Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
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|author=Adam Stower
|title=That's Not a Hippopotamus!
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|title=Murray and Bun
|rating=3.5
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|rating=4.5
 +
|genre=Confident Readers
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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 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…
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|isbn=0008561249
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn=1732898766
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=With the onset of TV, the internet and colourful books we take for granted that we know what different animals look likeA giraffe has a long neck, a lion has big teeth and a Dodo does not look like much anymoreHowever, imagine a time before all this technology, the closest you would get to an exotic animal might be the assorted stuffed creatures in a local Natural History Museum.  Perhaps the children of Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis' ''That's Not a Hippopotamus!'' learned from some poor taxidermy, as they sure don't know what a Hippo looks like.
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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 themHe'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>1927271967</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Alice Pattullo
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=An Animal ABC
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|rating=4.5
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= If you have ever tried to print a design using traditional methods such as screen printing or block printing, you will know how tricky a feat this isMaking a simple black and white design is tough enough as you try and spread the paint evenly and avoid bleeding, but multicolours are even more complexYou have to remove your screen and add another, then make sure the new colour sits exactly where it should.  When it goes wrong it looks amateurish and you have to start againDo it right and it can look as wonderful as ''An Animal ABC'' by Alice Pattullo.
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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 shorelineOn 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 sleepWhat else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1843653133</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Steve Antony
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|isbn=1913839656
|title= The Queen's Present
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|rating= 4.5
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|author=Lainey Dee
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=3.5
|summary= We join the story on Christmas Eve. The Queen hasn't finished her shopping yet, which is probably unlikely for a grandmother and great grandmother, but then I suppose most people in that position don't have a job ruling the country so she can be forgiven. She's shopping for the little prince and princess, but in a surprisingly unpatriotic moment she realises the UK just won't do, and she needs to venture further afield. If only there was someone with access to airborne transport who could whisk her away to the likes of France and Egypt and Italy and China at the drop of a hat (or the tug of a reign).
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444925636</amazonuk>
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juiceHe 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.
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{{newreview
 
|author=Michael Morpurgo (Editor)
 
|title= Greatest Animal Stories
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= We all know of Aesop and his animal fables: the hare and the tortoise, the boy who cried wolf or the ant and the grasshopperIn this stunning collection of animal stories, Michael Morpurgo has collated well-known and much-loved animal stories in a beautifully presented book.  In the introduction he writes that we often first meet animals in stories before we meet them in real life and this collection is selected from his favourite childhood animal tales.  Within his own stories, Morpurgo favours the inclusion of animals as the central character and these are all well received by children.  As a primary school teacher, I value the fact that such a well-known author has collected these valuable animal-centred stories which can be used not only to engage children with tales from different cultures but also in providing life lessonsEach is beautifully illustrated and individual in style to each story.  Prefacing each tale is a short paragraph giving information on the origin of the story and often a question or two to promote thought and discussion within the story.  The stories originate from across the globe: Iceland, Africa, China and North America to name a few.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192748629</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Felix Bernard, Richard Smith and Tim Hopgood
 
|title= Walking in a Winter Wonderland
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= It’s the end of October – almost November – and the embers of Christmas are just being brought back to life nowThe weather is changing, the leaves are falling and it’s dark before six o’clockNo matter how much we try not to, our thoughts are turning to Christmas.  Now, I absolutely love Christmas.  However, what I love more than Christmas is the idea of Christmas.  Walking in a Winter Wonderland paints the idea of Christmas better than anything else.  It is a Christmas card in words and although it may be 13 degrees on Christmas day with grey skies, in our hearts sleigh bells are ringing, snow is glistening, Mister snowmen are being built and we all conspire as we dream by the fire.  What a fantastic way to epitomise Christmas by using this great song, made famous by Peggy Lee and originally written in 1934, as a story book for children.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192743759</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=The Princess and the Christmas Rescue
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Christmas can be an awesome time surrounded by friends, but if you don't have many, it can also be a rather lonely time.  One way you could get more friends is to socialise a little and perhaps join a hobby group or twoWhat is unlikely to help is locking yourself up in a workshop and inventing things on your own all the timeThis is exactly how Princess Eliza spends her time, but what caused her to have a lacks in friends may help her when a Christmas crisis occurs.
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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 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 homeGradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind itMany 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>085763707X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Madeleine Cook and Samara Hardy
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|isbn=1529504767
|title= The Mouse that Cancelled Christmas
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating= 5
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= When you think there can't possibly be a different way to tell a Christmas story for children, along comes Madeleine Cook and Samara Hardy with a tale of a mouse who was once injured at Christmas time.  A falling bauble hit poor mouse and that was enough to convince mouse that Christmas meant danger.  Mouse dons his hard-hat and high-visibility jacket to inspect the animal's village Christmas preparations.  In true health and safety style, nothing is up to scratch: the star is too pointy; the tree too tall and the lights are too bright on the tree, not to even mention the spikiness of the pine needles.  Quite frankly, Christmas is jolly well too dangerous, so mouse wants it cancelled.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192744291</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alex T Smith
 
|title=Santa Claude
 
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=For Sharing  
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ah Claude!  He is such an endearing little dogHe's back on an adventure with Sir Bobblysock and this time it is a Christmas adventureThere are baubles and trees and carols and reindeer and, of course, there's trouble!  For who else but Claude would accidentally handcuff Santa to an armchair on Christmas Eve, and then need to deliver all the presents himself?
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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 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444926497</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Henning Lohlein
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=Ludwig the Space Dog
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|title=Squeakily Baby
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|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Before there was Neil Armstrong and before there was Yuri Gagarin, there was another explorer of Space – LaikaThis was no man however, but a dogLaika was one of the first animals to explore space; the less said about her fate the better, but surely her adventures would encourage other canines to explore the great beyond? Ludwig is one such Mutt and although we may not have a rocket ship to help him with his adventures, we do have a set of 3D glasses.
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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>178370389X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Mick Inkpen and Chloe Inkpen
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|isbn=140639131X
|title=Fred
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|rating=5
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|author=Briony May Smith
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's tricky being a puppyThere are so many things to try to understand, like sit, and stay, and fetch! Whilst the pup in this story has learned all of these tricky commands, and is doing very well at being a good boy, he is having some issues around the word 'Fred'...what on earth does everyone mean when they keep shouting it at him?
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|summary=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 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 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444929526</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Benji Davies
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|isbn=1776574338
|title= The Storm Whale in Winter
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|rating= 4.5
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4
|summary= The Storm Whale in Winter is a sequel to the highly popular The Storm WhaleNoi's father embarks on one last fishing trip before the Arctic Winter sets inAll alone, with his six cats, Noi patiently waits for his father's returnAs night sets and the sea begins to freeze, Noi starts to worry and believes he can see his Dad's boat from his bedroom window.  Full of courage, he sets off out in the snow to find his DadGetting lost in the blizzard, Noi is in need of help which comes in the form of his old friend.
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>147111998X</amazonuk>
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goesChildren 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 neckIt's perfect, isn't it?  What could be a more fun way of going to school?  There is a problem, thoughLeilong 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 upThe school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Mick Inkpen
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|isbn=1776574028
|title= Threadbear
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|rating= 5
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|author=David Elliott
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4
|summary= We have all had a special teddy, the teddy which is not perfect, the one that would never be classed as beautiful but the one that is loved more than any otherThreadbear is that very teddy.  The man who made him put so much stuffing in him that his arms and legs were too hardSadly, because of all the extra stuffing, the squeaker in his stomach has never squeaked. Not once. Ever. Threadbear feels he is letting his Ben down, so he embarks on a mission to fix his squeakerHe tries and tries but fails, until he decides that there is one special person he must meet and maybe this will be the only person who can fix his squeaker.
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444924052</amazonuk>
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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 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!
 
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Ross Montgomery and David Litchfield
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=The Building Boy
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|rating=4.5
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|author=Ed Boxall
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=This is the story of a boy and his Grandma. An award-wining architect, Grandma promises to build the boy a special house on a hill over the horizon, over a city and beyond the sea. But Grandma is getting old – too old to make houses. And, one day, she is gone. Without Grandma, the house is empty. It’s just rooms. But the boy has an idea – it requires a lot of work but the result is totally magical.
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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>0571314104</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
|author= Helen Peters and Ellie Snowdon
 
|title= A Piglet Called Truffle
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Living on a farm, with her father who works as a farmer and a mother who is a farm-vet, Jasmine has spent all her young life learning how to care for animals. On a visit to a neighbouring farm, Jasmine is excited to see the new baby piglets. Expecting to see eleven piglets, she is stunned to find one extra - a tiny little runt hiding in the cornerBeing smaller than her hand, the farmer has no sympathy and expects it to die by the end of the day.  Of course, Jasmine can't allow this to happen.  The story is then set for a struggle to save the smallest piglet, called Truffle.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857637738</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author= Julia Donaldson and Sebastien Braun
 
|title= Spinderella
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= From high above the classroom, Spinderella watches in fascination the classroom activities at Scuttleton Primary School.  She wants to be able to do two things: play football and count.  However, her family of spiders are only interested in flies, flies and flies. They also have no desire to learn how to count ''Down with numbers'' they all cry.  Unperturbed by their lack of enthusiasm, Spinderella goes in search of numbers and playing football.  Along the way she meets a familiar wish granting character (no spoilers here) and her journey begins.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140528272X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Lou Treleaven
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title= Letter to Pluto
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|rating= 5
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|author=Cordellya Smith
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4
|summary= Letter to Pluto is a story told through an inter-planetary pen-pal friendship.  Set in the year 2317, writing with a pen and sending letters has certainly become a dying art-form.  However, Jon’s teacher, Mrs Hall, decides it is important to keep the art of letter writing alive.  The only difference is that Jon’s pen-pal lives a long way away.  75 billion km to be precise.  On Pluto.  At first the idea of writing at all is bad enough, but when Jon finds out that his pen-pal is a girl he nearly quits the programme.  Encouraged by his teacher’s bribes of merit awards for his best writing, Jon soon learns that Pluto is not as boring, small and smelly as he first thought.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848862318</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rob Biddulph
 
|title=Odd Dog Out
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=As the title suggests this is the story about the 'Odd Dog Out'. All Odd Dog wants is to fit in and she, therefore, travels around the world to find a place where everyone is just like her. Everything seems perfect until she meets a dog who is behaving differently and realises that it might actually be a good thing to stand out from the crowd.
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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 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007594151</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Mo O'Hara and Ada Grey
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title=More People to Love Me
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|rating=4
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|rating= 4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary='More People to Love Me' is a story about a little girl with a huge family. She has a mummy and a step-mum, a daddy and a step-dad and four brothers and sisters. She also has lots of grandparents: in fact, she has so many grandparents she has to have a special name for some of them – like Grananna, who is her step-dad David's mum. Given the size of her family, it's not surprising that this little girl struggles to fit everyone on the family tree she draws at school. This upsets her a bit until she realises it's actually better to have a forest than a single tree.
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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>1509821295</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Katie Cotton and Sarah Jacoby
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title= The Road Home
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|rating= 3.5
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=3.5
|summary=The year is winding down, and nature is beginning to turn her thoughts again to winter.  As the leaves begin to change, and birds start to fly South, animals throughout the forest are preparing for this change in seasons.  This book follows their trials and tribulations as they all try to take the road that leads them home.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847808034</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton
 
|title= Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Spooky School
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= As a teacher and a parent, one of the main aims I have when it comes to reading is to promote a love of reading in all children.  This can of course in general be more challenging with boys.  Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton have created a wonderful book with two familiar characters at the centre.  Their previous tales of Shifty McGifty were shorter books around 35 pages told though rhyme.  However, their latest book, The Spooky School, at 124 pages, is perfect for the maturing primary school student (approximately 6-9 years of age).  If these children had experienced the earlier books, then there is a feeling that Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam have grown up with them.  Although this book will appeal to both boys and girls, boys will particularly enjoy these fun tales.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857637010</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Lari Don
 
|title= The Dragon's Hoard
 
|rating= 3.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= If you ask anyone to name a Viking story, legend or tale, my money would be on ''Beowulf''.  However, it is not clear whether this was an Anglo-Saxon or Viking tale.  Try further and search on Amazon for Viking sagas for children and you won't get very far.  Until now, that is.  Lari Don has written a collection of stories which bring tales from this historical era to life.  Most primary schools study Vikings as a topic, so it is surprising that there are so few quality stories around for this age group.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806813</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Kate Prendergast
 
|title=Dog on a Digger: The Tricky Incident
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I'm going to tell you a story about Dog, Man, Lady and the Pup.  They all work on an industrial site - in fact Dog and Man live there in a caravan and Man drives the sort of digger which is dreamed about by boys large and small. Lady and the Pup run the snack bar and one day as they're all having something to eat, the Pup goes missing. Man and Lady search everywhere but it's Dog's sharp ears which finally track him down - caught in a branch over a fast-flowing stream. And it's Dog who works out how to rescue him.  I needed 88 words to tell you that story, but Kate Prendergast does it without using  a single one - and she tells it in a far more engaging way than I could ever manage.
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|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.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910646148</amazonuk>
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}}
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{{newreview
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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!
|author=Sebastien Braun
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}}  
|title=Can You Say It Too? Brrr! Brrr!
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{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What most parents don't tell you is that they only have children for their own entertainment – the little tykes can be hilarious funny. One fun area is when a baby starts to learn words – DaDa, MaMa.  Soon they pick up seemingly random words – Light! Yallow! (I think that is meant to be hello). Once they start looking intently at your lips as you speak you can start to guide them to words that you want them to use. For example, what language skills would they require if they visited Antarctica?
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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>0857637177</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Dorothee de Monfreid
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=A Day With Dogs
+
|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|rating=4
+
|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I couldn't resist a book entitled ''A Day With Dogs'', not least because it's my idea of heaven, and I was intrigued by the subtitle ''What Do Dogs Do All Day?'' Well, when you open the book you'll get an answer to that question, although it certainly won't be the one that you're expecting: these dogs are in cars, on skis, in the kitchen, at the doctor and in lots more places. There's a hint to the style of the book in the dedication: ''for [[:Category:Richard Scarry|Richard Scarry]]''.
+
|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>1776570987</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Yu-hsuan Huang
+
|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=Sing Along With Me: We Wish You a Merry Christmas
+
|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
 +
|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I'm not normally a great fan of Christmas-themed books: after the day they're a bit old hat - for the adults if not for the children, but just occasionally something comes along that's so well done that an exception can be madeAs soon as I touched ''We Wish You a Merry Christmas'' I could feel the quality: it's a chunky board book with added extras. The fun starts on the cover: there's a slider (look for the red ring with the yellow arrows) which makes a penguin (I think!) and a fox appear and disappear from behind a Christmas treeAs the animals move you can see pictures of two more animals playing in the snow.
+
|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 Fred.  Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to himHe 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 walkAnd that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857636782</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|title=Lamellia: The Kingdom of Mushrooms
+
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Gloria D Gonsalves
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Lamellia is a kingdom of mushrooms lying deep within a forest. It is ruled by Polipoli, its big brown king. One day, a group from his mushroom army finds a human baby abandoned in the forest. The baby is hungry and crying. What will the mushrooms do? Will they reject the baby as a member of a hostile species? Or will they take care of it and accept it as one of their own? They choose the latter option, but how will a kingdom of mushrooms take care of a human baby? By working together, of course!
+
|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>1524634972</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Beatrix Potter and Quentin Blake
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots
+
|title=No, No, No!
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=At night a serious, well-behaved and (let's be honest) rather ''superior'' young black cat goes out hunting. Well, if we're being ''totally'' honest, there's a little bit of poaching in there too. By day she is Miss Catherine St Quintin, although her owner calls her Kitty. Other cats call her ''Q'', or ''Squintums'', but they are very common cats and Kitty's owner would have been scandalised had she known that there was an acquaintance.  The reaction would have been even stronger had she known that Miss Kitty went out in a gentleman's Norfolk jacket and fur-lined boots.  With a gun.
+
|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>0241247594</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''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.
 +
|isbn=1638820457
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Alison Donald and Alex Willmore
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=The New Libearian
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=For a job that often deals with words, Librarian is not an easy thing to spell.  I often drop one of the Rs and end up with Libarian and that just will not do. One simple spelling mistake can make a word take on a whole new meaning; what would possibly happen if you spelt it Libearian?  Is it a mistype, or does the person behind the Help Desk look a little hairy to you?  What big paws you have Libearian – all the better to stamp your books with.
+
|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>1848862237</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Jill Murphy
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=Meltdown!
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Before I say a word about this book, I want to offer a few words of reassurance. Firstly, we've all been there, cringing, trying to pretend that it's not your child.  Secondly, it doesn't mean that you're a bad parent - or, if you are, so is everybody else.  Finally there is nothing wrong with your child: they've just got a dose of the terrible twos (or threes) or the frightful foursIt will passHonestlyRight?  Are you ready to read on now? Good. Just take it steadily.
+
|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>1406327913</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 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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Bhakti Mathur
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=Amma, Tell Me About Diwali!
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
 +
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Klaka had celebrated Diwali and it had been great fun - a wonderful, beautiful day and tonight the city is lit up by thousands and thousands of lights. Amma and daddy had given many gifts to their boy and Klaka and his brother had lit the earthen oil lamps known as diyasThey didn't just eat and have a good time - they also offered their prayers for good fortune, prosperity and health to Ganesha, the God of new beginnings and to Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. But Klaka was curious:  ''Amma'' he said, ''tell me about Diwali''.
+
|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>9881502888</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Lou Treleaven and Maddie Frost
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=The Snowflake Mistake
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
 +
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Princess Ellie lives in an ice palace that floats high in the sky. Her mum is the Snow Queen and they have a very special machine that collects clouds and turns them into snowflakes. The machine works perfectly until the day that Princess Ellie is left in charge – the machine breaks and Ellie has to find another way of making snowflakes. Luckily her friends the birds are able to help.
+
|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>1848862180</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Oliver Jeffers
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title= An Alphabet
+
|title=The Invisible
|rating= 5
+
|author=Tom Percival
|genre= For Sharing
+
|rating=5
|summary= Some might say you only ever need one alphabet book in a home. Considering we have half a dozen (and, as it happens, no little ones in the house) I would counter this with a question: how many words are there in the world? Because when you only get one for each letter, you may find a simple book of 26 entries may not be enough.
+
|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008182515</amazonuk>
+
|summary=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:
}}
+
 
{{newreview
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|author= Judith Kerr
+
 
|title= Mog Time
+
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.
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=''Mog Time'' is a compendium of six stories about the beloved cat. It is a beautiful, heavy hard back book which means it is perfect for reading together. The pages are large so everyone can crowd round and have a look. It might be a little tricky for smaller hands to manage but that's not a problem as these are much better for reading aloud and enjoying together.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008183317</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{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

0008561249.jpg

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

1638820457.jpg

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

0995647895.jpg

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

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Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

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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

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