I loved Jenny Pearson's debut book, The Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates, that was released last year - it was one of my top fiction reads of 2020. So you can imagine my utter joy when I was given early access to her brand new book…The Incredible Record Smashers.
Lucy loves fixing things, it is one of her favourite things to do when she gets to spend time with her ‘aunty’ Sheila. Lately, Lucy has been spending quite a lot of time at aunty Sheila’s as her mum is often sad and is not able to care for her. It is the most recent of these bouts of sadness that sees Lucy back with her not-real-aunty for the start of the summer holidays. Lucy is desperate to ‘fix’ her mum and the opportunity presents itself after she finds a photo of a smiley mum and a pop heartthrob from the 80’s. The pop-star is none other than Paul Castellini, the head judge on new TV talent show Record Smashers. All Lucy needs to do is come up with a record-breaking attempt that is worthy of a TV appearance and then she can ask Paul round for tea and then mum will be happy again. And Lucy, with the help of friend Sandesh, is determined to do whatever it takes to make it happen…
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 Books like this are so important, children with hearing difficulties need to see themselves represented in the books that they read and in Boy Bear they have a wonderful character who has challenges that they will be able to relate to.
Despite Dad Bear’s very loud voice, everything is quiet in Boy Bear’s world. He doesn’t mean to be rude but sometimes he doesn’t respond to his friends when they talk to him and he is not always sure what his friends are laughing at. In school, he knows to sit at the front of the class but even then he can not always hear all of the words that his teacher is saying. It often sounds like everyone is saying the same thing to Boy Bear…”Can bears ski?” But surely this can not be right. Hopefully a trip to a special lady can help Boy Bear find out what everyone is really saying to him… 
I’m always on the lookout for those early chapter books that cater for the needs of children who are ready to begin reading longer and more challenging books that are still highly illustrated. Nelson: Broccoli and Spies is one such book that I highly recommend. This is the second book in the series but it reads perfectly well as a stand-alone. That said, after reading this one I will definitely be seeking out the first Nelson book as I’m sure other readers will too.
Nelson Hunter hates everything about vegetables. He does not want to eat them, he does not want to smell them and he definitely does not want to be fighting oversized broccoli in his dreams. He has recently discovered that pumpkin makes him super-strong and his grandma, a keen grower of vegetables, wants to experiment on her grandson to see what effects other vegetables may have. So, somewhat reluctantly, Nelson and his best-friend Olive are heading to his grandparent’s vegetable farm for a weekend away. 
I was thrilled to receive a copy of the latest title from Ethicool Books. Ethicool produce picture books for children about the ‘big’ issues and my first experience of one of their books was an absolute delight. I love the company ethos and their sustainable approach to producing books. Their books are created using recycled or sustainably-sourced paper, use soy-based inks and books are shipped in recyclable and compostable packaging. The book I received to review was ‘April’s Window’.
The streets are quiet in April’s town, people are stuck inside due to a dangerous virus. Luckily, there are lots of windows in the town…windows of all different shapes and sizes. There is something interesting happening through each and every one of them and curious April is keen to see exactly what… |