Review: Tiger Warrior: Fight for the Cursed Unicorn

*Written by Maisie Chan*
*Cover and inside illustrations by Alan Brown*
*Published by Orchard Books* *(an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group)*

Tiger Warrior: Fight for the Cursed Unicorn is the fifth story in this series of brilliantly exciting, magical adventures for younger readers of 6+.

The Jade Kingdom is in terrible danger and, once again, needs help from the Tiger Warrior, but Jack is having problems of his own. Stepping in to defend his friend from bullies, it is Jack who finds himself in trouble at school …

When he gets home, he shares what has happened with Yeye, his grandad, who tells him about a mythical Chinese creature, the xiezhi, who seeks out the guilty with its magical horn. As he is getting ready for dinner, Jack takes the Jade Coin out of his pocket to find it glowing … the Jade Kingdom is calling him, so he finds himself once again travelling through a magical portal to save a Kingdom.

Jack finds himself in the garden of the Jade Palace surrounded by his zodiac animal friends who have been released from the coin. He has arrived in time for a trial to determine the culprit who has brought danger to the Kingdom, and is excited to discover that a xiezhi has been brought to find the guilty party. But, when this magical creature accuses the Jade Emperor of a crime, Jack is determined to help his friend, Princess Li, prove her father, the Emperor’s innocence.

Can Jack and Li discover if the truth-telling unicorn has been cursed? Can he harness Rat’s weather power to overthrow the Dragon King? Or will Li and her father be banished from the Jade Kingdom?

I loved being back with Jack, Li and the zodiac animals in the Jade Kingdom in this action-packed, exciting adventure brimming with warmth and wonderful friendships.

The zodiac animals are absolutely amazing and I loved their joy and exuberance when they are released from the coin. When choosing an animal to help him, Rat asks Jack to trust him but Jack is not sure how he can help. When Rat’s power proves to be just what Jack needs, he learns that it is important to listen. The xiezhi also teaches him that, it is better to take time to think about a situation rather than rushing in rashly.

The full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout are wonderfully energetic and expressive and complement the action perfectly.

This is another thrilling, fast-paced, magical adventure for young readers who will be spellbound by the Tiger Warrior’s mission to save the Jade Kingdom. There is also a sneak-peek into Jack’s next adventure: Clash of the Dragon Masters.

Thank you to Hachette for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review: Marvin and the Book of Magic by Jenny Pearson with illustrations by Aleksei Bitskoff

Marvin and the Book of Magic is a heart-warming and hilarious tale that had me giggling and feeling fuzzy in equal measure.

Marvin has given up on his dream of becoming a magician after a disastrous appearance on a TV Talent Show involving a badly-behaved squirrel and ensuing chaos. Giggles guaranteed!

Marvin has always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his beloved grandad who had been a magician and had believed Marvin had a gift for magic, but Marvin no longer believes in this. His confidence and self-belief have been dented by the reaction to his TV performance which has made him doubt himself.

When his best friend Asha encourages him to take part in the school talent show, Marvin is adamant that he will never perform again. In fact, he is so sure that magic is no longer for him that he trades his box of magic tricks in exchange for an old book – a magic book. Has he just been conned, or is there still some small part of him that believes in magic? Can he find his magic again and make a comeback in the school talent show?

Be prepared for giggles galore as Marvin finds out more about his magical abilities through the book of magic, as his best friend Asha practises her talent show routine (seriously brilliant) and as they take to the stage.

I loved the friendship between Marvin and Asha which felt really genuine. Asha is confident, enthusiastic and brimming with positivity and, as soon as Marvin shows an interest in the talent show, she is immediately supportive. Will Marvin find his confidence and self-belief again? There is magic in this wonderful friendship and I absolutely loved how this was shown in the story.

The full-and-partial page illustrations throughout are wonderfully expressive and complement their warmth and humour of the story perfectly.

This is a gorgeously heart-warming, hilarious story brimming with the magic of sincere friendship, perfect for young readers of 7+.

This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages. This one is for ages 7+ with a reading age of 7.

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

Review: Harley Hitch Takes Flight written by Vashti Hardy and illustrated by George Ermos

*Written by Vashti Hardy*
*Illustrated by George Ermos*
*Published by Scholastic*

Harley Hitch Takes Flight is the fourth fantastic adventure in this wonderfully exciting series of books that is guaranteed to capture the imaginations of younger readers.

Harley is joyously excited to spend her summer holidays with her best friend, Cosmo and her robot pet dog, Sprocket. To celebrate the start of the holidays, she’s had another hair colour change – vibrant pink!

After a rather eventful picnic in the Iron Forest which culminates in a flight from a swarm of ironstings, the friends find themselves in Forgetown where they make an exciting discovery. The Aviation Parade is taking place in Forgetown and local inventors are being encouraged to take part by creating and racing a flying machine inspired by nature. It is no surprise that Harley is keen to take part but she will have competition from her rival, Fenelda Spiggott, who is determined to come first.

But, this time, Harley is less interested in beating her rival, and more eager to create a robot pet for Cosmo, something she knows he wants. Can she work with Cosmo to build a mechanical flying machine whilst, in secret, adapting it into a robot pet? What could possibly go wrong with keeping secrets? Well … this is Harley … and trouble just has a way of finding her … and this time, it’s taking her to new heights!

I absolutely loved this lively, high-flying adventure as Harley uses her engineering talent to construct the most impressive hippogriff, adding pet feature upgrades in secret. Will she be able to control her fledgling robot pet during the Aviation Parade, or will chaos follow her into the air? Will she learn that being part of a team is better than trying to go it alone – even with the best intentions?

I just adore Harley with her zest for adventure, natural curiosity and tenacity to succeed in whatever she attempts. She is kind-hearted and has the best intentions, despite not always making the best decisions. However, she is always determined to accept responsibility and put things right. I love that her wonderful Grandpas and best friend Cosmo are always there for her, helping her when she needs it, and forgiving her when she makes mistakes because they love her and can see her kind heart. I also really liked that Harley has a great role model in Clementine Brown who could see Harley’s engineering potential and encouraged her to reach for the stars!

The partial and full-page illustrations are, as always, wonderfully expressive and capture the fun and excitement of this adventure perfectly. And I’m so glad that the stars appeared! I loved the full-colour Aviation Parade Guide on the inside covers. I think children would have great fun designing their own flying machines for entry into the Inventia Aviation Parade Guide and, even better, have a go at building them!

Harley Hitch Takes Flight will see young readers soar into an exciting, action-packed adventure that will keep them utterly captivated.

Thank you to Scholastic for sending me an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.