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[[Category:Confident Readers|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]]==Confident readers==__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elliot SkellMax Boucherat|title=Neversuch HouseThe Last Life of Lori Mills|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Omnia is We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a girl who likes to know thingsblanket fort, she has one main intention, and when she sees something unusual she sets out that is to log on to find out what Voxminer, the world-building, critter-collecting game that is happeninga hit in Lori's world. It is But first Lori has a decision which almost kills tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on herown, and then she finds something even more spooky. Something is not right at For the heart server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of Neversuch Housetampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and at least one person her safe place in the game has been doctored – well, where is determined a girl to stop her finding out what it is.turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847387438</amazonuk>0008666482
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ruthie Knapp Kieran Larwood and Jill McElmurryJoe Todd-Stanton|title=Who Stole Mona Lisa?Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial|rating=3.54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Taking Meet Kit. Like most of the people in his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where a history team of its productionwarrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, as well as its theftcentury-old, magical mazes, and race to the exit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. Unfortunately for Kit, the only thing he''Who Stole Mona Lisa?'' s seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, and a new trio of questors is an intriguing look at La Giocondaneeded. The story is told Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to the goading from the point token bully of view of Leonardo da Vincihis world and stumbled into declaring he's painting herselfll enter as a team. What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and will strike a chord with any intelligent and curious youngsters.how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408811588</amazonuk>1839945184
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chris MouldJames Sherwood Metts|title=Spindlewood: Pip and the Wood Witch CursePlanet Storyland
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Pip doesnThings have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they't want re paid to be sold do and other tasks that took time to Captain Snarks accomplish. Just as a piratethey were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of other, new ways to spend 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.|isbn=1736128426}}{{Frontpage|author=Tom Percival|title=The Wrong Shoes|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Will's cabin boylife is difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is sure bullied because hehas 'the wrong shoes'll get sea-sick, and he would far rather continue to has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work at the stable yard. But the foul-breathed drunkard who runs the orphanage refuses to listen: he will receive more and doesn't have enough money for even the lad if most basic of things like food, and his dad can't work because he sends him to sealost his job at the college, was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. On Throw into that mix the way to the docks Pip manages to escapefact that his mum and dad are separated, and he stows away Will's life seems bleak in the rear carriage of the Stage Fright Theatre Companyevery direction. And yet, charmingly described as 'dancing masters he still has a tiny amount of the macabre'hope. Our hero remains there for many days He is good at art, hidden from everyone and only occasionally sneaking out clings to find the moments of joy when he is drawing, that feel like a bone to gnaw, until light at the travelling troupe arrives at its destinationend of a long, Hangman's Hollow. And then Pip's troubles begin in earnestdark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0340970693</amazonuk>1398527122
}}
{{Frontpage
|isbn=1805141872
|title=The Teacher Who Knew Too Much
|author=Rob Keeley
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=''Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job...''
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Betty G BirneyChristopher Edge|title=School According to HumphreyBlack Hole Cinema Club
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=After six near-perfect books' worth of adventures Lucas and his friends are all booked in Room 26for a movie marathon at their local cinema, the class pet Humphrey the hamster faces a nightmare at place that has the start nickname of term'The Black Hole'. The entire pupil population has changedAll big movie fans, and all his friends hethey's got re looking forward to know lots of exciting films, and love (and be loved by) have been replaced by a new intake. many, many snacks! Here are the absurdly tall and However, as the unfortunately shortmovie starts, both with the same first name; here they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is the girl in a wheelchair pestered by very different, and they are swept up into an over-attentive helperadventure they couldn't even imagine. Can Humphrey solve all their problems - But as he usually does - andthey lurch from one film genre to the next, can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the biggest problem of all the fact that his old friends no longer have a classroom petcinema, and to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571255418</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{Frontpage|author=Adam Stower|title=Murray and Bun|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers |summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…|isbn=0008561249}}{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Morris GleitzmanAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=GraceThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts|rating=54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary='In Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the beginning there was me wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and Mum and Dad in the evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the twinsfamily. And talk about happy families A few short years ago, we Eli's parents were bountiful. But it came both lost to pass that I started doing sins. And lothe titular race, that's when a globe-trotting adventure where all our problems beganentrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast.' This is exactly how Grace talks because she lives with her family as part of has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a separatist fundamental Christian sect. She goes bad incident at the eatery leads to a church school. The school bus driver confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is a church Elder because she mustn't talk to or touch an outsider as outsiders are unclean. She can't eat outsider food without purifying it first - even ice cream must be microwaved. She wears her unrulydare to enter what he most hates, curly hair in a bun and woe is upon her when wisps free themselves from her hairpinswith the sole aim the prize of magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>014133603X</amazonuk>0571382231
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sorrel AndersonHelen Cooper|title=The Clumsies Make A Mess Taming of the Big ShowCat
|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=This is Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the third book about The Clumsiesmouse, two small mice who live up against Gorgonzola the cat – and in Howard Armitagecase you's officere seeing a connection, they live in a cheese shop and manage, whatever therefore all the situation, names used here seem to make a mess! be the names of cheeses. A big show Anyway, Brie is being put shunned, scorned and, if you must, mous-tracised, for the way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and makes stories based on at workthe visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and Howardcast out. It's boss wants Howard almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to singkeep themselves alive. The Clumsies decide to interveneThis makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, in order as all the others had the chance to help half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out Howard, and chaos ensues...?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007339364</amazonuk>0571376010
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David PetersenLauren St John|title=Mouse Guard: Legends of The GuardFinding Wonder
|rating=4
|genre=Graphic NovelsConfident Readers|summary=To start withRoo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was young, I have never heard and now she finds herself awoken in the middle of Mr Petersen and the night by the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his Mouse Guard franchiseway to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. But I'm often up for an introduction to a fantasy cycleWhen asked what other family she has, and I always relish being welcomed to an author by the most esotericshe can only name her aunt, unusualJoni, quirky and short routewho she knows her dad didn't think very highly of. My first entry to the His Dark Materials world was [[Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman|a collector's spin-off]]But she has no one else, and I'm just as likely so off she goes to start the Twilight series, if ever, live with the latest brief whimsyher unreliable aunt. And Things continue to get worse for those of a similar mind-setRoo, as when she and Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, this collection of tales from it breaks down in the pens middle of guest writers nowhere and illustrators, serves as an odd-shaped doorway on to this particular universe.then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857681427</amazonuk>0571376169
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Francesca Simon Adam Baron and Tony RossBenji Davies|title=Horrid HenryOscar's Thank You LetterLion|rating=3|genre=Confident Readers|summary=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 times before he has to be ready for school. But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and admitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to school and it can get him out of a problem. And it's wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the rules, and so on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|isbn=0008596751}}{{Frontpage|author=Judith Eagle|title=The Stolen Songbird
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=ICaro'm sure most of us haves mother, at one time or anothera world-famous whistler, found ourselves being forced has failed to write a huge pile of thank you letters return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to distant relatives, perhaps even for gifts that we weren't all that excited go up North to receive in the first place! take care of her sister who is unwell. This So who is the predicament that Henry finds himself ingoing to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and rather than knuckle down confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to get them over and done a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with hean orphan boy, of courseAlbie, who is living there too. But she soon finds herself caught up in a mystery, procrastinates as much as possible before coming up with an ingeniousshe discovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, money-making scheme!and all across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising 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>1444001051</amazonuk>0571363148
}}
{{Frontpage|author=Tania Unsworth|title=Nowhere Island|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and find a home for himself. He is en route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and lets it ride him to his future. That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the two directions of a motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and seclusion. Them, and a mute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|isbn=1804540080}}{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Richmal CromptonHelen Peters|title=Just WilliamFriends and Traitors|rating=53
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Whether 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's a trip to seems, like the cinemafemale generations before her. The other is Sidney, babysitting a youngster, being girl from a page boy at a wedding, or running hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from home to take a job below stairsbomber flight-paths. 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 11-year old William Brown can always Lord Evesham must be relied on to create chaos and havoc wherever he goesa rum 'un. This short story collection (the first Midnight deliveries are received under cover of 38 books) secrecy, talk is made of meetings with Germans, and not only that, a wonderful introduction to a classic characterlocal Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0330507451</amazonuk>1788004647
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hans Christian Andersen, Naomi Lewis and Christian BirminghamJamie Littler|title=The Snow QueenArkspire
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Kay Two sisters, Juniper and Gerda Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are deargrowing to be chalk and cheese. Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, dear friendsincluding relics from prior major wars left out in the Badlands. However Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the religious districts of Arkspire, Kay gets splinters from perhaps even to become the Devil's shattered magic mirror child in his eye and heartline to inherit the power of the Watcher, changing his personality for the worse. Shortly afterclosest to a ruler the district has, he is whisked away by and one of the Snow Queenfive major victors in said earlier war. Everyone assumes Kay must have fallen Being trained in the river and drownedmagic that only five people can use would definitely change the status of the whole family. But in finding something oddly magical, but Gerda is sure Juniper might just be able to gain some power of her friend is still aliveown – for good, or for very, and embarks on a magical quest to bring him home again.very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406319708</amazonuk>0241586143
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Patrick Dillon and P J Lynch024162343X|title=The Story of BritainStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera
|rating=5
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary=Author Patrick Dillon has put together a clear, well-written and beautifully concise story of Britain, summing up I was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the history existence of Britain and Ireland in a little over 320 pages'god'. Significant events Where was the proof? In history lessons, ranging from it was probably worse still. Not too long after the Norman Conquest end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the South Sea BubbleBritish army's successes (and occasional failures, and groups of people ranging from highwaymen but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the Romantic poets, are each dealt with in between 1 and 3 pages written in Dilloncolonies's chatty, easy as want to dispute what right the army had to read stylebe there in the first place. There are also maps Looking back, including those of I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the D-Day landings and maturity to approach 'the Civil War battles, a timeline for each major period (Middle Ages, Tudors, Stuarts, Georgians, Victorians and Twentieth Century) and some gorgeous illustrations by former Kate Greenaway winner PJ Lynchproblem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406311928</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lucy ChristopherThiago de Moraes|title=FlyawayOld Gods New Tricks|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Isla has a wonderful relationship with her fatherMeet Trixie. He is Forever getting into scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the kind school aircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a young goddess of mannuisance. But just when she's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, she saysthe world changes. Suddenly, who would never tell her to come in practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out , even of electric cars, hits not just the raintown the school's in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, because he would be out there tooand all that powers the Internet, just for our convenience's sake). Trixie, luckily, enjoying realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the pleasure power of jumping in puddlespower from us. But his heart is weak And so she begins her epic quest, and when he collapses and has to be rushed into hospitalgather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in stealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, Isla is berefthalf-gods and so on known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>190529476X</amazonuk>178845295X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Katherine RundellHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=The Girl SavageFinding Bear|rating=34.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=In Zimbabwe[[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], Nice Will Silver has lived all her life 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. Back home, things on the domestic and family front are a bit advanced, but not perfect for her father Nice William Silver, his employer Nice Captain Browne, and her friend Nice Simon. But so can easily be ignored when Nice Captain Browne falls in love with Nasty Cynthia Vincy, Nice Will is uprooted word comes through from her roots the islands Bear was last left on. For a bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and sent wounded. Desperate to an English boarding schoolmake sure he's OK, run by Nice Miss Blake she and her assistant Nasty Mrs Robinsonfather return to the Arctic and hope that in a world of very white and very dangerous things, she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that the friendship can continue. How will she cope?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571254314</amazonuk>0008582017
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elizabeth BeresfordSimon Fox|title=The Wombles at WorkDeadlock
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Bloomsbury have re-issued another tranche of 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 secret place, and join him on the original Womble booksrun. They get together, following but barely begin to smell the release whiff of Southern trains when the father is arrested, leaving Archie on the first titles in late 2010. This brings the total express to six available titles for you to have Brighton, toting a Wombling good time with. And quite frankly, what's not tin his father was determined to love here? Any story featuring Elisabeth Beresford's environmentally-mindedkeep away from his colleagues, charming characters is and the bearer of a delight, for young and old alikewhole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408808366</amazonuk>1839944420
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Simon ScarrowCath Howe|title=Gladiator: Fight for FreedomMy Life on Fire|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=MarcusRen's father was family home is destroyed in a centurion in the Roman legionsfire. She, her parents, and her little brother lose everything. After the slave revolt led by Spartacus was finally put down She doesn't have any of her clothes, he retired or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and now she is living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, or do anything, or even eat the foods they normally eat. When she goes back to school she discovers that the army and bought class are doing a farm on a small Greek island. Marcus has spent most special art project, creating boxes of his boyhood on the farmtheir lives, learning to train dogs, shoot his sling accurately display things that are important to them and dreaming of one day becoming show who they are as a fighter like his fatherperson. But the farm is Ren has nothing to put in debt a box, and Marcus's life is about so she finds herself starting to crumble.steal things. Small things, things that people might not really miss, not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141333634</amazonuk>1839942835
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hazel AllanRob Keeley|title=Bree McCready The Boy Who Disappeared and the Flame of IrenusOther Stories
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Bree Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is backwith a return to the short story format! She and her best friends, Sandy and Honey, are enjoying the summer holidays until one day Mimi, Honey's little sister, goes missing. The three friends find themselves once more having Boy Who Disappeared treats us to search out the oldeleven new tales, mysterious book that fits with the heart locket in order each as fun to try to find and save Mimiread as his previous offerings. Back in the mysterious land they went to during the [[Bree McCready and the Half-heart Locket by Hazel Allan|first of Bree's adventures]] the three friends face more challenges than ever before, and this time Mimi's life hangs in the balance so they must succeed!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1905537174</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jonathan StroudLaura Noakes|title=The Amulet of SamarkandCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=When you summon a demon the last thing you want is for you to lose power over it - for the shoe to end up on the other foot. Especially when the demon shifts shape and is currently an eight-legged spider. That's what's happened to young Nathaniel, having summoned Bartimaeus for a task of vengeance. But perhaps it's worst of all when you have to rely on the same demon's help to protect you from an even greater evil - the wicked intent of a fellow man.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0552563706</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Melanie Watt|title=Scaredy Squirrel at Night|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Scaredy Squirrel Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the home she lives in is scared for the girls to go just be named by the number they correspond to sleep at night. He has in the ledger, and they're all sorts of tricks to keep himself awake so Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that he doesn't have to face his night-time fearsVictorian society frowns greatly upon. But his sleeplessness is Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, as the first ever inmate, and unique in having no known family in the outside world. During a toll on daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for his healthInstitute. Can he find a solution But why, and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to his problemthe past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846471109</amazonuk>0008579059
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Terry DearyAlice M Ross|title=Put Out The LightNowhere Thief
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=In 1940, Billy At last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and Sally Thomas are living her mother run in Sheffield, a city which is well aware that German bombs will almost surely find their way there sooner or laterseaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. As the air raid sirens blare She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, they help friendly Warden Crane to make sure because she has the blackout is kept up - but when they find that people are having money stolen while they're in the shelters, they try ability to solve the crime. Meanwhileleave this world, in Germany, Manfred and Hansl are determined use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to do their bit for enter other worlds, where the war effort by getting into sea levels are rising dramatically and the bomb factory buildings are generally empty of humans and writing an English soldier's name on a bombripe for plunder. Then they meet Polish youngster Irena and become quickly embroiled in a frantic escape attempt. By December With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the two sets of children will both have been thrust into shop? Well yes, is the thick of answer, but the action, and we get fact a finale that's truly explosive – in mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more ways than one!questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408130548</amazonuk>1839943769
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sally PrueNatasha Farrant|title=Ice MaidenThe Rescue of Ravenwood
|rating=5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Franz isnThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of 't popular in 'Voyage of the villageSparrowhawk''. It's 1939, and the German boy Ravenwood is on an extended holiday old house, in the North of England. Unsurprisingly, the local boys don't appreciate an enemy in where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their midstlives. Franz isn't happy at home either - he mistrusts They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is there with his Nazi parents mum, and he remembers they are living together as a family. They have grown up swimming in the rounding up of cove, roaming through the disabledtrees, completely at one with all of the gypsies and nature around the Jews, house and loving every inch of the smashing glass at nightplace. Lonely, Franz spends a lot of time on But now the commonhouse is under threat, observing as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the natural world property to a developer as it's becoming more and the wildlifemore expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they're going to live, but if they'll even be together, in all its beauty and crueltyif Ravenwood itself will be torn down. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192729659</amazonuk>0571348785
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=M T McGuireRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=K'Barthan TrilogySecret Beast Club: Few Are ChosenThe Unicorns of Silver Street
|rating=4
|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=The Pan of Hamgee Jayden's nose is forever in a relatively inconspicuous fellow living in the world of K'Barthbook, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the setting phoenixes and unicorns of the battle between the overbearingworld, alien Grongolian settlers and the fanatic Resistancefor example. Aisha is addicted to her new tablet, described aptly by where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The Pan problem, as being their mothers see it, is that they are never 'The lesserout there' themselves, but only very slightly lesser exploring the outside world of two evilsHackney, possiblyLondon. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden' Naturallys cousin, The Pan wants nothing to do with this political conflict but due to they find a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she's seen on a number bit of unfortunate cases local footage. The crew of wrong placethe boat, wrong time including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and disastrous luckthe kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. Dare they side with Leila, the woman on board, he has somehow been drafted and her relative who lives as a figure in as the getaway driver of a group of bank robberspainting, and somehow come into possession become saviours of a magical thimble with the power to allow teleportation, an object greatly desired by K'Barth's despot ruler Lord Vernon.unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1907809007</amazonuk>0241573483
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Philip ThreadneedleB09XWSXSKY|title=The Astronaut's ApprenticeMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Bradley is as normal as any boy could beFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. He lives on A tune, rather like the ticking of a farm with clock was playing over and over in his father and grandma and loves all sorts of boy thingsmind. It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. But itHe hadn't really wanted to come; after all, he's at this point that things begin ten now and all those old clocks don't appeal to get a little bit, well, oddhim anymore. ''Who needs old clocks anyway? His grandpa All they do is an alien and his mother is in tell the attic, but she's deadtime. GrandmaAnd time isn's not your normal cuddly version, eithert good for anything... She's of the opinion that childbirth is much over-rated, both from the point of view of the mother and the child and she's not above calling her husband a love rat and a womaniser. Still, even the best of families have their little oddities…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1453843809</amazonuk>}}
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=P L TraversNigel Baines|title=Mary Poppins: The Complete CollectionA Tricky Kind of Magic|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=It is coming up for eighty years since ''Mary Poppins'' Cooper loves to perform magic tricks. His father was first published in Great Britaina magician, but it is still one of those childrenand named Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. But sadly Cooper's books you will find in every library and bookshop. Almost everyone in the countryfather died suddenly, young and oldnow Cooper doesn't quite know who to be, can tell you the story and describe all the main characters, and the Poppins name, along with the carpet bag and the parrot-headed umbrella, has become a cultural referenceor how to be. But And when his dad's prop rabbit starts talking to be honesthim, he ''really'' doesn't know what most people actually know is the 1960s Disney film: the original nanny who blew into the life of the Banks children is a much darker, more mysterious being altogether.'s going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007398557</amazonuk>1444960261
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