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[[Category:Confident Readers|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]]==Confident readers==__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andy StantonMax Boucherat|title=Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree|rating=5|genre=Confident Readers|summary="Woe, woe, woe, and a bottle of glum" declares a character in this story, and you would to if you shared the sensibilities of Polly, her friend Alan Taylor (the ridiculously named gingerbread man who serves as electrified schoolmaster to some ex-goblins), or any right minded person. The problem is that all the right minded people have switched to being wrong minded. For the old granny they call Old Granny has declared the Old Times back, and taken the entire village population (except for a magician who vanishes from the story) to a sacred glade in a nearby wood, where a tree spirit Last Life of Old is trying to enslave them.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405252189</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Gregory Hughes|title=Unhooking the MoonLori Mills
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=The summer holidays is We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to herself – no neighbour to pop in, babysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. What could possibly go wrong? Snuggled in a time for relaxingblanket fort, playing in the sunshe has one main intention, and getting bored – precisely what Joe and Scarlett are doing when we encounter them at that is to log on to Voxminer, the beginning of this thrilling book. It is hardly surprising thenworld-building, critter-collecting game that when the two children see is a ghostly train racing towards them hit in the woodsLori's world. But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, they take a risk and step insidethen she finds something even more spooky. The train itself is strange, but when they find clothes laid out in For the single compartment with their own names marked on them, Joe starts server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to get really worriedenter shows signs of tampering. His sister Scarlett When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, however, is more curious – or more reckless – and she immediately begins to try on her safe place in the blue dress which game has been left for her. And then Joe's phone starts doctored – well, where is a girl to count down from an hour . . .turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0746097530</amazonuk>0008666482
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Eleanor Updale|title=Johnny Swanson|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary='Strength in What Remains' is the inspirational account of Deogratias, a man who has fled from the genocide Kieran Larwood and civil war in Burundi (just south of the equator in East Central Africa, bordering Rwanda). He escapes to New York, out of fear and want of a safer life; only his new found American life isn't quite what it promised.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0385616422</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Lynne Reid BanksJoe Todd-Stanton|title=I, HoudiniDungeon Runners: Hero Trial
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Houdini Meet Kit. Like most of the people in his world, it seems, he is not your usualan avid fan of Dungeon Running – the sport where a team of warrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, and race to the exit, commonplace hamsterperhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. Oh noUnfortunately for Kit, the only thing he 's seen of the latest race on the inn TV equivalent is a hamster on a missionthat one team has been retired, eaten, and a mission to escape! new trio of questors is needed. From his Possibly very first glorious taste unfortunately indeed for Kit, he has taken to the goading from the token bully of freedom he spends his life inventing ways to escape world and scurrying away (usually straight stumbled into declaring he'll enter as a heap of trouble) at every possible opportunityteam. This is his tale, related entirely from his ownWhat chance does this friendless, rather conceitedmuscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, point of view.and how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007341539</amazonuk>1839945184
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andrew Matthews and Tony RossJames Sherwood Metts|title=The Merchant Of Venice (Shakespeare Stories)Planet Storyland
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Bassanio's got Things have been a bit sticky for the hots for PortiaEarthlings. AI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're paid to do and she for himother tasks that took time to accomplish. His friend, Antonio, borrows money from Shylock so Bassanio can woo her. Antonio is usually well-off, but Just as they were beginning to get used to all his money is tied up with his ships at the moment. Due this technological change and starting to past rivalries, Shylock demands that Antonio pay him back with a pound think of flesh if he can't come up with the money. Meanwhileother, Portia is putting various suitors new ways to the testspend time, along came an awful pandemic. As someone wise once said elsewhereLife was pretty much shut down and, along with it, all the course of true love never did run smoothmany daily social interactions on which they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408305046</amazonuk>1736128426
}}
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=When Halo Will's life is a babydifficult, in a centaur finds her crawling up a beach, the sole survivor multitude of a shipwreckways. This scene shows, right from He is bullied because he has 'the first pagewrong shoes', he has the courage wrong shoes because his dad can't work and determination which characterise her during doesn't have enough money for even the course most basic of this book. No one has any idea who this human child isthings like food, but the golden owl amulet and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the curious tattoo college, was working a cash-in-hand job on her forehead suggest she is speciala building site and had an accident. She is adopted by Throw into that mix the family fact that his mum and for ten years she dad are separated, and her centaur brother Arko lead an idyllic Will's life on the island seems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a tiny amount of Zakynthoshope. But ten years later Halo He is kidnapped by fishermen and sold into slavery. She escapes and disguises herself as a boy because as a girl she can have little or no respectgood at art, and no freedom clings to the moments of action. Still disguised as joy when he is drawing, that feel like a boy she lives with light at the Spartans, falls in loveend of a long, and is given clues to her true identity by the famous Oracle at Delphidark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141328304</amazonuk>1398527122
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Philip Ardagh1805141872|title=Trick Eggs and Rubber Chickens: Grubtown Tales The Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=If you haven't 'Seventeen banks and a jeweller’s have been to Grubtown before, then feel welcomeraided. As newly arrived lorry driver John Jones finds outThe police are baffled, it's a place of exceedingly silly names for people but only Ben knows the truth – Blue-Ridge Handheld my favourite so far – and exceedingly silly things happening for exceedingly silly reasons. One of those silly things his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is John Jones arriving into town with really a giant octopus safecracker! With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on the back of his lorry – a realtheir trail, live one, destined for Miss Judson and Ben go on the brand new aquarium and carwashrun. Another, coinciding, silly thing, is the mayor having a huge festival day But Al needs them for the opening of his new home, which he has just finished knittingone last job...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571247938</amazonuk>}}''
}}
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=It's LondonLucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, 1886. A company building those new underground train tunnels finds a hidden vault at impossible depth - and seems to release into place that has the world nickname of 'The Lord of FliesBlack Hole'. A mysterious masked stage magician does the obviously impossible. A robotic killer stalks the streetsAll big movie fans, they're looking forward to lots of exciting films, and a street gang of ruffians-on-the-up decides to solve the mystery. many, many snacks! A man in charge of Fortean artefacts at However, as the British Museum has a new employermovie starts, asking they very quickly realise that something much more evil from him. Surely all of that cannot be connected in some way? Surely one book can not have all those dark and mysterious elements we can probably all recogniseabout this new film format is very different, and put them they are swept up into one period thriller without coming over as a horrendous porridge of parody?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571237991</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=David Yelland|title=The Truth About Leo|rating=4|genre=Teens|summary=Leo lives inside his own head for much of the time. You canan adventure they couldn't really blame himeven imagine. He's always tired for a start. That's because he's often up early, tidying up But as they lurch from one film genre to the house after one of his father's rampages. His father drinks too muchnext, you see, and sometimes he smashes up the house. Leo can't risk this being discovered because his father's they figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the only person he's got since his mother died of cancer. He misses her like crazycinema, and he's afraid he'll be taken into care if anyone finds out about his dad's drinking. to their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141330031</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Richard DenningAdam Stower|title=Tomorrow's GuardianMurray and Bun
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Eleven year old Tom Oakley thinks he's going mad when he seems Murray is supposed to relive short periods of his lifebe a humble, tidy and dreams about other people from different timesfriendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. The reality is far stranger – But he's a Walkerbad magician's cat, with so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the power to rescue those he dreamed about. Travelling to the battle of Isandlwanacatflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the Great Fire of Londonregular back garden, and but into a German U-Boat, guided by the mysterious Professor, Tom saves the lives world of soldier Edward, servant Mary, frightening adventure and Able Seaman Charliewhiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, who also have powers. There are otherswhere a troll hunter is expected – well, howeverone much bigger than Murray was, with similar powersto be honest, who aren't as pleasant as Tombut he's new friends – turned up and the four of them, allied with the Professor and his roguish helper Septimus, are pitched into a battle he'll have to save the worlds. That's intentionally plural – there are two parallel universes at stake here.do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1445251388</amazonuk>0008561249
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Steve VoakeAlex Bell and Tim McDonagh|title=Hooey Higgins and the SharkThe Glorious Race of Magical Beasts
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=A shark has been spotted Eli is a busy lad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, and in Shrimpton-on-Sea's bay. The local chocolate shop has the evening a mahousive egg for sale for £65. Hooey Higgins decides to capture helper at the former so he can charge admission dessert cafe his gran owns and buy runs. Eli lives with his lovely gran, too – for there is a generation missing in the latterfamily. He A few short years ago, Eli's helped out on his adventures by Twig and Willparents were both lost to the titular race, whilst they a globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a magical beast. This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a bad incident at the eatery leads to a confession from gran, Eli knows his only hope they won't fall foul is to dare to enter what he most hates, with the sole aim the prize of magic at the end – the big bully Basboonly thing to possibly save his gran.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406322342</amazonuk>0571382231
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate MaryonHelen Cooper|title=ShineThe Taming of the Cat|rating=43.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=''You and meOnce again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, Mumwe have Brie the mouse, up against Gorgonzola the cat – and in case you and me.'' Twelve-year-old Tiff and her mother are re seeing a double act. They're so close that connection, they're almost more like sisters than mother live in a cheese shop and daughtertherefore all the names used here seem to be the names of cheeses. They both like shiny Anyway, Brie is shunned, scorned and, girlyif you must, thingsmous-tracised, and Tifffor the way his habits don's mum seemingly has an endless supply of new, ever more glamorous baubles t match the other mice he lives with. They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for them to sharebedding – he displays it as art and makes stories based on the visuals on it. There's only And that story-telling will come in handy one problem: how she comes by themnight, when he feels all alone and cast out. Because Tiff It's mum has rather sticky fingersalmost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. She shoplifts. She defrauds credit cards This makes Brie the top dog in the mouse community, though, as all the others had the chance to half-inch some cheese while the cat was distracted. She's very naughty and sometimes But will the story have the successful sequel it makes Tiff feel rather uncomfortable. She knows deep down needs when that it can't last. cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007326270</amazonuk>0571376010
}}
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=WhatRoo's this life has become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was young, and now she finds herself awoken in the middle of the night by the police banging on her door to tell her that Jake is doing - breaking into her dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a building? lottery ticket. Vandalising it with graffitiWhen asked what other family she has, she can only name her aunt, Joni, having ruined someonewho she knows her dad didn's privacy t think very highly of. But she has no one else, and infiltrated something he shouldn't have done? so off she goes to live with her unreliable aunt. Three years ago he would have been doing this Things continue to get worse for Roo, as a yobbish kick, but now hewhen she and Joni leave London in Joni's a teenage agent old campervan, it breaks down in the middle of a shadowy organisation called the Academy, nowhere and people want him to succeed in his mission. But do they all want that? Who are his taskmasters after all? then bursts into flames! And what does the Void have in store for his future?Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1845393481</amazonuk>0571376169
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Garth EdwardsAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Shipwrecked (The Adventures of Titch and Mitch)Oscar's Lion|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Titch and Mitch are two little pixies who We start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have run away from homehis mother – or father, but mother is more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of times before he has to be ready for school. Through But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is a series of misadventures they find themselves shipwrecked mahoosive male lion on an islandtheir bed, looking sheepish, and admitting that he won't be hungry for another two days. But there are benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to the bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the story revolves around them making new friends thereother month. They come And it can shapeshift, so he can take it to the rescue school and it can get him out of a strange coloured seagullproblem. And it's wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the rules, they save and so on. OK, it can't work a trapped fairy, they play dentist for dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a little dragon mouse and they aid and abet an intelligent turkey who is trying to escape from the turkey farmwonderful time.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0956231500</amazonuk>0008596751
}}
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Years ago, a boy fell through the ice under CottleCaro's Bridge. He said afterwards that something pulled himmother, a sleek silvery creature dragging him down into the blacknessworld-famous whistler, has failed to return home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. Now Her other mother, decades laterRonnie, two boys is having to go swimming up North to take care of her sister who is unwell. So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, someone Caro has heard her mother despises, she feels frustrated and confused and worried. All her summer holiday plans of building herself some equipment to practise her gymnastics are brought to a halt whilst she is stuck inside this staid old Victorian lady's house, along with an orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. But she soon finds herself caught up in the very same spot and find one a mystery, as she discovers a painting of his ice skatesa bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, and all across London a so-fearsome gang called fen runner, buried in the mud at Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the bottom of painting somehow linked to the channel. But when they take it home, dark secrets begin gang? And what has happened to resurface around them and they become aware that an ancient evil is stirring out Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the fens.mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842556843</amazonuk>0571363148
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Sarah McConnell and Lucy Courtenay Tania Unsworth|title=Swashbuckle School (Scarlet Silver)Nowhere Island
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Young Scarlet Silver had always wanted Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to be escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and find a pirate and eventually her wish came true home for himself. He is en route to yet another fosterer, when she he jumps into an anonymous car, and her family took lets it ride him to his future. That future seems to the high seas be in their pirate ship, 55 Ocean Drive. The problem was though jeopardy when someone steals his one bag of belongings – but that neither Scarlet nor anyone else someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the family knew how two directions of a motorway, a place inaccessible and definitely ignored enough to be a pirate provide for their safety and they soon discovered that it was quite a tricky businessseclusion. Scarlet became the self appointed captain and did her best but her parents Them, brother Cedric, grandfather and his mate One Eyed Jake formed a pretty inept crewmute girl also finding a home there, albeit so much more successfully. This resulted in them all soon falling foul to hostile pirate ships and narrowly escaping death and disaster! Over a few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0340959673</amazonuk>1804540080
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Liz KesslerHelen Peters|title=Philippa Fisher Friends and the Dream Maker's Daughter Traitors|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Since her fairy godsister Daisy went back to ATC - fairy high command - and moved on to other missionsEngland, Philippa Fisher has felt rather lonelyWW2. Her parents Two young girls are as oddball as evernew at the country pile called Stanbrook. One is Nancy, wandering through destined to be in service all her life with it seems, like the kind of benign muddleheadedness that makes them loveablefemale generations before her. The other is Sidney, but more than a tad inattentive. They haven't really picked up on the fact girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that Philippa's human best friend has moved been removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and lost touchcheese, or that she hasnand if we hadn't yet found guessed that then their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. But something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the Lord Evesham must be a group rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, talk is made of friends at secondary school. She misses Daisy like madmeetings with Germans, and not only that, a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But surely the girls are wrong, and the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842557831</amazonuk>1788004647
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Elise BroachJamie Littler|title=MasterpieceArkspire
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Marvin Two sisters, Juniper and his family Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are a kindly bunchgrowing to be chalk and cheese. Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the Badlands. They Elodie is intent on getting closer to power in one of the religious districts of Arkspire, perhaps even get him to go down inside become the child in line to inherit the power of the Watcher, the bathroom sink drainpipe closest to retrieve a missing contact lensruler the district has, and one of the five major victors in said earlier war. This is not so difficult when you're a small kind Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the status of beetle like Marvinthe whole family. But when they worry about the standard in finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be able to gain some power of birthday presents given to Jamesher own – for good, or for very, very bad…|isbn=0241586143}}{{Frontpage|isbn=024162343X|title=Stolen History|author=Sathnam Sanghera|rating=5|genre=Children's Non-Fiction|summary=I was the boy bad company other people got into at school. I was disruptive in religious education classes because I disputed the existence of a 'god'. Where was the human family that have unwittingly fostered themproof? In history lessons, things get very unpredictableit was probably worse still. Marvin sees James being given a pen Not too long after the end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the British army's successes (and ink sketching setoccasional failures, and when trying but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to deliver a special coin be called 'the colonies' as want to James, falls into making a sketch himself of dispute what right the view outside army had to be there in the windowfirst place. A sketch James could never have created Looking back, I still believe I was right - an ink masterwork but I regret that makes far too many adult human eyes bulge with surprise, delight - and possibly greedI lacked the maturity to approach 'the problem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406321834</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Linda NewberyThiago de Moraes|title=LobOld Gods New Tricks
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Lob is a Green Man – an ancient nature spirit and garden helperMeet Trixie. Can you spot him hiding on the front cover of the book? Lucy believes in LobForever getting into scrapes, though her Mum larks and Dad tell her 'it's just Grandpa's story'. When Lucy finally manages to catch adventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a fleeting glimpse young goddess of Lob, she is entranced and delighted to share Grandpa's secretnuisance. But just when Grandpa dies and his home is sold Lucy is heartbroken. She wonders if she will ever see Lob again. What follows is a journey through the seasons tracing Lucy's life after Grandpa's death and Lob's search to find a new garden home.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0385610815</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Scott Westerfeld|title=Extras|rating=4.5|genre=Teens|summary=In being told that by her one-last-chance-giving headteacher, the future city of this book, many people live with what is called a reputation economyworld changes. With everybody Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a cyborgpower-out, theyeven of electric cars, hits not just the town the school're online permanentlys in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, using optical and brain implants to see everybodyall that powers the Internet, just for our convenience's status, output and moresake). Many people Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have hovercam companions, to make their own documentaries and film their own livestaken the power of power from us. They rely on metablogs And so she begins her epic quest, to interact and keep their popularity up. They continuously spread their opinions and interests gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in order to become more wellstealing from the Gods, ie the semi-known. A girl called Aya is struggling to get any renowndeities, but things changegiants, when she meets other people doing incredibly notorious things, but in complete secrecy half-gods and anonymityso on known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847389228</amazonuk>178845295X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Emma ThompsonHannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Nanny McPhee and the Big BangFinding Bear
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Mr and Mrs Green are a happily married couple[[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], living April had been on Bear Island, a farm with their three childrenlot further north than many people would venture, and finding a ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a polar bear – that she called Bear. Back home, things on the start of the wardomestic and family front are a bit advanced, Mr Green goes off to fight leaving his wife, Isabelbut not perfect for her, and so can easily be ignored when word comes through from the children to fend for themselvesislands Bear was last left on. They are struggling to manage the upkeep of the farm For a bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and it looks as if Isabel may have to sellwounded. To Desperate to make matters worsesure he's OK, she and her estranged sister sends her two very rich, very spoilt children to live on the farm father return to escape the bombs Arctic and hope that in Londona world of very white and very dangerous things, but they are immediately at loggerheads with their rather wild country cousins. They are fighting wildly, wreaking havoc she can find one specific white and destruction dangerous thing – and ignoring Isabel's pleas to stop when there is a sudden knock at the door from, of course, that the terrifyingly ugly, magical Nanny McPheefriendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408805014</amazonuk>0008582017
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate SaundersSimon Fox|title=BeswitchedDeadlock
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Flora Late one night Graham Blake is furious at being sent away to boarding schoollate back from his shift on the force, even one which is very progressive with luxurious facilities and school rock bands. Her parents need to sell her grandmother's house in Italy and build then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a granny flat at homesecret place, and Flora is resentful at having her life turned upside down for a grumpy, unpleasant old womanjoin him on the run. On the train They get together, she falls asleep and wakes up but barely begin to find herself in another era. Trendy 21st century Flora smell the whiff of Southern trains when the father is horrified arrested, leaving Archie on the late express to find herself in a hideous pinafore dress with Brighton, toting a childish haircut and no make up. What has happened tin his father was determined to her Ipodkeep away from his colleagues, mobile phone and brand new laptop?the bearer of a whole heap of questions.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1407108972</amazonuk>1839944420
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jo NesboCath Howe|title=Doctor Proctor's Fart PowderMy Life on Fire|rating=45
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=LisaRen's best friend has moved awayfamily home is destroyed in a fire. The neighbourhood bullies She, her parents, Truls and Trym Trane, are causing havocher little brother lose everything. Her dad is getting ready for Norway She doesn's Independence Day celebrations. Oht have any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and therenow she is living at her grandmother's an anaconda on house where they can't touch anything, or do anything, or even eat the loose in foods they normally eat. When she goes back to school she discovers that the sewers. Then Nilly moves into her streetclass are doing a special art project, and the two creating boxes of their lives, to display things that are important to them meet Doctor Proctor and discover his amazing fart powdershow who they are as a person. But Ren has nothing to put in a box, and so she finds herself starting to steal things. Small things, things that people might not really miss, not when they have so much already. But what will happen to her if someone finds out what she is doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847386539</amazonuk>1839942835
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=K A S QuinnRob Keeley|title=The Queen Must Die (Chronicles of the Tempus) Boy Who Disappeared and Other Stories
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=In this historical time-travelling extravaganza, Katie Berger-Jones-Burg (I know, it's a mouthful, but stay with me) Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is the daughter of Mimi, an ex-girl band member who has been married three times, so far, hence Katie's hyphenated name. Katie has come home from school to find that Mimi has gone off back with another man, Dr Fishberg, and as she begins a return to stress about the potential short story format! The Boy Who Disappeared treats us to eleven new addition to her surname she crawls into her hidey-hole space beneath her bed to escape for a little while. Here she keeps her diary and her stash of bookstales, and she curls up each as fun to read her latest book, a compilation of letters from Princess Alice, Queen Victoria's youngest daughter. She starts to feel a bit sleepy, but is suddenly startled awake by a flash of light. She finds herself in Victorian England, underneath a sofa and staring into the eyes of Princess Alice, who is just as startled as she ishis previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848873700</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Joanne OwenLaura Noakes|title=The Alchemist and the AngelCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=When Jan's parents die of Meet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. Or rather, just Cos to her friends. The practice in the plague, he home she lives in is sent for the girls to just be named by the great city of Vienna number they correspond to live in the ledger, and they're all Unfortunates – young people with his aunt and uncledisabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. His uncle is But Cosima bears the tag as a distinguished alchemist, and, hoping surname because nothing else seems to take the boy's mind off his griefbe known about where she came from, hires him as his apprentice. Jan loves the work, learns quicklyfirst ever inmate, and soon unique in having no known family in the two of them are on outside world. During a daring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the verge of perfecting kitchen one afternoon, she discovers a serum plan involving said outside world – a devilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to bring adopt all the dead back to lifegirls for his Institute. But then his uncle is found deadwhy, and Jan is being whisked off what does that body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to Prague by his vain and calculating aunt. She has her own plans for the serum, and past she will stop at nothing to accomplish them.has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1444001507</amazonuk>0008579059
}}
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=If you haven't been to Grubtown before, then feel welcome. It's an auspicious day for At last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town of grubby and inept people with names like Rambo Sanskrit, and Mango Claptrap, as well. For today is the day of film star Tawdrey Hipbone's gala charity premiereElsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. But there's She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the ability to be no galaleave this world, and little charity eitheruse an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, when a pelican (where the sea levels are rising dramatically and not the town mascot either, but a different one) comes buildings are generally empty of humans and steals - yesripe for plunder. With eviction imminent, steals - can Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the beloved dog Snooks - shop? Well yes, Snooks - from where he was living is the fine life in Tawdrey's hair - yesanswer, hair.but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>057124792X</amazonuk>1839943769
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=David GrimstoneNatasha Farrant|title=Gladiator Boy vs The Living DeadRescue of Ravenwood|rating=2.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=[[A Hero's Quest (Gladiator Boy) by David Grimstone|A Hero's Quest]] introduced us to Decimus Rex. This seventh book in story is another excellent adventure from the overall author of ''Gladiator BoyVoyage of the Sparrowhawk'' series (. Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of England, where Bea and start Raffy have been living for most of their lives. They are part of a new sub-series of 6) begins complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with our heroher Uncle Leo, Decimus Rexand Raffy is there with his mum, and his friends they are living together as a family. They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the trees, completely at one with all having received messages of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. But now the house is under threat, as Leo is under pressure from their former ally Teohis other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. I say former because The children find themselves worrying not only about where they all thought Teo was dead. They're all hoping against hope that Teo is really alivegoing to live, but thereif they's a nagging doubt that their nemesis Slavious Doom is setting a trap for them..ll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0340989270</amazonuk>0571348785
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jenny ValentineRobin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Iggy and Me and the Happy BirthdaySecret Beast Club: The Unicorns of Silver Street|rating=54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=OohJayden's nose is forever in a book, hooray! Iggy which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and Flo are back! We loved unicorns of the world, for example. Aisha is addicted to her new tablet, where she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, as their [[Iggy and Me by Jenny Valentine|first outing]]mothers see it, just as we love all Jenny Valentineis that they are never 's books for older readers. Floout there's just your everyday run themselves, exploring the outside world of the mill eight year oldHackney, London. Iggy But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-minded, educational purpose, and with a past involving Jayden's cousin, they find a normal five year old (going on six)magical world they never knew existed. Iggy For many of those mythological creatures are real, including the one Aisha thinks she's seen on a funny little thingbit of local footage. The crew of the boat, Flo's sweet. They're sisters who do what sisters doincluding a living gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to join in a regular family. They learn to swim, Dare they fall illside with Leila, they make cakesthe woman on board, they ride bikes. They toddle along with life and have her relative who lives as a figure in a lovely time. painting, and become saviours of the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0007283636</amazonuk>0241573483
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Gene KempB09XWSXSKY|title=No Way OutMaestro Orpheus and the World Clock|author=Robert Penee and Joanne Grodzinski
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Alex and Adam are twinsFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, and theyplease) couldn're telepathic to boott sleep. They're very close A tune, but are also rather like chalk the ticking of a clock was playing over and cheese: Adam's looking forward over in his mind. It happened every time he came to their holiday on Uncle Ben and Aunt Sadie's farm, but Alex canvisit his grandfather. He hadn't think of anything worse. Adam is always happy really wanted to read to their little sister Emmycome; after all, but Alex resents the attention she gets (shehe's disabled, y'see). By ten now and large, they're just ordinary kids, with ordinary grumbles. When the car they're in goes through thick fog and crashes, they find themselves in a town from times past, with inhabitants who all those old clocks don't want appeal to let them leave, and who have an eye on Emmyhim anymore.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571244556</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Marcus SedgwickNigel Baines|title=Lunatics and Luck (Raven Mysteries)A Tricky Kind of Magic
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Emerging Readers|summary=It's obvious reallyCooper loves to perform magic tricks. When an earthquake hits Castle Otherhand, ValevineHis father was a magician, and named Cooper after the head of the householdgreat Tommy Cooper. But sadly Cooper's father died suddenly, decides what the place needs is a machine and now Cooper doesn't quite know who to predict the futurebe, and a new tutor for his two oldest childrenor how to be. And why not? There are only those childrenwhen his dad's prop rabbit starts talking to him, the suicidal baby twins, Valevinehe ''really'' doesn't know what's dreadful failed inventions and experiments, Edgar the raven that narrates this series of books, and a monkey. With bells going on. Clearly there is not enough weirdness there already to go around.anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842556959</amazonuk>1444960261
}}
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