Tag Archives: book review

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”

What Lexie Did by Emma Shevah My rating: 4 of 5 stars I liked this. Shevah is one of those authors whom I’ve been aware of for a while but never got quite round to reading; suffice to say, she’s a joy and this is a solid and richly told story of family fit toContinue reading “What Lexie Did : Emma Shevah”

The School by the Sea by Angela Brazil My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is great. It bounces along in that determinedly vivacious sort of way that Angela Brazil does (“Girls! Girls Everywhere!”) and then completely forgets about plot and has a natural history interlude that goes on for about three hundred pages, beforeContinue reading “The School by The Sea : Angela Brazil”

Looking After William by Eve Coy My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s very easy for me to become a little cocky when it comes to reading children’s books. I read a lot of them, and when you read a lot of anything, you become familiar to the tips and tricks that such books use.Continue reading “Looking After William : Eve Coy”

Home Fetters by Raymond Jacberns My rating: 3 of 5 stars I had a bit of an interesting time in a bookshop recently, spotting a vast pile of those books that you just know are the sort of books that you want. Luckily enough they were also the sort of books that clearly didn’t sellContinue reading “Home Fetters : Raymond Jacberns”

Caldicott Place by Noel Streatfeild My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes I suspect that, along with ‘Duvet Days’, there should be ‘Streatfeild Days’ where those people who feel a peculiar ache at their soul that they cannot quite identify should be allowed to take a day off to read a Streatfeild of their choice.Continue reading “Caldicott Place : Noel Streatfeild”

The Positively Last Performance by Geraldine McCaughrean My rating: 4 of 5 stars There are some authors who have this fierce richness about them when they work. They tell story; words that run together and layer something wonderfully thick and dense about you and you don’t quite know what’s happening until you finish it andContinue reading “The Positively Last Performance : Geraldine McCaughrean”

Running on Empty by S.E. Durrant My rating: 4 of 5 stars Running On Empty: a story of family, relationships, and of knotty moments and problems that need solving but don’t have easy solutions, a story of life, really. It’s the second novel from SE Durrant (the first, A Little Bit Of Sky, I reviewContinue reading “Running On Empty : SE Durrant”

Ella on the Outside by Cath Howe My rating: 4 of 5 stars Charming, subtle and incredibly – suddenly – moving, Ella On The Outside is one of those delightfully unclassifiable ‘thank god it’s in the world books that Nosy Crow does so well. It’s due out on May 3rd and I think it’s somethingContinue reading “Ella On The Outside : Cath Howe”

Max the Detective Cat and the Disappearing Diva by Sarah Todd Taylor My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s been a spate of detectives in the world of children’s books over the last few years. There hasn’t, however, been a detective with four legs and a white tail. This is Max the Detective Cat whoContinue reading “Max the Detective Cat – The Disappearing Diva : Sarah Todd Taylor”

Jack Fortune: And the Search for the Hidden Valley by Sue Purkiss My rating: 4 of 5 stars My eye was caught by the premise of this one. Jack is an orphaned boy and, after one prank too far, his Aunt washes her hands of him. Jack is sent to be with his Uncle, anContinue reading “Jack Fortune and the Search for the Hidden Valley : Sue Purkiss”

The Stone Bird by Jenny McCartney My rating: 4 of 5 stars It took me a long time to understand The Stone Bird. When I first received it for review, I read it and didn’t quite connect with it. There was something not there for me, and so The Stone Bird slid to the pileContinue reading “The Stone Bird : Jenny McCartney, illus. Patrick Benson”

A Spoonful of Murder by Robin Stevens My rating: 5 of 5 stars There was a point in reading this when the back of my neck started to tingle. It’s not often that happens, but when it does, it’s the sort of thing you need to pay attention to. And I think you’ve experienced itContinue reading “A Spoonful of Murder : Robin Stevens”

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton My rating: 4 of 5 stars I don’t usually step towards fantasy, but The Belles caught my eye. Camellia Beauregard is a Belle, tasked with ‘controlling’ Beauty in the gray and dammed world of Orléans. It is only through appointments with a Belle, that people can be transformed and madeContinue reading “The Belles : Dhonielle Clayton”

A Change Is Gonna Come My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Change Is Gonna Come is a compilation of short stories and poems from 12 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic writers, ranging freely over a series of topics and themes, and pretty much all of them are rather wonderful, powerful contributions. What really struckContinue reading “A Change Is Gonna Come”

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman My rating: 2 of 5 stars It’s difficult to review this book so, forgive me if I take a while to get to the point. If I’m honest, I’m not wholly sure as to why I didn’t like this and I’m not sure that that dislike comes from me,Continue reading “The Book of Dust – La Belle Sauvage : Philip Pullman”

Egyptomania by Carole Saturno My rating: 4 of 5 stars Something very good has been happening in children’s non-fiction over the past few years. This is something to add to that realm of good things. Big, bold and rather deliciously put together, Egyptomania is a look at several key aspects of Ancient Egypt. Where thisContinue reading “Egyptomania : Emma Giuliani and Carole Saturno”

Freshers by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison My rating: 5 of 5 stars Messy, chaotic, and laugh out loud funny, this is something rather joyous. A dual narrative, crafted by dual writers, Freshers was one of the most refreshing, honest and wildly moving young adult novels I’ve read for a while. There was the slight plusContinue reading “Freshers : Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison”

My Little Pony: The Ultimate Guide: All the Fun, Facts and Magic of My Little Pony by My Little Pony My rating: 5 of 5 stars I am very much here for the firmly feminist message that is the My Little Pony series, but I am also here for very nicely done media tie-ins. It’sContinue reading “My Little Pony : The Ultimate Guide”

The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius My rating: 4 of 5 stars The titular Murderer’s Ape is Sally Jones and she’s also our narrator for this gently told story of murder, double-crosses and false imprisonment. It’s an interesting note to take for such a dramatic series of topics but then again, Sally Jones is anContinue reading “The Murderer’s Ape : Jakob Wegelius”

Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf My rating: 4 of 5 stars After spending time as a writer in residence for a road, I’ve been increasingly interested in the role of ‘roads’ in children’s and young adult literature. Young adult literature, in fact, has a perfect sort of marriage with the metaphor ofContinue reading “Why We Took The Car : Wolfgang Herrndorf”

An A to Z of Monsters and Magical Beings by Rob Hodgson My rating: 3 of 5 stars I like this. A joint production by Rob Hodgson, and Aidan Onn, it was Hodgson’s artwork that originally caught my eye, with its exuberant and definite renderings of creatures ranging from the Sphinx through to the WerewolfContinue reading “An A to Z of Monsters and Magical Beings : Rob Hodgson and Aidan Onn”

The Little Library Cookbook by Kate Young My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been waiting for this book for a while, ever since I came across Kate Young’s work online and, in particular, the moment where she made breakfast rolls as inspired by The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. What moreContinue reading “The Little Library Cookbook : Kate Young”

Ottoline Goes to School by Chris Riddell My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s very easy for somebody who reads a lot of books to miss an author. And yet, equally, it’s also very easy to have a consciousness of who and what that author is and how they do what they do. This isContinue reading “Ottoline Goes To School : Chris Riddell”

The Princess and the Suffragette by Holly Webb My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been really interested in Webb’s recent turn towards some of the classics of children’s literature. She’s not alone in this of course, Jacqueline Wilson delivered the delightful Four Children And It, whilst Kate Saunders wrote the powerful Five Children OnContinue reading “The Princess and The Suffragette : Holly Webb”

Here I Stand by Amnesty International UK My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s a lot to love about this pained, poised collection of short stories and much of that comes from its careful and classy curation. The authors, ranging from Frances Hardinge through to Sarah Crossan, and Chris Riddell, sit alongside a foreword byContinue reading “Here I Stand : Amnesty International UK”

My Miniature Library: 30 Tiny Books to Make, Read and Treasure by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s been a bit of a delay in my reviewing of this because, to be frank, I’ve been too busy screaming with joy over it. Every. Single. Time. I’m not one for craft, really,Continue reading “My Miniature Library”

Looking for Enid: The Mysterious and Inventive Life of Enid Blyton by Duncan McLaren My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is possibly the strangest and yet, maybe, one of the most brilliant biographies of an author I’ve ever read. It’s an approach that I don’t think would have worked for anybody but Enid BlytonContinue reading “Looking for Enid : Duncan McLaren”

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell My rating: 4 of 5 stars A brief moment of context. I didn’t wholly connect with The Wolf Wilder as much as I did with the rhapsodic and blissful joy of Rooftoppers, and so The Explorer was a book that I read with a little bit of nervousness. Rundell isContinue reading “The Explorer – Katherine Rundell”

A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson My rating: 5 of 5 stars There’s a lot of books in the world I haven’t read (she says, channeling Franco Moretti) and one of them is A Wrinkle in Time. I’ve a strange antipathy towards classics, and fantastical classics tend to slide towards theContinue reading “A Wrinkle In Time : Hope Larson, adap. Madeleine L’Engle”

Stardust by Jeanne Willis My rating: 4 of 5 stars Let’s talk about confidence. Confidence is hard for big people, let alone little people, to maintain, let alone figure out if they even have it in the first place. The world is an intimidating space and circumstance conspires to place people in intimidating positions. WhetherContinue reading “Stardust : Jeanne Willis & Briony May Smith”

Diary of a Tokyo Teen: A Japanese-American Girl Draws Her Way Across the Land of Trendy Fashion, High-Tech Toilets and Maid Cafes by Christine Mari Inzer My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s something immensely charming about this slender yet lovely memoir of a trip that Inzer took to Tokyo by herself at the ageContinue reading “Diary of a Tokyo Teen : Christine Mari Inzer”

Malibu Summer by Francine Pascal My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s been a long while since I read a Sweet Valley book, and even longer since I’ve seen the TV adaptation, but I’ve got neither out of my head. There’s something about these books that I’ve grouped with something like The Babysitters Club, BugContinue reading “Malibu Summer – Sweet Valley High: Francine Pascal”

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene My rating: 4 of 5 stars It’s interesting to consider just how old this series is now. The Secret of the Old Clock, the first in the mythic Nancy Drew series, was originally published in 1930 with a substantial revision in 1959. That’s a fair while,Continue reading “The Secret Of the Old Clock : Carolyn Keene”

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon My rating: 5 of 5 stars When Dimple Met Rishi is a ferociously charming book. It’s also a book I heard about on social media and so, I suspect, might be my reposte to those critics who think that book-talk on social media is the death of everythingContinue reading “When Dimple Met Rishi : Sandhya Menon”

Listen to the Baby Animals by Marion Billet My rating: 5 of 5 stars So I need to tell you a little bit about this book that, I suspect, might appeal quite immensely to the adults amongst you who have Suffered From Noisy Book Syndrome. Come on, we all know what I mean. Those booksContinue reading “Listen to the Baby Animals : Marion Billet”

Piglettes by Clémentine Beauvais My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m always a little wary when I get offered a book to review that’s been written by somebody I know in real life. One of the things that I’m very deliberate on is that when I review, it comes from a place of honesty. AndContinue reading “Piglettes : Clémentine Beauvais”

My name is not Refugee by Kate Milner My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this increasingly complex and difficult world we live in, I’ve been looking for books that help to explain and support younger readers. They have often proven of immense value to myself and the dual appeal of texts like this toContinue reading “My Name is Not Refugee : Kate Milner”

Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’ve been sitting on this review for a week or so, in that gloriously selfish phase of having read a Good Book but not wanting to talk about it. Sometimes I want to wallow in that sensation and just holdContinue reading “Things A Bright Girl Can Do : Sally Nicholls”

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s a lot to love about this potent and markedly well-told thriller, not in the least the vibrant delight that is the narrator Jemma. Unable to communicate, yet possessed of a quick-thinking and fiercely distinct personality, Jemma now needs to communicate moreContinue reading “I Have No Secrets : Penny Joelson”