1. What inspired you to first start writing? I’ve always been a book worm, but it didn’t occur to me to write until much later. When I struggled with an anxiety disorder during university, I turned to poetry to help me express my feelings and found that when I was writing, I was finally not... Continue Reading →
The Accidental Stowaway by Judith Eagle
Review: Liverpool, 1910. When Patch runs up the gangway of RMS Glorious she is just looking for a quick place to hide. Too late, she realises the ship is moving! Patch has become an accidental stowaway… Luckily Patch’s unconventional past helps her blend in both the upper and lower decks. But hiding isn’t easy: her... Continue Reading →
The Stories Grandma Forgot (and how I found them) by Nadine Aisha Jassat
Review: Twelve-year-old Nyla’s dad died when she was four, or that’s what she’s been told. So when Grandma Farida insists she saw him in the supermarket, Nyla wonders if she is ‘time-travelling’ again - the phrase she uses when Grandma forgets. But when Grandma asks Nyla to find her dad and bring him home, Nyla... Continue Reading →
This Is My Truth by Yasmin Rahman
Review: Sometimes best friends hide the biggest secrets. Amani’s family is outwardly perfect, but no one must know about the Bad Nights, when her father’s temper rages. Her best friend Huda has grown up with loving foster parents, but what will happen to her now they’re expecting a baby of their own? The two best... Continue Reading →
The Day The Hiccups Took Over by Jo Simmons
Review: Frank has a big day ahead of him, with a trip to the dentist a trumpet exam, a swimming contest and, most important of all, he has tickets to see his knitting hero on stage right here in his hometown. But all that is put at risk when Frank wakes up with the hiccups.... Continue Reading →
Nightjar by Katya Balen
Review: When Noah’s dad visits from New York, he and Noah come across an injured nightjar during a walk in the countryside. Noah is determined to save the bird, but his dad believes they should leave it alone to let nature take its course. As father and son argue, it becomes clear that Noah is... Continue Reading →
Finding Her Feet by Eve Ainsworth
Review: Lily feels like an outsider at her new school. Shy and anxious, she finds making new friends difficult, especially when her best friend, Beth, seems to have abandoned her. But during a game of football in PE, Lily’s teacher invites Lily to join the local girls’ team, where she starts to make friends with... Continue Reading →
Adventure Mice: Mermouse Mystery by Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre
Review: Little Pedro is getting used to the thrilling life of the Adventuremice - the team of brave mice who protect the Mouse Islands from harm. But one stormy night, Pedro finds something he’s only ever dreamed of seeing: a real, live mermouse! This little mermouse is lost, and Pedro and the Adventuremice need to... Continue Reading →
Q&A with Stephanie Sorrell
1. What inspired you to start writing? Quite simply, reading. Most of my early writing was very heavily inspired by my favourite books – I tended towards Jacqueline Wilson/Hogwarts mashups, though on one occasion I decided to rewrite one of the Famous Five books in the first person, from George’s point of view. I didn’t... Continue Reading →
Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day by Carmen Agra Deedy and Pete Oswald
Review: Every day Rita and Ralph go down the hill, and up the hill, and down the hill, and up the hill to meet beneath their favourite apple tree to play all kinds of games! But one day they play a new game - sticks and stones - and it doesn't end well... Will Rita... Continue Reading →
My Tree by Amy Sparkes & Fiona Lumbers
Review: My tree had been there from the beginning... and I loved it. The hope of new beginnings is the most powerful thing of all... My Tree is a beautiful story about the joy and adventure of life, the dark clouds that sometimes hang over us, and how endings can also be new beginnings. It's... Continue Reading →
Did You Do This Poo? By Lucy Rowland and Gareth Conway
Review: My goodness! My gracious! So pongy! Oh dear! I have to know who left this yucky poo here. It wasn't YOU was it? Of course not! No, no! Perhaps you could help - could we give it a go? When a poo appears somewhere it shouldn't be, an extremely inquisitive little unicorn is left... Continue Reading →