Spellstoppers, by Cat Gray reviewed by Evie M (9)

Favourite character: My favourite character is Courageous Kit with her smart witted brain and sea-cret!

Read on if you dare!

Evie M (9)

What it’s about: It’s about a boy called Max who possesses a magic he can’t control so he is sent to stay with Bewitching Bram. There he discovers the Spellbinding Cove of Spellstoppers, evil enchantresses, Super Sulkies, Overhead Owls, mysterious mysts, and a crazy castle.

Adventures await! Read on if you dare!

Loki by Louie Stowell, reviewed by Mia

I found the Loki book very funny. Loki was a god of Asgard but got sent to Midgard (Earth) as a punishment for being naughty.  I liked how the story was set up to be like a diary and how the diary kept on correcting him when it detected the lies Loki told.

The part where Valerie (someone at Loki’s school) thought they were aliens was the funniest, especially when Loki thought she knew that he and Thor (Thor got sent down to Earth to be Loki’s fake brother) were gods of Asgard. She thought they were aliens after seeing them slide into Earth, so Loki made up a story of his fake planet. I think this book is great! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

About the book

Wry, witty and very funny diary-style story packed with doodles and comic strips about the frustration trickster god Loki feels at having to live trapped in the body of a weedy eleven-year-old boy. After one trick too many, Loki is banished to live on Earth as a “normal” school boy. Forbidden from using his AWESOME godly powers, Loki must show moral improvement.

As he records his lies THE TRUTH in his magical (judgemental) diary, it becomes clear Loki hasn’t a clue how to tell good from evil, trust from tricks, or friends from enemies.

Unipiggle by Hannah Shaw, reviewed by Evie and Katy

This is a story about a unicorn pig you’ll Never Forget!

Read this book! It’ll make you want chocolate! – Evie

Unipiggle is very funny . My age group for it is Year 2- Year 4. They say that you have to be perfect but that is wrong. You can be who you want to be. I liked it because it is funny and I loved the illustrations.  My mummy also enjoyed it too! – Katy

Clementine Florentine by Tasha Harrison and May Mitchell, reviewed by Aysha

We absolutely LOVE this drawing! Well done, Aysha!

About the book…

Meet Clementine Florentine – a talented poet with a strong passion for Custard Creams! In an ingenious reverse ‘Parent Trap’, Clementine and her school nemesis Callum, have to work together to break Clem’s dad and Callum’s mum up, before they fall ‘in lurrrvee’ and the two poetry rivals end up step brother and sister! However, an unlikely friendship with ageing punk icon Lyn Ferno and her chatty pet parrot Viv, helps Clem to start seeing things differently. But by then, is it too late to undo the damage she’s caused? Imagine a female Tom Gates with a touch of a young Adrian Mole and the warmth of Jacqueline Wilson, and you’ve got Clementine Florentine rolled up in one. 

Clara Claus Saves Christmas by Bonnie Bridgman and Louise Forshaw, reviewed by Evie

5 out of 5 Joy-O-Meter rating! This book is jingles all the way!

This book is about a girl called Clara Claus and Nick Claus and the both want to save Christmas because the joy-o-metre goes down to 0!

Read this book to find out out how they save or try to save Christmas.

Why you should read this book – because it’s so intresting it will put you on the edge of your seat. Your perfect Christmas countdown!

About the book:

First the reindeer got sick. Then Santa got sick. Now it’s up to Clara Claus and her slightly annoying brother Nick to save Christmas. But with toys to make, elves to manage, lists to sort and flying reindeer to train, can they summon enough Christmas spirit to deliver the perfect Christmas?

Clara Claus Saves Christmas is an exciting festive adventure filled with fun and Christmas spirit from the author/illustrator team that created the hugely popular Catch that Cough.

Filled with friendship, family, heart and trust, as well as beautiful illustrations, Clara Claus is the perfect book to bring home this Christmas.

Dog Man review by Emily

Emily really enjoys the Dogman books and thinks you should read them too!

Edie and the Box of Flits by Kate Wilkinson and Joe Berger, reviewed by Niamh

Edie and the Box of Flits is the first book written by Kate Wilkinson and is illustrated by Joe Berger, who is the well-known illustrator of the Hubble Bubble book series.

While helping her dad at London Transport’s Lost Property Office, 11-year-old Edie finds a mysterious box. When Edie hears tapping coming from inside, she encounters tiny flying people called Flits needing her help. Edie must embark on an adventure across London’s forgotten underground stations to help her new little friends and solve the mystery of what the sinister magpin birds are up to and if Vera Creech, who works at the lost property office, has anything to do with it…

I thought the book was really exciting and I loved reading about the world of the Flits, especially imagining what it would be like to be that miniature size. The illustrations are beautiful and really bring the Flits and the other characters to life.

I would definitely recommend Edie and the Box of Flits to anyone who likes adventurous and mysterious books like I do. It really reminds me of the story of The Borrowers, but set in modern times. I would absolutely love for Kate Wilkinson to continue to share the story of the Flits in future books. 

Only children under the age of 13 can see Flits. I’m only 9 so have lots more years of adventures with the Flits ahead!

Perfect for fans of: The Borrowers by Mary Norton, and the Hubble Bubble series by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Joe Berger 

Rules For Vampires by Alex Foulkes, reviewed by Ben

Rules for vampires is a book based on a 111-year-old vampire eternally in an 11-year-olds body. At 111 all vampires must complete their waxing moon- to complete this they must hunt and perform a bite on a live human. This was very important especially because Leo’s family is infamous, old and has existed over thousands of years and none of Leo’s ancestors had ever failed yet when the moon rose on her special night she did not rise to the challenge and disaster struck… 

I thought the book was unique, no other book I have read has been remotely similar. Although I may not have picked out the book in a library, I really enjoyed reading it and the strange world it transports you keeps you intrigued. I thought the ending was very wholesome and enjoyed the book till the finish. 

I think this book would be good for the age range 7-12 and people who enjoy the fantasy genre would love this book. Although most of the characters held no place in the real world you could almost feel it is possible. Especially with their magic walls hiding the castle they lived in. 

Overall, I think this was a very good book that can be enjoyed over a range of ages.

Einstein the Penguin by Iona Rangeley and David Tazzyman, reviewed by Evie

We love this illustrated review by Evie! What a super star!

About the book

Perfect for all readers from 7 to 70, Einstein the Penguin introduces an unforgettable new character in a future-classic and fantastically funny debut for all the family to enjoy. Get ready to welcome the most extraordinary penguin into your own home… When the Stewarts spend a sunny, frosty December day at London Zoo, they’re enchanted by one small penguin.

At the delight of young Imogen and Arthur, Mrs Stewart insists the penguin “must come and stay with them whenever he likes.” But not one Stewart expects the penguin to turn up at their door that evening, rucksack labelled “Einstein” on his back… The family’s new feathered friend helps Arthur to come out of his shell and makes massive demands on Imogen’s amateur sleuthing. But together they must find out why Einstein came to them and they must keep away from the mysterious white-coat man.

And Einstein can’t stay forever, can he…? From stunning new writing talent Iona Rangeley, and illustrated with wit and brio by the award-winning David Tazzyman, this is a book that will be treasured for years to come.

A Dinosaur Ate My Sister by Pooja Puri and Allen Fatimaharan, reviewed by Mia

This book looks like so much fun. Mia certainly thinks so!

About the book

A Dinosaur Ate My Sister is the first book selected in the Marcus Rashford Book Club.

‘The perfect story to escape into and find adventure. Pooja is super talented and I’m a big fan!’ – Marcus Rashford MBE

This brilliantly illustrated, laugh-out-loud, wacky adventure through time by Pooja Puri is the perfect blend of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Jurassic Park. 

Before you start reading, there are a few things you should know:

1. I, Esha Verma, am a genius inventor extraordinaire.
2. There is nothing I cannot invent. This includes words. 
3. I did not mean to send my sister back to the Age of the Dinosaurs. That was HER OWN FAULT (Mum and Dad, if you’re reading this, please take note).

Esha Verma, her snotty apprentice Broccoli and his cunning pet tortoise have a dream. They are going to win the legendary Brain Trophy – the ultimate inventing prize. This year’s entry: A TIME MACHINE.

But the day before the competition, Esha’s IGNORAMUS big sister hijacks the time machine and is lost in the Cretaceous age. 

With help from a new recruit for The Office of Time, Esha and Broccoli will have to face hungry dinosaurs, mysterious black holes and malfunctioning inventions to get them back in time.