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
Join me on the blog tour for Spencer Edwards: Emperor of the Galaxy by Alex Prior.
Blurb
In this gripping and spectacular rollercoaster of an adventure, a fourteen-year-old Earth boy is chosen, seemingly at random, to become Emperor of the Galaxy during a time of grave peril.
Spencer, an ordinary teenager, lives with his mum, his stepdad Hassan and his younger brother Mo. He is decidedly average at school, sports and at video gaming, but when he is chosen to become the new Emperor of the Galaxy everything changes.
Spencer must learn how to balance being Emperor of the Galaxy and battle the evil Haxenaar, trying to get his homework in on time, and all the while pursuing the love of his life, Amy Heartly. With the help of his new companions and Bradlii, the smartest and smuggest AI ever created, Spencer must brave an epic journey to save the galaxy and discover the ultimate truth.
My stop takes the form of a book review.
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Title: Spencer Edwards Emperor of the Galaxy
Written by: Alex Prior
Cover Art by: Adi Granov
Published by: Matador
This is a fantastic science fiction quest to save the galaxy in the vein of Ender’s Game, Star Trek and one of my ultimate favourites, Farscape. This fast paced adventure full of twists and turns that ticked all the boxes for me.
Fourteen-year-old spencer is an average teenager who is trying to navigate school, his homework and dating the girl of his dreams, when he is whisked away and told he has been chosen at random to protect the galaxy from falling into an intergalactic war. I was particularly impressed with Haxenaar who is a larger than life antagonist with an insatiable goal of dominating not only our galaxy but also the neighbouring galaxy of Andromeda. He makes Scorpious look like a kitten.
I must say, the final few chapters set the reader up in anticipation for the sequel. Full of breath-taking spacecraft, jaw-dropping battles, vivid aliens and some highly unique planets and planetary systems, this is the ideal book for young sci-fi fans to read over the summer.
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About the Author
Alex Priorgraduated from Manchester University and worked in TV and Film as a cameraman, editor, then director, ending up at Elstree Film Studios. He decided to change his career and became a Headteacher for several challenging schools.
He has always written scripts and copy and his first book The Lost Case Files of Sherlock Holmes was published in 2020 and went to number one in several Amazon categories, selling many thousands of copies worldwide. Spencer Edwards: Emperor of the Galaxyis his second novel.
Bryony Pearce’s debut middle grade novel, Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood, is a crazy romp of an adventure that will keep readers turning the pages. Based on the children of the Greek gods, you may think this story is going to be a predictable demi-god story or a weak version of Percy Jakson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, but you would be wrong.
Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood is a highly original, hilariously funny and entertaining story. Eleven-year-old Hannah Messenger, the granddaughter of Hermes the messenger god and Dylan, the grandson of Demeter the god of harvest, are best friends. Hannah has recently come into her powers and her and Dylan decide to go to the marker stone on the outskirts of Hockwood to practice using them instead of going to school.
Whilst they are there they meet Amy, the granddaughter of Aphrodite and school bully who is also bunking off school as she is upset her school work is not taken seriously by the teachers, as all that is expected of her is to be pretty. They also find school loner, Alistair has missed school too for a me-day. All the characters including the antagonist have been well-developed with their own strengths, weaknesses and well-crafted character arcs.
These four children form the core characters are real heroes fighting to save the human world through all odds. When someone moves the and marker stone, the gods of Olympus and their descendants lose their memories so they believe they are ordinary humans with no powers. Only Hannah, Dylan, Amy and Alistair know who the gods are and they are also losing their powers fast.
They discover the god’s objects of power such as Thor’s lightning bolt and Aphrodite’s apple and Herme’s staff have gone missing so they must overcome their differences and work together to find the thief and stop them using the source of the god’s powers to destroy the world.
A great story with endearing characters and a lot of heart. Encompasses themes of hope, perseverance and combating depression.
You can buy copies of Hannah Messenger and the Gods of Hockwood by Bryony Pearce from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
I am thrilled to be kicking off the blog tour for an exciting new middle grade mystery adventure, The Legendary Mo Seto by A. Y. Chan, which was released for publication on the 4th July 2024 by Aladdin / Simon & Schuster.
The Legendary Mo Seto is a story about a 12-year-old female martial artist who auditions for a movie role opposite her favourite martial arts movie hero, only to find out she’s too small for the role.
Blurb
A fast-paced, high-kicking debut that’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon meets Stand Up, Yumi Chung as a young taekwondo artist uses an ancient book to help save her dreams – and her father.
Twelve-year-old Modesty ‘Mo’ Seto dreams of being a taekwondo champion. Even though her mom disapproves, Mo can always count on her dad, who is her number one fan and biggest supporter. Lately, Mo has been on a losing streak, and it doesn’t help that she keeps losing to her archnemesis, Dax, who’s much bigger than her. If only she were faster, stronger, not so petite. Mo can’t even lean on her dad like usual with how distracted he’s been lately.
When Mo learns about the chance to audition to star alongside her idol and legendary martial artist and movie star Cody Kwok, she knows this her chance to prove to her dad, to the world, and to herself that she can compete with anyone, no matter her size. Unfortunately, Dax is auditioning, too. As Mo and her nemesis progress to callbacks, someone attempts to sabotage the movie set and Mo’s dad disappears – and both events seem linked to a mysterious book, the Book of Joy.
The book contains information on Xiaoxi Fu, a secret dance-like martial art developed by Mo’s ancestral grandmother. Armed with these secret moves and an unexpected ally, Mo embarks on a high-octane adventure to rescue her father, save the movie, and discover an unexpected joy in being small.
My stop takes the form of a book review.
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Title:The Legendary Mo Seto
Written by: A. Y. Chan
Cover illustrated by: Amber Ren
Published by: Aladdin / Simon & Schuster
The Legendary Mo Seto, is a well-paced adventure with plenty of dynamic action scenes that kept me turning the pages. One of my favourite scenes was when Mo loses focus during the tournament at the beginning of the book as her dad left in the middle of her fight. This scene was a great example of showing rather than telling the protagonist’s character.
The character arc has been artfully crafted in the way she learns to accept and even ‘love’ her short stature. It is believable and I would personally like to see Xiaoxi Fu in action. I hope it is as cool to watch as Martha’s dance fighting in the Jamanji (2017).
Written in first-person we are able to immediately identify with Mo from her love of Taekwondo to her hang-ups about her height. She is a fully-rounded character with a whole list of flaws, some of which I wish she’d learnt the hard-way that dishonesty does not pay. I enjoyed the friendship between Nacho and Mo but after it was pointed out to her how handsome he was, it made me cringe slightly that she started developing feelings for him. I would rather she felt jealousy about others showing an interest in her friends than start liking him more than a friend. Even so, the reader is able to empathise with Mo and appreciate her courage and loyalty. She most definitely has a stubborn determination to admire.
I also enjoyed the movie scenes with the vivid descriptions that immediately conjured up a realistic image of life on a movie set. It was good that the book highlighted the stress and drama behind the scenes as well as the gloss and glamour captured by the camera. The mystery around her father and what had happened to him was intriguing.
A great, excellently written middle-grade mystery with themes of identity and finding the best in yourself. Would be suitable for Key Stage Two and Three readers.
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About the Author
A. Y. Chan grew up in Canada’s Greater Toronto Area reading all the middle grade and young adult books she could get her hands on. To this day, those remain her favourite genres. After achieving her black belt in Taekwondo, she explored other martial arts, such as Wing Chun, Hapkido, and Muay Thai. These days, she continues her martial arts training some mornings, writes in the afternoons, takes long walks to muddle out plot points, and falls asleep reading.
She explained her reasons for writing The Legendary Mo Seto:
“I started training in taekwondo when I was six and, growing up, I longed to read books about kick-butt girls doing kick-butt things, but there really weren’t as many as I had hoped for. The idea for this book has been percolating in my head ever since. I wish to inspire kids not only to be brave and never give up, but also to be proud of who they are.
My inspiration for my story came from a real city-wide competition, where, like Mo, my protagonist, I faced off against a bigger, stronger boy during the final match. At that time, pairings were determined by belt-level and age, not by weight class. I ended up losing. I remember feeling so crushed by my second-place finish, and I kept replaying the fight in my head, wondering what I could have done differently.
I was also inspired by martial arts movies—especially the stunt actors and body doubles, and the thugs in the background serving as punching bags for the protagonist. As an introvert, I never wanted to be the main character…but to get beat up by the main character? That seemed awesome. After achieving my black belt in Taekwondo, I explored other types of martial arts and came away with an appreciation for the similarities and differences in the different forms, and how each has a unique philosophy linking the physical to the mental (and spiritual). Martial arts is about discipline and practice, but it’s also about respect (for oneself and for others) and integrity. And, of course, indomitable spirit, the all-encompassing light within us all that shines with determination and hope and an unshakable optimism for a brighter tomorrow.” (A.Y. Chan)
Please join me on the blog tour for The Rock by Ann Bryant and illustrated by Josephine Birch, published by Graffeg Publishing on the 23rd February 2024.
Blurb
The first in a series about twins Zane and Finola’s adventure to reunite their family.
After being forced to flee from their home planet, twins Zane and Finola find themselves on Earth. Dad is lost and Mum is no longer able to teleport, meaning that it is up to the twins to reunite their family. With such a large prize on offer for whoever is able to find the ‘aliens’, Zane and Finola can’t trust anyone and must make sure that they never break cover on their tour of planet Earth.
My stop on the tour takes the form of a book review.
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Title: The Rock
Written by: Ann Bryant
Illustrated by: Josephine Birch
Published by: Graffeg Publishing
Perfect for independent readers between the ages of 7-11, The Rock is a highly original middle grade adventure. I rarely see children’s books featuring aliens that are stranded on Earth from the alien’s point of view. I enjoyed learning about the differences between the two planets and wish there was a bit more comparing of the differences between the two worlds. The key themes are diversity and cultural awareness, empathy, family, green travel and teamwork.
The reflection on human nature was believable and realistic. There was only one thing that niggled me we know the mother and children are there to find their dad but we are not told why the dad came to Earth in the first place.
I liked the fact they could communicate telepathically and also teleport themselves by thinking of an image of a place. The teleporting symbol added each time they did this throughout the book was a nice touch. The way they tried to solve the picture image clues that had been transferred into their minds by their dad added mystery and suspense that kept me turning the pages. Although, the story did not end and left a lot of unanswered questions to be continued in the sequel.
On the whole, an exciting middle grade adventure with a unique mystery that will intrigue science fiction fans.
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About the Author
Ann Bryant trained at the Royal College of Music and began her writing career when her daughters were little. She has published around 125 books, roughly 75% children’s fiction including many series, the rest, music resources for primary school teachers. Ann narrated her latest picture book Peter and the Timber Wolf at 48 concerts in 2019 whilst Kidenza orchestra played the famous Peter and the Wolf music.
Reading from her book Code Breaker at the Gibraltar literary festival in November 2022, a year 6 class was inspired to take it on as their class reader. Ann regularly gives author presentations in international schools as well as the UK, and also leads music workshops for teachers.
She says:
“I’m often asked what you need to be an author – well, I think it boils down to imagination and discipline, or put another way, a telescope and a microscope, OR a heart and a head.”
You can purchase a copy of The Rock by Ann Bryant from Amazon.
To follow the rest of the tour please take a look at the schedule below:
I would like to thank Kelly from Love Book Tours for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.
I am taking part today in the blog tour for Felix’s Favourite Day by Fiona Lowry and illustrated by Johanna Bruyer.
My stop on this tour is a book review.
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Title: Felix’s Favourite Day
Written by: Fiona Lowry
Illustrated by: Johanna Bruyer
Published by: Three Geese & A Gander
A cute self-published picture book that was awarded the Golden Wizard Book Prize in 2022.
It is about a young boy called Felix who dreams of owning a pet but the pets he asks for do not physically exist. His parents finally agree to get him a pet and his final choice suits him perfectly. It is written in free verse with no set meter or rhythm but has a loose rhyme.
Felix’s Favourite Day is a very short with an underlying message of using your imagination and believing in your dreams.
I felt the plot could have been developed further giving the picture book more depth and a more satisfying conclusion.
Suitable to read to children from birth.
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Fiona Lowry is a Scottish children’s author based in Perthshire, where she lives with her family. Having grown up in the idyllic, peaceful, and secluded countryside, her childhood was full of freedom and adventure.
Pic credit Steve MacDougall / DC Thomson & Co Ltd
Fiona shares her power of positive thinking through children’s stories of encouragement, self-growth, and belief.
A lovely multi-lingual picture book about a young girl meeting her Japanese Grandpa for the first time since she was a baby. Despite the fact they do not speak each other’s language they play happily together for hours every day during his visit.
Grandpa Kuma is portrayed as a bear throughout the book as Kuma is Japanese for bear and he looked cuddly in his photo. I particularly like how Grandpa Kuma’s words are written in both Japanese and also has the Japanese pronunciation. There is also an English translation at the back of the book to satisfy curious minds.
By the end of the story the little girl has learnt how to say ‘bird in Japanese and was able to use the word in conversation, even teaching it to her friend. There is also scope for readers to learn to speak a few Japanese words using the text, illustrations and translation glossary at the back of the picture book, which is a fantastic educational device for learning a new language in a fun way.
A very satisfying story with a lovely premise. I would like to see more bilingual picture books like this.
Another gripping holiday read with a superb cast of diverse, well-rounded characters each with their own flaws and quirks. Priya is given a bangle by her grandmother before she dies. The bangle is a family heirloom but the catch is broken so it won’t unlock.
Things are not going well for Priya. It is the year anniversary of grandmother’s death and Priya misses her. On top of this, her parents keep arguing and Priya feels they are harder on her than her ADHD sister, she is being bullied at school and she is stressed about her gymnastics and qualifying for the Olympics. Her and her friends are also racially persecuted by adults on their way home from school. As she doesn’t want to disappoint anyone, she pretends to her friends and family everything is perfect but really she feels totally alone.
One night whilst her parents are yelling at each other she cries clutching the bangle. To her surprise it opens so she slips it on. From this moment on she discovers she is unable to continue telling her little white lies to keep everyone happy. The harder she tries not to blurt out the truth, the harder it becomes.
I liked the way The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie emphasises how all families no matter what race have their own secrets. This book also highlights how beliefs can be passed on through generations. I also liked the subtle message on racism showing even if parents are bigoted it doesn’t mean their children have to be. People no matter their age, can make up their own minds and opinions, breaking this detrimental cycle.
A great middle grade book suitable for 9+ readers. A fun and hilarious read. I can imagine this book as a series on the television.
You can buy copies of The Girl Who Couldn’t Lieby Radhika Sanghani from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
I love this trilogy. It is not very often I decide to review a whole trilogy in one go but it is been a long time since a trilogy has impressed me this much and what I had to say about the series is relevant to all three books.
The Legend of the Sky trilogy comprise of three distinct and dynamic, rip-roaring fast-paced adventures that will keep you on the edge of your seats and have you turning the pages to the very last word and leave you wanting another new episode – a fourth book.
Think of this series as Game of Thrones for younger readers with a real emphasis on the dragons. It puts other middle grade dragon adventures in the shade. The descriptions and the characters really pull you into the story.
I was enthralled on how the history and folklore of the dragons and the different islands was cleverly weaved into the story as it progressed so at no time did you feel like it was a massive info-dump.
The covers of all three books, by award-winning Joe Todd-Stanton, are dramatic and eye-catching that will entice readers to pick up the book to see what they are about.
Now I will spend a little time on each of these brilliant books.
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Title: Dragon Daughter (Legends of the Sky #1)
The first in the Legends of the Sky middle grade fantasy adventure series.
On the island of Arcosi, dragons and their riders used to rule the skies. But now they are only legends, found in bedtime stories, on beautiful murals and ancient jewellery. Then servant girl Milla witnesses a murder and finds herself caring for the last four dragon eggs. Forced to keep them secret amidst the growing tensions in the city, she begins to fear that the island’s ruler, Duke Olvar, isn’t all that he seems.
But how can Milla and her friends keep the eggs safe when it means endangering everything she’s ever loved? Fiery friendships, forgotten family and the struggle for power collide as Milla’s fight to save the dragons leads her to discover her own hidden past.
Milla is a shy, hard-working servant in the Thornsen household, who is unable to tell people ‘no’ even though she is exhausted. she has no self-esteem and tries so hard to please everyone she is running herself ragged. When she witnesses a murder and discovers a bag containing four oval objects, which she later realises are dragon’s eggs, she must learn to overcome her shyness and be more assertive. In this way Dragon Daughter has a brilliant and satisfying character arc that has the reader routing for her from the start.
This is a fantastic story and the dynamics between the different characters are believable as is the politics of the different islands and their struggle for power. I enjoyed reading about the contrasting relationships of the twins, Isak and Tarya, with their father and the conflicting feelings of Taya and Vigo.
An exciting fast-paced adventure with well-described charismatic dragons worth risking your life for.
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Title: Rise of the Shadow Dragons (Legends of the Sky #2)
The second in the Legends of the Sky middle grade fantasy adventure series.
Jowan wants only one thing – to bond with a dragon of his own. Then disaster strikes and his world suddenly turns into a darker and more dangerous place. But a new friend and an astonishing discovery could lead him to what he has always wanted….if he is just willing to take a leap of faith and brave the impossible.
Set on the Island of Arcosi ten years later. Vigo and Tarya are now the Duke and Duchess, Isak is chief dragonguard and runs the Dragon School and Milla is an important dragonrider and protector of Arcosi. I loved how we were introduced to some incredible new dragons in the form of the shadow dragons, Ren and Fidell, and the intriguing mystery that surrounds them. These dragons are born out of all four elements, fire, air, water and earth, so unlike other dragons they have to ability to swim underwater.
There are also some dynamic new characters who are the main protagonists of the story. Joe Thornsen, who we met briefly at the end of Dragon Daughter, is about to attend the Hatching Ceremony to see if he is lucky enough to be chosen as a dragon rider by one of the new hatchlings. When things go horribly wrong he befriends Winter, whose dragon died in the Great Loss when a terrible sickness killed over half the dragons. Together they must overcome them doubts and their overwhelming emotions.
I am in awe of Liz Flanagan’s world-building that really does without a word of a lie, keep you on the edge of your seat turning the pages. The new Game of Throne style power struggle is well-executed with highly believable motivations and disagreements, with the added peril of a volcanic disaster.
Another thrilling middle grade fantasy adventure that will fire up the imagination.
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Title: The Pirate’s Dragon (Legends of the Sky #3)
A thrilling conclusion to the award-winning Legends of the Sky middle grade fantasy series.
Serina and Raff live on separate islands, each believing the other’s people to be their sworn enemy. Forced together in dramatic circumstances, they become unlikely friends while caring for their young dragons. But when Serina’s home, family, and all the dragons of Arcosi are threatened, can Raff and Serina persuade their families to work together? It will take faith, forgiveness and courage to save the dragons!
Before I started reading The Pirate’s Dragon I thought, how can Liz Flanagan top the first two book in the Legends of the Sky series in her third and last book of this fantastic trilogy, but she certainly does. This final conclusion of the trilogy is as flawless and compelling as the other two. Again there is superb world-building and tremendous character arcs that had me enthralled to the end.
This time they are from the perspectives of another two new characters, Serina the daughter of Duke Vigo and Duchess Tarya and the Queen of the pirate’s step-son Raff Sparrowhawk. Their dragons are Alden and Pearl and each have their own characteristics and quirks in the same way as any of the humans.
Arcosi is under threat from their neighbouring nations again, as they want to own dragons of their own. The Norlanders are trying to return the city back to the way it used to be before there were dragons. Our heroes from all three books must join ranks to save the dragons and their homes.
An epic conclusion to this captivating middle grade series.
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All three books are cleverly plotted with highly motivated characters that will really capture your imagination and your hearts. With themes of determination, bravery and friendship, the Legends of the Sky series is a highly recommended middle grade read.
You can purchase copies of all three of the Legends of the Sky series from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.
This is a lovely book with a highly original story that will keep young children engaged. There are themes of friendship, being true to yourself and obsession.
Senan spots a strange town on the hill that has winding streets and yellow roofs but it is not always there so he calls it Shy Town. When he tells Joshua who lives next door she persuades him to find it. So along with Senan’s resourceful grandmother in her ramshackle wheelchair they set off on an epic adventure to find the elusive Shy Town. Toni Galmés illustrations help to bring the characters and their wild adventure to life.
On the way, they meet new friends Paperboy made entirely of paper and a resident of Shy Town known as a Kruckle. This extraordinary group of unique and diverse characters have been well-crafted with their own quirks, flaws and endearing features such as Joshua’s ADHD and Senan being introverted. It also touches on children deciding what gender they are. Considering the book is advertised as the 6+ age range, I do have reservations about presenting this theme to such young children and for this reason I would suggest this book should be classified as Key Stage Two and not Key Stage One.
Senan and his friends eventually stumble upon Shy Town and discover the inhabitants call the town, Perfection, because it is absolutely perfect. But all is not well in Perfection: the Kruckles are constantly worrying about making it more and more perfect and since more perfect than perfect is an impossibility, they are constantly exhausted. I liked how the book explores perfection and how it can be impossible to achieve.
A great book for stimulating a discussion in the classroom on what the children see as their vision of perfect and whether this is realistically achievable.
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To read an article about Exploring Difficult Emotions in the Safety of a Story by Erika McGann take a look at: Blog Tour – Chasing the Shy Town.
It is my stop on the What is Loneliness blog tour written by Rebecca Eisenberg and illustrated by Kayla Phan.
For this tour I will be doing a book review.
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Title: What is Loneliness?
Written by: Rebecca Eisenberg
Illustrated by: Kayla Phan
This creative non-fiction picture book starts by defining loneliness in a way young children can understand outlining both physical and emotional signals. Then What is Loneliness identifies strategies to help combat feeling lonely.
I liked the way this book identifies people can feel lonely at any age. At the back of the book are ten helpful suggestions to parents and carers to help somebody who may be suffering from loneliness, or finds it difficult to establish relationships with others. The author also lists her references to aid further reading.
A useful book which would be ideal for inspiring discussion about loneliness and what to do. Some of the strategies suggested in this book could then be elaborated on.
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To follow the other stops on the tour check out the schedule:
Much To Do About Writing 