I’m slowly reading The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley which I’m really enjoying. I’m listening to Shadowblack which is just the kind of book I loved in my twenties, so it’s great to find this series as it’s one I’ll definitely want to finish.

Being back at school has really impacted on my reading, but I did manage to finish The Whisperling which I enjoyed. I will be posting my review on the Blog Tour next week.

I didn’t get to this one last week, so I’m hoping to get to it at the weekend.

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

Safe is the sequel to Flight, both of which are incredibly powerful, heartfelt historical adventures set in the last days of WWII.  I was utterly gripped, often in tears and in awe of, the courage, resilience and empathy shown by children who are displaced by war and fighting to survive, building connections, trust and friendship, and daring for hope and a home in the midst of the heart-breaking cruelty and loss that they have suffered due to war and persecution. 

Kizzy and Jakob, the two young protagonists from Flight are now living with their guardian Heinz in the schloss owned by the countess who has welcomed them and the Spanish Riding School into her home.  Whilst Jakob is following his dream of becoming a professional rider, Kizzy is unwillingly being moulded into the young lady the countess thinks she should become.  Frustrated by the restrictions placed upon her, she is torn between the safety and comfort of a home with her found family, and being allowed the freedom that she needs to be herself and follow her dreams. 

Before she is forced to make a difficult decision, Heinz offers Kizzy and Jakob the opportunity to undertake a secret project to rescue some rare breed Czechoslovakian horses and bring them back to their stables in Austria, a mission which they accept.  After a precarious car journey where they witness the brutality of war, they arrive at the stables, only to face betrayal, hatred and bullets, barely managing to escape.

Whilst preparing a plan to get the horses to safety, they make an incredible discovery … a group of lost children have been hiding out in the hayloft, children who have been displaced by the war and who have lost their family and homes.  Like Kizzy and Jakob, who are Roma and Jewish, these are children who belong to groups who suffered the tyranny of the Nazis:  Roma, disabled and those who helped groups being persecuted.  Jakob and Kizzy are determined to bring both these Gerfunden Kinder and the horses to safety in Austria …

And so begins an incredible, courageous journey through forest and across mountain as this band of children face their fears and the constant threat of danger.  Will Kizzy and Jakob be able to keep both children and horses safe?   Can they keep their hopes of everyone reaching home alive, despite the many obstacles they face? 

The journey which the children take is a twofold one, both physical through an often-hostile environment, and cathartic as they open up to each other about their harrowing ordeals through their shared experiences, and build bonds of friendship and family.  

The empathetic and heart-breaking portrayal of what the children witness in war, and their subsequent pain, grief and sense of loss, is both powerful and poignant and, as a teacher, I can really appreciate the discussions which this can open up with a class both linked to a World War II topic and to the current displacement of children due to wars. 

Kizzy and Jakob formed a strong bond of friendship in Flight and this continues in Safe.  Whilst they might tease, argue and disagree over some things, they clearly care for each other; their relationship feels wonderfully genuine.  They belong to groups persecuted by the Nazis:  Jakob is Jewish and Kizzy is Roma, and both have lost their families, and have found family with their guardian, Heinz.  They both adore horses and feel that they have the right to be safe and free too.  The horses are a special part of this story, and I really loved the connection between these beautiful animals and both children. 

This story is focussed on Kizzy and I felt that I really got to know her: her indomitable spirit, resilience, resourcefulness and kindness; her need to provide for the others’ honouring her Roma heritage; her love for her found family; and, her desire to be true to herself.

Safe is a truly outstanding story of endurance, friendship and hope against the odds … a highly recommended and must-read for children of 10+.

Thank you to Firefly Press for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and for providing me with a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Please do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour, details below:

The Feeling Good Club is a such a wonderful, heartfelt story, told in a journal format, emphasising the importance of sharing your feelings and the enjoyment and advantages to be gained from using mindfulness activities to help you through difficult feelings and times. 

As I was reading, I could really appreciate how beneficial this book would be for children who are struggling with worries and opening up about their feelings.  I loved the mindfulness activities which are also included at the back of the book, and will definitely be looking at these with my class.  This is a wonderful book to use with a class to discuss worries and feelings, and to encourage empathy.

Bella has been given a journal by her best friend, Rohisha, on her last day as she is moving house and going to a new school.  Not only does Bella have the worry of losing her best friend and facing school feeling sad and alone, but she is also nervous about giving a class talk as she does not feel confident in speaking in front of others.  Can her friendship with Rosh survive the move?  Can she overcome her worry about giving the class talk?  

With these big worries, Bella is not looking forward to taking part in a Feeling Good Week at school, but exploring her feelings and becoming more resilient when faced with difficult situations and emotions may be just what she needs.  The activities during the week also gives her the opportunity to begin to form a tentative new friendship with Shazmin and Archie.  Will she be able to open up about her feelings with these new friends?  Will they be able to help her overcome her fears about giving the class talk?  

I loved the journal format which shows Bella as such a genuine, open and chatty ten-year-old who will be incredibly relatable to children as she opens up about her worries and works through them with her family and friends.  I also really enjoyed the use of emojis to show Bella’s feelings at the start of each day, and the fantastic expressive character illustrations and doodles throughout which complement the format perfectly.   I can imagine that lots of children would enjoy keeping their own journal, and even having their own Feeling Good Club. 

I really liked that the adults in this book were supportive towards Bella, trying to help and offering her advice, and also that she felt she could open up to her parents and older sister.  I found this a really positive element within the story.

Not only is this a hugely enjoyable, warm, fun story of finding friendship and overcoming fears, but it is also a brilliant introduction to mindfulness activities which could really benefit young readers.  A fantastic, much-needed addition to school and class libraries. 

This is definitely a story I’ll be recommending to the children in my class, and I’m already looking forward to making Mindful Glitter Jars with them which I think are fantastic!  I’m so glad that this is the start of a series, and am really looking forward to the next one. 

Thank you to Little Tiger for inviting me to be part of this Blog Tour, and for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Please do check out the other stops:

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:

Liska growled under her breath and swung about, swooping down to brush the tops of the highest trees with her paws.

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, FRIENDSHIP, COURAGE

The Treekeepers is a breath-takingly stunning, epic fantasy quest that enthralled me from the opening lines.  I read this masterpiece whilst sitting in the garden over a day:  living in the magic of the storytelling, drawn into the incredible landscapes of Skyra, and with my heart completely captured by the quest undertaken by a courageous band of friends, intent on saving their world from a terrible threat …  

Liska is a shapewalker who can transform into a griffyx, a creature of myth.  She is training to be a warrior, protecting the forest city of Arborven and its magical tree, the Undrentree.   When she overhears a conversation, Liska realises that the Tree is under threat, but no one will listen to her …  If she is to save her world, she must undertake a dangerous quest to find something that might not even exist in the hope that she can save the Undrentree and her world …

Liska is joined on her quest by Lug, who is a vermispex mage which gives him the ability to summon and control earthworms, not exactly a power that is respected by the other mages, but one that may just be more important than he could ever imagine.  They are also joined by ghost-girl, Elowen, who has spent a lot of time alone, with her secrets and knowledge, and is excited to go an adventure.  And then, there is Fishbone, a kittimew, and definitely not a cat, even if he does have a fondness for rats!

These companions find themselves in a race across the lands not only to save the Tree, but also to stay ahead of a determined and terrifying pursuer.  Will they reach their destination in time to save their world?  Will they find that what they are seeking is only a myth?  This is an action-packed, heart-pounding adventure, brimming with danger, tension and discovery where I was never quite sure whether those encountered would be friend or foe which kept me reading with bated breath. 

The world-building is phenomenal; I felt completely immersed in the sights and sounds of Arborven and its surrounding lands, and their amazing, diverse inhabitants:  mages, wyverns, shapewalkers, treekeepers, gorgaunts, giants and seepers to name a few.  Some of these terrified me and some fascinated.  I loved learning about the tree of shadow and light and the parasitical nature of one’s relationship towards the other compared to the much more symbiotic link between the Undrentree and the treekeepers. Learning about the interconnection between the mages, the treewalkers and the Undrentree, their history and the structure of their society was utterly engrossing. 

Liska, Lug and Elowen are a brilliant band of true friends who together take on a perilous quest and support each other along the way. Liska is a fierce, fiery and impetuous warrior-in-training who follows her own path, but is also desperate to earn approval from her family.  Lug is the lowliest of the mage classes and is a constant worrier and pessimist, yet he shows great courage despite his fear when protecting his friends.  Elowen is lonely and in need of friendship so, when she meets Liska and Lug, she is excited to take part in a quest and proves a font of knowledge.  Together, they take on a formidable foe and show great courage and determination when faced with the unknown, working together in their quest to save their world.

My proof copy has a gorgeous map (which I love referring to) and exquisitely detailed chapter heading illustrations. I have seen the finished copy, and can’t wait to get my hands on a copy which I’m hoping will be in my local bookshop this weekend!

The Treekeepers is an exhilarating, unputdownable adventure of courage, friendship and hope in a battle of light over dark:  a true masterpiece of epic fantasy – and hopefully the start of a new series!

Thank you to Bethany Carter and Faber Children’s for providing me with a proof copy in exchange for my honest opinion.