Schools & Libraries Book Reviews

Name: Jenny CADDICK
03 February 2025;

Genre: Mystery & Detective

The Great Theatre Rescue is a stunning and exciting historical adventure story that takes place in 1930's London and evokes Dickensian themes of abandoned children and workhouse-harsh schools and villains. The Wren Theatre is home to yo...

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Name: Jane Rew
03 February 2025;

Genre: Animals

Using a simple, repeated pattern of headings, information about different animal groups is well presented, and there's clever use of the dust jacket which doubles up as a poster, with visual comparison of extinct animals and their nearest living equivalents.</...

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Name: Aarav Age 9
03 February 2025;

Genre: Fantasy

Ice Apprentices is about Oswin who is a young boy who had been abandoned by his biological parents. Oswin thought he had made a friend named Anastasia but she thought she was better than everyone because she was born a Barkmouth. My favourite part is when Oswin and Anas...

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Name: Donna Ritchie
03 February 2025;

Genre: Real life

The Boy in the Suit is a story about a 10-year-old boy and his mum. It may sound like this is an everyday book with an everyday story line. Well, this is not your everyday 10-year-old boy. Solo and his mum, Morag, crash funerals for food! Unfortunately, his mum is experiencing...

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Name: Beverley Somerset
03 February 2025;

Genre: Fantasy

Oswin Fields is a stray; he was saved from the Endless Expanse in the frozen world of Tundra. At the age of 14 he is summoned to Corridor, a school where he is to be trained as an ice apprentice. As a stray, Oswin is aware that he will never be considered a proper Tundran and so feels himself...

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Name: Wendy Kelly
01 February 2025;

Genre: Representation & Inclusion

Cloud Boy is a simple book with a very sophisticated message. Bobby can't concentrate; he tries hard but is continuously distracted by sights, smells and sounds going on in the world around him. Predictably, he gets told off by his mum, his teacher and his friends who don't understand how hard...

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Name: Clair Bossons
31 January 2025;

Genre: Suspense & Thrillers

Mondays are Murder is a must-read for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus. I absolutely loved this thrilling, unpredictable page-turner. It is packed with twists, turns and dead ends. Kay’s investigation takes us down unexpected paths, mak...

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Name: Mizuki Age 10
30 January 2025;

Genre: Fantasy

Where do I begin? Ice Apprentices didn't fully capture my attention from the start but when I got into it, it was definitely worth it! It included many twists and turns and secrets were revealed about otherwise unacknowledged characters...

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Name: Elen Green
27 January 2025;

Genre: Friends and family

Friends Forever is a pitch-perfect story about friendship for very young children, bursting with vibrancy and energy.  A young monkey wants to explore and of course the adventure wouldn't be perfect unless his very best friend comes too. There follows a romp thr...

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Name: Stephen Leitch
23 January 2025;

Genre: LBGTQ+

Can anything good come out of war? Set during a month of World War One, The Boy I Love is a powerful and emotional story following Second Lieutenant Stephen Wraxall. He is returning to the front line in France after recuperating from previous injuries sustaine...

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