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!

‘All girls ooze sin.’ Deputy Headmistress Wolsley’s bonnet, high and round like a black moon, casts a shadow that trickles down her nose to pool in her lap. ‘But Wicked Girls, unless corrected, wield it like a weapon.’

Any ideas?

This is one that arrived as a late Christmas present! I absolutely love the opening, and can’t wait to find some time to read this as I just know I’m going to love it!

Goodreads Synopsis:

A spellbinding new middle grade series crackling with magic and adventure, perfect for fans of Starfell, Nevermoor and A Pinch of Magic.

I am Spel. Daughter of witches. The only one who can step between worlds. The only one who can save my sister. If I can find her before the witch hunt begins . . . Thirteen years ago, magic was banished and the witches were hunted. Sisters Spel and Egg are the daughters of witches, but they grow up in Miss Mouldheel’s School for Wicked Girls with no idea who they really are. Until the day the message arrives telling them to run . . . The message sends them to a funeral parlour in a far away village – and their new guardian, the Undertaker, has a secret. Beneath the funeral parlour is a portal to the Other Ways – four worlds that lie parallel to ours. When Egg vanishes through the portal, Spel knows she must try to save her sister. But no one can step between the worlds – or can they?

This is my new weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books. I hope others will enjoy taking part in this too!

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 might be loud, they might be enthusiastic, but they were not in tune.

This book in three words:

VIKINGS, ADVENTURE, HILARIOUS

How to be a Hero is a brilliantly fun, action-packed fantasy adventure, drawing on Norse mythology, that kept me giggling throughout.  I just know that my class will love this and, as a Year 4 teacher who teaches about the Vikings, it will be brilliant as a class read to accompany our topic.

Whetstone wants to make something of himself in life, and has decided that being a thief is better than being a nobody.  Surrounded by singing Vikings, he manages to steal a magical cup, but it is not long before he is being chased by irate Vikings!  It doesn’t help that the cup likes reciting poetry – rather bad, but brilliantly funny poetry!  In a desperate bid to escape his pursuers, he buries the cup and hides in a barn … 

Meanwhile, Valkyrie-in-training Lotta’s training is not going quite as well as she had hoped, but she is determined to improve.  She must go on a mission to Midgard (Earth) to bring back a fallen hero to Valhalla, but her flying horse Thighbiter has other ideas …

Through a desperate need to fulfil her mission, Lotta and Whetstone meet … and so begins an hilarious, warm-hearted adventure filled with mishaps, discoveries, mean girls, a trickster and a dragon, not to mention the Norse Gods.  I loved how much I discovered about Norse mythology wrapped up in a brilliant bundle of fun – the perfect way to learn!  At the heart of the story, there is an intriguing mystery to solve which kept me turning page after page. 

Both Lotta and Whetstone are incredibly endearing characters:  unlikely heroes who find friendship, and the courage to overcome obstacles through quick-wit, determination and teamwork.  Through selfless acts, standing up for themselves and facing peril, they show true heroic qualities.

The illustrations that are included in the proof are gorgeous and complement the story perfectly, showing a real sense of fun and character. I’m definitely looking forward to buying a final copy and seeing all of the illustrations.

This is a perfect read for fans of the How to Train your Dragon series, and is one I have no doubt will become a firm favourite of young fans of rib-tickling, action-packed fantasy adventures.  I’m so looking forward to sharing this with my class when we start our Viking topic.

Thank you to MacMillan for a proof 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!

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I’ve just started listening to George on audiobook on my way to work and am really enjoying it. I started Uki and the Outcast last night and just know it’s going to be as wonderful as the Podkin stories.

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I think that qualifies as a good reading week! I absolutely adored the sheer escapism in Explorers on Witch Mountain and Explorers on Black Ice Bridge. I really like the child characters who all have wonderfully distinct personalities, and also have a deep bond of friendship. I also really liked Felix who is Stella Starflake Pearl’s (the ice princess) adoptive father. He gives the BEST advice and is what I call an all-round good guy! The action is non-stop and exciting. The creatures they meet along the way are just brilliant – I have no idea how someone can imagine some of them, but I loved the diversity and both the humour and tension they infused into the stories.

I also read The Raven’s Call by one of my absolute favourite authors. This is a beautifully told short adventure with some wonderful imagery, perfect for younger readers. The ravens have come back to the king’s rookery, but Alys notices that her beloved birds have been changed:  they have speckles of white on their feathers and silver on their beaks.  What has changed them, and why?  Ravens are the protectors of the Kingdom, so Alys must make a journey to tell the King of their change.  The ravens go with her, and what she discovers strikes fear into her heart … will the ravens she loves be able to protect the kingdom from a terrible danger?  The illustrations which accompany the story are absolutely gorgeous.

I listened to Here in the Real World on audio and, whilst I wasn’t sure of it at first (despite hearing so many wonderful things about it), it really grew on me as I continued to listen. I really liked the portrayal of the friendship between Ware and Jolene, the link with the environment, and how he had the strength be himself rather than feeling he had to live up to others’ expectations. I do think maybe this is one I need to re-read in paperback to appreciate fully.

I also finished Another Twist in the Tale. This is an absolutely wonderful twist on the story of Oliver Twist and tells the story of Oliver’s twin sister, Twill, who was abandoned on a rubbish heap shortly after her birth as females had very little value!  This story follows the Dickensian trait of casting a light on the darker side of Victorian society:  the social injustices; gender inequality; treatment of the poor, especially children; poverty and the lengths the young had to go to in order to survive; and, the exploitation and cruelty towards children.  These issues are brilliantly woven into the story through the lives of the young characters who are brave, resourceful, strong and determined, despite what life has thrown at them.  I loved that they formed such close bonds and looked out for each other:  they were a family.  The ending is gorgeously heart-warming and joyous!

Finally, I read How to be a Hero which is just brilliant! I loved the hapless thief-who-wants-to-be-a-hero Whetsone and determined-but-still-with-a-lot-to-learn Lotta, a Valkyrie-in-training. The humour really is hilarious with lots of mishaps and mistakes. There is also plenty of information about the Vikings which is perfectly blended into the story. Year 4 study the Vikings in mu school, and I can definitely see this being a great introduction that will have them laughing-out-loud – and learning lots!

I’m really looking forward to reading The Ocean Squid Explorers’ Club next as I’ve enjoyed the The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club so much.

What have you read? Have you read any of these?

The January theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by A Little But a Lot is It’s all about booooooooooks and today’s prompt is for Books you wish you’d read in 2020. Oh my goodness, I am a bit of a book buying addict, so my bookshelves are full of books I’ve bought in 2020 that I’d fully intended to read but just haven’t got round to them – yet!

I’m going to choose three books from series and three books I’ve heard so much about that I really, really want to read them soon!

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I loved the previous books in all of these series, and eagerly bought these as soon as they were published. I know I’m going to love all of these – and will get round to reading them soon – I hope!

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These are all exactly the kind of books I enjoy, so I really need to find some time to read them. I suppose it is a testament to the quality of the books being published that I have so many I’m keen to read. This could definitely have been a Fifty for Sunday for me – and I do read lots of books – it’s just that I also buy lots of books!!

Have you read any of these? What books do you wish you’d read in 2020?

This is my new weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books. I hope others will enjoy taking part in this too!

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 [Stella] woke up early the next morning, though, and scrambled straight out of bed, practically trembling with anticipation as she changed out of her pyjamas and into a white travelling dress with star-shaped buttons, a fur-lined hood and extra long cuffs to keep out the snow.

This book in three words:

EXPLORATION, ADVENTURE, FRIENDSHIP

I adored this incredible adventure which completely drew me in with its rich and wonderful world-building and gorgeous descriptive language, not to mention the depth of the character-building which made getting to know the protagonists a heart-warming experience.  The children really captured my heart.

The children go on the most incredible adventure across the Icelands, full of danger and excitement and meet some brilliantly imaginative creatures including frosties and a carnivorous cabbage.  Secrets are revealed and friendships blossom as the children battle to return to the rendezvous point, but will they make it in time, or find themselves trapped in the Icelands?

Whilst this story is full of fast-paced action and dangerous situations which kept me irresistibly turning the next page, I also loved how beautifully and realistically it portrays the relationships between the children, who all have past heartache, as they get to know each other, reveal their secrets and fears and come to trust and rely upon each other to survive.

You can read my full review here.

I’m currently reading the rest of this series:

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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!

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This is unusual for me, but I’m reading three books at the minute. I’m about a third of the way through Another Twist in the Tale which I’m still enjoying. I really like Baggage Jones and am wondering if she will appear in the story again. Twill is definitely having a hard time, but I love her resilience. The darker side of Victorian society is really well depicted. I’ve read about half of Explorers on Witch Mountain which is such a fun, adventurous read with a brilliant bunch of characters. I adore the jungle fairies . I love the writing style – it flows brilliantly and makes it so easy to get caught up in the magic of the adventure. I’m listening to Here in the Real World which is a complete change of pace. I haven’t got too far into it yet, but am definitely liking Ware and am eager to find out more about Jolene.

I read this absolutely incredible book over the weekend; it left me a blubbering wreck! This is one of the best children’s books I’ve ever read – and that is saying something considering how many wonderful books I’ve read. I’m still reeling from it, and will one hundred percent be buying the paperback when it is released and reading it again. I’ve started my review, and am trying to gather coherent thoughts on just how fantastic this is, and why everyone should read it. I will never understand how some people think children’s books are only for children. This book has helped me deal with very personal issues much more than a lot of adult books I’ve read, or any amount of talking I’ve done. This one is something special!

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I’m loving Witch Mountain so much that I’m going to read the next book in the series, Explorers on Black Ice Bridge and How to be a Hero next.

What have you read this week? Have you read any of these?

What a perfect ending to this absolutely magical trilogy which is so brilliantly inventive and bursting with imaginative delights and utterly wonderful characters.  Delivery to the Lost City transported me on another exhilarating, action-packed adventure, full of wondrous events, danger, humour and a race against time to make a seemingly impossible delivery … an absolute treasure of a story.

Postal Operative Suzy is back at home after her last adventure aboard the Impossible Postal Express, but she doesn’t want it to be her last.  She is keen to convince her over-protective parents to put their trust in her and allow her to make further deliveries.  What better way to reassure them that making postal deliveries in the Impossible Places is perfectly safe than over dinner with her troll friends Stonker, Fletch and Wilmot not to mention Ursel, the firewoman bear?  Unfortunately, the best laid plans can go awry which is exactly what happens when Wilmot gets an urgent message from the Ivory Tower.

The crew of the Impossible Possible Express are soon charged with their most important delivery to date, a delivery that way well prove to be both impossible and their last as they must deliver it to an address that no longer exists!  What must they deliver?  Just an overdue book!  But there’s a problem:  The Book of Power is alive and has magical powers, allowing it to devour all the words from books around it, draining the great Library in the Ivory Tower of knowledge.  I can’t imagine a worst nightmare for a book lover and can totally understand the urgency in getting it to its destination …

So begins an exciting, edge-of-your-seat adventure to find a Lost City as the crew take on their most difficult delivery, a Gold Stamp Special Delivery.  They are nothing if not dedicated and are absolutely determined to fulfil their mission, even as it leads them into dangerous places, through incredible twists and revelations:  it’s a mission that will require all their ingenuity, courage and teamwork. 

This story is just brilliant from start to finish.  It absolutely engrossed me and took me on an incredibly imaginative adventure with characters who feel like old friends.  There is always something really comforting in returning to a world that I know and viewing it with fresh eyes as I explore another layer to it with familiar characters.  I also really liked that Suzy’s parents get to see the incredible world that Suzy has become an important part of, and that they get to see another side to their daughter.

I must add that the illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino are absolutely gorgeous and really capture the magical quality of this wonderful adventure.

This is an incredibly popular series in my class as I have a few of the first two books in this series in my class library which are never on the shelves.  Its really wonderful to hear the children recommending this series to each other.  I can’t wait to add this final book as I already have eager young readers keen to read it. 

Thank you to Toppsta and the Usborne Publishing for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m currently reading Another Twist in the Tale which I’m really enjoying. I haven’t got very far into it yet, but I love the idea of a twin sister to Oliver Twist who has been separated from him. She is a great character, so I’m looking forward to seeing where the story takes me!

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I’ve finished reading A Tangle of Spells which is the third book in A Widdershins Adventure series, and it is utterly brilliant! I so adore these three sisters! This book is probably the darkest of the books and takes them away from their home as they move to a new village. This is due to be published on 4th February, so I’ll post my review soon. I’ve also read a short story by the brilliant Emma Carroll. It is a short read, published by the brilliant Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly books. I adored the friendship which develops between Fran, who is the daughter of the Head Gardener at Longbarrow House, and the owner’s grandson, Leo. This story is set just before the onset of the First World War, but has other historical links too as the children explore connections between objects in the garden found and the past and present. A wonderful read with an intriguing premise!

I’ve been lucky enough to be approved to read The Shark Caller on NetGalley, so I think I’m going to lose myself in this over the weekend.

Dragon Detective:  That’s a Wrap is aptly named as it wraps up this wonderful series in perfect style:  with fast-paced adventure, oodles of humour and a frisson of danger.  This can be read as a standalone, and is perfect for younger readers of fun-filled, exciting mysteries. 

Holly Bigsby has been grounded for her entire summer holidays so imagine her relief and excitement when her Mum, who works for billionaire Brant Buchanan, is invited on a work-trip to LA – and she gets to go too! 

The family have not long arrived in LA before Holly makes a worrying discovery, and one that will require the help of her rather unusual – but utterly brilliant – friend, Dirk Dilly, dragon detective extraordinaire.  What disaster must be averted at all costs?  Only the possibility that dragonkind could be exposed to humanity!  Unfortunately, a pair of Desert Dragons have been captured on film by a famous movie director and, even worse, the film has disappeared … will Holly and Dirk be able to catch the thieves and retrieve the footage before the bickering stars of the film become the talk of Hollywood?

Oh my goodness!  The intrigue … the twists … the laughs:  I’m still giggling at the visit to the theme park where Dirk isn’t fooling anyone that he’s a dinosaur, and the alien cat conspiracy – genius!  I adored all the twists and revelations in this fast-paced, clever mystery as Dirk and Holly use their ingenuity to follow the trail of the stolen film which leads them to a deeper problem and both old and new enemies.  Without spoilers, I loved how the threads of a much bigger plot come together; how we as readers are led on a merry chase to discover who the culprits are; and, the Hollywood movie-making vibes sprinkled throughout as a famous director is making a rather disastrous movie with a precocious child-star already known to Holly.  These threads are woven together with brilliant imagination, pace and wit which kept me turning pages to see how Dirk and Holly solved the mystery. 

I loved the easy and comfortable friendship between Dirk and Holly who are, by now, old hands at the sleuthing business!  Dirk really reminds me of a debonair, laid-back detective from an old black-and-white film (drinking his orange and blackcurrant squash neat) and being master of the witty one-liners, so it is just perfect that he ends up in Hollywood.  There were some very touching moments between them that were just perfect. 

I must admit though that my favourite characters are the absolutely fantastic Desert Dragons, Putz and Kitelsky who are the unwitting stars of the missing film. They are territorial, tetchy and argumentative and, dare I say it, perhaps not the brightest duo around.  They leap into situations without thinking but deep, deep down, they have hearts of gold (probably) and I like to think a little burning flame is flaring in Putz which will help him reach his ambition of being able to generate fire as well as poison.  The other character who I adored is Mrs Klingerflim, Dirk’s elderly landlady who is somewhat of a dragon expert having helped her husband study, and create a definitive guide, to dragonkind. 

This is a fantastically exciting, fun and fast-paced adventure that I can’t wait to share with my class as, I have no doubt, they will love it as much as I have.  A perfect wrap-up to a brilliant series. 

Thank you to Charlie and Little Tiger for an early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I can’t believe it’s time to wrap-up another month – and year! It was not the year I expected, but I feel grateful to have coped and to have my husband with me who is my ultimate support. He makes me smile when I want to cry; has listened to me complain and explode on many an occasion; but, most importantly, he has played computer games and left me to read in peace! :-). There have definitely been lows with the loss of my Dad in April and my sister being hospitalised in November. But there have also been highs. Being back in the classroom in September after so long teaching online during lockdown was definitely a high as was the support from colleagues in school. I’ve got a brilliantly wonderful and supportive team who have helped me survive this past term. Whilst I want to be back in class teaching, this is the first time I’ve actually felt sad and scared as cases are rising so quickly but I’m not going to think about that … instead, I’m going to be spending New Year’s Eve drinking champagne and facetiming with my sister in Ireland.

Goodreads Challenge:

I managed to read more than the 120 books I’d set as my target. I feel very lucky to have found the time to read so many wonderful books this year, and I really hope to be able to continue this next year.

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 11 books this month which includes 8 physical books and 3 e-books.

Physical books read:

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e- books read:

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NetGalley:

My Feedback Ratio is currently at 89%. This month I’ve only requested one book, A Tangle of Spells which is one of my most anticipated books for 2021.

Books bought:

Despite the fact that I was put on a book-buying ban by my husband (as he was getting me books for Christmas), I still managed to buy 8 books – don’t know how that happened! The first five are not released until 7th January but I managed to get my hands on early copies from my local Waterstones. I also managed to buy a couple of adult books!

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Christmas gifts:

I was rather spoiled for books by my husband this Christmas – some were on my wish list and some he managed to surprise me with. I got a mixture of adult and middle-grade books, all of which I’m very much looking forward to reading in the New Year.

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
• October, October by Katya Balen
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
• 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison
• Leo’s Map of Monsters by Kris Humphrey and illustrated by Pete Williamson
• Twelve Minutes to Midnight by Christopher Edge (this was by Reading Rocks Secret Santa)
• The Creature Keeper by Damaris Young
• The Nowhere Emporium by Ross McKenzie
• Owl and the Lost Boy by Amy Wilson

Right, I’m off to start with Prosecco and then move to champagne. Wishing all of the wonderful bloggers who visit my little Blog a Happy New Year! I appreciate your support and comments more than you can imagine – thank you!