Paper Dragons: Fight for the Hidden Realm by Siobhan McDermott

Pages: 315

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books 

Released: 1st of February 2024 

An extraordinary destiny unfolds . . .

Twelve-year-old Zhi Ging has always been an outcast. Until she receives an invitation to Hok Woh, an underwater school that offers her the chance to become immortal, and to finally belong.

There, she battles in hair-raising boat races, meets ageshifting tutors and competes in thrilling trials.

But there are rumours of a growing dark force . . . and students who fail the trials are disappearing. Can Zhi Ging uncover the truth before it's too late?

What I Have to Say 

This book had everything I love in Children's books combined to make one beautiful book. It was comforting and relaxing to read while also taking me on a wonderous adventure to explore a new creative and imaginative fantasy world, which I fell in love with straight away. 

The thing I loved most was Hok Woh. The society of the Cyo B’Ahon was so interesting, having people who have attained immortality doing research and inducting others into their ranks. I loved the jellyfish that they used to communicate, because that seemed like a really cool idea. 

The only thing that was missing for me, was that I would have liked to see more of the paper dragons that are alluded to in the title. I'm sure we'll get to see more of what they are as Zhi Ging explores her magic more, but they were very lacking for a book with such an interesting title. 

That's my hope for the next book, which I will definitely be rushing out to buy! That and more Malo because I loved him so much. 

 

4.5 stars 

My thanks goes Netgalley and Hodder for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix

Pages: 356 

Publisher: Usborne 

Released: 28th of September 2023 

Life in the Swamplands is tough for twelve-year-old orphan Adia. Her aunt and uncle believe she is an ogbanje, a demon-possessed child thought to bring misfortune. And when Adia manifests mysterious powers, accidentally destroying her village, she starts to think they might be right.

Adia flees to the faraway Academy of Shamans, hoping someone at the school can figure out what is wrong with her and fix it. But she doesn't expect to stumble across a bunch of squabbling deities with a secret...

Joining forces with a snarky Goddess, a 500 year old warrior girl and a status-obsessed soldier boy, Adia goes on a mission through hidden realms to save her kingdom. But if she is to succeed, she must learn to wield her mysterious powers and figure out who she really is.

Discover an action-packed new series from a brilliantly exciting debut author, perfect for fans of SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL and NEVERMOOR.

What I Have to Say 

A great book for younger readers! Adventure, action, girls with magic and fighting skills, this book even has a cute cat. I think this series has a lot of potential to be something great. I loved the mystery and the prophecies, the use of loopholes in magic to fight against evil. It was really clever. 

I think these are characters that I could grow to love as much as some of the characters from my childhood. Though there is one character who I really disliked, the others I liked a lot. I really believe that they can capture the hearts and minds of today's children. 

It's great to see an afrofantasy as a children's book that's filled with Nigerian culture and Igbo traditions. I can't wait to see more from this author in the future. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Usborne for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

 

 

Alebrijes - Flight to a New Haven by Donna Barba Niguera

Pages: 338

Publisher: Piccadilly Press 

Released: 3rd of October 2023 

This is the story as it was told to me by Leandro the Mighty.

For 400 years, Earth has been a barren wasteland. The few humans that survive scrape together an existence in the cruel city of Pocatel - or go it alone in the wilderness beyond, filled with wandering spirits and wyrms. They don't last long.

13-year-old pickpocket Leandro and his sister Gabi do what they can to forge a life in Pocatel. The city does not take kindly to Cascabel like them - the descendants of those who worked the San Joaquin Valley for generations.

When Gabi is caught stealing precious fruit from the Pocatelan elite, Leandro takes the fall. But his exile proves more than he ever could have imagined - far from a simple banishment, his consciousness is placed inside an ancient drone and left to fend on its own. But beyond the walls of Pocatel lie other alebrijes like Leandro who seek for a better world - as well as mutant monsters, wasteland pirates, a hidden oasis, and the truth.

A thought-provoking and beautifully written novel, creating a whole new imaginative world, that holds a mirror to our own.

What I Have to Say 

This is a really strong and hopeful sci-fi story for young readers. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as The Last Storyteller, it still had a plot and setting that drew me in completely. I loved learning about the society and how the technology they had ran on a single drop of water! 

The story wasn't as smooth as in The Last Storyteller, which was always going to appeal to me more because I love stories so much. But I loved the idea of putting your consciousness inside a drone and flying about. I loved all the animals that Leadro met. I did find though that I quickly forgot which animal was which character though as it was only mentioned when they were introduced. Some of them have the Spanish name for the animals though, so if you speak Spanish, you'll have an advantage remembering them! 

As with The Last Storyteller, this book is filled with Spanish! I loved how bilingual it was, even though I don't speak Spanish. It would be absolutely perfect for bilingual kids. Be advised though, though this was almost standalone, to make sense of the epilogue, you have to have read The Last Storyteller, so the best way to read them is with TLS first and then this one. 

Read for dystopia, sci- fi and cool drones! 

 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Piccadilly Press for providing me with this copy for review. 

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Pages: 368 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books 

Released: 14th of September 2023 

It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him.

A boy called Christopher is visiting his reclusive grandfather when he witnesses an avalanche of mythical creatures come tearing down the hill. This is how Christopher learns that his grandfather is the guardian of one of the ways between the non-magical world and a place called the Archipelago, a cluster of magical islands where all the creatures we tell of in myth live and breed and thrive alongside humans. They have been protected from being discovered for thousands of years; now, terrifyingly, the protection has worn thin, and creatures are breaking through.

Then a girl, Mal, appears in Christopher's world. She is in possession of a flying coat, is being pursued by a killer and is herself in pursuit of a baby griffin. Mal, Christopher and the griffin embark on an urgent quest across the wild splendour of the Archipelago, where sphinxes hold secrets and centaurs do murder, to find the truth – with unimaginable consequences for both their worlds. Together the two must face the problem of power, and of knowledge, and of what love demands of us.

What I Have to Say 

What I love most about Katherine Rundell's writing is the characters. Mal is a wonderful, slightly feral child who cares deeply about the things that matter to her. Things like the Griffin who has become her companion. While I wish that there had been more from her perspective in the book, I enjoyed getting to know her from Christopher's point of view. The few scenes that were from her point of view were some of my favourite in the book. 

I loved all the descriptions of the creatures in through the story. It was nice to see the pieces about them at the start and then be reintroduced to them as we went along. I especially liked how alive they felt. This didn't feel like she was including the creatures just to bulk out the fantasy world or because she wanted to show off her creations. They felt necessary and important to the very core of the story and like I said, completely and utterly alive. 

There's a few bits that disappointed me, which I can't really go into without spoiling the book, but at least one of them, I think will have disappointed a lot of readers. If it weren't for those bits I would give this five stars. 

Read for inventive creatures and thrilling adventure. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Bloomsbury Children's Books and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

Like a Curse by Elle McNicholl

Pages: 320 

Publisher: Knights Of 

Released: 2nd of February 2023 

Stuck in Loch Ness while Edinburgh falls under the control of a terrifyingly powerful Siren, Ramya Knox is frustrated. She's supposed to be learning magic from her Aunt Opal, but that isn't going as smoothly as she'd hoped. As she pushes to rescue her Hidden Folk friends in the city, long-buried secrets come to light and legends come to life.

Ramya knows she's different; she knows she's a witch. But now she must learn the true meaning of her powers... before all she loves is lost

What I Have to Say 

I loved everything about this book, except for the ending. It was everything I've come to expect from Elle McNicholl. Brave, bold neurodiverse characters, interesting and unexpected plots and for this series all sorts of exciting mythical creatures!! But the ending just let it down completely. I understand why it ended this way from the perspective of things that Ramya needed to learn. But I just don't think it's the right ending for a book of this genre. 

I was so excited to be near Lock Ness! Lock Ness means one thing. The Lock Ness monster. And if you're reading a book about hidden creatures and it's set near Lock Ness then obviously it has to be the Lock Ness Monster, even if all the characters say it doesn't exist. I won't say much about what kind of creature it is, but I will see that I was very happy. 

As always, I loved Elle McNicoll's characters and how neurodiverse they were. I am very happy to see myself represented in these books for my autism and dyspraxia. It means so much to me to see these things. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Knights Of as well as Ed Pr for providing me with this copy for review. 

Saving Neverland by Abi Elphinstone

Pages: 320 

Publisher:  Penguin Random House 

Released: 5th of January 2023 

Number 14 Darlington Road, looks like a perfectly ordinary townhouse - at first glance, anyway, but magic is good at hiding . . . when it's waiting for the right person to discover it . . .

Martha Pennydrop is ten, and desperate to grow up. But growing up is a tricky business. It means turning your back on imagination, fun and magic, because those were the things that led to the Terrible Day when something awful nearly happened to Martha's younger brother, Scruff, which would have been All Her Fault.

But when Martha and Scruff discover mysterious gold dust in their bedroom in their new house - along with a window that's seemingly impossible to close - it's the start of an incredible adventure to a magical world: Neverland! The Pennydrop's new house used to belong to another family - the Darlings - who once visited this world themselves. Now Peter Pan is back, and in need of their help. Neverland is in the icy grip of a terrible curse - cast long ago by Captain Hook. And only Martha and Scruff can save it . . .

A reluctant Martha and excited Scruff are swept to Neverland and into the company of the Lost Kids. But when Scruff is kidnapped, Martha must rediscover all the imagination, magic and belief she has buried deep inside herself for so long, to save him - and Neverland itself. 

What I Have to Say 

Magic, adventure and a lovely sprinkle of danger, this series is perfect for all sorts of younger readers. Whether they already have a love of Peter Pan or if this is their first foray into Neverland, they will fall in love with it and it's many exciting features. 

I haven't read the original book, but I have seen the Disney movie, so I wasn't completely unaware of the world. There's mentions of the original characters to spark excitement in anyone who is already familiar with the story, but there's also plenty of new stuff to enjoy as well.  

One of the things I really loved was the riddles and rhymes in the book. It took me back to a childhood reading Redwall books. Though a very different story than Redwall, the riddles and little poems in the book are definitely reminiscent of that series and honestly should  be included in all books because they just plain fun.  

I liked the themes of family, what lengths Martha would go to in order to get her brother home safely, but my favourite bits were her struggle between wanting to grow up in order to keep him safe and her childlike wonder and excitement. I really liked the book's message about how growing up isn't always about not playing and having fun. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this and think it would be great for any reader young or old. 

 

My thanks go to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One

Pages: 320 

Publisher: Firefly Press 

Released: 18th of October 2022 

A funny, feminist, and queer contemporary middle grade debut about 12-year-old loner Hazel Hill, who after one of her classmates is harassed online, devises a plan to catch the school's golden boy in the act.

Seventh grader Hazel Hill is too busy for friends. No, really. She needs to focus on winning the school-wide speech competition and beating her nemesis, the popular and smart Ella Quinn, after last year's embarrassing hyperbole/hyperbowl mishap that cost her first place.

But when Hazel discovers Ella is being harassed by golden boy Tyler Harris, she has to choose between winning and doing the right thing. No one would believe that a nice boy like Tyler would harass and intimidate a nice girl like Ella, but Hazel knows the truth--and she's determined to prove it, even if it means risking everything.

Deeply relatable and surprisingly humorous, Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One is a wonderfully empowering story about friendship, finding your voice, and standing up for what you believe in.

What I Have to Say 

A fantastic feminist story for the younger generation, Hazel Hill unashamedly calls out sexism and misogyny in an elementary school setting. It shows injustice and ageism, making you want to scream and throw the book across the room at certain points because of how the teachers just aren't seeing it! 

There are honestly parts of this book that are gonna stay with me for a long time. I felt so much for these kids. The way the teachers just didn't listen to them at all, punishing them for speaking out, but still calling themselves feminist just got to me. It was beautifully written. 

I think this is just a perfect book for kids to introduce them to these important topics. Showing them what to do in the face of sexual harassment and generally standing up to classmates in general. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Firefly press for providing me with this copy for review. 

 

How to Be More Hedgehog by Anne- Marie Conway

Pages: 208 

Publisher: UCLan 

Released: 1st of September 2022 

Lily has a stammer. The signal between her brain and her mouth is all messed up - and it's getting worse. 

When a video of her practicing her class presentation is uploaded onto YouTube - head thrust forward, eyelids fluttering, lips stretched wide - Lily's nightmare begins. Cyberbullying, kids at school whispering, even best friend Mia laughing behind her back. Lily's confidence takes a nose-dive and she can only see one way out: run away to Dad in Scotland and start all over again. 

But Lily quickly realises that running away isn't the answer - that her stammer will follow her wherever she goes... HOW TO BE MORE HEDGEHOG is about friendship and family and finding the courage to speak out.

What I Have to Say 

This book was in different ways: cute, emotional and powerful. It had lots of animal facts with different illustrations of hedgehogs at the start of each chapter, which was just adorable and Lily was such a sweet character who was really easy to emphasise. 

It was emotional because of the things Lily went through, some parts I actually wanted to cry because of how cruel the other children were. Even at the start of the book when the adults were just talked to her, I wanted to yell at them because they kept interrupting her and talking over her. It was heart-breaking. 

And it was powerful. Just seeing her learn to be brave and to put herself out there, to be more hedgehog was so beautiful. And it didn't have the ableist notion that she had to cure her stammer in order to get there. 

A must for any child with a love of animals. 

5 stars 

My thanks go to UCLan and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

Escape to the River Sea by Emma Carroll

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Released: 9th June 

In 1946, Rosa Sweetman, a young Kindertransport girl, is longing for her family to claim her. The war in Europe is over and she is the only child left at Westwood, a rambling country estate in the north of England, where she'd taken refuge seven years earlier.

The arrival of a friend of the family, Yara Fielding, starts an adventure that will take Rosa deep into the lush beauty of the Amazon rainforest in search of jaguars, ancient giant sloths and somewhere to belong. What she finds is Yara’s lively, welcoming family on the banks of the river and, together, they face a danger greater than she could ever have imagined.

Featuring places and characters known and loved by fans of Journey to the River Sea (including, among others, Maia, Finn, Miss Minton and Clovis) this spectacular new chapter in the story tells of the next generation and the growing threats to the Amazon rainforest that continue to this day.

What I Have to Say 

I haven't read the original Eva Ibbotson, Journey to the River Sea, but I loved Escape all the same. It had all the beautiful characters and engaging storylines you would expect from an Emma Carroll book. It is a great example of a children's book that has danger, emotional themes and heartbreaking scenes, but is still the sort of book that makes you feel happy and comforted. 

There was as much adventure as is expected from a book about the amazon jungle with plenty of danger and excitement. You can really get lost in the main characters reactions to everything and feel just as excited as her about all the animals she catches sight of. 

I also liked that she brought up the idea that wild animals shouldn't be kept in captivity without making it sound too preachy. 

My thanks go to Macmillan and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

Blog Tour: Peril on Point: Writing What You Know with Helen Lipscombe

Today we are lucky enough to have with us the lovely Helen Lipscombe, author of the new middle-grade spy series, to hit the scene: Peril on Point, to talk about the ultimate piece of writing advice! 

On Writing What You Know 

When I tell people I’ve written a children’s book about ballet and spies, the first question they ask is, are you a dancer? (Luckily, they never ask, are you a spy? Because then obviously I’d have to kill them).

In fact, far from writing what I know (which is usually the first piece of advice you hear as a newbie writer), I found myself writing about something I didn’t. It was fun dreaming up impossible spy gadgets and evil ballet mistresses, but I was anxious. I wasn’t being authentic.

The truth is my ballet career went down a plug hole – quite literally – age six, but that’s another story. So what did I know about ballet?


I knew it was tough. It was technical. It had a language all of its own. Taking on the subject as a non-dancer, I felt like an imposter. I began to read books with impossibly beautiful photographs, articles on the shoemakers’ craft. I attended adult ballet classes, a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House. I went to see Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet. I watched films on tutus, on ballet shoes, on rehearsals – all part of the Royal Ballet’s excellent online resource.

I still felt like an imposter.

It’s no surprise that I didn’t know much about spies either. It’s not easy to research secret agents – they’re, well, secret. My knowledge extended to James Bond movies circa 1979, reading my dad’s library books as a child, and the books my sons loved by Anthony Horowitz and Robert Muchamore. I turned to autobiographies, journalistic accounts, stories about the incredible female spies of the second world war.

It was only when I’d finished my second draft and started thinking about the central themes in Peril En Pointe, I realised that I did know about some things – school, friends, bullies, family, fear, love – that feeling of never being good enough. Maybe if I could convey how Milly felt when she danced – the fear and excitement of being a spy – I could still make my story work?

I also had other experiences I could draw on that related to my story.

I’d lived in London.

Growing up, my grandmother and aunties all performed in the local theatre.

Who hasn’t experienced teachers who have favourites; those kids who always get to play Mary in the school nativity?

I thought back to some of my friends at school; sensitive boys, sometimes eccentric, who despite the tropes, were often best friends with the confident sporty types who got away
with everything. And I recalled an old friend who’d put me up in Singapore for six months. She was kind. She was loyal. She was tiny. She was fierce.

And even though it wasn’t consciously done, a little bit of me is in Milly. We both suffer from imposter syndrome. We both rely on our friends. We both love our mums.

My anxiety began to subside. Perhaps I’d been writing what I knew all along?

PERIL EN POINTE by Helen Lipscombe is out now in paperback 

(£6.99, Chicken House)

Find out more at www.chickenhousebooks.com and follow Helen on twitter @Helen_Lipscombe

Want to follow along with the tour? Here are the hosts for the rest of the stops! 

Pog by Pádraig Kenny

Synopsis (from Goodreads and Chicken House) 

Pages: 288

Publisher: Chicken House Books 

Released: 4th of April 2019 

David and Penny arrive in a strange new home in a forest. Other creatures live here – magical creatures – like Pog. He’s one of the First Folk, tasked with protecting the boundary between the worlds. But David is drawn into the forest, lured by a darker entity, who tells him there’s a way he can bring his dead mother back …

What I Have to Say 

Pog was a really well written tale, full of deep themes of grief and loss. I enjoyed it a lot, but not as much as Tin, though I felt this a really fun story. I think Pog is a great character who will appeal a lot to the kids reading this book. He's very quite with an interesting way of talking, but he's also got so many other attributes. He's a fierce protector who quickly grows to care for the family living in the house. He also has his own emotions and history which complement the grief felt by the family a lot. 

David and Penny were also great characters. You could really feel love between the family and between the kids and Pog by the end. You could feel the loss of their mother and how much it was driving them into their own forms of grief. 

I really love Kenny's way of bringing such deep personal issues into a magical adventure story and how he brings everything back to the theme without it seeming like he's pushing the issue. 

It's a very authentic story filled with adventure and emotion. 

My thanks go to Chicken House for providing me with this free copy for review. 

High Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Knights Of Media 

Released: 4th of April 2019 

The detective duo everyone is dying to meet! 

Summer in London is hot, the hottest on record, and there's been a murder in THE TRI: the high-rise home to resident know-it-alls, Nik and Norva. Who better to solve the case? Armed with curiosity, home-turf knowledge and unlimited time - until the end of the summer holidays anyway. 

What I Have to Say 

While bringing a beautifully teenage feel to the genre, Jackson created two great characters and a fantastic community that I can tell will create great mysteries to future books. I loved how real the Nik and Norva felt, utilising smart phones for everything. Because why would a modern day teenager have a case book and write everything down when they can just reach for their smart phone and have a document they can edit and update whenever they need? The way that current teen culture was used in this way (and others!) just made it feel really authentic. 

I loved the relationship between Nik and Norva as well. Jackson did well to show how sisters really are, a complex relationship where they love and hate each in equal measures. I really liked the way they bickered and fell out, teased and needled one another but at the end they were there for each other all the time. 

I'm really looking forward to seeing more from the Tri and it's inhabitants in the rest of the series. It's looking like a really great addition to the middle-grade crime genre. 

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 304 

Publisher: Delacorte 

Released: 5th of February 2019 

Twelve-year-old Iris has never let her deafness slow her down. A whiz at fixing electronics, she has always felt at home in the world of wires and vacuum tubes. 

School, on the other hand, isn't so simple. Iris is the only Deaf student in her classes, and she finds herself frustrated by the way people interact with her deafness, whether it's her teacher talking down to her or an overly helpful classmate signing childlike ASL in her face.

During science class, Iris learns about Blue 55, the loneliest whale in the world. Saddened by the animal's inability to speak to other whales, Iris uses her tech skills to come up with a plan to communicate with Blue 55. 

One small problem: the whale is swimming off the coast of Alaska, nearly three thousand miles from Iris's Texas home. But nothing will stop Iris, and with her Deaf grandmother by her side, she sets out on a trip to meet Blue 55 and make sure he's finally heard. 

What I Have to Say 

This book touched me so deeply. Iris' feelings of loneliness from being in a school where only her interpreter understood her, of being in a family where her dad hasn't even bothered to learn how to communicate with her? It was so, so sad. 

Her connection to Blue 55 was beautiful, both metaphorically and in the real sense of the journey she went on to find him. I loved how her interest in him and in whales in general brought her a real friend who put the effort in to learn from her in order to communicate properly and also how it led to her and her grandmother connecting more. The whale, so central to the plot, brought so many people together and it was just so perfect to the story. 

Iris was a lovely character as well. She was so well built and so determined. She felt so very real to me and I felt so much for her. I loved her determination, her tech skill and her sense of self. 

This book was just beautiful from cover to cover. 

My thanks go to Delacorte for providing me with this free cope to review. 

A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK 

Released: 7th of February 2019 

Three sisters trapped by an ancient curse.

Three magical objects with the power to change their fate.

Will they be enough to break the curse?

Or will they lead the sisters even deeper into danger? ..

What I Have to Say 

This book was a little slow, but was a great story. It had some great characters, a really, really good plot and a fascinating setting. I loved the ending most of all, how everything was resolved was just genius, but it's hard to go into detail about why I liked it without posting spoilers. 

I love the way that Michelle Harrison uses magic in her books. I've thought it before when reading the Thirteen Treasures books and I thought it again in this one. The way that each of the items worked and the powers that they had were brilliant. I loved the nesting dolls and how which doll that you placed something in was important to the magic. I loved the way that you had to pull the bag inside out in order to work it (and the fact that you would literally just have to carry it around with you completely empty all the time and hope no one notices) and the mirror, projecting your face randomly into the air in front of the person you're talking to so you just have to make sure they're alone before you use it. 

The setting was really interesting. It was really great how it was made to be fairly timeless, so that you could imagine it in the modern day or in any time you wanted really. And the way that the story of the witch was told throughout the plot as girls search for a way to break the curse, slowly revealing so much about her until both the curse and the objects are explained. 

It was a very cleverly written book and perfect for any middle grade fantasy fans. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with a free copy to review. 

Frostfire by Jamie Smith

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 288

Publisher: Chicken House 

Released: 1st of November 2018 

Chosen for the honour of bonding with a frostsliver - a fragment of the sentient glacier that crests her icy home - Sabira embarks on the dangerous pilgrimage to the top of the mountain. But when a huge avalanche traps her on the glacier and destroys the pass, Sabira is determined to find another way home. In order to survive, she must face up to the merciless mountain - but there are dark and fiery secrets hiding in its depths ...

What I Have to Say 

This took me a little while to get into, but I really loved it by the end. The scenic background of the book made it stand out compared to other books I've read lately. The description of the mountain and the vast scale of it really come across in the writing. You can almost feel the cold of it chilling you to your bone. It really brought home the situation that Sabira is in, stuck on the moutain, alone (mostly) and having to rely on all of her wits and those of the frostliver just to survive. 

Everything beyond that fitted in perfectly. The conflict between the two societies worked really well and the way that it played into the main story as well as the backstory of Sabira's brother and his own attempts to get a frostsliver were perfectly entwined with with the story. 

If I had one complaint, it's that the frostsliver didn't have a name. It had a nicely defined personality but I really think that it would have been given a name at some point. 

My thanks go to Chicken House for providing me with this copy for review.

Blog Tour: An Excerpt from The Curious Case by Julia Golding

Happy Sunday, I'm here to share with you an excerpt from The Curious Crime, a thrilling new middle grade series from award-winning children's author, Julia Golding. The series looks into an alternative timeline in the Victorian era, picturing a world where women are banned from practising science and religion of any kind is outlawed. 

Released on the 7th of November, this fantastic new series is the perfect way to get children to look at science and the rights of minorities in a new way while following Ree and Henri and their menagerie of animal friends on their adventures, for a few synopsis click here!

Chapter One: 

 Of Dodos and Men 

There was a creature trapped in the rock.

Ree ran her fingers over the capital stone, feeling for the shape that lay just under the surface. A fin like a shark. Spindly hind legs like a frog. A beast that inhabited two worlds, walking out of the water to colonize land. Her desire to release it burned in her chest as she took up her chisel. She loved this moment just before she began to carve her picture. 

But what were the eyes like? The museum fossils gave no clues. Perched on the scaffolding, Ree looked beneath her at the display case covered with a sheet. Scuffing at a corner with the toe of her boot, she pushed the cotton aside. Exactly as she remembered, the stuffed turtle gazed mournfully up at her. Eyes like that would be perfect for the creature she was carving, she thought, imagining it leaving the tropical sea for the last time.

The dodo perched on the scaffold next to Ree croaked and deposited a dropping on the planks. “Philoponus, behave,” murmured Ree, picking up her mallet, “or do I have to put you back in your pen?”

Her friend, the last known of the species, made a deep grumble before he pecked up a fragment of stone she had already chiselled off. He hated it when she stopped paying full attention to him and concentrated on her craft. “Are you sure you should be eating that?” She asked absent-mindedly. Phil stretched his neck, his long broad beak with its hooked end pointing at the vaulted glass ceiling. He shook himself. Downy grey feather flew. 

Ree sneezed. “Idiotic overgrown pigeon. Look, I’ve got to work and you know it.” Setting the wooden handle of the chisel in her palm, she raised the mallet and gave a tap on the well-worn end. The blade cut into the sandstone, releasing a trickle of dust. Her fingertips caressed the gritty surface, wiping it clean. Her father had taught her that each block she worked already had its own ideas about what it should become. She had to ease the picture out, not force it against its will.

The boards creaked as her father, the foreman of the works, approached. A stocky man, nose bent on the bridge, he moved with the even pace of one who knew things should not be rushed. His knees clicked as he crouched beside his daughter.

“How is your project coming along, Ree?” 

She took a swig from her water bottle to clear her throat. “Good, Da. I’ve decided to do the animals moving out of the water onto land – you know, like the guides tell visitors?”

“That’s grand.” James Altamira scratched Philoponus’ neck, causing the bird to shiver with delight and lean heavily on the chief stonemason. The dodo really was the most affectionate, if attention-seeking, creature. “But keep your hat on right and tight, darlin’. Lord John and the trustees are making a surprise inspection sometime this week.” 

With a sigh, Ree picked up her cap and pulled it down over her ears, tucking her plaits inside. She wanted to cut her hair short but her father insisted she keep it long, ready for the day when she would have to go back to wearing women’s clothes. It was a dickens of a pain though because the dodo thought it was funny to pluck off the cap when she least expected. The dangerous joke had grown very tired. She had given up wearing the cap this morning, trusting that her high position would keep her hidden. 

“Don’t even think about it,” she warned Phil, recognising the look in his pale eyes, black pupils dilated. Most people would mistake the expression as wide-eyed innocence. She knew it to be mischief. “You’ll get me into hot water.”

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 288

Publisher: Anderson

Released: 4th of October 2018 

Felix Knutsson is nearly thirteen, lives with his mother and pet gerbil Horatio, and is brilliant at memorising facts and trivia. So far, pretty normal. But Felix and his mom Astrid have a secret: they are living in a van. Astrid promises it’s only for a while until she finds a new job, and begs Felix not to breathe a word about it. So when Felix starts at a new school, he does his very best to hide the fact that most of his clothes are in storage, he only showers weekly at the community centre, and that he doesn’t have enough to eat. When his friends Dylan and Winnie ask to visit, Felix always has an excuse.

But Felix has a plan to turn his and Astrid’s lives around: he’s going to go on his favourite game show Who, What, Where, When and win the cash prize. All he needs is a little luck and a lot of brain power . . .

What I Have to Say

This was basically an Canadian version of Slumdog Millionaire for kids. Felix is a optimistic teenager who just wants to save him and his mum  through the junior edition of his favourite game show! It's a great blend of hope, friendship and real life issues. 

Living in a van with his single mum, Astrid, Felix has a lot of struggles. I can't remember if it was stated specifically that Astrid had bipolar or if it was something that I read into it, but it definitely dealt with her going into depressive slumps and Felix having to look after her. Spending most of the time trying to hide from the questions of friends, teachers and anyone else who might report them to the authorities (something that Astrid is terrified of due to her own bad experiences in the past), Felix has to get through life and school and friendships without anyone finding out he lives out of a van. It's amazing that Nielson managed to squeeze so many real life issues into one book so completely naturally. 

I loved the bond between Felix and his friends. He had such a great friendship with Dylan that he could so easily pick up after so many years, but the best thing was how Winnie just inserted herself in the group through shear force of will. Winnie was a great character who is definitely the sort of person who everyone hates at school, but the friendship still worked once Felix and Dylan just accepted that they wouldn't be able to get away from her. She proved herself to be such a great friend to Felix and shows that the most unexpected friends can be the best. 

This is an important book and also a thrilling on. It is fun to read while still hitting the hard issues without shying away. Definitely a book to pick up this year. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Anderson for providing me with this copy for review. 

A Tangle of Magic by Valija Zinck

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 256

Publisher: Chicken House 

Released: 2nd of August 2018 

Penelope has always been different from other children: for example, her hair has been grey since she was born. When she wakes up one day with sparkling red hair, her mother confesses that her father is a wizard. Penelope embarks on a journey to find him...

What I Have to Say 

 This was such a lovely story. It was full of magic and wonder and an absent father. It goes deep into the issue of abandonment both from Penelope and her mother and the whole that exists in Penelope's life, especially after she wakes up and discovers that she has vibrant red hair and magical powers and her dad is the only person who might be able to help her manage them.

Penelope was a really great character. I loved the way she thought. Though it was a little unrealistic, it was unrealistic in a good way. It gave a lot of humour to the book. Because what kind of person spends ages looking for shoelaces of a certain colour to replace the one she lost of her friends? Or deciding that gluing all the postboxes shut is the best way to find her father? 

I wish it had been longer though. It felt like the plot wasn't complicated enough. It was mostly just Penelope plotting and talking to roads and working out how to use her powers. I'd have liked it if there had been more of her with her new friends who also have powers. It felt a bit like she was wandering around for most of the book and then it got tied up neatly in the last few chapters. I'd have liked a bit more.

This would be such a good book for little girls who dream of waking up to discover they have magic powers. Especially if they have red hair.

My thanks go to Chicken House for providing me with this copy for review. 

Warrior Boy by Viriginia Clay

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 274

Publisher: Chicken House Books 

Released: 6th of September 2018

London schoolboy Ben is heading for Kenya to meet his Maasai family. But how is an outsider like him going to fit in?

When he meets his cousin Kip, he discovers they share more than he thought – if only Ben can keep up . . .

Together, the boys must survive the African savannah: hunt for food, defend elephants from poachers – and even face the king of the beasts. Does Ben have what it takes to be a twenty-first-century warrior?

Trigger Warning: Poaching, animal death (for food and ivory)

What I Have to Say 

This was a lovely story, but also very, very moving. There's action, adventure, Maasai culture, coming-of-age and family. It has everything that a kid can want in a book really. Ben is an excellent character who is so easy to connect and empathise with and Kip is funny, brave and the best friend/ cousin a boy could have. Together they form a true brotherhood in the African wilds. 

The elephant poaching is a very big part of the book. Ben's mum is on a team of documentary makers who are working to make a video revealing the horrors of the ivory industry and so they are right in the heart of the issue. There's a part with a baby elephant and it's mother that could make the hardest hearts weep! It's moving, important and eye-opening and will make anyone reading want to go to Africa and fight for the elephants tooth, nail and spear (though maybe we should send donations to those more capable of fighting for them rather than hop straight on a plane. Especially if the person reading is ten). 

The Maasai culture was shown beautifully, with Ben working hard to become a warrior and live up to his father's memory. The fact that he has a crippling phobia of blood is just one of the obstacle in his way as he faces challenge after challenge. And there are useful tips in there for anyone who also finds they faint at the sight of blood. 

I loved reading about Ben's journey and I really hope that you do too. 

 My thanks go to Chicken House for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Life of a Banana by PP Wong

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 270

Publisher: Legend Press 

Released: 1st of September 2018 

Xing Li is what some Chinese people call a banana - yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Although born and raised in London, she never feels like she fits in. When her mother dies, she moves with her older brother to live with venomous Grandma, strange Uncle Ho and Hollywood actress Auntie Mei. Her only friend is Jay - a mixed raced Jamaican boy with a passion for classical music.

Then Xing Li's life takes an even harsher turn: the school bullying escalates and her uncle requests she assist him in an unthinkable favour. Her happy childhood becomes a distant memory as her new life is infiltrated with the harsh reality of being an ethnic minority.

Consumed by secrets, violence and confusing family relations, Xing Li tries to find hope wherever she can. In order to find her own identity, she must first discover what it means to be both Chinese and British.

What I Have to Say 

I didn't like this book much. For one thing, I think Xing Li was written a bit too young for me. Perhaps a younger reader would like the way the books written better, but a lot of things just annoyed me. I would have thought a twelve year old would know what tablets look like and not have to put them in her mouth to find out they're not sweets. Also she lives in London so I don't see why she wouldn't know how to spell Trafalgar. But even if she does't know how to spell Trafalgar or Wagner, or any of the other words the author deliberately misspelled in this book,  I don't think they need to be written out like that. The voice was fine without misspellings and I still can't work out who she was meaning by "Bart". 

I also didn't really like the way that Uncle Ho was written. I can understand why the family would treat him like that, not knowing what to do about him and not wanting to seek advice, but the author didn't use a lot of tact when writing about him. He was constantly referred to as strange and there was rarely any sympathy for him from the narrator. I feel that authors have a responsibility to show that people shouldn't be seen in that way, regardless of how the characters act towards him. 

In short, this just wasn't the book for me at all. I think younger readers could enjoy it, but the treatment of mental health (or whatever it was that Uncle Ho suffered from) was really awful. 

My thanks go to Legend Press and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review.