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Joanne Owen - Editorial Expert

Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales. An early passion for culture, story and folklore led her to read archaeology and anthropology at St John’s, Cambridge, after which she led the UK children’s book team for a major international retailer, going on to market books for Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Walker Books, Nosy Crow and Rough Guides. She now divides her time between writing, travel writing, reviewing and hosting writing workshops.

Joanne is the author of several books for children and young adults, among them the Martha Mayhem series, the Carnegie Medal-nominated Puppet Master, and You Can Write Awesome Stories, a how-to guide to creative writing. She’s also worked on a major community story project for the National Literacy Trust (Story Quest), and a number of travel guides, including The Rough Guide to Responsible Wales and guidebooks to the Caribbean region. In additional, she’s an occasional chair of LoveReading LitFest events, and judge for the 2023 Branford Boase Award.

Latest Features By Joanne Owen

Summer sizzlers for Young Adults – the best YA novels set in summer

Industry Insights - David Fickling Books celebrates 10 years of independence

Industry Insights: Cadno - magnificent Middle Grade writing from Wales

Fabulous YA fiction with friendship at its heart — from the best books about besties, to tales of transformative bonds that’ll tug at your heartstrings

View All

Latest Reviews By Joanne Owen

Perfectly-pitched for pre-teen readers who are fed up of being considered too young to have their voices heard and taken seriously, Nora Dâsnes’ Save Our Forest! is a glorious graphic novel that sees a band of infectiously passionate friends bring about positive change. On discovering her beloved forest is about to be trashed to make way for a car park, Bao enlists the support of her friends, and writes a report detailing why taking action on climate change is urgently overdue, pointing out to her adult readers, “It’s really embarrassing to ... View Full Review

In her re-telling of, arguably, Charles Dickens’ most perfect novel, Tanya Landman has achieved exactly what this edition sets out to do — crafting an eminently accessible, engaging version of Great Expectations. Though the story at the heart of Dickens’ masterpiece has the power to speak to all ages, through the ages, the original language can present a challenge to younger readers. Not so here, for Landman has pulled a blinder in writing a version of the story that evokes the style, atmosphere and detail of the original, while also condensing the novel and conjuring its characters and ... View Full Review

Exploring tragic violence, rebirth, the power of poetry, fresh starts and friendship, Ashley Hickson-Lovence’s Wild East is a wondrous work of YA fiction. Authentically voiced by an inspiring 14-year-old protagonist, and delivered in an engaging verse form, it packs powerful emotional punch, with themes of compassion, inclusion and coming together in a spirit of understanding radiating through Ronny’s relatable journey. When tragedy strikes, Ronny’s mum moves them from Hackney to start a new life in Norwich. After experiencing “Where are you really from?” racism, aspiring ... View Full Review

Creeping up behind the show-stopping Most Haunted Theatres, Yvette Fielding’s Most Haunted Castles reveals the secrets of Britain’s spookiest castles in typically personable style. Covering ten castles across Britain — from Cornwall to Bamburgh — each case study is based on Fielding’s in-the-field experiences. After sharing the history and legends of each fearsome fortress, readers are treated to electrifying overviews of spirits that have been sighted in each castle through the centuries. Meanwhile, each Investigation section sees Fielding share first-hand details of eerie encounters in the castles, with her trusty ... View Full Review

Seawitch, the third thrilling volume of Syke McKenna’s Hedgewitch series, sees Cassie embark on a high-stakes quest to find a magic healing cup. And the result is an un-put-down-able Middle Grade novel that reels with adventure, magic and peril, plus plenty of ice cream and steaming-hot pasties. Eight years have passed since Cassie’s mum vanished through the Hedge that marks the boundary between Britain and the Faerie land. Ever since, Cassie has devoted herself to mastering witchcraft in order to cross the boundary to find her. With three skill badges under her ... View Full Review

Part of the innovative STEM Stories series, Eurek-HER! presents 20 inspirational profiles of trailblazing female inventors and scientists who’ve done transformational work in the fields of STEM across time and around the globe, from ancient Mesopotamia, to 20th-century India and present-day Kenya and Nigeria. Elegantly illustrated by Nur Ventura, this beautiful book has tremendous pick-me-up appeal, with Frances Durkin’s lucid, lively text perfectly-pitched for 7+ year-olds. Mention must also be made of the book’s design – the pages are laid-out with boxes highlighting and breaking down scientific facts and innovations, and fascinating ... View Full Review

“There were daemons in the garden”. So begins Heartseer: The Tale of Anise Star in characteristically intriguing style, kickstarting a spellbinding fantasy quest that sees a young heroine strive to save the daemons of her beloved White Woods, and beyond. At once delicately direct and poetic, Rowan Foxwood’s writing has commanding sway as she tells the story of Anise Star, a Heartseer who can see daemons and deities, and is responsible for helping humans and daemons co-exist in peace. All is well in the wondrous White Woods, until Mr ... View Full Review

Huzzah! Magical Amari is back for the third instalment of B.B. Alston’s sensational supernatural agent series, and boy does Amari and the Despicable Wonders live up to sky-high hopes. As ever, Amari’s voice shines with dynamism and whip-smart wit as trouble brews in the form of a mind-manipulating prime minister and the threat of war. This fabulous third book in the series kicks off with Amari encountering the big breaking news that magicians have attacked the Bureau of Supernatural affairs, leaving “many fearing the incident could spark a larger conflict, ... View Full Review

Radiating sisterhood and oceanic folklore through a sublimely-told tale, in The Seamaiden's Odyssey Berlie Doherty has crafted a timelessly enthralling story that speaks to present-day readers as they embark on a lyrical voyage of love, loss, family and friendship, underpinned by a pertinent question: “Do we have the right to intervene with nature in order to preserve it?” This question sits centre stage from the off, when Sasha is enchanted by the sight of an otherworldly sea-creature that’s brought to the marine sanctuary she works at. While the powers that be hail the creature &... View Full Review

Centred on a compelling, thought-provoking AI data concept, Neil Taylor’s Anticipation debut boasts contemporary bite, and a strong sense of twisting conspiracy and high-stakes urgency. After her father’s sudden death in a plane crash, 17-year-old Riya Sudame inherits access to his revolutionary AI algorithm when she becomes a Keyholder custodian of his Anticipation Machine that can predict people's futures using their online data. As revealed by his former colleague: “Your father’s creation literally predicts people’s futures. If someone got hold of this and embedded it in a social-media platform with ... View Full Review

Third book in the Persian myth inspired This Woven Kingdom series, Tahereh Mafi’s All This Twisted Glory is a spell-binding feast for fans of myth-laden, character-driven YA fantasy. Simmering with secrets, enemies-to-lovers tension, magic and courtly intrigue, the stakes ramp up as revenge brews, setting the stage for an explosive story that’s delivered in a richly lyrical voice. While Alizeh has found her tribe, and perhaps also her place on the Jinn throne, she’s thrown an excruciating curveball when Cyrus, the volatile, ill-reputed leader of Tulan, offers her his kingdom, for a price that&... View Full Review

Written by cosmologist Dr Eve M. Vavagiakis, I'm a Neutrino: Tiny Particles in a Big Universe is handsomely pitched for KS1 kids to discover the secrets and beauty of the universe and the wonder of science in dazzling style. With a lovely, lyrical rhyming text that’s as engaging and inspirational as it is informative, and stunning full-bleed illustrations by Ilze Lemesis, I'm a Neutrino will make a great gift for the young science lovers in your life. It also comes highly recommended for the STEM shelves of school libraries. Presenting neutrinos in character form (“Hi! I’... View Full Review