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[[Category:Confident Readers|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|Confident Readers]]==Confident readers==__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Michael Morpurgo Rob Keeley|title=Childish Spirits: 10th anniversary special edition|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Around here, we're big fans of children's author Rob Keeley. He's a ball of happy positivity, he understands children, and Emma Chichester Clarkhe writes for their pleasure and enjoyment, not to lecture or hector. The ''Childish Spirits'' series is one of his greatest achievements. It's a sequence of ghost stories centring on Ellie, a stalwart young girl who can cope with anything the spirit world throws at her, and Edward, a spoiled lordling and the first spirit Ellie encounters|isbn= 1783064617}}{{Frontpage|author=Max Boucherat|title=The Best Last Life of TimesLori Mills
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Most children enjoy a good traditional tale and this lovely book by Michael Morpurgo seems We meet Lori on the first evening she's got the house to have all the right ingredients herself – a handsome prince and a beautiful princess who fall no neighbour to pop in love, get married and live happily ever afterbabysitter poorly, mother at work, just an avidly rule-breaking eleven year old, on her lonesome. Or do they What could possibly go wrong? Sadly, not long after Prince Frederico marries the lovely Princess Serafina Snuggled in a blanket fort, she becomes very sad. Nobody knows what has caused such great sadnessone main intention, but poor Prince Frederico and that is desperate to find log on to Voxminer, the world-building, critter-collecting game that is a cure for his wifehit in Lori's miseryworld. He tries everything in his power But first Lori has a tiny inkling that this stormy night doesn't find herself entirely on her own, and eventually decides to offer his kingdom to anyone who can make her happy again before then she dies of a broken heartfinds something even more spooky. Lots of people come to For the palace server she and her bestie and nobody else should be able to try enter shows signs of tampering. When malevolent eyes spark up on her phone screen, and help but her safe place in the end the solution game has been doctored – well, where is a simple one provided by some very kind travellers.girl to turn?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405232552</amazonuk>0008666482
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Simon WestonKieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton|title=Nelson to the RescueDungeon Runners: Hero Trial
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Nelson used to pull Mike Meet Kit. Like most of the Milk's milk floatpeople in his world, it seems, but he has now retired. He lives in the stable at the back is an avid fan of Dungeon Running – the dairy along with sport where a couple team of tricky ratswarrior, mage and healer enter specially prepared, century-old, magical mazes, Rhodri and Rhysrace to the exit, a pigeon who has no sense of directionperhaps bothering with the treasure or the big bad and the points they grant you along the way. Unfortunately for Kit, a frog who thinks the only thing he's a secret agent spy and an old racehorse who spends most seen of his time sleeping. Rhodri and Rhys find a mysterious message the latest race on Mike's fridge and the animals believe inn TV equivalent is that Mike one team has been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBEretired, eaten, and a new trio of questors is needed. Somehow our heroPossibly very unfortunately indeed for Kit, Nelson, finds himself travelling down he has taken to London, pulling a ceremonial coach for Prince Charles as well the goading from the token bully of his world and stumbled into declaring he'll enter as giving a TV interview about his experienceteam. What chance does this friendless, muscle-free-zone have in actually managing that, and how could he possibly hope to succeed?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1848510454</amazonuk>1839945184
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jon BerkeleyJames Sherwood Metts|title=The Lightning Key (Circus Trilogy)Planet Storyland
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=I shall start with Things have been a word of advicebit sticky for the Earthlings. When youAI and automation have been proceeding apace, often replacing jobs they're being hounded by a circus master, paid to do and a magician, for the soul of a tiger other tasks that's contained in a tiger's egg that's contained in the brain took time to accomplish. Just as they were beginning to get used to all this technological change and starting to think of your teddy bearother, and your best friend - a fallen angel - is trying her best new ways to make sure the other angels do not turn on you in a big way - then you're probably living the third book in a fantasy trilogyspend time, along came an awful pandemic. Still - never mindLife was pretty much shut down and, the angel's efforts will involve you entering a dream world of flight and cloud citiesalong with it, all the chase after your enemies will take you across the world to desert oases and back, and friends new and old will be many daily social interactions on board to helpwhich they depend so heavily.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1847384447</amazonuk>1736128426
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andy StantonTom Percival|title=What's For Dinner, Mr Gum?The Wrong Shoes|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=As soon as heroine Polly turns her backWill's life is difficult, in a multitude of ways. He is bullied because he has 'the wrong shoes', he has the wrong shoes because his dad can't work and leaves doesn't have enough money for even the town most basic of Lamonic Bibber for a day things like food, and his dad can't work because he lost his job at the seasidecollege, Mr Gum falls out with was working a cash-in-hand job on a building site and had an accident. Throw into that mix the fact that his best friendmum and dad are separated, causing carnivorous carnage all over the placeand Will's life seems bleak in every direction. And yet, he still has a tiny amount of hope. Meat He is getting thrown around like it's going out of fashiongood at art, and we have clings to doubt whether Polly and her companions can ever utilise the power moments of joy when he is drawing, that feel like a light at the end of love and put things to rights. Especially as this book does not contain a magic unicorn called Elizabethlong, dark tunnel.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1405248246</amazonuk>1398527122
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Jean Ure1805141872|title=Fortune CookieThe Teacher Who Knew Too Much|author=Rob Keeley
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Fudge Cassidy ''Seventeen banks and the Cupcake kid a jeweller’s have been raided. The police are best friends. If baffled, but only Ben knows the names remind you of a certain film then you'd be spot on as that's where Fudge's father got the idea from. They're actually chalk and cheese truth – Fudge his Maths teacher, Miss Judson, is loud mouthed really a safecracker! With police and opinionated her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Cupcake is quiet and thoughtful – but Ben go on the combination worksrun. But Al needs them for one last job. They've just started at secondary school and Cupcake has rather a lot on her plate. Her brother Joey has muscular dystrophy and his problems are becoming more obvious. Add to this that her father couldn't cope with the problems and he now has another family. It's just Cupcake, Joey and her mother – and not a lot of money.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007224621</amazonuk>}}
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jeremy StrongChristopher Edge|title=Christmas Chaos for the Hundred-Mile-An-Hour Dog Black Hole Cinema Club
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Trevor's troublesome dog, StreakerLucas and his friends are all booked in for a movie marathon at their local cinema, a place that has had three puppiesthe nickname of 'The Black Hole'. They were fathered All big movie fans, according they're looking forward to local bully Charlie Smugglots of exciting films, and many, by one of his Alsatians. many snacks! Trevor would ideally like to keep themHowever, as the movie starts, at least until Christmasthey very quickly realise that something about this new film format is very different, but his parents have other ideas and put them they are swept up for saleinto an adventure they couldn't even imagine. Charlie Smugg declares that he's entitled But as they lurch from one film genre to half of the money from the sale of the puppiesnext, but before can they can be sold figure out what on earth is going on? Will they ever get back to the three puppies go missing in the park cinema, and it's up to Trevor and his best friend Tina to try and track them down before Charlie demands his cash!their real lives?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0141327243</amazonuk>1839942738
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Annie TaylorAdam Stower|title=VioletMurray and Bun
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Violet Murray is supposed to be a very special hippo. She humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is extremely small but that does not make her adoptive parents Albert able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and Mavis love her any , well, whatever takes his fancy next of the lesstwo. However But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they are slightly worried that Violet has both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a very unusual habit world of turning pink without warning frightening adventure and for no explicable reasonwhiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1906847371</amazonuk>0008561249
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=A J Healy|title=Tommy Storm Alex Bell and the Galactic Knights|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Meet Tommy Storm. He's one of five teenagers snapped up from around the universe to be a gang of heroic detectives charged with rescuing EVERYTHING from destruction. Not just the planet, or the solar system, or even the galaxy, but EVERYTHING. Nobody seems to know what's going to cause this destruction, or when, but he and his friends and their ship seem to be the only people proactively going about saving the day. So it's a pity that they start this book strung up by a nasty loony who's about to kill them.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847247555</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Jeanette WintersonTim McDonagh|title=The Battle Glorious Race of the SunMagical Beasts|rating=54
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=London 1601. Elizabeth I is getting on in years. Her capital city Eli is a busylad – by day an apprentice in the wondrous library we start by visiting with him, bustling place. Boats fill and in the river and people fill evening a helper at the streets. Jack is happy because it's dessert cafe his birthday gran owns and runs. Eli lives with his present lovely gran, too – for there is his hearta generation missing in the family. A few short years ago, Eli's desire: an excitable black puppy named Maxparents were both lost to the titular race, who's a ''licking and globe-trotting adventure where all entrants have to navigate the world in the company of a running and magical beast. This has made the race anathema to the pair – but when a leaping and a jumping and a tummy in bad incident at the air and a tail wagging and eatery leads to a barkingconfession from gran, racingEli knows his only hope is to dare to enter what he most hates, braking, spinning energy dog with the sole aim the prize of delight''magic at the end – the only thing to possibly save his gran. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140880042X</amazonuk>0571382231
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jean UreHelen Cooper|title=Love and Kisses|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Tamsin and Katie were just thirteen and worried that they were boring. They'd been best friends since forever and were The Taming of the good girls. Neither missed school, skipped her homework nor had boyfriends. Well, that is, not so far. Up until then Tamsin had been the boffin head – consistently strong academically and looking forward to going on to university. All that seemed to change when she met Alex. Well, when I say 'met' I should perhaps clarify and say that Alex pushed his wheelbarrow into her, from the building site where he worked. Oh, and did I mention that he was seventeen, Polish and spoke very little English?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007281722</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Neal Layton|title=Surf's Up (Mammoth Academy)Cat
|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Having successfully seen off Once again, mice are pitched against cat. In this case, principally, we have Brie the rather unpleasant humans in earlier volumesmouse, our favourite junior mammoths Oscar up against Gorgonzola the cat – and Arabella have nothing much else to do apart from return to Mammoth Academy for lots more double periods of Difficult Sums. Theyin case you're supposed seeing a connection, they live in a cheese shop and therefore all the names used here seem to be making presentations about what they did during the holidays toonames of cheeses. Anyway, Brie is shunned, but Oscar hasn't done any preparation scorned and, franklyif you must, mous-tracised, he canfor the way his habits don't really remember what match the other mice he actually did do lives with . They nibble up paper wrapping from the cheese for bedding – he displays it as art and makes stories based on the visuals on it. And that story-telling will come in handy one night, when he feels all alone and cast out. It's almost as if there were another character from fable who had had to tell stories to keep themselves alive. 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. But will the story have the successful sequel it needs when that free time other than no Difficult Sums. cheese runs out?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>034098967X</amazonuk>0571376010
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Ursula Jones and Sarah GibbLauren St John|title=The Princess Who Had No KingdomFinding Wonder
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=The princess who Roo's life has no kingdom wanders around become almost impossibly difficult. Her mum died when she was young, and now she finds herself awoken in a cart pulled the middle of the night by the police banging on her horse Prettydoor to tell her that her dad has dropped dead on his way to the corner shop to buy a lottery ticket. She's very polite When asked what other family she has, friendlyshe can only name her aunt, and kind-heartedJoni, but who she feels like something is lacking because she doesnknows her dad didn't have a kingdom think very highly of her own. The other royals But she has no one else, and so off she meets treat goes to live with her nicely enoughunreliable aunt. Things continue to get worse for Roo, but there's always a feeling that as when sheand Joni leave London in Joni's not quite as good as them because she isn't old campervan, it breaks down in the princess middle of anywhere.nowhere and then bursts into flames! Poor Roo!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846160421</amazonuk>0571376169
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Tim Pigott-SmithAdam Baron and Benji Davies|title=Shadow of Evil (Baker Street Mysteries)Oscar's Lion|rating=43
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=If ever Victorian England needed the Baker Street IrregularsWe start incredibly bluntly, with Oscar hoping to have his mother – or father, it's now. The great Sherlock Holmes but mother is dead - drowned at sea whilst attempting to foil one more likely – read him his very favourite book a couple of Professor Moriarty's evil plans. More ships are likely times before he has to be sabotaged and the shipping owners are up in armsready for school. To make matters worse But when he enters his parents' bedroom, all he sees is a mahoosive male lion on their bed, looking sheepish, Queen Victoriaand admitting that he won's granddaughter has been kidnappedt be hungry for another two days. Would-be clients But there are queuing up at 221b Baker Street, but Dr Watson is benefits to having a lion around – it can be shown as an unspoken threat to turn them awaythe bully that ruined a birthday party for Oscar the other month. And the more Sam Wiggins seesit can shapeshift, the more so hecan take it to school and it can get him out of a problem. And it's convinced that all wonderful to have around the house – not limiting his biscuit intake, being much more lax about the various shenanigans are related to one anotherrules, and so on. If only Holmes were there to tell him exactly how. But he isn OK, it can't, and the only people who are around are childrenwork a dimmer switch but it can give Oscar a wonderful time. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>034096006X</amazonuk>0008596751
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Jean Ure Judith Eagle|title=Star Crazy MeThe Stolen Songbird|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=This book is about Carmen, but to understand her you first need to know about her family. There's her mother, who is quite laid back when it comes to all things school, but rather obsessed with looks (despite being the kind of person to drive everywhere, and get winded walking up a flight of stairs). There's her Nan, who used to live with them and always encouraged Carmen's talent, perhaps to an embarrassing extent. Still, it's good to have support. And there's her father, who we don't know much about. But then, neither does Carmen.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007224613</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Marcus Sedgwick |title=Ghosts and Gadgets (Raven Mysteries)|rating=3.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=EdgarCaro's mother, raven and selfa world-appointed guardian of Otherhand Castlefamous whistler, has reason failed to be worriedreturn home from her recent work trip abroad and is now missing. The second-eldest Her other mother, Ronnie, is having to go up North to take care of the Otherhand offspringher sister who is unwell. So who is going to look after Caro? Sent to stay with Gam, Cudweedsomeone Caro has heard her mother despises, ran into something in the forbidden south wing of the castle she feels frustrated and confused and was in shock for daysworried. Upon recovery 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, he reports the culprit was a ghostalong with an orphan boy, Albie, who is living there too. When more victims begin popping- But she soon finds herself caught up - maidsin a mystery, as she discovers a painting of a bird hidden away inside her mum's old suitcase, stable-boys and shoe-polishers, all quite literally scared-across London a fearsome gang called the Snakes are thieving artworks and terrorising people. Is the painting somehow linked to-death – Edgar takes it upon himself the gang? And what has happened to save Caro's mother? Is she somehow involved in the day.mystery too?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1842556940</amazonuk>0571363148
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Margaret Mayo, Geraldine McCaughrean, Rose Impey, Andrew Matthews, Jane Ray, Ian Beck, Angela Barrett, Emma Chichester Clark and Alan SnowTania Unsworth|title=Magical Princess StoriesNowhere Island
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Most little girls would love Meet Gil. Just twelve, he is so determined to escape the care system – the system that constantly puts him in futureless places that are not homes – and find a pretty pink book all about princesseshome for himself. He is en route to yet another fosterer, wouldn't they? when he jumps into an anonymous car, and lets it ride him to his future. This That future seems to be in jeopardy when someone steals his one has seven retellings bag of belongings – but that someone lives with his brother in a camp on an island between the two directions of traditional fairy tales accompanied by beautiful illustrations a motorway, a place inaccessible and would make definitely ignored enough to provide for their safety and seclusion. Them, and a mute girl also finding a lovely gift for home there, albeit so much more successfully. Over a birthday few weeks we see if their oddball destinies can combine, or Christmas.if this is one place where life as we would want it just would not work…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>140830516X</amazonuk>1804540080
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate DiCamillo Helen Peters|title=The Magician's ElephantFriends and Traitors|rating=53
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Peter Augustus Duchene hovered outside the fortune-teller's tent in England, WW2. Two young girls are new at the market squarecountry pile called Stanbrook. To go One is Nancy, destined to be in and get an answer to the only question he had would cost service all her life it seems, like the money female generations before her. The other is Sidney, a girl from a hoity-toity Sussex boarding school that he had – and he'd has been given it to go out removed there away from bomber flight-paths. The girls are chalk and buy the cheapestcheese, poorest food and if we hadn't guessed that was availablethen their behaviour with each other over their first encounters would only prove it so. But he had to have an answer to something is amiss, and first separately and then in combination they realise the question and when he asked he was told thatLord Evesham must be a rum 'un. Midnight deliveries are received under cover of secrecy, yestalk is made of meetings with Germans, his sister ''was'' alive and not only that the elephant would take him to her, a local Spitfire factory has been attacked. But where in this chillysurely the girls are wrong, northern clime would he find an elephantand the upper class could never be so underhand?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1406324477</amazonuk>1788004647
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Chris PriestleyJamie Littler|title=Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's MouthArkspire|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Young Robert is put on a train back Two sisters, Juniper and Elodie, born fifteen minutes apart, are growing to school by his stepmotherbe chalk and cheese. It's Juniper is an eager hunter and trader in illicit magic, including relics from prior major wars left out in the first journey he's made Badlands. Elodie is intent on his own. It turns out getting closer to be more power in one of a challenge than he could ever have imagined. The train stalls at the mouth religious districts of a tunnel and while Arkspire, perhaps even to become the child in line to inherit the other passengers sleep through power of the waitWatcher, the closest to a mysterious woman ruler the district has, and one of the five major victors in white tells him a series said earlier war. Being trained in the magic that only five people can use would definitely change the status of stories - stories with a differencethe whole family. But in finding something oddly magical, Juniper might just be able to gain some power of her own – for good, or for very, very bad…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1408800144</amazonuk>0241586143
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Paul Fleischman and David Roberts024162343X|title=The Dunderheads|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=The vile Miss Breakbone hates kids and is forever shouting at her class. When the teacher confiscates the one-eared cat that Theodore (better known as Junkyard) is giving to his mum for her birthday, the Dunderheads hatch a plan to get it back, and teach Miss Breakbone a valuable lesson. What follows is an elaborate plot, weaving elements of the ''Bash Street Kids'' with ''Mission Impossible''.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406322555</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewStolen History|author=Morris Gleitzman|title=Toad SurpriseSathnam Sanghera
|rating=5
|genre=Confident ReadersChildren's Non-Fiction|summary=I was going to mention, the bad company other people got into at some time school. I was disruptive in this review, that you would be hard pushed to confuse this book with religious education classes because I disputed the same authorexistence of a 's [[Once by Morris Gleitzman|Holocaust stories]]god'. Where was the proof? In history lessons, but as it begins with an apocalyptic massacre in a hit and run road crash, perhaps you mightwas probably worse still. Such is Not too long after the lot end of WWII, I didn't so much want to learn about the humble cane toad. Always having British army's successes (and occasional failures, but we didn't dwell on those) in what came to take the warty with be called 'the smooth. Or so youcolonies'd think, until Limpy identifies as want to dispute what right the next driver army had to pull up near their swamp as Santabe there in the first place. At last Looking back, I still believe I was right - his chance but I regret that I lacked the maturity to improve human-cane toad relationships, by getting his species recognised as Santaapproach 's new little helpers. And so he hops on the truck with his best friend, the macho Goliath, and drives off with Santaproblem' politely. I wish I'd had Sathnam Sanghera's ''Stolen History''...Or does he?|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141326948</amazonuk>
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Andrew Klavan Thiago de Moraes|title=The Last Thing I Remember (Homelander)Old Gods New Tricks
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Charlie West Meet Trixie. Forever getting into scrapes, larks and adventures involving flooding the school aircon with fart powder, she could almost be thought a young goddess of nuisance. But just when she's being told that by her one- US Air Force hopeful and karate expert last-chance-giving headteacher, the world changes. Suddenly, practically everything electronic stops working – a power- remembers when his main concern was whether schoolmate Beth would go out with him, even of electric cars, hits not just the town the school's in but the entire planet (apart from mobile phones, and all that powers the Internet, just for our convenience's sake). Trixie, luckily, realises what has happened – the ancient Gods have taken the power of power from us. So why is he strapped And so she begins her epic quest, to a chair gather all the people that can steal it back – namely the characters from myth that have past form in a windowless cell?stealing from the Gods, ie the semi-deities, giants, half-gods and so on known as the tricksters.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0755352998</amazonuk>178845295X
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hazel Allan Hannah Gold and Levi Pinfold|title=Bree McCready and the Half-heart LocketFinding Bear
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=If you want to keep your children quiet and busy for [[The Last Bear by Hannah Gold|Last time]], April had been on Bear Island, a while then this lot further north than many people would be a good book to give them. Twelve year old Bree and her two friendsventure, Sandy and Honey, find themselves running for their lives when finding a message on ridiculously unexpected but delightful friendship with a heart locket necklace leads them to an old, magical book polar bear – that has enormous powersshe called Bear. A monstrous enemy, ThalofedrilBack home, is trying to get his claws things on this book so that he can continue to reek death and destruction in the world, domestic and it is up to Breefamily front are a bit advanced, and but not perfect for her friends, to save us all...|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905537115</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Helen Stringer |title=The Last Ghost: A Belladonna Johnson Adventure|rating=4|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Belladonna Johnson can see and talk to ghosts and no one else so can. In fact she lives with two; her dead parents. But something is happening – easily be ignored when word comes through from the ghosts are disappearingislands Bear was last left on. Her mother vanishes For a bear doing very Bear-y things has been shot and her father tells her wounded. Desperate to make sure he doesn't have much time either. The doors are closings OK, the doors she and her father return to the Other Side Arctic and there is only one left, but just as he says this, he is gone too. Not wanting to lose her parents again, Belladonna sets out on hope that in a journey with the help world of Stevevery white and very dangerous things, a boy from school. They need to she can find one specific white and dangerous thing – and that the entrance to the Land of the Dead, the door to where the last ghost, Elsie, waits, before it's too late… friendship can continue.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0230715044</amazonuk>0008582017
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Kate ThompsonSimon Fox|title=The White Horse TrickDeadlock
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=We last saw Jenny before she made Late one night Graham Blake is late back from his shift on the move to Tir na n'Og force, and before she knew she was then suddenly rings Archie, demanding he fetch something from a changelingsecret place, and join him on the run. These days They get together, she's happily ensconced in but barely begin to smell the land whiff of Southern trains when the fairiesfather is arrested, where there is no time and nothing much happensleaving Archie on the late express to Brighton, but everyone feels toting a huge sense of lazy contentment. Her human foster parents JJ tin his father was determined to keep away from his colleagues, and Aisling Liddy have also made the move and they are equally happy, in bearer of a laid back kind whole heap of wayquestions. |amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0370329929</amazonuk>1839944420
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Geraldine McCaughrean Cath Howe|title=The Death Defying Pepper RouxMy Life on Fire
|rating=5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=I love it when I discover Ren's family home is destroyed in a new book that I just canfire. She, her parents, and her little brother lose everything. She doesn't put downhave any of her clothes, or any of her special little knick-knacks from her cupboard, and todaynow she is living at her grandmother's house where they can't touch anything, for meor do anything, it was or even eat the story of Pepper Rouxfoods they normally eat. Our heroWhen she goes back to school she discovers that the class are doing a special art project, Peppercreating boxes of their lives, had his future foretold at his birth, when his Aunt Mireille had to display things that are important to them and show who they are as a vision from Saint Constance that Pepper would be dead on his fourteenth birthdayperson. On hearing this news his parents take very little interest But Ren has nothing to put in hima box, and Pepper grows up fully aware of his impending doom thanks to his very religious Aunt who forces him so she finds herself starting to confession every day, and ensures he is fully versed in the terrors of hellsteal things. SoSmall things, as you can probably guessthings that people might not really miss, his fourteenth birthday comes around and yet somehow Pepper finds that he is still alivenot when they have so much already. Through a series of chance happenings he flees the ever present menace of death, skipping from one person's life But what will happen to another, afraid at how he has somehow evaded Saint Constance and the angels of death and forever guilty at the lies he her if someone finds out what she is forced to tell to cover up his escape from death.doing?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0192756028</amazonuk>1839942835
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Philip Ardagh Rob Keeley|title=The Far From Great Escape: Grubtown TalesBoy Who Disappeared and Other Stories
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=When the Grubtown lighthouse Hooray! Bookbag favourite Rob Keeley is plunged into darkness because of the failure of its one massive lightbulb back with a ship called ''The Plucked Grape'' runs aground in return to the bay. It ploughs into ''short story format! The Rusty Dolphin'' where the locals are enjoying a Hot Chocolate and Bubble-Wrap Popping Night. As if this wasn't enough Boy Who Disappeared treats us to contend with the local Police Department (all three of them) have eleven new tales, each as fun to cope with a jail break when all six members of the Fox family make a bid for freedom. Their sentence only had another fortnight to go and when they're caught there'll be another trial and they'll be imprisoned for a much longer stretchread as his previous offerings.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571242340</amazonuk>B0BVW69N1G
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Anthony Horowitz Laura Noakes|title=The Devil and his BoyCosima Unfortunate Steals a Star
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Queen Elizabeth I met with her magician late one night and asked about the fate of a man she had known many years beforeMeet Number One. Or rather, Cosima Unfortunate. He was deadOr rather, but his son lived onjust Cos to her friends. Meanwhile The practice in the town of Framlingham Tom Falconer worked home she lives in is for the couple who had taken him girls to just be named by the number they correspond to in after his parents diedthe ledger, and they're all Unfortunates – young people with disabilities, uncommon mentalities or suchlike that Victorian society frowns greatly upon. There was no love, or even affection, from them and when he was offered But Cosima bears the chance of escape to London by tag as a rich and aristocratic stranger he barely hesitated. Life was never going surname because nothing else seems to be easy for known about where she came from, as the likes of Tom first ever inmate, and before long he found himself alone unique in having no known family in London trying to avoid Gamaliel Ratsey – the highwayman who would see him dead.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406305693</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Walter Moers |title=The Alchemaster's Apprentice|rating=4.5|genre=Fantasy|summary=Meet Echo the Cratoutside world. He is During a rare example of his speciesdaring escapade to steal some posh cakes from the kitchen one afternoon, which is she discovers a plan involving said outside world – a cat that can speak every language knowndevilish Lord Fitzroy seems to want to adopt all the girls for his Institute. His life among the miserable, permanently ill citizens of Malaisea is not great, which is But why, when the strange scientist from the castle and what does that looms over everyone and everything offers him a month of entertaining gluttony before he kills Echo, as opposed body entail? And could it possibly bring Cos closer to three days' starving penury on the streets, the offer is accepted.past she has so little link with?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>1846552222</amazonuk>0008579059
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Hilary McKayAlice M Ross|title=Wishing For TomorrowThe Nowhere Thief
|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=''Wishing For Tomorrow'' picks up At last there is new stock in the impoverished yet over-full antiques shop Elsbeth and her mother run in a seaside town. Elsbeth knows this because she has stolen it. She also knows she should be free from worries about being found out, because she has the ability to leave this world, and use an unworldly portal of kaleidoscope colours to enter other worlds, where [[A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett]] left off. Avert your eyes if you've not read the first book - sea levels are rising dramatically and the buildings are generally empty of humans and if you haven'tripe for plunder. With eviction imminent, why notcan Elsbeth nab anything to actually generate custom at the shop? Well yes, is the answer, but the fact a mysterious man knows exactly which items come from these different Somewheres only raises more questions…|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0340956534</amazonuk>1839943769
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Frances Hodgson BurnettNatasha Farrant|title=A Little PrincessThe Rescue of Ravenwood|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Sara Crewe has started at Miss MinchinThis story is another excellent adventure from the author of ''Voyage of the Sparrowhawk''s Select Seminary For Young Ladies. She's so rich Ravenwood is an old house, in the North of England, where Bea and Raffy have been living for most of their lives. They are part of a complex, extended family arrangement, as Bea is there with her Uncle Leo, and Raffy is there with his mum, and well-behaved that she soon becomes known they are living together as a family. They have grown up swimming in the cove, roaming through the little princesstrees, completely at one with all of the nature around the house and loving every inch of the place. However But now the house is under threat, when her father dies shortly after as Leo is under pressure from his other two brothers to sell the property to a developer as it's becoming more and more expensive to maintain. The children find themselves worrying not only about where they're going bankruptto live, Sarabut if they's life is turned on its headll even be together, and if Ravenwood itself will be torn down.|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0340997397</amazonuk>0571348785
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|author=Fiona Louise Bate Robin Birch and Jobe Anderson|title=Gus|rating=3.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Gus is a beagle, who stands upright with his tail held high and in this delightful little book he tells us about his day. He shares his garden with a couple Secret Beast Club: The Unicorns of tortoises called Dido and Hector, but only in summer as they disappear in winter. He's a dog who loves his comfort and we see him having his tummy tickled, snoozing, curled up in a chair and making artistic designs on a white duvet with his muddy paws. He's always alert though – and squirrel knows when it's best to make himself scarce, as do some plump pigeons.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1904312357</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Berlie Doherty|title=Silver Street Child|rating=4.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=When Jim's father dies, he and his mother and sisters are thrown out of their cottage. Their new home is a single room in an overcrowded tenement. Food is scarce since Jim's mother can't earn much of a wage on her own. And when she falls ill - a cholera epidemic is sweeping Victorian London - the money runs out altogether and they are evicted again. Despite being horribly ill, Jim's mother manages to give her two daughters a chance of a job by throwing herself on the mercy of an old friend. But she and Jim are destitute and are taken to the workhouse. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007311257</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Angie Sage |title=Syren (Septimus Heap)|rating=4.5
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=After four books Jayden's nose is forever in a book, which means he knows a lot about mythological creatures – the phoenixes and 2unicorns of the world,000 pages of plot far to complicated for example. Aisha is addicted to recoup hereher new tablet, we meet ExtraOrdinary Wizard-apprentice Septimus Heap againwhere she can see videos of anything that might be out there. The problem, this time ship... umas their mothers see it, is that they are never 'out there'dragon''themselves, exploring the outside world of Hackney, London. But when a narrowboat turns up carrying a science-wrecked on a lonely island somewhere far out at sea. And his dragon has definitely wrecked. Its wings are badly woundedminded, making escape for Septimus and his friendseducational purpose, Beetle and Princess Jennawith a past involving Jayden's cousin, impossiblethey find a magical world they never knew existed. To make matters worse For many of those mythological creatures are real, thereincluding the one Aisha thinks she's something strange about the island they've become stranded seen ona bit of local footage. It's utterly deserted except for a girl and The crew of the boat, including a cat-shaped lighthouseliving gargoyle, are tasked with saving the rare critters – and an eerie voice is calling the kids unknowingly have the magical sight needed to Septimus join in his sleep... Dare they side with Leila, the woman on board, and her relative who lives as a figure in a painting, and become saviours of the unseen?|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0747594155</amazonuk>0241573483
}}
{{newreviewFrontpage|authorisbn=Chris Mould B09XWSXSKY|title=Fangs 'n' Fire|rating=2.5|genre=Confident Readers|summary=Fangs 'n' Fire is a compilation of ten short stories about dragons, some original to Chris Mould, and some are traditional ones that he's retold in his own words. The traditional ones include the tale of St George, a Greek myth called the Dragon's Teeth and the Chinese story of the eyeless dragons. The original ones vary in content from dragons taking over England to dragons being tiny and living in the spines of books, but they share one thing in common: they are all surprisingly anti-dragon. There's only one in which dragons are portrayed as noble or peaceful, Maestro Orpheus and that's the ancient Chinese fable. I found this slightly odd, as the children who will want to read this book will be fans of, or at least interested in dragons. It also shows a lack of imagination as it's not mandatory for every dragon to be Smaug.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340944757</amazonuk>}} {{newreviewWorld Clock|author=Joe Miller|title=Beetle Power! (Bug Buddies)|rating=3|genre=Confident Readers|summary=In the [[The Big Game (Bug Buddies) by Joe Miller|first book in the Bug Buddies series]] we met Zap, Buzz, Lurch and Crunch - insects living in Spinner's Wood. Five books later, they're still doing battle with the evil spider Spinner, Robert Penee and receiving wise advice from Gonzo. This time, everything's coming to a head as either Gonzo or Spinner will have to leave the wood for good.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>000732247X</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Mary Hogan |title=Perfect Girl|rating=4.5|genre=Teens|summary=Homework. Drinking your milk. Coming home on time. Keeping your mouth shut. These are the sort of rules you would associate with 14 year old Ruthie's mother. Her mother's glamorous sister, Aunt Marty (aka the Goddess of Love at a swish NYC-based magazine), on the other hand, is a different story. And when she swoops into town and sweeps Ruthie away in a whirlwind of silk underwear, virgin Cosmopolitans and a whole career's worth of advice on all things boy related, Ruthie has a feeling things will never be quite the same again.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847382290</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=G P Taylor|title=Mariah Mundi and the Ship of Fools|rating=5|genre=Teens|summary=Mariah Mundi is leaving the famed Prince Regent Hotel of his past adventures and going out into the wider world. This time, his friend and mentor, Captain Charity, is bringing him along on board a luxury liner called the ''Triton'', as it races another liner, the ''Ketos'', across the Atlantic. Charity's mission is to protect the prize money that the ''Triton'' carries in its hold. But someone doesn't want the ''Triton'' to win. In fact, they don't even want to give it a chance. What they want is the prize money, preferably before they sink the ''Triton'' to the bottom of the sea.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571227007</amazonuk>}} {{newreview|author=Scott Westerfeld|title=LeviathanJoanne Grodzinski
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=ItFrederick (or Fred, but never Freddy, please) couldn's 1935 and Mooset sleep. A tune, rather like the son ticking of a prison guard, is living on Alcatraz Islandclock was playing over and over in his mind. His most notorious neighbour is none other than Al Capone It happened every time he came to visit his grandfather. And Capone has done Moose a favour - somehow, he He hadn's managed t really wanted to get Nataliecome; after all, Moose's autistic sister, into the Esther P Marinoff school, where she'll get specialist help. Nobody must ever find out though - Moosehe's father would get the sack ten now and theyall those old clocks don'd be thrown off the island, at the mercy of the Great Depressiont appeal to him anymore. |amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408801558</amazonuk>}}
''Who needs old clocks anyway? All they do is tell the time. And time isn't good for anything...''
}}
|rating=4.5
|genre=Children's Rhymes and VerseEmerging Readers|summary=In 1939Cooper loves to perform magic tricks. His father was a magician, TS Eliotand named Cooper after the great Tommy Cooper. But sadly Cooper's cat poems for his godchildren were first published. Seventy years father died suddenly, and an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical laternow Cooper doesn't quite know who to be, theyor how to be. And when his dad're republished heres prop rabbit starts talking to him, complete with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, best known for his work he ''really'' doesn't know what's going on [[The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson|The Gruffalo]].anymore!|amazonukisbn=<amazonuk>0571240615</amazonuk>1444960261
}}