Bloomsbury ISBN 9781408882016 £6.99 This is Lucy Worsley’s second novel for children, and is based around the life of Queen Victoria as a child, growing up in Kensington Palace, before she is certain she will inherit the throne following the deaths of George IV and William. All the action is based on real people, such…
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN 9781510201255 £6.99 A sweetly, funny story about a boy and his dog told with great warmth, humour and empathy. It’s a typical tale of the underdog overcoming adversity, in this case the main character, Billy and his real live dog, Dog. This story will appeal to children who…
Barrington Stoke Little Gems ISBN 9781781127100 £6.99 A poignant beginning told through the eyes of Jo-Jo, but probably a scene that many children experience in the run up to Christmas day. Jo-Jo hears his Mum and Dad having a massive argument. He tries to block out the row burying his head in his pillow but…
Hodder Children’s Books ISBN 9781444941364 £12.99 I found this book rather a struggle to engage with initially. The somewhat simplistic, and at times clumsy, language jarred as I read and I found the consistent emboldening of selected words and phrases throughout the text rather distracting. It tells the tale of Chloe, who on her eleventh…
Chicken House ISBN 9781910002872 £6.99 The Ghost Light is Rubin’s second book featuring her twelve year old super sleuth, Alice Jones. Alice is the modern day antidote to generations of boy heroes in children’s literature (I acknowledge the exceptions but have no space to go into them here) – female, smart, analytical and funny with a…
Orchard ISBN 978-1408342923 £6.99 Ethan is dealing with grief and guilt when we first meet him. His life is full of hurt and pain and the cause of this is revealed piece by piece throughout the book. Though the book is about him coming to terms with what he did and the consequences of the…
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers ISBN 9780349001883 £6.99 This is the fourth in a series of books by this clever and witty author. The clear charm of the previous three books is continued. This tale really will be captivating to young readers in a world that is at the same time familiar to them…
Walker Books ISBN 9781406375633 £6.99 There is a lot going on in this debut novel by R M Romero. The story parallels the rat invasion of the Land of the Dolls with the German invasion of Poland, with dire consequences for both. The dollmaker of the title, along with Karolina the talking living doll, is…
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books ISBN 9781847809506 £8.99 A companion book to Discover the Ancient Egyptians, and Discover the Roman Empire, this book explores the Aztec Empire and its demise, brought about largely by Cortes and the Spanish invaders. Presented in exactly the same way as the other books, this volume looks at Aztec history, gods, heroes, life, empire…