Families Book Reviews

Name: Emma Urbonas
03 April 2024;

Genre: Fantasy

The City Beyond the Stars is a phenomenal sequel to The Kingdom Over the Sea and once again I had the privilege of immersing myself in Yara’s world of sorcery and alch...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
03 April 2024;

Genre: Animals

The voice of Shadow, a wild and lonely fox, tells this latest poignant story from Carlie Sorosiak, Shadow Fox. At the heart of the book (and it is a big heart) is his relationship with the unconventional human girl, Bee. To begin with, they are drawn into an uneasy alli...

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Name: Hannah Keohane
03 April 2024;

Genre: Family & Home

Bringing Back Kay-Kay is gripping from the start. The protagonist is 12-year-old Lena whose older brother, Kay-Kay, has gone missing after a summer camp. After the police seem to give up on finding him, Lena decides to take matters into her own hands and goes in search of Kay-...

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Name: Joanne Thomas
03 April 2024;

Genre: Family & Home

A Midsummer Night's Drama is a beautiful bedtime story for little bards which tackles the tricky problem of getting to sleep! The book is split into three acts and follows Bill the bear who has written a new play. After a very successful opening night, Bill is too excited to g...

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Name: Jenny Caddick
03 April 2024;

Genre: Myths & Legends

Yomi and the Power of the Yumboes is the second book in a fast-paced, fun, lively blend of modern mystery meets traditional African mythology. This is an exciting, fresh contemporary adventure series packed with perilous and daring escapades by curious, investigative si...

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Name: Jane Rew
02 April 2024;

Genre: Family & Home

Dev Kothari is a masterful storyteller. This mystery (to assign it a genre for library shelving) is gripping and, in places, quite lyrical. Its realism and drama will appeal to children who want a bit of truth and grit in their fiction. They will 'get' the intense emotions Lena feels about her...

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Name: Beverley Somerset
02 April 2024;

Genre: Mystery & Detective

The Morrow twins, Merry and Spike, were born on either side of the start of the New Year. Consequently, they were born in different months and years, and both of the clocks in their house stopped at the exact times of their births. Now clocks behave oddly around them and they have discovered t...

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Name: Rachel Bolton
02 April 2024;

Genre: Family & Home

What a wonderful idea to set a time travelling story with a cinema screen as the portal. Translated from Dutch, this award-winning novel (The Golden Pencil Prize for best Dutch children’s book of the year) tells the story of how Cate - a little bit sad, a little bit angry and definitely a litt...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
02 April 2024;

Genre: Dystopian

Juniper and Bear are now living in Ennerdale with their father, his new partner, Willow, and their baby, Fern. The life they escaped in the city should be in the past, but neither can rest easy knowing they left their grandmother, Annie-Rose, and friend, Etienne, behind. When they learn that d...

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Name: Clair Bossons
02 April 2024;

Genre: Non Fiction

The Totally Chaotic History: Ancient Egypt Gets Unruly! is very eye-catching. A fabulously illustrated non-fiction chapter book which covers the history of Ancient Egypt in chronological order. The information is easily accessible to children without appearing overwhelming as...

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