Tag: Children’s

Review: Rick by Alex Gino

Posted July 10, 2020 by Charlotte in Reviews / 0 Comments
Review: Rick by Alex Gino

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Rick by Alex Gino Published by Scholastic Press on April 21, 2020 Genres: Children’s, Contemporary, Fiction Pages: 240 Format: Paperback Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Goodreads From the award-winning author of George, the story of a boy named Rick who needs to explore his own identity apart from his jerk of a best friend. Rick’s never questioned much. He’s gone along with his best friend Jeff even when Jeff’s acted like a bully and a jerk. He’s let his father joke with him about which hot girls he might want to date even though that kind of talk always makes him uncomfortable. And he hasn’t given his own identity much thought, because everyone else around him seemed to have figured it out. But now Rick’s gotten to middle school, and new doors are opening. One of them leads to the school’s Rainbow Spectrum club, where kids of many genders and identities congregate, […]

Review: The Fox And The Ghost King by Michael Morpurgo

Posted December 30, 2016 by Charlotte in Reviews / 0 Comments
Review: The Fox And The Ghost King by Michael Morpurgo

The Fox and the Ghost King by Michael Morpurgo, Michael Foreman Published by HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks on September 22, 2016 Genres: Children’s, Fiction, Novella Pages: 144 Format: E-Arc Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads A delightful tale of victory against all odds from master storyteller, Michael Morpurgo, lavishly illustrated by Michael Foreman. “Every fox in the whole town, in the whole country just about, is a football fan… And we all have an impossible dream.” In a cosy den under a garden shed lives a family of foxes. They love to watch football – all foxes do. But their favourite team keeps losing and losing, and it seems like things will never look up. That is, until Daddy Fox finds the ghost of a king, buried underneath a car park. A king who wishes only to be free. “Release me,” says the Ghost King, “and I can do anything. Just tell me your greatest wish.” For these football-loving foxes, might everything be about to change…? The Fox And The Ghost King was a beautiful clever story that impeccably ties up two of the biggest stories […]

Review: Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Posted May 4, 2016 by Charlotte in Reviews / 0 Comments
Review: Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo Published by Walker Books on April 12, 2016 Genres: Children’s, Fiction Pages: 272 Format: Hardback Source: Publisher Buy on Amazon Goodreads Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship. Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie’s picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton; she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. Raymie Nightingale was […]

Review: Joe All Alone by Joanna Nadin

Posted May 13, 2015 by Charlotte in Reviews / 2 Comments
Review: Joe All Alone by Joanna Nadin

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Joe All Alone by Joanna Nadin on May 7, 2015 Genres: Children’s, Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult Pages: 240 Format: E-Arc Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads When thirteen-year-old Joe is left behind in Peckham while his mum flies to Spain on holiday, he decides to treat it as an adventure, and a welcome break from Dean, her latest boyfriend. Joe begins to explore his neighbourhood, making a tentative friendship with Asha, a fellow fugitive hiding out at her grandfather’s flat. But when the food and money run out, his mum doesn’t come home, and the local thugs catch up with him, Joe realises time is running out too, and makes a decision that will change his life forever. I’m not really sure what I have read in Joe All Alone. I didn’t feel like the story went anywhere and I didn’t leave with any sort of satisfied feeling. All I was left with was […]

Pastime Pleasures #29 – The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton

Posted March 20, 2015 by Charlotte in Pastime Pleasures / 0 Comments
Pastime Pleasures #29 – The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton

Welcome to my  feature, Pastime Pleasures, posted every other Friday. Today is the turn of The Valley of Adventure by Enid Blyton. Here I will look at books that have given me great pleasure in the past. These are books I can read over and over again. The only rule is that the book must have been published five or more years ago. Based on the fact that the spine of this book is the most damaged in this series I have had to conclude that it is my favourite book! And what is there not to love – four children on on their own having an adventure with a parrot – Kiki who is hilarious. I mean Diana, Philip, Jack and Lucy could survive a few days without adult supervision and in my child-brain it was perfectly reasonable that I could too. The Valley of Adventure was an inspiring and exciting book from my childhood, and one that I still read now if I want something comforting. I mean the children (because that is what they are) do clever and […]