Anita Loughrey's blog. This is my journal about my experiences and thoughts on writing. As well as news about me and my books, it includes writing tips, book reviews, author interviews and blog tours.
For more information about me and my books see my website: www.anitaloughrey.com. Follow me on Twitter @amloughrey, Facebook @anitaloughrey.author and on Instagram @anitaloughrey
The Great Fox Heist is the second book in the Great Fox series. This fast-paced mystery adventure is full of magical misdirection and distraction. Flick Lions and her friend Charlie are in Switzerland to take part in another competition to steal a priceless diamond necklace from one of the most secure bank vaults in the world, whilst still searching for answers about her father’s mysterious disappearance, never knowing who she can trust. Flick is a strong, dynamic character who the reader can easily identify with.
The Great Fox promises several times that at the next stop her father will be there but he never materialises. Even by the end of the book she has not yet discovered where her father is. But the reader does have a greater understanding of why The Bell system should remain a secret.
Just like the first in the series, The Great Fox Heist, is cleverly written with a well-crafted plot that builds up the tension as Flick searches for answers. The heist is well thought out and believable. Flick’s prosthetic leg is shown through her cautious way of climbing but is never seen as a hinderance and does not restrict her achieving her goal.
There have been a lot of crime style mystery books for middle grade recently but The Great Fox Heist is unique as it is from the thief’s point of view. Unlike other books in this genre it invites the reader to solve how the heist was done and send the author a message with the promise of being able to help with the next assignment. What a fantastic incentive to get readers to invest in the characters and the series. I know I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
You can buy copies of The Great Fox Heist by Justyn Edwards from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
I am pleased to announce that today is my stop on the The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror by Helena Duggan blog tour. This is the second adventure in the gripping and mysterious eco/tech series, The Light Thieves.
The energy from the sun is being stolen. It’s a catastrophe for the planet and every living thing on it. Friends Grian, Jeffrey and Shelli are desperately trying to work out how it’s happening. They know tech genius Howard Hansom is behind the theft and they’re determined to stop him. But they can’t use any of Hansom’s smart technology in their quest as it will track them wherever they go.
The three young heroes need to find a strange black mirror to help them save the sun. They unwittingly uncover the massive hoax tech-billionaire Howard Hansom has planned and refuse to stay quiet whilst he hoodwinks people into thinking only he can save the world. But who would you trust, the adult or the kids? Time is running out. Can kids really save the world?
Helena Duggan is from Kilkenny, a medieval, haunted city in the south of Ireland. She writes stories for middle grade and they are always full of adventure. She’s also a graphic designer, which means she draws and colours pictures for a living. She writes in a treehouse built by her husband Robbie and his brother in the bottom of their garden. She lives in a small house with Robbie, their daughters Jo and Bobbie and dog Tinker.
A Place Called Perfect was her first book. It was published in August 2017 and was a Waterstones Book of the Month. It won numerous awards including Crimefest Children’s Book of the Year and was nominated for the Irish Book Awards and Waterstones Children’s Prize.
My stop on the tour will take the form of a book review.
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Title: The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror
Written by: Helena Duggan
Illustrated by: Katie Kear
Published by: Usborne Publishing
The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror is a dystopian middle grade action-packed eco-adventure.
The world has been tilted by a huge earthquake leaving a shadow across the sun which is gradually getting bigger until the sun will eventually be extinguished. We all know we can’t live without the sun and this becomes evident with the consequential changes in the environment and the way the days are gradually becoming shorter.
The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror startsfrom where the previous book left off but I found it a little frustrating that even though a detailed flowchart had been provided outlining the events in the previous book of the trilogy, a lot of the beginning of this book was spent summing up and reflecting on the first and yet throughout, the first few chapters I had the distinct feeling I was missing something.
The tech billionaire Howard Hanson has built the Tipping Point and persuaded volunteers to move there by claiming with enough weight in that particular location the world will shift back to its original axis and everyone will be saved. However, the Tipping Point was not the technological haven Howard Hanson claimed it to be.
I thought it was clever the way Helena Duggan used the idea of ‘fake news’ to show how Howard Hanson manipulated people to believe the children were responsible for the catastrophe and how other events (fake or otherwise) were used to distract people from what he was doing right under their noses. This would be an ideal discussion point in the classroom to highlight how similar techniques have been used in real life
Our main character, Grain has been set the task by his grandad of finding three more letters containing clues which each lead to a separate piece of a larger puzzle. When they find all four pieces they have to find grandad who can put them together to reverse the destruction to the sun.
The relationships between the three friends is well established and I liked the way they contrasted each other with the intelligent yet socially awkward best friend Jeffrey and the nature-loving Shelli. I thought it was good the way Grain was a little slow and depended on his friends to help him, which broke the usual stereotypical role of the hero. His lack of confidence in his abilities and the feeling of ‘imposter syndrome’ worked well and is realistic of how many young children feel.
I also enjoyed the way Grain finds it difficult not to use the smart technology he has become dependant on and how lost and inadequate he feels without it. This is true of many children and adults today and I have heard it said there whole life is on their phone, their calendar, their banking, contacts, etc. This reflection on our increasing dependency on technology that is only going to increase in the future struck a chord with me.
I think The Light Thieves Search for the Black Mirror is ideal for KS2, especially years 4 ,5, and 6. It is full of twists and turns which grip the imagination, making the reader want to find out more.
I am happy to announce today is my stop on the Don’t Disturb the Dragon by Rhiannon Findlay and Siân Roberts blog tour.
Don’t Disturb the Dragon is a brilliantly interactive rhyming read-aloud adventure before bedtime from the bestselling author of the Ten Minutes to Bed series.
Somewhere near, a huge beast lies, with giant claws and great big eyes . . . DO NOT DISTURB THE DRAGON!
Tiptoe over, under, round and through the book, just . . . don’t disturb the DRAGON!
Extract from Don’t Disturb the Dragon by Rhiannon Findlay and Siân Roberts
Fans of Ten Minutes to Bed, Little Unicorn will love helping our heroes on their quest in this immersive, interactive adventure with a wind-down-to-bedtime ending
Rhiannon Findlay lives in Hertfordshire, England. When she’s not writing, she can be found exploring, playing and reading with her young daughter, who provides endless inspiration for her stories.
Under the name Rhiannon Fielding, she wrote the Ten Minutes to Bed series, which has sold over two million copies in 25 languages. Rhiannon has over 13 years’ experience of working in children’s publishing, currently as Associate Publisher for Quarto.
Siân Roberts is a children’s book illustrator based in the South East of England. Before working professionally Siân studied illustration in Bournemouth, gaining a BA Hons degree.
Her debut picture book published in 2021 with Little Tiger Books and she has since worked on numerous projects with multiple publishers and authors, with stories ranging from pirate princesses to sparkling unicorns, dancing dinosaurs to creepy crawlies. She works from her small home studio, surrounded by potted plants and fuelled by many cups of tea!
My stop on the tour will be in the form of a book review.
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Title: Don’t Disturb the Dragon
Written by: Rhiannon Findlay
Illustrated by: Siân Roberts
Published by: Puffin Books
Don’t Disturb the Dragon is a fun rhyming picture book with a message of not jumping to conclusions based on appearances. The heroine of the story is the princess of Wingbeat Island. and she is searching for her baby brother who has just learnt to crawl. At each stop she is determined not to disturb the dragon. She is prepared for any encounters with her rucksack containing her dragon-fighting kit.
I love maps in books and we all know children love exploring maps so I think the addition of the map of Wingbeat Island at the beginning of the book is a brilliant addition. Young children can spend hours discovering where each of the locations she visits to hunt for her brother is on the map and follow her adventures around the island.
It is written in rhyming couplets with the repeated phrase of “Don’t Disturb the Dragon” which the children can eagerly join in with at story time. The illustrations add a sparkle of magic to this glorious story. there are so many things to discover in the pictures.
A great book for reading aloud and for young children to explore during reading sessions.
I have come across illustration by Jo Lindley before in books I have previously reviewed, such as: The Crocodile Curse and The Jackal’s Graveyard by Saviour Pirotta from The Nile Adventures and also Interdimensional Explorers by Lorraine Gregory. I have always found the way she captures the characters’ emotions in her drawings to be perfect. Jo Lindley does not disappoint in this series of picture books, which she has written and illustrated.
Hello Summer is about four friends who play together all year round taking it in turns to wear the weather crown.
It is full of fun activities for children to do during the summer months, such as playing ball, having a picnic and building a sandcastle.
The other books in the series are:
In this series, Jo Lindley has created four very distinct characters which portray their feelings through her text and illustrations. I particularly like the way the four friends take the time to discuss their feelings.
The bold colours add a touch of magic and The illustrations are a joy to browse and children will love exploring the pictures and will be eager to turn the pages to be captivated by the next illustration. Her use of bold seasonal colours add a touch of magic.
This series would be ideal to use in the classroom to initiate a discussion on emotions and what to do when they get out of control. I thought the subtle suggestions and techniques used by the characters to deal with their disappointment, frustration and anger when things did not go the way they hoped and planned, were put across in a sensitive way, young children would understand.
Great books to encourage empathy and self-discipline.
The other books I have reviewed, which were illustrated by Jo Lindley are:
You can buy copies of Hello Summer, Hello Autumn, Hello Winter and Hello Spring by Jo Lindley from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
I am excited to announce today, the 20th July 2023, is not only my stop on the Rhino’s Don’t Cry by Mark Grist and Chris Evans blog tour but it is also their Launch Day. Congratulations to both Mark and Chris for the release of this extremely moving picture book, which is planned to be the first in a series highlighting the importance of children expressing their feelings.
Mark Grist is an ex-teacher and now a multi-award-winning poet and international battle rapper with over 40 million views for his poetry & rap videos online. He has been honoured in two categories at the Webby Awards, won two Lovie Awards for his poetry online and toured hundreds of schools around the world. Recently, Mark’s work has appeared on BBC1, ITV, BBC Teach, Channel 4 and BBC 6 music.
As well as writing picture books for Bloomsbury, Mark is working on a second series of his hit podcast Mark Can’t Rap, which is backed by Arts Council England & National Centre for Writing. He lives in Peterborough.
Chris Jevons studied art and design at college, and 3D animation at university. He then worked as a graphic designer, animator and illustrator before moving into children’s book illustration.
Chris has a passion for character design and storytelling, and his books include Goldilocks in Space, My Daddy is Hilarious and 101 Bums. He lives and works in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.
My stop on the tour for this emotional and engaging rhyming story, involves a book review.
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Title:Rhinos Don’t Cry
Author: Mark Grist
Illustrator: Chris Jevons
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Milo’s a rhino. He likes to do all sorts of rhino-y things . . . He likes writing and climbing and banister-sliding and mountain bike riding, he paints and he sings.
Milo just loves being a rhino – but there’s one small problem . . . rhinos don’t cry. At least that’s what Spike-O Mcree, his movie-star hero, always says. But when Milo meets Spike-O face to face, he finds out that not only is crying OK, it’s also very brave!
Extract from Rhino’s Don’t Cry by Mark Grist and Chris Jevons
Rhino’s Don’t Cry should come with a warning sticker: This book will make you cry – which is a good thing.
Written in rhyming couplets and illustrated with vibrant, bold colours and a good mix of page layouts from illustrations that bleed to the edges of the page, to vignettes that portray the story comic book style, Rhino’s Don’t Cry, will have young readers enthusiastically turning the pages. Chris Jevons has a talent for characterisation that is evident on every spread.
It contains an important message about how healthy it is to cry whatever the reason and how everyone should release their emotions rather than bottle them up, no matter your age, gender or job – there is no limit. I hope to see more children’s books of this calibre in the future. Although Mark Grist has set the bar quite high for writing an excellent plot, which conveys such an important message that does not feel contrived in any way.
I enjoyed this book and it definitely made me cry. I am going to get my husband to read it. There is adventure, a mystery, romance and a problem young children will be able to relate to. It is the first in the series and I am eager to see what other feelings are going to be covered.
It would be great for use in the classroom and stimulating discussion on emotions. Having spent many years teaching throughout primary schools myself, I would have loved a resource like this to use with the whole age range from pre-school to Year Six. I plan to use it as one of my BookPenPal books in September.
To view more of Chris Jevons’ impressive illustrations take a peek at his Bright House portfolio: here. You can also follow him on Twitter:@Chris_Jev and Instagram: @chrisjevonsillustration
To see the rest of the tour check out the Tour Schedule below.
I would like to thank Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.
I am a bit of science fiction fan. I love Star Trek, Firefly, Legends of Tomorrow and absolutely anything with time travel and the multiverse in it. So when I heard about this exciting new middle-grade adventure, I knew I had to read it. Interdimensional Explorers by Lorraine Gregory successfully incorporates the multi-verse theory into an exhilarating page-turner. I was totally absorbed by the characters and the unique imaginative world of the Interdimensional Lost Property Office (IDLPO).
Danny discovers his grandfather is not only the caretaker of the council estate where he lives but is also the caretaker at the IDLPO. When his grandfather has a heart attack at work he makes Danny promise to look after things and thrusts a pocket watch into his hand before he is driven away by the ambulance. Danny and his best friend Modge accidentally locate the entrance to the IDLPO and become the new caretakers until his grandfather is better.
They soon realise they are out of their depth with understanding all the space technology and so Danny reluctantly persuades his cousin, Inaaya, who wants to be an Astro physicist, to help. Then they uncover a plot that will threaten the whole multi-verse. They have to learn to put aside their grievances and work together to prevent the villains from succeeding in their dastardly scheme.
Did it live up to my expectations? Yes. It certainly did. I absolutely loved Interdimensional Explorers and would recommend it to all middle-grade readers who like me have a passion for science fiction. The interaction between the characters is believable and realistic and it is extremely well-plotted.
I am looking forward to Interdimensional Explorers book two.
You can buy copies of Interdimensional Explorers by Lorraine Gregory from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star is a brilliantly diverse book for the middle-grade age range, about a group of girls with a range of physical disabilities who have been hidden away in the Home for Unfortunate Girls, as they do not meet the Victorian Societies idealistic views of what the ‘perfect child’ should be.
Cos is an imaginative and endearing character whose impulsiveness often leads to disastrous events that her friends must rescue her from. She is a determined, spirited and highly independent heroine who continually fights to prove herself and her friends in the Home for Unfortunate Girls are more than their physical disabilities. The author, Laura Noakes, addresses the discrimination towards these girls in a sensitive and positive way. It is clear to young readers that the viewpoint of many at the time are reflective of the era. The sub-plot of Cos investigating who her family is works well and has been well plotted, albeit a little predictable.
I enjoyed this book and the way the girls ingenious teamwork overcomes not only their physical disabilities but also outwits the dastardly owners of the Home for Unfortunate Girls the sinister Stain siblings, Miss Stain and her awful brother Mr Stain. When they discover on one of their many heists that the smarmy Lord Francis Fitzroy wishes to adopt all twenty of the girls in the home, Cos and her friends endeavour to solve the mystery of why he would want, as he described, a bunch of ‘defective children’.
When Miss Noone gate-crashes the Stain siblings social gathering at the home it provides the girls with the opportunity to visit The Empire Exhibition, where Lord Fitzroy is displaying a vast wealth of treasures he has acquired from around the world to find out his motives, only to discover he plans to experiment on them to find a so-called cure. Cos is motivated to plan a new even more daring heist to liberate the jewels Lord Fitroy has stolen from his travels around the world, including the fabulous tiara, containing the Star diamond from India, and send them back to where they belong.
I am always impressed by Flavia Sorrentino’s illustrations and in Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star her beautiful artwork compliments the text perfectly as she expertly portrays the characters and their disabilities.
This book would be suitable to read to the class during a topic on the Victorians in KS2. the Victorian setting is well described and provides the ideal backdrop for a story with a theme of overcoming discrimination. It would also be a great book to initiate discussions on empathy and equality.
On the whole, it is a fun, well-crafted mystery adventure with some memorable characters. A spectacular Victorian mystery oozing diversity.
You can buy copies of Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star by Laura Noakes and Flavia Sorrentino from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
Join me today for my stop on the blog tour for the release of a new dynamic folk fantasy by Alex Woodroe. I am pleased I have been scheduled for the launch day, 11th July 2023.
Alex is a Romanian writer and editor of dark speculative fiction. She’s the author of Whisperwood, as well as several short horror, fantasy, and science-fiction stories published in venues like Dark Matter Magazine, Horror Library, the Nosleep podcast, and more. She lives in the heart of the Transylvanian region of Romania, and lets her country’s culture and unique natural landscapes influence her work.
She’s been a translator, a barmaid, a teacher, a copywriter, and a dog trainer, but ultimately realized she wouldn’t be happy until she terrified people for a living. Alex now runs her own company doing freelance editing, translations, and writing, as well as working as an acquisitions editor for Indie Horror upstart, Tenebrous Press.
Whisperwood is published by Flame Tree Press, which is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
This novel is described as a must-read dark fantasy debut for fans of The Witcher, woodland survival guides, the gruesome original Grimm Brothers stories, and dark folklore from around the world…
A journey into the wild woods with a character who just needs a break—and the terrible things that stare back at her.
When curious nomad Anna hears about Whisperwood, a town that’s not on any maps, that nobody goes to, and nobody comes from, she sees an opportunity to hide from her violent witch-hunting ex.
But not everything is peaceful in the isolated community. A vanishing town, a gruesome funeral rite, an emergency field surgery—these surprises and more test Anna’s resolve.
Prevented from leaving the frontier settlement by folk magic she doesn’t understand, Anna lends helping hands everywhere she can, but quickly finds that investigating the forest too closely could end up being the last thing she does.
My stop involves a book review.
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Title: Whisperwood
Written by: Alex Woodroe
Published by: Flame Tree Press
The thing that I like best about this book was the world of Whisperwood. The setting is vividly described and very eerie. I understood why nobody would really want to go there unless they were desperate and found the dark magic that stopped Anna leaving quite intriguing. I enjoyed discovering how the village was connected to many of the Romanian folktales. The Whispers were mysterious and quite creepy.
I liked the main character Anna who has a gift of being friendly and supportive. She quickly makes a few friends and also a few enemies. I admired her bravery and determination to overcome . I can imagine myself being friends with her. I was rooting for her throughout the story from when she left the abusive partner who turned her whole family against her by claiming she was a witch, right to the very end when she confronts the kidnappers, in the exciting twist ending.
As with many of the books I have read recently, Whisperwood cleverly portrays the dark side of humanity and people’s character. The way Alex showed how people can be easily manipulated to believe someone was a witch reflects history and is reminiscent of the witch trials. Also the way people ignore many of the bad things that are happening in the world around them is a poignant statement of the whole world. Whisperwood is not the only place where the people choose to be blinkered.
On the whole Whisperwood is an exciting, fast-paced mystery suitable for the older YA readership.
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To follow the rest of the tour check out the schedule:
You can buy copies of Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation which supports a wide range of independent bookstores.
Title: Music and How it Works: The Complete Guide for Kids
Written by: Charlie Morland
Illustrated by: David Humphries
Consultant: Gareth Dawson
Published by: DK Children
Music and How it Works: The Complete Guide for Kids by Charlie Morland and David Humphries
Music and How it Works: The Complete Guide for Kids provides answers to questions such as, why do we like music, do animals like music, how sound is made and what animal can produce the highest pitch? It provides a very comprehensive look at music and everything involved in creating and listening to music. For example children can discover more about the seven ingredients of music: rhythm, dynamics, melody, harmony, tibre, texture and form. It discusses reading music and the different notes as well as explaining sharps and flats, intervals, tones and semitones and octaves.
This book provides opportunities for children to discover their own love of music by looking at scales, chords and keys, different instruments and different genres such as opera, blues, rock and hip-hop to K-pop and electronic music. The author, Charlie Morland, includes ‘playlists’ of key pieces encouraging the children to look up pieces of music to listen to themselves. There is also an insightful look behind the scenes at the process of the music industry.
The vibrant, modern feel using bright colours, photographs and infographics will appeal to children of all ages. I particularly liked the way this book clearly explains the psychology and math behind music, how it can affect our mood and improve our minds and the research into the Mozart Effect. At the back of the book is a musical timeline which gives a breakdown of music throughout history from the first percussion to using streaming apps such as Spotify.
This is the ideal book for anyone who is interested in music whether that is listening to their favourites, or learning an instrument, or writing and composing their own songs from the introduction to the final chorus. It is guaranteed to help children to develop a deep passion for music. The perfect addition for all school libraries.
Fablehouse is the first in a trilogy of another high quality Storymix innovation, beautifully written by Emma Norry. Set in 1954, it is full of Arthurian legend, folktales and Fae magic set at fictional Fable House foster home for ‘Britain’s brown babies’. That is the babies born to the British women during WWII who were left alone after the black American soldiers were recalled and shipped back to America. Many of these ‘white’ mothers were shamed into giving up their babies and the children were taken into foster homes.
Heather has been sent to several of the homes but keeps running away. She arrives at Fablehouse, which is run by Miss Isolde and finally feel she has found where she belongs. There is a great cast of characters – Lloyd who is reliable and likes to follow the rules, Arlene who loves to sing and excitable Nat who prides himself as being a magician and of course Heather who enjoys reading. Together they call themselves the Roamers as they like to explore the grounds of Fablehouse. Each of them feel as if something is missing from their lives.
The way these four friends treat it as their duty to protect and help each other really resonated with me. They go on one of their picnics to the mystical stones where they meet Palamedes, the Black Knight. He does not know who he is or where he came from. Slowly his memory returns and he warns them a great danger has escaped from the stones. When the staff and other children are replaced with changelings, Palamedes explains how they must enter the Fae underworld to find their friends and save everyone at Fablehouse, as well as the neighbouring village and ultimately the save the world.
Not only did I love the historical background of this novel but the links to the Arthurian legends captured my imagination. I have had a long fascination with the Arthurian legends so forgive me if I digress slightly to explain that in the Arthurian legend outlined in Thomas Malory’s le Morte D’arthur and also in the Post Vulgate Cycle and the Prose Tristan, Palamedes was a Saracen from the Middle East, known as the hunter of the questing beast – a fearsome creature with the head and neck of a snake, the body of a leopard, the haunches of a lion and the feet of a hart. He was in love with Lady Isolde who was married to King Mark of Ireland. Sir Tristram was also in love with Isolde and so declared Palamedes his arch-enemy.
Emma Norry has masterfully weaved this feud and emotional triangle into Fable House to produce a totally immersive middle grade adventure, encompassing the themes of friendship, truth and identity. Fable House champions the importance of not judging people by their appearances, being true to yourself and doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do.
I found myself totally immersed in Fable House and its surroundings. Emma’s lovely descriptions gave me a vivid picture of the fae underworld and how the fae had been manipulated. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
You can buy copies of Fablehouse by E.L. Norry from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
Much To Do About Writing 