Families Book Reviews

Name: Sue Wilsher
01 April 2025;

Genre: Friends and family

Little Red the squirrel scampers up Tree, declaring that it is all for him; however, Tree gently corrects him, pointing out a teeny-tiny caterpillar eating a leaf. Unhappy about sharing with caterpillar, Little Red is even more annoyed when Tree offers their branches for Swift to rest on. As m...

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Name: Amanda Shipton
01 April 2025;

Genre: Mental Health & Wellbeing

Basil Dreams Big is a beautifully illustrated, heartwarming picture book; a wonderful story of friendship and resilience told through carefully crafted, rhyming sentences. The vocabulary choices are just fantastic and would inspire young readers. My favourite...

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Name: Wendy Kelly
01 April 2025;

Genre: Mental Health & Wellbeing

This is the perfect book for those who love bats - there are plenty of fruit bats in this lovely, uplifting tale about Basil the bat and friend, Moth. Basil hasn't learned to fly yet, he tries after encouragement from Moth and the rest of the fruit bat colony but falls repeatedly to the ground...

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Name: Wendy Kelly
01 April 2025;

Genre: Environment & Nature

Looking for a chapter book that showcases a far-off country, features twins, promotes conservation of endangered species AND has a touch of magic? Look no further, just enjoy the first book in (what I hope will be) a new series. Abiola Bello is a recognised author of Young Adult books a...

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Name: Jo Clarke
01 April 2025;

Genre: Dystopian

Set in a futuristic world of man versus automaton, After is another Padraig Kenny masterpiece. Main characters Jen and Father are travelling to Tranquility Lake in a time where technology has seen to the demise of the world as we know it. Father is a 'mek'; he looks human, he...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
01 April 2025;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

This well-written and refreshing anthology of true stories is a journey through classic childhood experiences, reported by writers from a range of countries and with a variety of different disabilities. We see firsthand their struggle against the pressure of societal norms: as...

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Name: Elen Green
01 April 2025;

Genre: Baby & Toddler Books

Flagged as 'a perfect book for Easter', Bouncing Bunnies is a lovely engaging picture book, and perfect to share with young children at any time of the year.  Young children will love bouncing along to the instructions in the story, learning effortlessly through play</...

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Name: Sara Sumner
28 March 2025;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rebel Heart is a new and exciting historical adventure story from Ally Sherrick, set in the English Civil War. The year is 1645 and with her father away fighting for the Royalists and her step mother about to surrender her home to the troops bombarding it, you...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
28 March 2025;

Genre: Biographies & Autobiographies

Like the author, I have always been fascinated by the women who were unlucky enough to be married to King Henry VIII. In Six Queens, Lydia Monks sets out to show that they should not just be remembered by the rhyme, 'Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived', but...

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Name: Elen Green
28 March 2025;

Genre: Animals

I loved this story of a group of children finding their way as 'apprentice vets' at an animal rescue centre. The children's love of the animals shines through every mishap and gentle misadventure, as ferrets go missing, their pets go astray and the children's plans to rehome the animals at the...

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