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[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn= 1836285493|title=The Secret Double Life of the Wooden Chest (Roman Magic)a Wheelchair User|author= Catherine RosevearRob Keeley|rating=35|genre=Confident Readers|summary= Will is a keen player of video games, a conscientious student, a slightly annoying brother and a supportive friend.5But most of all, he is an aspiring writer. English is his favourite lesson at his school, Marlowe Park, and one at which he excels. This hasn't gone unnoticed by his headteacher, Mrs Howarth, and she has suggested to Will and his mum that he spends a couple of afternoons a week at a different school, Station Road, where his ability might be better extended.}}{{Frontpage|isbn= 1836282028|title=The Fighting Spirit|author=Rob Keeley|rating=4

|summary=Hannah lives ''Would you like to adopt a ghost?'' ''Young spirit, born 1887, seeks kind home to haunt. Gentleman by birth. Good company. Gets on well with her parents other children. Jokes and shocks a speciality.'' ''If interested, place outside your home three twigs, in a flat above the nursing home where her mother is matronshape of an arrow, pointing to your front door... Hannah '' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is an only child and so she enjoys making friends with some celebrating a decade of the homehis wonderfully entertaining [[Rob Keeley's residents''Spirits'' series in Chronological Order|Spirits]] series with a new adventure that is both a reboot and a continuation. So when Mrs Oberto moves inJust like Doctor Who, Edward Fitzberranger, our incorrigible Victorian ghost boy, Hannah is keen to make her acquaintance - Hannah has never met anyone Italian beforesome new companions. Mrs Oberto is quite standoffish at first but Hannah persists Ruby and Jayden respond to this intriguing advertisement and soon they are Edward, who has broken the best of friends. Mrs Oberto rules as usual and absconded from his manor house home, is particularly keen on helping Hannah with her school project about ancient Rome adopted by them and relates many interesting stories about her Sicilian childhoodtakes up residence in. But she remains tight-lipped about the mysterious wooden chest, the key to which she keeps around her neck...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1788032535</amazonuk>a wardrobe!

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Alan GibbonsRob Keeley|title=The Beautiful GameChildish Spirits: 10th anniversary special edition

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Football Around here, we're big fans of children's author Rob Keeley. He's a ball of happy positivity, he understands children, and he writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, not to lecture or hector.  The ''Childish Spirits'' series is all about its coloursone of his greatest achievements. And even if I write in It's a sequence of ghost stories centring on Ellie, a stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the season when one team in blue knocks another team in blue from spirit world throws at her, and Edward, a spoiled lordling and the throne first spirit Ellie encounters|isbn= 1783064617}}{{Frontpage|author=Max Boucherat|title=The Last Life of English football, itLori Mills|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=We meet Lori on the first evening she's common knowledge that red is got the more successful colour house to herself – no neighbour to wearpop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. But is that flame red? Blood redWhat could possibly go wrong? The red of the Sun cover banner when it falsely declared 96 Liverpool FC fans were fatally caught up Snuggled in a tragedy – blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that it had been one of their own making? is to log on to Voxminer, the world-building, critter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. And while weBut first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn're t find herself entirely on about colourher own, where were and then she finds something even more spooky. For the people server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of colour in football tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and her safe place in the olden daysgame has been doctored – well, where is a girl to turn? There are so many darker sides to football's history it's enough to make a young lad question the whole game…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126917</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Bernard AshleyKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Lena Lenik S.O.S.Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Lena's mother seems very illMeet Kit. Scary noises are coming from Like most of the bathroompeople in his world, she's off food and completely listlessit seems, complaining he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the effort involved in sewing sport where a patch onto a cub scout uniformteam of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, and race to the exit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. It might be a surprise to Unfortunately for Kit, the young reader only thing he's seen of this book when we learn what the reason latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, and a new trio of questors is – certainly it was obvious from page two needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for me – but there are definitely more surprises Kit, he has taken to comethe goading from the token bully of his world and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a team. Mother makes a slightly unusual decision about her condition – leaving Lena with a lot on her plate when fate sets What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in with a surprise of its own…actually managing that, and how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781125716</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Maria McArdleJames Sherwood Metts|title=Dancing Paws Planet Storyland|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary= Things have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're paid to do and other tasks that took time to accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of Magicother, new ways to spend time, along came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and, along with it, all the many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|isbn=1736128426}}{{Frontpage|author=Tom Percival|title=The Wrong Shoes|rating=35

|summary=Will''Dancing Paws s life is difficult, in a multitude of Magicways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes' offers us almost two related stories in one. Part One focuses on , he has the problems that arise when wrong shoes because his dad can't work and doesn't have enough money for even the dancing cats most basic of the Pusska Mogginsky Ballet Company go on strike. There is only one feline who things like food, and his dad can put things right but sadly 't work because he lost his job at the lepremog (the cat equivalent of college, was working a leprechaun) Galway Ocash-in-Toot is dead, crushed by hand job on a falling wallbuilding site and had an accident. If Throw into that mix the animal ballet is to be savedfact that his mum and dad are separated, the remaining members of the ballet company must work together to find his bones and restore his Will's life even if this means taking on the Black Treacle Farm Gangseems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a tiny amount of hope. In Part Two He is good at art, we move on and clings to the long-awaited performance moments of ''The Sleeping Beauty''. Here everything seems to be going just purr-fectly until joy when he is drawing, that feel like a light at the Black Treacle Farm Gang – including Gang Leader Bruiser Bumfluff – appear to get their revengeend of a long, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1788036875</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn=1805141872|title=The Harder They FallTeacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Bali RaiRob Keeley

|genre=Dyslexia FriendlyConfident Readers|summary=Cal loves comic books''Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. He also dreams of being The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is really a superhero safecracker! With police and saving her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the day while simultaneously winning the heart of the girl (Freya being the girl, hopefully)run. But Al needs them for one last job.. Batman is his favourite superhero. But Cal's world outside his daydreams ' Goodness me, that Miss Judson is not particularly superhero-a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher likeher manage to get mixed up with a bad 'un like Al? We'll find out. Because Cal Luckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is a bit Ben, the son of a geek and he is being bullied by mean girl Anu, famous magician who makes him complete homework assignments which she then sells on has ambitions to lazy classmates. Stillbe as good as his father some day, it's not all bad. Cal's parents are lovely and the gorgeous Freya who thinks Miss Judson is making friendly overtures...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781126828</amazonuk>worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Liz PichonChristopher Edge|title=Family, Friends and Furry Creatures (Tom Gates)Black Hole Cinema Club

|summary=Tom Gates has got a problem: Lucas and his shoes friends are making all booked in for a noisemovie marathon at their local cinema, a place that has the nickname of 'The Black Hole'. They sort All big movie fans, they're looking forward to lots of rasp when he walksexciting films, and many, many snacks! However, as the movie starts, they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, only he canand they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't recreate even imagine. But as they lurch from one film genre to the sound at homenext, can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the cinema, and to their real lives?|isbn=1839942738}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Stower|title=Murray and Bun|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers |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. At school itBut he's a different matter: not only is the noise very loudbad magician's cat, there are those of so his classmates who suggest that it favourite bun has originated from somewhere been turned into a little morehyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, wellnot into the regular back garden, ''intimate''but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. All in all This time round it's not drops them into a Viking land, where a good start troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to the day for Tombe honest, particularly when he realises that but he's also forgotten his baby photo for the latest school project. Class 5F are building their family trees turned up and theyhe've got ll have to interview family members to get stories of their lives for the project.do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407168118</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Cheeky Charlie: Bugs Alex Bell and Bananas (My Crazy Brother Book 2)Tim McDonagh|authortitle=Mat WaughThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|summary=Cheeky Charlie has already had [[Cheeky Charlie Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by Mat Waugh|one book]] written about visiting with him , and in the evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and now he has anotherruns. His slapstick adventures are related once more by Eli lives with his sister Harrylovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the family. I love Harry A few short years ago, Eli's parents were both lost to the titular race, a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast. Harry This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is by turn infuriated and amused by her brother Charlie. And Harry also brims over to dare to enter what he most hates, with enthusiasmthe sole aim the prize of magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>B072F58644</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Claire FayersHelen Cooper|title= Journey to Dragon Island (The Accidental Pirates)Taming of the Cat|rating= 3.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Two questsOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. Can In this case, principally, we have Brie the crew of mouse, up against Gorgonzola the good ship Onion (doncat – and in case you't ask) help their young friend Brine re seeing a connection, they live in a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to find her home? And does be the legendary island names of dragons really exist or – a rather important pointcheeses. Anyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, this – if you must, mous-tracised, for the ship keeps sailing west, will it just topple off way his habits don't match the edge of other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the world? Of course, if you think a little thing like terrible peril cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and nearmakes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-certain death should stop Captain Cassie telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and her shipmates cast out. It's almost as if there were another character from going wherever they fancyfable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, then you're reading as all the others had the chance to half-inch some cheese while the wrong seriescat was distracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447290623</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Bear GryllsLauren St John|title= New Jungle Book Adventures: Spirit of the JungleFinding Wonder|rating= 34|genre= Confident Readers|summary= This book is technically excellent but unfortunately it falls flat Roo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was young, and now she finds herself awoken in the actual executionmiddle of the night by the police banging on her door to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. When asked what other family she has, she can only name her aunt, Joni, who she knows her dad didn't think very highly of. Grylls uses trusted storytelling techniques such But she has no one else, and so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for Roo, as the herowhen she and Joni leave London in Joni's journey old campervan, it breaks down in the middle of nowhere and Chekovthen bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|isbn=0571376169}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Oscar's Gun Lion|rating=3|genre=Confident Readers|summary=We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to produce have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a frame couple of times before he has to be ready for school. But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and admitting that should he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be engaging with shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the target audience but unfortunately other month. And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to school and it can get him out of a problem. And it does 's wonderful to have around the house – not quite hit limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the markrules, and so on. What we ultimately have is OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a great idea with some wonderful moments that never really recovers from a slow beginningtime.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1509828486</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|titleauthor=Spudboy and ChipJudith Eagle|authortitle=David WindleThe Stolen Songbird

|summary=''Sticky Toffee Trifle flavour mashed potato. This oneCaro's mother, a winner!'' Er... ok then. Not. Colin Sludge's parents run a fish world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and chip shop and it isn't doing so wellis now missing. So Colin's mum Her other mother, Ronnie, is trying out new recipes having to tempt in more customers and Colin's dad go up North to take care of her sister who is using Colin as a guinea pigunwell. The only problem So who is that Colin going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has eaten quite enough exotic mashed potatoheard her mother despises, thankyouverymuchshe feels frustrated and confused and worried. He All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's practically bursting with it. And the house is practically bursting , along with potato peelingsan orphan boy, so it's no wonder that Colin slips and falls when he's taking them out to the garbage bins.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>154314702X</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Chris Priestley|title=Flesh and Blood|rating=5|genre=Dyslexia Friendly|summary=Families change in wartime – in sizeAlbie, if not any other waywho is living there too. Bill and Jane have already had to get used to their father being away to fight, ''and'' they've tried the evacuee experience, but are back But she soon finds herself caught up in London – just in time for the Battle of Britain, which is a circumstance Bill hates Jane formystery, as he quickly grew to love the countryside, while Jane resisted the idea she discovers a painting of them settling there, so they were returned to an allegedly safe capital. One night after a bombing raid they settle outside the neighbourhoodbird hidden away inside her mum's token emptyold suitcase, boarded up and deserted home – only for Bill all across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to convince himself he hears someone inside. the gang? The unidentifiable and severely burnt child that gets rescued becomes a kind of new family member – but does this have anything And what has happened to do with BillCaro's resent-filled wish for a brother to replace Janemother? Is she somehow involved in the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126887</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matilda WoodsTania Unsworth|title=The Boy, the Bird and the Coffin MakerNowhere Island

|summary=Alberto Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is a carpenter, so determined to escape the care system – the very best system that constantly puts him in the town of Allorafutureless places that are not homes – and find a home for himself. But after the plague sweeps through the townHe is en route to yet another fosterer, taking many of the citizens and Alberto's wife and childrenwhen he jumps into an anonymous car, he turns his skills away from furniture and toys lets it ride him to making coffinshis future. Wrapped That future seems to be in sadness, and waiting only for the plague to come and claim jeopardy when someone steals his life too, Alberto one bag of belongings – but that someone lives alone, keeping company with his brother in a camp on an island between the dead who are delivered two directions of a motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to his house to await provide for their coffinsafety and seclusion. One dayThem, howeverand a mute girl also finding a home there, he realises that he must have albeit so much more successfully. Over a living visitorfew weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where life as food starts to go missing. He begins to leave scraps of food, to try and discover who his mystery thief is…we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407178695</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gill Lewis and Jo WeaverHelen Peters|title= A Story Like the WindFriends and Traitors|rating= 53|genre= Confident Readers|summary= A small group of people huddle together England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, like the female generations before her. The other is Sidney, a tiny boat in girl from a large seahoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. Strangers to The girls are chalk and cheese, and if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other but united by a common experienceover their first encounters would only prove it so. They have each lost everything But something is amiss, and first separately and yet each has then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a dream rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is made of seeking meetings with Germans, and finding refuge. They each have hope. A small hopenot only that, a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192758950</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryder WindhamJamie Littler|title=Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 3)Arkspire

|summary=We open here with the Rebellion in disarrayTwo sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to be chalk and our heroes separatedcheese. Obviously they need to rescue the ones imprisonedJuniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, liaise with including relics from prior major wars left out in the ones acting as secret agents, and get back to what they do bestBadlands. For Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the Empire are doing religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even to become the same – they are building another Death Star – a new, bigger, quicker one without a piddly little hole child in it that just happens line to allow inherit the goodies power of the chance Watcher, the closest to destroy it at a ruler the district has, and one of the first attemptfive major victors in said earlier war. Oh, and our main hero, Luke, still has Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the matter status of who he should count as a the whole family member to settle… . YesBut in finding something oddly magical, this is the third film made in the ''Star Wars'' universeJuniper might just be able to gain some power of her own – for good, in a handy form or for the eager junior novelisation reader.very, very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285443</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn= Julia Golding024162343X|title= The Diamond of Drury LaneStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating= 45|genre= Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary= Set I was the bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in 18th Century London, this historical thriller captures all religious education classes because I disputed the rawness existence of life in a 'god'. Where was the grimy city. A young girlproof? In history lessons, Cat, who it was orphaned at birth, is taken under probably worse still. Not too long after the wing end of a kind benefactorWWII, Mr SheridanI didn't so much want to learn about the British army's successes (and occasional failures, who found her abandoned but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to be called 'the steps of his theatre. The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, is an exciting place colonies' as want to grow up, and Cat becomes a well-loved member of dispute what right the staff behind the scenes. While running errands army had to be there in the theatre, she dreams of being a famous writer herself one dayfirst place. Before her dream is realised though Looking back, Cat has an important role to play in solving a mystery I still believe I was right - but I regret that I lacked the mystery of a diamond hidden in maturity to approach 'the Theatre Royal itselfproblem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405285303</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ryder WindhamThiago de Moraes|title=Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Junior Novel (Star Wars Junior Novel 2)Old Gods New Tricks|rating=34.5

|summary=I've never actually held by the theory that ''The Empire Strikes Back'' is the best film in the seriesMeet Trixie. To meForever getting into scrapes, as a youngster, I got larks and adventures involving flooding the willies suitably school aircon with what happens to one characterfart powder, and it was great to meet the Emperor at last, but beyond the assault on Hoth there was too much that didn't work for meshe could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. I certainly wasnBut just when she't impressed s being told that by the kissyher one-last-chance-kissy nonsense interrupting giving headteacher, the great space-faring actionworld changes. But I have always been eager enough to revisit itSuddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out, even of electric cars, as hits not just the town the film Ischool've seen s in but the least of the sevenentire planet (apart from mobile phones, and these YA variants of all that powers the films Internet, just for our convenience's sake). Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – adaptations the ancient Gods have taken the power of power from us. And so she begins her epic quest, to gather all the canonical 2004 DVD editions, and first published at people that time can steal it back – are about namely the best way to do characters from myth that.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405285435</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Bobbie Peers|title= William Wenton and have past form in stealing from the Luridium Thief|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Bobbie Peers is a pretty talented guy. Not only did he win a ''Palme d'Or'' award for a film he wrote and directed in 2006Gods, but with thisie the semi-deities, his first bookgiants, he's turned his hand to writing for young people. And half-gods and so on known as the list of awards he's collecting in his native Norway are testament to his vivid and entertaining imaginationtricksters. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140637170X</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Amanda Wood, Mike Jolley Hannah Gold and Frances CastleLevi Pinfold|title=Spot the Mistake: Lands of Long AgoFinding Bear

|summary=It takes [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a greater mind lot further north than mine to keep track of all the different versions of ''Star Wars many people would venture, and finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – A New Hope'' that there have beenshe called Bear. That was never Back home, things on the name it was known under at the startdomestic and family front are a bit advanced, but not perfect for one thingher, but beyond the exuberant cinema classic known to and so many, you get can easily be ignored when word comes through from the digitally retouched version, then the DVD version, which both added to and took away some of those changesislands Bear was last left on. And as it is with the film, so it is with the novelsFor a bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and wounded. This new presentation of the YA trilogy, while bearing the 2017 Copyright mark, is the 2004 childrenDesperate to make sure he's novelisationsOK, as far as I can make out, minus she and her father return to the pictures. You do get, on this first one, Arctic and hope that in a '40 years world of Star Wars' stickervery white and very dangerous things, which is proof this is a classic we're looking at, but more than she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that, just goes to make me feel old…the friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405285427</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Matthew Clark Smith and Matt TavaresSimon Fox|title=Lighter than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman PilotDeadlock

|genre=Children's Non-Fiction Confident Readers|summary=We're in ParisLate one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the force, and – not to be too rude about things – we seem surrounded by idiots. For onethen suddenly rings Archie, it seems they think the perfect demanding he fetch something from a secret place to experiment with manned hot air balloon flights is in the middle of the biggest city in the world. For another, they think only men could suffer the slightly colder and slightly thinner air experienced join him on such an adventure – women would never be able to copethe run. MeanwhileThey get together, a young girl is dreaming of flight, as so many are wont but barely begin to do, completely unaware that she will soon marry one smell the whiff of Southern trains when the most famed balloonists. They will have joint journeys skywardfather is arrested, before his early demise – leaving Archie on the young womanlate express to Brighton, Sophie Blanchardtoting a tin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, to go it alone and become the first female pilotbearer of a whole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0763677329</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lorraine Gregory Cath Howe|title=Mold and the Poison Plot My Life on Fire

|genre=Confident Readers |summary=MoldRen's mum abandoned him family home is destroyed in a dustbin when he was a baby but the binmen didnfire. She, her parents, and her little brother lose everything. She doesn't want him. Luckily old Aggy gave him a home andhave any of her clothes, with a crusty oneor any of her special little knick-legged sailor as a friendknacks from her cupboard, Mold and now she is happy. Happy until Aggy is accused of poisoning living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, or do anything, or even eat the Kingfoods they normally eat. Suddenly Mold finds himself alone and thrust into When she goes back to school she discovers that the unlikely role class are doing a special art project, creating boxes of hero. He sets off their lives, to rescue Aggy and along the way finds himself trying display things that are important to save the King them and prevent show who they are as a war with the Boggersperson. It's But Ren has nothing to put in a lot for one small boy with an enormous nose but luckily he box, and so she finds he's uniquely fashioned herself starting to steal things. Small things, things that people might not really miss, not when they have so much already. But what will happen to sniff her if someone finds out danger. what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192745824</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Danny WallaceRob Keeley|title= Hamish The Boy Who Disappeared and the Gravity BurpOther Stories|rating= 4|genre= Confident Readers|summary=BUUUUUURRRRRRRRPPPPPHooray! A terrifying noise Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is rumbling through the sleepy town of Starkley (the fourth most boring town in Britain) and having back with a peculiar effect on the residents. Gravity has gone into reverse and the poor townsfolk are floating skyward, helplessly trying to grab onto whatever they can in order to slow their ascent. Hamish Ellerby has just arrived home to find his family stuck return to the ceiling, along with a bowl of fruit, six batteries and a wind-up meerkat. What could be causing this strange phenomenon? Could it be leading up short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to something bigger? A ''gravity-belch''eleven new tales, or heaven forbid, a ''gravity-FART''? It's up each as fun to Hamish and read as his gang, the PDF, to solve the mystery and restore order to Starkley in time for the official visit from the Public Office of Pride, or POP (shouldn't it be POOP?)previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471147126</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah CarrollLaura Noakes|title=The Girl In BetweenCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|summary=After a family argumentMeet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, a girl and just Cos to her mother are stuck out on the streets of Ireland, finding shelter finally in an old, abandoned millfriends. The mill becomes practice in the girl's castle, where home she finally feels safe from lives in is for the girls to just be named by the lurking threat of 'number they correspond to in the authorities' ledger, and some of the strange men in her motherthey's lifere all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. Her mother, however, But Cosima bears the tag as a surname because nothing else seems to be tumbling deeper into depressionknown about where she came from, keeping her daughter locked up, out of sight insideas the first ever inmate, and now there are strange men unique in hard hats coming around having no known family in the outside world. During a daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the mill kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to measure and make notesadopt all the girls for his Institute. Can the two of them move onBut why, or will they be too late and what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to escapethe past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471160629</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jonathan Litton and Thomas HegbrookAlice M Ross|title=The Earth Book: A World of Exploration and WonderNowhere Thief

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=The EarthAt last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. I kind of quite like Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it, you know – it seems to serve my purpose. I don't think I've taken too much She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out of it, all toldbecause she has the ability to leave this world, and if it's divided up into 200 countries I'm getting close to having visited a quarter use an unworldly portal of them. But way back when I just didn't get on with studying it. I didn't like geography – what with having kaleidoscope colours to draw mapsenter other worlds, oxbow lakes where the sea levels are rising dramatically and whatnot I think it was one the buildings are generally empty of those subjects I was put off through the pictorial element – humans and dropped it as soon as I couldripe for plunder. But thenWith eviction imminent, I didn't have can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the likes of this book to inspire me…shop? Well yes, is the answer, but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848575246</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Meg RosoffNatasha Farrant|title=Good Dog McTavishThe Rescue of Ravenwood

|summary=McTavish did wonder whether he was making a mistake in adopting the Peachey family: it was a decision which came This story is another excellent adventure from the heart rather than author of ''Voyage of the headSparrowhawk''. You see Ravenwood is an old house, in the Peacheys were dysfunctional: Ma PeacheyNorth of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. They are part of a complex, an accountant by professionextended family arrangement, decided that she was fed up as Bea is there with chasing around after an ungrateful familyher Uncle Leo, so she resigned and dedicated herself to her yoga Raffy is there with half his mum, and they are living together as a hint that she might also dedicate herself to her yoga teacherfamily. She gave They have grown up cookingswimming in the cove, cleaningroaming through the trees, baking, washing completely at one with all of the nature around the house and all loving every inch of the place. But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other things which kept two brothers to sell the family going, such property to a developer as finding lost keys it's becoming more and getting people out of bed so that they got more expensive to wherever maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they were 're going on time. And the family? Wellto live, but if they had no idea of how to cope'll even be together, with one exceptionand if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781126836</amazonuk>0571348785