Yeehaw! It’s time to saddle-up and head to your nearest bookshop to bag yourself a copy of Jodie Lancet-Grant’s new book! “Buffalo Lil and Buffalo Jill look just the same, but they’re as different as an apple pie and a desert cactus. The folks of Lone Ridge love sweet, smilin’ Jill, but think Lil’s too big for her boots – especially when she enters the RIP ROARIN’ RUMBLE, a fearsome Wild West contest, against the town hero Yee-Haw Jack. But when a huge HOO-HA rocks the Rumble, Lone Ridge might just need both twins to set it straight. After all, heroes aren’t always who you think they are.” I ..read more

I was so pleased to see a sequel to the original Greenwild adventure. I loved the lush setting of this world full of green magic and plants sprouting delicious treats. This time, readers are whisked away beneath the waves as Daisy and her friends seek out her kidnapped mother. “Daisy Thistledown is on a mission. She might have defeated a terrible enemy, but her journey to find her kidnapped mother is just beginning. After smuggling aboard a long-awaited expedition to the heart of the Amazon, Daisy and her friends soon find themselves in danger on the high seas, pursued across the waves by Gri ..read more

I’m always on the look out for bold and beautiful books which encourage children to celebrate being themselves. I use them a lot with the children I work with to help boost confidence and build self-esteem. It looks as though ‘The Rainbow Flamingo’ is one that I need to add to my collection! “This one young flamingo, Adele was her name,   Knew under HER wings something wasn’t the same.   Whilst quite unremarkably pink from outside …  Inside were some colours she struggled to hide!  Adele wants nothing more than to be just like all the other flamingos. But hiding who she re ..read more

Today I’m spotlighting a brand new chapter book for newly confident readers: ‘The Narzat.’ Full of laughs, adventures, and a curious cast of characters! Make sure to read author Luke Marchant’s piece about creating villains. Every hero needs a good villain to go up against! “The Narzat lives in the Jumble Jungle Wood with his friends the LookyLizard (a feisty reptile who communicates through sign language) and the Chatty Chirper (a comically talkative bird who never shuts up). Little is known about how the Narzat arrived there, but he wears a necklace bearing a meaningful inscription. The Jum ..read more

I love Catherine’s writing so was excited to have been sent an early copy of this to read back in March. However, it is just about to fly the Nosy Crow nest and out into the world for everyone else to get swept away with. “After the tragic death of his mother, eleven year old Will is sent to temporarily stay with his uncle in the mountains. After years trapped in a high-rise flat, with only birds for company, Will doesn’t know how he’ll survive a place like this, but he soon finds solace in the woods, when he’s surrounded by birdsong. With his new friend Omar – a refugee from Afghanistan – Wi ..read more

Lucy Strange is one of those authors whose books always get moved straight to the top of my ‘to be read’ pile. Imagine my delight when a rather special package dropped through my letterbox… “Abandoned at a boarding school on a bleak and remote Scottish island, Faye discovers that she and the other pupils have been sent there for doing something wicked. But what is it that Faye has done? She might be bold enough to explore the prison-like island but has she the courage to face a secret deep within herself?” Lucy’s new book was everything I hoped it would be. From the gloriously gothic setting ..read more

Well I’ve kicked off my morning with a power chord of positivity: #FridaTheRockAndRollMoth by @kimhillyard I loved the message about not changing yourself to fit in and lettering your inner brilliance shine through. “Frida is a musical moth who loves to rock out ­- she puts on her pointy boots and plays her purple guitar really LOUD! But when the Big Bright Light is switched on, more moths appear, ready to rock together, and Frida starts to feel that everyone is much better than her. Perhaps she isn’t so rock-and-roll after all . . . With the help of her biggest fan, Auntie Edna, Frida learn ..read more

There is an ever-increasing selection of delightfully creepy reads for middle grade readers. ‘The Doll Twin’ taps right into my horror weak spot – animated dolls (this is as a result of watching a certain film featuring a certain murderous doll when I was much too young!) Thankfully, this new title is age-appropriate and much less likely to induce nightmares. “Una Wexford is thrilled to be adopted after the great war, but an eerie secret lurks in her new home – a life sized animated copy of herself. Is ‘Ani’ as innocent as she seems or does she want to steal Una’s new family – and her life ..read more

A crumbling mansion, a powerful magic source, and stone gargoyles that come to life? Just some of the ingredients for a fantastic read. Do you think you have what it takes to become a guardian? Read author Tamsin Mori’s special piece about the skills you’ll need… “A crumbling mansion A magical source A living gargoyle Callen’s Dad has always been secretive of his past but when the family have to move into his childhood home, the last thing Callen expects is a boarded-up mansion covered in gargoyles. It’s enormous, the doors are nailed shut, the gardens are overgrown… and long-forgotten magic ..read more

Sometimes books come along that you know you are going to want to read in peace, which is precisely why I saved this book to enjoy as soon as the Easter holidays started. Any new title from Lucy Strange immediately jumps to the top of my ‘to be read’ pile. I love her seamless blend of gothic mysteries, nature, and family secrets. “Abandoned at a boarding school on a bleak and remote Scottish island, Faye discovers that she and the other pupils have been sent there for doing something wicked. But what is it that Faye has done? She might be bold enough to explore the prison-like island but has ..read more