#Review By Lou of Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairytales By #CatherineCawthorne, #SaraOgilvie @KidsBloomsbury #BigBadWolfInvestigatesFairyTalesFactcheckingyourfavouritestorieswithSCIENCE #ChildrensBooks #ChildrensNonFiction #STEM #Fairytales

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairytales
By Catherine Cawthorne, Sara Ogilvie

STEM Meets The Arts to a certain extent in children’s book – Big Bad Wolf. Discover the blurb and my review below.

Join the Big Bad Wolf as he debunks your favourite fairy tales with SCIENCE! Written by the hilarious Catherine Cawthorne and illustrated by award-winning Sara Ogilvie.

Did a princess really feel a tiny pea through a mountain of mattresses? And could a pumpkin actually turn into a carriage to carry Cinderella to the ball? Of course not! It’s all a load of fairytale NONSENSE! Or is it . . . ? The Big Bad Wolf is on a mission to find the truth behind these tales, and clear his name in the process.

Combining STEM topics with classic stories children know and love, this hilarious non-fiction picture book is perfect for inquisitive children always asking big questions!

Review

Fairytales are a staple to many children’s upbringing and science is, in many ways viewed as a key subject within schools. Big Bad Wolf combines both fairytales and science in a way that makes it all a fun learning experience for children by combining literacy and STEM skills together in one unique book.

The book is narrated by the Big Bad Wolf, which also contains a recap of the fairytale in question and then the myth. It takes a bit of a tongue-in-cheek approach, the type that children appreciate. The presentation of the book makes it easy and fun for children to follow.

It’s a book that doesn’t need to remain just for schools, it is fun for the home too.

#Review By Lou – This Is Your Own Time You’re Wasting By Lee Parkinson and Adam Parkinson #ThisIsYourOwnTimeYoureWasting Classroom Confessions, Calamities and Clangers @HarperCollins #LeeParkinson #AdamParkinson

This Is Your Own Time You’re Wasting
By Lee Parkinson and Adam Parkinson

One for teachers to have a chuckle over, resonate with and for parents/caregivers to find greater insight. Discover more in the blurb and review below, of a book that’s based on the Sunday Times Bestseller, that started life as a successful podcast.
Thanks to Harper Collins for the book, in-exchange of an honest review.

Blurb

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

The side-splittingly hilarious and heart-warming new book from your favourite teacher duo and hosts of Two Mr Ps in a Pod(cast)

Remember the distant days of lockdown and those futile attempts to homeschool distracted, disinterested kids?

Parents rejoiced to send them back to school, while teachers prepared to face them all again … Five. Days. A. Week! Coming out the other side of the pandemic years, podcast sensations Lee and Adam Parkinson – aka the Two Mr Ps – bring you the most hilarious, ridiculous anecdotes from inside our primary schools.

Join in on the classroom antics as they share the unexpected pitfalls of online teaching, all the reasons you need a strong stomach to take on Early Years and why not every household item makes a suitable Harry Potter wand …

Review

From teacher duo and hosts of Two Mr Ps in a Pod(cast), brings funny book: This Is Your Own Time You’re Wasting. It will resonate with most child educators and support staff. I, myself work with children of many ages and have done for many years and this is a book for both parents/caregivers and education staff to have fun over, especially staff. There are anecdotes galore, from Show and Tell and how not everything might be quite what you would expect to kids wanting to share every detail with you, including bodily functions to stories they tell to the antics they get up to. For parents/caregivers, there are certain things that will give them insights into what they may not see in the home and also a small bit about staff.

It also serves a little bit of a reminder of education in the pandemic, to a certain extent as the focus is on teachers and we know that there are many other people involved to make education work.

The style is chatty, much like a podcast is, so it makes this a book that’s easy to dip in and out of, rather perhaps, feeling the need to read it all in one go. For the type of book it is, I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing or way to read it.

#Review By Lou of War of the Wind @NeemTreePress #TheWriteReads #BlogTour #YoungAdult #MiddleGrade #EcoThriller

War of the Wind
By Victoria Williamson

Eco-Thriller with neuro-diverse characters, War of the Wind has energy to it that sweeps you away into its locale to find out what’s mysteriously happening on the Scottish island. Crossing Middle Grade and YA, War of the Wind is good for 11 to 15 year olds, although ages above this will also get something from the characterisation and vibe.

Find out more in the blurb and my thoughts in my review below.
Discover more about the author who also works for widely known and used, education company Twinkl, her other books. For schools, there is also a link to free education resources and to request a school visit.
Thanks to The Write Reads for the blog tour invite and book.

Blurb

AN ADVENTUROUS ECO-THRILLER FROM AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S AUTHOR VICTORIA WILLIAMSON

On a remote Scottish island, fourteen-year-old Max’s life changes forever when he loses his hearing in a boating accident. Struggling to make sense of his new life and finding it hard to adapt in school, he begins to notice other — even stranger — changes taking place when a new wind farm appears off the island’s coast.

With the help of three school friends with additional support needs, Max discovers that a sinister scientist, Doctor Ashwood, is using wind turbines to experiment on the islanders. They must find a way to shut down the government’s secret test before it spins out of control…

Review

Set on a remote Scottish Island that is surprisingly inhabited by humans as its a tough terrain and is so cut off from the rest of the world, it doesn’t even have internet. No one has even installed anything like that for their own use, like I saw someone miraculously get onto the net in factual programme: Ben Fogle’s programme, New Lives In The Wild.

Life is precious and not to be taken for granted. 14 year old, Max, had it all ie a normal, healthy life, until he was involved in a boat accident and lost his hearing. He has 3 friends who also have additional support needs. Each are portrayed fairly accurately for the higher functioning end of spectrums. For Max’s character, it is good that struggles are portrayed in adapting to a different type of life as opposed to gone deaf and gets on with things. Readers will gain a sense of either themselves or empathy and understanding as well as it being more realistic.

As other senses sharpen and Max gets more curious about what’s going on about him, he notices a new company has moved in and is erecting wind turbines just off the island’s coast and there are scientists too. Science, of course has many advantages, but some scientists and some science is not all good as Max and his friends are about to find out. This is where the mystery really begins and the book becomes more captivating as weird experiments are carried out on the islanders, using the wind turbines to see how they react and what happens and you discover what Doctor Ashford’s motives are and what he hopes to achieve…
It has a sinister vibe to it that keeps you wanting to know how it will all end.

About the Author

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

#HappyNewYear #2023 #ChildrensBooks and #YoungAdultBooks I Highly #Recommend that I #Reviewed in #2022 of many genres from #PictureBooks to #ChapterBooks to #Novels

I reviewed a number of children’s books right across the ages from 0 to teenagers. Here are some I highly recommend. Starting with young children’s books, working up in age range. I have also provided links to the blurbs and full reviews as you wok you way down.

The Picture Books – 0 to 6 years

Trains, Trains, Trains! Is a fun-packed picture book that works on different levels. It encourages thought, speech and language as kids choose their favourite trains. It also has fun with counting and speed and provides children, including babies with a certain comfort in its train like rhythm of the words. It’s a book that adults can have fun with reading to children. Here is the link: Trains, Trains, Trains

Tilda Tries Again By Tom Percival was recently on CBeebies, read by Rob Burrows. It has fantastic illustrations, which really goes towards aiding the story along. It’s a positive, encouraging story that takes children into Tilda’s world, where it’s okay to give things another try. Here’s the link to the blurb and full review Tilda Tries Again

David’s Bathtime Adventure By Sue Wickstead is great for kids who love or dislike bathtime alike. It’s full of imaginative fun. It’s also got great tips for adults after the story too. Here’s the link to the blurb and full review: David’s Bathtime Adventure

The Fairy In The Kettle By Pauline Tait is a sweet story about friendship. It is also fun with a fairy who lives in a kettle and plenty goes on in this short adventure. Check out the blurb and review here: The Fairy In The Kettle

What The Ladybird Heard at Christmas By Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks is full of adventure and trepidation in this fun poetic story. Find out more in the link here: What The Ladybird Heard at Christmas

Daddy’s New Shed By Jessica Parkin sees him needing a new one, but who will get to use it? It has much humour. Here’s the link to the review and blurb: Daddy’s New Shed

Where Is My Smile? is charming and about a boy who has lost his. Is there a solution that can be found? The book promotes talk of feelings and wellbeing. Here’s the link to the blurb and review: Where Is My Smile?

The Middle Grade Books – 7 plus years

The Ultimate Guide to Growing Dragons by Andy Shepherd shows you too can grow dragons. The book is great for the adventurous and for young gardeners and the curious. It’s part of the excellent The Boy Who Grew Dragons series. This one also has fun pages set out like collection cards and so much more, as well as the story. Find out the blurb and full review in this link: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Dragons

Benji And The Gunpowder Plot By Kate Cunningham gives children a great time travelling adventure to the time of Guy Fawkes. It’s the first book in The Time Tumblers series. Find out more in the link for the review and blurb: Benji and the Gunpowder Plot

Jump By J.G.Nolan is a football story where old and young come together. They each learn something about football and a particular footballer. Here is the blurb and full review: Jump

Dread Wood By Jennifer Killick, author of the successful Craters Lake, is middlegrade horror at its best, on a par with Goosebumps by R.L. Stine. It’s atmospheric and twisty with mystery and dark tunnels… also a detention to boot. Why then is a teacher underground and a caretaker acting strangely? Here is the link to the blurb and full review: Dread Wood

Which Way To Anywhere By Cressida Cowell – author of How To Train Your Dragon and Wizard of Once, is exhilarating with a terrific cast of characters, including a robot assassin and trees not being quite how you would expect in this new magical world. Here is the link to the blurb and full review: Which Way To Anywhere

Young Adult/Teens -12 years plus

Being is Better and Beyond Invisible is a duology of books. Meet Amber and her friend. Both have quite different backgrounds and yet find each other. The book highlights teenage loneliness, grief, parental divorce, health issues, friendship. It is relatable and essential reading for teens/young adults. Here is the link to full blurbs and reviews of both books – Being Is Better Duology

Benji and the Gunpowder Plot By Kate Cunningham @BenjiAndTheGunpowderPlot #KateCunningham @reading_riddle @RandomTTours #ChildrensBook #Middlegrade #BonfireNight #GuyFawkesNight

Benji and the Gunpowder Plot
By Kate Cunningham

Meet several people from history in a fast-paced adventure through time. It is a page-turner! This is perfect for ages 9 to 12 years old. Thanks to Random T. Tours for inviting me to review.

Blurb

Benji hopes that a trip out on Bonfire Night will add excitement to his normally ordinary life.

However, when he accidentally falls down a time hole he has a lot more adventure than he expected. Who are the strange men in the Duck Inn? Who can he trust What is so important about the letter he has been asked to deliver?

Events will take him to the Globe Theatre, down the Thames rapids and into the heart of Parliament.
London in 1605 is darker, dirtier and more dangerous than home, and Benji has no idea how to get back.

Meet Benji Vent in the first adventure of the Time Tumblers series.

Benji is on the biggest adventure of his life, where his decisions will affect the course of history, and he will find out a lot more about the people in his life, including his mysterious father.

Review

As the name suggests, the scene is set for time travelling back to 5th November. Before readers reach chapter 1, there is a cast list of some fictional characters and some who are real and then a quote by William Shakespeare – “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts.”
Rather atmospheric and apt for what unfolds. Then readers are thrust into chapter one about a bonfire and join Benji and friends Jacob and Ellen as they recite “Remember, Remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason should ever be forgot” and having a good time. In a turn of events he finds himself stumbling travelling back in time to and suddenly life is very different as he lands in the year 1605.

What readers get from this book is history amongst a great adventure through time and meet many people, including William Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre as they follow Benji through the streets of London in 1605. Some people he meets are nice, but others are rather unsavoury. There are many moments of trepidation, including sword fights. It is a story children can well and truly be immersed in, with illustrations throughout accompanying it. At the back is an Afterword which tells the real facts that are highlighted within the fictional story in an easy to read bullet pointed list. I think books like this are invaluable to children as they get something to learn from that may pique their interest as well as a story. It may be of interest to both those who enjoy fiction and/or non-fiction alike.

About the Author

Kate Cunningham

I was a primary teacher in large London primary schools for ten years after having initially worked in a development charity.

Being married to a historian I was constantly discussing the most amazing stories; sometmes large incidents that changed the politcal landscape, but often small personal tales that gave a glimpse of the life of our ancestors. My writing became more and more influenced by these events and the ripples we still feel from them.

My books now reflect that, sometmes directly in the picture books, but more as an influence, showing how people behave when caught up in events like in the pandemic in MARY.

I have three sons — my eldest, Sam, is an illustrator who works with me on the Vlad flea picture book series, and I visit schools (often in a kirtle) and create resources for parents and teachers.

#BookReview By Lou of Otter’s Coat: Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit By Cordellya Smith #OttersCoat @cordellyasmithauthor @RandomTTours #ChildrensBook

Otter’s Coat: Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit
Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare

By Cordellya Smith

Illustrated By Blueberry Illustrations

Today I am on the blog tour for Otter’s Coat. It is a sweet, fun and engaging story, suitable for 5-7 year olds. Thanks to Random T Tours for organising the tour and a copy of the book. Discover more about the book in the blurb and review below, as well as the author.

Blurb

When Rabbit hears the animals talking abut what a beautiful coat Otter has, he becomes jealous and tricks Otter totake it for himself.

Follow along as Turtle races Rabbit to the top of the Black Mountain to win back Otter’s coat and make sure it is returned.

Review

Instantly the book is recognisable as a take on Aesop’s famous fable – The Hare and the Tortoise, so it mixes something a bit new with a timeless classic and a lovely story is told once again that will be engaging for 5-7 year olds.

Throughout the story is a game of hide and seek, whereby children have to hunt out the chipmunk along the way to the end.

The book nicely takes children to a nut moon festival and then sneakily into the rabbit’s trick with the otter in its bright bold illustrated pages, in what unfolds into a fast-paced chapter book. It is great for those lessons on fables and their outcomes for schools or for reading for pleasure and is well-designed for its targeted age group, as well as being engaging, with themes that are familiar that create a fun story, which can also be used as discussion pieces, like you would with Aesop’s Fables, which this book could be easily paired up with.

At the end, there is a note for parents that explains what a Cherolachian is, which is added interest and adds roots.

About The Author

Originally from the mountains of Kentucky, Cordellya Smith is a storyteller who loves to share stories that provide children with versions of beloved tales that reflect her Cherokee and Appalachian roots. A first generation college graduate, Cordellya works to promote literacy and a lifetime love of reading.