Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Owen Davey1836285493|title=Mad About MonkeysThe Double Life of a Wheelchair User|author=Rob Keeley|rating= 45|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Of all the many millions Will is a keen player of animals on our planet that deserve video games, a large format hardback non-fiction bookconscientious student, I guess monkeys are one a slightly annoying brother and a supportive friend. But most of the ideal places to startall, he is an aspiring writer. They areEnglish is his favourite lesson at his school, of courseMarlowe Park, our distant cousins, with the ancestor we have in common with them walking around our world within the past thirty million yearsand one at which he excels. They have a large range across the planetThis hasn't gone unnoticed by his headteacher, they have over 250 variant speciesMrs Howarth, and they have she has suggested to Will and his mum that he spends a lot couple of interesting facts and details regarding their social lifeafternoons a week at a different school, their dietStation Road, their diversity and their potential future – all of which makes this an interesting read whatever your species bias may where his ability might bebetter extended.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909263575</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Josh Lacey1836282028|title=Dragonsitter TroubleThe Fighting Spirit|author=Rob Keeley

|summary=You don't need me 'Would you like to tell you what itadopt a ghost?'' ''s like when your uncle owns two dragonsYoung spirit, born 1887, seeks kind home to haunt. Gentleman by birth. Good company. He's the pig-headed type who has a mummy and baby dragon living Gets on well with him, other children. Jokes and he must live on shocks a remote island off Scotlandspeciality.'' ''If interested, place outside your home three twigs, and he must spend half the time hunting in the world shape of dragons in Outer Mongoliaan arrow, or searching for the yeti, so that trouble starts from the very moment you arrive with pointing to your mother and sister to housesit for him – therefront door...'' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is celebrating a decade of his wonderfully entertaining [[Rob Keeley's no food, the dragons are pooing everywhere and you can't even use the front door properly because he didn't leave the key Spirits'' series in an obvious placeChronological Order|Spirits]] series with a new adventure that is both a reboot and a continuation. StillJust like Doctor Who, Edward Fitzberranger, our incorrigible Victorian ghost boy, that's nothing compared has some new companions. Ruby and Jayden respond to when this intriguing advertisement and Edward, who has broken the neighbouring farmer gets his guns trained on the dragons when he accuses them of stealing rules as usual and absconded from his sheep… Or how about when your big birthday party is heremanor house home, and the magician is booked – adopted by them and the two dragons come to stay, because somebody else with the talent to care for them has the hots for your mother…|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783442972</amazonuk>takes up residence in.... a wardrobe!

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jo SimmonsRob Keeley|title=Super-Loud SamChildish Spirits: 10th anniversary special edition|rating=54

|summary=Sam is loudAround here, we're big fans of children's author Rob Keeley. Not just loud as in the loudest lad in classHe's a ball of happy positivity, he understands children, and he writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, not just loud as in loudest fire alarm in schoolto lecture or hector. No, Sam is  The ''Childish Spirits'LOUD''' loud. Stop traffic in the streets loud. Scary loud. Loud enough to make passing birds forget how to fly loud. There's little rhyme or reason for this, just as there series is no real reason why one of his best friend Nina does nothing but knit all the livelong day, even when walking to schoolgreatest achievements. It's just something you have to accept. But what's this? Their favourite teacher has vanisheda sequence of ghost stories centring on Ellie, and a new one has taken his place – Mrs Mann. She's ridiculous stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the spirit world throws at her weirdly large hands, her huge cardigan and even huger beehive hairdo. The biggest thing about her though is the threat she poses – that of eternal silence in her lessons. How can Sam possibly continue at schoolEdward, when even him clearing his throat is like a plane crash in your ears?spoiled lordling and the first spirit Ellie encounters|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407152300</amazonuk>1783064617

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Christopher MyersMax Boucherat|title=My PenThe Last Life of Lori Mills|rating=4.5|genre=Emerging Confident Readers|summary=How long does it take you to read a picture book? DonWe meet Lori on the first evening she't worry counting s got the number of wordshouse to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, forget totalling the pagesjust an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, and ignore how many times you may return to bring it off the shelfon her lonesome. What matters so much more than how long it takes to scan could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a page can be how long it lies in the memoryblanket fort, she has one main intention, and what it can lead that is to log on to. This exampleVoxminer, for instancethe world-building, can be perused critter-collecting game that is a hit in seconds, but creates Lori's world. But first Lori has a vivid and long-standing mental imagetiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and will if it hits then she finds something even more spooky. For the right buttons lead server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to untold future activitiesenter shows signs of tampering. You can't judge something like this When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and her safe place in the value of time.game has been doctored – well, where is a girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1423103718</amazonuk>0008666482

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Cath Senker Kieran Larwood and Melvyn EvansJoe Todd-Stanton|title=Ancient Egypt in 30 SecondsDungeon Runners: 30 Awesome Topics for Pharaoh Fanatics Explained in Half a Minute (Children's 30 Second)Hero Trial

|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=EgyptMeet Kit. It's up there with dinosaursLike most of the people in his world, it seems, space travel and not much else that can hold a young child throughout he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the length of their school career. Considering sport where a lot team of them will grow up declaring they have no interest inwarrior, or even a hatred formage and healer enter specially prepared, historycentury-old, it all was relevant a longmagical mazes, long time ago – and race to the exit, perhaps bothering with Carterthe treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. Unfortunately for Kit, the only thing he's finding seen of King Tut's tomb closing in the latest race on its centenary it won't go away yetthe inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, eaten, and a new trio of questors is needed. There are Possibly very unfortunately indeed books that solely concern themselves with for Kit, he has taken to the goading from the history token bully of our love affair with Egypthis world and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a team. But I guess it What chance does boil down to it being introduced by a fine teacher. Whether this latest book will supplant the human friendless, muscle-free-zone have in giving us all the lessons we need remains actually managing that, and how could he possibly hope to be seen.succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1782402373</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jonathan MeresJames Sherwood Metts|title=The World of Norm: 8: May Contain ButsPlanet Storyland|rating=4.5

|summary=Why is it Things have been a bit sticky for the only person in NormEarthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they's world able re paid to think straight is Norm? His best mate Mikey is clamming up on certain subjects, do and blaming mood swings on his hormones (well, he is all of thirteen, after all)other tasks that took time to accomplish. His dad seems Just as they were beginning to get used to be mourning the loss of an antique bottle of aftershave, his mother thinks sorting the recycling is a cure for boredom, and his grandfather is all full of weird expressions this technological change and euphemism thingies. That's not starting to mention his younger brothersthink of other, who have it in mind new ways to use mum's hair straightener on the dogspend time, along came an awful pandemic. And that's certainly not to mention the girl next doorLife was pretty much shut down and, who evidently has been incapable of thinking straight since birthalong with it, but at least is doing all the good thing by moving house. It's a flipping miracle that Norm can get through a weekend like this without anything disastrous happeningmany daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily. Or can he?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408334062</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Piers TordayTom Percival|title= The Wild Beyond|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers |summary= Stories for younger readers about the effects of climate change, known as cli-fi, are growing massively in popularity right now, as environmental disasters and the disappearance of many of the planet's animals and plants hit the news on a depressingly regular basis. Shrinking glaciers mean rising water levels and the slow extinction of polar bears, and in many cities pollution and smog are so dire at times that governments are forced to ban cars and urge their citizens to stay indoors. But far from frightening children with tales of ever-increasing destruction and death, Piers Torday offers them a way to hope. No matter how bad things are, this trilogy tells us, all it takes is determination, and together we'll save our beautiful world.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848668481</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Caleb Krisp and John Kelly|title=Anyone But Ivy PocketWrong Shoes

|summary=12-year-old maid Ivy Pocket Will's life is at difficult, in a loose end after her employer the Countess Carbunkle leaves her for South America "for no other reason than it is far enough away from Paris to ensure that I never see you againmultitude of ways." Charitably deciding that the old woman He is bullied because he has 'bonkersthe wrong shoes' on , he has the basis that anyone who doesnwrong shoes because his dad can't see how wonderful she is couldnwork and doesn't possibly be in their right mindhave enough money for even the most basic of things like food, Ivy thinks sheand his dad can'll stroll into another t work because he lost his job but finds it more difficult than she'd expect at the college, was working a cash-in- until hand job on a building site and had an accident. Throw into that mix the Duchess fact that his mum and dad are separated, and Will's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a tiny amount of Trinity gives her an important mission; hope. He is good at art, and clings to deliver the moments of joy when he is drawing, that feel like a priceless diamond necklace to light at the granddaughter end of an estranged friend. But what should be a simple task becomes fraught with danger as Ivy faces obnoxious aristocrats, strange creatureslong, and betrayaldark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408858630</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Esme Kerr1805141872|title=Mischief at MidnightThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley|rating=34.5

|summary= At the slightly strange school of Knight's Haddon, there's always something intriguing going onSeventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been raided. New girl JanetThe police are baffled, cool and confident even when arguing with but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher's, Miss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the big surprise run. But Al needs them for Edie this termone last job...'' Goodness me, and they become friends - but Anastasia feels forced that Miss Judson is a terror! How on earth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 'un like Al? We'll find out by . Luckily for Miss Judson, the pupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, the newer student's presence. Then son of a famous magician who has ambitions to be as good as his father some things happen which make Edie start to wonder if Janet day, and who thinks Miss Judson is hiding something - can she solve another mystery?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>190948900X</amazonuk>worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gareth P JonesChristopher Edge|title=Attack of the Giant Sea Spiders (Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates)Black Hole Cinema Club

|summary=It's Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a three-way battle in place that has the Slurring Mariner pubnickname of 'The Black Hole'. On the one handAll big movie fans, four Steampunk Pirates – a fine mix they're looking forward to lots of viciousexciting films, nefarious and metallic mariners who would make any passing human gulp (which many, many snacks! However, as the movie starts, they very quickly realise that something about this new film format is more than you could ever say of the beer)very different, and they are swept up into an adventure they couldn't even imagine. On anotherBut as they lurch from one film genre to the next, can they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the Dread Captain Inkybeardcinema, who and to their real lives?|isbn=1839942738}}{{Frontpage|author=Adam Stower|title=Murray and Bun|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers |summary=Murray is married supposed to be a squid humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who lives on his head is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and keeps , well, whatever takes his facial hair darkfancy next of the two. On the thirdBut he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a ridiculously richhyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, ridiculously French and ridiculously successful recruiter – the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but to just what is he taking so many seamen? into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. Whatever This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter isexpected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, itto be honest, but he's enough to get the Pirates turned up and Inkybeard working together (ish) he'll have to solve the problem – but someone else might just be controlling the whole farrago…do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847155995</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Liz PichonAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Yes! No (Maybe...) (Tom Gates)The Glorious Race of Magical Beasts|rating=3.54

|summary= WorkEli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in the evening a helper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. It's not something Tom Gates has been guilty of much before now Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – unless itfor there is a generation missing in the family. A few short years ago, Eli's parents were both lost to work out how and the titular race, a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to hide his favourite caramel wafers, or how to deflect navigate the world in the evil grin company of his slightly goth older sistera magical beast. But it's on This has made the race anathema to the cards this time round pair – not only does his mother have but when a bad incident at the inspired idea of clearing the house out for eatery leads to a car boot sale (which causes disasters) the school confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope is having an enterprise competition, where groups of students have to create something to sell on dare to their peers at a profit. But it's not like Tom wants much – of course, enter what he's a simple ladmost hates, with no real desires as such the sole aim the prize of magic at the end – he's never going the only thing to want to go hell for leather to get anything, is he?possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407143190</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Linda Chapman and Kate HindleyHelen Cooper|title=Best Friends’ Bakery: Birthdays and BiscuitsThe Taming of the Cat|rating=43.5

|summary=Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In thiscase, principally, we have Brie the fourth story mouse, up against Gorgonzola the cat – and in case you're seeing a connection, they live in a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be the Best Friends’ Bakery seriesnames of cheeses. Anyway, Hannah Brie is recovering shunned, scorned and, if you must, mous-tracised, for the way his habits don't match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from her sadness at being thrown off the Junior Baker show cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and makes stories based on the visuals on TVit. Fortunately there’s plenty going on And that story-telling will come in her town handy one night, when he feels all alone and at her mum’s bakery cast out. It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep her busythemselves alive. There’s a new beauty shop opening to bake forThis makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, a doggy rescue centre in troublethough, and a new girl who seems intent on stopping anyone from befriending heras all the others had the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. How But will Hannah get on with these new challenges in her lifethe story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444011944</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Frances HardingeLauren St John|title=Cuckoo SongFinding Wonder|rating=4.5

|summary=Marketed as a twisted fairy tale, Roo''Cuckoo Song'' is so much mores life has become almost impossibly difficult. Hardinge’s lyrical style sets it apart from other fantasy reads. Such phrases as ''Her mum died when she was weeping spider silk'' lend it a melody all young, and now she finds herself awoken in the middle of its own. At the story’s heart is night by the sense of wanting police banging on her door to belong and connect with others. It revolves around Piers Crescent’s daughter Triss who wakes up after an accident to find tell her that her world dad has changeddropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. She doesn’t feel that When asked what other family she has, she is herself and starts to exhibit extremely peculiar behaviour. She is ravenous and inexplicably binge eats. For some reason can only name her little sister Pen appears to hate aunt, Joni, who she knows herdad didn't think very highly of. But she has no one else, scissors act strangely around her and so off she goes to live with her parents are anxious unreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for her to remain ill Roo, as when she and cosseted. She has memories from Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, it breaks down in the time before she nearly drowned but she can’t visualise the actual incident.middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0330519735</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Phil Earle Adam Baron and Sara OgilvieBenji Davies|title=Demolition DadOscar's Lion|rating=4.53

|summary=Jake's dad We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a wrestlercouple of times before he has to be ready for school. Nobody knows however, because JakeBut when he enters his parents's dad also insists that Jake keeps it a secretbedroom, so that no one realises that come the weekend all he leaves behind the demolition sites that he works sees is a mahoosive male lion ontheir bed, looking sheepish, puts on his spandex suit and enters the ring as admitting that he won'Demolition Man'! t be hungry for another two days. But Jake is so proud of his dad there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that his alter ego can't remain ruined a secret birthday party for longOscar the other month. And it can shapeshift, and so he sets about trying can take it to change his dadschool and it can get him out of a problem. And it's life through wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the world of wrestlingrules, and so on. OK, it can't work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444013866</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Meg CabotJudith Eagle|title=Notebooks of a Middle-School PrincessThe Stolen Songbird

|summary=The author of the hugely successful Caro''Princess Diaries'' has written s mother, a brandworld-new series for younger girlsfamous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, telling the story is having to go up North to take care of awkward middle-school student Olivia Graceher sister who is unwell. She discovers that her father So who is actually the Prince of Genoviagoing to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, making someone Caro has heard hermother despises, she feels frustrated and confused and worried... All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a princess! Not everyone responds well to the newshalt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, howeverAlbie, and poor Olivia who is living there too. But she soon thrown into finds herself caught up in a world mystery, as she discovers a painting of jealous bulliesa bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, intrusive paparazzi, disgruntled relatives and all across London a whole new family fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to the gang? And what has happened to Caro's mother? Is she never knew existed.somehow involved in the mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447280652</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rachel HamiltonTania Unsworth|title=The Case of the Exploding BrainsNowhere Island|rating=4.5

|summary= You'd thinkMeet Gil. Just twelve, with one parent he is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in prison futureless places that are not homes – and the other one hardly ever moving from the sofafind a home for himself. He is en route to yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, that middle school student Noelle Hawkins would have far too many problems on her hands already and lets it ride him to start worrying about the occasional little explosion at the Science Museumhis future. After all, That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that's someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the kind two directions of thing that's bound a motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to happen in provide for their safety and seclusion. Them, and a mute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place littered with heaps of seriously wacky inventions, right?where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>147112133X</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Dave LoweHelen Peters|title= Squirrel Boy vs the Squirrel Hunter Friends and Traitors|rating=43|genre=Confident Readers |summary= Ten year old Walter Kettle England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is an ordinary boy until he eats Nancy, destined to be in service all her life it seems, like the female generations before her. The other is Sidney, a girl from a nuthoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. Then he transforms into unlikely superhero Squirrel Boy whose The girls are chalk and cheese, and if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only superpowers seem to prove it so. But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a large bushy tailrum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is made of meetings with Germans, an ability to climb trees and run very fastnot only that, and a sudden understanding of ‘Squirrelish’ (local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the language used by squirrels). In his second adventuregirls are wrong, we join Walter to find out whether these unusual powers will be enough to defeat the determined Squirrel Hunter and save the squirrel population in the local park.upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1907912738</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lewis CarrollJamie Littler|title=Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (150th Anniversary Edition with Dame Vivienne Westwood)Arkspire

|summary=Somewhere the book reviewing gods have a list of those classic titles that you cannot deny or begrudge their place in literary historyTwo sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, that are soon growing to have a 150th birthday party with my name on an invitebe chalk and cheese. That means little, as I – Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in fact most people – will of course be reading them on their unbirthdayillicit magic, but including relics from prior major wars left out in the list does include Badlands. Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the current recipient religious districts of that honourArkspire, ''Alice's Adventures perhaps even to become the child in Wonderland''. It being long out line to inherit the power of copyright anyone can put together the Watcher, the closest to a 150th birthday edition for itruler the district has, but this is and one of the more distinctive efforts, for it comes with five major victors in said earlier war. Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the help status of Dame Vivienne Westwoodthe whole family. And even though I have [[Alice's Adventures But in Wonderland (150th Anniversary Edition) by Lewis Carroll and Anthony Browne|spoken before]] finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be able to gain some power of how I don't take to the bookher own – for good, I can hereby declare this party was made all the better or for being twice as longvery, all courtesy of the presence of Lewis Carroll.very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>178487017X</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Alexander McCall Smith024162343X|title=Akimbo AdventuresStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|summary=I amMeet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, it must she could almost be saidthought a young goddess of nuisance. But just when she's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, something of an Alexander McCall Smith addictthe world changes. I have handed Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out free copies , even of his books for World Book Nightelectric cars, I met him hits not just the town the school's in Oxford at a literary festivalbut the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and I read pretty much everything he writes as he writes it! all that powers the Internet, just for our convenience's sake). This time it’s a children’s bookTrixie, luckily, with three stories in realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the power of power from us. one volume And so she begins her epic quest, to gather all about a boy called Akimbo. He lives on the edge of a game reserve people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in Africastealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and these stories are all about his rather amazing adventures with so on known as the animals who also share his hometricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405265345</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah GarlandHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Azzi in BetweenFinding Bear|rating=4.5|genre=For SharingConfident Readers|summary=Our story begins in [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a country at war. Unfortunately you could probably put a name to it (although it isn't named) as it happens all too regularly. Our heroine is Azzilot further north than many people would venture, and finding a young girl whose life was not ''too'' affected by the war, ridiculously unexpected but every day it came delightful friendship with a little closerpolar bear – that she called Bear. Her father still worked as Back home, things on the domestic and family front are a doctor and her mother made beautiful clothes. Her grandmother wove warm blankets. Then the day came when they had to runbit advanced, but not perfect for their livesher, and escape so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the islands Bear was by boat and they became refugeeslast left on. The three of them For a bear doing very Bear- for Grandma had y things has been left behind - had been luckier than most for they were accepted on a temporary basis into another country (again itshot and wounded. Desperate to make sure he's not named) OK, she and her father return to the Arctic and they had hope that in a homeworld of very white and very dangerous things, although it was just she can find one roomspecific white and dangerous thing – and that the friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847806511</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah GarlandSimon Fox|title=Eddie's Tent and How to go CampingDeadlock|rating=5|genre=For Sharing|summary=Mum, Tom, Tilly, Lily and Eddie wanted to go on holiday and camping seemed like the ideal way to go4. Lily and Tilly thought it was a brilliant idea and they had some experience, although their 'tent' did look just a little bit like a duvet over a chair. It's surprising what you need for a holiday, but Lily and Tilly had to be told to start again when Mum saw what they'd packed! But finally, Tom began to load the car and off they went.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184780408X</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=W Awdry|title=Thomas the Tank Engine 70th Anniversary Slipcase|rating=5

|summary=Thomas, if you don't know, Late one night Graham Blake is a little Tank Engine, who is very quick to build up a head of steam and move late back from his coaches and trucks around the train yards and networks he works shift on. That does mean that he has to be shown up by the larger, slower engines when he continually blows his whistle to disturb their restforce, and can even forget to bring any carriages with him when he's pulling a trainthen suddenly rings Archie, but demanding he does mean well. He's fetch something from a warm, feisty little charactersecret place, and was probably always bound to become a bit of a favourite with warm, feisty young readers, especially those brought up with an eye to the romance of join him on the railwaysrun. But he wasn't the first we met in the series that in public shorthand at least bears his name.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405277270</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Cathy Hopkins|title=Mum Never Did Learn They get together, but barely begin to Knock|rating=4|genre=Dyslexia Friendly|summary=#People are worrying about Emily: her Dad and smell the staff at school are all worried that she's spending a lot whiff of time talking to her Mum. You might think that there's nothing wrong with that - in fact that it's entirely commendable and young people ought to spend more time talking to their parents - but Emily's Mum died a few months ago. Emily has reached Southern trains when the stage of ''hiding'' father is arrested, leaving Archie on the fact that Mum appears late express to her in very real formBrighton, perhaps just toting a little bit ''ghostly'', but then you wouldn't expect her to look just like she was when she tin his father was alive, now would you? At school she's sent determined to see a counsellorkeep away from his colleagues, but it doesn't go quite and the way that the counsellor was expecting..bearer of a whole heap of questions. particularly when Emily asked where people go when they die and the ultimate 'what comes after space?'|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1781124957</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ally KennenCath Howe|title=How to Speak Spook (and Stay Alive)My Life on Fire

|summary= Everybody knows if you Ren's family home is destroyed in a fire. She, her parents, and her little brother lose everything. She doesn't have a any of her clothes, or any of her special gift like seeing through walls little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and now she is living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, or do anything, or even eat the ability foods they normally eat. When she goes back to speak giraffe you have school she discovers that the class are doing a special art project, creating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to keep it secretthem and show who they are as a person. If you don't But Ren has nothing to put in a box, men in dark suits and wrap-around shades take you away so she finds herself starting to experiment on yousteal things. (And if it's the wall thing Small things, things that people might not really miss, girls will assume you're spying on them not when they get changed for PE and beat you uphave so much already.) But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407148753</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Eric ColossalRob Keeley|title=Rutabaga the Adventure Chef: Book 1The Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories

|summary=Meet the latest adventurer Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a return to scour the land. He has a talent for finding the obscure and seeking out the rare, and surviving all the undignified fates the world has in store. He even has a magical companion. He will be open short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to any challenge set upon himeleven new tales, from locating dragon-smiting swords each as fun to besting the largest, most locally loved, rival. He is Rutabaga, and he is, of course, a chefread as his previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1419715976</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom McLaughlin Laura Noakes|title=The Accidental Prime Minister |rating=3|genre=Confident Readers |summary=What would happen if a shy, slightly clumsy, 12 year old boy accidently found himself in the top job, living in Number Ten and making decisions for the country as Prime Minister? This is the premise behind Tom McLaughlin’s debut middle grade novel and the answer is simple – there’d be national ‘Fancy Dress Friday’ every week (on Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Thursday), high fives would be used instead of handshakes, jelly would be available on the NHS, and one day every month the pupils would get to be the teachers. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192737740</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Derek Keilty and Jonny Duddle|title= Will Gallows and the Wolfer's Deadly MagicStar

|summary=Will Gallows is Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just a week away from being a fully-fledged member of Cos to her friends. The practice in the Sky Cavalry – and his talking, winged horse home she lives in is even more keen on hitting for the girls to just be named by the passing out ceremony on number they correspond to in the nose. But things arenledger, and they't re all going to go their way Unfortunates – Mid-Rock City has received a blackmail noteyoung people with disabilities, extorting uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. But Cosima bears the town out of tag as a lot of gold for threat of a 'death mace'surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, of which nobody has as the first ever heardinmate, and unique in having no known family in the outside world. Certain factors all point During a daring escapade to Will being steal some posh cakes from the best cadet kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to take part in nixing the handover want to adopt all the criminal, not least of which is girls for his half-hidden secret magic skill due to being part-elf – but as soon as it's realised who the baddy is, things immediately step up a gearInstitute. And if that isn't bad enoughBut why, Will's grandma and great-uncle have just turned up for a pleasant trip based around his graduation…what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to the past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1783440597</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate PankhurstAlice M Ross|title= Mariella Mystery Investigates: A Kitty Calamity The Nowhere Thief|rating=4|genre= Confident Readers |summary= When Mariella Mystery (amazing girl detective, aged nine and a bit) and the other Mystery Girls – Violet and Poppy – start to investigate the disappearance of their neighbour’s cat they think it’s going to be an easy case. Aren’t missing cats usually just stuck up a tree or off visiting a house where there’s tastier food? But the girls’ views begin to change when more and more cats start to disappear. Soon everyone in Puddleford is worried. The situation is suddenly serious and it’s up to the Mystery Girls to put an end to the catnapping. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444012320</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=R D Shanks|title=Merlin and Guinevere: A Happenstance Meeting: Volume 1|rating=45

|summary=Merlin At last there is both ordinary new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and specialher mother run in a seaside town. He is living a quiet Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, ordinary life with his father in his quietbecause she has the ability to leave this world, ordinary village. Murrow is a fisherman and he use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and his son have a great relationship, supportive the buildings are generally empty of humans and lovingripe for plunder. So far With eviction imminent, so ordinary, rightcan Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the shop? But Merlin isn't like the other boys. While they are raucous and social Well yes, Merlin is quiet and contemplative. His best friend isn't another boy; it's Happenstancethe answer, his cat. Murrow and Merlin might not realise it but the reader will - there's something special about Merlin.fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1505689740</amazonuk>1839943769

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=BarrouxNatasha Farrant|title=Where's the Elephant?The Rescue of Ravenwood

|genre=For SharingConfident Readers|summary=WeThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of 've all had great fun with books such as ''Where's WallyVoyage of the Sparrowhawk''. Ravenwood is an old house, haven't we? They appeal to children and adults and everyone who has seen ''Where's in the Elephant?'' has jumped in with great enthusiasmNorth of England, keen to show just how observant they arewhere Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. We start off with They are part of a forest - actually it's the Amazon Rainforest - full of glorious colours and our three friendscomplex, extended family arrangement, who are hiding in as Bea is there. Elephant with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is probably the easiest to spotthere with his mum, but Snake and Parrot they are in there too and with living together as a little concentration you'll find themfamily. When you turn They have grown up swimming in the page you'll scan cove, roaming through the trees again , completely at one with all of the nature around the house and discover their hiding placesloving every inch of the place. You even wonder if But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it might get a little 's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they'boring're going to live, but if they' ll even be together, and if it goes on like thisRavenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405271388</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah ForbesRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Elspeth Hart and the School for Show-offsSecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=3.54

|summary=ImagineJayden's nose is forever in a book, dear readerwhich means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and unicorns of the world, a poor girl who for example. Aisha is never allowed addicted to play outside like the other childrenher new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. Instead The problem, as their mothers see it, is that they are never 'out there' themselves, she has to spend her day performing horrid choresexploring the outside world of Hackney, like sweeping London. But when a narrowboat turns up mousecarrying a science-droppings in minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a magical world they never knew existed. For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she's seen on a bit of local footage. The crew of the creepyboat, dark cellar including a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and shooing away the cockroaches kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in the kitchen. So begins a long list of woes for shy Elspeth Hart Dare they side with Leila, who toils tirelessly during the day woman on board, and spends her nights sleeping relative who lives as a figure in a dustypainting, cramped wardrobe.and become saviours of the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847155952</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Sophie CleverlyB09XWSXSKY|title=Scarlet Maestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Ivy The Lost TwinJoanne Grodzinski

|summary=IvyFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn's twin sister Scarlet had been the strong willed, fearless one whilst Ivyt sleep. A tune, on rather like the other hand, ticking of a clock was timid playing over and shyover in his mind. It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. Following Scarlet He hadn's sudden death Ivy is forced t really wanted to take her twincome; after all, he's place at the sinister Rockwood Boarding School for girls ten now and once there she finds herself thrust into a mystery she struggles all those old clocks don't appeal to solvehim anymore. Her only hope  ''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is to behave as Scarlet would have done, so with tell the time. And time isn't good for anything...'' And that was why he was looking at the clock beside the bed. It was nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the help of her new friend, Ariadne, Ivy attempts clock chimed only six times. There was nothing for it but to conquer her fears go and stand up to find grandad - but where was he? And why had all the wicked Miss Fox and discover what really happened to her sister.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007589182</amazonuk>clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?