One of a trio of board books for very young children (Your Places including Your Island and Your Farm) Your Forest has all the qualities of Jon Klassen’s stylised and entrancing images – the sun rising, trees, a cabin, rocks, a friendly forest ghost, a stream and a bridge. After a shy sunrise, each of…
Pippa Newton is most at home when out of doors amidst nature with all manner of creatures, great or small. The chance to stay with Grandpa in his little cottage in the forest for an entire half-term feels like a gift. Her big brother Jed seems less than pleased, however; he’s more interested in his…
Phoebe’s nan, Cass, has always been an inspiration. Phoebe likes nothing better than to spend time painting with Nan in her studio. Nan is a great storyteller too and Phoebe loves listening to her recount her favourites, the Greek myths. Something is happening to Nan though, right before Phoebe’s eyes, an invisible illness which means…
I found Oops, I Kidnapped a Pharaoh by Luan Goldie a lot of fun. Amusingly-written with just the right amount of irony and a couple of oblique references to Back to the Future, the book tells the story of ‘besties’ Skylar and Dana who travel to ancient Egypt in the magic tuk-tuk (which, astonishingly, has…
The authors of this book take the reader on a journey into the future to see what our world might look like if we embrace technology and sustainability. It was a fascinating read as an adult and inspiring for children to see the possibilities of a greener and more sustainable future. The book is laid out…
12-year-old Ruby’s life has taken a sudden downturn: her parents have separated and she is stuck in her gram’s house in Melbridge, home to a row of thirteen weather-beaten houses, a long-abandoned railway station, and very little else! Even the air smells of smoke! Ruby is a firm believer in logic and reason, and has…
At not quite four years old, Rosa is suddenly, tragically orphaned. The arrival of her long-lost aunt and uncle brings only further sadness. Cold-hearted and cruel, the pair think only of themselves, moving into Rosa’s life and changing everything. Rosa desperately needs a friend and this friend arrives in the shape of next door’s pampered…
The Turns, a series of slippery twisting tunnels in the banks of the River Tees, are the only home that Tess has ever known. Here, Tess lives with her Aunt Peg and her Unkle Darkwater, a creature of slime and claws and teeth who must be kept prisoner, chained and bound in a deep pit.…
Imagine a world where reading and writing, where books themselves, are privileges afforded only to a select and chosen few. Imagine a world which is like our own, but where there are key and subtle differences, a parallel medieval land held in the tight and greedy grasp of a strict regime. Meet Getwin Goode who,…