Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Alison Kelly
11 September 2017;

Genre: Poetry

This powerful collection of poems was published before the catastrophic Grenfell Tower fire and my first reaction to the title and front cover of this book was dismay at the untimely depiction of a black tower block with its illuminated windows. Kate Milner is a talented illustrator but the image...

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Name: Sue Wilsher
10 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

There is a god at the bottom of the river - and Caro is destined for the river. Her family are famed for being river captains and she can't wait until the river calls her to set her fate. When pirates attack and her father is arrested, Caro volunteers to transport a mysterious cargo to ensure his...

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Name: Rhiannon Cook
10 September 2017;

Genre: Friends and family

A beautifully illustrated, well thought-out picture book by the talented Rob Biddulph. The detail in the images is incredible, you could spend a good amount of time just admiring the end papers. Sid Gibbons - a mischievous child - invents a pink and vanilla friend who Sid proceeds to blame for al...

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Name: Kyle Matravers
10 September 2017;

Genre: Friends and family

Kevin is a beautifully written book which was an absolute pleasure to read. Rob Biddulph, author of Blown Away, has managed to create a text that is not only entertaining but also shares a valuable lesson for children. I enjoyed reading it myself but also with my class of Y1 children. The st...

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Name: Lizi Coombs
10 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

This is a simple but lovely picture book. A little boy tells you all about what him and his dinosaur get up to in a day; the sentences are short and easy to understand, the pictures colourful and fun to look at and it has an easy to follow rhyme scheme. This book is great for very young childr...

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Name: Clare Wilkins
05 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

Stewart Foster's follow-up to his poignant children's debut, The Bubble Boy is another powerful and emotional read. It focuses on bullying, friendship and family and cleverly uses a dual narrative to give the perspective of the bully and the victim. Alex has OCD and spends his life endlessly co...

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Name: Nikki Stiles
04 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

Florence Frizzball is a heartwarming picture book about a close brother and sister who love to do everything together, although sometimes their differences can become a pain. Florence's Frizzball hair gets in the way! Its curls and crazy frizz are becoming a bit of a nightmare and is nothing like...

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Name: Nikki Stiles
04 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

This is a beautiful book! A fantastic story about how some of our favourite fairytale characters, including a brave knight, a pretty princess and a unicorn come to Frankie to ask her to help them hide from the witch. Frankie is delighted and quickly hurries everyone into position, leaving only...

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Name: Nikki Stiles
03 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

Frankie loves fairy tales and on one sunny day at the beach ends up finding herself lucky enough to go on an adventure with some of her favourite fairy-tale characters. She meets a little mermaid who is very afraid of a sea monster much bigger than she is, Frankie is courageous and decides that t...

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Name: Kyle Matravers
03 September 2017;

Genre: Adventure

Unplugged is one of my favourite books from this year. Steve Antony, the author behind The Queen's Hat and the Mr Panda series, has produced a story that offers many learning opportunities within school but also will deliver clear messages with parents at home. The story is all about Blip, a...

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