Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jorg Muhle
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|author=Adam Stower
|title=Tickle My Ears
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|title=Murray and Bun
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Little Rabbit is getting ready for bedIt's getting late, so can you help him?  He's going to need to get his pyjamas on, and his pillow needs fluffing, and he might need a little stroke on his back, or for his ears to have a tickleWhat a sleepy little rabbit he is!
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|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 twoBut 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 whiffsThis 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…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1776570766</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman
 
|title=Squish Squash Squeeze!
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Mouse moves into his new house, he thinks it's going to be perfect. But then he finds there's already quite a collection of animals he'll have to share with: he discovers a big brown bear behind the piano and a crocodile crammed in the bath. When a tiger comes whizzing down the bannister it becomes a bit of a squish, a squash and a squeeze. The animals don't know what to do until they hear a rumble under the floor – it looks like they're going to have an even bigger problem. Or are they?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691904</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Britta Teckentrup
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|isbn=1732898766
|title=One is Not a Pair
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|rating=4.5
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=I was the type of child that would sit indoors on a sunny day with their head in a puzzle book rather than getting anything important like Vitamin D.  I may be pasty white nowadays, but at least I know my way around a good spot-the-difference book when I see one.  And I spy with my little eye, one right here.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783704632</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=T S Eliot and Arthur Robins
 
|title=Macavity's Not There!: A Lift-the-Flap Book
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Looking back, one of the first games I've played with every baby I've encountered is the one where you hide behind your hands and then appear surprised when you drop them and see the babyIt never fails to get a smile.  (I know - it was probably wind...)  Macavity has perfected the game, because - wherever you look - he's not there.  Here at Bookbag Towers we loved [[Macavity,the Mystery Cat by T S Eliot and Arthur Robins|the full version]] of T S Eliot's poem, but what about the very youngest children - the ones who really love the idea of someone - or something - not being where you expect them to be?
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute.  Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them.  He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils.  (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.)  Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped.  They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571328636</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Lee Wildish
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=Treats for a T Rex
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|rating=3
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
|genre=For Sharing
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|rating=5
|summary=One hot summer our family got a new Labrador puppy and, seeing as I was at home most of the time revising for exams, it was decided that I would be the person to train said dog.  After a few months of hard training came a grown dog… that was the worst trained we ever had.  Laddy may have been an expert in play fighting and eating, but not much else.  With my spotted history in animal husbandry I am not equipped to train any animal and especially not a T Rex, but perhaps George is.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405273623</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sam Hay and Nick East
 
|title=Do Not Wash This Bear
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Dad is not very good at washing.  There are those of us who would shrug this off and feel happy that at least he gives it a go, but then I guess after a while shrunken T-shirts and dyed vests become a little tiresome! Anyway, one day dad decides that Bear has become a little bit stinky and needs to go in the wash, and although the child in the story shows dad the very clear label stating ''Do not wash this bear'' he decides to ignore the advice and throws him into the machineWashing Bear turns out to be a very big mistake, since some combination of the bubbles and the spin setting drastically alter poor Bear's personality, and when he comes out he is a very decidedly naughty and troublesome Bear!
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear.  As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice.  Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then anotherHe obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep.  What else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405277157</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Paul Brown and Rowena Blyth
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|isbn=1913839656
|title=The Mood Hoover
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
 +
|author=Lainey Dee
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=No one could ever have confused Stan with a sunbeam.  He was mischievous (well, personally, I'd have said 'unpleasant') and he had a secret: an invention, in factHe'd created a machine which could suck up anything which was happy or fun and it was called 'the mood hoover'His sister's bedroom was the first place he put the machine through its paces and within a matter of moments all the girly niceness had been replaced by dull, grey ordinarinessIt didn't just work in confined spaces either: the couple admiring a rainbow were surprised to find the vivid colours turned to dullness.  You don't want to know what he got up to in the zoo...
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice.  He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmotherShe had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friendsAt home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could beGrandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910851132</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=I Love My Daddy
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
 +
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Father's Day is a great time to really pump up your Dad's egoIf he is anything like me he already thinks he is a bit of an Adonis; seeing that paunch in the mirror more as relaxed muscle than the beer gut that it isTo be honest, as a Pop, I am pretty much content with a pint, a book or a football game, but if a child does insist on getting their elder a gift, a nice book about the parent/child relationship may just warm the coldest of cockles.
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past.  Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficultOne day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at homeGradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it.  Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691785</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Ed Vere
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Max and Bird
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ed Vere has a unique style of artwork for his picture booksThe colours are vibrant, the characters are distinctive, the style is a little bit scrappy, in a very charming wayWe are big fans in our house so we sat down eagerly to read the latest offeringHere we have Max, a sweet black cat with enormous eyes who meets and befriends a birdWell, initially his plan is that they play chase and then Max will eat up Bird for a tasty snack but Bird has another idea…
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destinationShe needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her.  She even had her own room - all to herselfGradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her lifeShe'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas treeThe best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241240190</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Morag Hood
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|rating=3.5
+
|author=Beth Webb
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Sometimes people don’t quite fit inPerhaps they are much taller than you, or perhaps they aren’t round enough to rollDoes this mean, then, that if someone is so different you can’t be their friend? When it comes to Colin and Lee, they are about as different as you can get, since one is small and round and green and a pea and the other is, well, a carrot! But does that get in the way of their friendship?
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily babyHe's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and ''wails''The sea offers to help. It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''.  Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly.  The mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...''  And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes. Then a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509808949</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Paul Bright and Chris Chatterton
+
|isbn=140639131X
|title=There's a Bison Bouncing on the Bed
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
 +
|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Becoming a parent gives you many new insights into life; the pleasure in seeing a child smile or the amazement as they start to utter wordsHowever, the one thing that you really begin to understand is – how much stuff costsClothes, food, transport, toys, even furnitureIt all costs money and you now have a tiny wrecking ball running around the house seemingly doing their best to destroy them allIt may seem like harmless fun to jump on the bed, but who pays for it when it breaks?  The bison?  I don't think so.
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|summary=Philippa Pheasant was ''tired'' of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak RoadShe wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a replyPhilippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herselfHer uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obviousAll the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848692358</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Alex T Smith
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=Claude All at Sea
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|rating=5
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Claude is a small dog who likes wearing a beret and a lovely red jumper. He lives with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes and his best friend is a stripy sock called Sir Bobblysock.  
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes.  Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck.  It's perfect, isn't it?  What could be a more fun way of going to school?  There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up.  The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444903675</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Rachel Bright
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=Amazing Daddy
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|rating=4.5
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|author=David Elliott
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Daddy Panda and Baby Panda are spending the day together, and Baby Panda is thinking about all the different reasons why his daddy is brilliantThese range from how he smells safe and warm to the extra large breakfasts that daddy makes! There are lots of common, everyday situations, so little ones will enjoy making comparisons with their own lives, and discussing what makes their daddy amazing.
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|summary=I love a good board book!  ''Bumblebee Grumblebee'' is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can ''play'' with words and make something quite different from each oneWe have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a ''balletphant''. The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a ''fluffalo''.  The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a ''crynoceros'' (think about it!)  The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a ''sm.......''  OK, let's not go there  Some people are eating!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408331675</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Nadia Shireen
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=The Bumblebear
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|rating=5
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|author=Ed Boxall
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ever a sucker for a book about a bear, this one has fast become a favourite for me.  Norman is an ordinary kind of bear, small and cuddly and a big fan of honey.  He is such a big fan, in fact, that he comes up with a cunning plan in order to make his honey hunting much easier. He decides to dress up as a bee (a giant bee, from Giant Bee Land, obviously) and join Bee School where he has the most marvellous time learning about things like buzzing and finding smelly flowersHowever, although most of the bees are convinced of his bee-ness, there is one rather clever little bee who grows increasingly suspicious of poor Norman…
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|summary=It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much funA young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1780080158</amazonuk>
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 +
''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Catherine Rayner
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=Augustus and His Smile
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|rating=4.5
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|author=Cordellya Smith
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Trying to find a tiger's smile is no easy featThe chances are that it will be on the end of their face and this is a face full off teeth, attached to a powerful cat with clawsPersonally, I would leave finding a tiger's smile to someone far more trained that I, or the animal themselvesThankfully, Augustus is a practical chap and he sets out to discover what exactly did happen to his smile.
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given gifts.  Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burnOwl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animals.  He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with TurtleYou might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seemI'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848692323</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jeanne Willis and Leonie Lord
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title=Lottie Potter Wants an Otter
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|rating=3
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|rating= 4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Purchasing a new pet is a complex enough business without trying to use alliteration, so reading a book about pet purchases and tongue twisters can get tricky. The adult can end up tripping over their own words when reading out loud to their child. The kid may find this funny, but does it make for a pleasurable read?
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|summary= Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007501331</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Claire Phillip
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title=Convertible Submarine
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
 +
|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 +
|rating=3.5
 +
|genre=For Sharing
 +
|summary=''For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.''
 +
 
 +
 
 +
And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that ''she'' can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it!
 +
}}
 +
{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=They told me life would be easy reviewing books; grab it, read it, review it. What they did not say that I would have to do is also play with it, build it and sit in it! There is a thin line between an interactive book and a toy.  When this thin line involves a book that you can convert into a play mat and also a submarine, it is hard to understand what it is at all.  Welcome to the world of the ''Convertible Submarine''.
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|summary= Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her ''Everybody Potties!'' series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: ''Everybody Toots''!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782099980</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Meg McLaren
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=Life is Magic
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|rating=5
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It is not often that you pick up a book and feel the warmth and magic come of it. It is extremely rare in adult fiction, but in children's books you find it more often if you only look.  Great illustrations and wonderful stories can combine to make a book that will entrance both a youngster and adult as they read togetherWhen you find one of these books you should treasure it as it is something that may be read to your grandchildren in the future.
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|summary= ''Who Needs Nappies? Not Me!'' is the latest release in the ''Everybody Potties!'' series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you.  .
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783443383</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Chae Strathie and Nicola O'Byrne
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title= Gorilla Loves Vanilla
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|rating= 5
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|author=Peter Cotton
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= One day, I imagine it's probably a sunny Saturday, all the animals are heading to Sam's Sundaes for special treats. A bit like the wonder that is ''Marble Slab'' (google it), Sam can create any flavour you desire. Blue cheese flavour for Mouse? Easy. Worm flavour for Chicken? Ick…but not problem. Mud flavour for Hippo, fish finger flavour for Cat, time and again Sam gets it right. But then Gorilla arrives and all the animals strain to hear what this big beast will request…
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407148109</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Judith Kerr
 
|title= Mog and Me and other Stories
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=''Mog and Me'' is a set of 4 stories in one board book. They are ''very'' short stories which make them a great introduction to Mog for those whose attention span is only for a few minutes before the temptation to chew on the book become overwhelming. This book, then, is perfect. Great sturdy design with pages so stiff even an older child would have to try hard to destroy. Glossy sheet that can withstand a bit of dribbling. And bright, bold illustrations that are not too complicated for tiny eyes.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008171173</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Matt Robertson
 
|title=Super Stan
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Stan is no ordinary little brother, oh no, because Stan can run faster and throw further and jump higher than his big brother JackStan can also fly, of course! Poor Jack finds that even when he is helpful and kind, his little superhero brother can go one better, so when Jack finds someone's wallet on the floor and returns it, Stan captures a burglar in his car & carries the car to the police! So when it is Jack's birthday he is hopeful that perhaps for just one day, he will be the special one in the family, and Stan won't do anything to spoil his fun.
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|summary=Meet Fred.  Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly.  But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about FredFred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408337282</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Julie Fulton and Elina Ellis
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Bossy Jonathan Fossy (The Ever So Series)
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Jonathan Fossy was ever so bossy, demanding that his Mum bring him chocolate and gum and then paint his bedroom bright blue. He made demands of everyone, including the neighbours (a ten feet wide boat with a cabin for him) and you might wonder why ''anyone'' put up with it. (I had in mind a sharp slap across the back of a couple of bare legs, but that's probably illegal, albeit effective, these days.)  Finally PC Moran hatched a dastardly plan: I'm not going to tell you what it was, but suffice it to say that he got his comeuppance in a most effective way and was a decidedly more pleasant young man thereafter.
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|summary= Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848861869</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
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|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title= Lucinda Belinda Melinda McCool
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|title=No, No, No!
|rating= 5
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|rating=4
|genre= For Sharing
+
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Lucinda Belinda is extremely beautiful and she feels it's her duty to bring beauty to the world. And if this means telling others to sort out their eyebrows, lose their big behinds, file their nails or just up their grooming generally then so be it.
+
|summary=They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783442026</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
{{newreview
+
 
|author= Michelle Robinson
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|title= Goodnight Spaceman
+
 
|rating= 3.5
+
That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside.
|genre= For Sharing
+
|isbn=1638820457
|summary='Goodnight Spaceman' is a warm and tender look at space exploration told through the eyes of two young boys who have an astronaut for a Dad. On the upside, this seems to mean that you get to keep moon rock in your bedroom. On the downside, space is too far to reach out for a hug. So, the boys blast off to see Dad's workplace before bed time. Not only is this topical when the International Space Station currently orbits with a British astronaut on board, there is an introductory letter from the great man himself, Tim Peake. Sounds like a winning formula when for so many tots space is the favourite frontier. I was eager to read this with my three year old.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141365625</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Lizzy Stewart
+
|isbn=194812467X
|title= There's a Tiger in the Garden
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|rating= 4.5
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=Though it's said that you should never judge a book by a cover, the front of 'There's a Tiger in the Garden' gives cause to linger. Here is a taste of the splendid illustrations to come – verdant foliage, bright dragonflies, and, of course, a bright orange tiger. Should you not be convinced to pick it up by the visuals alone, the gorgeous embossing adds a further dimension. Lovely pop-out richness you can feel. What a great start.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847808069</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Dr Seuss
 
|title=Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Going back and revisiting characters once an author has died is not always the best idea, too often the result smacks of a cash in that does not have any of the charm of the original. However, revisiting lesser works by the author is a different thing.  If a fan has all the writer's books, but never managed to get their hands on their obscure short stories or tales written for magazines, a new collection may just work. Even for as eccentric an author as Dr Seuss.
+
|summary=Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008131279</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=Supertato Veggies Assemble
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating= 5
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|genre= For Sharing
+
|rating=3.5
|summary= In the fight of good versus evil many superheroes stand out. Batman. Spiderman. And now, straight from the aisles of the supermarket, we have Supertato.  He's a cape wearing, belt toting spud. Variety unknown. What I do know is that he's a huge hit in my toddler's nursery class and he's back for another battle against his arch enemy the evil pea.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471121003</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Will Mabbitt and Fred Blunt
 
|title=This Is Not A Bedtime Story
 
|rating=3
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Anyone who has read the same story over and over again to their child will have felt the crushing feeling of mundanityIt's very tempting to hide that bland, but popular, book and explain to your child that it must be lostThe adult may feel like this, but once a child gets a little older, they too may feel the sameWhy not interject a little more action into a tired story and make it anew?
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing.  She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>014135738X</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
 +
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''To the Maritime Museum''.
 +
 +
Her imagination was firedShe'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularlyOne day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shoutWhen she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Timothy Knapman and Laura Hughes
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=Goodnight Tiger
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
 +
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It was the middle of the night, but Emily could ''not'' sleep for the noise. There was bellowing and stomping and growling and trumpeting.  Brave girl that she was, she got out of bed and looked out of the window, thinking that the animals had escaped from the zoo, but the street was emptyThen she checked all the usual hiding places as well as her toy box - and suddenly realised that the noises were coming from the animals in her wallpaper. Emily's not just brave - she's resourceful too and she set about settling the jungle down for the night.  And one solution turns out to work just perfectly.
+
|summary=One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. ''OH HELP ME PLEASE'' he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691866</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title= Elephant's Pyjamas
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|rating= 4
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
|genre= For Sharing
+
|rating=4
|summary= I've read a lot of stories recently about animals who don't have many friends, at least at the beginning of their tale. For this age group it's pretty much a given that by the last page they'll have lots of lovely companions with whom to spend their days. Elephant is not one of those unlucky souls, though. He has TONS of friends and he's just been invited to a party with all of them. Lucky thing.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007580037</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Fabi Santiago
 
|title= Tiger in a Tutu
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=Everyone should have the chance to dance, non? Especially in such a wonderful city as Paris, bursting as it is with artists and appreciators of the arts. It is with a sad heart, then, that I must tell you about Max. Every day, he goes to ballet school, and every day he is turned away. Not only is he lacking the requisite attire, but he's a boy, and a tiger. And apparently that is not allowed.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140833688X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alex T Smith
 
|title=Claude Going for Gold!
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I've been a fan of Claude from the beginningHe charmed me from the start, with his plump tummy, little legs, red jumper and rather fetching beret. I can't help but love a dog who wears a beret!  He also has a charming best friend, Sir Bobblysock, (who is indeed a woolly sock) who always makes me laugh. In this particular book they are off on another hunt for an adventure, and although it seems for a while that there is simply no fun to be had outside of the house they finally fall, literally, into a Very Exciting Sports Competition!
+
|summary=Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down ''again''. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444926489</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Helen Docherty and Mark Beech
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=Do You Remember?
+
|title=The Invisible
 +
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We have various picture books in our house that have a tendency to leave me a little blurry eyed, whilst my children remain entirely nonplussed!  Aimed at sparking some parental emotion, the stories behind them are often a little lacking. This book, however, works for both children and grown ups, in a really lovely wayBeginning with a small child's cry of ''I can't do it!'' the mum in the story reminisces about all the many different (and funny) things that her child has learned to do over the years, encouraging her that she has always got there in the end.
+
|summary=This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big differenceIsobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571321143</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
 +
 
 +
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy.  Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city.  This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{Frontpage
 +
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
 +
|title=One Night in Beartown
 +
|rating=4
 +
|genre=For Sharing
 +
|summary= Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper!
 +
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
 +
}} 
 +
 +
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]

Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023

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Review of

Murray and Bun by Adam Stower

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

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… Full Review

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Review of

The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon by Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)

4star.jpg For Sharing

When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute. Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils. (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped. They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny. Full Review

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Review of

On the Beach: The Winter Visitor by Chris Green and Jenny Fionda

5star.jpg For Sharing

Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear. As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice. Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another. He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do? Full Review

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Review of

Let's Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice. He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother. She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends. At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be. Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different. Full Review

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Review of

The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

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Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult. One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it. Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it. Full Review

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Review of

The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

5star.jpg For Sharing

Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination. She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her. She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning. Full Review

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby. He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and wails. The sea offers to help. It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing hush, hush. Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly. The mermaids join in - la lou, la lay... And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes. Then a seagull shouts and we know exactly what's going to happen next. Full Review

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Philippa Pheasant was tired of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road. She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself. Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight. Full Review

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Review of

Leilong's Too Long! by Julia Liu and Bei Lynn

4star.jpg For Sharing

Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes. Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck. It's perfect, isn't it? What could be a more fun way of going to school? There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up. The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore. Full Review

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Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

4star.jpg For Sharing

I love a good board book! Bumblebee Grumblebee is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can play with words and make something quite different from each one. We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a balletphant. The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a fluffalo. The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a crynoceros (think about it!) The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a sm....... OK, let's not go there Some people are eating! Full Review

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Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

4star.jpg For Sharing

It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much fun. A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:

It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand. Full Review

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Review of

Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare by Cordellya Smith

4star.jpg For Sharing

When the world was made, the animals were given gifts. Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector. Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn. Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present and the future. Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well. He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle. You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see. Things are not always as they seem. I'll tell you how it came about. Full Review

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Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

4star.jpg For Sharing

Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily. Full Review

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Review of

You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!) by Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.


And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that she can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it! Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

4star.jpg For Sharing

Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her Everybody Potties! series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: Everybody Toots! Full Review

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Review of

Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Seema Amjad

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! is the latest release in the Everybody Potties! series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you. . Full Review

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Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Meet Fred. Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started. Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes. Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

4star.jpg For Sharing

Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky? Full Review

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Review of

No, No, No! by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

4star.jpg For Sharing

They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.

No, No, No! is based around the simplest text imaginable.

No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.

That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside. Full Review

194812467X.jpg

Review of

The Farm Shop by Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic

4star.jpg For Sharing

Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.

What will they buy? Full Review

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Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing. She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.

Her class had gone one rainy afternoon
When all the houses cowered in the gloom,
To the Maritime Museum.

Her imagination was fired. She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularly. One day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout. When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure. Full Review

1782227741.jpg

Review of

Little Gold Ted by Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha

4star.jpg For Sharing

One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. OH HELP ME PLEASE he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth. Full Review

B08R7LXQ9S.jpg

Review of

Remy: A book about believing in yourself by Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal

4star.jpg For Sharing

Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down again. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened. Full Review

1471191303.jpg

Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

5star.jpg For Sharing

This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big difference. Isobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:

Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.

The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible. Full Review

B08NFH7H9X.jpg

Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

4star.jpg For Sharing

Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper! Full Review

Move on to Newest General Fiction Reviews