I’m just about to start Mort the Meek and the Monstrous Quest which I am so looking forward to as I absolutely loved the humour in the first book.

I decided to finish Frostheart: Escape from Aurora reading the paperback rather than listening to the audiobook. This is such a wonderfully exciting story with plenty of action and twists and, oh the ending – I now really need to read the final one in this trilogy. I also couldn’t resist picking up A Storm of Sisters which I had on NetGalley. I absolutely loved being back with the Widdershins sisters for another brilliant adventure. This time they are visiting Wilderness to help Granny look after an injured relative. Adventure quickly finds them as they seek the truth behind a legend involving a highway robber, ghosts and secrets. I loved the wintery, spooky atmosphere in this one. I also picked up Rita Wong and the Jade Mask. I really wasn’t sure if this was going to be my kind of book, but I really enjoyed it. There is no doubt that it is probably one of the most surreal books I’ve read, but I liked the characters and the film noir detective vibes. I’d definitely pick up another in this series.

My sister and her partner are visiting for New Year, so I’m not sure if I’ll fit in any more reading but, if I do, I’m going to pick up Sleep-Over Take-Over.

Have you read any of these? What are you reading?

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

“Nothing is so certain as the unexpected.” (Metal pike from the Rusty River)

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, FRIENDSHIP, INVENTIVENESS

Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon is Harley’s second amazing adventure: an exuberantly delightful, exciting and fast-paced treat of a story that utterly charmed me.  This can be read as a standalone, but I have no doubt that young readers – if they have not already done so – will also want to get their hands on Harley Hitch and the Iron Forest which my class absolutely loved when I read it as a class read aloud. 

Harley Hitch is starting another term at Cogworks, and she is as determined as ever to win the elusive Pupil of the Term with its accompanying golden light bulb pin.  She decides that, in order to give herself the best chance to win, she must become the perfect pupil, so no change in hair colour, no adaptations to her uniform and no lateness.  Will Harley change herself so much that she will no longer be true to herself?

On her first day back at school, the students discover that Forgetown is to enjoy a spectacular show from Monocles’ Marvellous Machines Circus who are touring Inventia.  Persuaded to attend the circus by her best friend, Cosmo, Harley soon finds herself caught up in the magic of this mechanically-enhanced show.   Her natural curiosity is piqued and soon gets the better of her when she goes to investigate a cabinet which can make things disappear by teleportation. 

Harley accidentally damages the cabinet, and things begin to go missing in Forgetown … things like watches, trowels, ties and, oh yes, the MOON!  Could Harley be to blame for the missing items and unusual changes that are affecting Forgetown?  Will she be able to solve the mystery behind the missing items before things become even worse?

This is a brilliant adventure, with unexpected twists, that fizzes with energy and warmth as Harley and Cosmo work together to discover why the moon has disappeared.  I absolutely loved that some of my favourite characters from the first book returned in this one, including Sprocket, the robot-dog; the wise metal fish in the Rusty River; and, the ebullient stars.

Oh my!  I so adore Harley who really is the most wonderful young girl:  kind-hearted, resourceful and determined.  She has the courage to take responsibility for admitting her mistakes, learns the importance of being true to herself and stands up to unfairness.  Cosmo is a wonderful friend to Harley, helping her to appreciate that it is her unique style and individuality that makes her special. The relationship between Harley and her Grandads is just gorgeous.

The partial and full-page illustrations by George Ermos are stunning and capture the energy, fun and warmth of the story perfectly.  And, I loved, loved, loved the Beginners Guide to the Stars of Inventia. 

Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon sparkles with joy, warmth and inventiveness, and is a real treat of an adventure for readers of 7+.

Thank you to Harriet Dunlea and Scholastic for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!

I’ve just finished a book, but I’ll be picking this one up later this evening. I’m so excited to be returning to this series to join the Widdershins sisters on their next adventure.

I finished Julia and the Shark which is a stunning hardback book which completely captured and mesmerised me from start to finish.  The black, white and yellow illustrations are superb and complement the story perfectly, capturing both Julia’s loneliness and hopefulness.  
Julia and her family have gone to live in a lighthouse on the remote Scottish island of Unst.  Whilst her father is making the lighthouse automated, her mother is determined, for very personal reasons, to find a Greenland shark with the hope that its longevity can lead to a medical breakthrough.  Her all-encompassing desperation to find the shark is obsessive, leading to some heart-breaking moments between Julia and her mother, and a dangerous adventure for Julia.
Julia does make a friend in Kin who is being bullied by some local boys and, whilst their friendship is not easy, I loved how honest it was.  I also really enjoyed how Kin took Julia’s eyes away from the sea and raised them to the sky, making a connection between the two.
This is such a powerful, poignant and hopeful story, filled with the lyricism that permeates in Kiran’s stories.  A story of family survival in the face of mental health issues, of friendship and of hope. An absolute masterpiece from this incredible writer.

I also read the next adventure in Vashti Hardy’s series for younger readers, Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon which I loved. I am just finishing my review and will post it shortly.

I have spent quite a lot of today transported to a 1990s Nigerian boarding school in Jummy at the River School which I really enjoyed. I loved the energy and joy that radiates from Jummy and her friends. This is one that also deals with themes of poverty, privilege and educational rights. I will be posting my review shortly.

I absolutely loved Mort the Meek and the Ravens’ Revenge so am really looking forward to joining Mort in his Monstrous Quest which I’m sure will bring plenty of laughs!

Have you read any of these? What are you reading?

I’ve read over 100 amazing children’s books this year, so it was incredibly difficult to choose my top 12 reads – one for each month of the year – but I decided I was going to push myself to have a go. I think it is no surprise to anyone who reads my recommendations that I am a huge fan of fantasy stories although I have also re-discovered a love of historical fiction since I started my blog.

I’ve included the opening to my review in each of my choices with a link to my full review.

The Shark Caller: a stunning and powerful story which wove its magic straight into my heart; an unforgettable tale set on the beautiful island of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea; a tale of two young girls from different worlds who find a bond of sisterhood that saves them both.  This is an incredibly moving story that left me in floods of tears, but it also left me filled with hope and reassurance.  An absolute masterpiece that I’m already confident will be one of my top reads of 2021!

Circus Maximus: Race to the Death:  a thrilling, heart-racing adventure which transported me back to Ancient Rome where courage and skill, danger and foul play are the order of the day in its greatest sporting arena:  the Circus Maximus. Whilst the backdrop is the explosive excitement of the racing world, the beating heart at its epicentre is that of an incredible young girl, a girl with the courage and tenacity to fight for her seemingly unreachable dreams. 

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The Edge of the Ocean: a breathtakingly brilliant return to this mesmerising, magical world where stepping through a suitcase brings a world of action-packed, nautical adventure, excitement aplenty and frissons of danger … perfect edge-of-your-seat reading at the Edge of the Ocean!

The Monsters of Rookhaven: an incredible read which captured me from the opening line (Mirabelle was in the garden feeding bones to the flowers ….) and transported me into a world filled with gothic delight, marvel and monsters. Mirabelle and her monster family are separated from the human world by a glamour which becomes torn, allowing two orphaned children, Jem and Tom, to discover their existence.

Skyborn: an electrifying adventure that transported me into an exhilarating, richly drawn world, captured my heart and left me with the sigh of satisfaction I get when I’ve finished something very special: a story that will stay with me for a long time, and one I will want to read again and again. This is a prequel to Eye of the North, but can easily be read as a standalone, although I would definitely recommend that you read it too!

Mystery of the Night Watchers: a gripping adventure with a brilliantly evoked sense of mystery, that kept me entranced throughout as secrets were revealed and lies unravelled against the backdrop of a wonderfully depicted Edwardian Society both in fear of, and excited by, the arrival of Halley’s comet.  Perfect for younger, and older, fans of historical fiction.

Crowfall: a thrilling, irresistible corker of an adventure that utterly absorbed me from start to finish.   I’m so glad I settled down to read this on a Sunday afternoon as it is most definitely a compelling page-turner that I devoured in one sitting. I have no doubt that young readers of 9+ will be completely entranced by this gripping tale as they venture into a world of excitement, discoveries and new friends.

When the Sky Falls:  a stunning, powerful story that absolutely gripped me from the opening lines. It is a story set during the Second World War, but at its heart, it’s a story of loss, hope, kindness and being brave enough to trust. The characters in this story are unforgettable and found their way into my heart. Tears were streaming down my face as I read the last few pages, tears of sadness and tears of relief. It really felt like I was taken on such an emotional journey as I read this incredible story.

Between Sea and Sky: an engrossing ecological story, told from a dual perspective, that heartachingly portrays the devastation caused by environmental catastrophe with its impact on both the landscape and survivors, but there is also a heart-warming message of hope, that nature will fight for survival and find a way to regenerate if only it is given a chance. 

Fireborn: a breath-taking epic quest that made my heart sing, ache and race as I was wholeheartedly engrossed from start to finish:  dazzling, rich world-building; an incredible cast of characters; and an action-packed, electrifying plot that pulsates with darkness, danger, light and hope.

Uki and the Ghostburrow: is epic fantasy writing at its pinnacle: a story for anyone who longs to be swept into a richly-drawn world of breath-taking adventure, excitement and danger with heroes to root for, heroes who form heart-warming friendships, and who show great courage and strength to overcome evil. I was absolutely gripped from start to finish, starting it late in the evening, reading until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer (the sign of a great book) and then getting up early to finish it. Perfection!

The Book of Stolen Dreams: an exceptionally powerful fantasy adventure that immediately drew me into the magic of the story with the intriguing introduction, and kept me gripped throughout. A story of love, courage and sacrifice in the face of hatred, cruelty and fear:  a story that reverberates the past and the present with the hope of a better future. An unmissable, unforgettable adventure!

Have you read any of these? What have been some of your favourite books this year? What have I missed that you would recommend I read next year?

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

There are footprints in the snow, sunken marks picked out by the moonlight. They weave a path through the forest, round the ring of ancient oak trees and on towards the wooden hut. But there they stop, and the smoke curling out of the chimney is the only sign that anyone is inside. Seven cloaked figures sit round a table, their hoods pulled up despite the fire crackling in the grate.

Any ideas?

I read The Dream Snatcher a while ago now, but we’re going to use it with Year 6 as our text in the Spring Term, so I’m excited to read it again and create some reading and writing plans.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare – the one with the drums and the rattles and the masks. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants her life. Because Moll is more important than she knows… The Oracle Bones foretold that she and Gryff, a wildcat that has always been by her side, are the only ones who can fight back against the Dreamsnatcher’s dark magic. Suddenly everything is at stake, and Moll is drawn into a world full of secrets, magic and adventure. 

I’m listening to the audiobook of Frostheart: Escape from Aurora which I’m really enjoying. It’s a fast-paced, exciting read with some wonderful characters. I’ve just started Julia and the Shark. I’ve loved all of Kiran’s books, and this is no exception.

I’ve finished The Very Merry Murder Club. I enjoyed this one, but not as much as I thought I would! Maybe short stories aren’t quite my thing! I also picked up a graphic novel at the weekend and read it on Saturday evening. This was a really fun adventure with gorgeous illustrations.

It’s been a week and then some, so I’ve decided to treat myself to Vashti Hardy’s next book, Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon. I loved the first book in this series, and am really looking forward to seeing what mishaps Harley gets up to next!

The Mermaid in the MillPond is a dark, tense and hopeful story intertwining history and myth in perfect symbiosis.  I was absolutely entranced by this richly atmospheric tale with its depiction of the harsh realities of life for children working in Victorian mills; the slow building of the heart-warming friendship that develops between Bess and Dot; and, the symbolism between the mermaid’s situation and that of Bess.

The story is written as a first-person narrative through the eyes of eleven-year-old Bess.  She arrives from a London workhouse to the rural cotton mill with the hope and false promise that life will be better.  However, she soon discovers that the mill’s conditions are bleak and harsh, and desperately longs for escape, determined to leave the life she is forced to endure behind her …

Bess soon hears tales of a terrifying monster – a mermaid – living in the millpond, but she does not believe what she has heard … until she sees something in the water.  Could this creature be just as trapped as Bess?  Will either be able to escape their prison and find freedom?

Bess is an incredibly sympathetic young girl who has suffered loss and is trying to protect herself by acting tough and not caring about others.  But then she meets Dot.  I loved the slow building of the friendship between these two wonderful young girls as they tentatively begin to hope and plan for the chance of a better life, as they build trust and look out for each other. 

This is a fast-paced, tense and exciting adventure with unexpected twists and cliff-hanger chapter endings that had me desperate to read on … utterly unputdownable!

The illustrations by Pam Smy are absolutely stunning:  rich, detailed and expressive, perfectly evoking the dark, yet hopeful, atmosphere, throughout the story. 

The Mermaid in the MillPond is a heartfelt story of grief, of cruelty and of loneliness, but is also a story of survival, of friendship and of hope.  It is a short, but incredibly powerful and moving read, and is one I will certainly be adding to my class library when it is published on 6^th January.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

There are LOTS of books due for release in January which I am really looking forward to reading. There are a few I’ve been lucky enough to have early access to, so I’ll be enjoying them over Christmas. I’ve read The Mermaid in the Millpond already via NetGalley and will definitely be getting a copy for my class as it’s brilliant!

I’ve taken the synopsis for each of these books from the Waterstones website. Some of these are continuation of series I’ve loved; some are by authors whose previous books I’ve really enjoyed; and, others are by new-to-me or debut authors whose books have caught my interest!

Release Date: 6th January

Release Date: 20th January

Wow! January is starting with a bang for children’s books! I’m looking forward to reading all of these, and adding them to my class bookshelf. Do any of these pique your interest?

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

All theatres are haunted. Manchester’s Theatre Royale was haunted by a dead opera singer known as Cold Annie. Actors complained of an icy, creeping dread whenever they used the dressing room that had once belonged to her, and stagehands avoided the places she was said to roam late at night.

Any ideas?

I loved Jenni’s first book, The Vanishing Trick, and am really looking forward to this one when I can find time!

Synopsis:

Pull back the curtain and enter a world where mystery and magic take centre stage . . . Twelve-year-old Tig works at the Theatre Royale, cleaning, selling tickets and doing anything else that is asked of her by her tyrannical boss, Mr Snell. But Tig will do whatever it takes to get closer to her dream – to become a Stage Manager and spend her days inventing new ways to imagine and build the intricate machinery and props that bring the exciting productions to life! But when a strange new act – a talking machine – arrives at the Theatre Royale, it moves and behaves in a way that Tig just can’t work out. It’s as though it’s alive somehow . . . And when the machine appears to be hiding a dangerous secret, Tig must race against time to solve the mystery, before everything and everyone she cares about is lost forever.

I’ve almost finished The Very Merry Murder Club: 4 more stories to go. This collection has a good range of mystery stories which have been fun to read so far. I’ve just started listening to Frostheart: Escape to Aurora on Borrowbox, and it has quickly taken me back into this fantastical world. I’m looking forward to listening to the rest of this.

I’ve now finished listening to Sweep. What a story! One of my favourite reads this year. I was completely drawn into this historical fantasy world. Powerful, poignant and hopeful. Truly wonderful. I also read Libby and the Parisian Puzzle which was such a fun read. I absolutely loved the idea of a Travelling School where the children visit many of the sights of Paris – and the food! This is one I definitely think if perfect for younger fans of mystery.

I’m hoping to read Julia and the Shark next. I’ve read all of Kiran’s books and loved them, so I’m really looking forward to reading this one.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these?