This is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Girl Reader.  This week’s theme is Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020. I’ve had a really busy day with online teaching work, planning next week’s English and a project for a child in my class, so this is being posted late – but I really wanted to do this one! I’ve been lucky enough to have early access to some amazing books coming out later this year, so I have only included those which I’m unlikely to get to read before publication – it was so hard to choose as there are SO MANY amazing books being published later this year.

These are my Most anticipated middle-grade books coming out in the second half of the year.

I adored Nevermoor and this might just be the kick I need to read Wundersmith.

The Land of Roar was the first book I read to my class this year, and they and I loved it, although my Crowky voice was very strange!

I absolutely adored I, Cosmo last year which was told from an elderly golden retriever’s viewpoint. I hoped the author would write a story from a cat’s viewpoint and she has – kind of!

I loved the world of The Midnight Hour which was recommended by a boy in my class last year.

This is set in Singapore, and might have a ghost! It sounds wonderful.

I adored I Girl Called Owl which I read as part of my 20 Books of Summer Challenge last year, so was really excited to see that the author is releasing another book in this world. Her writing is just gorgeous.

I loved Pog and have Tin on my TBR. This one sounds incredible – dark, creepy and monsters.

The first book in this series, The Ghosts of Howlfair was one of my favourite reads last year – brilliantly written and laugh-out-loud funny. I was very excited to see that there will be more adventures with Molly Thompson.

OMG, I was ridiculously excited to see that Sophie has written another story. She is an absolute must-buy author. This one has portal magic and I can’t wait …

Kiran is another must-buy author for me. I’ve read her middle-grade, young-adult and adult books. This one is a return to middle-grade, and sounds incredible – set in an Italy ravaged by plague, a mother goes missing and her children escape from an orphanage, in search of the truth. This is going to be SO good.

What books are you looking forward to?

This gorgeous, heart-warming adventure, filled with magical imagination and quirky inventiveness, absolutely captured me from the opening lines, and kept me engrossed throughout as I ventured with Bronte on her many travels. 

A telegram arrives to inform ten-year-old Bronte Mettlestone that her parents have been killed by pirates.  Bronte’s parents had left her in the care of her Aunt Isabelle when she was a baby, but have left precise stipulations in their Will which Bronte must follow to the letter, or risk the destruction of her home town, Gainsleigh.  Bronte must travel throughout the Scattered Kingdoms and Empires – alone – to deliver small gifts to her other ten aunts.

So begins an amazing series of adventures filled with a rather eccentric assortment of Aunts and fantastical creatures from elves to water sprites to dragons. I really want to write about what happens when Bronte visits each of her Aunts, but I really think that is something each reader should enjoy discovering for themselves … and each adventure is an absolute treat!

I will say that, with each of her visits, Bronte has exciting adventures, makes discoveries or learns more about her family and some of their secrets.  I really loved reading about each of her adventures which are like mini-stories in themselves – humorous, exciting, dangerous and fascinating.  Each adventure is very cleverly woven into the fabric of the story to bring together a much bigger story involving family secrets, trickery and dark magic.

I found it really touching that each of the gifts which Bronte gives to her Aunts invoke treasured memories of Bronte’s parents which they share with her.   But do her parents have another motive for choosing each of the gifts?

The plot is masterfully woven and fabulously engaging, and took me on a series of richly imaginative adventures to a beautifully heart-warming conclusion.  I wasn’t expecting some of the twists about Bronte’s parents, and what Bronte discovers about herself.  I love when a story surprises me, and this one definitely did!

Bronte is the most wonderful, kind-hearted young girl, brought up to be very proper by her Aunt and Butler.  Secretly excited by the idea of an adventure, she is courageous and determined, but also humble.  These qualities, along with her sharp wit, curiosity and astute observations, help her overcome the difficulties she finds on her many adventures. 

This is a delightfully enchanting adventure which kept me utterly entranced as I journeyed with the wonderful Bronte on her ‘extremely inconvenient adventures’ to learn some incredible family truths whilst making new friends along the way. I was so excited when I saw that the second book in the series, The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars, is publishing later this 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!

On the morning of its first birthday, a baby was found floating in a cello case in the middle of the English Channel.

Any ideas?

I read The Wolf Wilder and The Explorer by Katherine Rundell. I’ve heard lots of wonderful things about Rooftoppers so I treated myself to this gorgeous new edition which was published on 28th May.

Goodreads Synopsis

Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has – the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers – urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie’s mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope.

Have you read this one? What did you think?

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:

One side of her parting was now the tangle-free silken ‘raven river’ as Nabil had named it, and that her twin Themba loved to twist around his fingers to get to sleep.

This book in three words:

FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, HOPE

This is an incredibly powerful and thought-provoking story which totally engrossed me right from the prologue which occurs 10 years before the main story 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.

This is an engrossing story of family, friendship and hope, set in deeply rooted themes of the effects of climatic change, societal injustice and an exploration of freedom, which captured me entirely. 

You can read my full review  HERE.

I am really looking forward to reading ‘When Secrets Set Sail’ which is due to be published on 20th August.

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 reading Sky Pirates: Echo Quickthorn and the Great Beyond. This is the fourth book on my 20 Books of Summer Challenge. I haven’t got more than a few chapters in, but I’m already loving it.

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I’ve finished the third book in my 20 Books of Summer Challenge, The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone which I absolutely loved. I’m currently writing my review. I also read a very cute early chapter book which I was sent for review: Mermaids Rock: The Floating Forest. I’ve finished listening to Runaway Robot on Borrowbox. This is the first book by Frank Cottrell-Boyce I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. The relationship between Alfie and the robot, Eric is great: full of warmth, fun and misunderstandings. This story is both funny and very heart-warming and had a few twists I wasn’t expecting. I think it would make a great class read aloud.

I’m planning to read The Titanic Detective Agency next. I read Guardians of the Wild Unicorns by Lindsay Littleson last year, and really enjoyed it so I’m looking forward to another of her books.

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

This is the second adventure in the gorgeously magical Mermaids Rock series, filled with playfulness, adventure and an appreciation of our wonderful underwater world.

Coralie and her friends dare each other to dive into the magic whirlpool at Mermaids Rock to be transported to any world ocean. When it is Coralie’s turn, she finds herself in a beautiful kelp forest where she discovers a treasure map in a bottle and befriends a playful young sea lion. Could trying to find the treasure be the start of another exciting adventure for the merfriends?

Returning to the kelp forest with her friends, they explore the natural wonder of this enchanting environment, befriend the inhabitants, and search for clues to locate the treasure. But, when a disaster strikes, they are determined to protect their new friends from dangerous predators …

The friends are fantastic: playful, charming and ready for adventure, but also appreciative of their environment, animal loving and keen to protect the ocean. They have lots of fun with their animal friends, and solve problems by working together.  They are keen to share their understanding of their environment, and the importance of ocean conservation, which is a brilliant way for young readers to learn lots of interesting facts through an engaging story.  There is a gentle conservation message given around the impact that plastic pollution has on ocean ecosystems, and the importance of looking after and protecting the ocean.

Coralie loves telling ocean-tastic jokes and there is a wonderful selection of jokes at the end of the book which are sure to bring giggles. There are also some fascinating facts about kelp forests and the creatures that live in this awesome environment.

I adored the gorgeously cute illustrations included throughout as whole and partial pages. This is a really fun and engaging read for young readers of 7+ who love magical adventures and learning facts through stories.

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

A Girl Called Justice:  The Smugglers’ Secret is an absolutely delightful return to Highbury House Boarding School with the eternally curious Justice Jones as she hunts down another mystery to solve, and finds herself caught in a web of intrigue that kept me utterly engrossed from start to finish. 

Justice Jones has returned to Highbury House after the Christmas break where she finds the new matron, Miss Robinson, sneaking around the School at night.  Her friend, the maid Dorothy, thinks there may be a mystery surrounding the matron, and Justice is in agreement.  What can she possibly be up to, sneaking into the basement which is out-of-bounds for the students?   Justice is determined to find out, even if this means breaking a few rules.

Meanwhile, the second-year students are expected to take part in the School’s Good Citizenship Programme which matches them with a villager who they can help.   Justice is assigned to visit Mr Arthur of Smugglers’ Lodge who wants her to read the newspapers as he is blind as a result of a war injury.  They develop a warm relationship with Mr Arthur revealing that he has returned to Smugglers’ Lodge as he seeks to be reunited with a relative, a relative Justice may be able to help him locate.  But when a terrible crime is committed, Justice finds herself caught up in a dangerous mystery to identify the culprit, and reveal the identity of Mr Arthur’s relative.

This is a truly engrossing mystery, filled with tension and excitement, which reveals tantalising clues, fascinating secrets and unexpected twists … a classic whodunnit which kept me on tenterhooks as I worked to unravel the clues.  

Highbury House Boarding School is richly depicted with a real Gothic feel: an isolated, marshland setting, cold rooms and horrible food, yet there is also a warmth and cosiness as the girls’ form friendship bonds and enjoy midnight feasts in their dorms. 

The atmosphere is brilliantly evoked throughout as the tension builds, fog rolls in and a storm brews … as the hidden history which connects the School and the Lodge is revealed, justice and answers are sought …

I wasn’t snooping, I was sleuthing …

Justice Jones is a brilliant and incredibly likeable young sleuth.  She is courageous, determined and curious and, with trusty journal in hand, once again turns her hand to solving a terrible crime.  She doesn’t care about the social conventions of 1930s Society, and fitting in with the popular girls. She surrounds herself with some wonderful friends who support her in her sleuthing, and help her feel a part of Highbury House.

This is an incredibly enjoyable mystery which utterly gripped me.  I really hope that Justice will have more adventures at Highbury House as I’d love to go sleuthing with her again.

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!

Corinne La Mer’s heart beat like wild drums as she ran through the forest. Her bare feet stumbled over the dead leaves and protruding roots of the forest floor. She strained her eyes in the dappled sunlight to keep track of the small, furry agouti that scampered away from her.

Any ideas?

When I saw this one as an option for the Book Club I am part of, I just had to get it – even if it doesn’t get chosen as our next read!

Goodreads Synopsis:

A spine-tingling tale rooted in Caribbean folklore that will have readers holding their breath as they fly through its pages. Corinne La Mer isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters parents make up to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest. Those shining yellow eyes that followed her to the edge of the trees, they couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they? When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger speaking to the town witch at the market the next day, she knows something unexpected is about to happen. And when this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, cooking dinner for Corinne’s father, Corinne is sure that danger is in the air. She soon finds out that bewitching her father, Pierre, is only the first step in Severine’s plan to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and save her island home. With its able and gutsy heroine, lyrical narration, and inventive twist on the classic Haitian folktale “The Magic Orange Tree,” The Jumbies will be a favorite of fans of Breadcrumbs, A Tale Dark and Grimm, and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

Have you read this? What did you think?

I’m currently reading The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone which is the third book for my 20 Reads of Summer Challenge. It’s a quirky read which I’m really enjoying so far although I am only a few chapters in.

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I’ve finished three audio books. I’ve been going out for early morning walks and have been listening to audio books so have finished more than I normally would! I’ve been listening to Howl’s Moving Castle for a couple of weeks as I drove to work. This is such a great fantasy with wonderful characters – it’s just so inventive. I had read some of the Chrestomanci series a good few years ago, and listening to Howl’s Moving Castle has made me want to go back to them. At the weekend, I listened to A Witch Come True which is the final book in the The Apprentice Witch series. This was a brilliant end to the series. I love the friendship between Arianwyn, Sally and Colin, and her devotion to Lull which is once again threatened. Arianwyn’s beloved Grandmother is abducted by a Council traitor, and she has to re-establish her relationship with her father, whilst also trying to protect her town. Arianwyn is one of my favourite characters in the many middle-grade fantasy series I have read as she is such a kind-hearted, good friend who, despite her feelings of uncertainty and not being good enough, is also fiercely independent and courageous. I was really eager to listen to Guy Bass read from his book Skeleton Keys and was really excited when his second book in the series, The Haunting of Luna Moon appeared on Borrowbox. I loved him reading his story which is full of such wonderful humour – it had me giggling as I walked along. I didn’t see the twist which I thought was great.

I also read an e-book and a paperback. I didn’t know much about Ethan’s Voice, but the synopsis caught my attention when scanning books on Borrowbox. It is a wonderfully poignant and heart-warming story of a young boy, Ethan, who lives on a canal boat with his mother and father. He has lost his voice and, after being bullied in school, is being home-educated. One day, he meets a young girl called Polly who has come to live on the canal with her mother after a family break-up. Polly’s acceptance of Ethan for who he is helps him begin to open up as he uses a note book to communicate with her. Their friendship is incredibly endearing. She helps Ethan confront the perceived trauma that has made him lose his voice … this is brilliantly done, and I really lived the tension with him as he faced his fears and demanded the truth. And the ending is just truly gorgeous! I’ve also read A Girl Called Justice: The Smugglers’ Secret. This is my second book for 20 Reads of Summer so I’ll be posting a review in the next few days.

I’m hoping to read Sky Pirates: Echo Quickthorn and the Great Beyond next which sounds like a really fun, adventurous read.