Children Book Reviews

Name: Linda Canning
01 July 2021;

Genre: Magical Realism

The Incredible Talking Machine has all the elements of a truly fantastic children's book: it has great characters (protagonists to root for and villains to detest), it's entirely unpredictable, it's the perfect level of creepy and it has the undercurrent of an unsolved mystery. I thoroughly en...

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Name: Jennifer Caddick
01 July 2021;

Genre: Environment & Nature

This is the third Hope Jones book in the series. This time, the impassioned and pro-active Hope has air pollution on her mind (as well as lungs) and with school friend Selma's frightening asthma attacks on the increase, Hope is determined to front a campaign to boycott car usage in her communi...

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Name: Nicola Mansfield Niemi
01 July 2021;

Genre: Comics & Graphic Novels

24 Hours in the Stone Age is one of the best resources I have found written for this time period. It is written in an incredibly engaging way and is both entertaining and informative. It follows the life of Auri, a child living in the Stone Age, and her family as they s...

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Name: Joanna Hewish
01 July 2021;

Genre: Non Fiction

Vibrant, animated and a fantastic addition for any dinosaur fan! Do you love Dinosaurs? jumps off the shelf and is aimed at a broad age range of dinosaur fans. Personally, I absolutely loved it and found out so much about dinosaurs. This book is fantastic for sharing with your...

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Name: Lisa Watkins
01 July 2021;

Genre: Mystery & Detective

A book written for junior crime detectives! Kate and her accomplice Rupert the mouse, are embarking on a train journey to the Arctic. However, not long after the train departs, strange and mysterious happenings start occurring. Kate takes it upon herself to investigate all the other passengers...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
01 July 2021;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

Tally is ten years old and in Year 6. She's good at plenty of things but she really doesn't know who she is. Her teacher describes her as a model pupil, she has friends and is hoping for a big part in the school play. At the same time, she's finding it a growing struggle to fit in and at home...

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Name: Jane Rew
30 June 2021;

Genre: Friends and family

This isn't just an adventure story involving three children - Faith, her younger brother Noah, and Sam - on the run, on the lookout for treasure, hope, a secure home. Nor is it a simple story of ghosts - as if ghosts were real anyway! Nor yet is it just about shattered families and friendships...

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Name: Nicola Jenkin
30 June 2021;

Genre: Suspense & Thrillers

I thoroughly enjoyed Fleur Hitchcock’s Murder in Midwinter so was very excited to read her latest offering, Waiting for Murder. It was just as good - fast paced, with plenty of thrills and twists. Dan is spending the summer in the sleepy village of Sandford with his arc...

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Name: Nicola Jenkin
30 June 2021;

Genre: Friends and family

How to be Me is a beautiful book. Cath Howe has perfectly captured just how important the creative arts are can be. Whether that be in finding self-confidence, making friends, or dealing with trauma. Lucas is feeling very alone. After the death of his mother, his father...

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Name: Rhiannon Cook
30 June 2021;

Genre: Myths & Legends

Simi has always lived in Lagos, a bustling city full of noise and people, so it comes as a huge shock when she is sent to stay with a Grandmother she has never met, in the remote village of Ajao, a quiet place unconnected to modern Nigeria. An air of secrecy shrouds Simi's family life and her...

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