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=Dr Seuss
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|rating=4.5
|title=What Was I Scared Of?
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|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
 +
|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)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=All Hallows' Eve is upon us once more and that can only mean that we are soon to be surrounded by all types of monsters, ghoulies and manifestationsFear not, as many of these unsettling creatures will actually be children dressed up on another adventure trick or treatingBut what about that pair of seemingly malevolent trousers that walk by themselves? That is no child, but a pair of haunted kecksRun, run, run, but perhaps if you have them a friendly hello these pants may be nicer than you think?
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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 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>0008252602</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Morag Hood
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=I Am Bat
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bat is a creature with very definite opinionsHe does not like mornings, for example, but he does like cherriesIn fact, he really loves cherries, as they are his ''favourite of all things!'' What do you think might happen if somebody takes Bat's cherries?  Bat won't be happy, will he?!
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline.  On top of the ice was a polar bear.  As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the iceKit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then anotherHe obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509834613</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Dr Seuss
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|isbn=1913839656
|title=I Can Read With My Eyes Shut
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|rating=4.5
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|author=Lainey Dee
|genre=Emerging Readers
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|rating=3.5
|summary=''The more that you read,''<br>
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|genre=For Sharing
''The more things you will know.''<br>
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice. He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his 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.
''The more that you learn,''<br>
 
''The more places you'll go.''
 
 
 
This is a classic Dr Seuss quote from this book, and one that I painstakingly stickered onto the wall of my children's school library! The book is very silly, as Dr Seuss always is, but is also a good rhyming ode to the joys of reading.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008240019</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Kes Gray and Jim Field
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=Oi Cat!
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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=When did children's books become so Meta? Back in the day each Thomas the Tank Engine adventure was separate from the other as if they lived in their own episodic wildness, but not todayIn this world of Nintendo Switches and online platforms the average adult is too scared to venture onto, we have metaphysical children booksBooks that reflect back on previous outings in the seriesIf you are going to get the most out of ''Oi Cat!'', you best know about your ''Oi Frog!'' and ''Oi Dog!'' too.
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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>1444932519</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Cath Jones and Chris Jevons
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Bonkers about Beetroot
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
 +
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Sunset Safari Park rarely has any visitors and is in danger of closing down. To tackle the problem Zebra calls a meeting of all the animals and challenges them to find a way to make the safari park more interesting. Penguin thinks there's no hope but Zebra has a totally bonkers idea – they'll grow a beetroot. They'll grow the biggest beetroot in the world! It should be easy because they have plenty of manure (animal poo) to help it grow. At first it looks like Zebra's plan is going to work. One beetroot grows so big that crowds of people come to see it. There is just one problem – the beetroot keeps growing. Soon there won't be any room for visitors. Luckily, Zebra has another idea: an equally bonkers but totally brilliant idea.
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848862814</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Madeleine Cook and Samara Hardy
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=The Turkey That Voted For Christmas
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|rating=3
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|author=Beth Webb
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Most right minded people have had enough of politics in recent years so the last thing that you want to read to your child is a book all about an election.  At least this election is set on a farm, but anyone familiar with a certain George Orwell novel will know that this does not always turn out for the bestSurely a kid's book is not going to reflect modern politics?  I mean, when have we recently seen turkeys voting for Christmas?
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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 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 eyesThen a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192765957</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Kate Jane Neal
 
|title=Words and Your Heart
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Trolling, bullying, cyber-shaming, whatever-it's-called-this-week-ing – all act as proof that the adage about sticks and stones is actually a lot of piffleIn a world where we all have hearts, we should have a heart that what we say to other people is positiveWe can examine our world and the sound it makes through communication, we can make each other smile, laugh, sing and be happy together, and bit by bit the world can be a better placeAnd hang the 'no, after you' attitude some people would have in responseThere, I've given the entire plot of this book away in my summary, but that's not really an issue.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471168530</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Matt Tavares
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|isbn=140639131X
|title=Red and Lulu
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
 +
|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=Emerging Readers
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Meet Red and LuluThey're a committed couple of cardinals, and they have lived for some time in someone's garden, safely in an evergreen treeIt seems to them that every year people mention their home in a lovely song, which tells the tree ''thy leaves are so unchanging''But one year, just as the seasons turn for the cold of winter, the tree vanishes, taking Lulu with it…
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|summary=Philippa Pheasant was ''tired'' of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak RoadShe wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a replyPhilippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herselfHer uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious.  All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406376922</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Jim Helmore and Richard Jones
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|isbn=1776574338
|title= The Snow Lion
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|rating= 5
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4
|summary=Caro and her mother arrive at their new home in darknessOnce inside, the house is white, bare and empty. Caro wishes that she has someone to play with and feels a little lost and small. Then one day she hears a noise and a gentle voice asking to play. She has a new friend and a very special one. The Snow Lion has appeared as if by magic to help Caro learn how to make friends of her own and maybe find the courage she has been hiding inside.
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471162230</amazonuk>
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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 neckIt'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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Rachel Bright
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=All I Want For Christmas
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|rating=4.5
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|author=David Elliott
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, filed down to a normal size.  We all want different things on the 25th December; some ask for world peace, whilst others ask for something more achievable like a TamagotchiWhatever you want, is it really the true meaning of the season? ''All I Want For Christmas'' by Rachel Bright is a nice reminder that the real reason for Chrimbo is not gift giving, but the opportunity to spend time with loved ones.
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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>1408331667</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Moira Butterfield and Holly Sterling
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=Everybody Feels Angry!
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|rating=5
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|author=Ed Boxall
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Children don't deal easily with the emotions which flood the brain - and then chaos ensuesYou can try discussing the problem before it happens or immediately afterwards, but children don't appreciate the abstract either.  What you need is a specific example, an occasion which they'll readily recognise and can then see how the emotion boils up and explodes.  Moira Butterfield has produced a series of books, illustrated by Holly Sterling, which take a couple of times when an emotion takes everything over. One applies to a girl and one to a boy and we see how the situations resolve themselves.
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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>1784938556</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=Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=The Ugly Five
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
 +
|author=Cordellya Smith
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Creating a popular character is a double edged sword; one side is buckets of cold hard cash, the other is people demanding that you trot out the same old stuffJulia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler created the behemoth that is ''The Gruffalo'' and you could forgive them for producing countless books in this series, but they do not.  Anyone who is a fan of the pairing will already know that their other work is also excellent; just ask ''Superworm'' or ''Room on the Broom''.  This is an established author/illustrator partnership and any new outing from them is excitingEven if that is an outing about really ugly animals.
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given gifts.  Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burnOwl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it wellHe 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 seeThings are not always as they seemI'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407174193</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Richard Byrne
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title= I Want to Go First
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
 
|rating= 4
 
|rating= 4
|genre= For Sharing
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's so not fair! Why should Elphie go last, just because he's the littlest? This is a question which will speak to the heart of many young children, especially those with siblings: the smallest bedroom, hand-me-down books that have been read and reread till their edges are frayed . . . but don't worry, Elphie has found the solution. Only thing is, he's going to need the reader's help to achieve his goal.
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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>0192749730</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Alex T Smith
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title= Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|rating= 5
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|genre= Emerging Readers
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|rating=3.5
|summary= Mr Penguin is a brand new ''Professional Adventurer''. He has a dashing hat, a large magnifying glass and an important looking office in his igloo to prove it. All he needs now is an adventure to go on. Just as he is beginning to despair of ever being asked to solve a mystery Boudicca Bones from the museum phones and asks for help. Can he and his trusty sidekick, Colin (the spider with expertise in martial arts!) find her missing treasure? Will the adventure become too dangerous for them? And will Mr Penguin ever have time to eat his fish finger sandwich packed lunch?
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444932063</amazonuk>
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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.''
}}
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{{newreview
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|author=Colleen Jacey and Zed Jacey
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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!
|title=Madge Eekal's Christmas
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}}
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{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
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|rating=4
 +
|genre=For Sharing
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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''!
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
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}}
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
 +
|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It was nearly Christmas and all the witches except Madge Eekal were busy putting up their festive lights.  Madge's pet dragon, Ashon, wanted to know what had happened to their fairy lights.  The truth was that Madge had ''tried'' to get them to work, but it seemed that the fairies were on strike: she ''couldn't'' get them to work. Ashon knew that it would, of course, have been much easier if they had electricity, like everyone else and that decided Madge - they would make their own electricity.  She knew the perfect spell.  Ashon was doubtful... and rightly so as it turned out
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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>1788036530</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Herve Tullet
 
|title=Say Zoop!
 
|rating=2.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The average toddler has the attention span of the time it takes to …..SQUIRREL! Many modern children's books are packed full of flaps, textures and gimmicks in the desperate hope that they can draw the reader away from CBeebies for just five minutes.  To grab them and keep them, your book should be short, punchy and fun. What you don't want to do is take a reasonable idea and play it out for page, after page, after pageWhat's that ….. SQUIRREL!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1452164738</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Stephanie Blake
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=I Can't Sleep!
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
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|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Simon the little rabbit is back! He's not so little now, and his baby brother (from ''Stupid Baby by Stephanie Blake'') has grown up into a toddlerThis time we see Simon and Caspar playing happily together but then, in the night, poor Caspar realises that he's forgotten his blanket outside! What will the two brothers do? Caspar says he can't sleep without his blanket...will Simon be able to help him?
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|summary=Meet Fred. Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly.  But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about FredFred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him.  He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started. Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1776571630</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Catherine Pickles and Chantal Bourgonje
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Worzel says hello! Will you be my friend?
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|rating=5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I'd like you to meet Worzel, but you'll need to do exactly what I say. Worzel is quite a big dog, but that doesn't mean that he's fierce, or even very brave.  In fact, he's frightened, and little as you are, he's frightened of you.  He'd like to meet you though: can you see that nose just poking out from the side of the sofa? Now he's peering over the cushion - and finally he's risking leaving that ''very'' safe place he's found, behind the sofa.
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|summary= Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky?  
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1787111601</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Emma Yarlett
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|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Nibbles: The Dinosaur Guide
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|title=No, No, No!
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=Emerging Readers
 
|summary=Some of you may already be aware of Nibbles.  He is a little monster that likes to nibble everything.  Nibbles nibbles socks, Nibbles nibbles clocks, but the thing that Nibbles likes to nibble most is books! Therefore, putting him in a book is not the safest place as he will try and eat his way out.  Whilst the first book saw the tyke getting into trouble in fairy tales, this time it is non-fiction that has whetted his appetite and in particular a book all about dinosaurs.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848696914</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alexandre Lacroix and Ronan Badel
 
|title=Dragons: Father and Son
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Emerging Readers
 
|summary=You know dragons.  They're there to look splendid and fierce, and to burn down human villages in rampages, with or without treasure in mind.  But they need to be trained in that.  And our father dragon has just tasked his son dragon with that very errand - to go and torch a human house.  The lad is reluctant to cook anything more severe than lunch - what could possibly happen?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910277231</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= David McKee
 
|title= Elmer and the Tune
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Everybody loves a catchy tune, but sometimes you come across one that you just can't get out of your head, no matter how hard you try. And that's what has happened to Elmer and his friends – all over the jungle, folk are humming the same tune, over and over and over again, and passing it on to their friends and neighbours like a musical virus. Anyone who has heard about how the wheels on that wretched bus go round and round eleventy-seven gazillion times on a long car journey will know what we mean.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783445467</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Dr Seuss and Tish Rabe
 
|title= Oh Baby, the Places You'll Go
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=A slightly odd concept to get one's head around, ''Oh Baby, the Places You'll Go'' is both a book within a book, and a book sized advert all in one. Dr Seuss (fun fact: 'Seuss' originally rhymed with 'voice') wrote many, many books in his lifetime, and lots of us will be familiar with his best-known characters such as [[The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss|The Cat in the Hat]] and the copious numbers of adventures he wrote about such as when [[Horton Hears a Who by Dr Seuss|Horton Hears a Who]]. This book is different, because rather than introducing new wild and wacky characters, it brings together existing ones who may never have met each other before. Adapted by Tish Rabe (though very much influenced by Dr Seuss's originals), this book rattles through the different titles and their key characters, knitting them together with the premise that these are all people baby will meet in the future, through the wonder of children's books.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008241651</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Rachel Bright and Jim Field
 
|title= The Squirrels Who Squabbled
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=First we had a cute little mouse finding his inner beast in [[The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field|The Lion Inside]] and then we had a nervous koala trying to move out of his comfort zone in [[The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright and Jim Field|The Koala Who Could]] and now we have a couple of greedy, fighting squirrels. Whatever next?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408340488</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Michael Morpurgo and Emma Chichester Clark
 
|title= Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of The Wizard of Oz
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= Emerging Readers
 
|summary= The timeless story that we all know as The Wizard of Oz is given a twist in this original interpretation by master story-crafter Michael Morpurgo. It's the tale of a character that seems to be so often overlooked in the well-known story: Dorothy's faithful dog, Toto. We hear the whole story from his point of view, told in first person narrative from the moment the tornado sweeps across Dorothy's Kansas farm. Toto continues to tell the story as it happens to him in a witty and charming manner as their house is lifted into the air and whisked away to the mysterious land of Oz. Of course, Toto and Dorothy meet the absurd but loveable scarecrow without a brain, tin man without a heart and lion who lacks courage, and together they set off along the yellow brick road to find the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, hoping that he might help Toto and Dorothy return home. Along the way, the tin man, scarecrow and lion learn that what they think they are missing might have been there all along.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008134596</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=J M Barrie and Robert Ingpen
 
|title=Peter Pan and Wendy
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's a childhood staple - the story of Wendy, John and Michael Darling and their beloved nurse, Nana the Newfoundland dog who took them to school each day. It's George Darling, their father, who makes the mistake when he locks Nana in the yard and the children are whisked away to Neverland by Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. There's a wonderful mix of characters, from Peter Pan, the boy who never wants to grow up, Tinkerbell, the rather unpleasant fairy, Captain Hook, Tiger Lily, the lost boys and - of course - Wendy, but then it wouldn't have been a classic since the original stage production in 1904 and the novel of 1911 if it were otherwise.
+
|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>1786750856</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=Clare Foges and Al Murphy
+
|isbn=194812467X
|title=Bathroom Boogie
+
|title=The Farm Shop
 +
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Every day I leave the house with the feeling that I left it in a pretty tidy state, but on my return some things always seem out of place. This is especially true of my bathroom.  Why is there toothpaste on the mirror, or a flannel on the floor?  It would appear that I may not actually be to blame and that when I'm at work all the bathroom items come out for a boogie. Will I ever catch them in the act?
+
|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>0571337317</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Fearne Cotton and Sheena Dempsey
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title= Yoga Babies
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating= 4
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|genre= For Sharing
+
|rating=3.5
|summary= Radio host, TV presenter, fashion designer, author – is there anything Fearne Cotton can't do? Based on the content of this book, we can undoubtedly add Yogi to the ongoing list of talents, because it's hard to imagine any other way in which this came into being.
+
|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783445645</amazonuk>
+
|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.
 +
 
 +
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
 +
''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 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= Claire Freedman and Jane Massey
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title= Florence Frizzball
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|rating= 4.5
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
|genre= For Sharing
+
|rating=4
|summary= Florence Frizzball has the frizziest, curliest, most out of control mop of hair you've ever seen! And she longs for smooth, sleek, brushable locks like all her friends. As a kid, I remember being chased round the garden by my mother, brandishing a hair brush and trying to get me to sit still and have my frizz sorted out. To say I identified with Florence would be an understatement. As the tale goes on, though, we see another side to the story. Florence gets what she wants, but when her dream comes true she quickly learns that maybe she was wanting all the wrong things, and that actually her frizzball is part of her identity.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471144542</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Phil Allcock and Richard Watson
 
|title= Clumpety Bump
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Clumpety Bump likes apples. Nothing wrong with that, after all: they're tasty and full of goodness. But you don't get delicious, juicy treats like that unless you deserve them, and naughty Clumpety is a bit too keen on saying ''I can't be bothered'' when his friend Wally asks for help. So, after several disasters, Wally decides he'd be better off leaving Clumpety at home and using his tractor instead. Unfortunately, things don't turn out too well, and our two heroes learn that if you want to be properly happy, other people need to be happy too. Selfishness just makes everyone sad.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848862458</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Jackie Morris and James Mayhew
 
|title= Mrs Noah's Pockets
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= The heavy rains, Noah building his ark and the animals going in two by two to be saved. This most familiar of stories has been retold time and time again but not like this.  This time there is twist and someone else quietly takes centre stage. When Mr Noah builds the ark, he makes two lists - one for all the animals who will come on board and one for those troublesome creatures he will leave behind. Meanwhile, Mrs Noah gets out her sewing machine and makes a coat with very deep pockets. Lots of pockets.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>191095909X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Lisa Papp
 
|title=Madeleine Finn and the Library Dog
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Madeleine Finn doesn't like to read - not anything. It's not really her fault, you know. Her teacher tries to encourage her, but some of the other kids giggle when she makes mistakesAnd they pull faces of the type which would have given me my head in my hands to play with when I was a child. The words just don't seem to come out right for her.  The other children are getting gold stars (I've ''never'' liked that system) but all Madeleine gets is a heart sticker which tells her to keep trying.  She's got plenty of those.  All week she tries her best but doesn't get the star she longs for.
+
|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>1910646326</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Rose Blake
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title= Going to School
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
 +
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= At the start of a new school year parents often ask for recommendations for books that would help make things a little easier for those about to start school for the first time or for slightly older children making the transition to Junior School. This vibrant and cheerful picture book contains much in both text and images that would be useful and encouraging for anxious children and equally anxious parents.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847808980</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rob Biddulph
 
|title=Kevin
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Sidney Gibbons is always in trouble and, to make matters worse, he insists on blaming the mess he makes on his invisible friend – Kevin. This, however, changes when Sidney actually meets Kevin and discovers what it is like to be on the receiving end of bad behaviour. In a magical world of make-believe, Sidney finally comes to realise that he's been selfish and resolves to put things right for both his invisible chum and his very own mum.
+
|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>0008207410</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Rob Biddulph
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=Sunk!
+
|title=The Invisible
 +
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=''Hoist the Colours! Set the Sail! It's time to hit the treasure trail.'' Penguin Blue and his friends are prepared to sail the seven seas in search of gold but they become unstuck when a rip in their ship means they're suddenly SUNK! Luck is, however, on their side and they find a handy desert island in the nick of time. Here they make a special new friend and ultimately find a treasure that's worth much more than gold.
+
|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:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008207402</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
 +
 
 +
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy.  Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Jason Rekulak and Kim Smith
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=The X-Files: Earth Children are Weird. A Picture Book
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|rating=4.5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We know that Dana Scully and Fox Mulder didn't know each other as children, for they met much later on, at work for the FBI. But if they had, they may well have camped out in the back yard. They made have read scary stories to each other, but one thing is for sure – Mulder's imagination would have seen aliens everywhere. He would have seen mystery in the deep impression in the yard, horror in the shadows, and the unexplained in any vaguely mysterious noise. For that's what happens on the pages of this picture book – but that's not ''all'' that happens – the truth is something much more peculiar…
+
|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>1683690273</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

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

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

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

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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

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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

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Review of

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

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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

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Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

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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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