Sally in the City of Dreams is a wonderfully charming and exciting historical adventure with friendship and family at its heart. I have no doubt that young readers will enjoy getting to know Sally and her friends as they travel from early 1900s Ireland to New York, the City of Dreams, to start a new life.

Sally and her sister Bridget are leaving their family’s small Irish farm to sail across the ocean to live with their cousin Catherine in New York.  They hope to start a new life there, where there are more opportunities than at home.  They arrive in America with a new friend, Julia, who they meet on the crossing. 

The welcome they receive from their cousin is not quite what the sisters expected, but they are determined to make the most of their new life and are excited to explore what New York has to offer.  The three girls have an incredibly close bond, a bond that is much needed when an unfair accusation jeopardises their new life.

I absolutely loved this historical adventure which gives a thought-provoking insight into Irish emigration, the struggles and excitement of starting a new life, and the discrimination faced by Irish people in America.  This is a story about the bonds of friendship and the ties of family. It is a story of the kindness of strangers, of sisterhood and standing up to, and for, others.  There is a wonderful warmth and endearing quality to the narrative that drew me completely into the story, eager to explore this fascinating and exciting new place with the three friends as they face both challenges and successes. 

The connections kept with family left behind in Ireland through letters were incredibly moving. I left Ireland over twenty years ago, but it will always be home, and I really felt the ache of missing home when reading the letters.  It’s the little things, like a turn of phrase, or news from home through letters, that really spoke to me, and made me feel a closeness to my Irish roots. 

Sally, Bridget and Julia are incredibly likeable characters which really made me root for all three as they faced different challenges in their new lives.  Bridget’s fiery nature sees her speaking her mind, and sometimes speaking without thinking about the consequences; she has an innate sense of fairness and is a loyal friend.  Sally has a more calm, quiet temperament, but has an inner courage and strength which stands her in good stead when it is sorely needed. The girls have a strong bond of friendship and are there for each other to offer support, encouragement and hope.

A heart-warming, exciting historical adventure with strong friendships, sure to be adored by young readers of 9+.

Author Info

JUDI CURTIN is one of Ireland’s favourite children’s writers. She is the best-selling author of the Alice and Megan and Eva series, Time After Time, Stand By Me, You’ve Got A Friend and the Lily at Lissadell series. Judi won an Irish Book Award for Stand By Me, and she was shortlisted for an Irish Book Award for both Lily at Lissadell and Lily’s Dream. Her books have been published in German, Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian, Serbian, Welsh, Czech and Turkish, and in Australia and New Zealand. Judi grew up in Cork and lives in Limerick.

Thank you so much to The O’Brien Press for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:

I’m listening to The Accidental Stowaway which is a wonderful adventure with a brilliantly feisty main character, Patch, who finds herself aboard a steamship headed for New York. I’m loving the mystery and danger as she tries to help her new friend who has secrets of her own.

I finished listening to Read, Scream, Repeat which is a brilliant collection of genuinely scary stories – perfect for spooky season! I also read a wonderful historical adventure, Sally in the City of Dream. I will be posting my review at the start of next week. I was sent The Final Year as part of a book subscription. Wow! This is an incredibly powerful, heartfelt book that will make a brilliant read for Year 6. I absolutely could not put it down. I’ve given it to one of my colleagues to read.

I’m off for half-term next week, so I’m hoping to read The Midnight Switch and The Snow Girl.

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

The Kingdom of Broken Magic is a spectacularly surreal and brilliantly bizarre adventure that completely captured me in its unique magic.  I was swept into a highly imaginative, wonderfully strange world where nothing is ever as it seems – and I absolutely loved it! 

Maggie and Josh live in a dreadful place:  Scribbens’ Home for Very Wayward Children.  Left there as babies, they have become inseparable, the only family each has.  Whilst Josh works in the Home, Maggie has proved herself a master pickpocket, so is sent out to increase the cruel and unscrupulous Miss Scribbens’ wealth.  Both children long to escape from the clutches of Miss Scribbens and her loyal spy, the crow, Carry-On; however, all their attempts have proven unsuccessful, and they are caught and returned to face punishment.

That is, until the day Maggie almost gets caught stealing, and finds herself pulled to safety by Madam Lulu, a trapeze artiste in Mrs Gumbo’s Flying Circus.  Although Maggie wants to return for Josh, she makes do with sending him a letter, and begins a new life in the circus …

She soon discovers that her new life may not quite be the sanctuary she had hoped for.  Whilst forming bonds with the strange and wonderful animal and human performers, she discovers that some have gone missing in strange circumstances.  Could she be in danger of disappearing too?  Maggie is determined to solve the mystery, and begins her investigations …

Meanwhile, Josh is not prepared to lose his best friend and only family, and sets out to find Maggie.  But, will he find her before the evil mastermind behind the world’s broken magic strikes yet again? Will these two daring children be reunited in their efforts to defeat a power-hungry villain?  Can they fix the world’s broken magic, and return those who have disappeared?

Oh my goodness!  This is just brilliant, and like nothing I’ve ever read before!  I loved the peculiar circus with its vegetarian, party-loving tigers and keen-knitter elephant not to mention the wonderful Madam Lulu who takes Maggie into her care, believes in her, and helps her discover a dazzling talent.  I loved the twists and turns, the danger and intrigue and the unexpected revelations as I got closer and closer to discovering the villain.  There is both darkness and light, humour and sadness and moments of surrealness that make this an exceptional read.  I don’t want to say too much about the Kingdom of Broken Magic itself except that it is a dark, strangely curious, imaginative feast with surprises galore – superb! 

A truly magical, mesmerising adventure:  a story of finding family, friendship and a place to belong whilst fighting against the darkness brought by those whose greed and thirst for power corrupts and seeks to control.

The partial-and-full-page illustrations are just stunning – dark, intricate, expressive wonder-pieces that capture the atmosphere of the story perfectly. 

An unmissable read to captivate young readers of 9+ as they join a curious circus and meet its strange and wonderful performers.

Thank you so much to Mikka at Everything With Words for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lunar is an exciting space adventure where a young explorer finds herself in a race for survival … absolutely gripping from the action-packed opening to the hope-filled ending.

Luna enjoys living on the moon where she helps her father – who is a Moon Miner – collect mineral and rock samples.  But, when a catastrophic meteor strikes their base, Luna is left alone, stranded on the moon.  Not only must she find a way to survive in this harsh environment, but she has to find a way to communicate that she is alive in the hope that she will be rescued.  With only enough oxygen and supplies for a few days, time is quickly running out … and any hope of rescue is 400,000km away!

This is fast-paced, thrilling adventure that kept me completely captivated throughout. I was in awe of Luna’s courage in such a perilous situation and her creativity in overcoming seemingly insurmountable difficulties.  There is a real sense of danger and isolation coupled with an awareness of the awesomeness of the environment.  I really enjoyed the factual information as well as references to previous explorations. 

Luna is a wonderful young girl who shows remarkable resilience and tenacity in extremely challenging circumstances.  She never gives up and uses her knowledge of physics and engineering to solve the problems she faces.  Her fortitude, strength and resourcefulness really shine through as she fights for her survival, and the hope of being reunited with her father.

There are stunning full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout which depict Luna’s changing emotions and isolation perfectly. 

A gripping, fascinating and heartfelt adventure for readers of 9+.

This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages. 

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

Bella Bright and the Ghost Game is a deliciously dark and spooky delight that completely captured me, and is one that I cannot recommend highly enough to young fans of horror who are guaranteed just the right amount of shivers and frights as they join Bella and her friends in Darkling Manor.

Eleven-year-old Bella Bright has moved into Darkling Manor – a dilapidated, dust-ridden house – with her Mum who renovates old properties before moving on to her next project. This means yet another school for Bella, and it is not long before she draws the attention of two mean girls, Skylar and Regan.  They invite themselves to a Halloween sleepover at Darkling Manor, and Bella can’t think of a reason to refuse them, especially as her Mum will be away.  Luckily, she has made a new friend, Lex, who offers to come along too. 

When the girls arrive for the sleepover, Skylar suggests a game of hide and seek, but someone else wants to play too, and she is playing a terrifying game.  Will the 150-year-old ghost of a young girl trap the friends in the house, or can they solve her cryptic clues and escape before time runs out? What will it take to win this perilous game?  

This is the most fantastically spine-tingling, spooky treat that kept me on the edge of my seat and desperately turning pages to discover the house’s secrets.  The sense of foreboding and tension builds superbly – whispers, unexpected noises, locked doors and something else that I won’t mention but, oh my goodness, shivers definitely raced down my spine – every time!  The eerie, scary atmosphere in the house is portrayed to perfection, and there were times I genuinely gasped aloud at unexpected happenings and sights. 

Bella is a wonderfully sympathetic young girl who has found it difficult to make friends as she has had to move schools so many times due to her mother’s job.  She has a close relationship with her mother, and enjoys helping her with her renovations, but there is a definite sense that she would like to settle and find a place to call home.  I love that she quickly finds friendship with Lex, and really enjoyed their shared sense of humour.  I enjoyed the changing dynamics in the girls’ relationships as the terrifying situation they find themselves in worsens.

The full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout are stunning and provide a wonderful complement to both the friendships and spookiness of this adventure. 

A fantastic spooky season ghostly adventure which is sure to delight young readers of 9+, and why not enjoy snuggled up with some gingerdead men biscuits? 

Thank you to Hachette for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour and for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

You can check out some wonderful resources at:  https://www.hachetteschools.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Bella-Bright-and-the-Ghost-Game-Activity-Resources.pdf.

Please do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:

I’m currently listening to the audiobook of Read, Scream, Repeat and, oh my goodness, what a brilliantly scary selection of stories. I’m definitely going to have to get a copy for my class library as I know it will be really popular.

I finished listening to the audiobook of Maggie Blue and the White Crow which was just incredible – and there absolutely has to be another book in this series which I really hope is coming soon! I also finished reading the gorgeous Sky and have posted my review. Bella Bright and the Ghost Game is a perfect spooky adventure for this time of year – a great haunted house story. I will be posting my review as part of the Blog Tour over the weekend. Finally, I read The Kingdom of Broken Magic which was very strange/surreal – in a really good way! I will be posting my review shortly.

I’m hoping to read The Midnight Switch, another spooky adventure next.

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

Sky is a magical, wintry timeslip adventure that is utterly captivating, a story of friendship and determination as two brave young girls fight to save a nest of baby owls.

During the Christmas holidays, Lara is visiting her grandparents in their cottage in the Scottish Highlands.  Her grandad is excited to share his sighting of a rare white snowy owl with her.  Lara is not particularly interested, until she spots the beautiful bird, Sky, and quickly becomes fascinated by her.  The following day, Lara heads into the woods by herself for a walk and sees Sky who seems to want her to follow. 

When she does, Lara finds herself walking through the trees and back in time where she meets a young girl, Amelia, who is living in the Big House with her uncle and cousins.  During her visits, the two girls become firm friends, and enjoy their outings to visit a nest of snowy owls and watch them hatch and grow.  But when her cruel cousin threatens the safety of the baby owls and their parents, Lara and Amelia must work together to save these beautiful birds. 

This is a wonderfully warm and exciting adventure which is just perfect for the wintry months.  There is something so magical about timeslip adventures as present and past come together and, in this one, I loved discovering the reason Sky brings Lara back through time.  The baby owls are just adorable with fierce and protective parents who need a little help to keep their owlets safe from a human threat.

Lara is an incredibly likeable young girl. She has had a lot to deal with and is missing her best friend, but is soon mesmerised by Sky and transported into the most amazing adventure.  She proves herself a fantastic friend to both Lara and the owls, determined to protect them and stand up to a cruel bully so that he gets his comeuppance. 

The full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout are stunning, beautifully detailed and expressive, and exuding so much warmth. 

This is magical, mesmerising adventure, perfect for young readers of 7+ to enjoy on a cold evening – preferably with marshmallow-topped hot chocolate. 

Thank you to Little Tiger for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Taming of the Cat is a truly magical, heart-warming story within a story that completely mesmerised me as I was drawn into both stories and captivated by the many stunning illustrations. 

Brie is not like other mice:  he doesn’t like cheese and prefers to use the labels to inspire his stories rather than tell jokes and play games.  Ostracised by the other mice in his colony, he is left with no friends when the swallows, who he shares his tales with, migrate.  The cruelty of the other mice sees him seeking shelter from the cold in a dangerous place – at the side of the fridge.  Why so dangerous?  Well, there’s Gorgonzola, the cat who likes nothing better than playing with his food before eating it – and his favourite food is – mice! Brie wakes from his exhausted sleep only to find himself trapped in Gorgonzola’s paws. 

When Brie, desperate to save himself, shares that he is a storyteller, the bored Gorgonzola asks for one in return for not eating him – yet!  And so, the young mouse shares an enchanting, exciting fairytale, a tale with a courageous princess, a terrible curse, a dragon and a cat called Silk that can grow to the size of a panther.  But is it a story that will be exciting enough to capture Gorgonzola’s attention, and even stop his intention to devour Brie? 

I absolutely loved this mesmerising story, weaving beautifully between Brie’s fairytale and his own tale of survival.  I love how Brie’s story becomes a shared experience between captive and captor with Gorgonzola becoming caught up in the magic of the storytelling, eager to find out more and share his thoughts.  I really enjoyed the slowly emerging friendship between mouse and cat, but will it be enough to save Brie from his fate?  Or could the danger come from elsewhere?

Brie is absolutely adorable, and my heart went out to him as he is rejected by his colony for being different, with only a pretence of acceptance when they can use him to get something they want.  He is trapped in a place that does not feel like home, but is determined to be himself, to continue to create magical stories, and to share these even when this means facing his greatest fear.  I also really liked Gorgonzola who fights against his natural instincts in order to enjoy the magic of a great story, but can two natural enemies ever become friends?

This is a gorgeous hardback edition with a stunning cover with silver foiling.  The many internal full-and-partial-page illustrations, together with illustrated chapter headings, are simply stunning and capture the magical quality of this special book perfectly.  This would be a wonderful and, I have no doubt, treasured Christmas gift for younger readers.

An utterly captivating story within a story … a tale of facing fears, standing up to others and being true to yourself – sheer magic!

Thank you to Faber Children’s Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.     

I’m currently reading Sky which is a gorgeous timeslip story for younger readers. I’ve also just started reading Orla and the Magpie’s Kiss which will be perfect for this time of year. I’m listening to the audiobook of Maggie Crow and the White Crow which is superb. I’m completely gripped by Maggie and her journey into the Dark World.

I read Lunar which is a short read from Barrington Stoke which I really enjoyed. I will be posting my review shortly. I also read The Taming of the Cat which is a gorgeous story within a story – I will post my review tomorrow. I finished listening to the audiobook of Maggie Blue and the Dark World which I absolutely loved so much so that I immediately got the second one. It’s taken me a while but I finally finished The Spell Tailors which was a wonderfully magical read focussed on family and friendship. I loved the idea of stitching memories into clothing so that you can re-live precious moments or share in others’ memories. I also read The Disappearing Diamond, a timeslip Victorian mystery. I have posted my review.

I’m hoping to read Bella Bright and the Ghost Game next.

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

The Disappearing Diamond is Emmie and Jack’s third exciting adventure into the past to solve an intriguing mystery.  It can be read as a standalone, but I imagine that children who have not read the first two adventures will want to catch up on them.  I know I do!

Emmie and Jack are on a school trip to the Victoria & Albert Museum, dressed as Victorian children.  Like the other children in their class, they are fascinated by the Koh-i-Noor diamond which will be included in the upcoming new king’s coronation.  As Jack approaches the cabinet where the jewel is displayed, lights flicker and the alarm goes off … the diamond has disappeared, and a familiar looking man is beckoning them.  As in previous adventures, he needs their help, this time to recover the missing diamond in time for the upcoming coronation …

The two friends step through the museum door and find themselves in Victorian London just before the opening of the 1851 Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace.  Will they be able to uncover what happened to the diamond in the past in order to save the coronation? 

This is a wonderfully exciting adventure which gives a fascinating insight into the sights, smells and sounds of Victorian London, and especially the spectacle of the Great Exhibition of 1851.  I loved following Emmie and Jack as they race to solve the mystery of the disappearing diamond, finding help from some new friends, and the rather mysterious time architect, Mr Briggs when they need him most.  There is plenty of danger, deception, twists and revelations which kept me turning the pages to discover the culprit. 

This is the first book in this series that I have read so really enjoyed getting to know Emmie and Jack who are vey likeable characters. They have a genuine friendship and make a great team as they work together to solve the mystery and overcome problems that are thrown their way.  They show great courage in facing their fears in difficult situations, and are there to offer each other support.  I also really liked the inclusion of historical figures in the story including Queen Victoria and her protégé, Sarah. 

I love timeslip adventures and think young readers will enjoy travelling back in time into an intriguing mystery which gives them an insight into a historical period whilst chasing an exciting adventure.

This is a wonderfully engaging timeslip mystery that is sure to captivate readers of 8+. 

Thank you to the author, Glen Blackwell, for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.