Category Archives: Book Reviews

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo My rating: 5 of 5 stars (The dizzying joy of finding a copy of this in the charity bookstore, when you’re still the 449302nd reservation on the library copy…) Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo is a novel of such utter articulacy that I scarce know how to handleContinue reading “Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo”

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman My rating: 1 of 5 stars Here’s the thing: I admire what Pullman can do; I admire the way he can articulate things; I admire the worlds he has creates with all of their wild wonder and glory; but I do not admire this book. It is overlong, overwroughtContinue reading “The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman”

The Highland Falcon Thief by M.G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is such a lot of fun. I went into The Highland Falcon Thief thinking well, I am ancient and absolutely have no interest whatsoever in trains, and I came out and realised that I loved it. There isContinue reading “The Highland Falcon Thief by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman”

Animal Farm: The Graphic Novel by Odyr My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s a part of me that can never quite cope with Animal Farm, having read it as a pony-loving child and immediately bonding with Boxer. For those of you who know the story, you’ll know now why I can’t quite cope withContinue reading “Animal Farm : The Graphic Novel by Odyr”

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’d waited a while to read An American Marriage, forced by a long reservation queue (always a good sign), and I was not disappointed. It’s a novel that I went into a little blind, conscious of the noise about it and the factContinue reading “An American Marriage by Tayari Jones”

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have had complicated feelings about The Testaments ever since it was announced, ever since it was nominated for the Booker, ever since it shared the prize with Girl, Woman, Other, ever since all of this and more. It is not that I dislikedContinue reading “The Testaments by Margaret Atwood”

In the Grip of Winter by Colin Dann My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been picking my way through the Farthing Wood series, driven by an urge to revisit these emotionally scarring books of my childhood. Though somebody like Richard Adams will always have the crown of accidentally emotionally traumatising children (Plague Dogs! GeneralContinue reading “In The Grip Of Winter by Colin Dann”

It’s a no-money day by Kate Milner My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s difficult to tell you how important this gentle, soft book is and so I hope you will forgive me if I jump straight to the punchline: It’s A No-Money Day by Kate Milner should be on your shelves. And if youContinue reading “It’s a No-Money Day by Kate Milner”

Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell My rating: 3 of 5 stars My stance is clear, I think, and has been so for a while: children’s literature is important and to assign a value judgement upon it, indeed to assign a value judgement uponContinue reading “Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell”

Sensible Footwear: A Girl’s Guide by Kate Charlesworth My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s difficult to talk about Sensible Footwear by Kate Charlesworth without telling you what an utterly wonderful book it is. It is simply wonderful, this powerful, personal and political story of LGBTQI+ history within the United Kingdom from the 1950s toContinue reading “Sensible Footwear : a girl’s guide by Kate Charlesworth”

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann My rating: 4 of 5 stars The fact that it’s a book consisting of an internal monologue of a housewife, the fact that it’s juxtaposed against the story of a lioness in the wild, the fact that ‘the fact that’ reappears so much in the first few pages that youContinue reading “Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman”

Plus+ by Bethany Rutter My rating: 5 of 5 stars Every now and then I am reminded of an interview I read with Beth Ditto, back in the dawn of time when newspapers were still newspapers and still made of paper and print. The author wondered, in the way that was clearly his wont, atContinue reading “Plus+ : Style Inspiration for Everyone, edited by Bethany Rutter”

We Are All Greta by Valentina Giannella My rating: 3 of 5 stars We Are All Greta is interesting to me, as it touches on something incredibly potent and present within children’s books and yet a something that is, at present, somewhat under-explored. Some of this under-exploration can be perhaps ascribed to the nature ofContinue reading “We are all Greta : Be Inspired to Save the World by Valentina Giannella, illustrated by Maneula Marazzi”

Hansel and Gretel by Bethan Woollvin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hansel and Gretel but not as you know it; the kids are horrible little things and the witch, Willow, is – well, not quite what you think. I’ve known of Bethan Woolvin’s stylish work for a while and so, when I received aContinue reading “Hansel and Gretel by Bethan Woollvin”

The Misadventures of Frederick by Ben Manley My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s something to be said for subtle, soft strangeness in the world of picture books and The Misadventures of Frederick bathes in that with utter delight. Frederick is a boy who lives inside a mansion and very rarely goes out. He’s bored,Continue reading “The Misadventures of Frederick by Ben Manley and Emma Chichester Clark”

The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin by Nicola O’Byrne (author) My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’m increasingly falling in love with books that are a little bit strange. I think we tend to search for the level in children’s literature; we look for the planes that can help us understand these strangeContinue reading “The Rabbit, the Dark and the Biscuit Tin by Nicola O’Byrne”

Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year by Allie Esiri My rating: 4 of 5 stars Beautifully produced, this is something to wallow in. Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year does precisely what it says on the tin; three hundred and sixty five extracts from Shakespeare for every day of the year. It coverContinue reading “Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year edited by Allie Esiri”

A Song for Summer by Eva Ibbotson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to begin with Eva Ibbotson and then, I realise, it’s here. A sunlit, simple day where breakfast was buttery toast and the world’s open to explore. She’s simple that way, instinctive; food features heavily, sunlight idyllicContinue reading “A Song For Summer by Eva Ibbotson”

Judy, Patrol Leader by Dorothea Moore My rating: 4 of 5 stars Oh man, I loved this! Judy, Patrol Leader by Dorothea Moore is a new venture to me; new author, much more ‘Guide’ orientated then many of my normal reads, and yet it’s a delight. A rampant, utter, delight. It’s vivid, heartfelt, ferociously readableContinue reading “Judy, Patrol Leader by Dorothea Moore”

The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have such time for what Hilary McKay does, and The Time of Green Magic is a joy. Wild, rich, fantastical, and full of intense, palpable danger, it’s a dream. McKay is good, so good, and the day she is givenContinue reading “The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay”

Midnight Is a Place by Joan Aiken My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve never wholly clicked with Joan Aiken. I think, sometimes, some of it stems from my preferences; I like stories with a particular taste and style and frame. I like being able to handle them and know what I’m going to getContinue reading “Midnight Is A Place by Joan Aiken”

A Traveller in Time by Alison Uttley My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s interesting how you can sometimes come to the right book at the wrong time. The first time I read this book, I was in the basement of a dusty university library and I was late for my shift. I skim-read andContinue reading “A Traveller In Time by Alison Uttley”

This Is a Dog by Ross Collins My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s a lot to love about this vivid, bold and deeply emphatic takeover of a picture book by a dog. It is nominally ‘My First Animal Book’; a Ladybird-esque introduction to a series of animals, but that’s not good enough for theContinue reading “This Is A Dog by Ross Collins”

The Key to Flambards by Linda Newbery My rating: 2 of 5 stars I have a lot of time for the work of Linda Newbery, and KM Peyton is something of a legend for me, and so the thought of them coming together on this project was something special. The Key To Flambards is ‘FlambardsContinue reading “The Key To Flambards by Linda Newbery”

Dobbin and the Silver Shoes: And Other Stories by Elizabeth Clark My rating: 3 of 5 stars This isn’t the first time I’ve come across Elizabeth Clark; I reviewed The Farmer And The Fairy a while back and enjoyed her greatly. She’s a classic sort of storyteller, somebody who delivers stories that feel slightly anachronisticContinue reading “Dobbin And The Silver Shoes by Elizabeth Clark”

How to be an Astronaut and Other Space Jobs by Dr Sheila Kanani My rating: 5 of 5 stars How To Be An Astronaut isn’t just a ‘space’ book, but rather a ‘careers but in space’ book. It’s a unique twist for a perennial topic in children’s non-fiction; space, the Romans, the Tudors and animalsContinue reading “How To Be An Astronaut And Other Space Jobs by Dr Sheila Kanani and Sol Linero”

The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton My rating: 4 of 5 stars Neena Gill’s brother has disappeared without a trace and it’s taken a toll on her family. They’re all just trying to get through another day without him, and nobody can quite do it without falling apart a little bit more.Continue reading “The Million Pieces of Neena Gill by Emma Smith-Barton”

The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson My rating: 5 of 5 stars There are many things about libraries that I love* but I think story time might be the thing I love the most. It is a curious privilege to work and to watch it happen; the prams gravitating together, the parents satContinue reading “The Same But Different Too by Karl Newson and Kate Hindley”

La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono first came across my radar when I was researching translated young adult literature. I have been wanting to read more of this, not only as a reaction of the increasingly narrow political spheres we seem to be so wrongly moving towards, but also because it felt right.

“…with Lorna Hill, I just want to wallow.”

I have such a lot of time for what Aoife Walsh does, and so when I was offered a review copy of Lost For Words I leapt at the chance

I, Cosmo by Carlie Sorosiak is, I suspect, rather brilliant. I didn’t quite understand it for a while until all of a sudden I did; I got it, I understood, and then I was Emotionally Moved and here we are.

Life isn’t easy. As much as we’d wish it to be, particularly for those we love, it isn’t. Dawson gets that, and she lets her characters live life. Messy. Painful. Honest. True. She is very, very good.

“I only get picky like this when the book is good.”

The World of Elsie Jeanette Oxenham and Her Books by Monica Godfrey My rating: 2 of 5 stars This isn’t a subtle biography by any means. It’s written from a very particular standpoint; one that I do accept, occasionally understand, but can’t ever describe as high literature. Godfrey is a fan, The World of ElsieContinue reading “The World of Elsie Jeanette Oxenham and her Books by Monica Godfrey”

The Abbey Girls in Town by Elsie J. Oxenham My rating: 4 of 5 stars Once you do an Abbey reread, you can’t stop. Though I was much more intrigued by the middle-aged spy drama happening in the background of this cover, and disappointed that it did not appear in the actual text itself, thisContinue reading “The Abbey Girls In Town by Elsie J. Oxenham”

The New Abbey Girls by Elsie J. Oxenham My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have such a love-hate relationship with Elsie Oxenham. When I’m thinking about culling some books, hers are always the first that I look at and yet they’re still here. They’ve been in a bag a few times, and I’ve takenContinue reading “The New Abbey Girls”

No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Aya is eleven, Syrian, and seeking asylum in Britain. Her mum, her, and her baby brother have escaped from the war in Syria – but her father got separated from them on the way. Her whole family is suffering from theContinue reading “No Ballet Shoes In Syria by Catherine Bruton”

A Girl’s Stronghold by E.F Pollard My rating: 4 of 5 stars Delightfully nutty in the way that only turn of the century children’s literature can be, this starts as something quite typical and then escalates to quite the heights. Were I the sort of scholar to throw around labels in a willy-nilly sort ofContinue reading “A Girl’s Stronghold by E.F. Pollard”

Us by Mrs. Molesworth My rating: 4 of 5 stars First published in 1885, ‘Us’ is a fairly typical piece of children’s literature for this age. The good are good, the bad are bad, and the upper classes are full of moral upstanding-ness and the lower classes (particularly gypsies) are the worst. They are prejudicesContinue reading ““Us” An Old-Fashioned Story by Mrs Molesworth”

I have a trio of board books to bring to your attention today! When I’m sent something to review, it doesn’t always get to the point of being reviewed. Sometimes we don’t click, sometimes there’s very little I can say about it, or sometimes it’s so out of my remit that I wouldn’t know whereContinue reading “A trio of board book reviews”

I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been meaning to read Alice Oseman’s work for a long while. It’s always a good sign when her books fly in and out of the library, quicker than swifts in summer, because that means they’re being read. Fiercely, voraciously, passionately.Continue reading “I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman”

So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Greece by Chae Strathie My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was fun. ‘So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life In Ancient Greece’ isn’t the pithiest of titles (and indeed, a structure paralleled by others in the series such asContinue reading “So You Think You’ve Got It Bad? A Kid’s Life in Ancient Greece by Chae Strathie, illus. Marisa Morea”

Charlie Changes Into a Chicken by Sam Copeland My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s something rather appealing about a book that displays its intent so clearly. Charlie Changes Into A Chicken gives you everything from page one, and continues to do that on every page that follows. It’s determinedly readable (seriously the drive behindContinue reading “Charlie Changes Into A Chicken by Sam Copeland”

The Skylarks’ War by Hilary McKay My rating: 5 of 5 stars Endlessly beautiful, in that way that only Hilary McKay can be, The Skylarks War is perfect. I thought it might be on page ninety-seven, and then when I finished it and let out a great gasping sob at that ending, I knew itContinue reading “The Skylarks War by Hilary McKay”

Harriet Takes The Field by Catherine Christian My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this, even though I knew nothing about Catherine Christian before I saw it. Turns out she was a prolific author with credits spanning over fifty years and topics as diverse as Arthuriana, Guides, and Egyptian history, and that’s an achievementContinue reading “Harriet Takes The Field by Catherine Christian”

Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright My rating: 3 of 5 stars It’s always a little difficult coming to a series ‘second book in as it were’ as you do tend to miss a lot of what’s gone on. It took me a while to figure out who was who, and what was what, andContinue reading “Return to Gone-Away by Elizabeth Enright”

A Dangerous Mission by Bessie Marchant My rating: 4 of 5 stars The more I read of Bessie Marchant, the more I enjoy her. She is a writer who hybridises Elinor M. Brent-Dyer at her Ruritanian best with the entirety of the Boy’s Own Genre, and makes it her own. She is rather fabulous, andContinue reading “A Dangerous Mission by Bessie Marchant”

(A brief note from the editor; this is a blog concerned with children’s and young adult literature. Circe is arguably neither. Yet it is remarkable and this blog will always find a home for the remarkable story. This is something to give to those readers breaching the edge of young adult and looking for somethingContinue reading “Circe by Madeline Miller”

I’ve been looking for something like Girl Squads by Sam Maggs for a while…

I take a look at Glass Town Wars by Celia Rees

No Medals for Guy by Lorna Hill My rating: 2 of 5 stars I will defend Lorna Hill to the end of time, but I will not defend this book. It isn’t great, and it hurts me to write that but it’s true. No Medals For Guy is the book that finally convinced me ofContinue reading “No Medals For Guy by Lorna Hill”

Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley My rating: 4 of 5 stars Frequently charming and really rather beautifully done, this 90th anniversary edition of the Milly-Molly-Mandy stories is a lovely thing. It’s been a long time since I read Milly-Molly-Mandy and if you’re the same, here’s a brief refresher. Written in the 1920s, MMM isContinue reading “Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories by Joyce Lankester Brisley”

The Ink House by Rory Dobner My rating: 3 of 5 stars Spectacularly produced, somewhat slender in the story department, and full of some rather intensely beautiful artwork, The Ink House is somewhat of a paradox. It’s beautiful, first and foremost; written and illustrated by Rory Dobner, an artist with a substantial and impressive commercialContinue reading “The Ink House by Rory Dobner”

Dancing Peel by Lorna Hill My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s not much I wouldn’t do for one of these glorious Esme Verity covers. The daughter of Lorna Hill, Verity has a great grace to her artwork and I love it. The light. The richness. The softness. This is good, classical artwork and ratherContinue reading “Dancing Peel by Lorna Hill”

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich My rating: 4 of 5 stars I think that to understand this book, you need to understand the context of Dear Evan Hansen itself. Dear Evan Hansen is a musical that’s rather wonderful, even when you just listen to the soundtrack and have to hit Wikipedia to work outContinue reading “Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, with Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul”

We Rode to the Sea by Christine Pullein-Thompson My rating: 4 of 5 stars “This was my first book…” writes Christine Pullein-Thompson in the introduction to the 1973 Collins edition, “…It is the book which made my name. I hope you enjoy it.” And how can you not when this is Pullein-Thompson at her deliciousContinue reading “We Rode To The Sea by Christine Pullein-Thompson”

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed My rating: 4 of 5 stars A quietly, precisely told story, Amal Unbound is careful about itself and careful about the story it tells. It is also rather unrelenting, quietly bold and ultimately, rather powerful. It’s the story of a Pakistani girl named Amal who, when forced into indentured servitude,Continue reading “Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed”

Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal My rating: 2 of 5 stars I can understand the feelings behind this, and the urge behind it, but Ten Years Later is a problematic and frankly strange book that seems to deny or barely recognise much of the structure and themes that made the SweetContinue reading “Sweet Valley Confidential – Ten Years Later : Francine Pascal”

Miss Wilmer’s Gang by Bessie Marchant My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was my first ever Bessie Marchant, and after we got to the bit about taxidermy, I realised that we were in for quite a ride. She’s an interesting author is Marchant, always on my radar with her girls full of Strong AndContinue reading “Miss Wilmer’s Gang : Bessie Marchant”

Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different by Ben Brooks My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have promised to be, above all things, honest in the reviews that I write and so it’s for that reason that I must confess that I wanted to dislike this a lot more than I did. TheseContinue reading “Stories For Boys Who Dare To Be Different – Ben Brooks”

Pony on the Twelfth Floor by Polly Faber My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s a lot to love about what Polly Faber does and I, for one, hope she continues to do it. I had, and continue to have, so much time for her work on the Mango and Bambang series ( which IContinue reading “Pony on the Twelfth Floor : Polly Faber, illus. Sarah Jennings”

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Let’s talk about Black Beauty then, shall we? And yet, having swung into this review with such a glorious opening sentence, I’m not sure where to begin. Much of that, I think, stems from the fact that we know Black Beauty. It is aContinue reading “Black Beauty : Anna Sewell”

Clean by Juno Dawson My rating: 4 of 5 stars The versatility of Dawson never fails to astound me. She is a writer who imbues a sense of truth into everything that she does, and this is no exception. Clean is a beautiful book. It really is, because Dawson manages to twist all of theContinue reading “Clean : Juno Dawson”

Home Home by Lisa Allen-Agostini My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s a point towards the end of the first chapter of Home Home where I got The Feeling. You’ll know what The Feeling is; it’s that moment when you read something, maybe a word or a sentence or a metaphor, whatever, but you knowContinue reading “Home Home : Lisa Allen-Agostini”

A Pony for Jean by Joanna Cannan My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s a reason I practically fainted when I found this in the pound shop and that reason is this: A Pony For Jean is a stone-cold classic, rich and evocative and unapologetically ponyish and it should be in the hands of anyoneContinue reading “A Pony For Jean : Joanna Cannan”

The Three Jays Against the Clock by Pat Smythe My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have been aching for a reread of Pat Smythe’s pony books for quite some time, and so, dear reader, when I found a copy of The Three Jays Against The Clock in the bookshoop I clutched it to myContinue reading “The Three Jays Against The Clock : Pat Smythe”

Little Liar by Julia Gray My rating: 4 of 5 stars Julia Gray is quietly producing some of the most complex and challenging books out there, and Little Liar is a spectacular addition to her canon. I’m fascinated, really, by books that do not do what you expect of them nor what you think theyContinue reading “Little Liar : Julia Gray”