Children Book Reviews

Name: Jane Rew
14 January 2026;

Genre: Adventure

Roma Moreau's dual mission is to release a captive monkey into the wild and persuade her father, a French army captain, to let her study at medical school. Roma's French mother died in childbirth and she is determined that 'no other woman must die'. She is also accompanied on her mission by ta...

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Name: Donna Burkert
12 January 2026;

Genre: Family & Home

The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie's Dream by Olivia Tuffin is a delightful mix of desire, challenge and intrigue, all beautifully wrapped up in the world of horses. Lottie wants to ride more than anything in the world, she even deliberately failed her entrance test to the posh...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
12 January 2026;

Genre: Environment & Nature

When a green thing grows out of the ground - 'for that is how the story always begins' - it brings with it life and change. But the Tree Thing is destroyed when the shadowy Rider leads a bunch of people to chop it down - 'same old story'. But wait! A jay and a squirrel bring its glowing emeral...

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Name: Michelle Bailey
12 January 2026;

Genre: Adventure

Animagicals: Mia's Tiger by Paula Harrison is the first book in a new series called Animagicals. The series is set in a magical land called Animagia, which features a school called Wild Haven. Children who discover they have animagical powers are invited to Wild Haven School,...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
09 January 2026;

Genre: Mental Health & Wellbeing

Perfect for the National Year of Reading 2026, Inspire Me! is a wonderful collection of 'words that matter', all carefully chosen by Nicolette Jones. Inspire Me! is such an excellent title for this books as there is an incredible wealth of material here...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
09 January 2026;

Genre: Funny Stories

Planet Orderon might be grey and boring, but it is essential to the smooth running of the galaxy since this is where all the boring jobs are done. Organising the postal service is something that is taken very seriously and when a tricky mission comes along, only Postman Planet is considered fo...

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Name: Jacqueline Harris
08 January 2026;

Genre: Funny Stories

Finn is the middle child of three. His older brother Jonah is a bully and yet somehow very popular at school and his younger sister Maisie is a unicorn obsessed five-year-old. And Finn describes himself as a 'Fail Magnet'. He does seem to have a lot of disasters of epic proportions and is cons...

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Name: Beverley Somerset
07 January 2026;

Genre: Animals

Katie Ellis is in her second year at Paddock Grove; a boarding school with fantastic facilities for future equestrian stars. Katie has her beloved horse, Sheriff, with her, and has a great group of friends who love riding just as much as she does. When Katie is selected as captain of the Paddo...

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Name: Emma Urbonas
07 January 2026;

Genre: Science Fiction

The Experiment is a thought-provoking dystopian novel, perfect for ages 10+, that mixes science fiction with very real emotional questions. Rebecca Stead tells a story that slowly reveals its secrets, encouraging readers to think carefully about what they're being told - and w...

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Name: Beverley Somerset
05 January 2026;

Genre: Family & Home

The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie's Dream is a well-written and cleverly plotted novel, combining horses and riding with a family mystery story. Lottie Manderson loves spending time at Wild Hill, her grandparents' livery yard, where her beloved pony Patch, is stabled. He...

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