Category Archives: Book review

Blog Tour – The Remembering

It is my stop today for The Remembering blog tour.

My stop takes the form of a book review.

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Title: The Remembering

Written by: Dione Orrom

Cover Illustration by: Ramona Ring

Published by: Troubador

Blurb

From the darkness… came a call from the trees. Deep in the soul of the world a being is growing, feeding on the destruction of the natural world. The Forgetting is seeping through the Rings of Time, bringing dark rain, poisoned mists, and deep fractures in the earth. The Rings are nearing collapse, the Ancient Tree Council needs help.

Escaping the torment of his neighbours, the twins, Jack runs to the woods and the Ancient Tree Council see their chance, Jack is their hope. They ask him and his scruffy dog Stan to undertake a dangerous journey to help restore balance, to bring about a remembering. To Jacks horror, the trees mistakenly bring Mia, one of the twins and their lives are entwined in a way they could never have anticipated.

The adventure takes them beyond their wildest imaginings, meeting wise elders, facing tempestuous primal worlds, turbulent rivers, and a mighty storm – with near tragic consequences. Discovering strength, friendship, belonging and hope. A thrilling adventure to the heart of the earth.

The main protagonist Jack is bullied by his neighbours, the twins Tom and Mia, because he prefers nature and the great outdoors to being cooped up playing computer games. He is also mourning the loss of his father who inspired his love of nature. One day when he is escaping what he believes to be the twins following him in the woods he decides to hide in a hollow of a tree and is sucked into a parallel world where the trees and animals can talk and they are on the run from The Forgetting.

Jack manages to get home and decides to return the next day when he is followed by Mia. I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Jack and Mia develop, providing them with satisfying story arcs. I did find it rather frustrating random characters kept popping up telling Jack the answers to his questions about the new world, rather than him discovering them for himself through exploration and determination. This created too many characters and I felt most of them could have been absorbed into Aster, Wolf and Taxus the Tree Elder, who were strong well-round characters we could root for.

I liked the way all the set up was there in the first chapter so we could dive straight into the story – introducing the reader to the main character Jack, his grief, his dog Stan, the bullies and the inciting incident where he is transported to the other world. This is all achieved quickly and concisely, which was great so the reader is immediately pulled into the story.

The Remembering has a great premise in how The Forgetting is feeding off the destruction of the natural world. The protect the environment theme is cleverly executed showing how deforestation and pollution has a knock on effect on the animals, eco-system and the climate. Overall though, I felt other aspects of the story could do with a little more of this showing rather than telling. For example rather than Jack saying he is scared show it by his reactions and feelings and rather than simply saying the people were busy around the campfire show us what they were doing.

A fun magical adventure for middle grade with an important environmental message and a percentage of all the profits are donated to three charities: The Tree Sisters, The Yorenka Tasorentsi Institute and Trees for Cities.

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About the Author

Dione Orrom is an Emmy winning and Grammy nominated film and television producer, specialising in arts films and documentaries. Living in harmony and balance with nature is central to Dione’s life, having followed the path of shamanism since her late 20’s.

She is also a trained shamanic energy medicine practitioner. Dione is passionate about tree planting, foraging, growing food, and protecting the natural world – believing that we and nature are one.

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

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

Book Review: Interdimensional Explorers – Alien Apocalypse

Title: Interdimensional Explorers – Alien Apocalypse

Written by: Lorraine Gregory

Illustrated by: Jo Lindley

Published by: Farshore Books

Blurb

The second sensational book in a brand-new funny, accessible and action-packed space-adventure series written by the incredible Lorraine Gregory – perfect for middle grade fans of MG Leonard and Clare Fayers.

If the fate of the entire multiverse was in your hands, what would YOU do?

Nothing exciting ever happens on twelve-year-old Danny’s estate . . . that is until he falls through a locker in his grandad’s workshop and finds himself in an Interdimensional Lost Property Office!

Join Danny, Modge and Inaaya in a rocket-fuelled rampage across the universe and space shenanigans as they race to save the universe from the evil Flurm Worm . . .

Review

Interdimensional Explorers – Alien Apocalypse is a brilliant book and a dynamic sequel full of energy and adventure. I loved it! It is exactly what children want and need from a children’s book. The story is original and the writing is excellent. Lorraine Gregory grabs the reader from the very first page. As for the world building – this is ingenious and highly imaginative.

There are definitely not enough books on the shelves that explore the multi-verse and alien worlds for the middle grade age range and Interdimensional Explorers – Alien Apocalypse helps to start filling this enormous gap. I’m not sure if this is down to the publishers and the personal preferences of the commissioning editors or not. It seems strange that such book are few and far between. Farshore Books must be commended for grabbing this incredible series. Long may it continue.

The relationships between our three protagonists Danny, Modge and Inaaya and their problems are believable and relatable. The illustrations were full of emotion and added even more depth to the story.

I particularly felt for Inaaya and the pressure she put on herself to succeed in her education and Danny’s worries about his friends all moving on leaving him behind were extremely relatable. I also liked all the duplicitous characters that added clever twists to the plot.

I liked the attention to detail and the meticulous tying off of all the loose ends within the plot. This made the corruption within the system highly realistic and the antagonists reasonings for his actions very plausible.

Interdimensional Explorers – Alien Apocalypse is a fantastic read that I would recommend to all Key Stage Two readers whether they have a fascination for science fiction or not.

I look forward to reading the third book in the series.

To read my review of Book One take a look here: Book Review: Interdimensional Explorers

To read an interview with the author, Lorraine Gregory, about the writing of Interdimensional Explorers go to: Special Guest: Q & A with Lorraine Gregory.

Blog Tour – The Secret of the Blood Red Key

I am pleased to announce I am on the blog tour for The Secret of the Blood Red Key by David Farr. This is the second book in the Stolen Dreams Adventure series and is published by Usborne Publishing. The lovely illustrations are by German children’s book illustrator, Kristina Kister.

My stop on the tour takes the form of a prize giveaway. If you would like a copy please leave me a message below.

To read an extract of The Secret of the Blood Red Key take a look at: The Secret of the Blood Red Key by David Farr.

David Farr is a playwright, screenwriter, stage director, and film and TV director whose plays have been performed all over the world.

Kristina Kister is an illustrator and character designer based in Essen, Germany. After graduating in Communication Design she worked as a junior art director at an ad agency before becoming a full time children’s book illustrator. Her biggest passion is telling stories, creating interesting and authentic characters and bringing joy and entertainment to people.

Here is a spotlight of reviews from myself and other bloggers who have read and loved this book.

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To read my review of The Secret of the Blood Red Key visit my blof post on Much To Do About Writing here: Book Review: The Secret of the Blood Red Key.

Other reviews of this sensational book include:

You can also read reviews of The Secret of the Blood Red Key on Amazon and Goodreads.

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To follow the rest of the tour and discover more reviews check out the schedule below.

I would like to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to take part in this tour. Thank you.

Book Review: Pirate Academy – New Kid on Deck

Title: Pirate Academy – New Kid on Deck

Written by: Justin Somper

Illustrated by: Teo Skaffa

Published by: Uclan Publishing

Another exciting pirate adventure aimed at middle grade. This book is set in 2507 when the ocean levels have risen and there is a golden age of piracy led by the Pirate Federation. The characters’ names, the names of the year groups and the names of their parents’ ships add to the authentic feel of the setting.

Pirate Academy – New Kid on Deck is written from a multi-point-of-view with different chapters jumping from Jacoby’s, Jasmine’s and the new kid Neo’s viewpoints. I enjoyed being able to delve into the thoughts, actions and motivations of the different characters in this way, as it added a greater insight into the children’s characters and beliefs and provided useful backstory. Teo Skaffa’s illustrations also help to bring the story to life. It is the sort of book you can imagine being a big screen movie.

We join our main protagonists Jasmine and Jacoby at one of the nine prestigious Pirate Academies where the world’s greatest pirate captains send their children to train for ten years to become pirate captains themselves. Jasmine’s parents have gone missing and Jacoby is in danger of being expelled. When one of their classmates is whisked away by his parents and Neo mysteriously arrives at the school unusual things begin to happen. At first nobody trusts Neo but he soon proves himself and the big reveal at the end about who he really is was sensational. In fact, I loved the duplicity of some of the characters so you never know who to trust in true pirate fashion.

Excellently written, intense action adventure that keeps you turning the pages with the unpredictable twists and turns.

Blog Tour – Ice Cream Boy by Lindsay Littleson

I am happy to announce today is my stop on the Ice Cream Boy blog tour.

My stop on the tour is a book review.

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Title: Ice Cream Boy

Written by: Lindsay Littleson

Published by: Floris Books

Blurb

Twelve-year-old Luca Verani has his future all mapped out: who needs school when he’s going to take over his family’s ice cream cafe? But then his aunt announces she’s selling the struggling business and Luca realises that his nonna’s memory is disappearing. Plus, he’s starting high school and one of his best friends Sitara is being targeted by racist bullies. As Luca’s worries pile up, will his dreams melt away?

Ice Cream Boy is a heart-warming novel from Lindsay Littleson, author of Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns. Full of authentic dialogue, gentle humour and true-to-life characters, this engaging middle-grade novel explores the thoughts and feelings of children affected by dementia.

Review

This is a a great book that sensitively deals with dementia in a way young children are able to understand and empathise with. Our main protagonist, Luca considers himself the class clown and sometimes his behaviour in class is questionable. His character arc is excellent and we certainly see Luca mature over the course of the book not only with his attitude to school and his father, but also with his future career prospects, realising he has so many options he can consider.

He is dealing with a lot at home as his grandma is gradually becoming more forgetful and confused. His mother is away working a lot and his estranged dad lives in Italy. The issues of racism are well portrayed and I particularly liked the emphasise on how the children do not have to act like their parents and can make their own choices.

In fact, there is so much to love about Ice Cream Boy and the way family relationships are explored making this book a highly relatable and compelling read.

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About the Author

Lindsay Littleson is an award-winning middle-grade author from Glasgow, Scotland. Her books include Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns, The Secrets of the Last Merfolk and Kelpies Prize-winning The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean, which was also longlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Books Prize.

Inspired by many happy years as a primary teacher, Lindsay’s books have been praised for their believable characters and authentic dialogue. She currently lives in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

You can find out more about Lindsay and her books on her website: www.lindsaylittleson.co.uk/ and follow her on X: @ljlittleson and on Instagram: @lindsaylittleson .

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

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

Book Review – East Asian Folktales Myths and Legends

Title: East Asian Folktales Myths and Legends

Written by: Eva Wong-Nava

Illustrated by: Jocelyn Kao

Published by: Scholastic

In this compilation there are eighteen fantastic retellings of East Asian folktales, myths and legends that have been handed down by word of mouth through the generations. There is an important introduction explaining what countries are included as part of East Asia and why, including what beliefs have influenced them. This gave an overview of East Asian traditions and anthropological insights. The Author’s Note goes on to explain the differences in names across the region and the reasons behind their pronunciations.

These eighteen stories have been divided into five distinct chapters: Origin and Discovery Tales, Festival Stories, Animal Tales, Tales of the Good Wise and Brave, and lastly Ancient Love Stories. Within each chapter each story has its own introduction and useful explanation of the story origins. For me the addition of the source of the story enriched the reading experience and makes this book a useful educational resource for schools and libraries. Each story heading is accompanied by beautiful black and white illustrations by the talented Jocelyn Kao.

Eva Wong-Nava kept me hooked until the very last page. She touched on the virtues and vices of human nature and captured the essence of these enchanting traditional stories, making them totally accessible to children today. I enjoyed her sensational, lyrical writing style ideal for the 8+reader and the subtle cultural details within each story. These stories give an insight into people’s way of life past and present and I was personally able to compare and contrast with my knowledge of Cypriot folktales from my own culture with their Turkish, Greek and Lebanese influences.

Many highlighted societal beliefs and traditions such as the Korean tale, Mr Mole Find a Husband for his Daughter, which vividly displays the quest of a father to find a suitable husband for his daughter, conveying the significance of arranged marriages still prevalent in many cultures today. Others have a lesson attached in the style of Aesop’s Fables such as the Mongolian story, The Not-So-Very-Clever Wolf.

East Asian Folktales Myths and Legends truly is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of East Asia. This brilliant collection of diverse tales will not only entertain but make you think. A great read.

You can buy copies of Asian Folktales Myths and Legends by Eva Wong-Nava and Jocelyn Kao from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org which supports local, independent bookshops.

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.