This is a gripping story, deliciously dark yet fairytale like. Mim is a brilliant character – she is strong and brave, independent and likeable. The storyline moves fast enough to keep you interested and reads beautifully with well written descriptive language. A great book to gift and read.
My name is Malia. I am in year nine at school and have just chosen my GSCE options. My favourite subject at school is English, this is because I really enjoy reading and writing, my favourite book as a child was “The Little Book of Big Words”. My favourite birthday present this year was my kindle, my current obsession is the “After” series by Anna Todd. I don’t have a favourite author as I enjoy reading books by lots of different authors. I would like to be a primary school teacher when I am older and would like to specialise in English with a keen interest in children’s literature. My favourite bookshop is The Book Nook, Hove as they are always well stocked with lots of different books (their cafe is quite good too).
Mim grew up surrounded by secrets. On the day she was born, her mother died and a mysterious curse was cast on her family. Ever since, she’s been isolated in a walled castle, forbidden from venturing to the Outside.
But Mim has never been able to stop asking questions – and when her father enlists the suspicious Madame Marionette to train her in the art of being a princess, her curiosity only gets more intense. Determined to understand, Mim sets out on an epic adventure in which she will break all the rules, encounter strange creatures and use all her cunning to solve impossible problems. But will it be enough to bring happiness back to the lonely castle on the rock?
This is a brilliant book. A very exciting, magical adventure.
I am 10 years old and in year 5 at school. My favourite subject is PE. I like all sports but my favourites are rugby and cricket. I play both of those for local teams. I enjoy reading, especially books by MGLeonard, Roald Dahl and Vashti Hardy. I also love the Harry Potter series. I like gardening and being outside, I have a bug box and a microscope to study things with. When we have to stay indoors, I like playing board games and card games.
A story that grabs you by the hand and spins you along, with magic that wraps you up and warms you along the way. Stella is fierce and wears all her emotions on her sleeve. A reluctant adventurer who doesn’t always get things right but whose heart is firmly in the right place. Perfect for fans of the Storm Keeper’s Island, this book is a fantastic adventure. Wise, touching and full of surprises. We loved it.
About the book
What if you could befriend a cloud? What weather would you choose? What if the weather matched itself to your mood, whether you wanted it to, or not?
11-year-old Stella has returned home to Shetland to spend the summer with her Grandpa, but it’s nothing like she remembers. Grandpa is lost in his grief for Gran, the island is bleak and Stella feels trapped, until she encounters an old woman, Tamar, who can spin rainbows and call hurricanes.
With the help of Nimbus, a feisty young storm cloud, Stella begins to learn the craft of weather weaving. But when her cloud brain-fogs Grandpa and The Haken (a sea witch) starts to close in, she realises that magic comes with big responsibilities. It will take all her heart and courage to face the coming storm…THE WEATHER WEAVER is essentially a Moana tale for Shetland; a coming of age story, intertwined with island myths and hidden magic. At its heart, the novel tackles the following themes: independence, the meaning of home, and the fallibility of grown-ups.
The Secret Detectives is one of my favourite books to date as it’s very well written. . This book is about a girl called Isobel Petty who is on a mail ship going fro, India to England with another girl called Lettie Hartington-Davis. On the journey, Isobel meets up with a boy called San Khan and they see something they shouldn’t have. They work secretly to find the culprit and slowly Lettie joins them too. They get notes from a mystery person telling them to go away. will they go away or do Isobel, Lettie and Sam need to see who was the behind the plot before it’s too late?
I really liked this book as it is a murder, adventure and mystery story. I would recommend this book for children 9+ maybe 10.
dav
Hello my name is Aysha and I’m 10 years old. I love reading, sports and baking. The book I’m reading is Nevermoor The Trials of Morrigan Crow. I like to read mystery and adventure books. I play two instruments the piano and the tenor horn which I enjoy. In my spare time I like to draw.
A gripping, beautifully written historical mystery, from an incredible new voice in children’s fiction.
The body seemed to fall for a long time. There was no splash, or if there was it was lost in the waves. Isobel was frozen to the spot for a moment – and then her common sense caught up with her, and she stepped back quickly into the shadows.
When Isobel Petty is orphaned, she finds herself being taken away from her home in India and sent to live with a distant uncle in England. On board the S.S. Marianna, she witnesses a shocking act – somebody being thrown overboard in the middle in the night. But when the ship’s captain insists that nobody is missing, Isobel and her two new reluctant friends must solve two mysteries – the identities of both the murderer and the victim – before they reach England and the culprit has the chance to escape.
Inspired by The Secret Garden and the golden age of crime writing, The Secret Detectives is perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Katherine Rundell.
“A thoroughly entertaining mystery and a heartening story of friendship. I loved it.” – Katherine Woodfine, author of The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow
First of all, I’ll try to give away NO spoilers. I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I wondered what one of the impossible tasks would be-perhaps it would be to never eat chocolate again! (Dun, dun, duun!) No spoilers but…. that’s not it.
This book is impossibly amazing (get it?) The characters are unique and special in a loveably um… well characterish way. (Cool made-up word there!) My favourite part is the unexpected twist at the end – WHAT HAPPENS? I promised you no spoilers soooo……, well, no spoilers. Read it for yourself!
My name is Sophie and I am 9. I live in Essex with my family: my younger brother and sister, mum and dad and not forgetting my 10 month old hamster. As well as reading I enjoy lots of other things. Some of my hobbies are reading, writing, drawing, playing the violin, drama, swimming and gymnastics. At school I am in year 4. My favourite lessons are art, music, drama, ICT and English. My not-so-favourite lessons are maths, science, history and geography.
Mim grew up surrounded by secrets. On the day she was born, her mother died and a mysterious curse was cast on her family. Ever since, she’s been isolated in a walled castle, forbidden from venturing to the Outside.
But Mim has never been able to stop asking questions – and when her father enlists the suspicious Madame Marionette to train her in the art of being a princess, her curiosity only gets more intense. Determined to understand, Mim sets out on an epic adventure in which she will break all the rules, encounter strange creatures and use all her cunning to solve impossible problems. But will it be enough to bring happiness back to the lonely castle on the rock?
Antigua, or Tiggy to her friends, is the daughter of an officer. She’s expected to stay on land, wear dresses, and fear the sea, but all she really wants to do is to explore the ocean.
The Pirate King comes and kidnaps all the boys, including her little brother Diego. Tiggy sets out with her friend Marina and a crew of old pirates to rescue the stolen boys of Haven, discovering some secrets about herself along the way.
I really like Tiggy’s determination. She’s not always confident that her plan will work, but she bravely gives it a go anyway. The crew work together well and have great friendships.
This is an exciting pirate story, with magical and mythical creatures and I really hope there will be more adventures! 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hello! My name is Mia, I am 8 and live in Harrogate. I like writing stories and drawing pictures. I am a Brownie and also help with Rainbows. I enjoy performing, and have dance, piano and mandarin lessons. Obviously I absolutely love reading!
A magical, thrilling pirate adventure: fun, fantastical and totally unputdownable! Tiggy has always had the ocean in her blood – and lately, she’s been dreaming of mermaids – but she’s a high-born girl on the Isle of Fortune, forced to wear dresses, attend balls and (worst of all) comb her wild curls.
But then the Pirate King strikes, wielding deadly turquoise magic, and Tiggy’s younger brother is stolen – along with every boy on the island.
Tiggy knows it is time to claim her destiny, take to the high seas and rescue the boys of Fortune …
A spellbinding, hugely exciting pirate adventure: fun, feminist, classic in feel and totally unputdownable.
Perfect for fans of Pirates of the Caribbean!Oli is co-founder and executive producer at Blue Zoo, a BAFTA-winning film animation company – bringing a brilliantly cinematic and visual feel to Antigua de Fortune.
Murder Most Unladylike is about schoolgirl detectives, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, who solve a murder at their boarding school, Deepdean, which is in the English countryside. After that, suspicious deaths seem to follow them around! There are nine books in the MMU series, plus three mini mysteries as well. I would strongly recommend starting with the first book, because if you read them out of order then things might not make much sense and there might be some spoilers of the previous crimes.
The books are set in the 1930s, and most are written in Hazel’s perspective. Daisy is a really funny, impatient person whereas Hazel is more quiet and thoughtful. Their detective agency is called the Wells & Wong detective society. Daisy usually leads everything they do and can’t stand being overlooked by grown-ups. A Spoonful of Murder is set in Hong Kong, where Hazel is from and being there makes Hazel much more confident than she usually is, and Daisy is shyer. It’s really interesting watching how the girls’ friendship changes over the course of the series and how Hazel gets bolder.
Robin Stevens is a very good writer because her stories are so awesome that you feel like you are right there in the book. Some of her adventures are created on the Orient Express, in Hong Kong, and even on a cruise along the River Nile in Egypt. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that these locations are the same as famous crime writer Agatha Christie’s novels like Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express.
My favourite is Death in the Spotlight which is set in London at a theatre where Daisy and Hazel are helping out. It has such a marvellous plot that you have no idea where the story will take you.
Robin Stevens did an interesting zoom author event for Brighton Festival and she said there will be a new series about Hazel’s younger sister, May, and it sounds like it will be amazing.
I like animals, playing with my sister, and all types of books. I also love playing football, going on walks and identifying birds. My favourite species of bird is a firecrest because I love the orange stripe on their heads.
Start your Murder Most Unladylike adventure with book 1:
The first marvellous murder mystery in the bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series!
At Deepdean School for Girls, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have set up their own detective agency. But they are struggling to find any real crimes to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia’s missing tie. Which they don’t.)
Then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. To add to the mystery, when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove one happened in the first place.
Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects and use all the cunning and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?
I enjoyed this book a lot, it was so realistic I felt like I stepped into the main character, Kiki’s world that she created called Mysore. Mysore is a fantastical world that Kiki made up, it has tons of peaceful markets and joyful people dancing and music calmly sweeping through the breeze. But a monster is tearing it apart and she is the only one who can stop it…
This book was enjoyable as the author created characters with so much personality, they felt real! Kiki is a super interesting main character as she worries a lot but is an amazing artist. That gives it suspense as she might not be brave enough to fight Mahishasura, the demon monster that is willing to take over Mysore and expand the crack between universes so he can also take over the world.
This book was so thrilling and had such good twists that I couldn’t stop reading! I like that the characters aren’t all friendly, so she has a few arguments and huffs with some. Even though it wasn’t very much of a funny book some of the parts were quite rib tickling. Kiki being an artist is an excellent part as it enables the city to be of her own magical devising. Kiki’s city was so enchanting and divine I wish I could take a holiday there!
Five stars from me!
My name is Rosa and I am nine, I live in Hove with my cat Minty, annoying brother Otto and my parents. I love reading and writing. Writing is not just popping words on a page, to me it’s a step into a new world, everything is amazing and crazy, nothing is boring and grey. Reading is one of my total passions. My favourite books are usually mystery/action and include The Percy Jackson series, Harry Potter and some other smashing books. I have also written two books: Story Le Jenrale; and Paris at its Worst. Currently I am writing another, it is a picture book this time and is called Don’t Zigzag the Zoo.
Kiki Kallira is more of a worrier than a warrior – but today she will learn to be a hero. The mythical beasts she loves to draw have come to life, and she is the only one who can defeat them. A middle-grade fantasy inspired by Hindu legends about anxiety, creativity and finding your own strengths. For 8+ fans of Abi Elphistone and The Land of Roar.
Kiki Kallira has always been a worrier. Did she lock the front door? Is there a terrible reason her mum is late? Recently her anxiety has been getting out of control, but one thing that has always soothed her is drawing. Kiki’s sketchbook is full of fantastical doodles of the Hindu myths and legends her mother has told her since she was tiny.
One day, her sketchbook’s calming effect is broken when her mythological characters begin springing to life and Kiki is pulled into the mystical world she drew.
There, she discovers the band of rebel kids who protect the kingdom, as well as an ancient, monstrous god bent on total destruction. Kiki must overcome her fear and anxiety to save both worlds – the real and the imagined – from his wrath.
But how can a girl armed with only a pencil defeat something so powerful?
‘A fast-paced, vivid and exciting adventure story with real heart, I couldn’t stop reading!‘ – Robin Stevens, author of the Murder Most Unladylike series
This book was an excellent read because I love anything to do with animals! I loved how each chapter there is a different point of view from the two main characters. I was then able to understand about each of their feelings. Both main characters have very different personalities but they make a perfect team. So this book is also about team work and friendship – as well as animals of course ! ‘How to save the world with a chicken and an egg’ also taught me facts about dogs sense of smell and exploding ants ….along with mucus, fudge and saliva! I didn’t want it to end because it was so good , and even now that I am now reading a new book – I cannot stop thinking about how amazing this one was to read !
Hi , I’m Evie-Belle age 10. Reading is one of my favourite things. I LOVE BOOKS – even if I have borrowed a book and read it I have to buy a copy for myself for my bookshelf ! I also love writing stories. My other passion is animals, my favourites are cows, dogs, frogs, horses and guinea pigs, One other thing ….I love strawberry milkshake.
A terrific environmental escapade from acclaimed author Emma Shevah! ‘A truly excellent eco-adventure.’ M. G. Leonard
This story isn’t just about birds. It’s about secrets, the seaside, how seagulls can trick worms into thinking it’s raining.
It’s about mucus, fudge and dogs needing a wide variety of sniffs.
But if you want the simple version, it’s about what happened here last summer. How a girl called Ivy and a boy called Nathaniel solved a mystery and saved the world’s animals: one at a time …
A brand new topical and heartfelt middle grade adventure from the critically acclaimed writer of Dream on, Amber and Dara Palmer’s Major Drama. A terrific positive-action mystery in the wake of Greta Thunberg – perfect for eco-aware young readers!
Book Nook Review Crew member Lara was so taken by How To Be Brave that she couldn’t bear to be parted from the book. Here she is posing some very impressive questions to author Daisy May Johnson.
Lara: What inspired you to write about ducks?
DMJ: I knew I wanted one of my characters to be really smart and knowledgeable about something, but I was never quite sure what that something was going to be. It had to be something that wasn’t already being done in children’s books, because I wanted How To Be Brave to be very different. I also wanted it to be funny and interesting and relatable for people to read about. For a while, I thought that Elizabeth might know a lot about mushrooms or nuclear physics, but I really wasn’t confident in making either of them work! I thought then about ducks and realised that I felt confident enough to write about them and that I could make it funny. And that was it! I’d found the right thing.
Lara: Did you go to boarding school when you were younger and if not did you want to?
DMJ: I didn’t! And also, I don’t think I really wanted to – I read a lot of classic boarding school stories and there was a lot of people almost drowning, falling off mountains, being lost in snow and sometimes doing all of this at the same time. It was all amazing to read about, but the thought of experiencing it in person was a little bit terrifying. Plus everybody in those books always had a cold shower first thing in the morning and that was NOT one of the things I wanted to experience.
Lara: What is your favourite biscuit and what is your favourite cake?
DMJ: Honestly, these are EXCELLENT questions! I am very fond of a pink wafer because if you need to, you can stack them up and make tiny pink wafer forts out of them. And for cake, I think it’s got to be either a cupcake with a substantial amount of icing on it – or a chocolate cake (with absolutely NO jam whatsoever…).
Lara: How did you come up with your characters especially Calla?
DMJ: I get a lot of inspiration from film. I’m always interested in the characters who are on the sidelines as the great dramatic event happens in front of them – the people who see Captain America run past, or watch Spiderman swing by. What are they thinking? What’s going on in their lives? What’s their story? And so with Calla, I kind of wanted to think about those girls who aren’t necessarily the big and dramatic characters in the world – they’re the quiet ones who are just trying to figure out how to survive…
Lara: What tips would you give to budding authors?
DMJ: It will take time and patience to become the writer that you’re destined to be so don’t ever give up. Tell the stories that you want to tell, tell them how you want to tell them, and make sure you believe in yourself every inch of the way.
Lara: Are you going to write a sequel? (I hope so)
DMJ: I am! Book two is called How To Be True and it’s all about Edie. And then, hopefully, there’s going to be another book after that (but we won’t spoil who that’s about just yet…).
Lara: I liked reading about Calla’s mum at the school, how important was this to the story?
DMJ: It was so important! I think it’s vital to present adults as real people, and to talk about how they’re just trying to figure things out as much as younger people are. It’s very easy to view adults as kind of two-dimensional characters who just magically pop into the world as adults and they’re not. Elizabeth’s time at school is vital because it helps her become the woman that she is – and that’s somebody who Calla loves very much.
Lara: What’s your favourite song?
DMJ: I LOVE A MUSICAL. Right now, I’m playing a lot of Six because it is everything! I will also stop everything to listen to Keala Settle sing ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman and Amber Riley singing ‘And I Am Telling You’ from Dreamgirls. I can also do a very convincing one woman rendition of Les Miserables – I’m not saying it’s musical but it is Quite Heartfelt.
Huge thank yous and high fives to Lara and Daisy May Johnson for such a fab author interview. Out July 1st, you can pre-order a copy of this stunner of a book here:
Hi my name is Lara and I’m nearly 9. My favourite things in the world are books, sloths, musicals, drawing – especially designing clothes and writing though I’ve never got past the beginning. My parents own The Book Nook which means I’m lucky enough to get sneak previews of many new books. My bedroom is overflowing with books though my life motto is ‘there’s no such thing as too many books’. I am a major fan of Harry Potter and I’m a Ravenclaw. Some of my favourite authors are Sophie Anderson, Maria Kunzar (The Ship of Shadows is one of the BEST books ever), Sophy Henn, Vashti Hardy and Jenny McLachlan.
Calla’s mum has never been normal. She’s been known to go out in a lab coat and slippers and often forgets to perform basic tasks because she’s been thinking about ducks. When a job offer arrives to study her beloved birds in the Amazon rainforest, Calla knows her mum has to go.
Nervously, she agrees to go to boarding school. She quickly learns that trouble is afoot in this odd convent school. A mean new headmistress is imposing horrible rules and making everyone eat Brussels sprout cake, and the students are itching to revolt.
As Calla makes new friends and gets drawn into their rebellious plot, she keeps waiting for her mum to call. She will, won’t she?
Exuberantly funny and brimming with heart, How to Be Brave is a riotous celebration of the power of resourceful girls, stories and the right biscuit at the right time.
Anna’s anxious when she’s picked to befriend the new girl in her class. For a start, Ellie is ill and can’t come to school herself. So Anna has to communicate with her through a new kind of robot.
But Anna is also worried that her life’s too small and boring to be of interest to her new friend. Compared to the other girls, she doesn’t have anything exciting to talk about and so when Ellie asks her a question, a little white lie pops out. Then another and another.
When Ellie finds out the truth, can their friendship survive …?
Inspired by a true story, a groundbreaking robot helps friendship blossom in this poignant and uplifting dyslexia-friendly novella from bestseller Lisa Thompson.
