Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Heather Alexander and Andres LozanoMax Boucherat|title=The Last Life on Earth: Jungle: With 100 Questions and 70 Lift-flaps!of Lori Mills

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=Wemeet Lori on the first evening she're constantly being asked s got the house to herself – no neighbour to save somethingpop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. Save the hedgerowsWhat could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that is to log on to Voxminer, save the elephantworld-building, save our seascritter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. ThereBut first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn's absolutely nothing wrong with any of those goals – some of them are larger than the otherst find herself entirely on her own, and then she finds something even more demanding, but they are all worthyspooky. But seeing as it's (a) For the largest land feature we need server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to saveenter shows signs of tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and her safe place in the game has been doctored – well, where is a girl to turn?|isbn=0008666482}}{{Frontpage|author=Kieran Larwood and (b) Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Kit. Like most of the people in his world, it's seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the most worthwhile sport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, and race to savethe exit, why not just go for perhaps bothering with the treasure or the jugular – big bad and try and save the Amazonian rainforest? points they grant you along the way. Forget jugularUnfortunately for Kit, youthe only thing he'll be saving s seen of the jaguar; you'll be protecting latest race on the source of inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, and a lot new trio of our foodquestors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, spices he has taken to the goading from the token bully of his world and medicines – and when did stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a hedgerow near you have almost fifty different species of ant on a singular tree? team. The first step to saving anything is to understand itWhat chance does this friendless, to let us appreciate itmuscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and this primer is how we get in touch with what's important about jungles so we can deem them worthwhile.could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847809014</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kaye UmanskyJames Sherwood Metts|title=The Pongwiffy Stories 1: A Witch of Dirty Habits and The Goblins' RevengePlanet Storyland

|summary=Meet PongwiffyThings have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. She must be the smelliestAI and automation have been proceeding apace, ugliest, most slurpy, non-house-cleaning and all-round disgusting witch out there. Sheoften replacing jobs they's forced re paid to live alongside the noisiest, most stupid Goblins around, do and it's with great reluctance other tasks that anyone ever comes took time to visit – and when they do accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get acclaimed as her best friendused to all this technological change and starting to think of other, new ways to spend time, along came an awful pandemic. And she doesn't even have a familiarLife was pretty much shut down and, along with it, eitherall the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily. She is a hopeless person. But when said 'best friend' forces her to advertise for a familiar, nobody could expect what turns up…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471167380</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=J R WallisTom Percival|title= The Boy With One NameWrong Shoes|rating= 45

|summary=Jones Will's life is the boy with one namedifficult, snatched as an infant from his loving parents by in a Badlander called Maitlandmultitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he only longs to be a normal boy has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have his family back. One nightenough money for even the most basic of things like food, he and Maitland are on patrol and come across an ogre 'moon-bathing.' Things donhis dad can't go quite to plan; enter: Rubywork because he lost his job at the college, was working a foster child cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. Throw into that mix the runfact that his mum and dad are separated, who is desperate to be part of the Badlanderand Will's world, despite its dangers and terrorslife seems bleak in every direction. Along with a talking gun And yet, he still has a miniature fire breathing black dogtiny amount of hope. He is good at art, an old camper vanand clings to the moments of joy when he is drawing, and that feel like a hefty sprinkling of magic – you're sure to be taken on one hell light at the end of a ridelong, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>147115792X</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=William Steig1805141872|title=DominicThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley|rating=34.5

|summary=Meet Dominic – ''Seventeen banks and a character that the text very belatedly gets round to telling us is a dogjeweller’s have been raided. He is in a nice place with nice friendsThe police are baffled, but is seeking something only Ben knows the truth – his destinyMaths teacher, his callingMiss Judson, his adventure. And sois really a safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, when he's been shown Miss Judson and Ben go on the right path run. But Al needs them for excitement by a ''witch-alligatorone last job...'' Goodness me, and once he's been gifted that Miss Judson is a spear by terror! How on earth did a catfish, he can go off and see what he can nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 'un like Al? We'll findout. That turns out to be Luckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, the son of a major fortune, which seems famous magician who has ambitions to be a little bit too much of a burden – particularly whenas good as his father some day, no matter what Dominic does, the nastiness that and who thinks Miss Judson is the Doomsday Gang can always sniff him out…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178269143X</amazonuk>worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Neal Zetter and Chris WhiteChristopher Edge|title=Here Come the SuperheroesBlack Hole Cinema Club

|genre=Children's Rhymes and Verse Confident Readers|summary=ILucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a place that has the nickname of 'm quite sure youThe Black Hole're well aware of the spate of superhero movies doing the rounds these days, with any and every star of the comics page seemingly on the big screen – and the small. TheyAll big movie fans, they're everywherelooking forward to lots of exciting films, and their numbers are only growing. many, many snacks! But here is a unique chance to meet a few more – Mega SlugHowever, Micro Girlas the movie starts, Magnetic Methey very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, Sister Speed – and they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even one calling himself the Ultimate Superheroimagine. But we're not meeting them in a well-established comic universeas they lurch from one film genre to the next, or with some horrid and convoluted can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back story. No, we're being introduced to them all in the format of verse – cinema, and for the young superhero and/or poetry fan this clearly has an instant appeal.to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1909991465</amazonuk>1839942738

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Peter SchossowAdam Stower|title=Where is Grandma?Murray and Bun|rating=4.5|genre=Emerging Confident Readers|summary=Meet Henry. He's Murray is supposed to be a young lad being taken by a nanny humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to hospital to check up on sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his grandma, who's in having had an accidentfancy next of the two. ItBut he's a shamebad magician's cat, thenso his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, that said nanny is so busy yacking and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into her phone to look after himthe regular back garden, for he ends up going off on his own but into a world of frightening adventure to find his granand whiffs. And what an adventure This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – babies being bornwell, people with stomach problemsone much bigger than Murray was, chemoto be honest, beans stuck but he's turned up their nose… all life is here in this hospital, and both that and the ladhe's mishap are clearly and very pleasantly conveyed.ll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1776571541</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andrea Beaty Alex Bell and David RobertsTim McDonagh|title=Iggy Peck's Big Project Book for Amazing ArchitectsThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Out of all Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in the things I wanted to be as evening a child, an architect was not one of themhelper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Which is a shameEli lives with his lovely gran, perhaps too – I might have had for there is a generation missing in the family. A few Prince Charles-friendly ideas under my beltshort years ago, and even if I hadnEli't exactly progressed at that I might have been more at ease at those stupid team-bonding 'build-s parents were both lost to the titular race, aglobe-this-or-that' exercises you are sometimes forced trotting adventure where all entrants have to undergo as an adult. I never knew I would ever hold any importance navigate the world in my ability to draw buildings, conceptualise towns and create model structures the company of my own creations – partly because I knew I had no abilitya magical beast. But for This has made the likes of Iggy Peck, race anathema to the whole idea is never in doubt pair – he spends but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, Eli knows his entire time thinking of buildings and how only hope is to dare to improve on the ones enter what he knows. And somost hates, for with the sole aim the duration prize of your engagement with these pages, will youmagic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1419718924</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Ruth EasthamHelen Cooper|title= The Warrior in Taming of the MistCat|rating= 43.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Fracking is a big issue in some parts of the countryOnce again, particularly in the northmice are pitched against cat. In this case, and for Aidanprincipally, it means not only we have Brie the destruction of mouse, up against Gorgonzola the countryside he loves but a huge change cat – and in his life. Once they start blasting, his dad will lose his job caring for case you're seeing a rich landowner's horsesconnection, and he and Aidan will have to leave their home and their friends to they live seventeen floors up in a tower block. But despite cheese shop and therefore all the protesters' determined efforts names used here seem to be the blasting names of cheeses. Anyway, Brie is going aheadshunned, scorned and there is only one small, faint hope – find the tomb of the warrior queen Boudiccaif you must, mous-tracised, reputedly slaughtered nearby by for the Romans in AD 61, so way his habits don't match the area can be declared a World Heritage Siteother mice he lives with. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>191134238X</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Cas Lester|title= Do You Speak Chocolate?|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary= When a new girl arrives at Jaz's school she is delighted They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and warms to her immediatelymakes stories based on the visuals on it. The only problem is And that Nadima does not speak any English at story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels allalone and cast out. However Jaz is the type of girl It's almost as if there were another character from fable who is not going had had to let this get in her way and in her typical straightforward manner determines tell stories to make sure that this friendship blossomskeep themselves alive. Initially this appears to have worked and This makes Brie the top dog in the girls bond through a shared love of musicmouse community, movies and foodthough, especially chocolate! But then difficulties, misunderstandings and past traumas get in as all the others had the way and Jaz struggles chance to cope with half-inch some cheese while the consequencescat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471405036</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jenny OldfieldLauren St John|title=Storm CloudFinding Wonder

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Kami Miller Roo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was invited to stay at Wolf Ridge Farmyoung, and now she finds herself awoken in the home middle of the night by the police banging on her best friend Macy Lucas, for the summer. They were both going door to be working as real cowgirls and there was a herd of 300 cows tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to be brought back from the mountains corner shop to the ranchbuy a lottery ticket. It wasn't going to be easy workWhen asked what other family she has, she can only name her aunt, Joni, particularly as Macy's father was recovering from an accident and couldnwho she knows her dad didn't ridethink very highly of. All the pressure of running the ranch But she has fallen on Macy's brotherno one else, Wes - and he's not coping wellso off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. KamiThings continue to get worse for Roo, as when she and Joni leave London in Joni's upset that he's taking old campervan, it out on one breaks down in the middle of the young colts, Storm Cloud, but what can she do about it?nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126895</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Anna Wilson Adam Baron and Kathryn DurstBenji Davies|title=Vlad the WorldOscar's Worst VampireLion|rating=3.5

|summary=Meet Vlad. He's a vampire. You know the typeWe start incredibly bluntly, the characters that live practically the opposite with Oscar hoping to us have his mother – at night and not by dayor father, in the dark and not the light, drinking fresh blood as opposed but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to making black pudding out of it firstbe ready for school. But Vlad is not like one of thosewhen he enters his parents' bedroom, for all he can't flysees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, can't remember his roots that his family are teaching himlooking sheepish, and canadmitting that he won't turn into a batbe hungry for another two days. He also But there are benefits to having a lion around – shock, horror – is interested in the world of it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the humans, having turned away from monster stories bully that give him daymares and found ruined a novel about human school lifebirthday party for Oscar the other month. This, thenAnd it can shapeshift, is the drama that unfolds when so he does break away from the spooky nocturnal world even he finds scary, can take it to school and takes himself and his pet bat off to the world it can get him out of the human childa problem.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847157424</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Ellie Irving|title= The Matilda Effect|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= When you're wronged, and you know you've been wronged, And it's wonderful to have around the worst feeling in house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the world. When someone takes credit for something you have done, claiming a prize that is rightfully yours, it's a horrible, horrible injusticerules, and that's the same whether it's a Nobel Prize or simply the blue ribbon (and excessive amounts of dog food) given away at a school science fairso on. Now parents might tell you that life's not fair OK, you win some you lose some, or any of a number of clichés, but if your name is Matilda you just it can't let work a dimmer switch but it lie. And, when she finds out that her granny was side-lined for can give Oscar a much bigger award, for work she did 50 years ago, she makes it her mission to right the wrong and let the world know exactly what happenedwonderful time. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0552568376</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Dan WalkerJudith Eagle|title=Sky ThievesThe Stolen Songbird

|summary=Zoya Delarose never quite fitted in at the orphanage and sheCaro's about mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to learn whyreturn home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Abducted at the end of a school trip Her other mother, Ronnie, Zoya is knocked unconscious and wakes having to go up in a creaking sky ship in the dead North to take care of nighther sister who is unwell. She attempts So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to escape but when stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, shefeels frustrated and confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a 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 and brought up in front a mystery, as she discovers a painting of the shipa bird hidden away inside her mum's captainold suitcase, Zoya discovers and all across London a history fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and a threat that will change her life foreverterrorising 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>0192747010</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=High Spirits (Spirits 4)Tania Unsworth|authortitle=Rob KeeleyNowhere Island|rating=4.5

|summary=''Millions of people will die in the war, Ellie. And it's our job to make sure it happens. That's why our work isn't easyMeet Gil.'' And if that's not ominous Just twelve, I don't know what he is. It's been two years since Ellie's last adventure in so determined to escape the spirit world or talked to her friend, care system – the ghost of Edward Fitzberranger. She has tried to do what Viewpoint asked her to do system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and live find a normal, boring, human life. Mum is still working home for the Journeyback historical re-enactment company but it looks as though her job won't last much longerhimself. Money He is tight and Mumen route to yet another fosterer, as everwhen he jumps into an anonymous car, is stressedand lets it ride him to his future. Dad got compensation for That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his accident, so he is living the life one bag of Riley. He's eager to help out belongings – but Mum won't hear that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the two directions of it. And Ellie has a romantic interest in Lukemotorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and seclusion. All in all Them, things could be better but they could and a mute girl also be worse. No finding a home there, albeit so much more spirits. No more corrupting of timelinessuccessfully. 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>1788036158</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gwyneth ReesHelen Peters|title=Libby in the MiddleFriends and Traitors|rating=43

|summary=Twelve-year-old Libby has an older sisterEngland, BellaWW2. Bella used 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 other is Sidney, a real confidante to Libby but things have changed since she got girl from a boyfriendhoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. Now, Bella makes Libby feel childish The girls are chalk and cheese, foolish and unwanted. The close friendship they had shared has gone and Libby worries if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it will never come backso. Libby also has a younger sister, Grace. Grace But something is lovely but it seems to Libby that Graceamiss, as and first separately and then in combination they realise the baby Lord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of the familysecrecy, commands all the parental love and attention. Libby talk is well made of meetings with Germans, and truly stuck in the middlenot only that, without a role of her ownlocal Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408852772</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Stephan LompJamie Littler|title=Wilfred and Olbert’s Totally Wild ChaseArkspire

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=Meet Wilfred Two sisters, Juniper and OsbertElodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and cheese. They're not only Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the kind Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to completely flout power in one of the rules religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the natural history explorer's club they belong child in line toinherit the power of the Watcher, but when they both spot an undiscovered butterfly together, they are the kind closest to fight tooth and claw to be a ruler the first to lay claim to it alonedistrict has, and devil take one of the other onefive major victors in said earlier war. What they don't know is Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the drama that ensues when they're tailing this particular specimen will involve no end status of peril – nearly drowning, almost being eaten by a lionthe whole family. But in finding something oddly magical, crashing a hot air balloon one of them Juniper might just so happened be able to have in his pocket… This, thengain some power of her own – for good, is a fun and silly biology lesson – but that's only the best kindor for very, surely?very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848696795</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Clare Hibbert024162343X|title=Around the World in 80 MapsStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating=3.5

|summary=Maps – theyI was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 're there to make sure you dongod't go wrong. They might portray one townWhere was the proof? In history lessons, and it was probably worse still. Not too long after the streets or the canals that feature in itend of WWII, with proud city walls surrounding I didn't so much want to learn about the place; they may convey the complex coast of a newly discovered islandBritish army's successes (and occasional failures, or even but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the case of Australia a whole continent; or they may just be coloured pink colonies' as want to show off dispute what you consider right the army had to be your landthere in the first place. Either wayLooking back, they have certainly progressed from I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the maturity to approach 'the early daysproblem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.}}{{Frontpage|author=Thiago de Moraes|title=Old Gods New Tricks|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, getting more larks and more accurate on adventures involving flooding the wholeschool aircon with fart powder, and portraying she could almost be thought a more honest look at our worldyoung goddess of nuisance. But what can we learn from scanning back to just when they were less informative and allowed you to go very wrongshe's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the world changes. Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out, even of electric cars, when they had sea monsters and 'here be dragonshits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and all that powers the Internet, just plain looked daft? for our convenience's sake). This book is one 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 more informative ways to find out people that can steal it back – namely the answer to characters from myth that questionhave past form in stealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0712356932</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Clare HibbertHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Around the World in 80 MapsFinding Bear|rating=34.5|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Maps [[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 – they're there to make sure you don't go wrongthat she called Bear. They might portray one townBack home, things on the domestic and the streets or the canals that feature in itfamily front are a bit advanced, with proud city walls surrounding the place; they may convey the complex coast of a newly discovered islandbut not perfect for her, or even in and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the case of Australia islands Bear was last left on. For a whole continent; or they may just be coloured pink to show off what you consider to be your landbear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and wounded. Either way, they have certainly progressed from the early daysDesperate to make sure he's OK, getting more she and more accurate on her father return to the whole, Arctic and portraying hope that in a more honest look at our world. But what can we learn from scanning back to when they were less informative of very white and allowed you to go very wrongdangerous things, when they had sea monsters she can find one specific white and 'here be dragons', dangerous thing – and just plain looked daft? This book is one of that the more informative ways to find out the answer to that questionfriendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0712356932</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Pam SmySimon Fox|title= ThornhillDeadlock|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline, this story Late one night Graham Blake is hauntinglate back from his shift on the force, mysterious and touching. Mary is then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a unique child; she's introverted secret place, and very talentedjoin him on the run. They get together, spending most but barely begin to smell the whiff of her time by herself creating her fantasies through making puppets. She Southern trains when the father is being severely bulliedarrested, but her bully has gone further than most. She torments herleaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, haunts her steps and takes every opportunity to make Mary's life toting a living hell. Too scared tin his father was determined to sleepkeep away from his colleagues, too uncomfortable to eat with others, Mary has become an isolated mute stuck in her room at Thornhilland the bearer of a whole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910200611</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Cornelia FunkeCath Howe|title= Dragon Rider: The Griffin's FeatherMy Life on Fire|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= The last Pegasus on Earth has three eggs but unfortunately Pegasus eggs need their motherRen's saliva to allow them to magically grow family home is destroyed in a fire. She, her parents, and their mother died recentlyher little brother lose everything. Despite growing increasingly transparent the eggs are harder than diamond She doesn't have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and before too long now she is living at her grandmother's house where they will become a tomb for can't touch anything, or do anything, or even eat the winged horses insidefoods they normally eat. Our plucky adventurers have When she goes back to seek out school she discovers that the class are doing a special feather from potentially the most dangerous creature on the planetart project, creating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to them and show who they are as a griffinperson. That is if griffins even exist! A gorgeous But Ren has nothing to put in a box, and loving book so she finds herself starting to steal things. Small things, things that just oozes empathy and care for all of naturepeople might not really miss, not when they have so much already. This But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is an utterly brilliant adventure that gripped me from the start and if I was 10 years old this would be one of the most wonderful adventures I could go on. doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1911077880</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Robert Hegarty and Marcelo BadariRob Keeley|title=Time Atlas: An Interactive Timeline of HistoryThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories|rating=3.54|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=While it's always useful for Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a child return to have access to an atlas, so they know where they are and what there is in every other location, it's equally important that they know ''when'' they are, and what has happened at any other place in time. That's the ethos behind this ''Time Atlas'', which only has a few spreads, but takes short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us right back to prehistoryeleven new tales, through the birth of civilisation, and up each as fun to today – as well read as asking a few questions of what might happen in the futurehis previous offerings. It is, after all, vital we know not only where we are, but where we may be going…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848575920</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ian LivingstoneLaura Noakes|title=Fighting Fantasy: The Port of PerilCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star|rating=4.5|genre=Fantasy Confident Readers|summary=As I promised I would when I looked back at Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the beginning of home she lives in is for the 35 year history of ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebooks [[Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain girls to just be named by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone|(here)]], I took the number they correspond to in the brand-new-for-2017 volume with my pen, mapping paperledger, and most importantlythey're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, diceuncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. For But Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, as the first time ever inmate, and unique in having no known family in the outside world. During a longdaring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, long time, I would not read she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a book devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for reviewhis Institute. I would play it. But why, and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to the past she has so, armed little link with healthy stamina, reasonable luck but frankly embarrassing skill, I set off. This is the report of that journey – as well as hopefully being the usual useful book review.?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407181297</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sharon CohenAlice M Ross|title=The Starman and MeNowhere Thief

|summary=''He wasn't an alien, I was sure of that. It was more like he'd walked At last there is new stock in through an ancient door from the pastimpoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it.. except he was here She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the ability to leave this world, in my bedroom and his misty forest was somewhere real on Planet Earth.'' Twelve-year-old Kofi thought he was seeing things when he spied a tiny human on a roundabout near use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to his houseenter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the buildings are generally empty of humans and ripe for plunder. But he wasn't. Rorty Thrutch is as real as you or me. But how did Rorty come With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to be hiding out in actually generate custom at the middle of a roundabout in Bradboroughshop? And why Well yes, is he so insistent that he'll soon be ''bad dead''? the answer, but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1786540088</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreview <!-- remove 5/8 -->Frontpage|titleauthor=Eye Spy IINatasha Farrant|authortitle=Tessa BuckleyThe Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=45

|summary=Fresh This story is another excellent adventure from the success author of ''Voyage of solving its first casethe Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, Eye Spy Investigations is certainly up in the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for anothermost of their lives. So twins Alex They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and Donna jump 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 chance to investigate house and loving every inch of the strange things happening at place. But now the Prioryhouse is under threat, home 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 school friend Jimmy Devlinmaintain. Alex doesn The children find themselves worrying not only about where they't believe in ghosts and he is very keen re going to persuade Donna that live, but if they don't existll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1788032667</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gareth P Jones Robin Birch and Steve MayJobe Anderson|title=Escape from Planet Bogey (Pet Defenders)Secret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=3.54

|summary=Mitzy Jayden's nose is forever in a book, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the cat phoenixes and Biskit the dog are Pet Defenders – perhaps some unicorns of the creatures best suited world, for example. Aisha is addicted to defend the planet from alien invasionher new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, seeing as their mothers see it, is that they have inbuilt animal instinctsare never 'out there' themselves, and live alongside some exploring the outside world of the strangest critters out thereHackney, in mankindLondon. But when they're thinking life is too quiet, only for a rat to come along with narrowboat turns up carrying a tale of being enveloped in snot science-minded, educational purpose, and taken to with a different corner of the universe entirelypast involving Jayden's cousin, they're only too keen to investigatefind a magical world they never knew existed. ThatFor many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she's especially true seen on a bit of Biskitlocal footage. The crew of the boat, including a living gargoyle, when he learns that are tasked with saving the rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the adventure may allow him clues magical sight needed to solve join in. Dare they side with Leila, the disappearance woman on board, and her relative who lives as a figure in a painting, and become saviours of his previous partner…the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847157874</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Marian Orlon, Jerzy Flisak and Eliza Marciniak (translator)B09XWSXSKY|title=Detective Nosegoode Maestro Orpheus and the Music Box Mystery (Detective Nosegoode 1)World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski|rating=3.54

|summary=The lovely village of Lower Limewood is coming awake as it usually doesFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, and people are happily going about their businessplease) couldn't sleep. Business for A tune, rather like the stately, well-known but happily retired Detective Nosegoode is merely idling ticking of a clock was playing over and over in his mind. It happened every time on a park bench reading the newspapers he came to visit his dog – a dog that can talk grandfather. He hadn't really wanted to come; after all, he's ten now and all those old clocks don't appeal to him in human language, if not readanymore.  ''Who needs old clocks anyway? But not all people welcome All they do is tell the new day with joy – a clockmaker, who had been working time. And time isn't good for a week now anything...'' And that was why he was looking at repairing a music box with a porcelain dancer on top and a clockwork mechanism, finds it – and only it – has been stolen from his businessthe clock beside the bed. Itwas nearly twelve o's clock but at midnight the clock chimed only a step to find the owner six times. There was under the illusion nothing for it was a clue but to some longgo and find grandad -lost treasure, but who could have burgled the workshop and taken itwhere was he? And what place to play in why had all the mystery does a strange man have, what with his avidly watching the Detective from behind a giant and clearly fake beardclocks stopped at twelve o'clock?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782691553</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jo CotterillNigel Baines|title=A Storm Tricky Kind of StrawberriesMagic

|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=Darby lives on a strawberry farm with her mum, big sister, step dad and step brotherCooper loves to perform magic tricks. She loves musicHis father was a magician, dancing, chocolate egg hunts and her big sister Kaydeenamed Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. She is warm and funnyBut sadly Cooper's father died suddenly, and she has Downnow Cooper doesn's syndromet quite know who to be, or how to be. The story looks at the events of one weekend in DarbyAnd when his dad's life when the farm is threatened by a tornadoprop rabbit starts talking to him, and her family is threatened by the revelation of a closely-guarded secret.he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848126166</amazonuk>1444960261