Pia’s Pet Club: Puppy Problem is the first in a gorgeous new illustrated chapter book series, and what a delightfully charming, fun read it is!

After only three days, almost-nine-year-old Pia is already bored of the summer holidays which she is spending between her dad’s new flat and her mum’s terraced home after their recent separation. Pia absolutely adores animals and longs for a pet, something which neither of her parents will allow her to have, despite her best efforts at trying to persuade them.

Pia is busy putting up her pet posters in her bedroom in her Dad’s flat when she hears barking from outside … When she looks out and sees a boy from her year, Hari, in the communal garden with an adorable labrador puppy, she quickly goes to meet him. After helping untangle Hari from his puppy’s lead, he introduces her to both Luna, his six-month old puppy, and his older dog, Basset hound Raja. Friendly and chatty, Hari shares that his mum doesn’t like Luna as she is too disruptive and she has told him he has to train her before his Nani arrives for a visit from India. Hari only has four days left – and the training has not been successful! Luna, who is somewhat an expert in pets, offers to help train Luna and Hari readily agrees.

And so begins a fantastically funny, heart-warming adventure as Luna’s training doesn’t quite go to plan as her exuberant energy leads her, and Pia, into trouble. Pancake chaos, paint mayhem and so many more laugh-out-loud situations. Can Pia and Hari work together to train Luna before his Nani arrives or risk losing her? Can Pia help her other friends with training their pets and even form her own Pet Club?

This is an adventure that both young readers who already have pets, and those who want a pet, will adore as they follow an incredibly likeable young girl, Pia, as she forms new friendships and helps her friends with their pet problems. She understands the responsibility of looking after a pet and takes this seriously by preparing herself for pet ownership through reading about how to look after pets and watching shows about looking after them. She is hopeful that she will one day be allowed a pet and, in the meantime, is happy for her friends who have their own pets, helping them train them. I also really liked the focus on reasons as to why people might be more wary around pets which shows how important it is to be a responsible pet owner, and to offer reassurance to those who are more frightened around pets.

The illustrations throughout are just gorgeous and really complement the humour and warmth in this adventure as well as the strong bonds of family and friendship.

Paw-fect for young readers of 7+ who will be eager to become honorary members of Pia’s Pet Club as they follow her animal adventures in this hilarious, heart-warming series.

Thank you to Georgia at Usborne Books for sending me a copy of Pia’s Pet Club: Puppy Problem. It was my decision to read and review, and my review is my honest opinion.

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for the second hilarious adventure for the Narzat – and this one’s got pirates! Today, I’m sharing a post from the author, Luke Marchant, about his inspiration for including pirates in this new adventure for the Narzat.

What inspired me to write about pirates

Why are pirates so fascinating? Because they Arr!

If you haven’t said that line out loud in a suitably pirate-y voice, please go back and do it again. Go on. I’ll wait for you.

That’s better! You see, pirates are many things—dangerous, naughty, villainous, adventurous and more—but above all… they’re great fun! They are the ultimate rule-breakers, and the moment you see them turn up in a story, you know that there’s going to be trouble afoot. There’s something timeless about a brutal buccaneer.

I’d finished the Narzat and I’d been faced with a bit of a problem. The first book had two dastardly villains, and I needed someone or something that could match them in terms of danger and deviousness. Luckily, an answer passed my eyes that day.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking. What? You mean a pirate walked past you that day? Whatever! Well, in actual fact, hundreds of pirates passed me that day. You see, the Brixham Pirate Fest was happening that very week. Hundreds of pirates (or people dressed as pirates, it’s always hard to tell) were catching the bus, checking their phones or—in the case of one bearded gentleman— doing their hair in the reflection of a shop window. Apart from a range of spectacular costumes, there was something indescribably fun about a huge gaggle of pirates.

I had my answer. Why try to find two more dangerous villains, when I could have a whole crew of them? I’d always loved pirates and their adventures growing up—and the idea started to grow. I set about reading Treasure Island for further inspiration (as an aside, I love the links to Tarzan from the first book, so it was great to visit another classic adventure story for the sequel).

But, with this being the Jumble Jungle Wood, my pirates needed a bit of a twist. The image of a huge and ghostly pirate ship stalking across the tree-tops of the jungle-wood started to emerge, and the Shifting Shadow began to take shape. It was great fun creating the motley crew of Jungle Pirates themselves—some of them are downright fierce and fearsome (such as the mysterious Captain Carver, and the cunning Gloom Badger) and others are utter scoundrels (I doubt you’d want to run into the explosive ba-baboon or a giant tiger-gator on the high seas)! And maybe, just maybe, there’s more to some of them than meets the eye…

Above all, I wanted the jungle-pirates to be a group of baddies that readers (young and old) would remember—the type of villains that inspire laughter and booing alike. There’s something wonderfully fun about a real scoundrel.

And how do you know you are enjoying reading about these pirates? Because you Arr!

Thank you so much to Luke for providing me with this post and for Mikka at Everything with Words for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour.

Do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:

Finders of Silverthorn Forest is the first book in a new series about a secret world hidden within our own – an endearingly charming, magical adventure that completely enchanted me from start to finish.

Young Max is busy in his grandma’s garden at Pickwick Cottage, digging holes, trying to find something precious: his grandma’s memories box which she buried when she was 10 years old during a solar eclipse. She wants to find the time capsule and open it before the next solar eclipse which is only a few days away, something that now seems impossible as she has sold her cottage to move in with Max and his mum who have come to help her with the move.

Max can see his grandma’s disappointment when he hasn’t found her treasure in the garden so, when she tells him that she might have buried the time capsule under an old oak tree in the woods, and gives him a map to its location, he is determined to investigate …

Next morning, Max heads into the woods and finds the ancient oak tree which has a rope ladder leading into a treehouse. Climbing into the treehouse, he is surprised to find shelves of labelled items, and something he’d lost the day before. He is even more shocked when he hears footsteps approaching and someone climbs into the treehouse, and he meets Tuftorious Snook, a Finder who scavenges lost objects using his whiskers.

We Finders have what we call the Golden Rule: Finders Keepers.

Hoping that he can convince the other Finders to let Max go back to his grandma’s cottage, Tuft tells them that Max is a friend who they can trust not to reveal their secret existence in Silverthorn Forest. But when they discover that Max has broken an important Finder rule, they banish him from the forest and Tuft is tasked with taking him home.

The seeds of friendship have been sown between Max and Tuft over a cup of tea so, when Max asks him to help him find his grandma’s memory box, Tuft agrees to help, a decision that leads them into an adventure filled with danger, discoveries and daring deeds. And, when Max discovers that great danger threatens the existence of Silverthorn Forest, can he find the courage to save Tuft and the other Finders before time runs out?

I absolutely loved this adventure and adored the idea of hidden creatures living a secret life amongst humans, scavenging the things that humans have thrown away or lost and keeping them as treasures with a fantastic re-naming system or re-using them as much-loved items such as chipped teacups and mismatched footwear. I loved the environmental messages within the story about the importance of caring for the environment, re-using and re-purposing items and looking after our ancient woodlands. I hope that this is a story that will encourage young readers to get out into nature and explore its wonders … great treasures might just be waiting for them.

Max and Tuft are the most wonderful, adorable characters who quickly form a bond of friendship and mutual trust. I loved how kind-hearted and curious they are and how willing they are to support each other, including by bending the rules, when others are much more set in their ways.

The full-and-partial-page illustrations, including chapter headings and borders, are stunning and really capture the warmth and charm of this adventure perfectly. And there’s a map – always a perfect addition to a story!

This story is a treasure of a find, which will capture the imagination and hearts of young readers of 7+, as they venture into the forest to discover the most magical adventure.

Thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well April went quickly! This has been a much better reading month for me as I had most of the Easter holidays to catch up on my reading – and it’s a Bank Holiday weekend again!

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 18 books this month. My highlights were Shrapnel Boys, Inkbound and Dragonborn (middle-grade books) and The Crimson Moth (adult book).

NetGalley:

I have three books on my Netgalley shelf and, despite temptation, have only requested one book in April. My feedback ratio is at 98%.

Books sent by publishers:

I am grateful to have been sent 12 books by publishers this month.

Books Bought:

I’ve bought 6 books this month:

How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these? Have you any of them on your TBR?

The Boy in the Tree is a captivating, heartfelt story of family and connection, of the power of memories, of making a stand and finding the courage to accept the difficult changes that life may bring.

12-year-old Noah has struggled to settle in to secondary school and is constantly getting in to trouble which has resulted in him losing his best friend from primary school. Sitting outside the headmaster’s office during his latest detention, he overhears school prefect, Grace Whitlock, talking to the headmaster about starting a campaign to save the old oak tree on Waterford Avenue which is soon going to be cut down so that a new road can be built to provide access for new houses.

On his way home after detention, Noah goes to see the oak tree and is reminded of visiting it in happier times when his mum and dad were not constantly arguing. Noah makes a decision to become involved in the campaign to help save the oak tree even if it only has two members: himself and Grace – and she is not convinced that he is sincere. Noah proves her wrong when he takes his protest into the branches of the tree, refusing to come down until the tree is saved, but he is secretly hoping that his actions can also save his parents’ marriage.

It is not long before Noah attracts the attention of the media and suddenly the Boy in the Tree has become viral news. Can Noah’s protest protect the oak from determined council planners? Is there any hope that his actions can stop his parents from splitting up?

This is wonderful story of connection with nature as people are brought together through memories of the old tree, reminding them of its importance in the community. It is also a story of the power of activism and taking a stand for something you strongly believe in and Noah strongly believes in the importance of saving the tree and its ecosystem, especially since he has struck up a bond with the pigeon who is nesting there. Sometimes, it only takes one person to make a difference and lead the way so that others can find the confidence to follow their hearts and so an individual making a stand becomes a community coming together to make a difference.

Noah is an incredibly sympathetic young boy whose school life is affected by changes in his home life as he is struggling with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, something that he keeps to himself, perhaps because he hopes that they will never actually split up. He certainly hopes that his protest will bring them together, but what if change is sometimes for the better?

The illustrations throughout are absolutely stunning, and so expressive, from their depiction of a changing family life to the impact of environmental action on a community.

A beautifully told, empathetic story of family, environmental activism, and change for the better.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Shrapnel Boys is a blisteringly brilliant Second World War adventure that completely and utterly captured me from start to finish, a story that evoked so much emotion and now has a place in my heart forever. This is a definite book of the year for me and is one that I cannot recommend highly enough.

Two days before Britain’s Declaration of War, 12-year-old Ronnie, his younger brother Micky and best friend Lugs are happy to say goodbye to a rival gang in a way that sees them get a caning by headmaster, Mr Etherington. Whilst other children are being evacuated to the countryside for their safety, Ronnie’s mum cannot bring herself to send her boys – and neither would they have left her! Ronnie is the man of the house and is determined to take care of his mum and younger brother ever since his mum kicked her husband out two years before.

When war is declared on 3^rd September, Ronnie feels a sense of excitement and the anticipation of change. After spending time in the cupboard under the stairs after the first air raid warning, their neighbour, Vera, recommends a friend of her son’s to build them an Anderson shelter. And so Johnny Simmons enters the family’s lives …

Whilst Ronnie takes an instant dislike to Johnny, Micky and his mother seem happy to welcome him into their home. Micky is beyond excited when Johnny buys him a bike but, before long, he is doing jobs for his new friends and a divide is opening up between the brothers, with Micky becoming increasingly secretive and spending more and more time apart from his brother …

As war rages relentlessly on London with the Blitz raining nightly terror and destruction, Ronnie is facing his own battle at home, desperate to save his younger brother from the insidious influence of those intent on leading him into trouble, trouble that could have grave consequences for the war. The only time Micky freely gives Ronnie is when they, with friend Lugs, race to collect shrapnel as part of a competition with a rival gang. The shared experience of collecting shrapnel, with both the excitement and danger involved, works to bring both gangs together, but could they be facing greater danger from elsewhere?

This is a story that really hits hard and quite rightly so, but it is also absolutely appropriate for readers at the upper end of primary school and beyond and would open up so much powerful and much-needed discussion in classrooms and at home. It is a story that perfectly encapsulates both the terrifying nightly destruction of the Blitz but also the indomitable human spirit shown by many as they adjusted to a new way of life with resilience and a sense of togetherness despite the fear that must have hung over their daily lives.

But I think it is also so important to show the other side of human nature – the side that will exploit others for their own ends, those who will charm, manipulate and control and, if that doesn’t work, threaten and hurt. At times, this is not an easy story to read: it is one that has had a real impact on me, one that has shown me things I didn’t know, that has made me both tearful and angry but, my goodness, I think this is a powerful story for our time and shows the importance of learning lessons from history.

This is also a story of the strength of family and friendship and the enduring love between brothers and friends. Relationships are such an important part of this story from the protective bond Ronnie feels towards his mother to the sibling bond he has with Micky, who he is determined, and desperate, not to allow anyone to hurt and who he is prepared to take great risks for, and make sacrifices, to save. There is a reciprocal bond of sibling protection from Micky, even if Ronnie doesn’t always see it.

I absolutely adored the friendship between Ronnie and his best friend, Lugs, two young boys who clearly enjoy each others’ company, get up to mischief together and enjoy plenty of banter, but who always have each others’ back even when this involves great risk. They have an almost innate ability to sense when the other is struggling and are there for each other as their world implodes to hold each other together – such a positive counterpart to the more toxic relationship in this adventure. Two other relationships really stood out for me: Ronnie’s relationship with his headmaster, Mr Etherington and Lugs’ relationship with his feral cat, Tiger.

An astonishing story challenging the strength of the bonds of family and friendship when the world is raining down horror, hardship and harm … a profound, powerful and courageous story that deserves to sit with other classic war stories.

Thank you to Fritha Lindqvist and Usborne Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opionion.