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[[Category:Confident Readers|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]]==Confident readers==__NOTOC__{{newreview|author=L J Smith|title=The Night of the Solstice: Heart of Valour|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary='Heart of Valour' is the sequel to [[The Night of the Solstice by L J Smith|The Night of the Solstice]], where Alys, Janie, Charles and Claudia discover a strange, enchanting and terrifying world. The Guardian of the mirror<!-- Remove -gate between the worlds, Morgana Shee, had been imprisoned by the evil Cadel Forge, and the siblings were called to rescue her. 'Heart of Valour' picks up the story a year later. Morgana has to leave the children to cope alone as she travels north to battle her arch-rival Thia Pendriel, but dangers nearer home send them off on a quest to find her.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857070525</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewFrontpage|author=Catherine CooperMax Boucherat|title=The Golden Acorn - The Adventures Last Life of Jack BreninLori Mills|rating=34.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Determined as We meet Lori on the first evening she'The One' when he insouciantly picks up 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 golden acornblanket fort, Jack Brenin she has one main intention, and that is to log on to Voxminer, the world-building, critter-collecting game that is thrust into a hit in Lori's world of adventure . But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and magic as he is given then she finds something even more spooky. For the heavy responsibility server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of saving tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and her safe place in the diminishing magical population of the village of Glasruhengame has been doctored – well, along with Camelin, the talking raven who provides welcome flair through his humorous dialogue.where is a girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1906821658</amazonuk>0008666482
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philippe Lechermeier Kieran Larwood and Rebecca DautremerJoe Todd-Stanton|title=The Secret Lives of PrincessesDungeon Runners: Hero Trial
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=AhMeet 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 French! way. TheyUnfortunately for Kit, the only thing he're so good at being funny in eccentric ways. This book s seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, and a perfect examplenew trio of questors is needed. Although princesses such as Cinderella are mentioned in passingPossibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, here we are being introduced he has taken to less commonly known princesses like Princess Alli Fabette who is the goading from the token bully of his world and stumbled into declaring he'verry pritty butt she has ll enter as a huje problim: she dusn't spell verry welll' or Princess Anne Phibian who is obsessed with frogsteam. What chance does this friendless, is convinced her Prince Charming is disguised as onemuscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and 'spends most of her time standing in ponds kissing every green creature she encounters.'how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444902032</amazonuk>1839945184
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John FosterJames Sherwood Metts|title=See You Later, EscalatorPlanet Storyland
|rating=4.5
|genre=Children's Rhymes and VerseConfident Readers|summary=Always Things have been a sucker bit sticky for a good poetry anthology here at Bookbagthe Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, weoften replacing jobs they've enjoyed two previous collections from John Fosterre paid to do and other tasks that took time to accomplish. ''See You LaterJust as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of other, new ways to spend time, Escalator'' continues in the same veinalong came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and, along with poems from it, all the likes of Tony Mitton, Michael Rosen, Michelle Magorian and Brian Pattenmany daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192731831</amazonuk>1736128426
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elizabeth BeresfordTom Percival|title=The WomblesWrong Shoes
|rating=5
|genre=For SharingConfident Readers|summary=A scruffy, shaggy, slightly overweight, furry creature Will's life is riding around part of South Londondifficult, barely in control a multitude of his bicycleways. No He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', not he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have enough money for even the political memoirs most basic of things like food, and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the incumbent Mayor of Londoncollege, was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. Better Throw into that mix the fact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. Far better And yet, he still has a tiny amount of hope. It's Orinoco Womble He is good at art, and clings to the moments of joy when he is drawing, that feel like a light at the gang are back!end of a long, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408808374</amazonuk>1398527122
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Emily Bearn1805141872|title=Tumtum and Nutmeg: A Circus AdventureThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=I'm 'Seventeen banks and a big fan of the Tumtum and Nutmeg storiesjeweller’s have been raided. They always remind me of Mary Norton's ''The Borrowers''police are baffled, with but only Ben knows the two little mice scurrying secretly around the human's housetruth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, helping Miss Judson and Ben go on the children when possible and trying to avoid being seenrun. But Al needs them for one last job.. So I was excited to read their latest adventure.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405254440</amazonuk>}}''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Alan James BrownChristopher Edge|title=The Tolpuddle Boy: Transported to Hell and BackBlack Hole Cinema Club
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=In 1834Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, six men from a place that has the Dorset village nickname of Tolpuddle were deported 'The Black Hole'. All big movie fans, they're looking forward to Australia for their trade union activities. This booklots of exciting films, and many, many snacks! However, as the movie starts, written in a they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very simple style for childrendifferent, tells and they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. But as they lurch from one film genre to the true story of next, can they figure out what happened on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to themthe cinema, the politics of their arrest and deportation and the campaign by trade unionists and other supporters of trade union rights to overturn their convictions.real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1905512775</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marcus SedgwickAdam Stower|title=Raven Mysteries: Vampires Murray and VoltsBun
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers|summary=It's October at Castle Otherhand. That can only mean Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one thing - a return who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the traditional annual pumpkin hunttwo. Shame theyBut he's a bad magician're s cat, so damned elusive. But when, courtesy of his favourite bun has been turned into a bit of unsubtle arsonhyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, a Hallowe'en Ball is redirected to be held at and the Castlecatflap they both use can chuck them out, and things that do more than go bump in not into the night gatecrash - whyregular back garden, they're even harder to catchbut into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. Unless, of courseThis time round it drops them into a Viking land, you're where a wrytroll hunter is expected – well, archone much bigger than Murray was, drollto be honest, antiquated old raven called Edgar.but he's turned up and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842556967</amazonuk>0008561249
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marcus SedgwickAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Raven Mysteries: Flood and FangThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Otherhand CastleEli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and all in itthe evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is under threat, and only Edgar can save a generation missing in the dayfamily. PityA few short years ago, perhapsEli's parents were both lost to the titular race, then, that Edgar is only a ravenglobe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast. But he's not your typical ravenThis has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, for not Eli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he centuries old, and our narratormost hates, but he is with the only one who can see sole aim the connections between, and prize of magic at the danger involved in, a cellar full of rising floodwater, a horrific tail glimpsed in end – the vegetable garden, and some missing maidsonly thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842556932</amazonuk>0571382231
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate MaryonHelen Cooper|title=GlitterThe Taming of the Cat|rating=43.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=You'd thinkOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, seeing Liberty Parfitt's life from we have Brie the outsidemouse, that sheup against Gorgonzola the cat – and in case you'd re seeing a connection, they live in a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be blissfully happythe names of cheeses. She has everything money can buy Anyway, she loves life at her expensive boarding school and she has a wonderfully close friend. But she Brie is not content. Her academic grades are not goodshunned, scorned and her father clearly prefers her hard, if you must, mous-working and successful older brother Sebastiantracised, who is at for the way his habits don't match the same schoolother mice he lives with. He wins all manner of prizes, but They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and makes stories based on the only area visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in which she shows any talent is musichandy one night, a subject her father will not allow her to study. Her mother died when she was only nine months old, he feels all alone and Liberty imagines her life would be very different cast out. It's almost as if she there were another character from fable who had had a loving mother to balance her father's criticismstell stories to keep themselves alive. And then utter disaster: This makes Brie the top dog in the family loses every penny they ownmouse community, though, she is whisked away from school without warning and taken as all the others had the chance to a dreary little flat where she has to cope not only with her own sadness and sense of loss but also with a father sinking deeper and deeper into depressionhalf-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>0007326289</amazonuk>0571376010
}}
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Nick and his friend Marta are ordinary kidsRoo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. They don't look for trouble Her mum died when she was young, and they don't cause it. But when an unpopular teacher punishes a difficult classmate now she finds herself awoken in the middle of the night by making him write an essay about the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his pimplesway to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. When asked what other family she has, then trouble she canonly name her aunt, Joni, who she knows her dad didn't be far awaythink very highly of. The teacher goes missing during a wildfire But she has no one else, and Duane (nicknamed Smoke, because he has a reputation so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for setting fires) gets the blame. But the evidence doesn't add upRoo, as when she and our young heroes decide itJoni leave London in Joni's up to them to discover old campervan, it breaks down in the truth.middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444000594</amazonuk>0571376169
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Astrid LindgrenAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Pippi LongstockingOscar's Lion|rating=53
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=A true classic We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of children's literature? Check. Illustrations from a modern star with her own unique and delightful style? Checktimes before he has to be ready for school. If you But when he enters his parents're not already gurgling with delight at the prospect of bedroom, all he sees is a Lauren Child-illustrated version of Pippi Longstockingmahoosive male lion on their bed, thenlooking sheepish, quite frankly, what and admitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are you doing at benefits to having a book review website? Buy lion around – itcan be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. Buy And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to school and it nowcan get him out of a problem. Buy And it for yourself 's wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the rules, and everyone you knowso on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>019278241X</amazonuk>0008596751
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Adam Epstein and Andrew JacobsonJudith Eagle|title=The Familiars: Animal WizardryStolen Songbird|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Meet AldwynCaro's mother, a world-famous whistler, Skylar has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and Gilbertis now missing. Her other mother, three familiars Ronnie, is having to three wizards in traininggo up North to take care of her sister who is unwell. Aldwyn the cat So who is something of an impostor howevergoing to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, since unlike Skylarsomeone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a vision-casting birdhalt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, and Gilbertalong with an orphan boy, a prophesying frogAlbie, he doesn't have any magical powerswho is living there too. He is just But she soon finds herself caught up in a cat-about-townmystery, sneaking as she discovers a fish here, dodging painting of a meat cleaver therebird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and he fell into all across London a fearsome gang called the role of familiar quite by accident whilst running into a pet shop to escape a bounty hunterSnakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Still, when Is the boy wizard he works for, Jack, is kidnapped along with his friends, Aldwyn and painting somehow linked to the other familiars must find a way gang? And what has happened to track them down and rescue them before they are all killed.Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007371772</amazonuk>0571363148
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Penny DolanTania Unsworth|title=A Boy Called M.O.U.S.ENowhere Island
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=There seem Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to be a lot of Victorian adventures around at escape the moment: care system – the combination of neglect, poverty system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and fiercely-protected social divisions typical of the age allows evil and greed find a home for himself. He is en route to flourishyet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and creates wonderful situations for adventurelets it ride him to his future. And this book is That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an excellent example island between the two directions of the genrea motorway, with its wide range of characters both good a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and badseclusion. Them, and its child hero who must suffer and struggle as he travels through a multitude of colourful settings before reaching his goalmute 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>1408801388</amazonuk>1804540080
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Simon CheshireHelen Peters|title=Saxby Smart: Private Detective: The Secrets of the SkullFriends and Traitors|rating=4.53
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Saxby Smart solves mysteries brought England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to his office be in service all her life it seems, like the garden shed by friends and neighboursfemale generations before her. So far so good The other is Sidney, but nothing really newa girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. What is so attractive about this series of stories is the fact The girls 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 reader who acts as SaxbyLord Evesham must be a rum 's side-kickun. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, playing the role talk is made of sounding-board for the young detective. Add to this excitingmeetings with Germans, complex plots and not only that, a protagonist who is warm local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and funny and you have a winning formula.the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848120559</amazonuk>1788004647
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Daren King and David RobertsJamie Littler|title=Frightfully Friendly Ghosties: Ghostly Holler-dayArkspire
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=After scaring all the still-alives from their house we're back with the frightfully friendly ghosties whoTwo sisters, Juniper and Elodie, since it's winterborn fifteen minutes apart, have decided that they need a holler-dayare growing to be chalk and cheese. After Juniper is an argument over their destination (will it be Frighten-on-Sea or Scare-borough?) they receive a postcard eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from their friend, Headless Leslieprior major wars left out in the Badlands. He Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in Frighten and has forgotten how to get back home! Soone of the religious districts of Arkspire, off they go perhaps even to Frighten become the child in line to enjoy inherit the delights power of the Watcher, the closest to a haunted pier ruler the district has, and fun fair and to try and rescue Headless Leslie from whatever trouble he has landed himself one of the five major victors in said earlier war. Being trained inthe 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…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857380451</amazonuk>0241586143
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Nadia Aguiar024162343X|title=Secrets of TamarindStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating=45|genre=Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=The Island of Tamarind is once again under threat, from I was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the evils existence of the Red Corala 'god'. Once more Simon and his sisters Maya and Penny (but mostly Simon) must save Where was the island that only they can reachproof? In history lessons, as it lies in some exotic Bermuda Trianglewas probably worse still. For a second book running they must breach Not too long after the barriersend of WWII, solve mysteries surrounding their native friend HelixI didn't so much want to learn about the British army's legacysuccesses (and occasional failures, and but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to be there in the native magical element ophallafirst place. Looking back, and put I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the island maturity to rightsapproach 'the problem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141384336</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Francesca Simon and Tony RossThiago de Moraes|title=Horrid Henry RocksOld Gods New Tricks
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Meet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. But just when she''Horrid Henry Rocks'' brings us four more stories from s being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the delightfully horrid little boy, Henryworld changes. Here we see him battle with his sappy little brother PeterSuddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out, sabotage his neighboureven of electric cars, Moody Margarethits not just the town the school'sin but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, sleepoverand all that powers the Internet, write his autobiography and finally hejust for our convenience's evicted by security sake). Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the power of power from us. And so she begins her epic quest, to gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in stealing from the Dancing Daisies children's stage show where he stands Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on stage singing songs by The Killer Boy Rats!known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842551345</amazonuk>178845295X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John BoyneHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Noah Barleywater Runs AwayFinding Bear
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Noah Barleywater gets up very early one morning[[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 – that she called Bear. He's eight years old and he's decided to leave Back home in search of adventure. Off he goes through , things on the forest domestic and villages until he sees family front are a marvellous tree. As he gazes at itbit advanced, but not perfect for her, he meets a friendly dachshund and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was last left on. For a (bear doing very) hungry donkey who tell him all about the toyshop behind the marvellous treeBear-y things has been shot and wounded. And so Noah opens Desperate to make sure he's OK, she and her father return to the door Arctic and goes hope that ina world of very white and very dangerous things, she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that the friendship can continue. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0385618956</amazonuk>0008582017
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chris PriestleySimon Fox|title=The Dead of WinterDeadlock
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Michael Vyner's father died when Michael was just Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, and then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a babysecret place, and join him on the run. He was a hero They get together, sacrificing himself but barely begin to save smell the life whiff of Sir Stephen Clarendon whilst fighting for Southern trains when the British Empire in Afghanistan. This father is arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, toting a tin his father was precious little comfort determined to Michael and keep away from his mothercolleagues, who resented the rich man's largesse over the years, wishing for the man they lost and not the charity bearer of the man he saved. So, when Michael's mother dies too and he finds himself all alone in the world, he is not entirely overjoyed to discover that Sir Stephen is now his guardian and has invited him to spend Christmas at Hawton Merea whole heap of questions. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408800136</amazonuk>1839944420
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Natasha NarayanCath Howe|title=The Book of Bones: A Kit Salter AdventureMy Life on Fire|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=I thoroughly enjoyed Kit SalterRen's previous two adventuresfamily home is destroyed in a fire. She, her parents, [[The Mummy Snatcher of Memphis: A Kit Salter Adventure by Natasha Narayan|The Mummy Snatcher of Memphis]] and [[The Maharajah's Monkey: A Kit Salter Adventure by Natasha Narayan|The Maharajah's Monkey]], so I was looking forward to her latest outinglittle brother lose everything. Here in 'She doesn'The Book t have any of Bones'' I read anxiously as Kit and her friends were kidnapped by their arch enemiesclothes, The Baker Brothers. The Baker Brothers tell them that one or any of the friends has been poisoned, but not which oneher special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and the only way to save themselves now she is if living at her grandmother's house where they undertake a dangerous journey to China in search of an ancient book about martial artscan't touch anything, or do anything, or even eat the Book of Bonesfoods they normally eat. En route When she goes back to school she discovers that the children do battle with piratesclass are doing a special art project, doctors creating boxes of phrenology their lives, to display things that are important to them and show who they are as well as the Emperor's armya person. Will they discover which of them But Ren has been poisonednothing to put in a box, and so she finds herself starting to steal things. Small things, or find the magical bookthings that people might not really miss, before it's too late..not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1849162417</amazonuk>1839942835
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Pippa FunnellRob Keeley|title=Tilly's Pony Tails: Parkview Pickle, the Naughty Show PonyThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Here at Hooray! Bookbag Towers we first met Tilly Redbrow in [[Tilly's Pony Tails: Neptune the Heroic Horse by Pippa Funnell|Neptune the Heroic Horse]]. Tilly's favourite Rob Keeley is back home from her holiday in Cornwall and back at the Silver Shoe Riding Stables as often as she can be – which is before school, after school and every minute she can be at weekends and in the holidays. There's with a lot of excitement at return to the stables when they find out that a short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new show pony is moving in. Parkview Pickle is a real beautytales, although perhaps a little bit on the plump side and with a rather nervous rider and the ultimate pushy parenteach as fun to read as his previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444000837</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David WhitleyLaura Noakes|title=The Children of the LostCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star|rating=3.54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Mark and Lily have left Agora and they have no idea what Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to expect from the land beyond the city wallsher friends. They have been brought up within a rigid system based on barter The practice in the home she lives in a city where everything can is for the girls to just be traded: goods, servicesnamed by the number they correspond to in the ledger, and they're all Unfortunates – young peoplewith disabilities, even emotions are up for saleuncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. They have also been taught that outside But Cosima bears the city walls is tag as a wildernesssurname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, as the first ever inmate, with and unique in having no civilised lifeknown family in the outside world. Do bear in mind here that their idea of civilisation is Agora…They are ill equipped During a daring escapade to survivesteal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, and immediately make things worse by arguing with one anothershe discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for his Institute. Mark is furious with Lily for her part in their banishment But why, and his actions lead what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to Lily being placed in great danger.the past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141330120</amazonuk>0008579059
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Aesop, Fiona Waters and Fulvio TestaAlice M Ross|title=Aesop's FablesThe Nowhere Thief
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Everyone 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 loves ''Aesop's Fables''. They're part the buildings are generally empty of our literary tapestry humans and our everyday livesripe for plunder. We know sour grapes With eviction imminent, we know [[Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich|can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the tortoise and shop? Well yes, is the hare]]answer, but the boy who cried wolf and so many fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more. Fiona Waters has retold 60 of the most famous fables in this delightful anthology.questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1849390495</amazonuk>1839943769
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sara StarbuckNatasha Farrant|title=Dread Pirate Fleur and the Hangman's NooseThe Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=45
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=When a mysterious young girl in a barrel This story is fished another excellent adventure from the sea and rescued by author of ''Voyage of the pirate ship belonging to FleurSparrowhawk''s uncle William, it seems bad news might be on the way. The girl turns out to have psychic abilities - and they're just about to hit landfall at SalemRavenwood is an old house, right in time the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for the witch-huntsmost of their lives. But worse They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is to come. William gets captured therewith her Uncle Leo, and someone Fleur thought long dead starts to take Raffy is there with his place on board insteadmum, and they are living together as a family. Fleur then has to skipper They have grown up swimming in the craft herselfcove, on a rescue missionroaming through the trees, in a very tense domestic situationcompletely at one with all of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. ThatBut now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it's hard enough when youbecoming more and more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they're a mere teenaged girlgoing to live, but if they'll even be together, against ruffians and pirates, but when the ship has secrets of her own to if Ravenwood itself will be revealed..torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1862307296</amazonuk>0571348785
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rupert KingfisherRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Madame Pamplemousse and the Enchanted Sweet ShopSecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=This Jayden's nose is not forever in a stereotypical fantasy. Madeleinebook, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the heroine, is not required to find mystical items or defeat evil beings in order to save phoenixes and unicorns of the world. And although she lives in a world where magic exists, she does not have any other-worldly powers herselffor example. She Aisha is quite simply, despite addicted to her young agenew tablet, an extremely good cookwhere she can see videos of anything that might be out there. Mind you The problem, as their mothers see it, this quaint little book is set in that they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the centre outside world of ParisHackney, so to be gifted in London. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden''la gastronomie'' probably does count as magic - the French see these things differentlys cousin, after allthey find a magical world they never knew existed. No For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she is just 's seen on a little girl who is bullied at school by someone who seems determined to humiliate and hurt her by preying on her natural shynessbit of local footage. The bullying is skilfully donecrew of the boat, including a living gargoyle, by emphasising Madeleine's gift for creating wonderful meals are tasked with saving the rare critters – and turning it into a reason the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to pity herjoin in. Fortunately for our heroine Dare they side with Leila, she is noticed crying in Notre-Dame Cathedralthe woman on board, and is comforted by her relative who lives as a figure in a kindly sweet-shop ownerpainting, Madame Bonbon. But is this woman really so kind? And doesn't Madeleine know she shouldn't take sweets from strangersand become saviours of the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408805057</amazonuk>0241573483
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{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Holly WebbB09XWSXSKY|title=Rose Maestro Orpheus and the Magician's MaskWorld Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=The cover of this book has lots of pretty gold stars and a girl with a cute round faceFrederick (or Fred, but donnever Freddy, please) couldn't be fooled: while young girls will love all the magic and adventure, there is a fair amount of darkness in this third book in the Rose seriessleep. A magical mask has been stolen by an evil magiciantune, rather like the ticking of a clock was playing over and if he wears it over in Venice, on the first Sunday of the New Year, his mind. It happened every time he will gain enormous powercame to visit his grandfather. Needless He hadn't really wanted to saycome; after all, Rose he's ten now and the other members of the household set off all those old clocks don't appeal to prevent thishim anymore.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140830449X</amazonuk>}}''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is tell the time. And time isn't good for anything...''
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Cathy CassidyNigel Baines|title=Cherry Crush: The Chocolate Box GirlsA Tricky Kind of Magic
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=When Cherry Costello told her teachers that she was leaving Glasgow and moving Cooper loves to live in a cliff-top house in Somerset where her perform magic tricks. His father would make organic chocolates everyone thought that it was just another of her tall talesa magician, and named Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. But this one was true. Not only was Cherry moving to Somerset the Costellossadly Cooper's father died suddenly, father and daughternow Cooper doesn't quite know who to be, were going or how to live with his girlfriend and her four daughters. From it just being the two of them there would be seven altogether. How will Cherry cope? And how will the Tanberry family cope with two new members?when his dad's prop rabbit starts talking to him, he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141384794</amazonuk>1444960261
}}