Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Lucy Newton
24 May 2022;

Genre: Fairy Tales & Folk Tales

Princess Minna: The Unicorn Mix-Up is a perfect combination of a chapter and picture book! These stories are perfect for children who are beginning to move away from picture books and are starting to work up to reading their first chapter books. It's filled with brightly colou...

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Name: Janet Fisher
24 May 2022;

Genre: Dystopian

Set in the near future on an island off Australia after catastrophic flooding, a community thinks it is ruled by the Blue Whale through its human interpreter, a man called Byron Vox. There are no books, photographs nor technology, apart from the big screen through which communication is made t...

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Name: Maria Faithorn
24 May 2022;

Genre: Picture Books

Choices follows a little girl as she makes several decisions whilst visiting the swimming pool for the day. From insignificant small choices of choosing a hair band, to decisions which affect you longer term like using sun-cream, this picture book introduces children to the co...

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Name: Alison Kelly
24 May 2022;

Genre: Poetry

I'll start with Kate Wakeling's final poem in Cloud Soup: 'Free' (p. 94). Spread horizontally across two pages, simply structured with the repetition of 'and we will', it made me laugh, It made me thoughtful and it brought a tear to my eye: emotions that ran through my reading of this powerful...

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Name: Amanda Shipton
20 May 2022;

Genre: Non Fiction

This wonderful book is sure to open both adults' and children's eyes to the amazing differences in all aspects around the world. This book instigated interesting discussions that what we think is normal or the right way to do things might not be somewhere else in the world. Chil...

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Name: Sharon Porter
19 May 2022;

Genre: Historical Fiction

David is a Kindertransport evacuee during the Second World War and runs away from his cruel, farming foster family because they just want him to work on the farm. He lives in a cave on the beach, eeking out a meagre existence until Robert finds him and they form a friendship. Little do they kn...

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Name: Nathan Cox
19 May 2022;

Genre: Fantasy

This book was absolutely amazing! I read this in just two sittings as I quite literally couldn't put it down. The Light Hunters by Dan Walker is an amazing fantasy story that is action packed with adventure and so creatively written. The story cleverly combines real life exper...

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Name: Elen Green
19 May 2022;

Genre: Mental Health & Wellbeing

A fabulous title for a book that really does deliver what it says it will, encouraging children and young people to 'Radiate confidence, celebrate difference and express yourself'. Since the author works for a major marketing company, she knows all too well how the images we see around...

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Name: Jacqueline Harris
18 May 2022;

Genre: Fairy Tales & Folk Tales

She's back! The rather magical, hijab wearing heroine Rumaysa returns in this hotly anticipated sequel. Still looking for her parents (she was taken away by an evil witch as a baby and locked in a tower) and still in the realm of almost familiar fairy tales with a twist. This time the book is...

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Name: Louisa Farrow
17 May 2022;

Genre: Bereavement

Sade has been rocked by the death of her mother and she's convinced that she is to blame. She has problems at school and 'Old Dad' - who used to listen, laugh and cook - has been replaced by 'New Dad', who is withdrawn and angry. And soon her Granny, who's been helping hold the family together...

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