At the end of April, great excitement rippled through our school library when we were invited on a top-secret mission to Scholastic HQ to interview the judges after they'd selected the short list for the Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Awards (aka The Lollies). These awards were established by Michael Rosen to fill the void left by … Continue reading The Laugh Out Loud 2017 Book Awards Short-listing Day…
Introducing Emma Jane, her aeroplane and all the animal friends she collects on her whistle-stop tour around the world. Emma Jane is a girl who likes adventure. As she sets off in her plane one evening, little does she know that she's about to head off on a round-the-world trip. The first big city in … Continue reading ‘Emma Jane’s Aeroplane,’ by Katie Haworth, illustrated by Daniel Reiley.
Ernest the Earwig has been thinking. And he's not happy. All sorts of creatures appear in books, but not earwigs. Why not?! Outraged, Ernest decides to right this wrong. After a restless night's sleep, Earnest heads off to the local bookshop and straight to the children's literature section. He then seizes his chance to slip … Continue reading ‘The Importance of Being Ernest the Earwig,’ by Nanette Newman, illustrated by Lindsay Branagh.
I was super-excited to be sent a copy of the third instalment of this prize-winning series. It still features Luke, StarBoy and all their superhuman friends, but with the genius addition of an inter-dimensional toilet! After crash-landing Zorbon the Decider's spacecraft in IKEA, Luke (aka Stellar, aka Evil Twin) sets off to find the parallel … Continue reading ‘My Evil Twin Is A Supervillain, by David Solomons, cover by Laura Ellen Anderson, inside illustrations by Robin Boyden.
It's all about you! This is your chance to create a book all about your favourite person - you! Draw, write, quiz and colour. Fill the pages of this special book with weird and wonderful facts all about you and your family. How fast can you run? What do you dream about? If you ran … Continue reading ‘The Book of Me!’ By Adam Frost, illustrated by Sarah Ray.
Ahoy me hearties! There be treasure in these pages! This is the tale of a boy and his plucky sea dog who set sail to find the hidden treasure of Pirate Frank. They sail the stormy seas, trek over snow-capped mountains and brave a gooey swamp, all to reach the tree which marks the spot. … Continue reading ‘The Treasure of Pirate Frank,’ by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham, illustrated by Jez Tuya.
In today's political climate, we are constantly being told how different we all are from each other. That's why I was delighted to be sent this clever book which not only celebrates our differences but also points out how we are all the same. This book was inspired by Matt Lamothe's own experiences as he … Continue reading ‘This Is How We Do It – one day in the lives of seven kids from around the world,’ by Matt Lamothe.
Travel the world from the comfort of your chair with this gloriously illustrated book from Marc Martin. An absolutely delightful guide to the world for young explorers. You'll be taken from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the frozen continent of Antarctica via Hong Kong and Ulaanbaatar. The pages are full of fun and … Continue reading ‘Lots,’ by Marc Martin.
2017 is a year of celebration for beloved author and illustrator, Shirley Hughes. The summer sees her celebrating her 90th birthday and this year is also the 40th anniversary of her classic children's book, 'Dogger.' 'Alfie and Dad,' is a beautiful collection of stories, perfect to kick off this special year. This book is full … Continue reading ‘Alfie and Dad,’ by Shirley Hughes.
It's never too early to introduce your children to some of the classics of Western literature. This awesome series of books will let you do just that. The Cozy Classics series is the brainchild of the Wang brothers who were looking for a way to teach their young children new words. They came up with … Continue reading ‘Cozy Classics,’ by Jack and Holman Wang.
This book is enjoying a re-release with a new publisher (Wacky Bee Books) and a new name (formerly Douglas Trump.) It tells the tale of Dougal, who fears he's risking death whenever he goes in the garden due to a strange and mysterious creature supposed to be dwelling in his garden shed. However, his family … Continue reading ‘Dougal Daley: It’s Not My Fault!,’ by Jackie Marchant, illustrated by Loretta Schauer.
I was delighted to be invited to participate in the blog tour for this beautiful mother-daughter collaboration. The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea, in a box on the living room floor. They sailed away for a year and a day and these are the things that they saw... Join two curious children on … Continue reading ‘The Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat,’ by Coral Rumble, illustrated by Charlotte Cooke.
This book rocked up at exactly the right time as my youngest son is currently obsessed with playing his drum kit and dancing around to his favourite Black Sabbath songs! Jimmy lived in the nicest village you ever did see - the prettiest park, a perfect police station and the most super school. The only … Continue reading ‘Jimmy Finnigan’s Wild Wood Band,’ by Tom Knight.
This latest book in the 'Uncommon Compendium' is crammed full of fifty of the most incredible structures ever built, including: a skateboard ramp used to jump The Great Wall of China, a giant, mechanical, fire-breathing octopus and a life-size X-Wing Starfighter built of Lego. It features a double-page spread on each of the chosen constructions, with … Continue reading ‘Curious Constructions,’ by Michael Hearst, illustrated by Matt Johnstone.
