What’s New Harper Drew is the first title in a new series of books written in diary format and joins the ranks of Dork Diaries, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates, Lottie Brooks and so on.
All Harper Drew wants is a normal life with a normal family. Instead she has got a clumsy and incredibly excitable dad known for his inventing of dangerous children’s games, a mum who is obsessed with supermarkets, loves any excuse to ask a maths question and has a worrying fondness for bleach, and a brother who spends more time styling his hair then anything else in life and who is seen by their parents as some sort of golden child.
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Spark is the third book from award-winning author Mitch Johnson and it makes for another excellent, thought-provoking and sometimes terrifying read. Addressing timely themes of climate change and our responsibility to leave the planet in a better state than what we found it, something that the ‘Ancestors’ have failed to do, Johnson’s tense and exciting narrative will hold readers in its grasp and will have them rooting for an unlikely hero.
In a drought-stricken and sun-baked world, only the bravest and hardiest will survive. Ash is one such survivor who, after his father disappeared, was taken in by the Priestess in Last Village. After a catastrophic storm, Ash awakens to find his village devoid of people and the lake, a precious source of water, dried up.
I often read of teachers wanting books to support a South American topic, particularly on the Amazon. There are lots of brilliant fiction reads - The Explorer by Katherine Rundell, Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson and Fire Girl, Forest Boy by Chloe Daykin - and now I can add the fabulous non-fiction title Journey to the Last River to the list of must reads.
When a hand-drawn map of the Amazon is discovered in the Royal Geographical Society that shows an area that has been mysteriously rubbed out, it triggers the beginning of an extraordinary expedition for the Unknown Adventurer and his travelling companion Bibi. What awaits deep in the Amazon? Will they find the ‘last river’? And are you brave and bold enough to join them…
Meet Leonora Bolt - a brand new character in children’s fiction who is part Ada Twist, part Izzy Gizmo and is the latest in the line of fabulous and cool young female inventors that readers will love getting to know and adventuring with.
On remote Crabby Island, nine-year-old Leonora Bolt comes up with all sorts of incredible inventions. Her latest is gizmo is the ‘Switcheroo’, a device that can make objects swap places thanks to a clever bit of quantum physics and it could be the key to getting her to the mainland, something her Uncle Luther is very keen not to happen. This had never bothered Leonora until a young boy washes up on the island via an inflatable lobster. Not only does Jack claim to have seen Leonora’s inventions before but that Uncle Luther is some kind of mainland celebrity. Surely this is impossible unless Uncle Luther is up to no good and is stealing Leonora’s work.
Jenny Pearson has done it again with another perfect mix of laughs and heart-warming family drama.
Frank John Davenport is not too happy with life. His dad’s shady dealings have forced the family to move home yet again and when his mum is not trying to clean-up dad’s mistakes she is socialising down the tennis club. As for Frank, he is stuck in the middle of it all with no real mates. But whilst life is busy handing you lemons it can also surprise you when you least expect it. For Frank, this comes in the form of a rather large sum of money from a grandma he didn’t even know existed. But the money comes with a catch…use it to care for the long-lost and rather grumpy Grandpa Frank. Taking his task very seriously and determined to give Grandpa Frank the best possible care, Frank sets about a bucket list to bring some happiness to his Grandpa’s life…
Jada loves spending time with her not-so-ordinary Granny Jinks and when she discovers a box of magic tricks in granny’s flat she learns of a secret dream to become a magician. Jada’s dad hates magic and when he enrols Jada for extra Maths lessons and suggests Granny join crochet club it seems that the after school fun has come to an abrupt end. That is until Jada hears of auditions for the Dalton Green Magic Society and sets out to conjure up a plan to help Granny become the society’s latest member…
This first in a new series allows readers to visit some of the many ancient wonders of Australia from the comfort of their own home and classroom. I’m sure that after visiting the places in the pages of the book, children will be desperately wanting to see the sights for themselves.
All across Australia, ancient wonders are waiting to be explored. From the incredible lava tubes at Undara to the mighty ‘Devils Marbles in the back of beyond’, the Zebedee Springs to the Jim Jim Falls at Kakadu, the Great Ocean Road to dinosaur footprints in outback Winton. So grab your binoculars, your backpack and your spirit for adventure then hop on board the minibus and come along for the road-trip of a lifetime. ‘Adventure is out there, our country is calling.’ Diary of an Accidental Witch #2: Flying High; Honor & Perdita Cargill, illustrated by Katie Saunders2/2/2022
I loved the first book in this four book series and was super excited to get an advanced read of book number two. So with a large bag of fluffmallows and some fizzy skullsquigglers on hand I dived right in…
Bea Black has settled into life in Little Spellshire and is gradually channeling her inner-witch at the local school for extraordinary people. She’s even getting to grips with levitation…finally! It’s exciting times, with the Grand Tournament and the Winter Solstice quickly approaching. But after a minor frog-related mishap, Ms Sparks announces that the Grand Tournament will be replaced with an ordinary sports day against the local ordinary school, urgh. With magic not allowed, tensions mounting and everyone desperate to win, can Bea avoid being a total toadbrain…
For puzzle-loving Ami, the chance to challenge herself at The Escape - a thrilling escape room experience - is the perfect day out. It appears that Ami might be playing alone until four others arrive; all action and impulsive Oscar, quiet and observant Ibrahim, book-smart Min and natural-born adventurer Adjoa. With the team set to go, the ‘Host’ sets them a challenge…‘Find the Answer. Save the World.’ Sounds simple enough.
But this is no ordinary escape room and soon the children are on a dark and dangerous path where every room is out to get them. Will everyone make it to the end? Can they find the Answer before time runs out? |
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