Category Archives: Book Reviews

Tamar by Mal Peet My rating: 5 of 5 stars A story set over two timelines, one in 1945 and the other in 1995, Peet introduces us to Tamar and her grandfather and a group of Dutch resistance fighters in World War Two – one of whom is codenamed Tamar. It’s not until the endContinue reading “Tamar : Mal Peet”

TimeRiders by Alex Scarrow My rating: 5 of 5 stars Reading like a mash-up of I Am Legend, Robert Harris and HG Wells, this is a brilliant brilliant book. Three children are snatched from the jaws of death and brought to September 10 2001. There, on the day before 9/11, they’re inducted into the worldContinue reading “Timeriders : Alex Scarrow”

Josie Under Fire by Ann Turnbull My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have a lot of love for the Historical House series – a group of novels focused around a specific house in London. The books are written by some stunning authors: Adele Geras, Ann Turnbull and Linda Newbery, and very much worth aContinue reading “Josie Under Fire : Ann Turnbull”

I’m very lucky in that I have access to an amazing children’s literature library. It’s one of those places that make you skip along the shelves and want to just stroke the spine of every book on the shelf. Even the ones that have been there a little too long, those ones who have goneContinue reading “2012 rewind! The best books I’ve read this year”

The Carbon Diaries 2017 by Saci Lloyd My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Oh Brave new world that has such people in it!” There’s something about the Carbon Diaries 2017 that made me think very much of The Tempest. That sort of discovery of what the world now is, and the realisation that you’re goingContinue reading “The Carbon Diaries 2017 : Saci Lloyd”

The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd My rating: 3 of 5 stars The first in a series of what I’m mentally calling enviropocalypse fiction, The Carbon Diaries 2015 is a startlingly plausible look at what may be a few years in our future. Britain has imposed carbon rationing, the first in Europe to doContinue reading “The Carbon Diaries 2015 : Saci Lloyd”

My Dad’s A Birdman by David Almond My rating: 5 of 5 stars Dear David, Well, you got me. After my rapturous reading of My Name is Mina, I came to My Dad’s a Birdman with open arms. I fell in love with the jacket and then, I fell in love with the book. TheContinue reading “My Dad’s a Birdman : David Almond”

Catcall by Linda Newbery My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been on a Linda Newbery kick recently, and have come to a bit of a conclusion. I think I mark her quite severely when I review her, and I think that’s for one reason. Because sometimes when people are really good, and they makeContinue reading “Catcall : Linda Newbery”

Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories by Kelly Link My rating: 3 of 5 stars Whilst Steampunk as a whole remains a genre I struggle with, I was attracted to this anthology primarily because of it being an anthology. The thing with a collection of stories is that you’re pretty much guaranteedContinue reading “Steampunk : an anthology of fantastically rich and strange stories : Kelly Link & Gavin J Grant”

My Name is Mina by David Almond My rating: 5 of 5 stars Shadows Light Moments when the words start to dance in your hand. Witchcraft A meditation on writing A meditation on magic Magic Moments where the world, the word, the word-world just stops. Crystal, clear, precise moments. (Moments where you have to catchContinue reading “My name is Mina : David Almond”

The Other Way Round by Judith Kerr My rating: 5 of 5 stars The sequel to When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, The Other Way Round is a darker, more sober book. Anna is now in London, war is hitting home, and she is growing up. Adolescence is not easy, and in the middle of wartime,Continue reading “The Other Way Round : Judith Kerr”

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book is one of those that feel somehow effortless, as if they were just waiting to be written. Kerr’s fictionalised story of her childhood is, and deserves to be, one of those eternal classics of children’s literature. Anna (Judith) isContinue reading “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit : Judith Kerr”

The Treasure House by Linda Newbery My rating: 4 of 5 stars I first came across Newbery with her books Polly’s March and Andie’s Moon which are part of the awfully underrated Historical House series. She’s an author I return to regularly because of how big she writes. Every book I’ve read of hers so far hasContinue reading “The Treasure House : Linda Newbery”

Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron by Jonathan Strahan My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a smart, stylish collection of witch stories all based around the starting point of a tall black pointy witch hat. The hat may be real, metaphorical, allusive, and the witch – well, might be anything. I reallyContinue reading “Under My Hat : ed. Jonathan Strahan”

Stonestruck by Helen Cresswell My rating: 2 of 5 stars I have a lot of love for the Bagthorpes saga by Helen Cresswell so was intrigued by this. Stonestruck sees Londoner Jessica evacuated alone to Wales to live in a castle, with only a few staff for company. It’s not long before she realises thatContinue reading “Stonestruck : Helen Cresswell”

Revived by Cat Patrick My rating: 3 of 5 stars ‘The first time I died, I was five years old’ That’s Daisy West talking. She’s died, and been Revived five times because she’s part of a covert government programme testing drugs that bring people back from the dead. That cover line got me; it’s aContinue reading “Revived : Cat Patrick”

The Way of the Warrior by Chris Bradford My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s 1611, and a ship is wrecking off the coast of Japan. Jack Fletcher is the only survivor and ends up being rescued by a notable swordsman. Drawn into the world of the samurai, Jack’s future depends on how he adaptsContinue reading “Young Samurai : The Way of the Warrior – Chris Bradford”

60 Years a Queen by David Arscott My rating: 2 of 5 stars A Very Peculiar History feels a lot like a Horrible History clone. And the problem when you clone something as good as Horrible History, there’s a very high likelihood you come up wanting. This book is perfectly fine but it’s not outstanding.Continue reading “60 Years a Queen : David Arscott”

The Workhouse Child by Geraldine Symons My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book promised a lot. Pansy is on holiday with her friend Atalanta and her grandmother, the most bohemian Nonna. The three of them stay at the seaside and one day Atalanta and Pansy encounter the workhouse children on the beach. Appalled thatContinue reading “The Workhouse Child : Geraldine Symons”

Going Home by K.M. Peyton My rating: 4 of 5 stars One of the things I love in my bookish world is when I discover a KM Peyton book I’ve not read. She’s my book Yoda and one of the writers that I utterly utterly adore. Going Home almost escaped me. It’s a tiny bookContinue reading “Going Home : KM Peyton”

Killing Honour by Bali Rai My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s a stomach-churning addictiveness to this book that speaks well of Rai’s skill. He handles several different narrative, separated by time and point of view, and weaves them together to create a deeply visceral book. Sat’s sister Jas has gone missing after being marriedContinue reading “Killing Honour : Bali Rai”

This review is part of Playing by the Book’s blog carnival. The topic for this month is music. Details on past and previous topics can be found here. The topic for this month is ‘music’ and so I’m reviewing ‘The Cello’ by James Riordan. Published in 2003, it’s one of the few ‘modern’ books thatContinue reading “The Cello : James Riordan”

Bit of an old one this week, but still rather lovely. Neighbourhood Witch was published in 2004 by Walker Books (ISBN: 0744583608) and is a slim, fun little read of 89 pages. To give you a comparison, it’s probably best to describe it as ‘world book day size’ as it’s very similar to the specialContinue reading “Neighbourhood Witch : Mary Hooper”

Laura by Sarra Manning My rating: 4 of 5 stars Before we get into the meat of this review, I need to let you know something. I have a massive love of America’s Next Top Model. Seriously. Respeito. Wholahay. Skank H*s pouring beer on weaves? All great TV moments. I didn’t even know what aContinue reading “Fashionistas – Laura : Sarra Manning”

Stitch Head by Guy Bass My rating: 5 of 5 stars A darkly humorous and witty exploration of the adage “Don’t judge people by their appearances”; Stitch Head is a gem of a book. Perfect for the under tens, and to honest those over it as well, it’s a sharply observed story that flips clicheContinue reading “Stitch Head : Guy Bass”

Did I Hear You Write? by Michael Rosen My rating: 4 of 5 stars An intoxicating and fiery experience, ‘Did I hear you write?’ remains a powerful book today. Published in 1989 by the estimable Michael Rosen, it details his work with children in classrooms and the development of writing skills. It’s quite fascinating toContinue reading “Did I hear you write? : Michael Rosen”

Unrest by Michelle Harrison My rating: 3 of 5 stars Elliott doesn’t sleep well. He doesn’t really sleep at all. He has out of body experiences and suffers from intermittent sleep paralysis. For Elliott, the things that go bump in the night really do go bump in the night. He sees ghosts, figures and thingsContinue reading “Unrest : Michelle Harrison”

Guardian Angel by Robert Muchamore My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really, really like Robert Muchamore. And I really like the Cherub series. And I really like the Henderson’s Boys series. I Am A Fan Of Robert Muchamore. I love how he writes so swiftly and surely and never quite forgets to keep theContinue reading “Guardian Angel : Robert Muchamore”

Insatiable by Meg Cabot My rating: 4 of 5 stars Meg Cabot is my guilty pleasure. I have a lot of love for her work and have followed her across all her series so far. I was very intrigued to see that she’s written a vampire novel and picked it up in a manner reminiscentContinue reading “Insatiable : Meg Cabot”

Swimming. Have you heard of the Tessa Duder “Alex” books? I was reminded of them this week whilst watching the swimming in the Olympics. There’s something ferociously pure about swimming, and indeed most sport. It all boils down to you; what you do, when you do it and how you do it. The life ofContinue reading “Just keep swimming”

I was lucky enough to pick up a proof of this at a conference I attended a few months ago and am so very pleased to report that Keren David remains ace. She’s got a peculiar brilliance at writing “lads”; lads bordering on the edge of adulthood, shifting from ferocious raw masculinity through to nervous,Continue reading “Another Life : Keren David”

Gregory Hughes, writer of the astoundingly good Unhooking The Moon, is back with a Kill Bill-esque tale full of darkness, revenge and love. Summertime Of The Dead, set in the streets of Tokyo, is a blinding book. It’s the story of one summer in the life of Yukio and it’s the summer where his worldContinue reading “Summertime of the Dead : Gregory Hughes”

Pea’s Book of Best Friends by Susie Day My rating: 5 of 5 stars I actually think there’s a bit of a quiet revolution going on at the moment for the under ten market. I’ve been reading a lot for this age demographic recently and have been really loving the idiosyncratic quality of practically everythingContinue reading “Pea’s Book of Best Friends : Susie Day”

I’m putting two reviews in one here, because I think it’s important to acknowledge that starting to read a new series requires a bit of faith. The first one might be amazing but the second one might be hideous and that’s the sort of stuff you need to know before going off and either spendingContinue reading “The Tomorrow Series : John Marsden”

Set in Stone by Linda Newbery My rating: 4 of 5 stars Set in Stone is a big book. Astutely written with a fine eye for period detail (it’s set on the edge of the twentieth century), it’s a complex and exhausting page turner full of emotion, turmoil and psychological revelations. Written very much inContinue reading “Set in Stone : Linda Newbery”

A Little Love Song by Michelle Magorian My rating: 5 of 5 stars I seem to come back to A Little Love Song whenever I need comforting and so, it was with no surprise to myself when I found my way back to it recently. It’s a wartime bildungsroman, the story of the summer whereContinue reading “A Little Love Song : Michelle Magorian”

 Ibarajo Road from debut author Harry Allen is a darkly haunting story full of riches. Charlie, a rich white kid (an oyinbo), goes out on the town with his mates. It’s meant to be the best night ever. It really isn’t. That night is where everything starts to go wrong and, as penance, Charlie opts toContinue reading “Ibarajo Road : Harry Allen”

Dads, Geeks and Blue Haired Freaks by Ellie Phillips My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s Sadie’s 15th birthday and, as you do on every birthday, she’s got cards. The small problem is that one of these cards comes from her Dad. See, Sadie doesn’t know who her Dad is. He’s a sperm-donor who herContinue reading “Dads, Geeks and Blue Haired Freaks : Ellie Phillips”

The Shouting Wind by Linda Newbery My rating: 3 of 5 stars I picked up The Shouting Wind primarily due to the strapline on the front: “Three lives, three times, three heroines who dare to be different”. It’s the first of a trilogy concerning the lives of a grandmother, mother, and daughter in the sameContinue reading “The Shouting Wind : Linda Newbery”

Asterix at the Olympic Games by René Goscinny My rating: 4 of 5 stars Oh I love Asterix. It’s been a constant in my life and along with Twinkle and Bunty was one of the first comics I read. In a fit of topicality, I picked up Asterix At The Olympic Games. And, very simply,Continue reading “Asterix at the Olympic Games : Goscinny & Uderzo”

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a very, very gorgeous book. It’s painful too, teary-eyed and clutching it in the middle of the night painful, and it’s very very life-affirming. I loved The Probability of Miracles. The UK edition (published July by Penguin) has a veryContinue reading “The Probability of Miracles : Wendy Wunder”

A Brighter Fear by Kerry Drewery My rating: 3 of 5 stars A Brighter Fear by Kerry Drewery is, I think, the first piece of British children’s literature to directly address the war in Iraq. (Please do correct me if I’m wrong!). A while back on my blog I wrote about the necessity of children’sContinue reading “A Brighter Fear : Kerry Drewery”

I’ve tried the Woman In White quite a few times. This is primarily due to a moment in the Chalet School books where Miss Annersley (IIRC)  chucks a white dress on for a literary themed fancy dress party and, when the prefects spend an entire evening saying, “Gosh Miss Annersley whoever could you be?”, herContinue reading “The Woman In White : Wilkie Collins (Real Reads adapted edition)”

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne My rating: 4 of 5 stars Emily Koll is – well – she’s – she’s here. She’s brittle, broken. But she’s here. She’s here after – (well, after everything she did, after everything that’s been printed about her, after all the words that have been said) She’s telling her storyContinue reading “Heart-Shaped Bruise : Tanya Byrne”

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean My rating: 5 of 5 stars Cally Louise Fisher has seen her mother. Her dead mother. She’s seen her as bright as day but nobody believes her. Callie’s also started to be followed by a huge grey Irish Wolfhound that seems to show up at the strangest ofContinue reading “A Dog Called Homeless : Sarah Lean”

The One Dollar Horse by Lauren St John My rating: 4 of 5 stars The One Dollar Horse provides a much needed twenty-first century spin to the horse story. Full of urban edge, and yet never quite losing that fairytale element all good horse stories have, The One Dollar Horse is a book that ponyContinue reading “The One Dollar Horse : Lauren St John”

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein My rating: 4 of 5 stars Before I discuss this book, I need to share a few things. Firstly – the Bechdel Test. The Bechdel Test (available here) is a test which assesses the representation of women in media. The test consists of three parts: : (a) there haveContinue reading “Code Name Verity : Elizabeth Wein”

Torn by Cat Clarke My rating: 5 of 5 stars Heart-stoppingly tense and palpably taut, “Torn” by Cat Clarke is outstanding. Told in a deceptively simple first person style, our narrator Alice recounts what led to the death of one of her schoolmates. The central event – the pivotal incident of “Torn” – turns outContinue reading “Torn : Cat Clarke”

ISBN: 9781906451325 As much as I grew up on the Girls’ Own genre, I also grew up on Boy’s Own books. H Rider Haggard … Jules Verne … Arthur Conan Doyle. You know the sort of thing – lots of Derring Do and Buckling Of Swashes and Stiff Upper Lips. It was because of this thatContinue reading “The Bother In Burmeon : SP Moss”

Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks My rating: 4 of 5 stars Kevin Brooks stormed onto the scene right from day one. Martyn Pig, his debut novel, sparks with a gritty urgency and intense realism that proves Brooks is no one hit wonder. The eponymous Martyn Pig is a teenager caught in hideous circumstances. His fatherContinue reading “Martyn Pig : Kevin Brooks”

The Witching Hour by Elizabeth Laird My rating: 4 of 5 stars Elizabeth Laird is an author capable of very great things. The Garbage King is, quite frankly, superb and I picked up The Witching Hour on the strength of my experience of this book. The Witching Hour (also published in the US as TheContinue reading “The Witching Hour : Elizabeth Laird”

The Talent Thief by Alex Williams My rating: 3 of 5 stars I came across The Talent Thief in one of those random shelf-browsing moments and was massively pleased to discover it. I did a lot of work in the final year of my MA on gifted and talented characters in children’s literature and TheContinue reading “The Talent Thief : Alex Williams”

Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari My rating: 5 of 5 stars A beautiful, elegant tribute to love, difference and life; Artichoke Hearts is something really rather special. The debut novel of Sita Brahmachari, narrated by young Mira Levenson, is one of those quietly stunning books that sidles into your heart and won’t leave easily. ToldContinue reading “Artichoke Hearts : Sita Brahmachari”

Road to London by Barbara Mitchelhill My rating: 3 of 5 stars Barbara Mitchelhill is one of those authors I’ve suddenly become very aware of. I’ve heard great things about Run Rabbit Run so I was excited to pick up Road to London, her latest novel due out in April 2012. It’s a novel setContinue reading “Road to London : Barbara Mitchelhill”

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh, oh, oh, my love for Eva Ibbotson utterly continues. The Secret of Platform 13 is furiously magical and madly inventive. It’s the story of a hidden island, wrapped away from the ‘everyday’ by magic and mists (mists made, fyi, byContinue reading “The Secret of Platform 13 : Eva Ibbotson”

Claude on Holiday by Alex T. Smith My rating: 5 of 5 stars I am very lucky in that I have access to a university library which has a genuinely superb children’s literature collection. I have got hundreds of books out of there and I am nowhere near reading them all. And sometimes, when you turnContinue reading “Claude on Holiday : Alex T Smith”