Tiny Dogs: Bea’s Secret Friends

Children need stories and while we would love it if they all took to reading like the metaphorical duck to water and then quite naturally went on to love the wealth of middle grade and young adult titles that are on offer, we all know that for many of them that is not a thing.

Bird Boy by Catherine Bruton

When a friend warns you ahead of picking up a book that you will need tissues, you know that you are in for a really special read that will tug on your heartstrings. So it was when this arrived a few days ago and, having already read another friend’s powerful review singing its praises very

The Wanderdays: Journey To Fantome Island by Clare Povey

When news of this title from author Clare Povey was announced last week, I immediately added it to my list of upcoming reads that I’m very excited about and when a proof arrived a few days later, I think it’s fair to say that Mr S *might* have noticed just how thrilled I was when

Drowning in My Bedroom by Steve Cole, illustrated by Oriol Vidal

At first read of the blurb for this new clifi thriller from Steve Cole and Oriol Vidal, it really didn’t sound like my kind of book. Dark and bleak, it seemed to me to be possibly without hope and yet, on rereading the information sent by the publisher, there was something about it that told

Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise: Undercover Alien (Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise 2)

Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise was enormously popular with my Year 3 class last year. Funny, brilliantly illustrated and with highly engaging short chapters, that first book introduced the world to possibly the friendliest T-Rex ever, best friend Sandra, roommate yeti Bigfoot and Rex’s deep love for snacking on Cheez Nubbins. Back for a second outing,

Skylar and the K-pop Headteacher by Luan Goldie

I like to think I have a very broad taste when it comes to music but the older I get, the further away I drift from what children enjoy listening to. While as a teenager I probably rolled my eyes when my parents shuddered at the noise that was Duran Duran and the whole New

Gracie Fairshaw and The Missing Reel (Gracie Fairshaw 3) by Susan Brownrigg

The Great British seaside resort is a national institution and with its glorious sandy beach, traditional amusements and – of course – its iconic tower, Blackpool must surely be top of many people’s lists of examples. Although I’ve never been, it’s one of those places that I feel as though I must have done at

Fairy vs. Wizard: A Stink Adventure (Stink 2) by Jenny McLachlan

Fairies have undergone a radical makeover since I was young. With the exception of Carabosse/Maleficent, the bad fairy in Sleeping Beauty, those from my childhood were good-natured creatures who had a penchant for wearing pastels and being generally very girly but fast-forward to the 2020s, and today’s fairies are just as likely to wield a

I Am Wolf by Alastair Chisholm

It’s always exciting when an author whose writing you love has a new read coming out but when that title is the first in a trilogy there is the added thrill of knowing that once you have enjoyed reading it there will be more to come. Having always been a fan of science fiction and

Alyssa and the Spell Garden by Alexandra Sheppard, illustrated by Bex Glendining

Like an awful lot of readers, I love a magical story – typically a battle of good vs evil, very often with a terrifying antagonist who has plans to take over the world and has no hesitation in using the most wicked of means to do so. While this sort of book has huge appeal to