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The Song Walker book cover for review shows an orange desert under a harsh sun. Two girls are walking - on the left, a white girl in a black dress carrying a metal case. On the right, a black girl in dungarees pointing off and leading the way. In the centre of the image is a green bird, with the book title around it in blue.

The Song Walker | Book Review

June 23, 2023June 23, 2023 Kim

By Zillah Bethell (published by Usborne Publishing, 2023)

The bottle is removed from my lips. I try calling out for it to be returned, but then a hand – wet with water – runs over my brow, cooling my forehead. It feels so good.

“Wait here,” the voice says. “I will be back soon. A few minutes. Don’t move.”

I hear feet scrunching against the dirt. Running. Away from me. I raise my arms in the air. Please don’t go, I try saying, but nothing comes out of my mouth. Please stay. Don’t leave me alone here.

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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

March 30, 2023March 31, 2023 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.

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Book Reviews

Stone Age Fiction Review Round-Up

January 31, 2023January 31, 2023 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.

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Non-fiction summer review round-up book covers

Book Reviews

Illustrated Non-Fiction Summer 2022 | Review

August 29, 2022 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!

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Book Reviews

The Mab | Welsh Folklore Book Review

June 23, 2022June 23, 2022 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.

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Book Reviews

Libraries 4 Schools 2021 Review Round-Up 2

May 18, 2021September 16, 2021 Lynda

Welcome to our most recent review round-up, where we take a quick look at just some of the books you might like to add to your school or personal bookshelves. And what a great selection we have for you!

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Book Reviews

Libraries 4 Schools 2021 Review Round-Up 1

March 31, 2021May 13, 2021 Lynda

So many brilliant books have been published in the last six months, and a lot by new and exciting authors, which is always great to see!

We’ve decided that the best way for us to keep you up to date is to do a round-up of titles we’ve recently read, so you can get a quick idea of what you might like to add to your school or home library.

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Book Reviews

Lynda’s Lockdown Library 2 | Book Reviews

May 20, 2020February 16, 2021 Lynda

Welcome to the second entry in our Lockdown Library! This one is aimed at slightly older children than part 1 (which you can see here), though younger children will likely still enjoy reading along too!

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