Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Rachel Bolton
27 August 2025;

Genre: Suspense & Thrillers

Your best friend dies in mysterious circumstances; you uncover a secret society which has prejudice, racism and misogyny at its heart; oh and your dream of being interviewed for a much sought after place at one of Oxford's leading colleges is the next day! Such is the plot behind this <...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
25 August 2025;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Based on the true story of Indian WWI gunner and recipient of the Victoria Cross, Khudadad Khan, My Soul, A Shining Tree is told from different perspectives. Lotte is a Belgian farmgirl whose home is a small farm in the village of Gheluvet, near Ypres in Flanders. Her l...

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Name: Jo Clarke
25 August 2025;

Genre: Adventure

Maisie Vs the Himalayas is a lively, adventurous tale that mixes wild escapades with thoughtful reflections on family, trust, and growing up. Maisie is a feisty character - cheeky, impulsive, and at times downright reckless. In complete contrast, her father is serious,...

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Name: Jane Rew
25 August 2025;

Genre: Adventure

As with other books in The Time Machine series, readers get to learn some fascinating historical facts almost without realising, if they choose to read the footnotes. The ratio of fantasy to fact is weighted towards the former, but, given the choice, many lower KS2 children mi...

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Name: Rachel Bolton
25 August 2025;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

I learnt so much about India during WW2 from this new story by Sufiya Ahmed. It would be an excellent addition to a school library who wanted to add to their collection of wartime stories. It's 1943 and 12-year-old Hasan is sent to Calcutta to stay with his grandfather as his parents ca...

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Name: Ruth Cornish
25 August 2025;

Genre: Mental Health & Wellbeing

Not only is Jellybean an excellent book, it is an essential read for anyone who is suffering from EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance), their family or their friends. The narrative portrays the anxiety Ellie experiences regarding school in a way that will be instantly rec...

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Name: Margaret
22 August 2025;

Genre: Magical Realism

Serena has just moved to a new house and a new school, miles away from her friends in London. She just wants to be accepted by her new classmates, but then she discovers that she is able to see events in the future; needless to say this makes her extremely popular at school, especially with th...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
22 August 2025;

Genre: Adventure

Tick lives in a secluded cabin at the edge of Ellia with his little brother, Leaf, and their horse, Pebble. Since their Grandfather died, Tick has taken on the responsibility for looking after them all and is trying to prepare for the approaching winter, when they see thousands of warships com...

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Name: Sharon Porter
22 August 2025;

Genre: Poetry

What a little beauty of a poetry book. I have been carrying this around in my bag and dipping into it in quiet moments. There is something for everyone, with a make-you-smile cat-lover poem and a rather poignant, family secret poem to make you ponder. Out Of This World: Poems to...

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Name: Ruth Cornish
21 August 2025;

Genre: Science Fiction

Hot on the heels of his equally excellent book Reek, Alastair Chisholm has written another engaging science fiction story, Blitzers, about a group of school friends and their gaming devices. Blitzers are the latest must-have craze and Danny do...

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