This Month's Featured Books
Julius Zebra: Grapple with the Greeks!
7+ readers 9+ readersOctober 2018 Book of the Month | Who better to introduce children to the world of ancient Greek myth than gladiator Julius Zebra (and if you don’t know, he really is a zebra). Julius and his band have already survived being kidnapped by Romans and thrown into the Colosseum, a stay in Britannia and a shipwreck in Egypt, but can they survive a challenge from the hero Heracles (or as Julius knows him Hairy Keith)? It brings them into contact with the Minotaur and King Midas, and ends with a trip into the underworld no less. The story is brilliantly funny as always, and action packed while there’s loads of proper information on ancient life amongst the silliness. Glorious stuff!
You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti!
7+ readers 9+ readersOctober 2018 Book of the Month | | The Nothing to See Here Hotel offers a 5 star reading experience for youngsters, hilarious but still exciting adventures, a fabulous setting and a cast of totally eccentric but utterly lovable characters. The hotel you see is not for humans, but magical creatures – a scenario offering all sorts of possibilities, exploited brilliantly by writer Steven Butler and illustrator Steven Lenton. In this second book, preparations for the annual Trogmanay celebrations are threatened, first by the arrival of a family of yetis (in magical snowstorm), then by something that seems a lot less friendly. Can Frankie, son of the owners and our hero, sort things out before the Trollidays are ruined? No matter how much snow and ice the yetis bring, reading this provides a real sense of warmth, and everyone will want to be part of the hotel’s community.
Witch Tricks
7+ readers 9+ readersFizzing with style, energy and charm here’s a new adventure for little witches Tiga and Fluffanora and it proves to be their most testing yet! Idabelle Bat has invited them to join The Points, here super-cool and exclusive gang – but why? The one thing they know about Idabelle is that she is NOT to be trusted … As ever the story zips along as though on fairy wings, sprinkled with fashion and fun, and these gorgeous little books are hard to beat for style and substance. Readers who like Tiga and Fluffanora will also enjoy the Amelia Fang stories by illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson, and Sibeal Pounder’s Bad Mermaids series.
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Royal Rabbits of London: The Great Diamond Chase
7+ readers 9+ readersOctober 2018 Book of the Month | Tales of the rabbit secret service that loyally serves her majesty from burrows beneath Buckingham Palace, this charming series is going from strength to strength. Someone has stolen the queen’s favourite jewel – a priceless diamond that also seems able to comfort those who possess it. The Royal Rabbits are determined to retrieve it, none more so than young Shylo, who was asleep on the job when the theft occurred. A rich, beautiful and vain tigress could be the culprit, but the diamond is Russian and a team of cunning Kremlin minks are out to steal it back, and you can bet those rotten Ratzis are involved too. Humour (including the occasional bit of social satire) and proper adventure are perfectly balanced and Shylo gets more interesting a character as the stories progress. Delightful, and Kate Hindley’s illustrations make it even more special.
The Best Sound in the World
3+ readers 5+ readersOctober 2018 Debut of the Month | | What’s the best sound in the world? Ray the little lion is determined to find out, because he thinks that will help him become a famous musician (he plays the violin). He spends hours bottling beautiful sounds – the plip-plop of rain in the forest, the tweeting of birds in the mountains, the chitter-chatter of the market – but just can’t decide. His neighbour little lemur Jemmy tries to help, but Roy is just annoyed when Jemmy dances to his music, or claps in time. Indeed, it takes him the whole book to realise that Jemmy’s friendship helps him make the best sounds ever. It’s a lovely story, beautifully told and Cindy Wume’s illustrations are gorgeous. A charming and original picture book that should become a real favourite.
The Princess in Black
5+ readers 7+ readersIn a nutshell: princesses can be masked avengers too! | Princess Magnolia is neat, polite and very, very sweet, but when she gets a call on her monster-alarm she changes in an instant to become the Princess in Black, more than able to take on the huge monsters that live underneath her kingdom. In her black cape and mask, she uses techniques like the Princess Pounce and the Twinkle Twinkle Little Smash to overcome a big blue monster, before rushing back to the palace to keep her secret hidden from nosy Duchess Wigtower. The story is hugely entertaining and very neatly written, the sentences short enough for beginner readers, but packed with action nonetheless. With lively full colour illustrations on every page this is a really super series for young children, and who could resist a princess like Magnolia? ~ Andrea Reece
Timmy Failure: It's the End When I Say It's the End
7+ readers 9+ readersOctober 2018 Book of the Month | The Timmy Failure books are works of absolute comic genius and Stephan Pastis succeeds with each new story in making the adventures of Timmy and his sidekick Total the polar bear funnier, even more satisfying, and still more poignant; never more so than this the last in the series. Timmy has decided to retire from detective work but has a new project: he’s writing the script for his form’s Christmas film show, and has decided it will chronicle his own greatness. Meanwhile he is also negotiating a new relationship with his dad, now permanently on the scene, and helping reunite Total with his long lost polar bear family. The gap between what’s real and what’s real in Timmy’s imagination has never been more acute, or more affecting. The story will have readers crying with laughter, while the ending may well bring tears of a different kind. Totally great.
The Hate U Give
YA readersOctober 2018 Debut of the Month | Awarded the Amnesty CILIP Honour commendation from the Carnegie shortlist 2018 | Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2018 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award | In a Nutshell: Fighting for Justice | Black Lives Matter | Stunning, vital wake-up call of a novel about racism, social inequality and not giving up told through the eyes of an incredible, unforgettable sixteen-year-old. Starr straddles two very different worlds. She has one foot in Garden Heights, a rough neighbourhood ruled by gangs, guns and dealers, and the other in an exclusive school with an overwhelmingly wealthy white student population. One night she’s at a party when gunshots are fired and Khalil, her friend since childhood, takes her to his car for safety. Khalil is unarmed and poses no threat, but he’s shot dead by an officer right in front of her. It will take a lot of courage to speak to the police, and to face the media who choose to highlight that Khalil was a “suspected drug dealer”, while omitting to mention that he was unarmed. But, with their neighbourhood under curfew and a tank on the streets, Starr risks going public. Danger escalates as the hearing approaches (and beyond), but Starr isn’t about to give up fighting for Khalil, and for what’s right. Alongside the intense struggles and conflicts faced by Starr’s family and community, there are some truly heart-melting moments between Starr and her white boyfriend Chris (their shared love of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air is super cute), and also between Starr and her parents. Complex, gripping, stirring and so, so important – I can’t recommend this remarkable debut enough. ~ Joanne Owen
Last Month's Featured Books
The Legend of Kevin: A Roly-Poly Flying Pony Adventure
7+ readers 9+ readersSeptember 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month September 2018 | A deliciously dotty fantasy in which almost anything becomes believable. Max longs for a pet but even in his wildest dreams he had never thought that the pet might be a flying pony. But, one stormy night and with a loud Doof!, Kevin turns up on Max’s balcony. Kevin is a flying horse who can also talk. He has few demands except that he needs a constant supply of biscuits – especially custard creams. Soon Max and Kevin are an unstoppable duo putting right all the things that are going wrong in a town surrounded by storm water and besieged by naughty sea-monkeys. It’s all pell-mell action and madcap fun. Julia Eccleshare's Picks for September: The Legend of Kevin: A Roly-Poly Flying Pony Adventure by Philip Reeve The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes by Julia Donaldson Happy: A Children's Book of Mindfulness by Nicola Edwards Jelly Boots, Smelly Boots by Michael Rosen You've Got a Friend by Judi Curtin Tilly and the Bookwanderers (Pages & Co., Book 1) by Anna James Wish for a Witch by Kaye Umansky Poems to Live Your Life By by Chris Riddell Once Upon a Wild Wood by Chris Riddell
The 104-Storey Treehouse
7+ readers 9+ readersThe higher Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s treehouse grows, the better. There are few books that reach such levels of absurd comedy and adventure, and the authors’ ability to weave the craziest adventures into satisfying plots is phenomenal. As the treehouse reaches 104 storeys, new additions include a stupid-hat level, and a money-making machine that also makes honey. They still have their books to write for Mr Big though, and as always are up against the delivery deadline. But Andy’s got toothache and can’t laugh because of the pain. Could a Joke Writer 2000™ pencil be the answer to their problems? 104 Storeys and 300+ pages of brilliant, ingenious cartoon adventure.
The Girl with the Dragon Heart
9+ readers 11+ readersLike the first adventure in this series, The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart, this is a clever and inventive fantasy, with characters readers will love. This time Silke is the hero of the story – smooth-talking, determined, but more than a bit reckless. When the Crown Princess recruits her to spy on a royal party of fairies who have suddenly arrived to set up trade partnerships, Silke is both excited and alarmed – she knows how dangerous the fairies can be. As well as being a thrilling story - girl and her dragon best friend versus malevolent fairies - this is also about love, trust and loyalty, and slips in subtle messages too about refugees, and the importance of welcoming people who need a home. I hope there’ll be another book in this excellent series.
The Giant Jumperee
3+ readers 5+ readersA Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month September 2018 | Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury bring the very best of their award-winning The Gruffalo and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt respectively to this glorious new picture book which will remind readers of both. When Rabbit hears a loud voice coming from right inside his burrow he is terrified. What terrible kind of creature could the Giant Jumperee who is hiding in there possibly be? Rabbit’s friends Cat, Bear and Elephant all come to help but are they brave enough or clever enough to discover just who the Giant Jumperee is?
Football School Season 3: Where Football Explains the World
7+ readers 9+ readersThese books hit the back of the net every time as far as I’m concerned. Packed full of facts, information and insight on a range of school topics, but all of them explained through football. Subjects covered include biology, via close-ups on footballers’ feet (not nearly as nice as you’d think apparently); physics – why it pays to be small when you’re dribbling (Lionel Messi anyone?); history, includes a look at the creation of the rules of football, something that took place in Sheffield in 1857; while the chapter on English is all about how to be a successful commentator. It’s fascinating stuff, and really memorable too. Anyone who reads this will learn a lot, no matter their age, and they’ll laugh a lot too – much of it is very funny, and cartoons by Spike Gerrell add to the entertainment value. Top of the league reading!
The Month Before's Featured Books
Oscar and the CATastrophe
3+ readers 5+ readers 7+ readersAugust 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month August 2018 | Oscar the talking dog is back for a wittily entertaining third adventure with his friend and owner Sam. Oscar’s problem is the very big white cat who suddenly arrives to live next door; Oscar hates all cats but he hates Carmen especially because she sits in all his favourite places. Sam is more worried that there’s a thief on the loose and his mother’s ring has gone missing. Is there a connection between Oscar and Sam’s worries? And can they help the police solve the mystery? With lots of twists and turns along the way Oscar and Sam play a key role in this fun adventure. - Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for August 2018 Once Upon A Wild Wood by Chris Riddell Oscar and the CATastrophe by Sarah Horne Run Wild by Gill Lewis Peril in Paris (Taylor & Rose: Secret Agents) by Katherine Woodfine The Garden of Hope by Isabel Otter
The Night Dragon
3+ readers 5+ readersAugust 2018 Book of the Month | A kind little dragon learns that she can bring beauty and joy into the world simply by finding the bravery to be herself in this beautiful picture book. Shy and timid, Maud shares a cave with a bunch of noisy, bullying night dragons, but doesn’t dare fly out in the evening like they do to bring the night. Until one day she finds she has to, and everything changes. Flying out on her gorgeous multi-coloured wings Maud fills the whole sky with brilliant hues of purple, gold and crimson. The story of Maud and her little companion Mouse will inspire children who will love this story of friendship and courage, and Naomi Howarth’s watercolour illustrations are simply breathtaking.
The Village at the Edge of the World
11+ readers 13+ readersAugust 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Mystery and monsters that emerge from the mist | Alexander is apprentice to Professor Cordite, the kind of man who “meticulously calculated possibilities” and looked “more like a highway man than a university Professor”. They have offered their expertise to Bleakhope, a village beleaguered by frightening creatures that emerge from the fog. A pervasive mood of fear and foreboding is evoked from the outset, with the daring duo enduring a supernatural encounter even before they reach the village. And so this winding atmospheric tale twists and turns in unexpected directions, with the crisp, creeping sense of fear inviting some comparison with Joseph Delaney’s Spooks series. It’s a spine-chilling yarn, compact, yet teeming with untold terrors in classic gothic tradition. - Joanne Owen
The Village at the Edge of the World
11+ readers 13+ readersAugust 2018 Book of the Month | In a Nutshell: Mystery and monsters that emerge from the mist | Alexander is apprentice to Professor Cordite, the kind of man who “meticulously calculated possibilities” and looked “more like a highway man than a university Professor”. They have offered their expertise to Bleakhope, a village beleaguered by frightening creatures that emerge from the fog. A pervasive mood of fear and foreboding is evoked from the outset, with the daring duo enduring a supernatural encounter even before they reach the village. And so this winding atmospheric tale twists and turns in unexpected directions, with the crisp, creeping sense of fear inviting some comparison with Joseph Delaney’s Spooks series. It’s a spine-chilling yarn, compact, yet teeming with untold terrors in classic gothic tradition. - Joanne Owen
The Distance Between Me and the Cherry Tree
11+ readers 13+ readers YA readersAugust 2018 Book of the Month | “All children are afraid of the dark,” says ten-year-old Mafalda sagely, and she knows this more than most, for her world is misting over. At some point in the next six months she will lose her sight to Stargardt Disease. Mafalda tries to get on with life but, as the days pass, the mist’s darkness descends ever faster, leaving her increasingly lonely. The novel’s universal, book-for-all-ages power has echoes of The Little Prince. Indeed, de Saint-Exupéry’s classic is referenced here by the inspiring one-of-a kind Estella, a school caretaker Mafalda befriends, who advises her to find her rose, “the thing that’s essential to you”, just like the Little Prince. Mafalda measures her vision in paces from a very special cherry tree. And, movingly, the book’s five parts are headed with titles that point to the deterioration of her sight, starting with Part One Seventy Metres, the distance from which she can see the cherry tree as the novel begins. Estella delivers further vital advice later in the novel: “To live in fear is not to live at all”, and it’s Estella who helps make a truly magical, heart-rending ending. Readers of all ages will be drawn deep into Mafalda’s poignantly pitch-perfect narrative. Younger readers will identity with, for example, how she knows when her parents are discussing something important but can’t quite grasp the meaning, while adult readers will fill in the blanks Mafalda is left puzzling over. Inspired by the author's own experience of Stargardt Disease, this is a dazzlingly tender and timeless tale of love and courage.
Eddy Stone and the Mean Genie's Curse
7+ readers 9+ readersFast-paced and very funny, Eddy Stone’s new adventure involves wizards, emperors, talking (dancing) camels and lots more that is very silly indeed. It all begins when Eddy buys a parcel of stuff in the house clearance at the town’s old manor. It turns out to contain a wizard with no body and a curse. He has to give everyone a wish, but they never work out as the wisher wanted. For example, when Eddy’s dad wishes he could sit around in front of the TV all day, he turns into a sofa. The only way Eddy can put things right is by heading to the wizard’s home in another magical land. The adventure that follows is consistently inventive, packed with cracking one-liners and lots of very funny set ups. There are two other Eddy Stone adventures, and I’d recommend you buy the lot.
Stoat on Stage
7+ readers 9+ readersErmine is a stoat-ally adorable heroine – smart, independent but child-like, she enjoys nothing more than exploring new cities and making new friends. Fresh from a sojourn in New York, she arrives in Sydney to stay with the city’s star opera singer, though she’s mostly in the company of the diva’s granddaughter Butterfly. The two have great fun together – though only Ermine’s quick thinking and quicker fingers save them from falling from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge! A run in with a ruthless rival in the finals of Australia’s Most Awesome Animal Show allows for more excitement and comedy too. Jennifer Gray’s sprightly storytelling packs a huge amount into the short extent, and there’s lots readers will relish. Elisa Paganelli’s illustrations give Ermine the look of Audrey Hepburn, and this is a thoroughly stylish, well turned-out series.
The Day I Became the Most Wanted Boy in the World
7+ readers 9+ readersTom McLaughlin creates some of the best, and funniest adventures for young readers and this is another hilarious, cleverly structured story. Nine year old Pete just wanted a quiet day watching the snooker on the telly, so how on earth did he end up committing armed robbery (sort of), impersonating a policeman, and driving a tank across his own lawn, before breaking up a gang of admittedly incompetent criminals? Read the book to see how it all begins with his mum’s parsnip bake… It’s part of the joy of the book that even as the plot gets more and more convoluted, and as yet more accidental disasters heap on Pete and his new friend Sammy, there’s a logic to everything that happens. Irresistible page-turning fun, and McLaughlin’s cartoony illustrations are an added bonus.
The Darkening King
7+ readers 9+ readersFrom the moment he discovered he’s a sort of hero, with special powers and the ability to move into a magic world, Ned’s adventures have held readers spellbound. The Darkening Path brings the series to a conclusion, and it’s every bit as thrilling as we’ve come to expect. As the world of Hidden begins to fall apart, Ned and his companions including robot mouse Whiskers and huge familiar Gorrn, travel to far off places including the forests of Siberia to rally an army to take on his enemies. Of all people, the Armstrongs deserve a happy ending, but will they get it? Inventive, exciting, page-turning magical adventure, with a fair few laughs as well. We’ll miss Ned and co!
LoveReading4Kids Top 10
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The Gingerbread Star
1
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No Fixed Address
2
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You Ain't Seen Nothing Yeti!
3
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Poems to Live Your Life By
4
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Henderson's Boys: The Escape
5
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Stubby: A True Story of Friendship
6
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Hampstead the Hamster
7
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The Restless Girls
8
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The Way Past Winter
9
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The Silk Roads A New History of the World - Illustrated Edition
10
