I am really excited to have been given the opportunity by Rachel’s Random Resources to take part in my first ever cover reveal for Babushka is Homesick on behalf of the author Carola Schmidt. The picture book is illustrated by Vinicius Melo.

Synopsis

Babushka hadn’t been in her homeland since she was a child. She went to the church with a suitcase, and the whole way, Babushka thought about how she would feel in Ukraine after so many years. She sang, and then she prayed. Amen. But Babushka was thinking of her trip instead of the Lord’s grace. After a long time pondering what to expect—if she would feel a sense of belonging—Babushka arrived in her homeland. Babushka had a lot of fun, but she felt like something was missing. She was homesick. “Babushka is Homesick” is a story about memories, family, and the true meaning of the word “home.”

“Babushka is Homesick” is the second children’s book in the Babushka Series. Everyone has their own stories, history, and the desire to belong. The first book, “Tell me a story, Babushka,” is a best-selling new release in Children’s Multicultural Literature on Amazon USA (Aug 2019), in which kids and adults will enjoy fun adventures and identify their own stories.

This folktale is ideal for ages 4-11 and perfect for teachers.

Purchase Links:

US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0848BP2SH

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0848BP2SH

The cover …

I love the large, colourful title completed as a sign, the travel references and the character illustrations which are perfect for a folktale.

About Carola Schmidt

Pediatric Oncology Pharmacist & award-winning author. Author of children’s multicultural literature, such as Babushka Series, and children’s books about cancer, such as Chubby’s Tale: The true story of a teddy bear who beat cancer, and Bald is Beautiful: A letter for a fabulous girl. Springer Nature author with several scientific books published on pediatric oncology.

Social media links:

Twitter: @_CarolaSchmidt and @LovelyBabushka

Facebook: @MyLovelyBabushka

January always seems like a long month, and this year was no different! I think its the settling back into routine after the wonderful long Christmas break. It definitely felt like more than 31 days! I did, however, manage to get lots of reading done this month, but didn’t buy nearly as many books as I usually do!

Books Read (includes paperback, e-books and audiobooks)

I’ve managed to read 20 books in January: 13 paperback, 2 e-books and 5 audiobooks.

Paperbacks:

I was sent Orion Lost, Brightstorm and Darkwhispers by the publishers to review for a Review site. I won The Snowman and The Strangeworlds Travel Agency from a review site. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was loaned to me by a child in school as she thought I would enjoy it – and I did! Letters from the Lighthouse was loaned to me by a teaching friend at work. The Girl with the Dragon Heart, Milton the Mighty and Boot were chosen from my TBR. I bought The Boy Who Grew Dragons, Charlotte’s Web and The Monster in the Lake.

e-books

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I was approved to read Tiger Heart on NetGalley and was invited to take part in the Blog Tour for Below.

Audiobooks

As part of my Bookish Resolutions, I decided I was going to try to listen to audiobooks, but I thought this was the resolution I was most likely to fail on! Boy was I wrong! I’ve started using Borrowbox from my local library to listen to audiobooks to and from work, and I’m loving it.

Books bought:

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I bought 5 books in January which is not a lot for me! I bought the Puffin cloth bound version of Charlotte’s Web as I want to read more children’s classics this year, and this was a lovely edition. I’ll definitely be getting more in this collection. I bought The Boy Who Grew Dragons as I have chosen its author, Andy Shepherd, as one of our Authors of the Term. I’ve also bought lots of copies for lower school class libraries. I adored Louie Stowell’s The Dragon in the Library, so just had to buy The Monster in the Lake as soon as it was released. I’ve also bought two adult books this month – for a change! Both The Near Witch and Things in Jars sound amazing: mention witches or gothic to me and I’m already sold!

Books received for review:

I’ve received 10 books for review in January: 6 physical copies, 3 approvals on NetGalley and 1 e-book for a Blog Tour. I am always extremely grateful when I receive books from publishers whether that be via NetGalley, Blog Tour operators, review sites or publicists.

Physical books:

e-books

I loved the first two books in the Starchild series so was really pleased to be invited on the Blog Tour for the third book in the series: The Healing Stone. The books I currently have for review on NetGalley are The Keeper of Lost Cities, Viper’s Daughter and The House of Hidden Wonders.

January Reviews:

I posted 8 reviews on my Blog in January:

1. Tiger Heart by Penny Chrimes
2. Orion Lost by Alastair Chisholm
3. The Monster in the Lake by Louie Stowell
4. Where the World Turns Wild by Nicola Penfold
5. The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis
6. Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll
7. Milton the Mighty by Emma Read
8. A Sprinkle of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison

Have you read any of these books? How has your reading month been?

It’s my turn on the FFBC blog tour for this wonderful book! Thank you the author and Wolf Publishing for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Huge thanks to the Fantastic Flying Book Club for inviting me to take part in this blog tour.

This is an absolute stunning, intense and painful story which had me gripped from the beginning, leading me on a journey which both chilled and warmed me … the writing is powerful, poetic and unrelenting.  Based on Inuit mythology, this is a story that both fascinated and challenged me.

Apaay loses her younger sister, Eska, on the day her face is stolen by the feared Demon, known as the Face-Stealer, leaving her lost and without an identify.  Apaay resolves to find the Demon and reclaim Eska’s face, and so begins the most incredible redemptive quest, borne out of love, guilt and family loyalty which takes Eska through the harsh landscape of the North to the labyrinthine world of the in-between to face the most terrible captor who plays the cruellest games.  Yuki plays to win, but will Apaay have the strength and resolve to beat the master at her own game?  Will she stop allowing herself to be defined by what others think of her and find the strength to be wholly herself?

I was blown away by the depth of this narrative:  the intricate plot developments, the rich complexity of the world-building but, most of all, by the honesty of the characterisation which took me on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the story so that, even now, I am trying to justify my emotional response to Yuki; my mixed feelings towards the Face-Stealer; but, what I have no doubt of, is that I am in awe at the strength and courage shown by Apaay.   

Yuki, who appears as a young girl, exudes negative emotions and is a whirlwind of cruelty, jealousy, pain, hatred and loss.  She craves love, but has been so emotionally damaged by events in her past that she is unable to show kindness towards others. 

Apaay is an incredible young girl who completely captured my heart.  At times, I found her treatment unbearable, but was then in awe of how she handled everything that was thrown at her.  Her strength lies in her love of family and friendships; in her ability to recognise and accept herself even through her self-doubt and guilt; and in her fierce loyalty and love which allows her to survive despite heart-breaking pain. 

The battle of wills, and struggle for control, between Yuki and Apaay is masterfully portrayed and kept me both eagerly anticipating their next meeting, but also dreading its outcome …

For me, the Face-Stealer, Numiak, is a real enigma and I have such mixed feelings towards him.  He is locked in an endless battle with Yuki, committing heinous acts against innocent people at her behest.  That should be enough to make me detest him, but there is more to him and, I must admit, I found his story arc fascinating, and my reaction to him was so divided.  I had no difficulty in compartmentalising my feelings for Yuki into the ‘hate her’ category, but I couldn’t quite get there with … I definitely struggled with how he created a dichotomy of feelings within me, but maybe that is exactly what is intended.

This is an incredibly powerful story which completely enthralled me, and definitely makes me want to follow Apaay on the next part of her journey.

Alexandria Warwick is the #1 fan of Avatar: The Last Airbender. She is the author of The Demon Race and the upcoming North series.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15371632.Alexandria_Warwick

Website: http://www.alexandriawarwick.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandriawarwick/

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!

A WHITE SILENCE blanketed the land. Newly fallen snow, hushed. Pure, crystalline ice hardening against the pale bark of the trees. The chilled air that swelled with the slow, sleeping breaths of a world that had yet to wake. And a girl cloaked in heavy furs, waiting.

Any ideas?

I loved this young adult, dark fantasy which is a really powerful, engrossing story. I will be posting my review tomorrow as part of a Blog Tour.

Goodreads Blurb:

From the author of The Demon Race comes a YA dark fantasy series inspired by Inuit mythology.

In the heart of the frigid North, there lives a demon known as the Face Stealer. Eyes, nose, mouth—nothing and no one is safe. Once he returns to his lair, or wherever it is he dwells, no one ever sees those faces again. When tragedy strikes, Apaay embarks on a perilous journey to find her sister’s face—yet becomes trapped in a labyrinth ruled by a sinister girl named Yuki. The girl offers Apaay a deal: find her sister’s face hidden within the labyrinth, and she will be set free. But the labyrinth, and those who inhabit it, is not as it seems. Especially Numiak: darkly beautiful, powerful, whose motives are not yet clear. With time slipping, Apaay is determined to escape the deadly labyrinth with her sister’s face in hand. But in Yuki’s harsh world, Apaay will need all her strength to survive. Yuki only plays the games she wins.

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.      What are you currently reading?

2.      What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

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I started Darkwhispers just after finishing Brightstorm, the first sky-ship adventure. I’m really enjoying the Brightstorm twins’ next adventure and re-joining the brilliant crew of The Aurora. I’ve also just started listening to A Little Princess on audio.

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I’ve finished three audiobooks this week, all of which I’ve really enjoyed. The Boy Who Fooled the World was amazing! I adored Cole who is an incredibly likeable boy who makes some poor choices, but for the very best reasons. This is superb writing. I’ve bought three copies of this for our school library as I think it will really appeal to a lot of the children. I hadn’t heard of Bone Hollow but the blurb intrigued me – I am so glad I listened to this one. The relationship between Gabe, Wynne and Ollie (Gabe’s dog) is just wonderful and so beautiful and heartfelt. This premise of this story completely gripped me, but it was the characters who made it so powerful. I also listened to The Little Prince which is about a little boy who leaves his own tiny planet to travel to other planets, including Earth. His observations are fascinating and really gave me food for thought – this was a clever story – and really rather poignant!

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I also read three paperbacks this week. I loved The Strange Worlds Travel Agency which is a brilliant magical adventure which uses portal magic (suitcases) to travel to other worlds which are beautifully described. The two main characters, Jonathan and Flick are just wonderful. I will be posting my review closer to publication (April). I also read Boot which was adorable. It is the story of a little robot who only has two and a half memories, but he is determined to use them find his owner, convinced that he was sent to the scrapyard in error. Along the way, he makes some wonderfully supportive friends, but he is also being chased by a very nasty character! Finally, I re-read the incredible Brightstorm which is a truly amazing adventure. The twins, Arthur and Maudie Brightstorm are determined to find out what happened on their father’s doomed expedition to South Polaris so join the crew of The Aurora on their own expedition where there is adventure, danger, discoveries … and thoughtwolves! I cannot recommend this one highly enough!

I was sent a proof of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates (publishing April) along with 30 sampler chapters which I will share with my class. This story sounds like it will be a lot of fun – with heart!

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!

I read the sign again, glowing in front of me:

Type of organism: human female

Origin: Earth

Age: about twelve years

This brand new exhibit will be introduced to the wider Earth Zone exhibition when emotional stability has been achieved.

Any ideas?

I was lucky enough to be sent this one for review, and having read the first page, I’m already hooked. Just need to finish my other review commitments first!

Goodreads Synopsis:

A small village in the wilds of Northumberland is rocked by the disappearance of twelve-year-old Tammy. Only her twin brother, Ethan, knows she is safe – and the extraordinary truth of where she is. It is a secret he must keep, or risk never seeing her again. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to give up. Together with his friend Iggy and the mysterious (and very hairy) Hellyann, Ethan teams up with a spaceship called Philip, and Suzy the trained chicken, for a nail-biting chase to get his sister back… that will take him further than anyone has ever been before. A remarkable story of sibling connection, friendship and interstellar adventure.

A Sprinkle of Sorcery is the absolutely irresistible, and most welcome, return to the Poacher’s Pocket and the lives of the Widdershin sisters and their wonderfully crotchety, straight-talking, protective Granny.  This unforgettable, thrilling adventure captivated me just as much as my introduction to these incredible girls in the equally amazing A Pinch of Magic. 

Betty Widdershin discovers a pitiful, frightened young girl, who introduces herself as Willow, and who brings with her a will-o-the-wisp from the marshes. Despite being wary and scared herself, Betty is unable to resist helping someone in need, so aides Willow in hiding from those hunting her.  Betty’s decision leads to terrible consequences, and a deeply felt guilt, as her young sister Charlie goes missing.

Determined to find their young sister, Betty, her older sister Fliss, alongside Willow, leave The Poacher’s Pocket and find themselves venturing in search of the truth behind some old legends, aboard their trusty boat, as they seek out clues not only to save Charlie, but also to help Willow in her own determined mission to seek justice for a loved one. 

Their action-packed adventure leads them from a breath-taking encounter with pirates to a search for a hidden island … through periods of great danger and tension to heart-pounding revelations and towards new friendships.

The Widdershin sisters epitomise the heart-warming, strong bond of sisterhood.  I adored the genuine relationship between the girls:  full of warmth, honesty and love, their unbreakable bond giving them the strength to overcome fear, and show incredible fortitude, resilience and resourcefulness in the face of great peril.  Betty is kind-hearted, empathetic and determined, willing to make tough decisions and take risks.  Charlie is gregarious, irrepressible and fearless.  Fliss is charming and, although she can doubt herself, she shows herself to be just as courageous and ingenious as her sisters. 

A Sprinkle of Sorcery has absolutely everything I adore in a perfectly enthralling story which kept me turning the pages with bated breath, desperate not only to find out what happens, but also just because the Widdershin sisters captured my heart and I wanted to spend time with them.  I don’t know if that’s because I am one of three sisters, or because the closeness between the sisters is just so beautifully portrayed.  It doesn’t matter at all that they have their arguments and disagreements– what sisters don’t? – what really stands out is that they look out for each other and love each other sincerely and deeply. 

I am in awe of Michelle Harrison’s imagination and skill in writing this story:  hidden islands of legend, will-o-the-wisps in different guises, pirates, witches and a sprinkle of sorcery.  You absolutely must pick up this book:  it will transport you into an unforgettable, richly-drawn world filled with a superb cast of characters which is brimming with action that will have you on the edge-of-your-seat, desperate for more … be prepared to devour this masterpiece in one sitting! 

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

As a primary school teacher and keen advocate of reading for pleasure in my classroom, I am a firm believer that reading books can help develop empathy in children and adults. This is a fantastic collection, lots of which I have already enjoyed and others which I will definitely be picking up for my school library.

The 2020 #ReadforEmpathy Book Collections from @EmpathyLabUK are announced today and feature 50 superb books; 33 for 4-11 year olds and 17 for 12-16 year olds. 

“Society faces an empathy crisis. But research shows that 98% of us can improve our empathy skills and that in books we have a hugely practical tool. This collection can play a powerful role in helping raise a generation of empathic citizens, story by story.” – Miranda McKearney, EmpathyLab’s founder

Some illuminate the experience of people from a range of cultures or life circumstances. Others help children explore emotions, so they can understand how other people feel. Several reflect stories of our time, such as the refugee experience, or coping with anxiety. All are engaging and thought provoking.

The collections are available to order from Peters via https://www.peters.co.uk/empathy2020 or can be purchased from your local independent bookshop. Click https://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch to find your nearest shop.

Each collection has its own Read for Empathy Guide with a synopsis of all of the books, top tips for sharing stories and more information about #EmpathyDay which is on 9 June 2020. 

Teachers, librarians, parents can download your FREE guides by visiting https://www.empathylab.uk/2020-read-for-empathy-collections

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.      What are you currently reading?

2.      What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

• 

• 

I’m currently reading The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by L D Lapinski (publication April 2020). This is SO, SO good! I love portal magic and, the more I learn about the magical system in this book, the more I love it. The characters are brilliantly written and incredibly engaging and the world-building is wonderful – so clever!

Normally, I NEVER read more than one book at a time. BUT I made a bookish resolution to try to listen to audiobooks which I’ve never really got on with! I think I’ve worked out my problem – and found a solution! I used to listen to audiobooks in bed when I was tired, so I’d always drift off and miss loads. I’m now listening in the car going to and from work, and in class as I get organised in the morning – works perfectly for me! I’m currently listening to The Boy Who Fooled the World (on BorrowBox, a free library service), and it is utterly brilliant.

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I read four books this week. Charlotte’s Web is such a wonderful story which did make me cry, and smile and take me back to my childhood – this is one I think I will read to my class this year. The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo is a beautifully magical and heartfelt story which I really enjoyed. Letters from the Lighthouse is truly brilliant. I read it in one sitting as I really couldn’t bear to stop reading. I really enjoyed Milton the Mighty which was a really fun story with an important message.

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I was lucky enough to be sent both of these for review. I read Brightstorm at the start of 2019 and absolutely loved it, but I haven’t written a review as that was before I started my blog and knew of the existence of Goodreads! I will be using Brightstorm with my Year 4 class as an English unit, so this is perfect timing! I’m so excited to also have DarkWhispers to read immediately after (published February 2020).

What have you enjoyed reading recently? Have you read any of these?

Milton the Mighty is a wonderfully endearing, humorous story of teamwork and ingenuity where the heroes are just perfectly adorable and likeable – and this from someone who, whilst not petrified of spiders, has been known to scream a little when faced with one of the larger house spiders! 

I adored Milton and his brilliantly supportive friends, Ralph and Audrey who exude personality and then some!  Poor harmless Milton, the false black widow spider, has been falsely accused of being a danger to humans by the nasty Felicity Thrubwell who runs a company called BugKILL, determined to exterminate all spiders, driven by her greed and fear of them.  Her media campaign is impacting on, and endangering, many spiders … and Milton the Mighty is determined to do something about it.

Unfortunately for Milton, he lives in a house where the owner, Mr Macey screams rather loudly whenever he sees a spider. Luckily, the spiders have a friend on their side.  Zoe, Mr Macey’s daughter, becomes the champion they need to help them fight back.  Of course, the spiders take action to help themselves as well.  Milton’s natural curiosity and daring blossom as he is encouraged to discover his courage by his supportive friends. 

There is plenty of humour in this gorgeous story, lots of fast-paced action and ingenious interactions between Zoe and Milton whose friendship is gorgeous!  When he decides to befriend Zoe, his web becomes linked to the human web, the internet, in order to educate and redress the balance for the spider population.   This is such a heart-warming, fun and uplifting story with a really important message around the conservation of spiders and how important they are to our ecosystem, and also gives us food for thought on the harm humans can inflict on these beautiful creatures, often through misplaced fears. 

The cover and interior illustrations by Alex G Griffiths are wonderfully whimsical and complement the story perfectly:  the expressions are just perfect!

I loved the ‘Spidery Sciency Stuff’ and ‘How to Speak Spider’ at the end of the book which gives information on the real spiders upon which Milton and his friends are based and on the body parts of arachnids which I have no doubt will fascinate young readers.  This is a perfect story for children of 7+ who I’m sure will take Milton and his friends to heart, just as I did!