This is unusual for me, but I’m reading three books at the minute. I’m about a third of the way through Another Twist in the Tale which I’m still enjoying. I really like Baggage Jones and am wondering if she will appear in the story again. Twill is definitely having a hard time, but I love her resilience. The darker side of Victorian society is really well depicted. I’ve read about half of Explorers on Witch Mountain which is such a fun, adventurous read with a brilliant bunch of characters. I adore the jungle fairies . I love the writing style – it flows brilliantly and makes it so easy to get caught up in the magic of the adventure. I’m listening to Here in the Real World which is a complete change of pace. I haven’t got too far into it yet, but am definitely liking Ware and am eager to find out more about Jolene.

I read this absolutely incredible book over the weekend; it left me a blubbering wreck! This is one of the best children’s books I’ve ever read – and that is saying something considering how many wonderful books I’ve read. I’m still reeling from it, and will one hundred percent be buying the paperback when it is released and reading it again. I’ve started my review, and am trying to gather coherent thoughts on just how fantastic this is, and why everyone should read it. I will never understand how some people think children’s books are only for children. This book has helped me deal with very personal issues much more than a lot of adult books I’ve read, or any amount of talking I’ve done. This one is something special!

I’m loving Witch Mountain so much that I’m going to read the next book in the series, Explorers on Black Ice Bridge and How to be a Hero next.

What have you read this week? Have you read any of these?

What a perfect ending to this absolutely magical trilogy which is so brilliantly inventive and bursting with imaginative delights and utterly wonderful characters.  Delivery to the Lost City transported me on another exhilarating, action-packed adventure, full of wondrous events, danger, humour and a race against time to make a seemingly impossible delivery … an absolute treasure of a story.

Postal Operative Suzy is back at home after her last adventure aboard the Impossible Postal Express, but she doesn’t want it to be her last.  She is keen to convince her over-protective parents to put their trust in her and allow her to make further deliveries.  What better way to reassure them that making postal deliveries in the Impossible Places is perfectly safe than over dinner with her troll friends Stonker, Fletch and Wilmot not to mention Ursel, the firewoman bear?  Unfortunately, the best laid plans can go awry which is exactly what happens when Wilmot gets an urgent message from the Ivory Tower.

The crew of the Impossible Possible Express are soon charged with their most important delivery to date, a delivery that way well prove to be both impossible and their last as they must deliver it to an address that no longer exists!  What must they deliver?  Just an overdue book!  But there’s a problem:  The Book of Power is alive and has magical powers, allowing it to devour all the words from books around it, draining the great Library in the Ivory Tower of knowledge.  I can’t imagine a worst nightmare for a book lover and can totally understand the urgency in getting it to its destination …

So begins an exciting, edge-of-your-seat adventure to find a Lost City as the crew take on their most difficult delivery, a Gold Stamp Special Delivery.  They are nothing if not dedicated and are absolutely determined to fulfil their mission, even as it leads them into dangerous places, through incredible twists and revelations:  it’s a mission that will require all their ingenuity, courage and teamwork. 

This story is just brilliant from start to finish.  It absolutely engrossed me and took me on an incredibly imaginative adventure with characters who feel like old friends.  There is always something really comforting in returning to a world that I know and viewing it with fresh eyes as I explore another layer to it with familiar characters.  I also really liked that Suzy’s parents get to see the incredible world that Suzy has become an important part of, and that they get to see another side to their daughter.

I must add that the illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino are absolutely gorgeous and really capture the magical quality of this wonderful adventure.

This is an incredibly popular series in my class as I have a few of the first two books in this series in my class library which are never on the shelves.  Its really wonderful to hear the children recommending this series to each other.  I can’t wait to add this final book as I already have eager young readers keen to read it. 

Thank you to Toppsta and the Usborne Publishing for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m currently reading Another Twist in the Tale which I’m really enjoying. I haven’t got very far into it yet, but I love the idea of a twin sister to Oliver Twist who has been separated from him. She is a great character, so I’m looking forward to seeing where the story takes me!

I’ve finished reading A Tangle of Spells which is the third book in A Widdershins Adventure series, and it is utterly brilliant! I so adore these three sisters! This book is probably the darkest of the books and takes them away from their home as they move to a new village. This is due to be published on 4th February, so I’ll post my review soon. I’ve also read a short story by the brilliant Emma Carroll. It is a short read, published by the brilliant Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly books. I adored the friendship which develops between Fran, who is the daughter of the Head Gardener at Longbarrow House, and the owner’s grandson, Leo. This story is set just before the onset of the First World War, but has other historical links too as the children explore connections between objects in the garden found and the past and present. A wonderful read with an intriguing premise!

I’ve been lucky enough to be approved to read The Shark Caller on NetGalley, so I think I’m going to lose myself in this over the weekend.

Dragon Detective:  That’s a Wrap is aptly named as it wraps up this wonderful series in perfect style:  with fast-paced adventure, oodles of humour and a frisson of danger.  This can be read as a standalone, and is perfect for younger readers of fun-filled, exciting mysteries. 

Holly Bigsby has been grounded for her entire summer holidays so imagine her relief and excitement when her Mum, who works for billionaire Brant Buchanan, is invited on a work-trip to LA – and she gets to go too! 

The family have not long arrived in LA before Holly makes a worrying discovery, and one that will require the help of her rather unusual – but utterly brilliant – friend, Dirk Dilly, dragon detective extraordinaire.  What disaster must be averted at all costs?  Only the possibility that dragonkind could be exposed to humanity!  Unfortunately, a pair of Desert Dragons have been captured on film by a famous movie director and, even worse, the film has disappeared … will Holly and Dirk be able to catch the thieves and retrieve the footage before the bickering stars of the film become the talk of Hollywood?

Oh my goodness!  The intrigue … the twists … the laughs:  I’m still giggling at the visit to the theme park where Dirk isn’t fooling anyone that he’s a dinosaur, and the alien cat conspiracy – genius!  I adored all the twists and revelations in this fast-paced, clever mystery as Dirk and Holly use their ingenuity to follow the trail of the stolen film which leads them to a deeper problem and both old and new enemies.  Without spoilers, I loved how the threads of a much bigger plot come together; how we as readers are led on a merry chase to discover who the culprits are; and, the Hollywood movie-making vibes sprinkled throughout as a famous director is making a rather disastrous movie with a precocious child-star already known to Holly.  These threads are woven together with brilliant imagination, pace and wit which kept me turning pages to see how Dirk and Holly solved the mystery. 

I loved the easy and comfortable friendship between Dirk and Holly who are, by now, old hands at the sleuthing business!  Dirk really reminds me of a debonair, laid-back detective from an old black-and-white film (drinking his orange and blackcurrant squash neat) and being master of the witty one-liners, so it is just perfect that he ends up in Hollywood.  There were some very touching moments between them that were just perfect. 

I must admit though that my favourite characters are the absolutely fantastic Desert Dragons, Putz and Kitelsky who are the unwitting stars of the missing film. They are territorial, tetchy and argumentative and, dare I say it, perhaps not the brightest duo around.  They leap into situations without thinking but deep, deep down, they have hearts of gold (probably) and I like to think a little burning flame is flaring in Putz which will help him reach his ambition of being able to generate fire as well as poison.  The other character who I adored is Mrs Klingerflim, Dirk’s elderly landlady who is somewhat of a dragon expert having helped her husband study, and create a definitive guide, to dragonkind. 

This is a fantastically exciting, fun and fast-paced adventure that I can’t wait to share with my class as, I have no doubt, they will love it as much as I have.  A perfect wrap-up to a brilliant series. 

Thank you to Charlie and Little Tiger for an early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I can’t believe it’s time to wrap-up another month – and year! It was not the year I expected, but I feel grateful to have coped and to have my husband with me who is my ultimate support. He makes me smile when I want to cry; has listened to me complain and explode on many an occasion; but, most importantly, he has played computer games and left me to read in peace! :-). There have definitely been lows with the loss of my Dad in April and my sister being hospitalised in November. But there have also been highs. Being back in the classroom in September after so long teaching online during lockdown was definitely a high as was the support from colleagues in school. I’ve got a brilliantly wonderful and supportive team who have helped me survive this past term. Whilst I want to be back in class teaching, this is the first time I’ve actually felt sad and scared as cases are rising so quickly but I’m not going to think about that … instead, I’m going to be spending New Year’s Eve drinking champagne and facetiming with my sister in Ireland.

Goodreads Challenge:

I managed to read more than the 120 books I’d set as my target. I feel very lucky to have found the time to read so many wonderful books this year, and I really hope to be able to continue this next year.

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 11 books this month which includes 8 physical books and 3 e-books.

Physical books read:

e- books read:

NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is currently at 89%. This month I’ve only requested one book, A Tangle of Spells which is one of my most anticipated books for 2021.

Books bought:

Despite the fact that I was put on a book-buying ban by my husband (as he was getting me books for Christmas), I still managed to buy 8 books – don’t know how that happened! The first five are not released until 7th January but I managed to get my hands on early copies from my local Waterstones. I also managed to buy a couple of adult books!

Christmas gifts:

I was rather spoiled for books by my husband this Christmas – some were on my wish list and some he managed to surprise me with. I got a mixture of adult and middle-grade books, all of which I’m very much looking forward to reading in the New Year.

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• October, October by Katya Balen
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
• 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
• Leo’s Map of Monsters by Kris Humphrey and illustrated by Pete Williamson
• Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge (this was by Reading Rocks Secret Santa)
• The Creature Keeper by Damaris Young
• The Nowhere Emporium by Ross McKenzie
• Owl and the Lost Boy by Amy Wilson

Right, I’m off to start with Prosecco and then move to champagne. Wishing all of the wonderful bloggers who visit my little Blog a Happy New Year! I appreciate your support and comments more than you can imagine – thank you!

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:

FOR A WHILE after the witch drew her final breath the ghost sat very still, wondering what to do next.

This book in three words:

MALAY FOLKLORE, GHOSTS, FRIENDSHIP

I’ve read a few really brilliant spooky middle-grade books this year which genuinely scared me including The Haunting of Aveline Jones, Small Spaces and The Jumbies. The Girl and the Ghost is another fantastic addition to my list of spooky, scary children’s books.

This is an incredibly powerful and gripping story which I absolutely adored and devoured in a couple of sittings. It is based on the Malaysian folktale of the pelesit which I knew nothing about, but I did enjoy finding out more during reading the book and in some of my own research afterwards, especially how pelesits are created as the story of how it was made in this book shocked me, but it also made the discovery of something else about the pelesit (no spoilers) towards the end of the book incredibly poigant.

This is a story of love, jealousy and enduring friendship and is both chilling and heart-warming. Suraya becomes the master of her witch grandmother’s pelesit after her death. The pelesit feeds on her blood and she becomes his master, although he definitely makes hos own decisions as well.

Suraya names the pelesit Pink and they become firm friends, especially as Suraya does not have friends of her own and is cruelly bullied by others. This is something that Pink can’t bear and so he seeks revenge showing his dark spirit. Suraya is a kind-hearted girl who doesn’t want anyone hurt so commands him to stop, but this goes against his nature. Pink’s inner fight with himself, struggling to go against his nature, is beautifully written and I found this very touching, especially with the incredible twist.

When a new girl, Jing, joins the school, Suraya makes a friend which makes Pink jealous and drives a rift between the two. However, when Pink is in danger, jealousies and pain are forgotten and their deep friendship and love for each other leads them, with Jing, on a journey to find the truth and save Pink.

This is a powerful, heartfelt and dark read with a twist that brought tears. I didn’t know anything about Malay folklore so the origins of the pelesit came as a shock. This is one I would highly recommend for anyone interested in Malay folklore and for mature children in Year 6 and above.

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!

The Forest of Moon and Sword is a fascinating historical adventure set during the English Civil War which centres on the persecution of women who practised herblore, and one courageous girl’s determination to fight back in order to save someone she loves.

It is June 1647 and twelve-year-old Art Flynt is hiding alongside her mother and a small group of other women who have been accused of witchcraft when they are discovered by the Witchfinder General’s soldiers.  Art escapes and witnesses the cruelty of the soldiers towards the accused women.  She discovers that her mother will be taken far from her Scottish home to Essex where she will be executed with many others at the summer solstice.  She has promised her mother that she will stay with her Aunt in Scotland, but this is a promise that Art is unable to keep …

Feeling the strength of hatred and prejudice against the accused women in her community, Art makes a determined and courageous decision to travel to Essex, disguised as a boy, and rescue her mother, but she only has eight days before the summer solstice:  will she be able to make the perilous journey, avoid discovery and save her mother before it is too late?

Stories about witchcraft in its historical context both fascinate and horrify me.  I thought that the blend of historical fact, air of mystery and building of tension worked really well.  The sense of injustice, hatred and prejudice against these women who helped in their community as herbalists and healers permeates the story.

It is into this world that Art undertakes her rescue mission, showing great inner strength, courage and determination.  I really liked that there is a thread of other-worldly mystery woven into the story as well as the historical background of Matthew Hopkins relentless hunt for witches during the English Civil War. 

On her journey, Art rescues a young girl accused of witchcraft and they soon become firm friends.  Mercy proves herself to be a loyal and true friend who is willing to take great risks to help Art in her daring and dangerous rescue mission.  The friends also meet a boy called Elijah, but will he prove to be friend or foe?

This is a powerful, exciting and immersive historical adventure where fierce, daring girls fight against the prejudice and hatred being shown towards those they love. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I’m just about to start A Tangle of Spells which is definitely one of my most anticipated reads for 2021. I definitely feel the need to escape into another adventure with the Widdershin sisters!

I’ve actually read an adult book! And what fantastic book it was! The Once and Future Witches completely and utterly captured me from start to finish. It is such a powerful story that for me really honed in on the strength, endurance, love and friendship of a group of women who stood up to the inequalities and discrimination levied against them. I loved the use of traditional rhymes and fairy tales as spells and the ‘realness’ of the witchcraft; the fairy tale elements were brilliantly woven into the story. All three sisters, Juniper, Agnes and Bella were all fantastic characters, torn apart by cruelty and seeming betrayal and brought back together through the call of witchcraft and sisterhood. My heart broke for them, sang for them and worried endlessly for them even though they were such resilient characters. Even though I know this is a fantasy story, it was so real for me and made me feel so much emotion: anger, pride, worry, fear, hope. An unforgettable story that still has me thinking about it.

I also read an e-book of The Girl and the Ghost on Borrowbox. This is an incredible story which I absolutely loved. It is based on the Malaysian folktale of the pelesit. This is a story of love, jealously and enduring friendship and is both chilling and heart-warming. Suraya becomes the master of her witch grandmother’s pelesit after her death. She names him Pink and they become firm friends especially as Suraya does not have friends of her own and is cruelly bullied by others. This is something that Pink can’t bear and so he seeks revenge showing his dark spirit. Suraya is a kind-hearted girl who doesn’t want anyone hurt so commands him to stop. When a new girl, Jing, joins the school, Suraya makes a friend which makes Pink jealous and drives a rift between the two. However, when Pink is in danger, jealousies and pain are forgotten and their deep friendship and love for each other leads them, with Jing, on a journey to find the truth and save Pink. This is a powerful, heartfelt and dark read with a twist that brought tears. I didn’t know anything about Malay folklore so the origins of the pelesit came as a shock. Definitely one for the top end of middle-grade.

I’ve just finished Dragon Detective: That’s a Wrap which was a really fun mystery as Holly and Dirk head to LA to stop the existence of dragonkind being revealed to an unsuspecting world. This will be published in 7th January, so I will post a review before then.

I have so many books to read that it’s really hard to choose! I think I’ll go for Another Twist in the Tale next.

Have you read any of these? What have you read this week?

This is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Girl Reader.  This week’s theme is  Favorite Books of 2020. I read mostly middle-grade, so I’ve made my selection from the 134 middle-grade books I’ve read this year, and I must admit, it was NOT easy as I’ve been so lucky to read so many amazing books this year. These are in no particular order and are mostly fantasy as that is where my heart lies with reading.

What an absolutely superbly spine-tingling story!  The Haunting of Aveline Jones is a satisfyingly chilling, tension-filled and eerily atmospheric story, and is the perfect read for a cold, dark evening. I absolutely loved this story which is just a really brilliant ghost story. I can’t wait for the next in the series.

Darkwhispers is the absolutely gripping sequel to Brightstorm where we once again join the Brightstorm twins and the crew of The Aurora on another action-packed, thrilling adventure, but this time into the heart of the jungle, on a mission to rescue Ermitage Wrigglesworth, a famous explorer who has gone missing. Vashti Hardy is an absolute must-buy author for me; I can’t wait to read her next two books, Harley Hitch and the Iron Forest (out in April) and Crowfall (out in July).

I loved the first adventure to Eerie-on-Sea, Malamander and Gargantis is even better. This is a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat adventure to discover the truth of an intriguing ancient legend … a superb mystery that kept me on tenterhooks throughout, trying to second guess the ever-twisting plot, which was just as electric as the storm.  I cannot recommend this highly enough, and can’t wait for the next legend of Eerie-On-Sea to unfold. Shadowghast is being released in September, and I can’t wait to return to Eerie-on-Sea to solve another mystery with the wonderful Herbie and Violet.

Boy, Everywhere is such a powerful story that utterly captured me, broke me and opened my eyes. This tells the story of Sami and his family who become refugees in order to escape their home city of Damascus after a bombing. They lose so much in order to make a harrowing journey which is heart-breaking to read. The courage, strength and resilience shown by the family is incredible. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

The Midnight Guardians is an exciting, heart-warming and humorous adventure which seamlessly blends history and fantasy into an unforgettable, magical story. I adored the three Guardians who are Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life. It has the feel of a classic and is one I will definitely want to re-read.

I have loved all of Sophie Anderson’s books and The Castle of Tangled Magic is no exception. This is an intricate, magical and truly beautifully told story that transported me to a world I didn’t want to leave, a world inspired by Slavic folklore and daring adventure where family and friendship triumph, and where the goodness in others overcomes prejudice and fear.  The ending brought the biggest smile of contentment I think I’ve ever experienced on finishing a book – sheer perfection!

I am such a huge fan of Kiran Millwood Hargrave stories, and have loved all of them and dare I say it: this one is now my favourite. The writing is exquisite and completely and utterly drew me into this richly drawn world. This story is breath-taking and took me on an incredible journey filled with danger, secrets and revelations above and beneath the city. It flows beautifully just like the hidden river within, and captured me completely. It both chilled my heart and warmed my soul. This is a story of love, of family, of forgiveness and hope. There is a perfect composition of darkness and light, played through the words of a master storyteller.

A Kind of Spark is such a powerful story which I really couldn’t put down and devoured in a single sitting. There was definitely tears, anger and frustration but also an overwhelming admiration for Addie. She is the most inspirational young autistic girl who is determined to fight for a memorial to commemorate the women who were killed as witches in her town. The Finally, on Empathy Day, I read A Kind of Spark which is such a powerful story which I really couldn’t put down. There was definitely tears. Addie is the most inspirational young autistic girl who is determined to fight for a memorial to commemorate the women who were killed as witches in her town. The parallels between how she is treated and how the witches were treated are brilliantly drawn, and I so loved that she had the inner strength and determination to fight for what she so strongly believed in.

Wundersmith is exhilarating, brimming with action, tension and some dark moments.  I loved the relationships between Morrigan and her patron, Jupiter who believes in her goodness, and with her loyal friend Hawthorne who adds some lightness to the darker tone of some of this story. This book absolutely epitomises the wonder that comes from a story that immerses the reader in an incredible reading experience, and transports them into a world which they don’t want to leave behind.  I now need to read Hollowpox!

Jungledrop is an exhilarating, magical adventure brimming with action, excitement and warmth which is set in a stunning glow-in-the-dark rainforest.  It is the second book in the Unmapped Chronicles series after the equally superb Rumblestar. This is an absolute must-read: a heart-warming magical fantasy that swept me into an incredible, action-packed adventure in a sumptuously rich world, and kept me enthralled throughout and left me, as always, in awe of Abi’s sheer story-telling brilliance!

Have you read any of these? What have been your favourite reads this year?

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:

It looked like she’d been all over London picking up stray bits of Christmas.

This book in three words:

GIRL-POWER, CHRISTMAS, CAROLS!

For my last MG Takes on Thursday, I’m celebrating one of my favourite Christmas books which I have loved reading to my class who adored it just as much as I did!

If you thought you knew the origins of Santa Claus, think again!  Bursting with warmth, humour, friendship and adventure, Tinsel is an absolute joyous story, and one I loved reading to my class who adored it. I loved that some couldn’t wait for me to finish it, so got their own copy. One boy in my class even told our Book Penpal author that this was his favourite book this year.

This story completely entranced me, wrapping me in a cosy blanket of warmth and joy as I adventured with Blanche to a magical and snowy North Pole.  I met wonderful new friends (the many Carols and Eggnog the fir tree are joyous – and they gave me so many laughs!).  I discovered just how easily the truth of Santa’s origins have been misunderstood:  a mean-spirited villain with a penchant for controlling the news, tinsel-mail, and just a little completely unintentional elfish error …

Tinsel is a perfect read to snuggle up with at Christmas and I have no doubt will fill every reader with festive cheer:  heart-warming friendships, exciting adventure, wonderfully funny, and a brilliantly imagined origin story with such inventive twists on many Christmas traditions.  Bliss!

You can read my full review here.

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!

As this will be my last post before Christmas, I’d just like to wish everyone who has visited my Blog over the year a wonderfully relaxing Christmas/holiday period.