Category: The Review Crew Early Readers

Grimwood by Nadia Shireen, reviewed by Evie

This book is tree-bonker-mendous! After just a few pages I couldn’t help but laugh my head off!
Hey I am Evie! I love playing with my friends, dancing, singing and having adventures through the stories that I read. My favourite stories so far are the Magic Ballerina books where some magic ballet shoes take dancers on magical adventures 🩰 . I also love crazy Roald Dahl books – they are so funny 😆 people get stretched, blown up and even disappear and I love snowy stories like Snow Day and also the enchanting Snow Dragon.  Reading is so amazing as every time you turn a page you go into another world and I love that 🥰.

About the book

‘Funny, anarchic, original and gloriously silly.’ Richard Osman

‘Ted and Nancy are my favourite funny foxes EVER.’ Liz Pichon, author of Tom Gates

Laugh your head off with this fully-illustrated new series from award-winning Nadia Shireen. Perfect for readers age 7 to 107, fans of Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Mr Gum and David Walliams, and anyone who loves to laugh.

Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons, the scariest street cat in the Big City. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of unusual characters. Grimwood is .. . weird. But when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time . . .

This memorable, distinctive and warm-hearted comedy series will have kids begging to read more. Nadia Shireen has won awards for her picture books including the UKLA Book Award for Good Little Wolf, and her latest, Barbara Throws a Wobbler, has been described as a ‘little doorway of joy’ by Caitlin Moran. She’s also been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and has been Writer-Illustrator in Residence for BookTrust.

Grimwood is her first series for older readers.

Grimwood by Nadia Shireen, reviewed by Katy

Two foxes called Nancy and Ted lose their parents and Nancy has to look after Ted. Ted accidentally bites off Princess Button’s, (a cat), tail. Nancy and Ted have to run away to Grimwood, a hilarious wood. 

It is a very hilarious story because it is full of funny things, like crazy animals. I think aged 7+ children would like this book.

My name is Katy and I like horses, unicorns and cats. My hobbies are reading and playing and singing. At school I like all the subjects. 

The Book Nook staff opinion:

We love this book! Perfect for fans of Dave the Pigeon and Pests, this highly illustrated early chapter book is full of fun and had us reading sneakily under the counter and giggling out loud.

This series is sure to be an absolute winner!

About the book:

‘Funny, anarchic, original and gloriously silly.’ Richard Osman

‘Ted and Nancy are my favourite funny foxes EVER.’ Liz Pichon, author of Tom Gates

Laugh your head off with this fully-illustrated new series from award-winning Nadia Shireen. Perfect for readers age 7 to 107, fans of Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Mr Gum and David Walliams, and anyone who loves to laugh.

Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons, the scariest street cat in the Big City. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of unusual characters. Grimwood is .. . weird. But when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time . . .

This memorable, distinctive and warm-hearted comedy series will have kids begging to read more.

Nadia Shireen has won awards for her picture books including the UKLA Book Award for Good Little Wolf, and her latest, Barbara Throws a Wobbler, has been described as a ‘little doorway of joy’ by Caitlin Moran. She’s also been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and has been Writer-Illustrator in Residence for BookTrust. Grimwood is her first series for older readers.

Evie and the Animals by Matt Haig, reviewed by Aletha

Evie and the Animals is a thrilling adventurous book about an eleven-year-old girl called Evie who can talk to animals!!!  Her ‘Talent’ leads her into brilliant adventures and difficult situations. Evie and the Animals is one of the best books I have ever read and that is saying something!  My two favourite characters are Evie and a dog called Scruff who is really cute and funny.  One of my favourite parts of the book is when Evie is helping out at the Zoo and a boy falls in the lion enclosure.  I won’t give away what happens next but  it’s very dramatic!!! Whilst reading this book I was so excited that I couldn’t put the book down!!! 

Aletha is 7 and three-quarters. She lives in Brighton and has a guinea pig called Bella. Her favourite authors are Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl, Jill Murphy and J.K Rowling. The fictional world she would most like to live in is the Land of Roar and the character she would most like to be is Evie from the book Evie and the Animals. The character she would least to be stuck in a lift with is Draco Malfoy.

About the book

WHEN EVIE TALKS TO ANIMALS . . . THEY TALK BACK.

Eleven-year-old Evie has a talent: a supertalent. She can HEAR what animals are thinking.

She promises to keep it top secret, but then an evil pet-thief strikes.

Every animal in town is in danger and only by DARING TO BE HERSELF can Evie save her furry and feathered friends.

The Adventure Club: Red Panda Rescue by Jess Butterworth, reviewed by Katy

It is all about a girl called Tilly who gets selected to go camping with the Adventure Club in Nepal. One day she finds out that one of the red panadas is missing. One of the people who ran the Adventure Club said that the poachers must have stolen the red panda, so Tilly goes to look for it.

It is a really exciting book and I love it because I love adventure stories. I would recommend it for kids 8+. It is really clear to read because it is clear writing (font) and the pictures are very pretty. 

My name is Katy and I like horses, unicorns and cats. My hobbies are reading and playing and singing. At school I like all the subjects.

About the book

Do you like exploring, animals and adventure? Then join The Adventure Club this summer!

A brand new illustrated series for younger readers about animals and adventure from much-loved author Jess Butterworth – writer of classic adventure stories in vibrantly described settings.

Tilly has no plans for the summer holidays and is dreading months of boredom — that is until she becomes part of The Adventure Club and wins a place to go track and monitor endangered red pandas in Nepal!

In the Himalayas, she meets other members of the club, rides on yaks, plants a bamboo forest and even spots the secretive red panda. 

But then the red panda Tilly and her team has been monitoring disappears. Will Tilly be able to help find it, or will her first ever adventure end in disaster?

Packed full of illustrations and set as Tilly’s own diary, this new series is perfect for young readers who are beginning to read on their own.

Jack’s Secret World by Jack Ryder and Alice McKinley, reviewed by Niamh

I think Jack’s Secret World is a good book to read in the summer holidays because you feel like you’re away on an adventure with the characters. There’s lots of secrets to uncover during the story and there’s mystery surrounding how it will end.

I liked the baby dodo character called Terry and that the children had special powers. If I had a special power, I would want to be able to understand and talk to animals too!

Hello! My name is Niamh and I’m aged 8. I’m an avid reader and some of my favourite authors and illustrators are Laura Ellen Anderson, Steven Butler, Steven Lenton, Sophy Henn and Sophie Anderson. I want to be an author and illustrator when I’m older and I love to write and draw in my spare time. I like to recommend books to my friends at school and believe you can never have too many books, even though I’m running out of space on my bookshelves! 

About the book

Join Jack and the gang on another unforgettable adventure, full of magic and mayhem – for fans of The Famous Five and Roald Dahl.  

Everything changed the day Jack and his neighbours Bruno and Rocco went to explore the old empty house.

There they discovered a strange girl called Blossom, who introduced them to a world of magic – talking to animals, flying like birds, and even… a doorway to another world, hidden within the ivy-covered walls of the old house. 

Now the gang have gone through the doorway, looking for Blossom’s missing dad, the man who made the magic. 

But finding him will be just the start of the adventure, as Blossom’s dad has a mission for the gang, and they’re going to need all the magical powers they can get.

Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door by Lola Morayo and Cory Reid, reviewed by Evie

I liked this book because she goes to somewhere called Shimmerton and meets the gigglers and that’s where the adventure stars! She quickly looks at her fairy door she made all day then she reached out to touch the doorknob and…that’s how she arrived in Shimmerton. Do you have intrest in adventures? Also do you have fascination in fairies? If so, join Aziza and her magical adventure! The best bit was when she met the one and only princess peri who was the princess of Shimmerton. You would like this book if you liked the stories Magic Ballerina by Darcey Bussell. Adventures await!

Hey I am Evie! I love playing with my friends, dancing, singing and having adventures through the stories that I read. My favourite stories so far are the Magic Ballerina books where some magic ballet shoes take dancers on magical adventures 🩰 . I also love crazy Roald Dahl books – they are so funny 😆 people get stretched, blown up and even disappear and I love snowy stories like Snow Day and also the enchanting Snow Dragon.  Reading is so amazing as every time you turn a page you go into another world and I love that 🥰.

About the book

Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door is the first title in an inclusive magical adventure series, perfect for readers of 6-8 from debut author Lola Morayo. It is inspired by world mythology and is gorgeously illustrated in black and white throughout by Cory Reid.

Open the door to a world of magic and adventure . . .

A mysterious gift arrives on Aziza’s birthday. It is a secret fairy door that will whisk her away to Shimmerton, a magical world with princesses, naughty fairies, shapeshifters, unicorn shopkeepers and mischief around every corner. But when the precious jewelled doorknob is taken, Aziza is trapped. Will she ever see her home and family again? Maybe her new friends, Peri and Tiko, can help . . .

Packed with mischief, friendship and magic, Aziza is perfect for fans of Isadora Moon.

Look out for the second title in the series Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door and the Ice Cat Mysterycoming soon.

Rainbow Grey by Laura Ellen Anderson, reviewed by Niamh

Rainbow Grey is the brand-new rainbowtastic adventure from the creator of the amazing Amelia Fang book series, the brilliant Laura Ellen Anderson!

Laura has created a whole new world called The Weatherlands, based on all of the different types of weather. The main character is 10-year-old Ray Grey who is a Weatherling with no powers, but that’s all set to change the night of the eclipse festival… the book title and Ray’s multi-coloured hair on the front cover may be a big clue!

Ray must try to save Earth from a massive storm, alongside her two friends Droplett and Snowden. And no Laura Ellen Anderson book is complete without a loveable, cute companion – this time in the form of exploding cloud cat Nim (short for Nimothy, not Nimbus!).

Rainbow Grey is an amazing adventure, with lots of twists through the story. Just like Amelia Fang, her new book series has the winning formula of the power of friendship, an adorable sidekick (Nim is the new challenger to Squashy in cuteness), and a feisty main character that never gives up. 

I love the funny bits when Nim’s body parts get all muddled up when he explodes, often at the worst times! I really like that Droplett has the rain power to puddle-port anywhere and the exploding rumblebuns from the Rising Bun Bakery made me laugh! I also enjoyed that the book had lots of little hidden references to Amelia Fang – try to spot them all!  

I think that Amelia and Ray would be great friends, and what I like so much about Laura’s books is that you feel like the characters are your friends too. 

I recommend this book to everybody! I can’t wait for the next Rainbow Grey instalment and I think there’s going to be a lot of rainbow wigs and waistcoats being bought for next World Book Day. Laura Ellen Anderson is one of the best authors and illustrators in the world (and in Nocturnia and the Weatherlands!) and everyone should have all of her books on their bookshelves. 

Rating: 5/5

Perfect for fans of: Amelia Fang by Laura Ellen Anderson; Evil Emperor Penguin by Laura Ellen Anderson; Frostheart by Jamie Littler; and The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy 

Reviewer: Niamh Wilson, aged 8

Hello! My name is Niamh and I’m aged 8. I’m an avid reader and some of my favourite authors and illustrators are Laura Ellen Anderson, Steven Butler, Steven Lenton, Sophy Henn and Sophie Anderson. I want to be an author and illustrator when I’m older and I love to write and draw in my spare time. I like to recommend books to my friends at school and believe you can never have too many books, even though I’m running out of space on my bookshelves! 

About the book

A magical new series from best-selling author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson! Ten-year-old Ray Grey lives in the magical Weatherlands, high in the sky. Ray is surrounded by Weatherlings with astounding weather power at their fingertips . . . but she doesn’t have ANY magic! Then, after a trip to Earth, Ray’s life changes forever. She is transformed from Ray Grey into RAINBOW GREY! With the help of her best friends (and exploding cloud cat, Nim) now all Ray has to do is master her powers AND save the world from a mysterious, powerful enemy .

Genie and Teeny Make A Wish by Steven Lenton, reviewed by Caitlin

Amazing, excellent and super-dooper funny. I love that you get to sort of be a character in the book. And the bit where you shake the book around to try and get things to happen. 

My favourite character is Grant the genie. I love how he always gets things wrong and he is super funny.

Genie by Caitlin, aged 6

About the book

Meet Grant the genie, and his best friend – the puppy Teeny… The first in a series of magical adventures from the renowned illustrator, Steven Lenton, winner of Waterstones Picture Book of the Month and the Times Children’s Book of the Week. When Grant the Genie is cast out of Genie World, he lands on Earth with a big, fat bump! Without a lamp to call home, he has to settle for an old cracked teapot instead.

Grant is very lonely until he meets the puppy, Teeny. Then Genie and Teeny are kidnapped by the evil purple-loving Lavinia Lavender, and find themselves on-course for a rollercoaster of an adventure – when all they really want is a place to call home…

My name is Caitlin and I love dinosaurs, especially my cuddly dino “Daisy” who is a stegosaurus. I am enjoying the “Sherlock Bones” books. I like detective books like Dotty and the Violet mysteries. My favourite sport is football.

The Dragon with the Blazing Bottom by Beach, reviewed by Ted

About the book

The first in a fabulously funny and hugely commercial series about a dragon who has lost his flame – but may just find fire elsewhere . . .

Perfect for fans of The DInosaur That Pooped series. Sir Wayne’s dragon has lost his flame. Are his teeth TOO clean? Is his tongue TOO pink? Perhaps his diet is to blame.

Not to worry – Sir Wayne has a meal plan of EPIC proportions, including a big lump of lava, one burning bush, some sparklers and fireworks – the ones that go ‘WHOOOOSH’. Oh, and one VERY mouldy old piece of cheese – almost as green as the snot from a sneeze . . . What could possibly go wrong?!

A hilarious and dynamic character-driven picture book, with a truly explosive ending! From the hugely exciting new picture book talent, Beach. 

Due to be published 2nd September and we’re just as excited as Ted!

The Train Mouse by Uwe Timm and Axel Scheffler, reviewed by Katy

I really like it because I like stories with adventure, and I really like the mice in the pictures because they are cute and cool.

Katy aged 8

So, there’s this family of mice and one of the brothers he tells his family that he is going to go and get food, but he actually ends up going on a train and he ends up in France/ Paris. He finds another mouse and he helps him get back to his real home with adventures on the way. I really like it because I like stories with adventure, and I really like the mice in the pictures because they are cute and cool. Children who like having lots of adventures will enjoy this. The pictures are very good. The mice always have two round ears and teeth sticking out at the front. I like the Paris mouse because he has a funny mouse moustache. I now want to read the book illustrated by Axel Scheffler that was advertised at the back- Zippel: The little keyhole ghost. I did not know Axel Scheffler had illustrated books that weren’t picture books for younger children.

My name is Katy and I like horses, unicorns and cats. My hobbies are reading and playing and singing. At school I like all the subjects. 

About the book

When Nibbles, an inquisitive young mouse, scampers onto a waiting train at the local station, little does he know he is about to be swept along on a cross-country adventure. Nibbles travels across his homeland of Germany, picks up a new friend in Switzerland, samples the delights of French cuisine in Paris and finally ends up as the star performer in a circus in England! But then Nibbles begins to feel homesick. How will one little mouse find his way home again?Translated by Rachel Ward.