Blog

Ravencave book cover, showing a landscape in dark blues and purples with a waterfall splashing into a pool of water in the centre.
Book Reviews

Ravencave | Book Review

Kim

By Marcus Sedgwick (published by Barrington Stoke, 2023)

Eight hundred people, eight hundred families, just like ours, without enough money coming in, with no way of knowing how to survive.
I wonder how many of those eight hundred families are dealing with it by going on holiday and wandering over the empty Yorkshire hills, going to spread their granny’s ashes on the landscape.
A landscape full of ghosts, Mum says, though she hasn’t seen one.
And strangely, it turns out it’s not her who sees a ghost first.
It’s me.

Continue reading “Ravencave | Book Review” →
The Blue Book of Nebo review book cover
Book Reviews

The Blue Book of Nebo | Young Adult Book Review

Kim

By Manon Steffan Ros (published by Firefly Press, 2022)

‘The Blue Book of Nebo,’ I smiled, taking the book from her. The pages were blank and wide, like a new day.

‘Eh?’ asked Mam.

‘Like The Black Book of Carmarthen, or The Red Book of Hergest. That’s how they did it in the olden days.’ I’d read about them in a book of Welsh history. ‘Important books that said something about our history. And now is a part of history, isn’t it?’

Continue reading “The Blue Book of Nebo | Young Adult Book Review” →
Stone Age Fiction review book covers
Book Reviews

Stone Age Fiction Review Round-Up

Lynda

Recently we’ve read three books with a Stone Age/Late Neolithic setting that we think would be ideal for adding fiction texts to your teaching topic, especially as fiction based in this time period is relatively rare. Each one focuses on journeys into unknown lands.

Continue reading “Stone Age Fiction Review Round-Up” →
The cover for the book Tyger for review, showing a close-up of the Tyger's face looking straight at the viewer with orange eyes, surrounded by orange, black and white striped fur.
Book Reviews

Tyger | Book Review

Kim

Written by S.F. Said, illustrated by Dave McKean (published by David Fickling Books)

‘Nothing is ordinary,’ said the tyger. ‘Everything is extraordinary. In all of infinity and eternity, that flower exists only in this world; this precise position in space and time. Everywhere else, there is a different flower, or no flower at all. And the same is true of you. Nothing special? You are miraculous beyond measure, both of you.’

Continue reading “Tyger | Book Review” →
The Haunting of Tyrese Walker review book cover
Book Reviews

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker | Young Adult Book Review

Kim

By J.P. Rose (published by Andersen Press)

They began to walk back down the track but Tyrese glanced over his shoulder towards the trees on the mountainside. Even though it was hot and humid, he shivered, his skin tingling. Why couldn’t he shake off the feeling that something or…someone was watching him?

Continue reading “The Haunting of Tyrese Walker | Young Adult Book Review” →
Graphic Novels Autumn 2022 review book covers
Book Reviews

Graphic Novels for Autumn 2022 | Reviews

Lynda

Graphic novels are a great way to get reluctant readers to pick up a book; from Dog Man to Alex Rider, they have kick-started many reading journeys. So I decided to try a few I hadn’t read yet for our newest review selection.

All entries in this round-up are illustrated in full colour.

Continue reading “Graphic Novels for Autumn 2022 | Reviews” →
Non-fiction summer review round-up book covers
Book Reviews

Illustrated Non-Fiction Summer 2022 | Review

Lynda

This summer we’ve been diving into some fantastic and gorgeously illustrated non-fiction books, from recent and ancient history, to nature and cultures. We’ve picked some of our favourites to share with you in our short non-fiction review round-up!

Continue reading “Illustrated Non-Fiction Summer 2022 | Review” →
Zeina Starborn Sky Whale review
Book Reviews

Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale | Review

Lynda

By Hannah Durkan (published by Hachette Children’s Group)

‘Who … Who are you?’

This made Zeina bristle. He had seen her just as many times as she had seen him and yet he had no idea who she was. This was just like Aboves; people like Zeina were merely part of the scenery – completely forgettable.

‘Who am I? NOBODY, that’s who!’ She knew she could get into trouble for talking to him this way. After all, he was technically her father’s employer.

Continue reading “Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale | Review” →
The Mab book review map
Book Reviews

The Mab | Welsh Folklore Book Review

Kim

Edited by Matt Brown & Eloise Williams, illustrated by Max Low (published by Unbound, 2022)

But as well as being really, really old, the stories in The Mab are thrilling and funny and MAGIC. They speak of a time when the gates between the Real World and the Otherworld were occasionally left open. And sometimes, just sometimes, it was possible to step through. Trust me, you’re going to love them.

Continue reading “The Mab | Welsh Folklore Book Review” →