Conkers (Barrington Stoke) ISBN 9781781125519 £5.99 This attractive book, illustrated with evocative and generously sized black and white drawings with just enough Manga to draw in the pre-teen reader, opens in Japan in 1580. It is told in the present tense from the point of view of Taka, a trainee ninja, and follows his training…
Hodder Children’s Books ISBN 9781444927641 £5.99 One in a series of Enid Blyton’s short stories about The Secret Seven, Adventure on the Way Home would be perfect for the younger or less-confident reader from key stage 1 onwards. At 78 pages and with chapters, it feels like a ‘proper book,’ whilst the numerous full-page illustrations…
Oxford University Press ISBN 9780192745545 £5.99 What fun! When does the next one come out? This book took me back to my own childhood; back to Narnia, His Dark Materials and Enid Blyton. Weave together a combination of magical lands, creative, mystical characters and a strong sibling bond and you get The Secret Railway. Quirky…
Tiny Owl Books ISBN 9781910328125 £12.99 This is a wonderful book which is an elegant introduction to the beauty of poetic verse in literature. The author is both writer and poet for children and this is evident from the lyrical prose and the abstract but encompassing nature of the piece. On reading this book I…
Tiny Owl Books ISBN9781910328118 £12.99 This is a delightful picture book from newly emerging children’s publishers Tiny Owl Books. Tiny Owl is a purveyor of Global Children’s Literature, and The Orange House is translated from its original Persian publication by illustrator and author Nahid Kazemi. Kazemi used to make her books as a child with…
Franklin Watts ISBN 9781445148908 £10.99 This series in Book Band level 6 aims to help children find out about diversity in the world around them and promote speaking and listening skills. Beautifully presented, with vibrant photographs, this edition describes simply each of our five senses and poses questions about how we use them. Children will…
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN 9780349124360 £5.99 A start of a new series of tales that uncover historical mysteries and add a traditional story. This book will be a fantastic addition to the bookshelf for budding young readers. There is often a gap for those children who are intellectually ready for stories but…
Orchard books ISBN 9781408331705 £6.99 Celebrating the unconditional love of a parent for their offspring, this glossy paperback tells of the joyful relationship between mother owl and her newly–hatched owlet. With rhyming couplets and large, fun and amusing illustrations on a variety of vivid backgrounds, the story affirms the truth that life is more wonderful…
QED Publishing ISBN 978784934491 £9.99 This beautifully presented, interesting and informative book takes the reader on a safari through all the major animal habitats of the world, from the Poles to the deserts and rainforests to under the sea and ground. Each double page contains simple, well-laid out text with a short paragraph identifying the…