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[[Category:Confident Readers|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Max Boucherat|title=Thunderbirds Comic: Volume 1The Last Life of Lori Mills|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that is to log on to Voxminer, the world-building, critter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and then she finds something even more spooky. For the server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and her safe place in the game has been doctored – well, where is a girl to turn?|isbn=0008666482}}{{Frontpage|author=Gerry Anderson Kieran Larwood and Frank BellamyJoe Todd-Stanton|title=Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Meet the ThunderbirdsKit. If you don't know anything about Like most of the Tracy family and their International Rescue organisationpeople in his world, it seems, then I'm not sure he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where you've been. For people a team of a certain age (OKwarrior, minemage and healer enter specially prepared, at least) they were the staple of Saturday morning cinema clubscentury-old, a highlight of BBC2 when repeated teatimemagical mazes, and even managed race to make those 3D rotating card-a-vision things worthwhilethe exit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. TheyUnfortunately for Kit, the only thing he've s seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been in cinemas since thenretired, eaten, and a new trio of coursequestors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, but now with he has taken to the goading from the token bully of his world needing everything everywhen weand stumbled into declaring he've got ll enter as a welcome team. What chance to look back at some of the original comic book spindoes this friendless, muscle-free-offs, zone have in actually managing that probably haven't been much seen since then. With five volumes of these books on the cards, it's worthwhile sticking to the first and seeing just what these retro delights – or otherwise – how could bring.he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405272600</amazonuk>1839945184
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=James Sherwood Metts|title=The ImaginaryPlanet Storyland|authorrating=A F Harrold and Emily Gravett 4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=The Hero PupTom Percival|authortitle=Megan RixThe Wrong Shoes
|rating=5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Christmas is going to be tough for Joe this year. ItWill's going to be the first without his dad; life is difficult, in a brave soldier who died in the line multitude of dutyways. Before then He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has the more immediate issue wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have enough money for even the most basic of facing things like food, and his friends when dad can't work because he returns to schoollost his job at the college, was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. They are bound to ask him lots of awkward questions about Throw into that mix the fact that his mum and dad are separated, and heWill's not feeling ready to open up to people just life seems bleak in every direction. And yet. Luckily, Mum he still has an idea that will help them both perform a fitting tribute tiny amount of hope. He is good at art, and clings to dadthe moments of joy when he is drawing, whilst giving Joe something worthwhile to focus on: they decide to adopt and train that feel like a light at the end of a helper pup who will eventually assist an injured soldier in needlong, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141351926</amazonuk>1398527122
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1805141872|title=Doctor The Teacher Who: 12 Doctors 12 StoriesKnew Too Much|author=Malorie Blackman, Holly Black and othersRob Keeley
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=How long do you keep your birthday presents for? A week, ''Seventeen banks and a monthjeweller’s have been raided. The police are baffled, a year but only Ben knows the truth – or life? Is that time-scale differenthis Maths teacher, perhapsMiss Judson, when you're nearly is really a thousand years old? I only ask because Doctor Who issafecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, of course, both 51 (in our earthly, televisual representation) and 900 Miss Judson and more in human years as a character. In 2013 we were given a great book that gave us a story for every Doctor Who we've seen Ben go on TV, in honour of the 50th birthday proceedingsrun. But now is a year on, and we're a further Doctor down the lineAl needs them for one last job. And so what was '11 Doctors, 11 Stories' is now '12 Doctors, 12 Stories'. So while many of us would have cherished and kept said birthday present, the only addition is the last, which like the rest was available as an e-book. So it's worth revisiting what I said about the book last time, then chucking in the (what might only be temporarily) concluding story at the end.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141359889</amazonuk>}}'
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Karen McCombieChristopher Edge|title=The Girl With The Sunshine SmileBlack Hole Cinema Club|rating=54|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Everyone knew Meg as Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a place that has the girl with the sunshine smilenickname of 'The Black Hole'. She always looked ''pretty'' and ''happy'All big movie fans, they' re looking forward to lots of exciting films, and her mother used her in her business to model bridesmaid's dresses. many, many snacks! They had a lovely little flat which was always neat However, as a the movie starts, they very quickly realise that something about this new pin film format is very different, and Meg thought that life was perfectthey are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. Then her mother met Danny - and everything changed. Danny was But as they lurch from one film genre to the single father to four boys and next, can they all lived figure out what on a houseboat. A messy houseboat. With no lock earth is going on the bathroom door. ? And when there was a flood at Mum's flat Will they had ever get back to move in with Danny the cinema, and the four boys. That was when Meg stopped smiling.to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781124035</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=The Odd Squad: King KarlAdam Stower|authortitle=Michael FryMurray and Bun|rating=34.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=NickMurray is supposed to be a humble, Molly tidy and Karl have come through a lot friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of things together since forming Safety Patrol - often with the help of Shakespeare-quoting janitor Mr Dupreetwo. But when he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the mysterious MLEZcatflap they both use can chuck them out, who run not into the schoolregular 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, want Karl to join thembe honest, Nick but he's turned up and Molly he'll have to start thinking about ways to stop him - because Karl in charge is a frankly terrifying prospect.do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571314414</amazonuk>0008561249
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Les MiserablesAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|authortitle=Marcia WilliamsThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts|rating=34
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=An ex-convict who lapses into crime again even Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in the face of evening a helper at the greatest charity.dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the family. A policeman bent on outing few short years ago, Eli's parents were both lost to the titular race, a man from his past, whatever globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the human consequences… A girl growing up under world in the loving eyes company of a suitor while being totally unaware of her background of poverty and misfortune… Yes, meet magical beast. This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a bad incident at the original and real story of Les Miserableseatery leads to a confession from gran, but presented as you've probably never seen it before – told in an all-ages comic strip versionEli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he most hates, with bright colours and much intricate detail from the pen sole aim the prize of Marcia Williams. Bear with us and see how magic at the end – the new version compares only thing to the originalpossibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406353167</amazonuk>0571382231
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=The Snow Leopard (Mini Edition)Helen Cooper|authortitle=Jackie MorrisThe Taming of the Cat
|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=You probably haven't heard of Mergichans Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the mouse, up against Gorgonzola the cat – although if and in case you pronounce it correctly in your head're seeing a connection, they live in connection with spirits a cheese shop and magic, you will work out what they aretherefore all the names used here seem to be the names of cheeses. One of them Anyway, Brie is the totemshunned, scorned and, if you likemust, of a hidden Himalayan valleymous-tracised, and she is in for the way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the form of a snow leopard, singing existence cheese for bedding – he displays it as she sees fit art and protecting makes stories based on the Shangri-La type locationvisuals on it. But she cannot protect it from allAnd that story-comerstelling will come in handy one night, least of when he feels all when shealone and cast out. It's trying almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to sing tell stories to find a successorkeep themselves alive. This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as all the others had the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. Mergichans do not But will the story have the successful sequel it all their own way…needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847805477</amazonuk>0571376010
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Mountwood School for GhostsLauren St John|authortitle=Toby IbbotsonFinding Wonder|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=YouRoo've met people like the Great Haggess life has become almost impossibly difficult. Broad Her mum died when she was young, and now she finds herself awoken in the beammiddle of the night by the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. When asked what other family she has, determined and stridentshe can only name her aunt, they subdue petty officials with a single look and ensure everything around them is neat and tidy and well-planned. They're often to be found in the caring professionsJoni, but donwho she knows her dad didn't be fooled: they are not kindthink very highly of. But she has no one else, or gentleand so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for Roo, or sensitive to other peopleas when she and Joni leave London in Joni's feelings - not even old campervan, it breaks down in the teeniest little bit. They just don't like mess.middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447271009</amazonuk>0571376169
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{{newreview|title=The Parent AgencyFrontpage|author=David BaddielAdam Baron and Benji Davies|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summarytitle=Barry likes football (especially if Lionel MessiOscar's playing), James Bond and lists. He doesn't like his two sisters, who tease him mercilessly and get away with all sorts of meanness right under his parents' noses. All his mates have cool names and even cooler parents, and their tenth birthday parties were amazing. His family, on the other hand, just can't manage the simplest thing he asks of them. He knows they're not well off, and he doesn't blame them for that, exactly, but going up to double figures is a big deal and deep in his heart he really does feel they could make a bit more effort. Well, actually, a lot more effort.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007554508</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|title=Opal Plumstead|author=Jacqueline WilsonLion|rating=53
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Living in Edwardian EnglandWe start incredibly bluntly, Opal Plumstead with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a fiercely intelligent girl. She couple of times before he has already won a scholarship to be ready for school. But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is a public school mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and dreams of going to universityadmitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. But all her ambitions there are snatched away when her father is sent benefits to prison and Opal is forced having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to abandon her education the bully that ruined a birthday party for a job in Oscar the Fairy Glen sweet factoryother month. The other workers there find Opal snobby And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to school and arrogant but the factoryit can get him out of a problem. And it's ownerwonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, Mrs Robertsbeing much more lax about the rules, notices her artistic talent and treats Opal as a protegeso on. Through Mrs Roberts OK, Opal learns about the suffragette movement and even meets the legendary Mrs Pankhurstit can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857531093</amazonuk>0008596751
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Knightley and Son: K9Judith Eagle|authortitle=Rohan GavinThe Stolen Songbird
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Young fans of Sherlock Holmes will be happy Caro's mother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to see thisreturn home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, the second in the series devoted is having to go up North to the tweed-wearing teenage detectivetake care of her sister who is unwell. Together So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with his father (wellGam, more or less: the poor man slips into a semi-coma whenever he gets stressed)someone Caro has heard her mother despises, his clever she feels frustrated and resourceful sister confused and his beloved dog Wilburworried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, Darkus along with an orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. But she soon hot on the trail finds herself caught up in a mystery, as she discovers a painting of the mysterious dogsa bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, which hunt in pairs and all across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are strong enough thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to the gang? And what has happened to tear a manCaro's throat out. If mother? Is she somehow involved in the creatures are indeed just dogs, that is . . .mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408851431</amazonuk>0571363148
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Big Fat Christmas Book (Horrible Histories)Tania Unsworth|authortitle=Terry Deary and Martin BrownNowhere Island|rating=34.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=I was reading Terry Deary before Meet Gil. Just twelve, he even started writing is so determined to escape the care system – the ‘Horrible History’ franchisesystem 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. It That future seems that as I grew out of children’s non-fiction just as he exploded to be in popularity, selling millions jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of books belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the series two directions of a motorway, a place inaccessible and even spawning a successful TV show (that I admit definitely ignored enough to watching)provide for their safety and seclusion. It has been years since the first Horrible History bookThem, and a mute girl also finding a home there, but they are still popular enough to produce an annual of sortsalbeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, but or if this is this a case of annual horribilis?one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407147749</amazonuk>1804540080
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=LuckyHelen Peters|authortitle=Chris HillFriends and Traitors
|rating=3
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Does enjoyment of a book depend on whether it measures up to expectations? As readersEngland, our initial impressions of a publication WW2. Two young girls are based entirely on new at the blurb and cover artcountry pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, although there are plenty of instances where like the content doesn't do justice to eitherfemale generations before her. In some cases The other is Sidney, it can be a good thing; girl from a book may be a lot better than first expectedhoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. However The girls are chalk and cheese, when the story is completely different to the one and if we hadn't guessed that you hoped for, then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it can leave a somewhat bitter after-tasteso. My daughter requested ''Lucky'' after seeing the cute cover art But something is amiss, and first separately and reading then in combination they realise the blurb about Lord Evesham must be a little red squirrel trying to save the parkrum 'un. She Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is a big fan made of [[:Category:Holly Webb|Holly Webb]] animal stories meetings with Germans, and was hoping not only that this would be written in , a similar stylelocal Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1908435143</amazonuk>1788004647
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{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Darren ShanJamie Littler|title=ZOM-B FamilyArkspire
|rating=4
|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=REPEATING STANDARD WARNING! If you haven't read 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 first book Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in this seriesone 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, STOP READING NOW! NOW! Spoilers ahoy!very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857077848</amazonuk>0241586143
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=024162343X|title=The Winter Wolf Stolen History|author=Holly WebbSathnam Sanghera
|rating=5
|genre=Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=Amelia should be looking forward I was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, it was probably worse still. Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to spending Christmas with her older cousinslearn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, but she canwe didn't help feeling overwhelmed. The house that they are staying dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the colonies' as want to dispute what right the army had to be there in is big and foreboding and she is very small for her agethe first place. Even worse than that Looking back, her cousins have a HUGE dog I still believe I was right - but I regret that seems I lacked the maturity to seek her out at every opportunityapproach 'the problem' politely. Can I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History't they understand that she is terrified of dogs and just leave her alone?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847154522</amazonuk>'.
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=ErenThiago de Moraes|authortitle=Simon P ClarkOld Gods New Tricks
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=People 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's being told that by her one-last-chance- Mumgiving headteacher, the world changes. Suddenly, mostly practically everything electronic stops working – a power- are keeping secrets out, even of electric cars, hits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from Olimobile phones, and all that powers the Internet, just for our convenience's sake). Why Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have they had taken the power of power from us. And so she begins her epic quest, to leave London and come to live gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in stealing from the country with Uncle Rob? Why hasn't Dad come too? Why does everyone keep turning off Gods, ie the TV news every time it comes semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on? Why does Em's dad dislike Oli when he doesn't even know him? When will Dad come? When will life go back to normal? known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1472110978</amazonuk>178845295X
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Young Sherlock: Stone ColdHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|authortitle=Andrew LaneFinding Bear
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Fans of Tom Gates are in for an extra treat with the publication of this ''Totally Brilliant Annual''[[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, which announces its presence and finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a rather 'loud' polar bear – that she called Bear. Back home, things on the domestic and family front coverare a bit advanced, replete with startsbut not perfect for her, arrowsand so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was last left on. For a bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and wounded. Desperate to make sure he's OK, doodles swirls, aliens she and her father return to the Arctic and stick men hope that in bolda world of very white and very dangerous things, bright primary coloursshe can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that the friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407145096</amazonuk>0008582017
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=The RisingSimon Fox|authortitle=Tom MoorhouseDeadlock
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Strife and Kale are two young water voles who can sniff out trouble better than their careful sister Ivy Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, and to the fury of their protective motherthen suddenly rings Archie, Aven. They just can't help it. But Kale isn't telling Strife everything - demanding he has fetch something from a secret. When long-lost Uncle Sylvan arrives warning of danger place, and the siblings eavesdrop join him on the adults' conversationrun. They get together, Kale's secret but barely begin to smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is exposed. Even though she doesn't fully understand itarrested, Strife follows her brother into danger leaving Archie on the late express to avert Brighton, toting a bigger danger. The quest on which these two young water voles embark will test them tin his father was determined to their limits keep away from his colleagues, and they'll need all the help Uncle Sylvan and Fodur the rat can provide..bearer of a whole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192734822</amazonuk>1839944420
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Wolf Brother: Chronicles of Ancient DarknessCath Howe|authortitle=Michelle PaverMy Life on Fire
|rating=5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Living six thousand years agoRen's family home is destroyed in a fire. She, after the Ice Age but before the spread of agricultureher parents, Torak and his people understand the natural worldher little brother lose everything. They revere the animals they hunt and never waste an ounce She doesn't have any of prey. A deer provides them not only with food, but also with her clothes, water carriersor any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, shoesand now she is living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, ropeor do anything, or even needleseat the foods they normally eat. Torak When she goes back to school she discovers that the class are doing a special art project, creating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to them and his people also understand spiritualityshow who they are as a person. They see the sacred But Ren has nothing to put in the seasons a box, and the cycle of the moonso she finds herself starting to steal things. And Small things, things that people might not really miss, not when they believe in demonshave so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444015419</amazonuk>1839942835
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Lockwood and Co: The Whispering SkullRob Keeley|authortitle=Jonathan StroudThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories|rating=54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=No one knows why ghosts have begun rising in such overwhelming numbers, threatening Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a terrible death return to anyone they touch, and the fact that only children and young people can see them just makes everything that bit more mysterious. And it's no exaggeration short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to say that the members of the smallest and shabbiest psychic detection agency in Britain have their hands full in thiseleven new tales, their second adventure. Their recent successes have brought in plenty of work, but also jealousy: their rivals from the well-funded Fittes Agency are determined not only to make them fail, but each as fun to make them look read as stupid and incompetent as possible in the processhis previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0857532650</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Strong Winds Trilogy: The Salt-Stained BookLaura Noakes|authortitle=Julia Jones and Claudia MyattCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star|rating=54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Donny and his mother left their bungalow on Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the home she lives in is for the outskirts of Leeds and headed off girls to Suffolk just be named by the number they correspond to meet Donnyin the ledger, and they's great auntre all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. It was never going But Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be easy known about where she came from, as Skye, Donny's motherthe first ever inmate, was deaf and just about muteunique in having no known family in the outside world. She and Donny communicated by signing and usually they managed quite wellDuring a daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, but when Skye had she discovers a breakdown in plan involving said outside world – a car park in Colchester, their camper van was towed away and fourteen-year-old Donny was taken into caredevilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for his Institute. He couldn't understand But why none of the officials would believe him – in fact, were they all and what does that they seemedbody entail? And why will no one let him see his mothercould it possibly bring Cos closer to the past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>B00M3AE8TO</amazonuk>0008579059
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Princess Disgrace 2: Second Term at Tall TowersAlice M Ross|authortitle=Lou KuenzlerThe Nowhere Thief|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Princess Grace At last there is starting her second term at new stock in the prestigious Tall Towers academy impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and the class are preparing for the annual Ballet of the Flowersher mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. Each class member must select a native flower She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the island ability to leave this world, and perform a danceuse an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, representing where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the qualities buildings are generally empty of their chosen flowerhumans and ripe for plunder. The princesses select With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the most delicate and beautiful blooms, including water lilyshop? Well yes, poppy and crocus. But how on earth is Grace, the clumsiestanswer, scruffiest and most unladylike of all but the princesses, to choose fact a flower that reflects her personality?mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407136291</amazonuk>1839943769
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=The BoundlessNatasha Farrant|authortitle=Kenneth OppelThe Rescue of Ravenwood
|rating=5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=William EverettThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of 's father has risen high in 'Voyage of the railway. But it wasnSparrowhawk''t always thus. He spent many years working Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for Cornelius Van Horne most of their lives. They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as a manual labourerBea is there with her Uncle Leo, cutting and blasting through swathes of Canada Raffy is there with his mum, and laying tracksthey are living together as a family. When Will and his father witness They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the laying trees, completely at one with all of the last piece nature around the house and loving every inch of track, there's an avalanchethe place. And Will's father saves Van Horne's life. Promotion and success followed and But now Van Horne the house is deadunder threat, Willas Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it's father is general manager becoming more and the worldmore expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they're going to live, but if they's biggest train - the Boundlessll even be together, at 987 carriages long - and if Ravenwood itself will carry his body in perpetuitybe torn down. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1910200107</amazonuk>0571348785
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{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Cakes in SpaceRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|authortitle=Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyreSecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Meet Astra. SheJayden's nose is forever in a book, which means he knows a young girl who doesn't like lot about mythological creatures – the idea phoenixes and unicorns of being 209 years oldthe world, for example. WellAisha is addicted to her new tablet, who would? Technically where she will can see videos of anything that might be ageingout there. The problem, but not in realityas their mothers see it, for she is to spend two whole centuries asleep on a spaceship as her family travel that they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the massive distance to Nova Mundioutside world of Hackney, London. Given the chance to explore the ship But when a little before everyone is shut down for the journey she finds narrowboat turns up carrying a food replicator in the dining hallscience-minded, educational purpose, and helps herself to with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a sneaky chocolate biscuit suppermagical world they never knew existed. She then realises For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the machine could make her one Aisha thinks she's seen on a bit of local footage. The crew of the ultimate cakeboat, but is unsuccessful when including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the small food factory seems to break down, rare critters – and she is forced the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to be frozen join in her pod. UnfortunatelyDare they side with Leila, the woman on board, and her relative who lives as a figure in a painting, and become saviours of the machine itself is far from frozen…unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192734563</amazonuk>0241573483
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{{Frontpage
|isbn=B09XWSXSKY
|title=Maestro Orpheus and the World Clock
|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=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 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 all those old clocks don't appeal to him anymore.
''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is tell the time. 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 find grandad - but where was he? And why had all the clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?}}{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Daisy Saves the DayNigel Baines|authortitle=Shirley HughesA Tricky Kind of Magic
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=I don’t know anybody that didn’t grow up with some Shirley Hughes books in their livesCooper loves to perform magic tricks. His father was a magician, and for me it was always 'My Naughty Little Sister'named Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. I was very excited to receive this copy of her latest book, But sadly Cooper'Daisy Saves the Days father died suddenly, and now Cooper doesn'. It’s about a young girl, Daisy Dobbs, t quite know who is sent off to be scullery maid for a couple of sisters, the Misses Simms, far away from her home. It is difficult being away from her brothers and her Mum, and Daisy is not terribly good at housework. One day though, Daisy is put in a position where she has or how to save the day or else everything might be lost forever. Will she manage it? And when his dad's prop rabbit starts talking to him, he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406348996</amazonuk>1444960261
}}