Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[image:lumplump.jpg|center|link=https://books.google.com/books?id=dDc9DQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=lump+lump+and+the+blanket+of+dreams&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiz47visd3QAhVT_WMKHQ8CA8UQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=lump%20lump%20and%20the%20blanket%20of%20dreams&f=false]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
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{{Frontpage
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->
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|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
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|title=Murray and Bun
|author=Rod Campbell
 
|title=Fluffy Chick
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Books enable us to travel places that we can only dream of; we can walk on the moon, or sink to the deepest depths of the ocean.  However, not all books have to be spectacular to be great; simple pleasures can also be good.  Taking a child to a petting zoo is one of the most fun outings a family can do, but what happens when you are having an indoor day?  Pick up ''Fluffy Chick'' and bring the simple joy of the petting zoo to you.
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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…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509834354</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Vivian French and Nigel Baines
 
|title= The Covers of My Book Are Too Far Apart (and other grumbles)
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=''I'm too old for bedtime stories'', ''That's a girl's book!'', '' I hate this book but I've got to finish it'', ''I can't find a book that I like.'' You've probably heard at least one of the grumbles in this book before but have you known how to respond to it? This brilliant picture book will do it for you and is a joyful celebration of all that's wonderful about books and reading. 
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178112602X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Morag Hood
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|isbn=1732898766
|title=When Grandad was a Penguin
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
 +
|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When a little girl goes to stay with her Grandad, she is worried that all is not well.  Grandad doesn't seem quite the same, somehow, and he is talking about fish a lot, none of his clothes fit, and he is spending a lot more time in the bathroomThankfully, one day the zoo phones up, having discovered a bit of a problem there that might explain what is going on with Grandad!
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine ReputeTheir 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 escapedThey 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>1509814019</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Lane Smith
 
|title=A Perfect Day
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's a lovely sunny day, and looks as if it may just turn out to be a perfect day, since there is a sunny spot for cat in the flowers, and a paddling pool for dog to cool off in, and bird food in the bird feeder, and a corn cob for squirrelBut, what's this? Here comes bear, lumbering into the garden to eat the corn cob, splash in the water and squash all the flowers!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509840559</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb
 
|title=The Everywhere Bear
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The Everywhere Bear is an important member of Class One.  He enjoys a wide range of activities with the children in his class, such as bus rides and burgers, football and musicOne day, when it's the new boy, Matt's, turn to bring the Everywhere Bear back to school Matt sees a cat on the way to school, and he bends over to give it a cuddle.  Poor old Bear falls out of Matt's bag and into a puddle. This is the start of the Bear's most exciting (and terrifying!) adventure yet!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447280733</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=William Bee
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=William Bee's Wonderful World of Trucks
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
 +
|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Children will be who they are, no matter how you try to change them, they know what they likeYou may want to steer one child away from a world of pink and the other from a world of blue, but turn your back for a moment and there they are; one playing with a doll, the other a trainThere is nothing wrong with a girl liking traditional girl things and a boy liking traditional boy things, as long as they are given the opportunity to pick what they wantSome books you would assume are for one or the other, but actually transcend; these books are simply cool in their own right.
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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>1843653257</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox
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|isbn=1913839656
|title=Monkey's Sandwich
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|rating=4.5
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|author=Lainey Dee
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Monkeys have been given the reputation of being cheeky, but do you also see them as petty thieves?  How can these cheerful chimps be seen as anything other than cute, but mischievous little monkeys?  Anyone who has driven through Knowsley Safari Park knows the truthA perfectly good car drives in the monkey enclosure only to be bereft of wing mirrors, hubcaps and windscreen wipers at the endRumour has it that the monkeys sell these parts wholesale at a lockup in South KirbyThe monkey in this tale may not be stealing car parts, but he is a little light fingered when it comes to making the ultimate lunch.
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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 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 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>0007580010</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Paul Stickland
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=Ten Terrible Dinosaurs
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating=3
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Some things are easier to count than others.  How many pens are there on the desk is simple enough.  A little trickier is the number of cars on the road, but stand back and you can see them.  The fact is that the bigger something is, the further you will need to be from it to count more than one.  What would happen though if you were counting something that was not only big, but moving and also prone to eating you?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509835520</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Nina Laden
 
|title=The Night I Followed the Dog
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's a Boy (who doesn't have a name) and a Dog (likewise) and in the beginning you get the feeling that the Boy would prefer to have next door's Dog who wins prizes in obedience classes and does clever things with the television remote controlThat is until one morning when Boy opens the door a little earlier than usual and spots Dog getting out of a limousineIn a tuxedo.  The he disappears into the back gardenBoy's shocked but a few minutes later he goes to the back door and whistles for Dog, who comes dashing in, anxious to eat.  At first Boy can't ''quite'' believe what he ''thinks'' he saw, so he determines to follow Dog the next night.
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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 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>1452161348</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Ted Dewan
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Something for Mummy (Bing)
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating=3.5
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Having a child gives you a glimpse into a world that you never knew even existedUnfortunately, this not a winter wonderland hidden in a wardrobe, but a world of children's TV characters.  The mainstays of the genre have still survived; Sooty, Noddy and Postman Pat, but who is RaRa or Mr Tumble? One popular show that takes some getting used to is Bing, a series all about a rabbit that seems to have a stuffed animal as a carerThere are seemingly no parents in the show as if the town is one giant crèche, so how come Bing and his helper Flop are making a gift for Mummy?
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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 herself.  Gradually 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 tree.  The best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008212015</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Aino-Maija Metsola
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=My First Animals
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|title=Squeakily Baby
 +
|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Get used to two simple words if you have a child, ''What's That?'' You will hear it over and over and over againIf you are lucky they are pointing at something that you actually know – chair, hat, my sense of regretSometimes they will point at something that is not too familiarHere the parental practise of making something up comes into play – it's a bird type thingBooks that show images of items, colours or animals may seem a little dull to an adult, but to a toddler learning about the world they are a who's who of what's that.
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|summary=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 helpIt rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectlyThe 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>1847809677</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Quentin Blake
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|isbn=140639131X
|title= The Story of the Dancing Frog
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|rating= 4.5
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|author=Briony May Smith
|genre= Dyslexia Friendly
 
|summary= When Jo's Great Aunt Gertrude's sea captain husband is drowned at sea she is grief-stricken and, in despair, she goes for a walk alone. During this walk she notices a small frog on a lily-pad.  But he is no ordinary frog - he's a dancing frog and the two quickly become good friends. Soon the duo are touring the world with their routine, spreading joy and fun - and carrying out the occasional rescue - wherever they go.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781125910</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jonny Lambert
 
|title=Tiger Tiger
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Until you spend a day hanging out with a child you will never know how exhausting it can beAs an adult you are used to peppering your day with little downtime treats; a cup of tea perhaps, a biscuits, or maybe even a cheeky nap? The kids I know have no end of energy and at best you will get a sip of cold coffee, have to give them most of the biscuit and a nap would consist of them jumping on your headHowever, although their enthusiasm and zest may be tiring, it is also infectious, just ask any old tiger you meet.
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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 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 obviousAll the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184869444X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=DK
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=Baby Dinosaurs (Follow the Trail)
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
 +
|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary= If you ever have the misfortune to stumble across some as yet undiscovered dinosaur I offer this piece of advice; don't take your finger and track their spine, don't put it in their mouth and don't go following them to their parent. Instead, runRun faster than you have ever run before in the opposite direction.  The unfortunate thing is that anyone with a toddler knows, they love to grab and poke anything including terrible lizards if they got the chance. Better play safe than sorry and just get them a book that allows them to get their dinosaur touching thrills vicariously.   
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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, 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241273129</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jana Novotny Hunter and Paula Bowles
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=My Tail's Not Tired!
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
 +
|author=David Elliott
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Little Monster is supposed to be going to bed, but how can he, when his knees are still bouncy and his arms still need to fly and his bottom has lots of jiggling and wiggling left to do?As Big Monster groans and sighs, Little Monster's energy seems to have no end. But will Little Monster finally wear himself out and end up in bed?
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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!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846439868</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Silvia Borando
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=The Hamster Book
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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=Look!  You finally have your very own pet, a sweet little hamster. You can give her a name, smooth down her fur, watch her do tricks and give her some foodIt’s not all fun and games with your new hamster however!  Of course, every responsible pet owner knows that they need to clean up after their pet, if there are any little accidents...
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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>1406367729</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=Meg McLaren
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=Pigeon P.I.
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|rating=3
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|author=Cordellya Smith
|genre=Emerging Readers
 
|summary=The world of birds is in a flap.  They're being nabbed – plucked from the air (or at least from their cages).  Murray MacMurray, the brilliant pigeon private eye, doesn't want anything to do with crime now his old partner has flown the roost, but an eager and bright young thing might just about persuade him to take up the case.  But both will have to be plucky to survive the dangers it leads to…
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783444835</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Eric Veille
 
|title=My Pictures after the Storm
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= One of the staples of baby books are those that look at oppositesThis elephant is big, whilst this mouse is smallThey help children to understand the world around them, but can also be a little dullWhat about a more interesting book about cause and effect that looks at what happens before and after an eventYou could start off gently by seeing what happens to items after a storm, but if you are Eric Veillé you can soon spiral into a madcap world of elephant stampedes and babies being born.
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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 futureRabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately,  not the ability to use it wellHe 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 seeThings are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1776571045</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Kristyna Litten
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title=Norton and Alpha
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|rating=4.5
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|rating= 4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We are used to the world around us and every day take amazing things for granted; a sunset, or that cold bite in the air that makes you want to go and walk the dog. To a robot, our world would look pretty strange as everything would be new. What would you think the first time that you happened upon a flower?
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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>1471145778</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Rebecca Elliott
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title=Dalmation on a Digger
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|rating=4
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What's all that noise just outside the bedroom window?
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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.''
  
''DUGGER DUGGER DIGGER''
 
  
It woke our young pup up!
+
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!
 
+
}}  
''DUGGER DUGGER DIGGER''
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{{Frontpage
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782025960</amazonuk>
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
}}
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
{{newreview
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|rating=4
|author=Jorg Muhle
 
|title=Bathtime for Little Rabbit
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bathing a child normally goes one of two ways; they love it, or they hate it. Very rarely will you find a child that sits in the bath with a nonplussed expression on their face, suffering the ridicules of hygiene with an air of indifferent sanguine. You are much more likely to have a child that splashes water everywhere in the hopes of finding that one gap in the grouting, or a child that will arch their entire body in the hope that doing so will prevent them touching anything wet.  A book that teaches a toddler how bathtime is meant to be may just help your nightly routine, but also greatly entertain everyone.
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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>1776571371</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Duncan Beedie
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=The Lumberjack's Beard
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Jim Hickory is a Lumberjack of routine.  Every morning, after he gets up, he does his limbering up exercises (very important for a lumberjack!), then he eats his breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup, before finally getting his trusty axe and heading out into the forest. One day, however, this routine becomes interrupted when he hears someone peck-pecking at his door, only to discover it's a small owl who has been made homeless by Jim's tree fellingJim allows the owl to set up home in his big bushy beard, without realising just quite what he is letting himself in for…
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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>1783706880</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Michael Rosen and Tony Ross
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=Barking for Bagels
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|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=''Barking for Bagels'' is the story of Schnipp the dog, who loves her owners very much, though she does find their snickering a little annoying from time to timeOne day, whilst out for a walk in the park, she starts to run away, and she finds that once she starts running she can't stop, and she runs and she runs until she finds Bessie the Bagel lady and thus discovers her new favourite food, and her new home.
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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 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 walk.  And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178344505X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Steve Antony
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Thank You, Mr Panda
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mr Panda is back!  And this time, rather than his box of doughnuts, he has a large pile of presents for all of his friends. Accompanied by his friend, the ring-tailed Lima, he goes around giving out the presents, whilst Lima helpfully reminds everyone on the receiving end that ''it's the thought that counts'' since it turns out that Mr Panda is perhaps not the best judge of gift giving!
+
|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>144492785X</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Greg Gormley and Steven Lenton
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Fairytale Frankie and the Mermaid Escapade
+
|title=No, No, No!
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you think about it enough it is amazing how many characters in fairytales are thick. How long would it take you to figure out that was not your Nan, but a wolf?  Or, how many people would decide to start eating a house that appears to be made out of gingerbread, but is overseen by what looks like a crazy lady?  Nope, the only reason that fairytale characters make it half the time is because a sensible and brave character saves the day; an intelligent brick laying pig, or a feisty woodsman.  Your average story dweller needs a guardian angel and this may just come in the form of Fairytale Frankie.
+
|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>1408333872</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
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Sophy Henn
+
|isbn=194812467X
|title=Edie
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|rating=5
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Edie is a gorgeous little girl and with the sort of nature which we all hope that our children will have in abundance. She's just so ''helpful''. For instance, she's gets up extra early herself just so that she can make certain that everybody else in the house gets up in good time. The cymbals work well on her brother, but if not, dragging him out of bed usually achieves the desired result. As for her parents, playing her guitar and serenading them usually does the trick. She's an independent young lady and likes to dress herself.  It's not ''exactly'' school uniform and her mother might well be wondering where some of her clothes have got to - but what's a girl to do?
+
|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>0141365005</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Roger Hargreaves
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title= My Mummy
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating= 5
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|genre= For Sharing
+
|rating=3.5
|summary= In ''My Mummy'' we learn of all the ways Mummy is wonderful. And, funnily enough, her positive attributes are quite a lot like those singular, nominal traits beheld by certain Little Misses. For example, she is happy like Little Miss Sunshine, she is curious about things like, erm, Little Miss Curious, and she enjoys her cake, just like Little Miss Greedy. Ooops.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405285508</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Wendy Meddour and Rebecca Ashdown
 
|title=The Glump and the Peeble
 
|rating=3
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When does someone learn who they truly are?  As a baby, you don't know what your feet are, so any sense of true self-discovery is going to at least wait until you are out of nappiesAs a child you start to see the world, but most of us only see our part in it.  Enter your teenage years and twenties and you start to understand what role you play in life, but do you really know yourself?  If you are lucky, very lucky, you may start to figure stuff out in your thirties and know who you are and what you want to do. Things may have happened a little quicker if you had read more books as a child all about being whomever you want to be.
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doingShe lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807100</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=George Szirtes and Tim Archbold
 
|title=How to be a Tiger
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Children's Rhymes and Verse
 
|summary=''Wet again, yet again!  Down it drips, little fingertips, tapping and snapping as if the rain were cross.''<br>
 
''See the branches toss?  See the puddles grow?  Has it stopped raining?
 
NO.''
 
  
Yes, sometimes only a quote will doAfter all, we do come to poetry for snappy concision, and that's what we get here…
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910959200</amazonuk>
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''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 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=Ellie Sandall
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=Everybunny Dance
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Children's book have a long history of the lion lying down with the lamb when most adults understand that the only thing that the lamb would be lying on is the lining of the lion's stomachHowever, there is plenty of time to learn about what creature eats what creature and perhaps we should just allow children to imagine that bunnies like to dance the night away and perhaps even get along with a fox.
+
|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>1444919865</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Carna Brooks
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=What are Aunties Made Of?
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|rating=3.5
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We all know what little boys and girls are made of, although I have to confess to having always been just a little bit jealous of the puppy dog tails and quite willing to pass on the sugar, spice, slugs and snails. But what are ''aunties'' made of?  Could it be:
+
|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.
 
 
''Smelly old cars and old milk jars?''<br>
 
''Or fragrances of lavender and roses in our noses?''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1524666424</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Carol Ann Duffy and Lydia Monks
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=Queen Munch and Queen Nibble
+
|title=The Invisible
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Tom Percival
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Queen Munch and Queen Nibble are two very different queens, in two very different kingdomsQueen Munch, as you might imagine from her name, really loves her food.  Her Saturdays begin with 'The Munching of the Breakfast' which is a grand extravaganza that her people all come and watch involving a grand setting, the Royal Musicians playing the 'Queen Munch Tune', dancing and an important reader of the menu, a delicious breakfast all finished off with a nice belch from the Queen!  Queen Nibble, then, is much the opposite of Queen Munch. She is tall and ''as pale as a stick of celery''!  She lives alone, barely eats, but she makes beautiful jewellry from raindropsOne day, Queen Munch invites Queen Nibble over for a visit, and what will happen when these two extremely different rulers come together?
+
|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>1509829261</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 happyThen 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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Julian Gough and Jim Field
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=Rabbit and Bear: The Pest in the Nest
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Emerging Readers
 
|summary=Rabbit was struggling.  There he was having a nice, peaceful sleep in his friend Bear's cave when a terrible noise woke him.  Was it thunder?  No, it was Bear snoring.  Very loudly.  Rabbit tried putting his paws over his ears although that's not very successful when you have small paws and very big ears.  But there was something good: when Rabbit went outside the cave he realised that spring had sprung.  Suddenly he felt ''strong''.  After a winter spent in his friend Bear's cave it was time to go home to his burrow.  Only there was a surprise lurking there - and it looked suspiciously like a snake.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444934260</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Jodie Parachini and Daniel Rieley
 
|title= This is a Serious Book
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= If you want a silly book, this is not the one for you. This is, as the title says, a ''serious book''. And just so there's no doubt, it shows you all the things you won't find in this book (because they are silly and this is serious). So we see pictures of donkeys pulling silly faces and doing backflips but only as a warning. They are examples to show us what we ''won't'' find in this book. For they are silly things (yuck).
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571329462</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Simon Philip and Ella Bailey
 
|title=I Don't Know What to Call My Cat
 
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Getting a new pet is rife with things that you have to do. Where will they sleep?  What will they eat?  And, of course, what on Earth are you going to call them?  Giving a pet the right name when they are tiny can be an issue in itself – a cute fluffy dog can grow into a massive hound called Fluffy, or you could call your male cat Claire. Perhaps it would help if the animal itself could tell you what name they want?
+
|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!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471124134</amazonuk>
+
|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

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

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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

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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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