Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Daniel Postgate
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|author=Adam Stower
|title=Clangers: The Brilliant Surprise
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|title=Murray and Bun
|rating=4
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|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=There is no such thing as nostalgia anymore as all the classic children's TV shows of the past have been pulled out of retirement, dusted off and made anew''The Clangers'' are one of the latest IPs to be visited by the resurrectionists and the new show has proved very popular.  It has now spawned spin off toys and books, but how do you write a book about a bunch of creatures that we cannot understand?
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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 whiffsThis time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241195985</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Ailsa Burrows
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|isbn=1732898766
|title=The Jar of Happiness
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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=What would you do if you knew the recipe for happiness? I'm sure you could make a fortune, selling it by the jar, though it's questionable of course as to whether such profiteering from the sale of emotions would make you happy! Meg, the little girl in this story, makes up her own special blend of happiness in a jar, and she takes it everywhere, using it to cheer up her friends and family. But what will happen when Meg can't find the jar?
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute.  Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils.  (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped.  They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846437288</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Anne Booth and Sam Usher
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=Refuge
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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=A donkey tells the story of how he was led by the man whilst he carried the woman, all the way to Bethlehem, where the baby was bornSoon after, the shepherds came and then the kingsBut then the man had a dream - a dream of danger - and he knew that it was time for them all to leaveThey left some gold for the innkeeper (they were not staying in the stable because they were ''poor'') and went through the quiet streets ''hoping for the kindness of strangers'', which they foundFinally they came to another land - to Egypt - and found refuge.
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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 bearAs 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 sleepWhat else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>085763741X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Catherine Barr and Francesca Chessa
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|isbn=1913839656
|title=Elliot's Arctic Surprise
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|rating=3
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|author=Lainey Dee
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ever since I was a child the environment has been at the forefront of teachingIt is hoped that each generation will finally be the one to tackle the encroaching global warming crisisThe problem is that books about green impacts can be very earnest and not as fun as a Gruffalo or Aliens in UnderpantsHow can you get a child to think about the shrinking icecaps in the Arctic when they could be discovery where Wally is hiding?  Perhaps if you throw in a Christmas surprise or two?
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice.  He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmotherShe had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friendsAt home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be.  Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806686</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=Finding Winnie: The Story of the Real Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
 +
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 +
|rating=4.5
 +
|genre=For Sharing
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past.  Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult.  One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at 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.
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}}
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn=1529504767
 +
|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=A little boy called Cole wanted a story.  He particularly wanted a true story and it had to be about a bear.  It was getting late, but Mummy said that she would do her bestHer story began about a hundred years before Cole was born and it was about a man called Harry Colebourn who lived in WinnipegHe was a vet and was on his way to Europe to look after the horses of the soldiers fighting in the Great War when he met a trapper with a baby bear: his head might have said that there was nothing he could do, but his heart told him to get hold of the bear and he gave the trapper $20Winnipeg, as he named the bear, went on the train with Captain Coulbourn and his troop, across the ocean and finally arrived in England.
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destinationShe needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her.  She even had her own room - all to herselfGradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life.  She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas treeThe best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408340232</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Claire Freedman and Ben Cort
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=Aliens Love Dinopants
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|title=Squeakily Baby
 +
|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Who would have thought that underpants would have been such lucrative business, but Claire Freedman has proved that this is certainly the case with a series of books that have seen aliens, dinosaurs, pirates and even Santa getting involved in undergarment actionWhere can you go after all these legendary figures? A mash-up book of course! What would happen if a group of pants loving aliens met a group of pants loving dinosaurs?
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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 help.  It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly. The mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...'' And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes.  Then a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471120945</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Billy Coughlan and Villie Karabatzia
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|isbn=140639131X
|title=Not Without My Whale
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|rating=5
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|author=Briony May Smith
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It feels at times that children's books are the last place left that the surreal can thriveWhilst adult fiction is dominated by the gritty and realistic, children still get the chance to read about flights of fancyWhy do I want to read about the latest Scandinavian murder when I can read about one boy and his whale? Surely a whale is too big, smelly and wet to take into school?
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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 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>1848861826</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Allan Plenderleith
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=The Tiny Tree
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|rating=3.5
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Deep down in the woods there was a tiny pine tree, stranded in a clearing and surrounded by BIG pine treesShe dreamed of being a big tree and hoped that one day she would be beautifully dressed and surrounded by laughter and love. The other trees thought that she was being sillyActually, they were quite ''nasty'' to her and rather too full of themselvesThen one day the big machine came and started cutting down trees - and Tiny Tree was cut down by mistake. But who is going to want a tiny Christmas tree?
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goesChildren who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his 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>1841613924</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Anita Pouroulis and Agata Krawczyk
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|isbn=1776574028
|title= Nina The Pretty Ballerina
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|rating= 3
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|author=David Elliott
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4
|summary= Jules and dogs Nina and George like to have fun together. But there are some things dogs don’t get to do, like play in the dressing up box, one of Jules’ favourite activities. That’s all about to change though. But is there a reason you rarely see a dog in a tutu? We’re about to find out.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909428590</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Steve Metzger and Alison Edgson
 
|title= Waiting for Santa
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= We all know Santa goes to the homes of children who have been good all year, but have you ever wondered about our furry friends? Can he detour to forests, parks and woodland? Do bears and mice get treats too?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691424</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Stephanie Blake
 
|title=I Want Spaghetti!
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Simon likes spaghetti. In fact, he likes it so much that that's the only thing he wants to eatSimon is also blessed with having no concerns about stating his demands, very clearly, nor any qualms about criticising any other food that might be placed in front of himHe is, as you can tell, a typical toddler!
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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>1927271916</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Clare Helen Walsh and Sophia Touliatou
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=Aerodynamics of biscuits
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
 +
|author=Ed Boxall
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Oliver knows he shouldn't be skulking, sneaking and creeping around in the middle of the night. But even good little boys sometimes do things they shouldn't when they're hungry. And it's just as well he does. Without Oliver, the pirate mice wouldn't be able to use the biscuits they've stolen to build an aerodynamic rocket to take them to the moon. And without Oliver they would still be stranded on the cheesy moon unable to get home.
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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 fun.  A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848861818</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=Lucy Murphy, Freddie Hutchins, Neil Dunnicliffe and Stella Gurney
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=The Big, Big Bing Book!
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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=We've all seen books described as bigIt usually means that the book is a bit bigger than usual, or thicker, or it's a bind up of some previously-published booksThat's not the case with ''The Big, Big Bing Book!''  It could well be bigger than your toddler at nearly two feet high and over fifteen inches wide and weighing in at well over a kiloYou need ''space'' to open itThis is not the book you take along on a trip just chance a little distraction is needed from the BingsterIt might be a book which is pored over - it's almost certainly going to be a book which is ''crawled'' over as that's likely to be the only way that your toddler is going to be able to give the content the attention which they will feel that it so richly deserves.
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given giftsBear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burnOwl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future. Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately,  not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animalsHe was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with TurtleYou might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008139598</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jane Chapman
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title=Is it Christmas Yet?
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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=Ted is excited. Well, let's be honest - he's out of control, dashing around the house and yelling '''''Faster, Rudolph, Faster'''''.  Poor Rudolph is in Ted's truck for the moment, but he's looking as worried as all the other toys. Christmas is coming, but the trouble is that it's not coming fast enough.  And then the questions start. Poor Big Bear is bombarded with ''Is it Christmas yet?'' every few minutes.  Big Bear's more patient than I could be and keeps saying ''soon'' in a soothing voice which eventually turns to a growl.  Explaining what needs to be done before Christmas arrives doesn't help, as Ted offers to help.  And we all know how much help ''that'' sort of help is...
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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>1848691513</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Divya Srinivasan
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title=Little Owl's Colors
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
 +
|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When you pick up a children's book, sometimes things feels a little off.  Books for kids can be almost too sickly sweet; the characters have massive eyes and enjoy themselves too much. Who has that much fun in one day?  What is wrong with Divya Srinivasan's ''Little Owl's Colors''?  Perhaps it is the lack of attention to detail when printing a book for the UK market?  Colour me perplexed.
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|summary=''For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0451474562</amazonuk>
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}}
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{{newreview
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And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that ''she'' can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it!
|author=Thierry Robberecht and Gregoire Mabire
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}}  
|title=The Wolf Who Fell Out of a Book
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{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What would happen if a character from a story fell out of the book and into the real world?  I'm sure this is an issue that many a Jane Austen fan has pondered whilst reading ''Pride and Prejudice'', giving their copy an extra little jiggle to try and set Mr Darcy free!  Here, however, it is the scary wolf who falls out, but he discovers that the world he falls into is a lot more scary than the one he's left behind in the book!
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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>1857144635</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Helen Oswald and Zoe Waring
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=Cat and Dog
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|rating=4
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Cat always sleeps in the day, and Dog always sleeps at night, but in the evening, when they're both awake, they always meet for a scrap! One day, however, they have a really big argument, bigger than they've ever had before.  Will they ever be able to be frenemies again?!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1784452866</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Chris Judge
 
|title=The Snow Beast
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The Beast always loves it when he wakes up and finds that there's snow on the ground.  Every year - on the first day when there's snow - the Beast helps the mountain villagers to put on a festival to celebrate.  Unfortunately, there's a problem.  When the Beast goes to collect his tools they're all gone. He races down the mountain to the village, but every tool has been stolen from there too.  Some of the villagers are very angry and they decide that it must be the work of the abominable Snow Beast and the Beast promises to find the monster and get everyone's tools back.
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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>1783441143</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Sophy Henn
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=Pom Pom the Champion
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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=Pom Pom is on a winning streakHe first discovered it when mum suggested that they should play a game - and he won! He liked winning.  After that he won at all sorts of things, including not being the tallest or the shortest, finishing elevenses first, getting ready to go out, and packing his bag at the supermarketFortunately there was no prize for packing everything ''safely'' because he certainly wouldn't have won ''that'' oneHe didn't go down too well with the librarian when he announced that he was the winner of the 'first to finish reading your book' competition.
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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 startedFred didn't have any road senseOr brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0723299846</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=David McKee
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Elmer and the Flood
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's been raining heavily and the elephants are sheltering in a cave. It's a very large cave but Elmer had heard enough  bad jokes and complaints about the weather to last him a very long time. So - rain or no rain - he's going for a walk.  Other caves were full of animals too - and they all wanted Elmer to come inside and shelter, but Elmor just kept on walking.  Predictably the ducks were loving it, but they were the only ones.  Then Elmer came across two more elephants who were looking very serious.  Young Elephant hadn't been seen since the rain began and they were worried about him.
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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>1783442042</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Lucie Felix
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|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Give and Take
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|title=No, No, No!
|rating=5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Some of the best children's books are the simplest. Do away with pages too full of imagery; begone novelty characters and repeat references to underpants. Some books don't need this; they are so clean, crisp and simple that they border on being art. A book that can be fun for a child, educate them and look amazing is a rare thing, but does happen once in a while.
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|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>1910646040</amazonuk>
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''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
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''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
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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
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Kate Predergast
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|isbn=194812467X
|title=Dog on a Train: The Special Delivery
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|title=The Farm Shop
|rating=5
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|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's one of those mornings for Boy: late out of bed he grabs at his hat and hurtles out of the house to catch his train - only he drops his hat as he goes through the door and Dog chases after him with the hat in his mouth. They head to the tube station (Dog doesn't forget to wait at the zebra crossing) with boy just twenty or so yards in front, but Dog is losing ground as he has to find someone to carry him on the escalator. He misses Boy's train and has to wait for the next one, but remembers his manners well enough to stand up so that an old lady can have his seat. Will he catch up with boy when he reaches London Kings Cross?
+
|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>1910646083</amazonuk>
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What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Mark Griffiths and Maxine Lee-Mackie
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=The Burp that Saved the World
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating=4
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Have you heard of the world-famous burping twins?  They could stun a rhino, fell a tree and even shatter glass with their burps! They took their fearsome burps with them everywhere they went, burping in libraries and scaring waiters with their outbursts. As you can imagine, they were not very popular in their town and found that, eventually, the townsfolk asked them to leavePoor Ben and Matt! But then, the world is faced with something much worse than a couple of burping boys!  However will everyone escape from the invasion of the toy-stealing aliens?!
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing. She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471124797</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
 +
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''To the Maritime Museum''.
 +
 +
Her imagination was fired.  She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularlyOne day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout. When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Tim Hopgood
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=Walter's Wonderful Web
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
 +
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A staple of any early sharing library is a book about shapes. Love them or hate them, you are going to be reading a lot of books that talk about circles, triangles and squares. Making shapes appealing to a young toddler or baby is one thing, but what about the poor adult?  Are there not any books out there that have a bit of a story as well as talk about shapes? Usually I would not condone spiders, but in the case of a spider called Walter, I may just be able to stomach them as he combines shapes with a fun story.
+
|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>1447277104</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Nicola Colton
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=A Dublin Fairytale
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
 +
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I like a good fairytale, especially when a writer approaches it in a different way. This one is all about a little girl called Fiona who lives in Dublin with her mum. She has a nice red hooded raincoat, if you’re looking for a clue as to which fairytale this might be!  Rather than wandering through a deep dark wood to get to Grandma’s house, she walks the streets of Dublin, past various landmarks, to get to the magical witches’ market and buy all the things she needs to take to Grandma’s house. On her way she does, as you might imagine, meet some interesting challenges!
+
|summary=Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down ''again''. The school bully Jaydentogether 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>1847177743</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=The Rabbit Who Wants To Fall Asleep
+
|title=The Invisible
 +
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Roger the Rabbit wanted to fall asleep, but somehow he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried.  It wasn't that he didn't do much during the day, because he ''did'' but sometimes he was so tired that he could fall asleep on the swings.  One night Mummy Rabbit took Roger to see Uncle Yawn, who had a notice outside his house saying ''I can make anyone fall asleep'' and once Roger went home (it was actually quite difficult for him to get there as his eyes kept closing) he went straight to bed and fell asleep.
+
|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>0241255163</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
{{newreview
+
 
|author=Michael Rosen and Richard Watson
+
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 cityThis part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|title=Mad in the Back
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mum is setting off on a long car journey with two kids in the back - did I hear you groan?  Mum groaned too because she ''knew'' what was going to happen.  She told the kids before she set off that they had to behave because she couldn't drive properly if the kids were going ''mad in the back''.  The kids told her not to worry - and off they went.  Then the kids started ''The Moaning''.  Every parent will know exactly what this means: requests for drink, food, windows open...  Then the squabbling starts: accusations that ''HE'' has got my book, ears are bitten by ''HER''.  Mum tries diversionary tactics:  ''look out of the window - there's a lamp-post''.  (Yes MUm - we know desperation when we hear it.) And it gets worse.  And worse.  Then Mum snaps.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781125090</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Zoe Greaves and Leslie Sadlier
 
|title=Hare
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Some animals feature large in mythology and the hare is one of these. The hare we're going to meet is O'Hare - well, we hope we're going to meet him: hares are well known for being elusive and this one is no exception!  We'll be following him through the churchyard on a moonlit night - see him leaping in front of the moon - and through a summer meadow, where we only catch sight of his hind legs and his earsLook on the riverbank - is that him in the water?  Then he's in amongst the cabbages - the farmer is ''not'' going to be pleased about that.  Is he in the foxglove patch?  We can see the fox, but it looks as though O'Hare has goneThe best sighting we have of him is on the corn field, where he's leaping through the stubble.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910646032</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Katie Cotton and Stephen Walton
 
|title=Counting Lions
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=There are counting books, good counting books and ones where the pictures blow you away, whether you are an adult or a child.  ''Counting Lions'' falls into the last category. Just have a look at that lion on the cover: that's not a black and white photograph - that's a drawing and you're going to see another nine of the same glorious quality.  In her foreword to the book, Virginia McKenna says that with pictures like these words almost seem unnecessary as we can see all that we need of the unique form and beauty of each creature.  But there are words too.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807216</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Garry Parsons, Patricia Hegarty and Annette Rusling
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=Ten Spooky Skeletons
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=With All Hallows' Eve approaching isn't it about time that you thought about some scary books for kids?  Nothing quite says 'I Love You', more than making your toddler burst into a flood of tears. Perhaps you should get them a fun book about something a little worrisome – a set of smiley skeletons for instance, rather than completely terrifying them?
+
|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>1848574517</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
{{newreview
+
 
|author= Amanda McCardie and Salvatore Rubbino
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|title=A Book of Feelings
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Happy, shy, sad, jealous, angry, loved, grumpy…not the names of little dwarves, but just some of the powerful feelings and emotions that affect everyone from time to time. Sam and Kate live with their mum and dad and a dog with a name that I just adore: Fuzzy Bean. They have a typical family life with all the ups and downs and warmth and fun and the occasional chaos that comes with the territory.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406355992</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Barrow
 
|title=Have You Seen Elephant?
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Elephant wants to play hide and seek and Boy agrees that he Elephant should hide first.  Elephant is completely fair and warns Boy that he's ''VERY'' good.  Boy's fair too - he says that he'll try his best - and off Elephant goes to hide.  Dog is looking slightly bored - actually he's having a good scratch - as Boy counts to ten and shouts ''Coming! Ready or Not!'' in the tradition of all hide and seek games and Boy and Dog go in search of Elephant.  Now Elephant wasn't joking when he said that he was good, because he doesn't so much ''hide'' as ''disguise'' himself within the rooms. Boy doesn't spot him, but watch Dog! He spots Elephant every time, whether he's an armchair, a duvet, television stand, standard lamp or a shed.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1776570081</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway
 
|title=BOO!
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Creating a fun book for a young toddler or older baby appears easy, but is actually tricky to pull off well.  Just shoving a few animals or shapes into a cardboard BOO!k is not going to capture the imagination; there needs to be colour, fun and a certain je ne sais quoi to stand out from the many other baby booksks on the market.  Setting a book around Halloween and all things spooky may not seem to fill these criteria, but a little fear can sometimes make a small child surprisingly happy.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691254</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

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

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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

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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

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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

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

Move on to Newest General Fiction Reviews