Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Samantha Phillips
09 July 2020;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Although I am not one for regularly reading colour-banded books, this historical novel makes a great short read for anyone, reluctant young reader or adult alike. To Liberty! The Adventures of Thomas- Alexandre Dumas by Catherine Johnson, tells the life story of General Thomas...

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Name: Bryony Davies
07 July 2020;

Genre: Biographies & Autobiographies

In I Am Not A Label, author Cerrie Burnell introduces us to 34 disabled role models from around the world. The book also features historical figures. Writing in a positive way, this fantastic book shows us that living with a disability or chronic illness does not have to defin...

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Name: Carol Carter
02 July 2020;

Genre: Adventure

Charlie Merriam is having a tough time. He's wished for a baby brother for years, but when baby Dara finally arrives, it's on Charlie's birthday and Dara is not what Charlie expected -he's tiny, screaming, and very poorly. It's all just too much and the only thing Charlie can think of to do is...

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Name: Nicola Cleveland
01 July 2020;

Genre: Adventure

Charlie has long dreamed of having a sibling and is delighted when he's woken on his 12th birthday to be told he has a baby brother. But his happiness doesn't last when he discovers Dara is very poorly. He's not the pink, beautiful baby brother he was expecting. As fear takes over, Charlie run...

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Name: Alison Kelly
23 June 2020;

Genre: Poetry

What could be better than some Bright Bursts of Colour in these difficult times? Matt Goodfellow's latest publication is a much needed pallet of colour and emotion. There's a wonderful poem towards the end of the collection celebrating story time: 'Still Aloud' (p.92). In a pr...

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Name: Bryony Davies
20 June 2020;

Genre: Adventure

Planet SOS: 22 Modern Monsters Threatening Our Environment (and What You Can Do To Defeat Them) is a very clever book about the environment and climate change. The author has cleverly turned the biggest threats to the planet into beasts and suggested ways that the reader can vanquish them through...

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Name: Donna Ritchie
20 June 2020;

Genre: Magical Realism

This book drew me in straight away - being a sucker for a story with a bit of magic. It is a story that begins with the two main characters - Ned and Aine - telling their own story. Ned is a young boy whose twin brother, Tam, sadly dies (but is still with him!) and Aine, a young girl whose mot...

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Name: Janet Fisher
16 June 2020;

Genre: Adventure

A beautifully designed cover and stars on every other page make this a lovely book to hold, and the story inside does not disappoint. Orphaned Seren is travelling to what she hopes will be her new home in Wales one cold evening before Christmas, when a tall thin man thrusts a parcel into her h...

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Name: James Hewish
13 June 2020;

Genre: Animals

Invisible Nature: A Secret World Beyond our Senses is a non-fiction book by Catherine Barr and Anne Wilson. The authors make a brilliant and successful attempt at trying to demonstrate, explain and illustrate some challenging scientific concepts.This book will sati...

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Name: Donna Ritchie
11 June 2020;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Mohinder's War is set during WWII in occupied France. It follows 13-year-old Joelle's father/daughter-like relationship with Indian RAF pilot Mohinder Singh. Shot down over France and crash landing, he is rescued and then hidden by Joelle and her parents (an English mother and...

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