Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Tanja Jennings
01 July 2022;

Genre: Suspense & Thrillers

If you’re looking for a psychological thriller that takes a scalpel to human nature, E. Lockhart's Family of Liars is a good choice. Caught on the whirlwind of Tik Tok celebrity for its predecessor, the plot twist sizzler We Were Liars, Lockhart's new novel is a prequel set in...

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Name: Tanja Jennings
01 July 2022;

Genre: Fantasy

Kalynn Bayron reinvented the myth of Cinderella shattering the patriarchal construct of the tortuous glass slipper into fragments in Cinderella Is Dead which was recently banned in Texas because of the power of its representation. She p...

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Name: Julie
01 July 2022;

Genre: Personal Growth

Tsunami Girl is a coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old girl Yuki. She lives in England with her parents and is struggling to cope with school. She has very little confidence and suffers with anxiety. Her parents decide that she should stay with her beloved grandfather in Ja...

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Name: Ruth Cornish
01 July 2022;

Genre: Romance & Relationships

Love Radio is a great read about relationships. For the main characters, Dani and Prince, their initial attraction is no guarantee of a smooth path to romance. A previous unresolved experience makes writer, Dani, hesitant, unwilling to allow herself to be vulnerable. Broadcast...

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Name: Sharon Porter
01 July 2022;

Genre: Environment & Nature

Well I have to admit, Antarctica: The Melting Continent was a bit of a surprise. I was expecting to open it to find a non-fiction book, however, the author Karen Romana Young has very cleverly woven a multitude of facts in amongst her interviews and experiences on the icy cont...

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Name: Lorraine Ansell
01 July 2022;

Genre: Supernatural

Mo Merrydrew has her life all mapped out when suddenly, one Tuesday evening, a 600-year-old vampire offers her the chance to be a Queen. The only problem is the role includes being turned into a vampire.  Mo must juggle friends, family, schoolwork, and vampires; will she manage to keep everyon...

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Name: Amanda Shipton
30 June 2022;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

Strong is a book that is sure to become a favourite with adults and children alike. It has such a strong message that everyone has a value and a way to help. Differences should be celebrated. This is a message that is promoted in all environments and all walks of life. ...

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Name: Ashley Clayton
30 June 2022;

Genre: Picture Books

Never Brush a Bear is a delightful and fun rhyming picture book with lovely, simple illustrations which my children in reception enjoyed listening to! (And they always love a story which rhymes!). It had them scared at one point, then had them all laughing out loud! The...

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Name: Sharon Porter
30 June 2022;

Genre: Friends and family

Amrita, her sister, Kiki and their friend Finn share a both a friendship and connection through the jamun tree growing in the garden of Finn’s house. Amrita’s gran planted the tree there just after Amrita was born. Now Finn lives in the house with his family. Find out how the tree links strong...

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Name: Donna Burkert
30 June 2022;

Genre: Environment & Nature

In Song of the River, we learn that Cari's father is dead. Her mum has moved them to another place, a place that Cari never wanted to go, and all she has left to remind her of him is his warm red jumper and his camera. And now her mum's dreams of starting afresh have been ruin...

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