Tokyo Ghost Café book cover for review
Book Reviews

100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café | Book Review

By Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada (published by Guppy Books, 2023)

“You think you can decide what is real and what is imaginary, what is alive and what is dead. But who is to decide who is alive and who is merely dreamed into existence? I listen to you lot argue about whether ghosts or fox spirits exist, and you forget to check how real you are.”

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The Clackity cover for book review - image shows a tall dark house in the background, with spindly arms reaching up around it. In the top window there is a ghostly figure, bathed in orange. In the foreground there is a girl with her orange hair tied up, holding a key. The outline of wings sprout from her back.
Book Reviews

The Clackity | Happy Halloween! Book Review

Written by Lora Senf, illustrations by Alfredo Cáceres (published by Atheneum Books, 2022)

In the far corner of the abattoir, on the other side of the back wall below the shaft, the shadows were unnaturally dark. And they shifted and churned. Something was there. Something else was in the abattoir with my aunt.

“Des!” I screamed it. “Get out!”

I couldn’t see her face, but the terror in my aunt’s voice told me everything I needed to know. She didn’t scream at me, or even yell. Instead her voice came out as a wailing sort of moan.

“Baby. Run.”

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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

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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The Haunting of Tyrese Walker review book cover
Book Reviews

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker | Young Adult Book Review

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?

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Monsters of Rookhaven review book cover
Book Reviews

The Monsters of Rookhaven | Book Review

Written by Pádraig Kenny and illustrated by Edward Bettison (published by Macmillan Children’s Books)

She slowed down as she reached the yawning opening to her left that led down into the bowels of the house. She crept towards it, one eye on the incline that led deep into the dark. She fought the urge to whisper, ‘Piglet.’ She remembered the words Uncle Enoch and the others were so fond of using.

Piglet is dangerous.

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When Life Gives You Mangoes review
Book Reviews

When Life Gives You Mangoes | Book Review

By Kereen Getten (published by Pushkin Children’s Books)

‘I get caught because you always make me go,’ I reply angrily.

‘How would you know? You don’t remember.’

‘I remember everything that happened yesterday and last week and last month.’

She faces me head-on, hands on hips. ‘Do you really not remember what happened last summer, Clara, or are you pretending for attention?’

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Christmas carol picture book
Book Reviews

A Christmas Carol | Picture Book Review

Retold by Kristina Stephenson and illustrated by Hoang Giang (published by Puffin Books)

“I bring you a warning,” replied Marley. “Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. Listen to what they tell you, Ebenezer, for each of them means to help you.”

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lockdown children's book reviews
Book Reviews

Lynda’s Lockdown Library 2 | Book Reviews

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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