Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Susan Wilsher
27 May 2021;

Genre: Myths & Legends

Simi is sent to stay with her grandmother in a remote Nigerian village. The thought of staying with someone she doesn't know in the middle of nowhere with no TV, no internet and no phone access fills Simi with horror, particularly as Simi's mother and grandmother are estranged. When she arrive...

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Name: Jacqueline Harris
27 May 2021;

Genre: Mystery & Detective

Twitch is in Year 7, and he definitely prefers the company of birds to his peers. He has three pet chickens, a swallow's nest in his bedroom and is an avid bird watcher. He intends spending his summer holiday training his pigeons and watching birds in Aves Wood. But then a convict escapes from...

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Name: Sam Phillips
27 May 2021;

Genre: Friendship

Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson is the fifth book in this popular series, and the first one from a boy's view point. This is the first book I have read from the Emmie and Friends series, and I most definitely enjoyed it. Even though it is part of a series, it reads absolutely fi...

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Name: Jacqueline Harris
27 May 2021;

Genre: Adventure

Myles and Beckett are the younger twin brothers of the more famous Artemis Fowl. In The Fowl Twins - Deny All Charges, the second of their adventures, having stolen a jet plane and then destroyed it (obviously not intentionally), the brothers are put under house a...

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Name: Jennifer Caddick
20 May 2021;

Genre: Horror

Sensational, stunning, scary - well worth the wait and anticipation! Crater Lake: Evolution takes place five months after we last saw Lance and the gang surviving their Y6 residential trip with its alien spore invasion of the "bug eyes". All appears to be settling down, high s...

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Name: Catherine Purcell
18 May 2021;

Genre: Historical Fiction

Can we take a moment here to look at that fabulous cover illustration for When the Sky Falls? The magnificence of the silverback gorilla, Adonis, sat on his haunches, standing sentry. In amidst fire and brimstone, flames and destruction; searchlights picking out Hitler's bombe...

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Name: Natalie J. McChrystal Plimmer
16 May 2021;

Genre: Funny Stories

The Exploding Life of Scarlett Fife begins a new series by the author of the Who Let the Gods Out? series. This illustrated stream-of-consciousness chapter book for older primary children is about Scarlett, who, when she loses her temper, makes things like a cake explode. She...

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Name: Kristen Hopwood
12 May 2021;

Genre: Environment & Nature

Harklights is an orphanage and factory run by Old Ma Bogey and the children pack matchboxes in the factory. Strangely, none of the children ever seem to get a guardian and actually leave the orphanage. Old Ma Bogey uses her collection of random objects to rename the children w...

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Name: Kristen Hopwood
11 May 2021;

Genre: Animals

In Digger and Me we meet James who is in Year 6 and muddling his way through a confusing time in his life. His mum and dad are separated so he spends his time between two houses - mum and her boyfriend, Dave and Dad and his girlfriend, Kathy. James isn't sure whether he likes...

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Name: Kelly Buxton
10 May 2021;

Genre: Fantasy

Fans of Abi Elphinstone's Rumblestar series will enjoy Otherland by Louie Stowell: a fun and energetic portal story that delves into a dark and dangerous magical world inhabited by fairies, gods and vampires. Most children celebrate their birthdays with clowns, cake, fr...

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