I have a review for action/adventure middle grade book – The Boy Who Dared. The next book to The Boy Who Couldn’t. An excellent book to also have at home, in libraries, in school book clubs or to open class discussions with. There are questions at the back of the book to assist such activities. Thanks to Rachel Coverdale for getting in touch again to review this next book in the series. Discover the blurb and review below.
Blurb
Action adventure story, suitable for 8-12 year-olds
A fun camping trip turns dangerous when James, Greg and Ahmed stumble across a dark secret in the beautiful Welsh wilderness. Separated on a mountainside in the dead of night, the boys must face their greatest fears as they are hunted by a ruthless gang. Can they reunite in time to save a hundred starving dogs – and themselves?
Review
The book re-joins readers with the first book – The Boy Who Couldn’t, although there are hints of what happened previously, so it is fine for readers to start here if they so wish. The dynamics of the relationships between Greg, James and Ahmed. Previously not friends, now things have moved on more positively as apologies have been made. The 3 boys are off on a camping holiday in Wales in scenic countryside amongst so much nature. From here, the boys end up in an adventure and mystery surrounding some farmers and dogs. There are also moments of trepidation as they come up against a gang. Heroes aren’t always in capes. There are characters children can really get behind in this book.
The character and plot development is terrific and there are some great illustrations too.
Its a book that 8 to 12 year olds can so easily get really engaged in, as many have with ‘The Boy Who Couldn’t’.
By the end, it sets itself up nicely perhaps for another book in this series, which is absolutely worth following. This book isn’t just for Christmas, it’s great for all year round reading!
Today I am reviewing a book that covers emotions, nature and seasons in its picture book story – The River By Tom Percival. It would be great for any classroom, home, library. Thanks to Simon and Schuster Children’s UK. Discover more in the blurb and my review below.
Blurb
An exquisite, thought-provoking book to help children understand the idea of ever-changing emotions.
Rowan loves the river; it’s just like he is. On some days, it’s quiet and calm, on others it’s light and playful, and then there are the days when it roars along, wild and angry. But when Rowan goes through a particularly difficult winter, the river freezes – just like Rowan. Can Rowan find a way to release his frozen feelings, and allow the river to flow freely once more?
The wise and reassuring new picture book from the creator of The Invisible and Ruby’s Worry.
Review
The River provides a great story that has a unique way of showing different emotions. It uses the river and the main character – Rowan to convey them. Follow Rowan along the river and through the different seasons. It shows the path and behaviours of the river, such as freezing over winter, before becoming free again in the summer. The illustrations are beautiful and carry the story along very well, in a quiet, engaging manner. The story conveys the message that the river is always changing, it can be angry and it can be calm and humans, such as Rowan also change in their moods too. The river is a clever tool in this story to illustrate that children have many emotions and that is also shown through Rowan.
It’s a bright, thought-provoking story that is short and sweet, pitched perfectly at young children from at least nursery into primary school. It would also be great for libraries and homes. It’s one that I highly recommend and can be used as a great story and discussion.
Other books by Tom Percival: The Sea Saw The Invisible
The Little Wartime Library is based on real events and is absolutely extraordinary! It is insightful and will lead you to a library you may not have known existed where it did. It is far from your usual place in this book with a fascinating page-turning, heartwarming plot, based on a lot of fact. I am truly impressed. Thanks to Kate Thompson for allowing me to review and to be part of an interview process of 100 librarians for an article (not commented on this review, as I have not seen it, but what I have commented on is the book itself and the author’s note). This is an important and must read book for all of society. Find out more in the blurb and my review below.
Blurb
London, 1944.
Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above.
Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive. Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.
Review
Readers meet Clara Button in 1944 in the East End of London. She created a safe library underground, when there was war all around. The introduction to her and this story is fascinating and shows the flexibility and resilience of librarians and their assistants. Throughout, there are some quotes taken from various librarians. There is mention of an article. I have not seen this in the proof copy I had to review from.
Kate Thompson has interviewed 100 librarians, I was absolutely priveleged to be one of them. She writes an authors note, addressing librarians and also for anyone reading her book, that is so pleasing to read. It is a bit like a love letter. She has debunked many myths about libraries and librarians and also tells a truth about what is happening to them, as well as their importance and how and why they are still as relevant today as they ever were. I’ve never read anything like it and nor am I probably ever likely to again and for this, I thank Kate Thompson for what makes my heart soar with joy that someone truly understands.
There’s an adventure to be embarked. One of history and a library to be found and suddenly readers are hurtled back from the present day, (where it begins in the prologue) to 1944. It is an emotional, vivid and inspiring book. This book shows that in 1944, libraries didn’t disappear as such and this one ingeniously moved underground. Clara is such a likeable character and it is so interesting getting to know her and her best friend and library assistant – Ruby Munroe. Clara has such strength in character, that she carried on, even through her own grief. I got a sense that her and I just might have got along.
The writing shows that a lot of research has been put in and yet it is light with its touch. It is a beautiful story of war, resillience, love and loss and of course libraries carrying on no matter what is thrown at them. It pulls you in and the style of writing is entrancing. It’s a feast for the eyes and mind with characters that are fascinating to meet, some with their own issues to deal with, including Clara herself with her family, especially the fractious relationship between her and her mother as far as the library was concerned. There is also a new boss, who is not likeable and may cause readers to have a fixed glare at his character, despite this, the library is abuzz with atmosphere and people reaching out for books.
There is also Ruby’s story being told in alternating chapters and as it unfolds, you get to know what a lovely friend she is to Clara. She also has a penchant for Gin cocktails. There is also some flirtation going on with some of the ARP.
Weaved amongst the two main characters are the lives of others within the area and it all becomes a rich tapestry of people from all different backgrounds, with their own stories to tell, some are the most heart-wrenching anyone could have. There are other big themes on mysoginist attitudes, that also encapsulate what was happening socially at the time, including attitudes around reading. There’s a lot of strong observation in the book that perhaps highlights certain things that aren’t always examined when looking at war-times, more topics looked at before and after, not always during, so that stands-out too.
There is trepidation, other than the dangers of war of course, that is very gripping.
Time moves onwards and Clara and Ruby are still there, and some of the debates around reading are still the same in 2022. Much like now, the library was under threat of closure, what ensues is a sobering thought. Suddenly by the end of some voracious reading, it is hard not to read slower, wondering what is going to happen as there was a turn of events earlier.
The book finishes with a wonderful epilogue, returning readers back to present day, where they began and this demonstrates the arcs that bridge different time periods very well.
About The Author
Kate Thompson was born in London in 1974, and worked as a journalist for twenty years on women’s magazines and national newspapers. She now lives in Sunbury with her husband, two sons and a Lurcher called Ted. After ghost writing five memoirs, Kate moved into fiction. Kate’s first non-fiction social history documenting the forgotten histories of East End matriarchy, The Stepney Doorstep Society, was published in 2018 by Penguin. Her seventh novel, The Little Wartime Library is to be published by Hodder & Stoughton in the spring of 2022.
Trains, Trains, Trains By Donna David and Nina Pirhonen
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Today I have a review of a bright, fun picture book, with a fun game for those young children who love trains. It’s short and an exciting book to add to the picture book category. It is one that is great for reading together and lends itself perfectly for interactive fun. Find out what else I think about it in my review. First of all, a thanks to MacMillan Children’s Books for gifting me an e-book copy, and take a look at the fun, eye-catching cover and the blurb too.
Blurb
Big trains, small trains, short trains, long trains . . . which do you like best? Follow fifty colourful trains as they whizz along tracks and through tunnels – up, down, around and back again! Can you find your favourite? Full of spotting and counting fun, with five trains to find on each page and an exciting fold-out race at the end, this rhyming preschool picture book from Donna David and Nina Pirhonen has been specially developed to encourage pre-reading skills and expand language and vocabulary. With a super-shiny foil cover and fun read-aloud text, Trains Trains Trains! is just the ticket for any transport-obsessed toddler!
Review
Trains, Trains, Trains….. says a lot in the title doesn’t it? It’s about…. you guessed it! Trains! This is a seriously fun book with short, snappy sentences about each sort of train within the story. There’s much fun that can be had. It is written in a way that can be read to the movement of a train if you’re on one, and even if you are not. That certain rhythm can be found in the text.
Each page is brightly coloured and each has a plethora of trains of varying lengths and speeds, daytime, night time, going through a tunnel time, ones that are a bit bumpy, others that are smooth and so much more… There is also plenty of humour to be discovered too.
Trains, Trains, Trains is a book where much enjoyment can be gained over and over again. It’s also going to be great in extending vocabulary and observation skills. Whether your child is a few months old or 4/5 years old, there’s much to be gained in this entrancing, interactive book, that is best read aloud for full-effect and maximum fun!
There’s lots you can do with the book, besides reading it. You can have fun with the rhyme and you can use it to count trains and carriages etc, see what other things you can spot in the pictures. There’s a game that encourages this at the back. There’s a great section at the very end as a guide to “Reading Together – Tips for Parents and Carers”, with all sorts of ideas about what you can do and talk about.
Sticky Icky Vicky – Courage Over Fear By Alysia & Michael Ssentamu Illustrated By Noor Alshalbi
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Readers meet Sticky Icky Vicky in what is an ultimately positive rhyming story about overcoming fears. A book suitable for 6 to 10 year olds. Thanks to Pixel Publishing House for gifting me the copy for review. Find out more in the blurb and review below.
Blurb
Meet Sticky Icky Vicky, a girl who wants to get over her fear—once and for all
In Courage over Fear, the first book in the Sticky Icky Vicky™ series, authors Alysia and Michael Ssentamu introduce readers to Vicky, a fun-loving girl who doesn’t mind getting a little sticky and icky. She loves rolling down hills and playing in mud—but when it comes to water, Sticky Icky Vicky’s fear prevents her from joining in the fun. Then Vicky gets an invitation for a waterpark party, and she decides that she really wants to go—even if it means ignoring the Negative Ned voice in her head and getting over her fear.
With vibrant illustrations and catchy rhymes, Courage over Fear offers children an inspirational/loveable heroine who learns some valuable life lessons, such as:
● Courage ● Positive thinking ● Goal-setting
Aimed primarily at readers aged six to ten, Sticky Icky Vicky: Courage over Fear is a reading experience that leaves kids believing that they, like Vicky, can get past any obstacle in their way.
Review
The book is rhyming, which makes it great for using for 6 to 10 year olds. It’s enjoyable for this age group and is a positive story that is conveyed well for this age group. The fact it rhymes makes the fear less daunting in a way and makes it seem more palatable to read as it is less heavy than it may have been otherwise, especially for the younger part of this age group. For the whole age group, the book can be used as a discussion opener with children who have similar issues to Vicky surrounding water.
The story starts with Vicky having fun with friends, but soon it is revealed that she has a fear of water, the reason being explained within the story. This then begins to have an impact on her life, especially, in this instance, her social life as her instinct is to decline an invite to a water park. Instead of doing this, she decides to be brave and confront her fear and the thoughts in her head, which materialise as “Negative Ned”. There are however more positive thoughts, which materialise as “Positive Ted” to combat the negativity.
The book can help children see that something is worth a try, even though they are fearful at first because it could be more fun than they first imagined. So, it could be used as a tool to help widen children’s interests and their world and build courage and resilience.
Charming, uplifting, but without life’s complications in a Scottish town – The Bookshop of Second Chances is one you won’t want to miss! Thanks to Team Books And The City – part of Simon and Schuster for inviting me to the blog tour to review and for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review. Please find more about the book in the blurb and the rest of my review below, as well as some buy links. Please note, I am not affiliated to anything.
Blurb
Set in a charming little Scottish town, The Bookshop of Second Chances is the most uplifting story you’ll read this year!
Shortlisted for the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award 2021.
Thea’s having a bad month. Not only has she been made redundant, she’s also discovered her husband of nearly twenty years is sleeping with one of her friends. And he’s not sorry – he’s leaving.
Bewildered and lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But, when she learns the great-uncle she barely knew has died and left her his huge collection of second-hand books and a house in the Scottish Lowlands, she seems to have been offered a second chance.
Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly what Thea needs. But when she meets the aristocratic Maltravers brothers – grumpy bookshop owner Edward and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw – her new life quickly becomes just as complicated as the life she was running from…
An enchanting story of Scottish lords, second-hand books, new beginnings and second chances perfect for fans of Cressida McLaughlin, Veronica Henry, Rachael Lucas and Jenny Colgan.
The Book of Second Chances starts on Valentine’s Day. The day for lovers and shed loads of romance, but it is the exact opposite for Thea. She’s not got a lover anymore and needs to work out what furnture she wants and to top it all off, she’s also just lost her job. Just the year before, her Great Uncle Andrew died in Scotland. She’s pretty restrained, perhaps too nice, after all that, but then she also has her interests to protect too. You get a feel for her character and how she deals with things.
When a surprise letter is found from a solicitor, Thea’s life dramatically changes. It ups a lot of gears and suddenly she finds herself travelling to Scotland to a huge estate she has inherited, including a lodge and an array of precious first edition books. Jackie has created a history of the lodge, as though this was a true story and has made it feel like it is real and been around for centuries. It feels authentic as a result of her research and/or knowledge. It sounds amazing and many people would jump at the chance of staying, but Thea’s recent past holds her back initially as she considers selling it.
Readers, along with Thea then start to meet the locals, like Jilly and Cerys and get an impression of the surrounding areas.
This is also great for librarians who will appreciate the mention of The Dewey System and shudder at even the mere thought of repairing a book with sellotape. The chat about social media also seems so familiar too. There are lovely snippits of book and music as well.
The bookshop is absolutely wonderful, but all isn’t well with Charles and Edward there with a longstanding feud, with a dark and brooding atmosphere, as Thea discovers and ends up being caught up in. Life then becomes rather complicated for Thea in ways she wasn’t expecting, since she is trying to work out how to leave the complex life behind. Thea, however shows she is pretty reslient most of the time, which works really well for her characterisation. She has her principals, but there’s always that bit of a tug between going home to Sussex or staying in Scotland and making an area there her home. There is also the unescapable fact that there is romance brewing and that bookshop really providing a second chance at life, but you’ll need to read to find out all the nuances and if Thea really thinks this is so and will work well for her or not. It’s not a straight-cut decision to make, which brings some realism in this otherwise relaxing read.
The Bookshop of Second Chances is overall a warm, cosy delightful read that is highly enjoyable.
Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above.
Review
Set in a charming little Scottish town, The Bookshop of Second Chances is the most uplifting story you’ll read this year!
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 