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 am currently reading The Wind Reader. I love the premise of this story whose main character I’m really rooting for!

I’ve just finished reading The Unimaginary Friend which is just glorious! I can’t wait to introduce ‘Ol Skeleton Keys to 365 children tomorrow! I’m sure there will be much delight!

My next read is Guardians of Magic which I’ve just been approved to read via NetGalley. I have already bought a copy as I knew I’d want the hardback version of this – the illustrations are wonderful.

Oh wow!   This was a captivating, spine-tingling read imbued throughout with an underlying sense of danger in an environment of stifling heat, inspired by the landscape of Southern Africa.  The writing is exquisite and lyrical and took me on the most incredible journey of fear, awe and heartbreak, but also let me see the incredible bravery and strength of others in the face of seeming hopelessness and abject loss … this really is a story to be devoured in a single sitting. 

Twelve-year-old Amaya’s community is suffering from a dreadful drought which is threatening the destruction of their homeland.   People believe that it has also awoken the terrifying Badeko, a creature that steals away children during The Switching Hour to feed upon their dreams, leaving their loved ones to suffer from the curse of the Sorrow Sickness, grieving for someone they can’t remember. 

Amaya clearly adores her younger brother, Kaleb so imagine her terror when she wakes up one morning to discover he has disappeared, taken by the Badeko.  Now imagine her guilt when she realises his disappearance is her fault. To add to this, her Granny Uma has been called away, so Amaya is left to take action on her own. 

Well, not quite on her own, as she has the wonderful companionship of her pet goat Tau.  I had a pet goat as a child – not very imaginatively called Kid – and remember fondly its stubborn nature and propensity for head-butting!  Of course, I adored Tau who is courageous, protective and loyal … and so much more!

Blaming herself and feeling guilty, she is determined to rescue her brother from the grip of the Badeko.  And this is where I must mention the cover illustration by Kelsey Buzzell which perfectly encapsulates the pervading sense of danger and oppressive heat throughout the story.

I’m not brave.  I’m just too scared of losing him.

Amaya must be both brave and strong as she fights her constant fear on her dangerous journey through the suffocating heat of the forest to the Badeko’s lair to rescue her brother.  Her journey is filled with incredible episodes of tension, awe-inspiring courage, and just the perfect amount of spine-tingling scary moments that kept me turning page after page with bated breath.  The action is fast-paced as time runs out, as the Badeko plays tricks with her mind …  Will her love for Kaleb be strong enough to help her face her greatest fear? 

Friendship … courage … overcoming fears … this story is a perfect read for children of 9+ who I have no doubt will be just as entranced by Amaya’s brave adventure as I was. 

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 Wind Reader. The author, Dorothy A Winsor, contacted me to request that I review this book. It sounded really interesting and, so far, I’m definitely enjoying it.

I’ve just finished reading The International Yeti Collective which I was approved to read via NetGalley. I really enjoyed Tick’s big adventure! This will be released by Stripes Publishing on 17th October. I will definitely be buying it for my class library as I think it will make a great wintery read.

I intend to read The Unimaginary Friend next. This looks like a brilliantly fun read with a skeleton with keys for fingers and a Gorblimey – just fantastic!

What day is this? For me, it’s 3rd October as there are so many fantastic middle-grade books being published that I’ve been waiting ever so patiently for … well, maybe not entirely patiently! My bank balance will really suffer on that day, but my book shelf will be so much richer! Lots of these will be great for #Believathon – if I can hold off until November! Although we are allowed to read the group book, Frostheart before then!

I’ve listed the books in no particular order, and have included the Goodreads synopsis.

Goodreads synopsis:

Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human-kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea.
There, a little boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them… and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu. But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash.
When a brave rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he’s whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. But can they help him find his family . . .

Goodreads synopsis:

Suzy can’t wait to return to the Union of Impossible Places on the Impossible Postal Express. But when she arrives, she overhears a dastardly plan to destroy Trollville from a shadowy and unexpected villain. Suzy and her friends must race from magical cloud-worlds to secret caverns to catch the culprit, before Trollville comes crashing down…

Goodreads synopsis:

A sinking boat. A girl in disguise. A disappearing sea.
When Fortune Sharpe carves a boat from a tree with her beloved brother, Gem, she’s only having a bit of fun. But now is not the time for a girl to be drawing attention to herself. She is sent away to find work dressed as a boy. Luckily a rich manor house is hiring. Yet Barrow Hill’s inhabitants harbour dangerous secrets of their own, the suspicious owner is hunting for witches, and the house itself is a little too close to the sea.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After rescuing Tomas from enchantment, orphan Seren Rhys is enjoying her first summer at Plas-y-Fran. But as autumn arrives, it brings with it a mysterious new governess who seems intent on drawing Tomas away from Seren and his family.
Dangerous figures from a bewitched toy carousel stalk the house, and fearing the worst, Seren calls on her old friend, the clockwork crow, to help her. 

Goodreads synopsis:

My mum is up there somewhere. She’s waiting — I can feel it. I just have to find her in time, that’s all … Because when I do, I’ll know the truth about who stole her. ‘
Told through the innocent voice of a child, this is a story that celebrates the power of hope and resilience, from the author of The Boy at the Back of the Class.
On her tenth birthday, Sophie makes a wish — a wish for her mum. After school that same day, Sophie and her brother are rushed out of school and driven far, far away.
So Sophie sets out to find out the truth — about the wish and about what happened to her mother. And in doing so she ends up on an adventure she never could have foreseen…one that involves a very clever squirrel, a homeless man named Harry, the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, and the biggest star in Hollywood…

Do any of these appeal to you? Have you already been lucky enough to read any of them? What books are you looking forward to in October?

This is a very welcome return to the magical bookshop of Pages & Co with its close-knit bookwandering family. This time Tilly and her best friend Oskar find themselves wandering through Fairy tale Land to try to save these wonderful tales from becoming lost to readers forever.

Melville Underwood has mysteriously returned to the British Underlibrary, having disappeared many years previously during a book wandering tour, and is made Head Librarian.  Immediately, he begins to change the rules for bookwanderers, but for what purpose? 

When visiting Oskar’s father in Paris, Tilly and Oskar meet an old, estranged friend of Tilly’s Grandmother who encourages them to bookwander into fairy tales. Despite warnings to the contrary from her Grandparents, Tilly decides to do some investigating of her own in this land. And what an incredible land it is! 

I loved the richly drawn world of the fairy tales and its wonderful inhabitants from the kind-hearted, brave Jack to the independent, feminist Rapunzel to the rather playfully devious Hansel and Gretel. I loved how familiar fairy tales are overturned and how characters travel between stories, and know each other within this world. Unfortunately, this magical world is in danger of disappearing, and it is up to Tilly and Oskar to attempt to save fairy tales from becoming forever lost. 

Although Tilly loves her Grandparents dearly, she does not agree with all their decisions, and definitely has a strong will which makes her rather rebellious and determined to make her own choices, including wandering into fairy tale land when she has been expressly forbidden. This leads to adventure, wonderful interactions with fairy tale characters, the discovery of important clues, but also danger. Tilly is clever, quick-thinking and resourceful and is very capable of extricating herself from difficult situations, but she can also be impetuous and too trusting which puts her in danger. She is by no means perfect, and this makes her a very believable character, and made me like her even more.

Books welcome everyone who wants to explore them.

As a primary school teacher, I loved the references to the power and importance of reading.

I really enjoyed Tilly’s second adventure which resolves some problems, leaves a few others unresolved, but drops enough tantalising clues to set up Tilly’s next adventure perfectly, and I’m already looking forward to going bookwandering with her again.  I would highly recommend this magical read for children of 8+.

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

This powerful story is told from the viewpoint of ten-year-old Frank who has a five-year-old autistic brother, Max.  It’s raw, painful and heart-breaking with an ending that I found heart-warmingly uplifting.

The viewpoint, and language used, reads authentically like that of a young boy, a young boy who is hurting and finding it hard to find his place.  There is a raw honesty in how Frank portrays his feelings about his brother, together with his feelings of shame and guilt about those feelings.  This really made me sympathise with him, even when I found what he was saying difficult reading. 

When Max melts he’s the hardest thing I the world and you think he’s going to explode his bones from his body … He is fury and he’s lost himself and everyone and everything and everywhere.

The story starts with a countdown to Max’s first day at school.  He really struggles with what many others take for granted:  communication, sensory processing, and new experiences, like trying on new shoes … he melts and melts and melts.  This is a family trying their best, adapting, and celebrating successes, like when Max uses a card to express his first word. 

We are her world and her universe and her space and her stars and her sky and her galaxy and her cosmos too.

The boys’ mother is a truly inspirational character, who used to paint the universe and now sees her family as her whole cosmos.  She is the glue that holds the family together and works tirelessly to support Max, and tries so hard to give time to Frank.  When tragedy strikes the family, Frank must work to find a new space for him and Max … to bring their universe closer than it has ever been …

Whilst my heart bled for Max as he had his meltdowns, I was also inspired by his successes, supported by some wonderful people.  I celebrated his successes alongside them. 

I feel that this story is really about Frank, who needs to find his space within his family when sometimes he feels pushed out by his younger brother.  The honesty with which Frank expresses his views, the decisions and choices he makes and his battle to accept his younger brother makes the ending of this story all the more heart-warming.

This is a very emotional, but ultimately, inspiring story which I would recommend to children of 10+.

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

Yanka’s tale is joyous, magical and everything that’s wonderful about immersing yourself in a truly exceptional story.  It tugged at my heartstrings, made me smile with contentment, tense with excitement, and kept me enveloped in the safest, cosiest bear hug imaginable.  The language is exquisite, with a lyrical quality permeating throughout the narrative, which is steeped in Slavic folklore.  It is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful stories I’ve ever had the privilege to read. 

But if I don’t know where I came from, how can I be sure where I belong?

Yanka was found outside a bear’s cave as a young child and has been raised by her foster mother, Mamochka.  She lives on the edge of The Snow Forest, but as she grows up, she feels more of an affinity for the forest and its creatures, and more of an outsider within her village.  She yearns to discover the roots of her past, so much so that she is compelled to leave her home and begin her journey into the forest to find out who she is and where she truly belongs … a journey that leads to danger, breath-taking revelations and deep-rooted friendships.

Yanka is determined to discover her origins and, along the way meets, and forms friendships, full of trust and loyalty, with a fascinating collection of creatures, people and even a rather unusual house!  I just must mention Mousetrap, Yanka’s house weasel, who may be diminutive in size, but he is huge in courage with a feisty nature – just adorable!    

Yanka is an incredibly brave and kind-hearted young girl, stronger than she believes.  She strives for self-awareness and a sense of belonging.  At times, she is full of confusion and feels lost, but she never gives up hope that she will find what she needs:  a place to belong, a home and the courage to be herself.

It only matters how I see myself.

I absolutely loved how the storyteller, Anatoly’s folktales are interspersed throughout Yanka’s narrative, separate to the chapters, sprinkling delicious clues to her origins.  The tales are beautiful in their own right, but resonate even more as they reveal a deeper understanding of Yanka’s heritage.  These oral stories within the story really emphasised for me the importance of a nation’s folklore, myths and legends to give readers shared experiences and a connectedness to each other through our shared knowledge of these stories. 

Kathrin Honesta’s illustrations are gorgeous, capturing the heart of the story beautifully.  I loved following Anatoly’s Map as Yanka adventured through the landscape.

I really cannot recommend this book highly enough.  If you want to immerse yourself in an astoundingly delightful world, filled with brave and adventurous characters, safe in the hands of a master storyteller, then you absolutely must read The Girl Who Speaks Bear.

Thank you to Toppsta and Usborne for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.   I have also ordered extra copies of both of Sophie’s books for our school and class libraries as she will be our Author of the Term.

This is a delightfully enjoyable return to the Kingdom of Folio which was visited in the first book in this series, The Lost Magician.  Forty years after the return of the Hastings siblings from their adventure in Folio, their young relative, Jewel Hastings, enters an old bookshop to escape the bullies who are chasing her. 

Once inside, she finds an old atlas which acts as a portal through which she is pulled into the Land of Folio, a world of the imagination.  Once there, she meets the Librarian who sets her on a quest to save her adoptive mother’s younger sister, her Aunt Evelyn, who is now the Empress of Folio.

Jewel’s hamster, Fizz, has entered Folio alongside her.  By the way, Fizz can now talk, and what a chatterbox he is!  He has an acerbic wit, is rude, fierce and loyal – he has the absolute best one-liners in his own inimitable style and, by his own inimitable style, I mean, he is a comic genius!  I truly adored him, and want my own Fizz!

The Librarian takes Jewel to begin her quest in the City of the Unreads where she meets her Aunt Evelyn who has introduced the citizens to the Stampstone, a device which connects them all to a vast store of knowledge, but is it also being used for a much more sinister and dangerous purpose? Just as Evelyn is prepared to return to her own world with Jewel, she is kidnapped.

And, so begins a stupendously riveting, exciting and scary adventure to save her Aunt … and to discover some important truths along the way.  With her trusted companions Fizz and her robot assistant Pandora, they adventure through the most amazing lands and meet the most wonderful, if sometimes frightening, characters.  Met with many challenges along the way, their quest eventually takes them to the Frozen Sea where truths are tantalisingly exposed amidst breath-taking danger.

The world-building is superb, from the Ideas Jungle where ideas grow from light-bulbs in trees, to the Marsh of Monsters where grotesque swamp monsters reside, to the Mountains of Mythia with its gathering of Gods and mythical beasts.

I think Jewel is a wonderful protagonist, a fantastic role model for all so-called nerds who are trying to find the courage and self-belief to stop hiding, apologising and instead be themselves, celebrating their nerdiness.  Jewel is clever, logical, perceptive and not easily fazed by the incredulity she is faced with.  Above all, she has the courage to face her fears, protect her loved ones and seek the answers to who she is.

I keep trying to be brave, but it’s just so hard.

I loved the use of the Stampstone as a plot device.  It alludes to the power of media and technology to control, distort and manipulate information so gaining power and control over its users.  Holders of knowledge, through stories and information, hold power and, if someone can control all knowledge, they can exert vast power.

This is a brilliantly immersive and engrossing story, with both charming and formidable characters, perfect for readers of 8+, or anyone who wants to return to that delightful land of imagination so well-remembered from childhood … and perhaps not lost to us yet! 

If you can imagine it, it exists …somewhere!

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow! It feels like I’ve been away from blogging for ever, but it has been just over two weeks. So, what happened in August? Well, an epic-ish fail for my reading journey! But, my summer has been a success as I’ve managed to switch off from teaching and enjoy reading, my holiday, Netflix, shopping … Of course, now I’m regretting not doing more work …

I’ll start with my epic-ish fail! I was taking part in the #20BooksofSummer Reading Challenge, an annual event hosted by Cathy at 746books.com. I managed to read 15 out of the 20 books, but still have reviews to write for two of them – although I do have my trusty notes! And I will post the reviews – but they will be late!

These are the ten middle-grade which I read first, and had no difficulty completing! They were all brilliant reads and most have now made their way to my class library.

The other five books I read were from my YA/Adult group, and I only managed five of these, but they were a very good five! I feel slightly guilty that I haven’t posted a review for Wakenhyrst yet, as it was one of my favourite reads this summer. I also do intend to read the other five books in my list, but it will probably take me all of Autumn to catch up – or more likely, my Christmas holiday!

Now, the reason/excuse I’m using for my epic-ish fail is that, when I decided to do this challenge, I didn’t realise I would be going on a two week holiday to my favourite place: Disney World. This kind of holiday is pretty full on, and I got very little time for reading or reviewing. However, I did have the best time – drank lots of cocktails; ate lots of fab food including visiting the Epcot Food & Wine Festival; seeing fireworks and parades; and, of course, the rides. We also went to the opening day of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge which was incredible, if not rather crowded.

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My other success was that I’ve managed to complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge. This is the first year I’ve used Goodreads, so I set myself a challenge of 60 books, which I’ve now completed. I think I’ll leave the number set, and just see how many more I can read by the end of December.

As well as the books I read for the #20Booksof Summer Challenge, I did also manage to read some other books in August. These are either books I’ve bought or been approved to read via NetGalley. Altogether, I read 12 books in August: three were NetGalley approvals, five were from my #20BooksofSummer and four were books I’d bought.

NetGalley approvals read:

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Books bought and read:

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I’ve also been approved to read two other books on NetGalley which I’m really looking forward to, especially ‘The Mercies‘ by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. I’ve read all of her middle-grade (apart from The Island at the End of Everything) and her first YA, The Deathless Girls which is being published on 19th September which is a stunning read. It is so hard not to keep requesting books, but I’m trying really hard to keep my requests under control. I was disappointed not to have been approved for Amy Wilson’s new book, Shadows of Winterspell, but it’s being released on 17th October so not too long to wait – except it is!

I also came home to some fantastic holiday post courtesy of Toppsta and Usborne.

This has jumped to the top of my TBR. I absolutely loved ‘The House with Chicken Legs‘ and can’t wait to read Yanka’s story. Now, if only that pesky work would get itself done so I can make a start!

I’m just going to finish with my Netflix series of choice – honestly, I’m not procrastinating to avoid work!

My husband and I watched the fantastic ‘Stranger Things‘ seasons 2 and 3 back-to-back. We’ve also been watching ‘Dark Matter‘ which I’ve really enjoyed. I seem to be able to watch sci-fi much easier than read it.

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How did you get on if you did the #20BooksofSummer? What are you currently watching on Netflix? I’d be really happy to get sci-fi reading recommendations!

This is a truly special book which completely immersed me in the folklore of Baba Yaga and the magical quality of the story-telling, so much so that I read it in one rainy day sitting. 

Marinka lives with her Grandmother, Baba Yaga, in the most amazing house, with a personality of its own, and chicken legs which can travel quickly from place to place.  Baba Yaga facilitates the dead ‘through The Gate’ so that they can ‘return to the stars’.  I really liked how the dead people’s lives were celebrated and memories relived before passing through The Gate.  Baba Yaga is kind, generous and clearly has a deep respect for her important role which is certainly not without its sacrifices.  What is also apparent is that she has a deep love for Marinka who she hopes will become the next Yaga.

However, this is the last thing Marinka wants.  She is determined to choose her own path, and it involves the living, not the dead.   Desperate for friendship with the living, she is very excited to meet Benjamin who proves that real friendship and genuine acceptance of others can transcend any barrier put in its way, even that of a house getting up and moving away on its chicken legs! 

Marinka’s desperation to have a friend leads to her making a decision that will have a profound impact on her life, a decision which also leads to some breath-taking revelations.  This story is magnificently crafted, from the deeply engaging plot, with gripping action, to the magical quality of the writing, to the bringing to life of characters who I became really emotionally invested in. 

I wanted to be something I’m not.

Marinka is just the most wonderfully brave and fallible young girl with an inner strength that I marvelled at:  I absolutely adored her, all the more so because she is not perfect.  She is a whirlpool of so many emotions that tumble from her tumultuous heart.  She has the tenacity to reach for her own destiny; she is full of anger, defiance and frustration at the life she is expected to lead; yet, above all, she is a young girl on a journey of self-discovery whose triumph is in finding her place in the world, despite her struggles and hardships, surrounded by others who care for her. 

This is a perfect story for anyone interested in Slavic folklore, or just a brilliant story, and one which completely entranced me from start to finish.  The artwork is stunning from the front cover (by Melissa Castrillon) to the inside illustrations (by Elisa Paganelli) and really enhance the magical quality of this stunning story.