I’m slightly late doing December’s wrap-up as I had family visiting and then – back to work! I had a really wonderful Christmas and New Year with lots of time to relax at the start of the holiday and then enjoy much-needed catch-up time with my sister in real life rather than via phone! Too much food, too much drink but lots of relaxing and fun. I hope everyone who reads this had a great Christmas and a rather belated Happy New Year!

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 11 books this month, 10 physical copies (although one started as audiobook and then finished as physical copy), 1 e-book and 1 audiobook.

NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is at 95%. I’ve read and reviewed the two books I requested on NetGalley in November:  The Mermaid in the Millpond and A Storm of Sisters which is now the full copy, not a sampler. I also couldn’t resist requesting another two which I have been approved to read: The Secret of the Treasure Keepers and Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup.

Books sent by publishers:

I have been lucky enough to have been sent these books by publishers this month.

Books bought and presents:

I’ve bought 8 books and been gifted 4 at Christmas.

That’s a wrap! How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these? Have you any of them on your TBR?

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!

The boy clung to the rail with a death grip as the ship lurched violently in the storm. It was sinking.

Any ideas?

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the author of The Girl Who Stole an Elephant comes another brilliant escapade. A thrilling adventure set in fictional Sri Lanka, jam-packed with peril and kidnap and a huge blue whale!

Razi, a local fisherboy, is watching turtle eggs hatch when he sees a boat bobbing into view. With a chill, he notices a small, still hand hanging over the side… Inside is Zheng, who’s escaped a shipwreck and is full of tales of sea monsters and missing treasure. But the villains who are after Zheng are soon after Razi and his sister, Shifa, too. And so begins an exhilarating adventure in the shadow of the biggest sea monster of them all…

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:

She did her usual victory dance, and whenever Caro danced, the celebration would last that bit longer.

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, FRIENDSHIP, SCHOOL

Jummy at the River School is an absolute joyous, heart-warming story which immersed me in a vibrant and wondrously energetic Nigerian boarding school adventure.    

Eleven-year-old Jumoke (Jummy) is eager to leave primary school, and dreams of attending boarding school.  She is delighted when she earns a place at the prestigious River School, a well-respected girls’ boarding school in Nigeria.  She has fulfilled her dream, and made her family proud, but she is also sad to be leaving behind her best friend Caro. 

After her summer holiday, Jummy arrives at the station to travel to school where she meets Lola, a friend’s cousin who helps her settle into her dorm in Nile House.  It is not long before Jummy feels a part of the school with midnight feasts, undertaking duties, practising for the Harmattan Games and attending lessons amongst a group of girls who are welcoming, friendly and fun.  She soon forms some firm friendships, and settles easily into her new life with its camaraderie and teamwork.

Imagine her surprise and joy when an old friend arrives with the Matron.  Jummy is overjoyed to be reunited with Caro, but soon discovers that Caro is not there as a student, but to work as a maid.  Jummy quickly renews her friendship with Caro, and is determined, with help from her new friends, to help her gain the education she deserves, but not everyone is keen to have her succeed.  Will Jummy’s attempts to help her friend be thwarted by the spite of others?

Jummy is a wonderful young girl who has real joie de vivre and is not averse to a little bit of mischief!  She makes friends readily and is warm, friendly and kind-hearted.  She has a keen sense of fairness, and a determination to make a difference and to address injustice.   

The setting of this story is so richly described – a feast for the senses – that I felt myself transported to the River School with its sights, sounds and tastes from the Shine-Shine River with stories of crocodiles to dorm life to midnight feasts with delicious sounding food like puffpuff, chinchin and agbalumo.  I must admit to looking these up and they do sound yummy!

Whilst this is a story filled with warmth, friendship and vibrancy, it also addresses inequalities in relation to class, education and poverty which I thought were brilliantly woven into the story, and in a way which will encourage empathy in readers and raise opportunities for further discussion.

This is a beautifully told, heart-warming story of the strength and joy of friendship, of standing up for the rights of others and of making a difference. 

Thank you to Laura Smythe and Chicken House 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!

Now that I’m back at work, I’ve started listening to audiobooks again. This week I started listening to The Hatmakers which I’m really enjoying. I’m about halfway through Sleep-Over Take-Over which is seriously silly and fun, but also with some great messages about being yourself and friendship.

I’ve re-read The Dreamsnatcher as I’m using it in English lessons, so was reading it with a focus on also creating a unit of work from it! This is a brilliant, exciting and quite dark adventure which I really enjoyed. I also read the second book in the Mort the Meek series which I absolutely adored. I love the author’s sense of humour and narrative voice – really fantastic! I’ve posted my review of this one.

I really enjoyed the first one in this series, so I’m really looking forward to picking up Rivals on the Track.

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

Thank you so much to Little Tiger for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour for this seriously hilarious book which is released on 6th January, and for providing me with an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved Mort the Meek and the Ravens’ Revenge so I had high expectations for my favourite Brutalian pacifist’s next adventure and, oh my dancing lobsters, does it deliver!  Mort the Meek and the Monstrous Quest is a kraken story (sorry!):  deliciously horrible (I was warned!), belly-achingly hilarious and edge-of-the-seat exciting. 

The insult-loving, exquisitely revolting Queen of Brutalia has an announcement to make and her loyal, rumbustious subjects had better listen carefully, or be ready to face the Punishment of the Day.  She proclaims that she is not only a Queen, but descended from the Gods, and she has a mission for her most fearless foolhardy subjects:  to venture into the Salty Sea to bring her back a trophy befitting a God Queen.

Ordinarily, Mort the Meek, the one-and-only founding member of The Pacifist Society of Brutalia would not have been interested in endangering himself to gain attention from his Queen but – and this is a bold BUT, his father and younger siblings are lost at sea.  What better opportunity to find them than to take one of the Queen’s royal fleet to seek his own treasure?

Of course, things are rarely plain-sailing for peace-loving Mort and, rather than having his only other member (sorry, half-member – it does make perfect sense – honestly!) of The Pacifist Society and best friend Weed accompany him aboard a sea-worthy vessel, he finds himself aboard the rather leaky The C^rabbage with someone altogether unique! Rock-crusher Punky Mason is terrifically terrifying, a master of insults and makes the best threats (at least I think they were threats!) and she’s just a PERFECT sailing partner for Mort. 

And so begins a brilliantly action-packed, wickedly hilarious and endearingly heart-warming adventure as Mort and Punky each endeavour to find treasure which may be more closely linked than they imagine.  Could the discovery of a tentacle from a legendary sea-creature be enough to impress the Queen?  Will Mort find his family, or lead trouble towards Brutalia?  And, most importantly, what is the newest fashion in eye apparel for the Queen? 

Whilst it was ravens who introduced every chapter in the first book, they have worthy suck-cessors in Bruce and Larry, the joke-loving, dancing lobsters who have a wicked sense of humour, and a ridiculously playful understanding of language!  Beliciously drilliant!  You really must reab this belightful dook to biscover why Bs and Ds are so important! 

I absolutely loved being back with Mort who shows courage and determination in trying to find his family.  When his values are challenged, he finds the inner strength to remain true to himself when it really matters. I also really liked Punky who may be tough as her piercings on the outside, but inside she is kind and just wants a chance to follow her dreams. 

The partial and whole page illustrations throughout are absolutely joyous, and complement the warmth and humour of the story-telling brilliantly. 

Mort the Meek and the Monstrous Quest is a riotously rib-tickling adventure with a heart of gold which is guaranteed to increase your laughter lines – and I’m assured that’s a good thing!  Oh, and if that isn’t enough, the Queen of Brutalia demands you read it and, trust me, you wouldn’t want to face her Punishment of the Day, so you’d better just read it!

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

I’m just about to start Mort the Meek and the Monstrous Quest which I am so looking forward to as I absolutely loved the humour in the first book.

I decided to finish Frostheart: Escape from Aurora reading the paperback rather than listening to the audiobook. This is such a wonderfully exciting story with plenty of action and twists and, oh the ending – I now really need to read the final one in this trilogy. I also couldn’t resist picking up A Storm of Sisters which I had on NetGalley. I absolutely loved being back with the Widdershins sisters for another brilliant adventure. This time they are visiting Wilderness to help Granny look after an injured relative. Adventure quickly finds them as they seek the truth behind a legend involving a highway robber, ghosts and secrets. I loved the wintery, spooky atmosphere in this one. I also picked up Rita Wong and the Jade Mask. I really wasn’t sure if this was going to be my kind of book, but I really enjoyed it. There is no doubt that it is probably one of the most surreal books I’ve read, but I liked the characters and the film noir detective vibes. I’d definitely pick up another in this series.

My sister and her partner are visiting for New Year, so I’m not sure if I’ll fit in any more reading but, if I do, I’m going to pick up Sleep-Over Take-Over.

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

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:

“Nothing is so certain as the unexpected.” (Metal pike from the Rusty River)

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, FRIENDSHIP, INVENTIVENESS

Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon is Harley’s second amazing adventure: an exuberantly delightful, exciting and fast-paced treat of a story that utterly charmed me.  This can be read as a standalone, but I have no doubt that young readers – if they have not already done so – will also want to get their hands on Harley Hitch and the Iron Forest which my class absolutely loved when I read it as a class read aloud. 

Harley Hitch is starting another term at Cogworks, and she is as determined as ever to win the elusive Pupil of the Term with its accompanying golden light bulb pin.  She decides that, in order to give herself the best chance to win, she must become the perfect pupil, so no change in hair colour, no adaptations to her uniform and no lateness.  Will Harley change herself so much that she will no longer be true to herself?

On her first day back at school, the students discover that Forgetown is to enjoy a spectacular show from Monocles’ Marvellous Machines Circus who are touring Inventia.  Persuaded to attend the circus by her best friend, Cosmo, Harley soon finds herself caught up in the magic of this mechanically-enhanced show.   Her natural curiosity is piqued and soon gets the better of her when she goes to investigate a cabinet which can make things disappear by teleportation. 

Harley accidentally damages the cabinet, and things begin to go missing in Forgetown … things like watches, trowels, ties and, oh yes, the MOON!  Could Harley be to blame for the missing items and unusual changes that are affecting Forgetown?  Will she be able to solve the mystery behind the missing items before things become even worse?

This is a brilliant adventure, with unexpected twists, that fizzes with energy and warmth as Harley and Cosmo work together to discover why the moon has disappeared.  I absolutely loved that some of my favourite characters from the first book returned in this one, including Sprocket, the robot-dog; the wise metal fish in the Rusty River; and, the ebullient stars.

Oh my!  I so adore Harley who really is the most wonderful young girl:  kind-hearted, resourceful and determined.  She has the courage to take responsibility for admitting her mistakes, learns the importance of being true to herself and stands up to unfairness.  Cosmo is a wonderful friend to Harley, helping her to appreciate that it is her unique style and individuality that makes her special. The relationship between Harley and her Grandads is just gorgeous.

The partial and full-page illustrations by George Ermos are stunning and capture the energy, fun and warmth of the story perfectly.  And, I loved, loved, loved the Beginners Guide to the Stars of Inventia. 

Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon sparkles with joy, warmth and inventiveness, and is a real treat of an adventure for readers of 7+.

Thank you to Harriet Dunlea and Scholastic for 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’ve just finished a book, but I’ll be picking this one up later this evening. I’m so excited to be returning to this series to join the Widdershins sisters on their next adventure.

I finished Julia and the Shark which is a stunning hardback book which completely captured and mesmerised me from start to finish.  The black, white and yellow illustrations are superb and complement the story perfectly, capturing both Julia’s loneliness and hopefulness.  
Julia and her family have gone to live in a lighthouse on the remote Scottish island of Unst.  Whilst her father is making the lighthouse automated, her mother is determined, for very personal reasons, to find a Greenland shark with the hope that its longevity can lead to a medical breakthrough.  Her all-encompassing desperation to find the shark is obsessive, leading to some heart-breaking moments between Julia and her mother, and a dangerous adventure for Julia.
Julia does make a friend in Kin who is being bullied by some local boys and, whilst their friendship is not easy, I loved how honest it was.  I also really enjoyed how Kin took Julia’s eyes away from the sea and raised them to the sky, making a connection between the two.
This is such a powerful, poignant and hopeful story, filled with the lyricism that permeates in Kiran’s stories.  A story of family survival in the face of mental health issues, of friendship and of hope. An absolute masterpiece from this incredible writer.

I also read the next adventure in Vashti Hardy’s series for younger readers, Harley Hitch and the Missing Moon which I loved. I am just finishing my review and will post it shortly.

I have spent quite a lot of today transported to a 1990s Nigerian boarding school in Jummy at the River School which I really enjoyed. I loved the energy and joy that radiates from Jummy and her friends. This is one that also deals with themes of poverty, privilege and educational rights. I will be posting my review shortly.

I absolutely loved Mort the Meek and the Ravens’ Revenge so am really looking forward to joining Mort in his Monstrous Quest which I’m sure will bring plenty of laughs!

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

I’ve read over 100 amazing children’s books this year, so it was incredibly difficult to choose my top 12 reads – one for each month of the year – but I decided I was going to push myself to have a go. I think it is no surprise to anyone who reads my recommendations that I am a huge fan of fantasy stories although I have also re-discovered a love of historical fiction since I started my blog.

I’ve included the opening to my review in each of my choices with a link to my full review.

The Shark Caller: a stunning and powerful story which wove its magic straight into my heart; an unforgettable tale set on the beautiful island of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea; a tale of two young girls from different worlds who find a bond of sisterhood that saves them both.  This is an incredibly moving story that left me in floods of tears, but it also left me filled with hope and reassurance.  An absolute masterpiece that I’m already confident will be one of my top reads of 2021!

Circus Maximus: Race to the Death:  a thrilling, heart-racing adventure which transported me back to Ancient Rome where courage and skill, danger and foul play are the order of the day in its greatest sporting arena:  the Circus Maximus. Whilst the backdrop is the explosive excitement of the racing world, the beating heart at its epicentre is that of an incredible young girl, a girl with the courage and tenacity to fight for her seemingly unreachable dreams. 

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: The Edge of the Ocean: a breathtakingly brilliant return to this mesmerising, magical world where stepping through a suitcase brings a world of action-packed, nautical adventure, excitement aplenty and frissons of danger … perfect edge-of-your-seat reading at the Edge of the Ocean!

The Monsters of Rookhaven: an incredible read which captured me from the opening line (Mirabelle was in the garden feeding bones to the flowers ….) and transported me into a world filled with gothic delight, marvel and monsters. Mirabelle and her monster family are separated from the human world by a glamour which becomes torn, allowing two orphaned children, Jem and Tom, to discover their existence.

Skyborn: an electrifying adventure that transported me into an exhilarating, richly drawn world, captured my heart and left me with the sigh of satisfaction I get when I’ve finished something very special: a story that will stay with me for a long time, and one I will want to read again and again. This is a prequel to Eye of the North, but can easily be read as a standalone, although I would definitely recommend that you read it too!

Mystery of the Night Watchers: a gripping adventure with a brilliantly evoked sense of mystery, that kept me entranced throughout as secrets were revealed and lies unravelled against the backdrop of a wonderfully depicted Edwardian Society both in fear of, and excited by, the arrival of Halley’s comet.  Perfect for younger, and older, fans of historical fiction.

Crowfall: a thrilling, irresistible corker of an adventure that utterly absorbed me from start to finish.   I’m so glad I settled down to read this on a Sunday afternoon as it is most definitely a compelling page-turner that I devoured in one sitting. I have no doubt that young readers of 9+ will be completely entranced by this gripping tale as they venture into a world of excitement, discoveries and new friends.

When the Sky Falls:  a stunning, powerful story that absolutely gripped me from the opening lines. It is a story set during the Second World War, but at its heart, it’s a story of loss, hope, kindness and being brave enough to trust. The characters in this story are unforgettable and found their way into my heart. Tears were streaming down my face as I read the last few pages, tears of sadness and tears of relief. It really felt like I was taken on such an emotional journey as I read this incredible story.

Between Sea and Sky: an engrossing ecological story, told from a dual perspective, that heartachingly portrays the devastation caused by environmental catastrophe with its impact on both the landscape and survivors, but there is also a heart-warming message of hope, that nature will fight for survival and find a way to regenerate if only it is given a chance. 

Fireborn: a breath-taking epic quest that made my heart sing, ache and race as I was wholeheartedly engrossed from start to finish:  dazzling, rich world-building; an incredible cast of characters; and an action-packed, electrifying plot that pulsates with darkness, danger, light and hope.

Uki and the Ghostburrow: is epic fantasy writing at its pinnacle: a story for anyone who longs to be swept into a richly-drawn world of breath-taking adventure, excitement and danger with heroes to root for, heroes who form heart-warming friendships, and who show great courage and strength to overcome evil. I was absolutely gripped from start to finish, starting it late in the evening, reading until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer (the sign of a great book) and then getting up early to finish it. Perfection!

The Book of Stolen Dreams: an exceptionally powerful fantasy adventure that immediately drew me into the magic of the story with the intriguing introduction, and kept me gripped throughout. A story of love, courage and sacrifice in the face of hatred, cruelty and fear:  a story that reverberates the past and the present with the hope of a better future. An unmissable, unforgettable adventure!

Have you read any of these? What have been some of your favourite books this year? What have I missed that you would recommend I read next year?

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

There are footprints in the snow, sunken marks picked out by the moonlight. They weave a path through the forest, round the ring of ancient oak trees and on towards the wooden hut. But there they stop, and the smoke curling out of the chimney is the only sign that anyone is inside. Seven cloaked figures sit round a table, their hoods pulled up despite the fire crackling in the grate.

Any ideas?

I read The Dream Snatcher a while ago now, but we’re going to use it with Year 6 as our text in the Spring Term, so I’m excited to read it again and create some reading and writing plans.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare – the one with the drums and the rattles and the masks. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants her life. Because Moll is more important than she knows… The Oracle Bones foretold that she and Gryff, a wildcat that has always been by her side, are the only ones who can fight back against the Dreamsnatcher’s dark magic. Suddenly everything is at stake, and Moll is drawn into a world full of secrets, magic and adventure.