Category Archives: Book review

Blog Tour: The Bravest Word by Kate Foster

It is with great pleasure I join the blog tour for Kate Foster and her latest book The Bravest Word.

My stop on this amazing tour will be a book review.

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Title: The Bravest Word

Written by: Kate Foster

Cover by: Thy Bui

Published by: Walker Books

Blurb 

A rescue story of love and trust between a boy and a dog from the talented author of Paws.

Matt is a football superstar. He can handle anything. Except lately his chest feels empty and his head is screaming. He can’t concentrate in school or enjoy football anymore, and he is so, so tired. When Matt stumbles across an abandoned dog, there’s no doubt in his mind that he has to save him. But maybe the dog isn’t the only one who needs help.

Review

Matt used to love football but now it makes him anxious and he no longer wants to play, he wants to be alone and avoids his friends, homework is a chore and he feels tired and listless all the time. He does not understand why life does not hold any joy for him anymore. Even his favourite computer game has lost its appeal.

The Bravest Word is an intense emotional portrayal of depression written by someone who has experienced it from the overwhelming sadness, fear and guilt to the physical tightness in the chest and aching limbs. The character development is strong and realistic. I found reading this book to be quite emotional on so many different levels. It is excellently written and covers this more prevalent than recognised mental health issue with sensitivity and compassion, which will help young readers to understand and feel empathy. This book is a positive step in building awareness for a condition that is often overlooked.

Matt and his father find a dog tied and abandoned on their walk and decide to bring it home. Matt agrees to car for the dog, which he names Cliff after his grandad. He reads up about the dog’s behaviour online and recognises that Cliff has dog depression. Matt recognises that some of Cliff’s behaviour and reactions mirror his own and he begins to realise all the tiredness, anger and tears are symptoms of depression.

By highlighting these symptoms, The Bravest Word, will help others to recognise similar symptoms in themselves and others and will be in a better position to help, or will hopefully encourage them to ask for help.

A beautiful compassionate book. I hope to see more from Kate Foster in the future.

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About the Author

Kate Foster is an award-winning children’s author of middle grade fiction originally from a small town in the southeast of England and now living on the stunning Gold Coast in Australia with her family and second-hand dogs.

She is passionate about encouraging and teaching a wider understanding of autism and mental illness via a positive approach and representation in both her books as well as her presentations and talks.

You can find out more about Kate Foster and her books on her website: ww.kfosterbooks.com and follow her on X @kfosterauthor and Instagram @kfosterauthor.

I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book tours for inviting me to take part in this book tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below:

Blog Tour: The Time They Saved Tomorrow by Steve Nallon

It is with great excitement I join the blog tour for The Time They Saved Tomorrow by Steve Nallon. My stop on the tour is a book review.

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Title: The Time They Saved Tomorrow

Written by: Steve Nallon

Cover Design by: Eilidh Maclennan and Amy Turnbull

Published by: Luath Press

Blurb 

He can’t lie, he can’t harm but he can save lives.

After their dramatic escape from the devastating fire at the Old Coach Inn, the Swidger railway tunnel takes William Arthur and Granny on to London for what appears to be a new adventure … or is it?

Dark forces that seeks out William Arthur are at play, leading our young hero to doubt his future as a SWIDGER. But then he is given a mysterious red book by an old man with a white beard. William is told to protect it with his life – yet the pages are blank.

A sudden catastrophe changes everything and William and Granny must somehow find a way to put the world back to what it was. Could the blank pages of the mystery red book somehow be the key?

Only time will tell

Blurb for The Time They Saved Tomorrow

Review

The Time They Saved Tomorrow is the second book in The Swidgers series and contains themes of courage, determination and hope. The concept of this series is ingenious in that time can be manipulated by the Swidgers who possess the power prevent disasters and save people from certain peril. But there are those who want to use their power for more devious schemes.

Book Two is set in London with a backdrop of the underground and features many iconic locations to ground the action as well as a mysterious ghost train. William Arthur is given a mysterious red book but the pages are blank. He embarks on a quest to unlock the pages to discover more about the secrets of Time and his own skills, whilst being pursued by The Man in the Macintosh Coat.

Different Swidgers have different skills but all are connected by Time.

‘Aloysois… The Swidger of Time Stopped… You, Alicia… The Swidger of Time Past… And Echo, who hears the world as it is lived… The Swidger of Time Present. But someone’s missing… The Swidger of Time Future… You said, we must look to the past to see what lies ahead. But who is it from my past that will show me my future tonight?’

Quote from The Time They Saved Tomorrow by Steve Nallon

In places it does get a little confusing in that time is not linear and so much is going on but I enjoyed this. My favourite scenes are when we see William using his skills, such as when he unwittingly splits time into alternate time paths and has to endeavour to fix it and when Granny is possessed and turned into a snake.

I loved the way this book encompasses a multitude of scientific theories from Einstein’s relativity, multiple realities and Godel’s Spacetime.  Steve Nallon’s expertise at accents and intonation really shines through in the dialogue and William’s voice.

Seeped in science fiction The Time They Saved Tomorrow is a fun and entertaining read.

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About the author 

STEVE NALLON has been a writer and performer in the world of comedy for over forty years. Steve began his performing life with his own comedy act on the Northern Working Men’s Club Circuit in Yorkshire back in the 1970s.

After gaining a degree in Drama and English at the University of Birmingham, Steve became a founding member of the cult satirical comedy series Spitting Image, where for over a decade he voiced many of the programme’s most iconic characters, including Margaret Thatcher, Roy Hattersley, Alan Bennett and The Queen Mum.

Steve’s acting work now ranges from theatre, film and television, to video games, puppetry and audiobooks. As a playwright and comedy writer, Steve has a considerable body of credits to his name, including plays and series for BBC radio, three one-man theatre shows and the satirical book I, Margaret, which he co-wrote with the novelist Tom Holt. Over the years, Steve has contributed to numerous periodicals such as The New Statesman and Musical Stages, and is a much sought after speaker on the lecture circuit for his insightful and amusing talks.

You can follow on X @SteveNallon and on Instagram @stevenallon

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule:

I would like to thank Kelly at Love Book Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour. Thank you.

Book Reviews – My April Reviews

Here is a round-up of all the books I have reviewed this month.

If you have missed any of these book reviews for April 2024 you can catch up today – just follow the links:

Blog Tour – Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery by Coline Monsarrat 

Today it is my stop on the Love Books Tour for Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery by Coline Monsarrat. I have reviewed the book for my stop on the tour.

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Title: Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery

Written by: Coline Monsarrat

Illustrated by: Drafts.com

Published by: Apicem Publishing

Blurb 

Meet Aria and Liam, two average 13-year-olds with a not-so-average problem!

Hey, fellow adventurers! I, Aria, opened a portal to the past, which catapulted us into a 3,000-year-old kingdom! Since then, my BFF Liam and I have taken part in numerous adventures in history, facing exciting (and perilous!) missions. But don’t worry; we’re up for the challenge and learning how to become true adventurers! From ancient civilizations to historical events, we’re on a mission to save the day and find our way back home. So come along for the ride as we explore the past and make history… literally!

Get swept away into the foggy streets of London, where a baffling and cryptic adventure awaits Aria & Liam!

As Aria and Liam team up with the daughter of the famous writer, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, they must race against time to save him from a mysterious and sinister plot. But when Doyle announces the return of Sherlock Holmes, he suddenly vanishes, plunging them into a world of hidden clues and shadowy figures. Could the mastermind behind it all be a rival author, a member of a secret society, or someone from London’s high society? With each chapter bringing a new surprise, Aria and Liam must use their smarts and bravery to crack the case and save Doyle before it’s too late.

Will they prove themselves as sharp as the legendary detective, or will they fall victim to the same fate

Ideal for fearless adventurers aged 9 to 12 who love humour, excitement, and a dash of fantasy.

Aria & Liam is a series of standalone middle-grade books allowing young readers to enjoy each adventure in any order they wish.

A sudden catastrophe changes everything and William and Granny must somehow find a way to put the world back to what it was. Could the blank pages of the mystery red book somehow be the key?

Only time will tell

Review

Aria and Liam: The Baker Street Mystery is the eighth book in this time travelling series published by Apicem Publishing. The series follow Aria and Liam on their adventures through time to different historical eras and geographical locations such as Ancient Egypt and the Incas as well as Rome and the mythical lands of Atlantis and Camelot. This series amalgamates history and mythology into fun and exciting adventures for children.

The Baker Street Mystery opens with introductions from the main characters, Aria and Liam, introducing each other and gives a brief overview of some of their other escapades covered in the previous books. There is also a lovely addition of vignettes of portraits of the main characters. In places there are discrepancies between the text and illustrations such as Mrs Thompson glaring at them through rectangular glasses and in the picture the glasses are circle.

This action adventure stand out for me as it is quite unusual as it is written in third person present tense. Sometimes the speech patterns reminded me of Lady Whistledown’s narration in Bridgerton, with its old-fashioned English and calling each other ‘My dear, Liam’ or ‘My dear, Aria’ and Arthur Conan Doyle starting his letter at the end of the book, ‘My dear reader’. I found all the character’s voices to be very similar to each other which made it difficult to know who was talking in longer passages of dialogue. I also found it a little worrying the children were able to lie so easily without negative consequences to the point several scenes were devoted to how to get their story straight.

It must be noted the premise of this story is entirely fictional as there is no records of Arthur Conan Doyle going missing, which the author acknowledges in a letter written as though it were from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at the end of the book. Unlike Agatha Christie who did go missing and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle reportedly investigated her disappearance. I felt The Baker Street Mystery was not particularly historically accurate but rather touched on life and the way people lived in Britain during the early 1900’s.

The Baker Street Mystery was an entertaining read, suitable for children aged seven to twelve years old, who enjoy traditional-style mysteries.

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Author Bio:

Coline Monsarrat is a fervent enthusiast of history, driven by a feverish passion for the captivating and unforgettable stories that unfold within its pages. Whenever she finds herself in the history section, she becomes engrossed in the rich narratives that have shaped our world. With an insatiable curiosity, she often ponders the “what ifs” of history—contemplating the alternative outcomes of pivotal events and the possibility of a different course for humanity.

Fuelled by her desire to share this passion with children, Coline crafted the enchanting historical and adventure fiction series Aria & Liam, where history and its legends seamlessly blend with adventure, humour, and the enduring power of friendship. Each book in the series captures the spirit of thrilling adventures packed with action, humour, and fascinating journeys through history.

You can find our more information about Coline on her author’s website: www.ariaandliam.com or follow her on X (Twitter) @ColineMonsarrat and Instagram @ariaandliam @ColineMonsarrat

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below:

I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book tours for inviting me to take part in this book tour.

Book Review – Rabbit and Bear: This Lake is Fake

Title: Rabbit and Bear: The Lake is Fake

Written by: Julian Gough

Illustrated by: Jim Field

Published by: Hodder Children’s Books

This hysterically funny story for early readers is the sixth book in the Rabbit and Bear series. The format of Rabbit and Bear: The Lake is Fake with its hard back cover and its unusual size gave the book an old-fashioned classic feel. I had not come across the Rabbit and Bear series before and plan to search pout the other books.

Rabbit and Bear wake up after a long winter and are surprised to find their cave full of poo. It is early spring and the snow is beginning to melt so they venture outside only to find more frozen poo around the edge of the lake. Rabbit does not want to clean up the mess as claims the poo does not all belong to them, the other animals were responsible for the mess too. So Rabbit decides that they will look for the perfect place to live somewhere else.

Rabbit and Bear search for their perfect vision with hilarious consequences.

The limited palette of red, black and white for the illustrations is put to good use. I liked the way that when things were at their worse the pages were black and rabbit was feeling more positive, having dreams of a better world, the pages were different shades of red depending on how positive rabbit was feeling.

Eventually they decide to go back home to find all the poo has been cleared up and an abundance of flowers around the lake. Then Rabbit has another vision that is more realistic than the first. The animals work together to make their vision a reality.

I like the way the story went full circle before rabbit discovers his nearly perfect world. It is great Julian Gough does not say everything is completely perfect as we are all aware everyone has their problems but it is as close to perfect as possible. This provides young readers with a realistic view of the world, which is an excellent point for discussion.

Rabbit and Bear: The Lake is Fake, is ideal for children making the transition from picture books to early readers. It is a great book for stimulating discussion on caring for our environment and what would make their world a better place to live.

Book Review: Where do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night

Title: Where do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night?

Written by: Steven J. Simmons and Clifford R. Simmons

Illustrated by: Ruth E. Harper

Published by: Charlesbridge Publishing

To celebrate the release of Where do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night by Steven J. Simmons, Clifford R. Simmons and Ruth E. Harper in the UK yesterday 16th April 2024, I will be posting a book review of this gorgeous picture book.

Written in rhyming couplets, Where do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night, talks to us about the different characteristics of ocean creatures, such as what they eat and any predators that influences where they will sleep at night from the sting ray hidden on the seabed floor to the parrotfish and its mucus cocoon and the great white shark that need to swim whilst it sleeps.

The illustrations are striking they make the book a joy to turn each page. I particularly liked the incredible detail and blended colours which gave it a mystical feel. I really loved the otters.

This fun and informative book covers subjects of camouflage and safety and is full of fascinating facts. Other books in the Where do Creatures Sleep at Night series include Where do Big Creatures Sleep at Night.

Would be a useful classroom resource for a topic on Habitats and Humans and Other Animals.

This series highlights the importance of sleep and are great for reading to youngsters who are reluctant to go to bed, as they show all animals have to get some sleep… even an octopus.

Blog Tour – We are the Wibbly by Sarah Tagholm and Jane McGuiness

It is with great pleasure I join the blog tour for author Sarah Tagholm and illustrator Jane McGuiness and their latest book We are the Wibbly. My stop on the tour will be a book review.

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Title: We are the Wibbly

Written by: Sarah Tagholm

Illustrated by: Jane McGuiness

Published by: Bloomsbury

Blurb

OH MY CRIKEYS!

Doesn’t life move fast? One moment you’re in the Wibbly, relaxing with your Wibbly friends. The next, they’ve all grown tails and turned into tadpoles! And what’s more, they are bursting OUT of the Wibbly … AND you’ve got to keep up!

Some tadpoles don’t feel ready to become frogs.

And some never wanted to become tadpoles in the first place.

Blurb for We are the Wibbly by Sarah Tagholm and Jane McGuiness

Review

We are the Wibbly is the ideal book to stimulate discussion on lifecycles and growing up. This book outlines the lifecycle of the frog with the unique voice of one of the tadpoles who is not as advanced as its brothers and sisters. I liked the way we are totally in first person in the point of view of the tadpole throughout the story. There is no omniscient, third person narrator as there is in many picture books. This made this book stand out for me.

The illustrations and tadpole expressions are adorable. The pastel shades are perfect for the lake environment and I liked the use of orange to symbolise danger.

There is also scope provided by reading this book to young infants for discussing sibling rivalry and wanting to be the same as everyone else. Although, it was lovely that at the end of the book the tadpole / frog was able to teach his brothers and sisters something, showing everything has its strengths.

This is a great picture book highlighting the difficulties of growing up and the problems we face that shape our lives in a way young children can relate to. After all, we all had to face our own ‘spiked hunger monster’ and ‘furry danger monster’ throughout our lives.

The perfect book for pre-school and nurseries and if you are doing a topic on minibeasts and lifecycles.

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Author Information

Sarah Tagholm is a children’s author who loves writing about confused animals, mischievous children and all things funny and strange. Her first book, Wolves in Helicopters, was published by Andersen Press and illustrated by Paddy Donnelly.

Instagram:  https://instagram.com/sarah.tagholm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrstwit

Illustrator Information

Jane McGuinness is a Scottish illustrator and author who specialises in picture books. She loves animals, trees and the natural world, and completed the prestigious MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art. She was awarded the Sebastian Walker Prize and her debut picture book, Say Hi to Hedgehogs! (Walker Books, 2018) was longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Award.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bookshelfjane

Twitter: https://twitter.com/janelikesyou

To follow the rest of the tour check out the schedule below:

I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me on this tour.

Book Review: Billy’s Bravery

Title: Billy’s Bravery

Written and Illustrated by: Tom Percival

Published by: Bloomsbury

Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series published by Bloomsbury has always been one of my favourites. They are all fun picture books that contain big messages to help young children process their feelings.

This free World Book Day book for 2023 is no different. Billy wants to dress up as his favourite superhero, Nature Girl for World Book Day but is worried everyone will laugh at him. After a pep talk from Nature Girl, Billy bravely steps out of his comfort zone and dresses up as her. He discovers he had nothing to fear as everyone loves his Nature Girl costume.

The illustrations were a perfect blend of green and yellow giving the book a caring for the environment feel. I particularly like the way Billy’s Bravery challenges society imposed stereo types. For me it was a Bill’s New Frock for younger readers.

This is the perfect book for initiating a discussion on bravery and confidence.

I have previously reviewed The Invisible by Tom Percival. See: Book Review: The Invisible.

Blog Tour: Captain Vlad and the Mary Rose

It is my turn on the blog tour for Blog Tour: Captain Vlad and the Mary Rose by Kate and Sam Cunningham, published by Reading Riddle.

Kate Cunningham was a primary school teacher for nine years, before writing and publishing the first Vlad flea book in 2016. Reading Riddle grew out of her passion for books and a belief that children learn best when they are enjoying themselves. She is married to historian, Sean Cunningham, and Sam is the eldest of her three sons. In between writing books Kate does school and library visits.

Sam Cunningham graduated from Gloucestershire University. He produced the murals for the Family Corner in the Florence Nightingale Museum and images for The Carpenter’s Tale and The Scaffolder’s Tale in the National Archives graphic arts project e-book.

My spot on this tour takes the form of a book review.

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Title: Captain Vlad and the Mary Rose

Written by: Kate Cunningham

Illustrated by: Sam Cunningham

Published by: Reading Riddle

Captain Vlad and the Mary Rose is a glorious picture book outlining the exploits of Vlad the Flea onboard the Mary Rose in 1544, during the third French War, a year before this iconic ship sunk. This book is written and illustrated by a mother and son team and is part of a series that follows Vlad the Flea throughout history. Other books in the series include Vlad and the Great Fire of London, Vlad and Tutankhamun’s Tomb and Vlad and the Roman Triumph, which all have accompanying activity books.

The detail in the illustrations are just stunning. The bright bold colours will appeal to young children and the readers will love to explore the inner workings of the Mary Rose and its crew, whilst hunting for dangers onboard, such as the addition of a dog and the threat of a hawk hovering above. The plot is fast paced, which will grip the reader’s attention. The ship’s rats all have humorous names to help identify them.

At the back of the book there is a brief history of the Mary Rose outlining when it sank, which helps to place the story on the timeline. It was evident that a lot of historical research had gone into writing this book.

Captain Vlad and the Mary Rose would be ideal for the classroom to support a topic on the Tudors and will provide the class with a great overview of what life was like on board a Tudor war ship.

A fun book that will spark young children’s imaginations and foster a love of history.

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You can find out more about Kate Cunningham and her books on her website: 

www.readingriddle.co.uk, on Twitter @reading_riddle, on Instagram @reading_riddle, on Facebook: www.facebook.com/readingriddle and on TikTok: @readingriddle.

Find more of Sam’s work and how to contact him on his website www.samcunninghamart.com

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule:

I would like to thank Anne Cater from Random Things Through My Letterbox for inviting me to take part in this blog tour.

I have also had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Mary : Adrift in the Sea of Sorrow by Kate Cunningham, also published by Reading Riddle. To read this review of her multi-viewpoint, plot driven, YA novel set in a dystopian post-pandemic world, take a look at: Book Review: Mary: Adrift in the Sea of Sorrow.

To read my interview with Kate Cunningham about her writing process for Mary : Adrift in the Sea of Sorrow take a look at: Blog Tour – Mary : Adrift in the Sea of Sorrow by Kate Cunningham.

Book Review: Tangled Tales: Undercover Overlord and Meddling Underlings

Title: Tangled Tales: Undercover Overlord and Meddling Underlings

Written by: Lou Treleaven

Illustrated by: Mario Gushiken

Published by: Maverick Publishing

I love this concept of the Tangled Tales series, which has two book in one from Maverick Publishing. They are perfect for the emergent reader who has just started to read more independently but is unable to sustain a full novel. Each has a spooky theme to capture children’s imaginations split into eight easy to digest chapters. The stories are: Undercover Overlord and Meddling Underling. Both are creatively written by Lou Treleaven and beautifully illustrated by Mario Gushiken.

Tangled Tales is a new range of fiction aimed for 7-9 year olds. As mentioned each book is composed of two stories but one follows the ‘hero’ and the other follows the ‘monster’ or ‘villain’. The reader can flip the book to choose which story to start with, but they can be read in either order.

In Undercover Overlord, Otis Vile is set to take over his dastardly grandmother’s even more dastardly galactic corporation, E.V.I.L. (Extremely Vile Industries Limited). Only first he must go undercover in their factories to root out anyone ‘nice’ once and for all. Along the way Otis discovers the mysterious Number 2 has dastardly plans of their own.

In Meddling Underling, Plib and her family have spent years battling E.V.I.L. (Extremely Vile Industries Limited) but now their home is threatened. To save them, Plib will have to work for the enemy. I enjoyed following Plib’s hilarious escapades as she tries to change E.V.I.L. from the inside.

These stories are a great addition to the Tangled Tales series. Perfect for reading at Halloween and if you want to laugh out loud.

You can buy copies of Undercover Overlord and Meddling Underlings by Lou Treleaven and Mario Gushiken from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.

You can read my interview with Lou Treleaven about the nitty gritty of being a children’s book writer here: An Interview with… Lou Treleaven.