Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Moira YoungMax Boucherat|title= The Road to Ever AfterLast Life of Lori Mills|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= A grumpy 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 lady who can no longer drive requires , on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a chauffeurblanket fort, and we watch as she gradually softens towards him has one main intention, and they become friends. So farthat is to log on to Voxminer, the world-building, so ''Driving Miss Daisycritter-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, an apt comparison in a book which references several well-loved classic filmsand then she finds something even more spooky. But For the obvious similarity ends thereserver she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of tampering. Davy, hired to take Miss Flint When malevolent eyes spark up on her final road tripphone screen, is thirteen years old and her safe place in the game has not the foggiest idea how been doctored – well, where is a girl to drive a car. turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1509832564</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Benny Lindelauf, Ludwig Volbeda Kieran Larwood and Laura Watkinson (translator)Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Tortot, the Cold Fish Who Lost His World and Found His HeartDungeon Runners: Hero Trial|rating=4.5|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=Meet TortotKit. He's a camp chef for an armyLike most of the people in his world, it seems, with a cold heart – he sheds no tears, or at least as much as does a fish is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – and the sport where a brilliant way team of gauging warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, and race to the warfare going on around him. The book even starts exit, perhaps bothering with him crossing the battlefield to start work for treasure or the enemy big bad and the night before points they turn grant you along the tables on his previous employers and defeat themway. Unfortunately for Kit, leaving Tortot the only thing he's seen of the latest race on the winning side once moreinn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, and a new trio of questors is needed. But now he's not alone – Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has managed taken to also inherit an assistantthe goading from the token bully of his world and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a team. What chance does this friendless, who lives muscle-free-zone have in a barrel of the Emperors' favourite actually managing that, and most important gherkins…how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1782691545</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jessica TownsendJames Sherwood Metts|title=Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan CrowPlanet Storyland

|summary=Morrigan Crow is Things have been a cursed child. Everyone in Jackalfax where she lives believes she is responsible bit sticky for all the things that go wrong in their lifeEarthlings. AndAI and automation have been proceeding apace, if thatoften replacing jobs they's not bad enough, the curse means she will die on her eleventh birthday. Morrigan believes there is no escape from her fate until a mysterious man appears re paid to do and offers her a new life in the secret city of Nevermoorother tasks that took time to accomplish. There is only one problem – Just as they were beginning to get used to stay in Nevermoor she needs all this technological change and starting to gain a coveted place in the Wunderous Society by competing against hundreds think of other hopefuls , new ways to pass four seemingly impossible trialsspend time, along came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and, along with it, all the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1510104119</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tony BradmanTom Percival|title=Secret of the StonesThe Wrong Shoes|rating=35|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary= Twelve year old Maglos Will's life is difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has a fulfilling the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and happy life with his father, doesn't have enough money for even the High Priest most basic of Stonehenge. Howeverthings like food, everything changes when and his Uncle Tigran murders Maglosdad can's father t work because he lost his job at the midcollege, was working a cash-summer festival before turning to do in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. Throw into that mix the same to Maglosfact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. As the axe is about to fall And yet, two strangers intervene warning Tigran that the Gods will be angry if he spills the blood still has a tiny amount of a childhope. Tigran allows He is good at art, and clings to the strangers to take Maglos away as their slave. What Tigran doesn't realise moments of joy when he is drawing, that these two men carry feel like a light at the secret end of the stones – a secret that they pass onto Maglos and which he will ultimately use against his unclelong, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781127549</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Andy Mulligan1805141872|title=DogThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley|rating=4.5

|summary=What life can you find for yourself''Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, when it seems to be marked out at but only Ben knows the start that this truth – the only one you get – begins at such a lowly place? That's the question the dog in ''Dog'' faceshis Maths teacher, Miss Judson, especially when is really a snide spider tells him he is the runt of the littersafecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and instead of being bought has been selected by an adult only because heBen go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job...'s free. He wasn't even really chosen Goodness me, and they had thought that Miss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a catbad 'un like Al? We'll find out. Oddly enough the mutt gets to be called Spider by TomLuckily for Miss Judson, the lad pupil who gets to call him his, but he's fraught with self-doubt. The spider tells him he's only going to cause harm – which he does. But the neighbourhood cat declares that Spider has something of the feline in his mongrel mix, and tempts him across to discovers her way of living. Tom himself, meanwhile, terrible secret is being nudged into thinking he's beginning at a lowly place – he ignores his absent motherBen, he has the privilege son of a scholarship for him famous magician who has ambitions to get beaten up and bullied at school, and he can't see much future for himself, either. Can Spider work out be as good as his lotfather some day, and match his life with that of Tom, or will outside agencies get in the way?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782691715</amazonuk>who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Amanda FoodyChristopher Edge|title= Daughter of the Burning City|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Gomorrah, a travelling circus as big as a city, tours the land, entertaining the crowds with fantastic shows of magic, illusion and sleight of hand. But the proprietor of Gomorrah, Villiam, believes he has a far more important role than merely organising the acts in the circus. He has political ambition, which he keeps a secret from his adopted daughter. Growing up in the circus, Sorina knows that she will one day become the Proprietor and take over from her father. At sixteen, she is keen to start learning everything she can from Villiam.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848455445</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=L Frank Baum, Michel Laporte, Olivier Latyk and Vanessa Mieville (translator)|title=The Wizard of OzBlack Hole Cinema Club

|summary=''TotoLucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, Ia place that has the nickname of 've a feeling weThe Black Hole're not in Hollywood any more.'' And noAll big movie fans, indeed we are not. We are in the realm they're looking forward to lots of L Frank Baumexciting films, and not the cinema version of this fantasy quest story. many, many snacks! So those slippers are silver and not rubyHowever, as the companions do not get given solid things movie starts, they very quickly realise that may imply something about this new film format is very different, and they are swept up into an adventure they have achieved what couldn't even imagine. But as they seek, and the flying monkeys played backwards do not work out lurch from one film genre to be singing Pink Floyd records, or whatever the urban myth was. Otherwisenext, can they figure out what on earth is going on? we're pretty much on the same, assured, solid ground, with the greyness of Kansas (in a scene that seemed Will they ever get back to foretell of the Dust Bowl decades later) being swapped for the quartet of queercinema, questing characters, the yellow bricked road and everything else you would want of a young reader adaptation of the novel.to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>191027738X</amazonuk>1839942738

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=William SteigAdam Stower|title=The Real ThiefMurray and Bun

|summary=Meet GawainEli is a busy 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. He's a gooseEli lives with his lovely gran, with great plans to be too – for there is a great architectgeneration missing in the family. A few short years ago, whoEli's fallen instead into being parents were both lost to the Chief Guard of titular race, a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the Royal Treasury belonging to King Basil world in the bearcompany of a magical beast. Only This has made the two of them have keys race anathema to enter through the only door into the place, pair – but lo and behold, some of when a bad incident at the gems have been stolen. Gawain promises eatery leads to be even more diligent than he already a confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is – ''I check, I double-check and I re-double-check'', to dare to enter what he insists. But more and more things go missingmost hates, and soon Gawain is being accused with the sole aim the prize of betraying King Basil's trust and helping himself. I would say he's out on magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his ear as a result, but, you know – he's a goosegran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1782691456</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marian Orlon, Jerzy Flisak and Eliza Marciniak (translator)Helen Cooper|title=Detective Nosegoode and The Taming of the Museum Robbery (Detective Nosegood 3)Cat

|summary=[[Detective Nosegoode and the Music Box Mystery (Detective Nosegoode 1) by Marian OrlonOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, Jerzy Flisak and Eliza Marciniak (translator)|Last time I met with]] the retired Detective Nosegoode and his loyal and helpful dog Cody – we have Brie the dog that can speak human languagemouse, what's more – there was a most intriguing case for up against Gorgonzola the two to solve cat – that proceeded to go about and in less than perfect ways. This third volume of the paircase you's adventures contains prequels – re seeing a selection of three shorter works that convey dramas from the latter stage of Nosegoode's career. So connection, they live in a museum curator is convinced cheese shop and therefore all the town's masterpiece landscape is due names used here seem to be stolen, the chess club has a robber, and Nosegoode gets a tip-off from his mentor about a pickpocket being in townnames of cheeses. It's almost too much for even a clever little old man and his clever little hound.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782691596</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= A A Milne and E H Shepard|title= The Christopher Robin Collection|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary='The Christopher Robin Collection'' Anyway, Brie is a compilation of stories shunned, scorned and poems and what not, from A. A. Milne's original worksif you must, mous-tracised, so itfor the way his habits don's a new book but t match the other mice he lives with existing content, perfect . They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for re-remembering bedding – he displays it as Owl might say, but equally good for discovering for the very first time, just like Pooh art and makes stories based on the North Pole (''Discovered by Pooh…Pooh found visuals on it'').|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405288019</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Paul Bright, Brian Sibley, Jeanne Willis, Kate Saunders and Mark Burgess|title= The Best Bear And that story-telling will come in All the World|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Winnie the Pooh is a classichandy one night, when he feels all alone and sometimes classics should be left untouched by the hands of timecast out. After all, can you improve on perfection? With A It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive.A. Milne no longer with us, there are limited options for continuing This makes Brie the top dog in the stories of Poohmouse community, Pigletthough, Rabbit and as all the gang, but in this authorised sequel others had the show must and indeed does go on, with four new tales about chance to half-inch some cheese while the bear with very little braincat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140528661X</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage

|title=The Snow AngelFinding Wonder

|summary=Makena Roo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was born young, and raised now she finds herself awoken in the city middle of Nairobi but she dreams of mountains, in particular Mount Kenya. When the night by the police banging on her door to tell her father takes that her dad has dropped dead on her first real exploration of his way to the mountaincorner shop to buy a lottery ticket. When asked what other family she has, and she gets a brief glimpse of a strange sparkling foxcan only name her aunt, Joni, Makena thinks life canwho she knows her dad didn't get any betterthink very highly of. Within weeks, however But she has no one else, and so off she goes to live with her perfect world is shatteredunreliable aunt. Makena finds herself scratching out an existence Things continue to get worse for Roo, as when she and Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, it breaks down in the city slums. She contracts cholera and almost dies. Luckily a pair of young charity workers are led to her by a fleeting image middle of a fox nowhere and offer her a new start and a trip to the Scottish Highlands. But will Makena be able to accept their kindness?then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1786695898</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Connie GlynnAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title= Undercover Princess (The Rosewood Chronicles)Oscar's Lion|rating= 4.53|genre= Confident Readers|summary=Lottie Pumpkin is an ordinary girl who is obsessed We start incredibly bluntly, with princessesOscar hoping to have his mother – or father, fairy tales and Disneybut mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to be ready for school. Her dream But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is to become a princess mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and she had no idea admitting that she would he won't be sharing a room with one at Rosewood Hallhungry for another two days...Ellie Wolf is But there are benefits to having a princess who wishes lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to be ordinarythe bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, so she attends Rosewood he can take it to avoid her royal duties in the kingdom school and it can get him out of Maradovaa problem. When destiny puts these girls in And it's wonderful to have around the same roomhouse – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the only way to survive Rosewood is to swap identities.rules, and so on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141379855</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Louis de BernieresJudith Eagle|title=Blue DogThe Stolen Songbird

|genre=General FictionConfident Readers|summary=MickCaro's mother had , a mental breakdown world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to go up North to take care of her sister who is unwell. So who is going to look after his father's death and Mick was sent Caro? Sent to live in in the outback stay with GranpaGam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and confused and worried. On the face All her summer holiday plans of it you'd think that it was going building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to be a lonely life for halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an eleven-year-old city orphan boy, with no school to attendAlbie, in fact no other children anywhere nearwho is living there too. GranpaBut she soon finds herself caught up in a mystery, as she discovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum's busy too: life on a cattle station is brutal for anyoneold suitcase, with and all across London a fearsome gang called the heat Snakes are thieving artworks and the dustterrorising people. But they've all got Is the painting somehow linked to make the best of gang? And what has happened to Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the situation.mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1784704172</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philip ParkerTania Unsworth|title=50 Things You Should Know About the VikingsNowhere Island

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=The Vikings have got a lot to own up toMeet Gil. A huge DNA study in 2014 was Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the first thing that proved to care system – the Orkney residents system that they had Viking blood constantly puts him in their veins futureless places that are not homes – they had been insisting it was that of the Irishand find a home for himself. The Vikings it was that forced our English king's army He is en route to march from London to Yorkshire to kill off one invasionyet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, only and lets it ride him to spend the next fortnight schlepping back to Hastings to try and fend off another – and the Normans had the same Norse origin as the first lot, hence the namehis future. There is a Thames Valley village just outside Henley – ie pretty damned far from the coast That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that has someone lives with his brother in a Viking longship camp on its signpost. Yesan island between the two directions of a motorway, they got to a lot of places, from Greenland place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to Kievprovide for their safety and seclusion. Them, from Murmansk to Turkey and the Meda mute girl also finding a home there, and albeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their misaligned history oddball destinies can combine, or if this is well worth visiting – particularly on these pages.one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1784937908</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kimberly Brubaker BradleyHelen Peters|title=Friends and Traitors|rating=3|genre=Confident Readers|summary=England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, like the female generations before her. The other is Sidney, a girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The War I Finally Wongirls are chalk and cheese, and if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is made of meetings with Germans, and not only that, a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|isbn=1788004647}}{{Frontpage|author=Jamie Littler|title=Arkspire|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and cheese. Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the child in line to inherit the power of the Watcher, the closest to a ruler the district has, and one of the five major victors in said earlier war. Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the status of the whole 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…|isbn=0241586143}}{{Frontpage|isbn=024162343X|title=Stolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|summary=I really loved [[The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley|The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley]] when I read itMeet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and so I was excitedadventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, and also she could almost be thought a little nervous, to see there was a sequelyoung goddess of nuisance. The book picks up almost exactly where we left offBut just when she's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, with Ada having had her operation to correct her club footthe world changes. Now her pain hasSuddenly, for the most partpractically everything electronic stops working – a power-out, been removed and she can walk and even runof electric cars, Ada finds that she must now redefine who she ishits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and who she has always believed herself to be. Her mum had told her she was worthlessall that powers the Internet, unloveable and a monster...a freak of nature who shouldnjust for our convenience't be seens sake). Yet now she is just like any other little girlTrixie, luckily, with realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the beginnings power of a new family with Susanpower from us. AdaAnd so she begins her epic quest, as spiky and unpredictable as ever, finds herself struggling with ideas relating to who she isgather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in stealing from the Gods, and who she must now try to protectie the semi-deities, since although her foot is fixedgiants, half-gods and so on known as the war continues to rage on in Europetricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1911231162</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Gill LewisHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title= Sky DancerFinding Bear|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Since the death of his father[[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, the moors no longer offer Joe the sense of freedom and tranquillity finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that they once didshe called Bear. Instead Back home, they become things on the domestic and family front are a battleground bit advanced, but not perfect for a fight over the fate of her, and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the hen harriers which are nesting in the heatherislands Bear was last left on. This is For a fight that Joe becomes wrapped up in bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and he is required wounded. Desperate to make some serious decisions. Knowing that sure he can't please everyones OK, he decides she and her father return to stay true to what he really believes in the Arctic and hope that in doing so, he finds friendship in two unlikely characters: the stylish daughter a world of wealthy landowners very white and a naïve townie involuntarily transplanted to the countryside. The three of them learn to overcome their differences very dangerous things, she can find one specific white and trust each other as they question what really matters to them dangerous thing – and how they that the friendship can make a differencecontinue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192749250</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=The Dollmaker of KrakowSimon Fox|authortitle=R M RomeroDeadlock|rating=4.5

|summary=Karolina Late one night Graham Blake is a refugee late back from his shift on the Land of the Dolls. Her homeland has been ravaged by rats force, and Karolina was blown by then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a magical wind into Krakowsecret place, Poland, at and join him on the height of WWIIrun. She finds herself in a workshop belonging They get together, but barely begin to Cyryl, known as smell the Dollmaker whiff of Krakow. LonelySouthern trains when the father is arrested, crippled Cyryl repairs Karolina and leaving Archie on the two cement late express to Brighton, toting a strong friendship which helps Cyryl in tin his life outside father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, and the workshop. But it's not just the Land bearer of the Dolls suffering under a vicious enemy: it's Poland, too. Together, Karolina and Cyryl befriend their Jewish neighbours and determine to do whatever the can to save from the monstrous Nazi regime..whole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406375632</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Katherine WoodfineCath Howe|title= The Sinclair's Mysteries: The Midnight PeacockMy Life on Fire|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= OhRen's family home is destroyed in a fire. She, the excitementher parents, the glamour and the sheerher little brother lose everything. She doesn't have any of her clothes, unabashed luxury or any of Christmas her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and now she is living at Sinclairher grandmother's! Windows full of fabulous items which lure shoppers insidehouse where they can't touch anything, or do anything, where their nostrils or even eat the foods they normally eat. When she goes back to school she discovers that the class are filled with the scents doing a special art project, creating boxes of cinnamontheir lives, toffee to display things that are important to them and cigars while show who they browse the laden shelves or relax and take are as a refreshing cup of tea (with maybe just person. But Ren has nothing to put in a teensy little cream cake or two: shopping is so very exhausting!). The staff scurry here and therebox, packing up purchases and sending them out so she finds herself starting to the delivery teams waiting patiently in the stablessteal things. Small things, helping customers to find things that perfect something to place under the Christmas treepeople might not really miss, and preparing costumes for the forthcoming New Year's Ballnot when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405282908</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rachel Renee RussellRob Keeley|title=Dork Diaries: Crush CatastropheThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories

|summary=Is Nikki Maxwell's life actually turning Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a corner for the good? She's finally working out she has a crush on Brandon, return to the hunky guy who's looked ideal for her since [[Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell|book one]], and she can actually get short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to page 100 here without her arch nemesis Mackenzie doing something bad to her. Life doesn't actually have any room for badness or mishap, anyway – she wants to be with Brandon training her eleven new puppytales, she wants to go to Paris for a month, tour America with her band (don't ask), and you just have to wonder how she's going each as fun to fit things in. There are problems – her manipulative younger sister stealing family time (and Nikki's candy), of course there are problems – but surely things, read as I say, are on the uphis previous offerings. And surely being mentor to an exchange student for the last week ever at middle school will not be a problem? Oh hold, on, of course it can…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471167755</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Emily Hawkins and Lucy LetherlandLaura Noakes|title=Atlas of Dinosaur Adventures: Step Into Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Prehistoric WorldStar

|summary= When Jack's dad discovers illegal activity at work and blows the whistleMeet Number One. Or rather, he makes some very powerful and dangerous enemiesCosima Unfortunate. He and Jack are forced Or rather, just Cos to go into hiding her friends. The practice in the home she lives in a remote cottage is for the girls to just be named by the number they correspond to in the Scottish highlands. Miles from anywhere ledger, and anyonethey're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, they hope they will be alone and safeuncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But it quickly transpires that they are neither. Dad's enemies already know Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be known about where they are heading she came from, as the first ever inmate, and, even before they move unique in having no known family inthe outside world. During a daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, Jack starts she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to have doubts whether they are actually aloneadopt all the girls for his Institute. Did he really see But why, and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to the scarecrow next to their cottage movepast she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1783445319</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David Long and Harry BloomAlice M Ross|title=Pirates Magnified: With a 3x Magnifying GlassThe Nowhere Thief

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=It's becoming easier and easier to spot books for the young about pirates – that surely At last there is about new stock in the only career from the seventeenth century that gets so many volumes produced about impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. It must She also knows she should be a combination of the derring-dofree from worries about being found out, because she has the illegalityability to leave this world, and use an unworldly portal of course kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where the fancy dress sea levels are rising dramatically and silly speak that appeals – nowhere else would you see a youngster studying one country's attacks on another, the buildings are generally empty of humans and reading about how treasures, slaves and other resources changed handsripe for plunder. This volume, however, tries its best to stand outWith eviction imminent, and has adopted the equally prevalent concept of getting the reader to pore over large dioramas can Elsbeth nab anything to seek the small detail hidden in actually generate custom at the images. shop? For onceWell yes, thoughis the answer, there's but the fact a thoroughly educative reasoning behind it.mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1786030276</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Dav PilkeyNatasha Farrant|title= The Adventures Rescue of Dog Man: A Tale of Two KittiesRavenwood|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary=This story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Tree House Comix proudly presents: A tale Voyage of oppressionthe Sparrowhawk''...a tale Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of redemption...a tale of rebirth...England, where Bea and a tale Raffy have been living for most of hopetheir lives. A Tale They are part of Two Kitties!'' ''Dog Man'' a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is really a story within there with his mum, and they are living together as a storyfamily. Best friends George and Harold They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the trees, completely at one with all of ''Captain Underpants'' fame are now in fifth grade the nature around the house and are loving every inch of the place. But now so the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it''totally mature s becoming more and deepmore expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they'' that re going to live, but if they have decided to create a brand new comic about a police officer with a dog's head. Thus we enter a surreal (and completely bonkers) comic-book world featuring an evil cyborg fishll even be together, cloned cats and beastly buildingsif Ravenwood itself will be torn down. Is Dog Man up to the task of protecting the city from such threats?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0545935210</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Bill Nye Robin Birch and Gregory MoneJobe Anderson|title= Jack and the Geniuses 2Secret Beast Club: In the Deep Blue Sea|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Jack and Ava, aged twelve, Matt (16) and Dr Hank Witherspoon (quite a bit older) have barely recovered from their adventures at the South Pole when they find themselves packing once again, this time en route for the tiny Pacific Ocean island of Nihoa, near Hawaii. Dr Hank has been asked to help solve some problems with millionaire Ashley Hawking's ground-breaking new invention for generating electricity, which performed badly at its first public demonstration, and the wealthy lady has specifically invited his three young companions to come along too. Ava and Matt are excited by the scientific possibilities; Jack, his brain fuelled not by facts but by the exploits The Unicorns of his favourite cartoon programme, ''Duck Detective'', is convinced sabotage is the cause. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1419725521</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Holly Webb|title=The Princess and the SuffragetteSilver Street

|summary=I am Jayden's nose is forever in a big fan book, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and unicorns of the beloved classic 'A Little Princess' by Frances Hodgson Burnettworld, but when I found out that Holly Webb had written a sequel, I wasn't sure whether to read itfor example. On the one hand, I wanted Aisha is addicted to catch-up with the characters. On the other handher new tablet, I was sceptical where she can see videos of anything that another writer would might be able to match the warm and cosy innocence with which the original is written and I was worried that it would appear as a twee or weak imitation without much substanceout there. I decided to take the book The problem, as a fun chance to their mothers see what happened to Sara and friendsit, is that they are never 'out there' themselves, and as an opportunity to wander nostalgically through exploring the corridors outside world of Miss Minchin's prim and proper schoolHackney, London. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407170856</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Alex T Smith|title= Mr Penguin But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and the Lost Treasure|rating= 5|genre= Emerging Readers |summary= Mr Penguin is with a brand new past involving Jayden''Professional Adventurer''. He has a dashing hats cousin, they find a large magnifying glass and an important looking office in his igloo to prove itmagical world they never knew existed. All he needs now is an adventure to go For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she's seen ona bit of local footage. Just as he is beginning to despair The crew of ever being asked to solve the boat, including a mystery Boudicca Bones from living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the museum phones rare critters – and asks for helpthe kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. Can he and his trusty sidekick Dare they side with Leila, Colin (the spider with expertise woman on board, and her relative who lives as a figure in martial arts!) find her missing treasure? Will a painting, and become saviours of the adventure become too dangerous for them? And will Mr Penguin ever have time to eat his fish finger sandwich packed lunchunseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444932063</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=B09XWSXSKY|title=Frances Durkin Maestro Orpheus and Grace Cookethe World Clock|titleauthor=A Roman Adventure (The Histronauts)Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski

|summary= I have studied propaganda Frederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. A tune, rather like the ticking of a clock was playing over and over in my his mind. It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. He hadn't really wanted to come; after all, he's ten now and as a rule of thumb the most persuasive arguments are all those people old clocks don't noticeappeal to him anymore.  ''Who needs old clocks anyway? The same can be said when educating kidsAll they do is tell the time. Some children lap up textbooks And time isn't good for anything...'' And that was why he was looking at the clock beside the bed. It was nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the clock chimed only six times. There was nothing for it but to go and nonfind grandad -fiction, but others need to be eased in. where was he? Tricking them is perhaps a harsh term, but would you rather learn about Ancient Rome via a dry fact book or an adventure title written in And why had all the form of a cartoon and packed full of puzzles and activitiesclocks stopped at twelve o'clock?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1911509101</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Kate SaundersNigel Baines|title= The Land A Tricky Kind of NeverendingsMagic|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Emerging Readers|summary= The best fantasy books for children rely on escapism, books like The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, the Harry Potter series and Peter Pan. Central Cooper loves to each of these stories is the real world: the dryness that permeates the everyday. The children involved are often bored of their lives, or of school and their parents: the world of reality. So when they get to escape into a world that is much more interesting they are enamoured by a sense of perform magic and adventure that comes their way. For Kate Saunders' heroine Emily, the bizarre and eerily familiar world of Smockeroon awaitstricks. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571310842</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell|title=Free Lance and the Field of Blood (Free Lance Trilogy 2)|rating=5|genre=Dyslexia Friendly|summary=The world of jousting is His father was a fierce one – survive the minor battles with the lance, either as a bonded employed Knight or as a Free Lancemagician, and you might try your hands at named Cooper after the major leaguegreat Tommy Cooper. There the men are stronger, the horses fasterBut sadly Cooper's father died suddenly, and the ground hurts more when you hit it. But the big time also offers more that can put a humble Knight at risk – such as evil hostsnow Cooper doesn't quite know who to be, beautiful princess-types in pickles, and mysteriously successful strangersor how to be. Our nameless hero and And when his loyal horsedad's prop rabbit starts talking to him, Jed, are he ''really'' doesn't know what's going to be up against a lot more than they expected here…on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781127158</amazonuk>1444960261