Seed is a spectacularously heart-warming, humorous, adventure that swept me into a world where the impossible might just become possible; where hope grows nurtured by kindness; and where nature has the power to fulfil dreams …

Marty has a lot to deal with in his young life:   his dad left home when he was four; his mum is struggling with her mental health, unable to leave the house and hoarding all sorts of clutter in their home and garden; he is a young carer; he is the victim of bullying at school; and, the council are threatening to evict them. 

He does, however, have a wonderful, warm relationship with his Grandad who he visits in his allotment every night after school.  On his birthday, his Grandad gives him an unexpected present:  a seed which may just contain the magic that will change his life.

He plants the seed in his Grandad’s allotment and, together with his new friend Gracie, they watch the seed grow and grow, nourished with wishes and dreams, and when the impossible becomes possible, they begin an incredible, exciting adventure:  an adventure that nurtures trust, acceptance and hope.

This is such a beautifully told story, filled with warmth, humour and the healing power and magic of nature. I loved the bonds between Marty, his Grandad, his Mum and Gracie which were all different, but felt authentic.  I also loved the feeling of community spirit as everyone became so invested in the impossible adventure.

Marty is an incredibly sympathetic character who clearly cares about his mother and has to deal with both the hope and disappointment as his mother tries so hard to manage her disorder. He has a wonderful relationship with his Grandad who is such a brilliant character: madcap, full of life and hope – and wacky inventions. Marty also forms a close friendship with Gracie who has a cochlear implant; he encourages her to follow her dream to be a dancer. Both children have to deal with loneliness and parental ‘absence’ and both learn the importance of expressing their feelings and following their dreams.

Both the cover illustration and the internal illustrations are stunning.  The cover illustration depicts the magic, wonder and hope engendered in the story perfectly.  The grayscale internal illustrations are stunning and complement the story beautifully from the joy of Gracie’s dancing to the warmth of the relationship between Grandad and Marty and the magical nature of the adventure.

This is a gorgeously uplifting story:  a story of friendship, family, hopes and dreams wrapped up in a larger-than-life adventure imbued with the magic of nature … perfect for young nature-lovers and adventurers of 9+. 

Thank you to Antonia Wilkinson and Macmillan Children’s Books for a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

It’s time for my June anticipated books – another fantastic month for children’s book releases. I have been lucky enough to get e-arc pre-reads of The Clockwork Queen and Secret of the Shadow Beasts, both of which I have reviewed and will be buying physical copies for my class library. I have been lucky enough to get early copies of The Consequence Girl and Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun through my Reading Rocks subscription box. I have also been so lucky to have been sent early copies of My Friend the Octopus and Small! by publishers. I’ve just had an email to say that my copy of The Mab is on its way!

I have taken the synopsis for each of these from the Waterstones website except for Secret of the Shadow Beasts which I took from the author’s website.

Release Date: 2nd June

September 1939. The world is on the brink of war. As his dad marches off to fight, Noah makes him a promise, to keep their beloved family dog safe. When the government advises people to have their pets put down in readiness for the chaos of war, hundreds of thousands of people do as they are told. But not Noah. He’s not that sort of boy. With his two friends in tow, he goes on the run, to save his dog and as many animals as he can. No matter what.

Cassie’s older brother Byron has fallen in with the wrong crowd – it’s soon clear these boys are wild, reckless and not human at all. They are tylwyth teg – Fair Folk, who tempt humans down into the dark places of the world. And Byron is tempted. When he goes missing, Cassie and her cousin, Sian, follow his trail to an old abandoned railway tunnel which goes down and down into Annwn, the underworld. Here they find that the tylwyth teg are restless – and angry. Their leader, Gwenhidw, wants to protect Annwn from the damage humans are doing to the world. Byron is part of her plan. But Cassie won’t let her big brother be part of anyone’s plan. Can she rescue her brother before it is too late?

Chess prodigy Sophie Peshka inherited her love of the game from her grandmaster father. But now that he has been imprisoned in the dungeons of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg by powerful Empress Catherine the Great, Sophie must use all her strategic skill and cunning to help him escape. Part of Sophie’s plan involves an incredible chess-playing automaton called the Clockwork Queen, but will the Queen be able to outwit the Empress in a game where the stakes are a matter of life and death?

The world of Colony is in ruins. No one knows what caused society to begin tearing itself apart – but the secret may lie with Cora, a girl living on the mountainside far away from others. Cora possesses an extraordinary gift: the power to see back in time, from an event back to its causes. Even more incredibly, sometimes she can change events. But the present is looking for Cora, and she is forced on the run – and must decide who she is, what she can do… and how to fix the future.

An empowering story about finding your identity and the courage to fight for it. Aaliyah is an ordinary thirteen-year-old living in the Midlands – she’s into her books, shoes, K-pop and she is a Muslim. She has always felt at home where she live … until a terrorist attack in her area changes everything. As racial tensions increase and she starts getting bullied, Aaliyah decides to begin wearing a hijab – to challenge how people in her community see her. But when her school bans the hijab and she is intimidated and attacked for her choices, she feels isolated. Soon Aaliyah realises that other young people from different backgrounds also struggle with their identity and feel alone, scared and judged. Should she try to blend in – or can she find allies to help her fight back? Channelling all of her bravery, Aaliyah decides to speak out. Together, can Aaliyah and her friends halt the tide of hatred rippling through their community?

When Zo decides to run away from home, she isn’t scared; after all, she knows the island like the back of her hand. But, as she journeys through the once-familiar forest, terrifying creatures and warped visions begin to emerge. With a beast on her heels and a lost boy thrown into her path, could a mysterious abandoned facility hold answers? Zo must unravel the secrets of the forest before she is lost in them forever…

England, 1893, and aquarium fever is at its height. Twelve-year-old Vinnie Fyfe works in the tea-shop at Brighton aquarium, and waits for her milliner mother to return from Paris. The arrival of a giant octopus changes her life for ever. Discovering a talent for art, Vinnie begins to draw the extraordinary beast. She soon realises she can communicate with the octopus through colour and – as a gripping mystery begins to unfold – discovers what true courage really means…

When twelve-year-old Lily moves to the sleepy seaside town of Edge, she’s sure that nothing exciting is ever going to happen to her again. But when she stumbles upon a secret museum hidden in the middle of town, she realises that there might be more to her new home than meets the eye. The Museum of Emily is filled with the belongings of one seemingly ordinary girl – a girl who, many years ago, disappeared from the town without a trace. With the help of her new friends Sam and Jay, Lily is determined to solve the mystery and find out who Emily was, why she disappeared and who has created the strange, hidden museum.

Release Date: 9th June

Something bad is happening at Little Strangehaven Primary. What are the peculiar SHIVERS that keep striking the school, bringing Strangeness in their wake – from uncontrollable ballroom dancing to an attack by military chickens? Spy-detective Agatha Topps is determined to find out. She’s the only person who doesn’t forget the Strangeness as soon as it’s over. At least, until new boy Lenny Tuchus turns up and remembers too. Their spy-detectoring leads them to the Book of Chaos, an ancient text which has been hidden away in the Room of Forbidden and Dangerous Books. Can Agatha and Lenny fight off attacks from evil underpants and Transylvanian gargoyles to stop the SHIVERS before their town is sucked into oblivion? Because power lies in books – especially this one…

In 1946, Rosa Sweetman, a young Kindertransport girl, is longing for her family to claim her. The war in Europe is over and she is the only child left at Westwood, a rambling country estate in the north of England, where she’d taken refuge seven years earlier. The arrival of a friend of the family, Yara Fielding, starts an adventure that will take Rosa deep into the lush beauty of the Amazon rainforest in search of jaguars, ancient giant sloths and somewhere to belong. What she finds is Yara’s lively, welcoming family on the banks of the river and, together, they face a danger greater than she could ever have imagined.

Onyeka has a lot of hair – the kind that makes strangers stop in the street. She’s always felt insecure about her vibrant curls, until she makes an important discovery: she can control her hair with her mind! Her mother quickly whisks her off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari – children with superpowers – are trained. But Onyeka and her new friends at the Academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves embroiled in a momentous battle between truth and lies…

Twelve-year-olds Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle are from different worlds – Lizzie lives in Westminster in her dad’s tea shop, while Belle is an heiress being brought up by her aunt and uncle at grand Kenwood House – but they both share a love of solving mysteries. And when their eyes meet in the audience of the Drury Lane theatre one night, both girls are sure they’ve seen something suspicious on stage. Lizzie and Belle soon find themselves on the trail of a mystery – and becoming best friends. But can they work out what’s going on in time to prevent a murder?

If you think you’ve heard all the fairy tales out there, think again. Inside this book you will find eleven epic Welsh tales from long ago, but not so far away, that are bound to enchant you. The Mab is a collection full to the brim with brand new versions of really, really old stories from the Mabinogi – maybe the oldest written-down stories in the history of Britain. But as well as being really, really old, the stories in The Mab are strange and funny and thrilling. Alive with mystery and magic, they speak of a time when the gates between the Real World and the Otherworld were occasionally left open. And sometimes, just sometimes, it was possible to step through.

Hazel’s new life in England should have been the stuff of fairy tales; after all her aunt’s cottage looked just like a gingerbread house, with a magical garden and whispering fireflies promising quests and adventures. But as Hazel struggles to deal with the challenges of the everyday world – making friends, missing her family – she also learns that every fairy tale has a dark side. And there are terrifying creatures that lurk in the shadows…

Release Date: 14th June

In Brannland, terrifying shadow beasts called Umbrae roam freely once the sun sets, so venomous that a single bite will kill a full-grown adult. The only people who can destroy them are immune children like Nora, who are recruited at the age of seven to leave their families behind and train at a steampunk castle called Noye’s Hill. But despite her immunity, Nora’s father refused to let her go. Now, years after his death by Umbra attack, Nora is twelve, and sees her mother almost killed by the monsters too. That’s when Nora decides it’s time for her to join the fight. At Noye’s Hill, Nora’s new companions draw her into a sweeping world of round-the-clock battle training, fierce loyalty to one another, and sworn allegiance to defeat the Umbrae above all else. But despite slaying so many beasts night after night, the Umbrae’s population is quickly growing. And the government is keeping secrets about the source of the Umbrae, secrets that may tie back to Nora herself . . . and lead Brannland’s downfall.

Release Date: 16th June

Harvey is a small boy in a giant world. On stilts! When Harvey accidentally sets fire to his headteacher’s trousers, Mum decides it’s time for a BIG change and packs him off to Madame Bogbrush’s School for Gifted Giants.But Harvey’s not a giant. He’s a boy on stilts. And if his classmates find out, they’ll stomp him into a sandwich!

Release Date: 23rd June

After her grandmother’s funeral, Olive learns she has inherited something unexpected: her grandmother’s memories. Olive is surprised – her grandmother wasn’t a cuddly, affectionate kind of grandmother. Curious about what she might discover, Olive sets out to ‘watch’ the memories. But before she can, they’re stolen right from under her nose. Olive can’t understand why anybody would want to steal the memories. As far as she’d known, her grandmother had always lived an utterly ordinary life. Following the trail of the thief, Olive begins to discover that her grandmother’s life wasn’t what she thought. As she unravels the secrets lurking in her grandmother’s past, she discovers clues Grandma Sylvie left her. It’s up to Olive to solve the mystery of the memory thief, and in the process, learn about the incredible life and adventures of the grandmother she has never really known.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnie’s island. Nothing, that is, apart from the earthquakes, which pull buildings and schools and houses down on a regular basis. Luckily, the island’s inhabitants have found a way to fix their crumbling walls: giants. Giants look after human children, like eleven-year-old Minnie. When Minnie turns twelve, she’ll kiss her giant, turning her into a stone statue forever. The stone will be used to repair buildings. And there’s nothing wrong with that either… or so Minnie thinks. But when a dreadful earthquake strikes, Minnie realises she’s not quite ready to say goodbye to her giant – not forever – not yet. So Minnie goes on the run, betraying her parents and everyone she knows. The secrets she uncovers on her journey threaten to pull everything down: and so begins a desperate race against time in which she will confront the truth about her island, her giant… and ultimately herself.

Ema Vaskova has always felt different. In a family of famous scientists, there’s not much room for superstition or omens – but they seem to follow Ema wherever she goes. It doesn’t help that she appears to predict events before they happen, and has a peculiar fear of shadows… When Ema is sent to stay with her eccentric uncle in Prague, she fears she’ll lose the chance to ever fit in. But then she meets Silvie – a girl who finally sees Ema for the extraordinary person that she is. Soon the girls are meeting for secret midnight adventures, and facing Ema’s fears together. But then disaster strikes. Silvie goes missing – and it’s up to Ema to find her. Now she must gather the courage to hunt the city, find her friend, and uncover the secrets of the one clue Silvie left as to where she might be – inside the mysterious Midnight Guild…

Do any of these catch your interest? Have you read any already?

I’m reading When Women Were Dragons which is taking me such a long time to finish! It was a slow start for me, but I’m now really invested in it and enjoying it. I even picked it up when I woke at 5am. I’m loving the relationship between Alex and her cousin Beatrice, and am looking forward to seeing where this goes. I’m also listening to Show Us Who You Are which is so good! Cora and Adrien are brilliant neurodivergent characters and form a wonderful friendship. I absolutely can’t wait to find out more about Pomegranate Technologies as I definitely vibes that there is something sinister behind them.

I’ve finished reading Wished which was a fun read with a wonderfully heart-warming ending. I enjoyed the humour and the wonderful adventures through the wishes. I also finished listening to When the World was Ours which is a powerful, thought-provoking story told from three viewpoints – Leo, Max and Elsa – as their lives are torn apart by the onset of the Second World War. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but I’m glad I listened to it. I also read Seed which was a wonderful heart-warming adventure. I’m aiming to review this over the half term. I also finished Ghost Squad which is a fast-paced adventure with plenty of spooky moments: a wonderful story of believing in yourself. I was able to sit in the garden on Sunday, so I picked up The Life and Time of Lonny Quicke which I couldn’t put down. I devoured this in a couple of hours.   It is a contemporary fantasy that tells the story of a lifeling, Lonny Quicke, who can bring animals and humans back from the brink of death but at a high price:  as he gives them life, his life force is drained and he ages.  This story completely captivated me, and I was left continually wondering what would happen to Lonny who feels such a pull to save life.  He is an incredibly sympathetic character.  He is desperate to explore the world like his mother had, but is trapped in the forest.  Is it better for him to remain safe, or to take risks in order to fulfil his dreams?  I loved the concept of time which is threaded beautifully throughout the story with references to familiar songs and poems.  This is a powerful, thought-provoking and poignant story of impossible choices, family and friendship.

I’m hoping to read Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse next.

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

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

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:

“Learn from the masters in this book. Then, the next time we meet, you will be good enough to beat me.”

This book in three words:

CHESS, FAMILY, ADVENTURE

The Clockwork Queen is a gripping, action-packed historical adventure which I absolutely raced through as I was so invested in Sophie’s life.  This is both a heart-breaking and touching story of family and friendship that gives a fascinating insight into the place of chess in 18^th century Russia.

On her tenth birthday, Sophie Peshka’s father, Ivan, a chess grandmaster, leaves her and her mother after an invite from the Empress, Catherine the Great, to journey to the Winter Palace in St Petersburg to teach her son how to play chess.  Sophie, herself a chess prodigy, loved playing chess with her father so, when he leaves her his board and a copy of his book, Masters of Chess, she continues to perfect her skills in his absence.

After Sophie and her mother stop receiving letters and money from Ivan, she discovers that he has been imprisoned by the Empress, and their lives become much harder.

Sophie longs to make the long journey to the Winter Palace to rescue her father, so when an opportunity arises, she agrees even though it may place her in great danger.   She travels to St Petersburg with the owners of an incredible chess-playing automaton, the Clockwork Queen.  Can a Queen outplay an Empress in a contest where lives are at risk? 

This is a brilliantly fast-paced, exciting adventure – with danger, tension and surprises – which really drew me into the world of a young chess prodigy determined to seek justice.  Sophie is an incredibly sympathetic protagonist.  She loses her father to the whims of a powerful ruler, but continues to perfect the game both she and he love, in order to survive and in the hope that she will eventually be reunited with her father.

I really enjoyed the setting of 18^th century Russia under the rule of Catherine the Great; the introduction of the automaton chess player; and, the insight into the game of chess which my nephew has tried to teach me, but with not much success!

The illustrations are stunning and complement the story beautifully, really evoking this period of history, the fascination with chess and the character emotions.

The Clockwork Queen is a thrilling, action-packed adventure that is perfect for readers of 8+.

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

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 still reading When Women Were Dragons which I am finding so much slower than I thought; however, it is a fascinating read and concept. I’m also reading Wished which is a really fun read which I’m really enjoying. I love the Attlee the talking cat! I’m listening to When the World was Ours which is a very powerful, thought-provoking read. This is one which will no doubt bring tears!

I’ve finished reading Our Sister, Again which I absolutely loved: an utterly fascinating read. I will be posting my review shortly.

I didn’t get to this one last week, so I’m hoping to read it next.

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

I’m not sure what happened to ‘I can only read one book at a time’ me! I’m continuing my read of When Women were Dragons which I am enjoying, but I’m finding it a much slower read than I’d thought it would be. Maybe that’s just because I’m so used to the pace of middle-grade! I’ve just started Our Sister, Again which I think is going to be one that brings tears! The Middle Grade Marvels book club read this month is Ghost Squad which I’ve had on my TBR for ages, so am so glad it was picked this month. I’m really enjoying this which has left me with lots of questions, and a definite need to keep reading! I’m loving the magical and supernatural themes and the Dominican folklore.

I finished reading Secret of the Shadow Beasts and have posted my review. This is a contemporary fantasy adventure that I really enjoyed and I can definitely see it appealing to lots of the children in my class.

If I don’t sleep the entire weekend after SATs this week, I hope to read Seed next.

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

Secret of the Shadow Beasts is an exhilarating, action-packed fantasy adventure that kept me gripped throughout as I was led into a world of danger, secrets and terrifying beasts that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

12-year-old Nora Kemp almost loses her mother in the same way that her father was killed three years previously – with a single venomous bite from an umbra – a shadow beast.  These frightening creatures roam throughout Brannland between the hours of twilight and dawn leaving people with no choice but to remain indoors during those hours in order to remain safe and protected. 

Hope of defeating the Umbrae, and preventing attacks, rests with a group of children who are immune to the beasts’ venom, children who are taken away from their parents at the age of seven to train to become knights, ready to do battle with the beasts.  Nora had been tested when she was seven and proved to be immune, but her father had refused to let her train.  However, after the incident with her mother, she decides to leave home and train to become a knight.

On arrival at Noye’s Hill Castle, where the knights live and train, she feels unwelcomed by the other knights, but immediately proves herself when she is tested in a simulation fighting umbrae.  However, instead of training to become a knight, Nora finds herself becoming the newest knight of the Order of the Hawk.

And so begins an incredibly exciting, fast-paced, perilous adventure as Nora joins her Order and soon takes part in her first duty where she is thrown into a fight against surge after surge of terror-inducing Umbrae in different parts of the country.  Will the Order succeed in keeping themselves and the people of Brannland safe?  Will they discover the truth behind the ever-increasing population of Umbrae?  What secrets lie hidden with the depths of the Castle?

I loved the blending of contemporary and fantastical through the setting, use of gaming and the brilliantly-drawn creatures which felt very real. I also really liked the inclusion of an environmental message around the need to protect natural habitats. 

Nora is a wonderful protagonist who finds herself thrust into a world she has heard of, but of which she has no real knowledge.  She enjoys gaming and credits playing an RPG game, Warriors of the Frozen Bog, with her adept skills in fighting the Umbrae.  Whilst Nora has a difficult start with her Order, I really enjoyed the building of trust, fierce loyalty and camaraderie as they bonded.  This group of diverse children are incredible, overcoming their fear and showing so much courage, resilience and determination in the face of all-encompassing danger. I enjoyed getting to know each of them with their different personalities, backgrounds, motivations and interests. 

This fantasy adventure sparkles with friendship, heart and courage in a world of danger, secrets and revelations.  A magnetic read for young adventurers and gamers of 9+, and is one that I will definitely be adding to my class library.

Thank you to the author, Diane Magras, for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed April as I got to enjoy a few days away in the Cotswolds which was just gorgeous. I definitely want to go back there again. I also went to see my second ever opera: Madame Butterfly which was performed by the Ukrainian National Opera of Kyiv. It was very emotional at the end as they sang the Ukrainian National Anthem. I also watched Heartstopper which kept me up way too late as night as I just had to keep watching another episode – a truly wonderful feel-good, charming show that I will definitely be binge-watching again! This has been a good reading month with lots of books I really enjoyed.

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 15 books this month, 9 physical copies, 5 e-books and 1 audiobook.

NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is at 98%. I’m edging closer to my 100 Book Reviews Badge, having reviewed 85 books now. I’ve been approved to read two books this month. I have read The Clockwork Queen and will be posting my review soon.

Books sent by publishers:

I have been lucky enough to have been sent these books by publishers this month. Five are books I’ve been sent to review and I won Wished in a Twitter Giveaway! I have read and reviewed Firesong.

Books bought:

I’ve bought 8 books this month.

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

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

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:

They only recently decided to have their own rooms: Maudie’s tools and various inventions overran their old room, and she complained that she would always trip over his pile of books, so they decided it was time.

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY

I’m a huge fan of the Brightstorm series, so I was desperate to get my hands on the stunning final instalment, Firesong and, oh my goodness, what an epic adventure it is! Yes – it is gripping, exciting and action-packed, but it is also poignant and heart-warming:  an adventure which makes your heart both race and sing.  Absolute perfection!  This is a series that has really captured my heart and, whilst I am sad to see it end, I am lucky enough as a teacher to be able to continue to share it with children and to use it in class, so I feel that I will never quite say goodbye to it – and I’m really glad about that! 

Arthur and Maudie have settled with Harriet and Felicity at 4 Archangel Street after returning from their expedition to the Eastern Isles.  The twins are disappointed when they fail in their bid to win an item belonging to their mother at an auction of explorer artefacts.  In an effort to cheer them up, Harriet offers them the chance to go on another expedition and, this time, they can choose where to explore …

After a visit from their aunt, Eudora Vane, where she makes a kind gesture and a suggestion, they decide to explore the Volcanic North where their parents had discovered the Brightstorm moth, their family symbol. Leaving behind the unrest that is stirring as the result of a new faction in Lontown Society, the Aurora crew begin their adventure with a couple of new crew members aboard:  Gan, the fearless niece of some old friends, and the rather nervous volcanologist, Professor Hugo Waynecroft.

And so begins THE most thrilling, edge-of-your-seat, unputdownable adventure that swept me into a world of discoveries, secrets, suspicions, danger and treachery.  Whilst the twins are on a journey to learn more about their past, Eudora is intent on destroying their future.  As the Aurora travels further north, its crew find themselves in dangerous situations, the twins are called onwards by a song only they can hear, onwards towards a creature that shouldn’t exist who is need of their help and protection.  The unexpected twists and revelations were breath-taking, and kept me eagerly turning pages, desperate to continue the adventure and not leave it, even for a moment. 

The world of The Great Wide that I feel privileged to have explored with the Aurora crew throughout the Brightstorm adventures is so richly imagined, and the Volcanic North is no exception – both beautiful and dangerous with its volcanic sands, valleys, frozen waterfalls and a whisper of moths!   As always, I adored following the journey on the gorgeous maps.

Maudie and Arthur have definitely found a place in my heart, and I have adored seeing them grow and mature in this final adventure.  These two have caused me plenty of tears, both of joy and sadness, and I think this is a real testament to the quality of the writing that I care so much about them.  I don’t want to give any spoilers, but there was an encounter with their Mum’s sapient moth that brought so many tears – incredibly poignant and beautiful!  Arthur and Maudie’s interests may be diverging as they find their place in the world, but their love for each other is stronger than any obstacles life may through in their path, even when these are a natural part of growing up!

The themes which are explored throughout the story are perfect for opening up opportunities for discussion:  themes of friendship and family and of challenging gender stereotypes; environmental themes related to habitat destruction and the need to find renewable energy sources; and themes of extremism, activism, colonisation and elitism. 

Firesong is the perfect ending to what has been a truly unforgettable series that I have no doubt has captured the hearts and imaginations of so many young, and not so young, adventurers.

Thank you to Harriet Dunlea and Scholastic for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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 reading When Women Were Dragons as the synopsis really intrigued me. I haven’t read much yet, but has really caught my attention. I think this will be a fantastic book on empowerment for women, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where it leads. I’m listening to Utterly Dark and the Face of the Deep which is wonderful. I think this is the first book by Philip Reeve I’ve read, and I’m really enjoying the lyrical style. It feels like it is steeped in myth so I’m looking forward to finding out what happens. I’m reading an e-book of Secret of the Shadow Beasts by an author whose previous books set in Scotland I’ve really enjoyed. This one feels very different – much more fantasy rather than historical based – but I’m loving it.

I’ve finished listening to Between Shades of Gray which is the most incredible story which taught me so much about a period of history I wasn’t familiar with. The author’s note at the end was a great addition. Its definitely a harrowing read that brought lots of tears and anger. I am in awe of the strength and resilience shown by so many as they fought for survival in such harsh and cruel conditions, searching for hope in a hopeless situation. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author. I also finished The Secret Wild which was a wonderful environmental story. I’ve posted my review.

I’m hoping to read Our Sister, Again next.

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