers|summary= In 1872 Maharajah Frederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. A tune, rather like the elephant ticking of a clock was sold at auction playing over and over in Edinburgh his mind. It happened every time he came to a zoo ownervisit his grandfather. Shortly He hadn't really wanted to come; after boarding the train to his new home all, he destroyed the train carriage 's ten now and his new owner then decided that all those old clocks don't appeal to him anymore. ''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they would walk to his new home in Manchesterdo is tell the time. And time isn't good for anything... The journey '' And that was why he was to take them ten dayslooking at the clock beside the bed. Jane Kerr has used this event as It was nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the inspiration clock chimed only six times. There was nothing for her debut novel for children that tells a story that is exciting, compelling it but to go and ultimately very moving. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910655759</amazonuk>find grandad - but where was he? And why had all the clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Joshua KhanNigel Baines|title= Dream A Tricky Kind of Magic|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Emerging Readers|summary= It's great Cooper loves to welcome our old friends back in thisperform magic tricks. His father was a magician, and named Cooper after the second of their adventures, even though we know it means they'll be going through all sorts of terrors and dangers once more as they battle not one but two enemies bent on destroying Gehennagreat Tommy Cooper. Lady Lilith Shadow may be the sole heir to her country, but she But sadly Cooper's still just a girl father died suddenly, and therefore expected now Cooper doesn't quite know who to do nothing more useful than marry some feeble-witted prince be, or how to forge an alliance with a stronger kingdombe. Her friend Thorn, on the other hand, is 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 ( And when the bathis dad's in the mood prop rabbit starts talking to be helpfulhim, that is). Together they make a great team. he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407172093</amazonuk>1444960261