Changes

[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]] __NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|isbn= 1836285493|title=Thirteen Days The Double Life of Midnighta Wheelchair User|author=Leo HuntRob Keeley|rating=4.5|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=Luke Manchett really isn't that upset when he gets the news that his father has diedWill is a keen player of video games, a conscientious student, a slightly annoying brother and a supportive friend. You might think that's a tad harshBut most of all, but Luke has been estranged from his father for yearshe is an aspiring writer. His primary concern English is his motherfavourite lesson at his school, Marlowe Park, who is disabled and one at which he excels. This hasn't gone unnoticed by crushing cluster headaches. Sohis headteacher, rather than worry herMrs Howarth, Luke heads off and she has suggested to Will and his mum that he spends a lawyer's office to deal with the reading couple of afternoons a week at a different school, Station Road, where his father's will by himselfability might be better extended. And he gets a shock. Luke's inheritance adds up to six million dollars. SIX MILLION!|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408337460</amazonuk>

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=John Dougherty and David Tazzyman (illustrator)1836282028|title=Stinkbomb and Ketchup-Face and the Bees of StupidityThe Fighting Spirit|author=Rob Keeley|rating=54

|summary=We've been here before'Would you like to adopt a ghost?'' ''Young spirit, born 1887, seeks kind home to haunt. The lovely Gentleman by birth. Good company. Gets on well with other children whose name is . Jokes and shocks a speciality.'' ''If interested, place outside your home three twigs, in the title shape of all these books – handy when they make time an arrow, pointing to try and check if they're in this one or not – are woken up in a ridiculous way by a blackbird making his usual cameoyour front door.. The Army of Great Kerfuffle is asleep – all single cat of it. The King '' Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is wearing celebrating a badge that allows him to pretend to not be the King – this time hedecade of his wonderfully entertaining [[Rob Keeley's thinking of keeping bees, although he has four animals that go 'quack' Spirits'' series in Chronological Order|Spirits]] series with a new adventure that is both a reboot and a hive insteadcontinuation. Oh yeahJust like Doctor Who, Edward Fitzberranger, our incorrigible Victorian ghost boy, has some new companions. Ruby and Jayden respond to this intriguing advertisement and Edward, who has broken the evil badgers are in prison having been naughty. But they will never follow the pattern rules as usual and be evil absconded from his manor house home, is adopted by them and naughty and break out takes up residence in order to be eviller and more naughty, will they?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192742736</amazonuk>.... a wardrobe!

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Julian SedgwickRob Keeley|title=Ghosts of ShanghaiChildish Spirits: 10th anniversary special edition

|summary=ShanghaiAround here, 1926. The city is heavily divided between the natural, national areas, and the enclaves we're big fans of the foreigners – Russian, French, American, Britishchildren's author Rob Keeley. Several He's a ball of the younger international youths have formed the Ghost Society ganghappy positivity, after the principal characterhe understands children, Ruby, found another divide cleaving Shanghai in two – that between the living and the deadhe writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, the not to lecture or hector.  The ''Childish Spirits'real world' and the Otherworldseries is one of his greatest achievements. Her brother deadIt's a sequence of ghost stories centring on Ellie, she seemed to become the conduit for a poltergeist in her apartment, and recently stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the gang have even managed to lock a spirit into a bottle and cast it down a well. But the gang is immediately falling apart – the lad she loves, Charlieworld throws at her, and his sister are diverting themselves fromEdward, or have been warned off, any further such activity. Rose knows she has to find the source of the problem – a spoiled lordling and cross any untold divides in her city to find the truth…first spirit Ellie encounters|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444923900</amazonuk>1783064617

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Guillermo del Toro, Daniel Kraus and Sean MurrayMax Boucherat|title=TrollhuntersThe Last Life of Lori Mills

|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=West Coast USA We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a blanket fort, she has one main intention, and that is to log on to Voxminer, the 1960sworld-building, critter-collecting game that is a hit in Lori's world. But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and then she finds something even more spooky. For the city is wracked server she and her bestie and wrecked by a slew nobody else should be able to enter shows signs of missing children reportstampering. The parents with their new anguishesWhen malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and new rules against playing out after darkher safe place in the game has been doctored – well, have no idea where is a girl to turn?|isbn=0008666482}}{{Frontpage|author=Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Kit. Like most of the horrors people in their vicinity his world, it seems, he is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – literally under their feet lies the sport where a city team of trollswarrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, guilty of snatching and race to the exit, perhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the childrenway. Last to goUnfortunately for Kit, Jack Sturgess. Cue the modern era and Jackonly thing he's youngerseen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is that one team has been retired, now grown-up brother Jimeaten, and Jim Jr live a sheltered life in new trio of questors is needed. Possibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to the goading from the most barricaded token bully of his world and secure home imaginable, and Jim Jrstumbled into declaring he's life is ll enter as exciting as you'd expecta team. UnfortunatelyWhat chance does this friendless, howevermuscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, the trolls are about to make a return to their nastiest of ways – and their intentions are a lot more surprising than Jim Jr how could ever predict…he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471405192</amazonuk>1839945184

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Caroline LawrenceJames Sherwood Metts|title= The Case of the Bogus DetectivePlanet Storyland|rating= 4.5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= Howdy folks! Welcome Things have been a bit sticky for the Earthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're paid to Virginia City, bustling do and busy home other tasks that took time to prospectors, dancing girls, lawyers, gamblers and newspapermenaccomplish. It's 1862, Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and our twelve-year-old pal Pinky is continuing the quest starting to become a successful detective and eventually join Uncle Allan in the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency in Chicago. But for the moment there's so much crime right here in Nevadathink of other, thanks new ways to the untold wealth being found daily in the nearby silver minesspend time, that Pinky along came an awful pandemic. Life was pretty much shut down and financial partner Ping are soon busy day and night, chasing desperadosalong with it, solving crimes and righting all manner of wrongsthe many daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444010336</amazonuk>1736128426

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ali SparkesTom Percival|title=Car-JackedThe Wrong Shoes

|genre=Confident Readers |summary=A boy genius who speaks Mandarin Will's life is difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and Latin doesn't have enough money for even the most basic of things like food, and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the college, was working a criminal who’s just robbed cash-in-hand job on a bank building site and stolen a car: it’s had an unusual pairing butaccident. Throw into that mix the fact that his mum and dad are separated, it turns outand Will's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a perfect teamtiny amount of hope. ‘‘Car-Jacked’’ leads us through He is good at art, and clings to the twists and turns moments of 12-year old Jack’s adventure joy when his parents’ car he is hi-jacked with Jack still insidedrawing, that feel like a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>019273346X</amazonuk>1398527122

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake1805141872|title=Arabel’s RavenThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley

|genre=For SharingConfident Readers|summary=It’s ''Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been manyraided. The police are baffled, but only Ben knows the truth – his Maths teacher, many years since I first met Arabel Miss Judson, is really a safecracker! With police and her pet ravengangster boyfriend Al on their trail, MortimerMiss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job...'' Goodness me, whilst watching Jackanory that Miss Judson is a terror! How on children’s televisionearth did a nice teacher like her manage to get mixed up with a bad 'un like Al? We'll find out. Bernard Cribbins used to read Luckily for Miss Judson, the storiespupil who discovers her terrible secret is Ben, and they became firm favourites the son of mine. Here I am returning a famous magician who has ambitions to the first book in the series, well, just a handful of years laterbe as good as his father some day, and the story has lost none of its charm.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806910</amazonuk>who thinks Miss Judson is worth saving

{{newreviewFrontpage|author= Philip CaveneyChristopher Edge|title= One For Sorrow|rating= 5|genre= Confident Readers|summary= You'd think, wouldn't you, that Tom Afflick would move heaven and earth to avoid leaving Manchester to go to Edinburgh: on his last two visits there he ended up tumbling into the past, where he met all manner of scary folk. But parents tend to be pretty determined to get their own way about such things, and no way are they going to swallow some mad tale about him being chased by plague doctors and other assorted murderers. So, off he has to go, and yes – he's barely set foot in ''Auld Reekie'' when he's time travelling again, in a wondrous mix of drama, real live people and deadly peril.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905916957</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Dave Cousins|title=Charlie Merrick's Misfits in I'm a Nobody, Get Me Out of Here!Black Hole Cinema Club

|summary=What is Lucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a place that sayinghas the nickname of 'The Black Hole'. All big movie fans, about the best laid plans they're looking forward to lots of mice exciting films, and misfits gang aft agley? many, many snacks! Charlie and his fondly thought of friends in However, as the soccer squad we met [[Charlie Merrick's Misfits in Foulsmovie starts, Friendsthey very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, and Football by Dave Cousins|last time]] they are hoping for a simple trip to a summer camp for a weekswept up into an adventure they couldn's educative trainingt even imagine. But noas 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 cinema, and to their dopey manager has booked them in 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 survival camp by mistake. Instead 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 hitting the back of the net they're building tarpaulin shelterstwo. They canBut he's a bad magician't set any watching footie-heads ablazes cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, for and the catflap they have to spark their own fires at nightboth use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. They can still scoreThis time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, howeverone much bigger than Murray was, as there's a points-based competition to handbe honest, but now that Charlie has dropped his team in the proverbial, theyhe're once more really s turned up against it…and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192738232</amazonuk>0008561249

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=John McNallyAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=The Forbidden City (Infinity Drake, Book 2)Glorious Race of Magical Beasts

|genre=TeensConfident Readers|summary=Finn may be only 9mm tall and still Eli is a teenager, but he's already saved busy lad – by day an apprentice in the world once. Accidentally shrunk wondrous library we start by his mad scientist Uncle Alvisiting with him, he joined a crack military team and helped foil in the threat of evening a lethal bio-weaponhelper at the dessert cafe his gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the Scarlatti waspfamily. But there A few short years ago, Eli's no letparents were both lost to the titular race, a globe-up for Finntrotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast. Before Al can restore him 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 to dare to normal sizeenter what he most hates, a new threat emergeswith the sole aim the prize of magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007521650</amazonuk>0571382231

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tom PalmerHelen Cooper|title=Rugby Academy: Deadlocked|rating=5|genre=Dyslexia Friendly|summary=It's the third story in the ''Rugby Academy'' series and so far we've heard from Woody in [[Rugby Academy: Combat Zone by Tom Palmer|Combat Zone]] and Rory in [[Rugby Academy: Surface to Air by Tom Palmer|Surface to Air]]. In this, the final book in this brilliant series, we hear from Owen. We left the team at the end The Taming of ''Surface to Air'' when Borderlands had got through to the World Championship in New Zealand. Despite the elation of doing so Owen isn't entirely comfortable with Jesse, the team captain. He has no doubts that he was a brilliant player - the best on the team - but he can't respect him as a person.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781123993</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=E L Konigsburg|title=From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E FrankweilerCat|rating=43.5

|summary=Eleven-year-old Claudia Kincaid is tired of being taken for grantedOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. As In this case, principally, we have Brie the oldest of four children, she suffers many an injusticemouse, and up against Gorgonzola the interplay of school cat – and home life is becoming monotonous. She decides to run away from her home in Greenwichcase you're seeing a connection, Connecticut to they live in a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be the New York City Metropolitan Museum names of Artcheeses. Middle brother Jamie Anyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, 9if you must, is her chosen companionmous-tracised, not least because for the way his habits don't match the other mice he can fund their venturelives with. By cheating his friend Bruce at card games, Jamie has accumulated more than $24 They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – whichhe displays it as art and makes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, in 1967 when this classic childrenhe feels all alone and cast out. It's novel first appearedalmost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as all the others had the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was not an insignificant amountdistracted. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1782690719</amazonuk>0571376010

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Rachel Renee RussellLauren St John|title=Dork Diaries: Drama Queen (Dork Diaries 9)Finding Wonder

|summary=Meet Mackenzie HollisterRoo's life has become almost impossibly difficult. She's a typical American tweenager – concerned Her mum died when she was young, and now she finds herself awoken in popularity, looks, the hot guys like Brandon, and getting one over middle of the night by the police banging on all those around her. That's made a lot more easy by door to tell her parents being spoilingly rich – if Mackenzie, say, wants a new cover for that her diary she will just rip up dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a new $220 leopard print designer blouse and use thatlottery ticket. But the problem is, When asked what other family she's reading back overhas, and what she's writing incan only name her aunt, Joni, isnwho she knows her dad didn't ''exactly'' her diary – it's the diary belonging to our beloved heroine, Nikkithink very highly of. But she has no one else, and Mackenzie has managed so off she goes to purloin it for evil deedslive with her unreliable aunt. Can Nikki Things continue to get it back – or live at all without her beloved journal? And could there actually be something worse than her biggest enemy offor Roo, likeas when she and Joni leave London in Joni's old campervan, all time, being it breaks down in the person reading it?middle of nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1471117707</amazonuk>0571376169

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Lewis Carroll Adam Baron and Sir John TennielBenji Davies|title=AliceOscar's Adventures in Wonderland Lion|rating=53

|summary=It can hardly We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have escaped anyonehis mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to be ready for school. But when he enters his parents's attention bedroom, all he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, and admitting that 2015 is he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the 150th anniversary of bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the publication other month. And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to school and it can get him out of Lewis Carrolla problem. And it's ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the rules, and weso on. OK, it can've seen numerous anniversary editionst work a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1447287118</amazonuk>0008596751

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Guy Bass and Pete WilliamsonJudith Eagle|title=The Beast of Grubbers Nubbin (Stitch Head)Stolen Songbird

|summary=ItCaro's all wrong in Castle Grotteskewmother, a world-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to go up North to take care of her sister who is unwell. The very walls should be terrified by the monsters the Mad Professor in the basement So who is creatinggoing to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, out she feels frustrated and confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of various body parts and different animalsbuilding herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. But noshe soon finds herself caught up in a mystery, the clamour as she discovers a painting of noisea bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and all across London a fearsome gang called the unlikely activities Snakes are thieving artworks and horrendous appetite for food come from something else entirely – a hundred rescued human orphansterrorising people. That appetite needs feeding – so it’s perfect timing for Is the village below painting somehow linked to the castle, Grubbers Nubbin, to have their annual podge-a-thon feast. gang? But when Stitch Head and his human friend Arabella go And what has happened to purloin some human food – there being no decent alternative – theyCaro're horrified to find something even worse than the monsters trapped s mother? Is she somehow involved in the castle above…mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847156096</amazonuk>0571363148

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Cassie BeasleyTania Unsworth|title=Circus MirandusNowhere Island|rating=4.5

|summary=Micah is an orphan who has been raised by his grandfatherMeet Gil. Just twelve, but now Micah’s grandfather he is dying. And if that wasn’t bad enough, his horrible great aunt has arrived so determined to take escape the care of system – the system that constantly puts him, cutting their limited time together further. But don’t worry all hope is in futureless places that are not lost. When grandpa Ephraim was homes – and find a child he visited the mysterious Circus Mirandus, where he was promised a miracle by the miraculous Man Who Bends Lighthome for himself. All Micah has to do He is get a message en route to the Light Bender yet another fosterer, when he jumps into an anonymous car, and lets it ride him to his grandfather can have future. That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his miracle. With the help one bag of Jenny Mendoza (the smartest girl belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in the class), Micah sets his sights a camp on an island between the circustwo directions of a motorway, a task that requires unconditional love place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and faithseclusion. Aunt Gertrudis 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 wrong, Ephraim’s stories aren’t one place where life as we would want it just stories ... are they?would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1101892315</amazonuk>1804540080

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Owen DaveyHelen Peters|title=Mad About MonkeysFriends and Traitors|rating= 43|genre=Children's Non-FictionConfident Readers|summary=Of all the many millions of animals on our planet that deserve a large format hardback non-fiction bookEngland, I guess monkeys WW2. Two young girls are one of new at the ideal places to startcountry pile called Stanbrook. They areOne is Nancy, of coursedestined to be in service all her life it seems, our distant cousins, with like the ancestor we have in common with them walking around our world within the past thirty million yearsfemale generations before her. They have The other is Sidney, a girl from a large range across the planethoity-toity Sussex boarding school that has been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and cheese, they have and if we hadn't guessed that then their behaviour with each other over 250 variant speciestheir first encounters would only prove it so. But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they have realise the Lord Evesham must be a lot rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is made of interesting facts meetings with Germans, and details regarding their social lifenot only that, their dieta local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, their diversity and their potential future – all of which makes this an interesting read whatever your species bias may the upper class could never be.so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1909263575</amazonuk>1788004647

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Josh LaceyJamie Littler|title=Dragonsitter TroubleArkspire

|summary=You don't need me Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to tell you what it's like when your uncle owns two dragonsbe chalk and cheese. He's the pig-headed type who has a mummy Juniper is an eager hunter and baby dragon living with himtrader in illicit magic, and he must live including relics from prior major wars left out in the Badlands. Elodie is intent on a remote island off Scotlandgetting closer to power in one of the religious districts of Arkspire, and he must spend half perhaps even to become the time hunting child in line to inherit the world power of dragons in Outer Mongolia, or searching for the yetiWatcher, so that trouble starts from the very moment you arrive with your mother and sister closest to housesit for him – there's no fooda ruler the district has, and one of the dragons are pooing everywhere and you five major victors in said earlier war. Being trained in the magic that only five people can't even use would definitely change the front door properly because he didn't leave status of the key in an obvious placewhole family. StillBut in finding something oddly magical, that's nothing compared Juniper might just be able to when the neighbouring farmer gets his guns trained on the dragons when he accuses them gain some power of stealing his sheep… Or how about when your big birthday party is here, and the magician is booked her own – and the two dragons come to stayfor good, because somebody else with the talent to care or for them has the hots for your mother…very, very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1783442972</amazonuk>0241586143

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jo Simmons024162343X|title=Super-Loud SamStolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera

|summary=Sam is loudMeet Trixie. Not just loud as in the loudest lad in classForever getting into scrapes, larks and not just loud as in loudest fire alarm in adventures involving flooding the schoolaircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. NoBut just when she's being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, Sam is '''LOUD''' loudthe world changes. Stop traffic in Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power-out, even of electric cars, hits not just the town the streets loud. Scary loud. Loud enough to make passing birds forget how to fly loud. Thereschool's little rhyme or reason for thisin but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, just as there is no real reason why his best friend Nina does nothing but knit and all that powers the livelong dayInternet, even when walking to school. Itjust for our convenience's just something you have to acceptsake). But Trixie, luckily, realises what's this? Their favourite teacher has vanished, and a new one has happened – the ancient Gods have taken his place – Mrs Mannthe power of power from us. She's ridiculous with And so she begins her weirdly large handsepic quest, her huge cardigan and even huger beehive hairdo. The biggest thing about her though is to gather all the threat she poses people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that of eternal silence have past form in her lessonsstealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on known as the tricksters. How can Sam possibly continue at school, when even him clearing his throat is like a plane crash in your ears?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407152300</amazonuk>178845295X

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Christopher MyersHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=My PenFinding Bear|rating=4.5|genre=Emerging Confident Readers|summary=How long does it take you to read [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a lot further north than many people would venture, and finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a picture book? polar bear – that she called Bear. Don't worry counting Back home, things on the number of wordsdomestic and family front are a bit advanced, forget totalling the pagesbut not perfect for her, and ignore how many times you may return to bring it off so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the shelfislands Bear was last left on. What matters so much more than how long it takes to scan For a page can be how long it lies in the memory, bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and what it can lead towounded. This exampleDesperate to make sure he's OK, for instance, can be perused she and her father return to the Arctic and hope that in seconds, but creates a vivid world of very white and long-standing mental imagevery dangerous things, she can find one specific white and will if it hits dangerous thing – and that the right buttons lead to untold future activities. You friendship can't judge something like this on the value of timecontinue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1423103718</amazonuk>0008582017

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Cath Senker and Melvyn EvansSimon Fox|title=Ancient Egypt in 30 Seconds: 30 Awesome Topics for Pharaoh Fanatics Explained in Half a Minute (Children's 30 Second)Deadlock|rating=4|genre=Children's Non-Fiction|summary=Egypt. It's up there with dinosaurs, space travel and not much else that can hold a young child throughout the length of their school career. Considering a lot of them will grow up declaring they have no interest in, or even a hatred for, history, it all was relevant a long, long time ago – and with Carter's finding of King Tut's tomb closing in on its centenary it won't go away yet. There are indeed books that solely concern themselves with the history of our love affair with Egypt. But I guess it does boil down to it being introduced by a fine teacher. Whether this latest book will supplant the human in giving us all the lessons we need remains to be seen.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402373</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author=Jonathan Meres|title=The World of Norm: 8: May Contain Buts|rating=45

|summary=Why Late one night Graham Blake is it late back from his shift on the only person in Norm's world able to think straight is Norm? His best mate Mikey is clamming up on certain subjectsforce, and blaming mood swings on his hormones (wellthen suddenly rings Archie, demanding he is all of thirteenfetch something from a secret place, after all)and join him on the run. His dad seems They get together, but barely begin to be mourning smell the loss whiff of an antique bottle of aftershave, his mother thinks sorting Southern trains when the recycling is a cure for boredom, and his grandfather father is all full of weird expressions and euphemism thingies. That's not to mention his younger brothersarrested, who have it in mind to use mum's hair straightener leaving Archie on the dog. And that's certainly not late express to mention the girl next doorBrighton, who evidently has been incapable of thinking straight since birth, but at least is doing the good thing by moving house. It's toting a flipping miracle that Norm can get through a weekend like this without anything disastrous happening. Or can he?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408334062</amazonuk>}}{{newreview|author= Piers Torday|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 nowtin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, as environmental disasters and the disappearance bearer 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 whole heap 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 worldquestions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848668481</amazonuk>1839944420

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Caleb Krisp and John KellyCath Howe|title=Anyone But Ivy PocketMy Life on Fire

|summary=12-year-old maid Ivy Pocket Ren's family home is at destroyed in a loose end after fire. She, her employer the Countess Carbunkle leaves parents, and her for South America "for no other reason than it is far enough away from Paris to ensure that I never see you againlittle brother lose everything." Charitably deciding that the old woman is 'bonkers' on the basis that anyone who She doesn't see how wonderful have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and now she is couldnliving at her grandmother's house where they can't possibly be in their right mindtouch anything, or do anything, Ivy thinks or even eat the foods they normally eat. When she'll stroll into another job but finds it more difficult than goes back to school she'd expect - until discovers that the Duchess class are doing a special art project, creating boxes of Trinity gives her an their lives, to display things that are important mission; to deliver them and show who they are as a priceless diamond necklace to the granddaughter of an estranged friendperson. But what should be Ren has nothing to put in a simple task becomes fraught with danger as Ivy faces obnoxious aristocratsbox, and so she finds herself starting to steal things. Small things, strange creaturesthings that people might not really miss, and betrayalnot when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408858630</amazonuk>1839942835

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Esme KerrRob Keeley|title=Mischief at MidnightThe Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories|rating=34

|summary= At the slightly strange school of Knight's Haddon, there's always something intriguing going on. New girl Janet, cool and confident even when arguing Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is back with a return to the teacher'sshort story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new tales, is the big surprise for Edie this term, and they become friends - but Anastasia feels forced out by the newer student's presenceeach as fun to read as his previous offerings. Then some things happen which make Edie start to wonder if Janet is hiding something - can she solve another mystery?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>190948900X</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Gareth P JonesLaura Noakes|title=Attack of the Giant Sea Spiders (Adventures of the Steampunk Pirates)Cosima Unfortunate Steals a Star

|summary=It's a three-way battle Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the home she lives in is for the girls to just be named by the number they correspond to in the Slurring Mariner publedger, and they're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. On But Cosima bears the one handtag as a surname because nothing else seems to be known about where she came from, four Steampunk Pirates – a fine mix of viciousas the first ever inmate, nefarious and metallic mariners who would make any passing human gulp (which is more than you could ever say of unique in having no known family in the beer)outside world. On another, During a daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the Dread Captain Inkybeardkitchen one afternoon, who is married she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to a squid who lives on his head and keeps adopt all the girls for his facial hair darkInstitute. On the thirdBut why, a ridiculously rich, ridiculously French and ridiculously successful recruiter – but to just what is he taking so many seamendoes that body entail? Whatever And could it is, it's enough possibly bring Cos closer to get the Pirates and Inkybeard working together (ish) to solve the problem – but someone else might just be controlling the whole farrago…past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847155995</amazonuk>0008579059

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Liz PichonAlice M Ross|title=Yes! No (MaybeThe Nowhere Thief|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=At last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the ability to leave this world, and use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where the sea levels are rising dramatically and the buildings are generally empty of humans and ripe for plunder.) (Tom Gates) With eviction imminent, can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the 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…|isbn=1839943769}}{{Frontpage|author=Natasha Farrant|title=The Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=3.5

|summary= WorkThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''. It's not something Tom Gates has Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been guilty living for most of much before now – unless it's to work out how their lives. They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and where to hide Raffy is there with his favourite caramel wafersmum, or how to deflect the evil grin of his slightly goth older sisterand they are living together as a family. But it's on They have grown up swimming in the cards this time round – not only does his mother have cove, roaming through the inspired idea trees, completely at one with all of clearing the nature around the house out for a car boot sale (which causes disasters) and loving every inch of the place. But now the school house is having an enterprise competitionunder threat, where groups of students have to create something as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell on the property to their peers at a profit. But developer as it's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not like Tom wants much – of course, heonly about where they's a simple ladre going to live, with no real desires as such – hebut if they's never going to want to go hell for leather to get anythingll even be together, is he?and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407143190</amazonuk>0571348785

{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Linda Chapman Robin Birch and Kate HindleyJobe Anderson|title=Best Friends’ BakerySecret Beast Club: Birthdays and BiscuitsThe Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=4.5

|summary=In thisJayden's nose is forever in a book, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the fourth story in phoenixes and unicorns of the Best Friends’ Bakery seriesworld, Hannah for example. Aisha is recovering from addicted to her sadness at being thrown off new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, as their mothers see it, is that they are never 'out there' themselves, exploring the Junior Baker show on TVoutside world of Hackney, London. Fortunately there’s plenty going on in her town But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and at her mum’s bakery to keep her busywith a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a magical world they never knew existed. There’s For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she's seen on a new beauty shop opening to bake forbit of local footage. The crew of the boat, including a doggy rescue centre in troubleliving gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and a new girl who seems intent on stopping anyone from befriending herthe kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in. How will Hannah get Dare they side with Leila, the woman on with these new challenges board, and her relative who lives as a figure in her lifea painting, and become saviours of the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444011944</amazonuk>0241573483

{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Frances HardingeB09XWSXSKY|title=Cuckoo SongMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski|rating=4.5

|summary=Marketed as Frederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn't sleep. A tune, rather like the ticking of a twisted fairy taleclock was playing over and over in his mind. It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. He hadn't really wanted to come; after all, he's ten now and all those old clocks don'Cuckoo Songt appeal to him anymore. '' Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is so much moretell the time. Hardinge’s lyrical style sets it apart from other fantasy readsAnd time isn't good for anything... Such phrases as ''she  And that was weeping spider silk'' lend it a melody all of its own. At why he was looking at the story’s heart is clock beside the sense of wanting to belong and connect with othersbed. It revolves around Piers Crescent’s daughter Triss who wakes up after an accident to find that her world has changedwas nearly twelve o'clock but at midnight the clock chimed only six times. She doesn’t feel that she is herself and starts to exhibit extremely peculiar behaviour. She is ravenous and inexplicably binge eats. For some reason her little sister Pen appears to hate her, scissors act strangely around her and her parents are anxious There was nothing for her it but to remain ill go and cosseted. She has memories from the time before she nearly drowned find grandad - but she can’t visualise where was he? And why had all the actual incident.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0330519735</amazonuk>clocks stopped at twelve o'clock?