I’m currently reading Once We Were Witches. I haven’t got too far in to it yet, but I already know its going to be one I’m going to really enjoy!

I’ve just finished listening to Death Sets Sails. What an ending to this series! I wasn’t sure when I first started this series, but I’m so glad I’ve stuck with it. My favourites were definitely A Spoonful of Murder, Death in the Spotlight and this one. I also finished the last in the Strangeworlds trilogy, The Secrets of the Stormforest. I really enjoyed this which is a brilliantly fast-paced, exciting story with wonderful characters.

I’m hoping to read The Hunt for David Berman next. I was totally drawn in by the blurb, and am really looking forward to this historical adventure.

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

The March theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot is Springing into life and today’s prompt is for Books with nature themes. There were quite a few books which would have fitted this prompt, but these are the ones I’ve chosen:

By Ash, Oak and Thorn is the most delightful wander through, and celebration of nature and the environment, and the need to appreciate and look after it. Three tiny, ancient beings – Moss, Burnet and Cumulus have to leave their home in the ash tree when it is destroyed and travel to find others like them, taking them through the countryside and into the city.

This is a recent read which I loved with its journey through the stunning Scottish Highlands, and the focus on rewilding with the issues this might raise.

I loved Crowfall with its focus on the balance between technology and nature and the wonderful sentient Eard trees. It juxtaposes the two islands of Ironhold and Natura. Ironhold is an island of technology, invention and industry where nature has been denigrated for the sake of progress. In contrast, Natura is an island abundant with nature – wild and mesmerising – whose Eard (takes a very active part in the lives of the islanders.

This is a heartachingly stunning, powerful and thought-provoking story set in a dystopian future where the majority of humans are forced to live in Cities whilst outside nature is given the opportunity to flourish unchecked and unhindered, growing wild. Two siblings, Juniper and Bear escape the City and begin a long and desperate journey through the Wild in an attempt to be reunited with their parents … 

This story opens a window into the breath-taking Louisiana wetlands landscape with a mesmerising view of the marshlands, the bayou, the wildlife and climate, a wetlands that is under threat due to rising sea levels and human threats.

The story is set in the dystopian aftermath when society is drastically changed by the catastrophic environmental damage caused by Hurricane Chronos. The story’s central message is a very current one around the potential devastation that could be caused by inertia in tackling climate change.  It really crystallises the effects this could have not only on the environment but also on the people who have to live in the aftermath, with the innocent bearing the brunt of mistakes made by their elders.  Children are both the victims, and the redeemers, of this dystopian society.

I’m currently listening to Death Sets Sail on Borrowbox which I’m really enjoying. Already, this is definitely one of my top 3 books in this series!

I’ve finished listening to Top Marks for Murder which was ok for me, but one of my least favourites in the series – not sure if this was because I was finding it hard to focus! I also finished How to Steal the Mona Lisa which was a really fun book written mostly as emails and blogs. I have posted my review. I really loved Like a Charm and am really looking forward to the final book in this duology. I also read a graphic novel, The Rema Chronicles which has stunning illustrations and a portal story I really enjoyed. I will post a review shortly.

I haven’t managed any reading in the evenings this week as I’ve has three parents’ evenings, so I’m hoping to get to this one this weekend.

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

The Rewilders is a thrilling dual narrative adventure set in the stunning Scottish Highlands:  a heart-warming story of building trust, finding friendship and family, and helping others which kept me engrossed throughout.

Twelve-year-old Esme is reluctant to spend the weekend with her gran as she will miss her best friend’s party.  When she gets to her gran’s house things get even worse:  she finds the school’s ‘bad boy’ Callum in the shed with his latest foster carer, and friend to her gran, Sadie.  Why have they been brought together by Gran and Sadie? Well, it just so happens that Gran and Sadie have got themselves into a spot of bother, and need the children’s help to fix it. 

When visiting the Rothiecraig Estate, gran had found an abandoned kitten, and smuggled it home.  However, she soon discovers that she has made an alarming mistake as the kitten, who is growing fast and is causing havoc in gran’s house, is not, in fact, a domestic moggy, but a wild lynx kit.  Whilst Gran cares for the young lynx, she also recognises and respects that it is a wild creature and needs and deserves to be released back into the Highlands.

Gran and Sadie put their trust in Esme and Callum, along with Gran’s gorgeously friendly dog Shug, to undertake a journey across the Highlands to rewild Cora on the Rothiecraig Estate some 30 miles away.  Not quite the boring weekend that Esme was anticipating!

The children soon find themselves on a dangerous mission to protect and rewild Cora as they venture through the Highlands.  Could the howling they hear outside their tents be from wolves roaming the landscape?  Will they be able to shield Cora from human threat?

This is an exciting, fast-paced adventure with unexpected twists and a real sense of threat and danger that kept me on the edge of my seat as I kept turning the pages.  Esme and Callum are in a race against time to bring Cora home, but will they find that they have left it too late for her to re-join her family?

I really enjoyed that this story is written from the dual perspective of Esme and Callum who have both built a defensive wall around themselves and are hiding who they truly are whilst at school.  In their shared hope of getting Cora to safety, they form a tentative friendship which becomes stronger as trust develops and they open up to each other.  My heart ached for both of them as they are both, in different ways, struggling at school.  Callum has been fostered by the wonderful Sadie who is there for him and gives him the security and safety he needs after an incredibly difficult start in life.  Esme has had to cope with separation and a toxic friendship, but finds the strength and self-belief to be true to herself, and to be the person she wants to be.

Cora is such a beautiful animal, and I really loved that there was no attempt to tame her in the story.  She roams freely, developing her natural hunting instincts, which makes it all the more awesome that Esme and Callum get to spend time with this elusive animal in what was once a natural habitat.

This story sensitively highlights the issue of rewilding through projects to re-introduce species which were previously native to the Highlands, such as lynxes and wolves, in order to help sustain the natural ecosystem.

Indeed, this is a perfect story – either in class or at home – to lead into opportunities for discussions around themes of bullying, friendship, family and environmental sustainability.

The Rewilders is a heart-warming, exhilarating and truly unmissable adventure for children of 8+.

Thank you so much to Anne Glennie and Cranachan Publishing for inviting me to be part of this Blog Tour, and for providing me with an early copy of The Rewilders in return for my honest opinion.

Please do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour for this brilliant book!

How to Steal the Mona Lisa is a fantastically fun art-heist adventure that is sure to bring giggles galore as the mystery of the lost Mona Lisa unfolds in a series of emails, blogs and news reports.

Mia and her best friend Jake are protesting outside the local opticians as Jake is convinced that the glasses being sold there have mind-control powers.  Mia stamps on her glasses leading not only to broken glasses but to a broken friendship as she feels her conspiracy theorist friend gets her in too much trouble!  Can their friendship be healed as they both join the local secondary school, Colpepper Hall School?

On her first day at her new school, budding artist Mia discovers the terrible news that the art department has been shut down due to both the demolition of the wing it was housed in, and lack of funding.  In other art-related news, the Royal Family have offered a £25 million reward for the recovery of a stolen painting that has been missing for 200 years:  the lost Mona Lisa! 

There have been rumours that it has been hidden in the crypt at Colpepper Hall School. Cue mayhem, mischief and hilarity as – ahem- a criminal mastermind – ahem – is intent on tracking down the missing masterpiece, and taking the reward.  Has the School been infiltrated by criminals?  Is Mr Scales, the Headteacher, a lizard creature in disguise? Could Mia’s parents be notorious art thieves? Or, are these all just the wild imaginings of a boy dreaming up conspiracy theories? 

Whilst Mia is determined to save the art department by gaining 100, 000 signatures on her petition and taking it to Parliament, Jake is gathering followers on his Blog with his conspiracy theories, but could there be a spark of truth in them?  Can these former friends solve the mystery by healing their friendship and working together?

This is a hilarious, fast-paced mystery written in a series of emails between Mia and her Granny; in Blogs written by Jake; and in online news reports, notes and coded messages.  I really liked getting to know Mia through her emails.  She is friendly, chatty and funny, and there is also a real innocence in what she doesn’t notice as she chats to her Granny who is a real globetrotter!  Her parents are obsessed with the family pet, Seabert, so when they suddenly begin to show an interest in Mia’s art, and offer to take her to art galleries, she jumps at the chance cuing some laugh-out-loud museum antics. 

Whilst this story is brilliantly funny, it also has a more serious message around the need to protect the arts in schools, something that Mia really takes to heart in the story.  Visiting the various real-life National Galleries through the story gave a wonderful insight into some of the activities offered by art museums such as sleepovers and workshops.

This has such an appealing layout with the different media forms, fonts and lettering styles, ‘hidden’ words and so many brilliantly expressive illustrations sprinkled throughout.

A sparkling treat of an art-and-fun-filled mystery for readers of 8+.

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

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!

The first time I ever saw one of them was the night that I saw my grandfather for the last time. It was a foggy night in Kensington, London. I was five and allowed to come downstairs to my parents’ annual Christmas party, on the condition that I kept quiet and made myself useful by handing out the devilled eggs.

Any ideas?

Goodreads Synopsis:

Edinburgh is a city filled with magical creatures. No one can see them… until Ramya Knox. As she is pulled into her family’s world of secrets and spells, Ramya sets out to discover the truth behind the Hidden Folk with only three words of warning from her grandfather: Beware the Sirens. Plunged into an adventure that will change everything, Ramya is about to learn that there is more to her powers than she ever imagined. 

This is my new weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books. I hope others will enjoy taking part in this too!

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:

Yesterday paused for a moment, listening, her fox ears twitching, urging her towards it.

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, TEASHOP, FAMILY

Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup is a magical, sparkling gem of an adventure that kept me enthralled throughout:   gorgeously heart-warming, wonderfully whimsical and completely captivating. 

Twelve-year-old Yesterday Crumb has been born with fox ears and has spent her young life imprisoned in a cage, put on show for visitors to the travelling circus where she was left as a baby.  Unbeknownst to Yesterday, her ears, which she loathes, mark her as a strangeling:  a witch who has lost her magical powers due to spending too much time in the human world.  However, all that is about to change when she meets Madrigal, a white-feathered notraven and witch’s familiar, who reveals the truth to her, and frees her. 

Yesterday follows her rescuer into the nearby forest, but loses sight of him and instead finds herself drawn to a stranger, Mr Weep, playing a violin.  When he offers her the chance to get rid of her fox ears, she finds the temptation too great, and signs a contract which places a deadly curse upon her heart.  Will she be able to break the curse before time runs out, and she finds herself at the mercy of Mr Weep?

Madrigal finds her and takes her to Dwimmerley End, THE most extraordinary teashop that moves around on its flamingo legs!  The proprietor of this wondrous establishment for faerie connoisseurs of magical tea and cakes is Miss Dumpling – a tea witch extraordinaire!  She welcomes Yesterday, and offers her an apprenticeship as a tea witch as well as her help in breaking the curse …

And so begins a truly engrossing, exciting adventure as Yesterday and her new friends race against time to find an elusive ingredient needed to break the curse; as they venture to dangerous and dark places; and, as they are thwarted by the minions of Mr Weep who is intent on taking Yesterday from her new friends.  Why is he so determined to separate Yesterday from her found family?  I loved the unexpected twists and revelations, and absolutely cannot wait for the next part of Yesterday’s story. 

The world-building is exquisite, enchanting and incredibly inventive:  it swept me into a world I didn’t want to leave – even if there are some parts I might need Yesterday’s courage to face!  I could happily see myself spending many hours of contentment in Dwimmerley End drinking an assortment of enchanted teas – and maybe a hot chocolate – and eating a varied selection of gorgeous cakes as I faerie-watch, and read a book recommended by Pepperprew, the librarian dragon.  Bliss!

Oh my!  I adored Yesterday who is a fierce young girl who shows such strength, courage and resilience.  She learns to believe in herself and accept herself just as she is.  I loved that she finds a home and family with Jack and Miss Dumpling who offer her support, love and encouragement.  Madrigal the notraven is brilliant – grumpy and sarcastic – but with a heart of gold!  Miss Dumpling is one of my favourite adults in children’s books!  She is wonderfully eccentric, welcoming and kind-hearted and just so full of goodness that she brought a smile to my face every time she spoke! 

I don’t need Clairvoyant Coffee to predict that this fantastically magical, heart-warming adventure will capture the hearts of young readers of 8+. 

Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley for an e-ARC 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’m currently listening to Top Marks for Murder. Daisy and Hazel are back in Deepdean after being away for the last couple of books. To be honest, I’ve listened and haven’t been able to focus on this one. I think it’s because I’m listening in the evening and not whilst going to work, (as I’m off with Covid), and this just doesn’t work for me. I’ll try again when I’m driving to work. I’m also reading How to Steal the Mona Lisa which is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s written in a series of emails, blogs, newspaper reports and notes. I’m enjoying the main character who writes with honesty and humour – a brilliant ‘voice’. I think this is going to be a fun mystery. I’m also reading Like a Charm which I’m absolutely loving. Ramya is such a strong character, and I’m really looking forward to finding out more about what is behind the ‘Glamour’.

I finished listening to Death in the Spotlight which I really enjoyed – such a clever mystery. I think it has tied with A Spoonful of Murder as my favourite in the series. I also finished Mort and am so glad I’ve made a start on this series. I’m not sure how to describe it – strange, surreal and scathingly humorous. I’m definitely going to pick up Reaper Man soon. I then read Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup as I just needed a cosy, fantasy read that I could escape into for a few hours. I adored this book, and will be posting my review very soon. I also read The Secret of the Treasure Keepers, and have posted my review yesterday. I think this is my favourite of A M Howell’s books. Finally, I listened to The Raven Riddle which was a quick, and very fun, read.

I’m not sure I’m ready for the finale of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency but I really want to know what happens after that ending to book 2! I’m also hoping to pick up a graphic novel, The Rema Chronicles: Realm of the Blue Mist.

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

This is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Girl Reader.  This week’s theme is Books On My Spring 2022 TBR. I’ve got so many books I’m looking forward to reading in Spring. I’m lucky enough to have early copies of 8 of my 10 (either sent by Publishers or via NetGalley) and have pre-ordered the other two.

What books have you on your Spring TBR? Are any of these included?

I’m a huge fan of A.M. Howell’s historical adventures and was so excited when I discovered that there was a fourth which, I must admit, might just be my favourite.  The Secret of the Treasure Keepers is a brilliantly absorbing, intriguing historical adventure which builds a sense of mystery so masterfully that I absolutely had to keep reading.  This is not only a gripping mystery, it is also a window into the past, and into the lives of characters who feel so real that it was a privilege to follow their story. 

It’s 1948, and twelve-year-old Ruth Goodspeed and her mother are adjusting to life in post-war London.  The scars of the war are still with them as damaged buildings surround them, there are shortages of electricity and some foods are still rationed.  More personally, Ruth’s parents’ marriage has not survived the war and they are getting divorced, leaving Ruth in danger of losing her home.  When her mother gets the opportunity to have her volunteer work with the British Museum turned into paid employment, she seizes her chance.  Whilst her mother – an aspiring archaeologist – is being interviewed by the stern curator, Mr Knight, Ruth is unable to ignore the persistent ringing of a telephone in his office.

Mrs Mary Sterne, the owner of Rook Farm in the Fens, tells her that she may have found ancient treasure in one of her farm fields.  As Mr Knight is both unapproachable and busy with another excavation, Mary convinces her mother to journey to Rook Farm to investigate the treasure with the hope that her mother can prove herself to Mr Knight and gain the paid employment which has been denied her. 

When they arrive at the isolated Farm, they are welcomed by everyone except for Mrs Sterne’s son, Joe, who wants them to leave.  The family have hit hard times after the death of Joe’s Dad and are struggling financially, so they are keen to discover if they have buried treasure on their land.  After seeing the Roman artefacts which had been found when ploughing, Ruth and her Mum are keen to excavate the site to discover more.  Further treasure is uncovered, treasure that Ruth’s Mum wants to discuss with Mr Knight in London, leaving Ruth behind to help on the farm until her return. 

Ruth is convinced that there are family secrets -as well as treasure – buried at the Farm, and she is determined to uncover them.  What is Joe hiding about the treasure?  When disaster strikes, and the treasure is stolen, will Ruth and Joe be able to work together to find both stolen and hidden treasure, and save both their homes? 

This is such a cleverly layered mystery that completely engrossed me as I pieced together clues and followed the twists and turns with bated breath to discover the truth behind the farm’s treasures.  There is a real sense of urgency as time runs out, and Ruth and Joe race to find the truth behind the treasure.  It is never entirely clear who is a help and who is a hindrance, so characters’ motives really kept me guessing!  I loved that this wasn’t just a mystery about buried treasure, but also a mystery about the secrets which people bury and keep from each other.  I found the unravelling of these secrets both tender and poignant, and filled with hope for the future.

Ruth is an incredibly sympathetic young girl who is naturally curious, kind-hearted and determined.  She is also impulsive and, in her eagerness to find answers, doesn’t always make the best choices, but does take responsibility for her choices, which makes her even more likeable and ‘real’.  She is able to empathise with Joe which helps them develop a firm friendship, where they really open up to each other, which I really enjoyed seeing grow throughout the story. 

This is a story of family, of friendship, of secrets and of change.  I enjoyed the parallels between the experiences of both families in post-war Britain despite one living in London and the other on an isolated farm in the Fens.  They have lived through a War that has deeply affected their families and are living under the continued restrictions after it; both have financial difficulties; they have dealt with loss or separation; and they are living through a period of change such as the infancy of the NHS, the beginnings of supermarkets and the modernisation of farm machinery.

Delve into The Secret of the Treasure Keepers to be guaranteed a treasure trove of intrigue, adventure and excitement, perfect for readers of 9+.

Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and Usborne for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.