Category: Animals

The Way to Treasure Island by Lizzy Stewart

Matilda and her dad are very different. Matilda is fast and Dad is slow. Matilda is tidy and Dad is messy, and Matilda is quiet and Dad is very, very loud.

They’re off to find treasure, but Dad keeps getting distracted.

Soon, they’re lost and Matilda is getting crosser and crosser…

Will they ever find the way to treasure island? This funny, adventure-packed story teaches children that even though people are different, they can still have fun together.

By the author of the best-selling There’s a Tiger in the Garden and Juniper Jupiter.

This is a gorgeous hardback picture book filled with illustrations of sea creatures, jungle animals and brightly coloured birds. There’s lots o spot on each spread and a heartwarming story that celebrates imagination and letting go enough to embrace an adventure. We love it! Brilliant for reception onwards.

You can get your copy from our online shop here.

The Adventures of Harry Stevenson by Ali Pye

Meet Harry Stevenson. He doesn’t live in a castle, or a witch’s cottage, or anywhere exciting like that.

His home is in a flat with seven-year-old Billy and his mum and dad. And at first glance, Harry doesn’t seem any different from your average guinea pig. He has ginger fur and sparkly black eyes and likes nothing more than snacking on a piece of broccoli.

But don’t be fooled! Harry may just want to sleep and eat (and then eat some more) but somehow he always manages to get swept up in adventures: whether it’s surfing the Pacific on a picnic plate or accidentally attaching himself to a helium balloon.

This bold and brightly illustrated two-adventures-in-one book is a joy to read. Packed full of fun and illustrated throughout, this is a fantastic addition to the early reader genre. With facts and quizzes at the end of the book, it is ideal for children starting to read independently. Great for fans of Pamela Butchart’s Wigglesbottom Primary series.

You can get your copy from our online shop.

Milton the Mighty by Emma Read

Milton was strolling home after a weekend away in the downstairs loo, when he heard the scream.

He froze. It was coming from the big house human, but it wasn’t an ordinary scream. It was an all-eight-leg wobbler, as his dad would’ve said.

Surely he’s not screaming like that at me?

And that is how we meet Milton the house spider. Utterly unterrifying and occasionally mistaken for a raisin, Milton discovers he’s been branded deadly. Alongside his buddies, big hairy Ralph and daddy-long-legs Audrey, he decides to clear his name. But to succeed, Milton must befriend his house human, Zoe. Is Milton mighty enough to achieve the impossible?

Fast-paced and fabulously funny, this arachnid adventure has it all. Quirky villains, a team of heroes, a girl who knows a lot more than her parent, and some lessons in social media and fake news. Milton the Mighty also contains some super spider facts at the end.  Perfect for newly independent readers and great for KS1/ lower KS2.

Milton the Mighty by Emma Read with illustrations by Alex G Griffiths. Available now from our online shop.

The Secret Dragon by Ed Clarke

Mari Jones is desperate to be a real scientist, even though she’s only eleven.
So when she discovers a tiny dragon while fossil hunting on the beach, she’s sure she can find a good scientific explanation – as long as she can keep it hidden long enough to study it. Unfortunately for Mari, this is one secret that doesn’t want to be kept. And as she starts to form a deeper bond with the mischievous dragon, she might have to admit that, when it comes to friendship, science might not have all the answers… 

The first in a new series, this is a heartwarming tale of family, friendship and following your dreams.

Mari is a fiercely determined and independent young scientist and we loved all the brilliant references to Mary Anning and women in science. There’s also some lovely swapping of gender stereotypes here. A brilliant book for the little feminists in your life.

And who could resist a tiny dragon that can curl its tiny tail round your finger but also burn your school down with one burp?! A perfect book for all budding scientists, adventurers and animal lovers.

We love the cover illustration by Ben Mantle and really do want our very own Gweeb to live in our shop.

Available in our shop now, you can get your copy online here.

Brian the Brave

“Let’s all be friends!” says Brian…. But Stanley only likes sheep with black wool, Hamish, Cassidy and Lou think black wool and white wool are rubbish – while Tracey and Frank only want sheep with horns in their gang.

Then Brian bumps into a WOLF – and he knows he has to get the sheep to ACT TOGETHER!

A fun book about friendship and accepting our differences. We love this gentle introduction to understanding diversity.

Our Books of the Month for May

A Mouse Called Julian by Joe Todd-Stanton – Julian likes living on his own but will that change after his dinner is rudely interrupted one night? 

Dave Pigeon (Royal COO!) by Swapna Haddow, ill. Sheena Dempsey – The fourth hilarious offering from our favourite pigeons, Dave and his best mate Skipper. 6+

Swimming Against the Storm by Jess Butterworth  – An exciting adventure with an environmental message set in the swampland of the Southern states of America. 9+

You Can’t Hide by Sarah Mussi– A page-turning YA thriller complete with an unreliable narrator, secret identities and lost memories. Absolutely gripping!

May’s Indie Book of the Month

We absolutely love A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Perry and are thrilled that it is the Independent Bookseller’s Children’s Book of the month for May!

Meet Swift, he lives with his pack in the mountains until rival wolves invade his home and he is forced to flee. He must decide whether to try and survive on his own on the borders of his old hunting ground or to search for a new home.

Will he find the courage to survive all by himself? Inspired by a true story, A Wolf Called Wander is about family, courage and survival.

This is a powerful story that celebrates the raw beauty of nature and survival against all odds, perfect for fans of Gill Lewis, Michael Morpurgo and Jess Butterworth. Age 9+.