Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
==For sharing==
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{{Frontpage
__NOTOC__
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|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
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|title=Murray and Bun
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
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|rating=4.5
|title=Mayfly Day
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|genre=Confident Readers
|rating=5
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|summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. 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 both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs.  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…
|genre=For Sharing
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|isbn=0008561249
|summary=''Here is Mayfly.''<br>
 
''It is her first day on earth.''<br>
 
''It is also her last''
 
 
 
This is the way that this wonderful book starts and the reader is left in no doubt that a mayfly's life is quite an extraordinary one. We go on to discover all the amazing things that the mayfly is able to see and do in this one special day. It will see eggs hatch, lambs trying to stand, taste honey on plants and feel the warmth of the sun as well as the summer rain. These are just some of the things that the mayfly will experience in this one remarkable day. The day ends with the mayfly laying her own eggs and leaving them to hatch.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842706063</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1732898766
|author=Mandy Sutcliffe
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|title=Belle & Boo and the Birthday Surprise
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What a lovely story!  Belle and Boo are always togetherBelle is a little girl and Boo is her rabbitOne day Belle is very busy preparing for a birthdayTogether they make a card, and some cakes, and set up a picnic in the garden. But who's birthday is it?
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine ReputeTheir greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them.  He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils(Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped.  They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408316080</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=Caryl Hart and Leonie Lord
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=Whiffy Wilson
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Wilson is a terribly dirty little wolf who never washes, or brushes his hair, or changes his underwear! His mum seems at a loss, demanding that he has a bath or he can't go out to play but Wilson, the naughty wolf, just runs away and hides!  It is only when he meets a little girl called Dotty that he does anything about how stinky he isShe thinks he's a monster he's so smelly, and when that makes him feel sad Dotty says they can soon sort things out and takes him home for a bath!
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear.  As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the iceKit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another.  He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep.  What else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140830919X</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=Jo Empson
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=Rabbityness
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|author=Lainey Dee
|rating=5
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|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Rabbit is a very rabbity rabbit. He loves doing rabbity things like hopping and jumping, washing his ears and burrowing. He also likes doing unrabbity things too, like painting, and making music, filling the woods where he lives with music and colour! But one day, Rabbit disappears. Where has he gone? The other rabbits find everything has become grey and silent without Rabbit. They find that Rabbit left behind some gifts, lots of things to make colour and music with. Together they all begin to discover that they enjoy doing unrabbity things, and that doing these things makes them think of Rabbit and they feel happy.
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice. He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother. She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends. At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be.  Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846434823</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=David McKee
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Denver
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Denver, who was extremely rich, lived in Berton Manor. He was so rich that he was able to employ a chauffeur, a cook and some gardeners. When he invited friends to dinner he was able to employ more people to serve all of the food. This was very good for the village of Berton as he was paying the people who live there. Not only that, he always did his shopping in Berton, presented prizes at the local school and, at Christmas, dressed up as Santa and handed out presents. It seems quite obvious that many people in the village were able to benefit from his wealth.
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult.  One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it.  Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393893</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|author=Satoshi Kitamura
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Pot-San's Tabletop Tales
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=3.5
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|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We love all things Japanese in our house having visited the country a few times and come home laden with books and movies and general cute knick-knacks galore! So I was excited to read this story to my little girl all about Pot-san, a teapot, and his other tabletop friends who have lots of adventures together!
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination.  She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her.  She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life.  She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree.  The best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393788</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|author=Ronda Armitage and Arthur Robins
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=Small Knight and George and the Pirates
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|author=Beth Webb
|rating=3
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby. He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and ''wails''.  The sea offers to help.  It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''.  Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly.  The mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...''  And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes.  Then a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
Small Knight and George (a little red dragon) live together in an old castle, a rather crumbling old castle that's in desperate need of repair. There's no money to fix things up however, so Mum and Dad Knight decide to send Small Knight off with a treasure map to be a pirate, to get them some treasure so they can fix up the castle!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408312735</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|author=Jane Cabrera
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=Fetch
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|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Fetch is a little black dog who one day turns up in the village and proves to be very useful to everyone. He fetches things at home for Rosa, he fetches newspapers at the newsstand and parcels at the post office. He's helpful wherever he goes. But one day, Fetch has disappeared...what could he have gone to 'fetch' this time..?
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|summary=Philippa Pheasant was ''tired'' of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road.  She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply.  Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself.  Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408313871</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|author=Nick Sharratt
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=Fancy Dress Farmyard
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's a party at the farmyard and it's going to be fancy dressLet's turn the pages together and find out who has come dressed as what!
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes.  Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck.  It's perfect, isn't it?  What could be a more fun way of going to school?  There is a problem, though.  Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled upThe school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140711591X</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|author=Tracey Corderoy and Kate Leake
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=Never Say No to a Princess!
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|author=David Elliott
|rating=5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The little princess is used to having everything she wants immediatelyShe wears a sparkly dress and a sparkly tiara; she sleeps in a sparkly bed and plays with sparkly toys. And whenever she wants something new, she just shouts at the top of her lungs that if she doesn't get it, she will cry.  And do you know what?  She gets it!  Straight away!  But having what she wants, the minute she wants it doesn't make the little princess happy. Because she isn't smiling at all. In fact, she never smiles. Ever.  Nothing is ever quite good enough for this little princess.
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|summary=I love a good board book!  ''Bumblebee Grumblebee'' is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can ''play'' with words and make something quite different from each oneWe have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a ''balletphant''.  The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a ''fluffalo''.   The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a ''crynoceros'' (think about it!) The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a ''sm.......'' OK, let's not go there Some people are eating!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407115618</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1838226834
|author=Will Buckingham and Thomas Docherty
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=The Snorgh and the Sailor
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|author=Ed Boxall
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The Snorgh lives alone in a little shack on a windy and quiet stretch of beach that is known for its rather fabulous crop of samphire, upon which the Snorgh munchesLucky little devil, isn't he?!
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|summary=It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much funA young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407116525</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author=Giles Andreae and Tony Ross
 
|title=Me, the Queen and Christopher
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Freya, who is seven years old, received a very important letter.  On the back of the envelope it said ''Buckingham Palace'' and it was from the Queen, inviting her to tea. It looked as though the day was going to be a disaster as Freya curtsied - and managed to knock the Queen over.  But the Queen is nothing if not resilient and up she got and off they went to her private quarters where she and Freya made themselves baked beans on toast and mugs of tea ('always dip your tea bag exactly twenty-seven times' is the Queen's advice for a good cuppa) and really it's rather like being in Freya's Gran's flat.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408320053</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=Jonny Duddle
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=The Pirates Next Door
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|author=Cordellya Smith
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Matilda lives in the little seaside town of Dull-on-Sea where the average age is 67.  The house next door has been empty since she was a baby and she ''longs'' for a family with a girl of her own age to move in but instead a family of pirates move into the decrepit old house - complete with their pirate ship, treasure chests, barrels of grog and Jim Lad who is in Matilda's class at school.  The neighbours - well, the town - are not pleased, so what will the pirate family do to win them round?  Meanwhile, Matilda is having a lot of fun.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848773927</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Emma Dodd
 
|title=I Love Beasts!
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=This little boy loves beasts, all kinds of beasts!  Using rhyme, we see all the different kinds of animals that he loves until finally he ends with the one he loves the very best, his own cuddly teddy bear!
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given gifts.  Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn.  Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animals.  He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle.  You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408304724</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|author=David Melling
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleep
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|rating= 4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Douglas is excited! He's on his way for a sleepover and his friend Rabbit's house. First there is the packing, then there's the journey to get there and on his way Douglas runs into rather a lot of little sheep who decide to tag along for the sleepover too. Rabbit's house ends up being very crowded, but they manage to come up with an acceptable solution for everyone, after only a little bit of trouble!
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|summary=  Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444901486</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=Chris Haughton
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=A Bit Lost
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Little owl has fallen out of his nest - uh-oh! Thankfully, a kindly squirrel is going to help him find his mummy. The little owl remembers aspects of what she looks like, so the squirrel ticks off animal after animal until they find mummy owl.
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|summary=''For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406333832</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
 
|author=Rebecca Elliott
 
|title=Cub's First Summer
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's the first day of summer, and when Cub wakes up, Mum suggests a walk in the forest together.  As Cub and Mum explore Cub bombards his mum with questions (in true toddler fashion!) about the heat, about the length of the days, about the flowers and the birds.  They spend a happy day together, enjoying the delights of summer until the sky grows darker and a thunderstorm approaches.  Quickly, they run back home and as the storm rages they enjoy one more pleasure, snuggling up together for sleepy time!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849566100</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that ''she'' can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it!
|author=Serge Bloch
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}}
|title=Reach for the Stars and Other Advice for Life's Journey
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{{Frontpage
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A young boy and Roger, his dog, receive some traditional advice about how they should live their lives. We've all heard the sentiments (and being honest - not always in the best of circumstances) many times but Serge Bloch gives us his interpretation of the words which we hear so often.  Boy (for he has no other name) is told that he has his whole life ahead of him - and gazes at the future through a telescope. It's the first of almost thirty delightful illustrations designed to make us think about what we're saying.
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|summary= Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her ''Everybody Potties!'' series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: ''Everybody Toots''!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1402797591</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|author=Jez Alborough
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Six Little Chicks
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
|rating=5
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|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's a beautiful day and Hen has already given birth to five fine chicks. She still has one more egg to hatch though so she still needs to sit on that while the other chicks explore and play outside. She is just settling down when she hears Owl’s loud  'To-wit-to-woo!' telling them that the big, bad fox is on the prowl. She dashes out to see all her chicks playing happily with no wolf in sight so she warns them to stay close and goes back to her egg. Not long after, Goose comes along with a similar warning but still there is no fox. Finally though, the fox does arrive and although the chicks are now hiding in the hen house, he entices them to 'come closer'. It looks as if time may be up for these sweet little creatures. Luckily though, the fifth chick had been kicking a stick which, in the little ones' attempts to get away, flies up in the air and manages to land in the fox's mouth wedging it open. This is very fortunate as it is just in time for them to see their sixth little brother or sister be born!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857530305</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Giles Andreae and Jess Mikhail
 
|title=I Love You, Little Monster
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's a little monster called Small and a big monster called Big. Small is fast asleep in bed one night when Big comes in, ruffles his hair and starts talking to him. As he speaks it becomes apparent how much he loves the little monster and how much he wants to protect him. He explains that the days are always so busy and there is never enough time to say all of the things that he should say, but it is easy to do so when it is dark.
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|summary= ''Who Needs Nappies? Not Me!'' is the latest release in the ''Everybody Potties!'' series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you.  .
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408314274</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=Katherine Lodge
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=Let's Find Mimi at Home
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|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mimi is a little mouse who lives with her mouse familyThis book takes us through her day at home, waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast etc. Each double page spread has a small description of what Mimi is doing and the challenge is to find Mimi (and her family too, if you wish) and see what she's getting up to!
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|summary=Meet FredWell, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly.  But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him.  He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk.  And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340999721</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Saviour Pirotta and Cecilia Johansson
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Grimm's Fairy Tales: Rumplestiltskin
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Rumpelstiltskin is one of the better known of the tales from the Brothers Grimm and a perennial favourite.  The poor miller shows off in front of the king about the abilities of his beautiful daughter - she can apparently spin straw into gold. The king insists that the girl be sent to the palace and when she arrives tells her to get a load of straw spun into gold - or suffer the (fatal) consequences.  The girl is saved by the appearance of a dwarf who works his magic in return for the girl's necklace; on the second night it's her ring she gives up and on the third it's the promise of her first-born child.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140830841X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Saviour Pirotta and Cecilia Johansson
 
|title=Grimm's Fairy Tales: Twelve Dancing Princesses
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=There was once a king who had twelve beautiful daughters.  Frightened that they would sneak out and go dancing he locked them in a big bedroom at night, but each morning he would find their satin shoes danced to pieces.  As he couldn't work out how they escaped he issued a proclamation to all the young men of the land.  Any prince who worked out how they escaped could marry one of the daughters and would inherit the kingdom.  But - if after three nights he hadn't discovered the secret, he would lose his head.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408308436</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Edward Hardy and Ali Pye
 
|title=Where is Fred?
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Fred, the fluffy, white caterpillar loves hiding and playing games as he is very good at camouflaging himself amongst dandelions and sheep. It’s a bit dangerous when he tries to eat lush green leaves though as there is nowhere to hide. That’s normally OK but one day Gerald, the crow, happens to catch sight of him and is determined to eat him. Fred will not give up without a fight though and scarpers off down the High Street. When Gerald catches up, he is only able to see a smart looking lady wearing a fluffy necklace. She says that she has not seen Fred so he moves on until he meets a man with grey straggly hair and lovely fluffy white eyebrows. He also has not seen Fred so Gerald moves on to ask a little girl with a fluffy white hair band and an elderly man with a big white moustache. Of course, any eagle eyed child will soon spot where Fred is hiding in all of the pictures but luckily Gerald does not.
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|summary= Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405254025</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Jon Klassen
+
|title=No, No, No!
|title=I Want My Hat Back
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The poor bear has lost his hat. He wants it back. As with all bears, he's a bit of a surly ol' thing. His pointy red hat is about the only thing that puts a smile on his face, and he just can't find it. The fox and frog don't know where it is, the rabbit is evasive, and the tortoise is more interested in climbing a rock. How will the bear ever find his hat? Poor bear.
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|summary=They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406336831</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|author=Oakley Graham
 
|title=When I Dream of 123
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary='When I dream of 123' is an enchanting book that would make any bedtime very special. It is a counting book that starts at number one and goes all the way to one hundred which is a bit unusual for many picture books. This also makes it an ideal book for slightly older children as well as the very young. It is also a lovely book because each number is accompanied by a gorgeous illustration and some unusual and often comical information about what is seen. It reads like a non-fiction book but all of the pieces of information are mainly imaginary.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849567239</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|author=Mij Kelly and Katharine McEwen
 
|title=Quack Quack Moo, We See You!
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Poppa Bombola has lost his darling daughter! He's hunting high and low, under tables, under chairs and all around the farmyard - but she is nowhere to be found.... Or is she?  Maybe Poppa Bombola isn't looking close enough...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192757466</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside.
|author=Gareth Edwards and Kanako Usui
+
|isbn=1638820457
|title=The Big Jungle Mix Up
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Big Bear is teaching little bear all about the animals in the jungle as they are out walking one day.  But Big Bear keeps mixing them up and little bear has to keep putting him straight:
 
 
'We might find a monkey, with feathers and beak, pea-green, carrot orange, we'll teach it to speak…
 
 
You've got it mixed up! As orange as a carrot? A beak that can speak? Then it must be a… *open flap* PARROT!'
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444903047</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=194812467X
|author=Gareth Edwards and Kanako Usui
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=The Big Animal Mix-Up
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|rating=5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We're back with Big Bear and little bear again and this time, Big Bear is teaching little bear all about the animals from little bear's big ''Book About Animals'' as they are settling down for bed one night.  But Big Bear keeps mixing them up and once again little bear has to keep putting him straight:
+
|summary=Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.
 
'This is a fish. It has very soft fur. If you give it a cuddle, you'll hear it go 'purr'…
 
 
'Hang on a minute! A fish can't do that. If it's purry and furry, it must be a... *open flap* CAT!'
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989890</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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What will they buy?
|author=Amber Stewart and Layn Marlow
 
|title=Bramble the Brave
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Bramble and her friend Twig love adventures especially when it comes to digging very deep molehills. Bramble leads and Twig follows whether they are digging, wading through ponds, climbing or rolling down hills. You would think that this brave little mole would be prepared to try anything and she is. That is until it comes to food when she turns into the fussiest little mole imaginable. She won't eat pondweed soup because it is too slimy; four-leaf clover salads are too crunchy and she won't even try Mummy's hazelnut pie because she only likes berries. Her parents try to persuade her to try all of this lovely food but eventually they get fed up of making a fuss and just let Bramble eat berries for a whole week. At first, Bramble is delighted but soon her paws look as if they have been splashed with purple paint and her whiskers feel sticky all the time.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192780239</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Tony Ross
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=Little Princess: I Want to Win!
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|rating=5
+
|rating=3.5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The Little Princess always likes to win so, when at the castle sports day she finds herself trailing in the running race, she insists that they all run in the opposite direction and then she has least far to go. When playing table tennis with the maid, she is always allowed to win. She is so used to winning that it comes as a big shock at school when other children win the prizes for numbers, painting, science and poems. It's especially disappointing as she really tried her hardest in all of those subjects. However, some of her efforts are quite scary, unorthodox, and even a bit dangerous as she almost blows up the science lab. Luckily, there is one more cup and as that's the prize for 'trying the hardest', there is obviously only one worthy winner!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394024</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Stephen Davies and Christopher Corr
 
|title=The Goggle-eyed Goats
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Life is pretty chaotic in Timbuktu where Ali Haji Amadu lives with his wives, children and their many animals. They have one dangle-tailed donkey, two snaggle-toothed camels, three curvy-horned cows, four wobble-legged lambs and five goggle-eyed goats. That would probably be enough if the goats were not so troublesome and mischievous, munching and chewing everything in sight. At the insistence of his three wives, Fama, Rama and Sama, Ali Haji sets off to Mopti Market with the intention of selling the goats. It's a long trek but he finally arrives early the following morning and tries to find someone to buy them. It's not as easy as he expects though, especially when certain members of his family, having followed him, decide to intervene. It seems that the goats are wanted after all even though there is always such a hullabaloo when they are around.
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doingShe lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392935</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|author=Ronda Armitage and Andrew Gordon
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
|title=Wave the Flag and Blow the Whistle
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.  
|rating=3.5
+
|genre=For Sharing
+
Her imagination was fired.  She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularly.  One day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shoutWhen she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure.
|summary=A little boy and his grandad, and a spotty giraffe toy go out one day for a ride on a trainThey're off on a journey to Blueberry Hill.  What will they see?  What will they do?  All the excitement of travelling by train are looked at in this story!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405253401</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=David Lucas
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=The Lying Carpet
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=There is a room in a big old house where nothing moves but the insects.  An empty chair sits to one side, a stone statue of a girl called, and representing, Faith, the other.  In between is a tiger rug.  What potential is in that for the setting of a charming book?  What potential indeed...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390177</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Debbie Foy
 
|title=Pants, Vest, Getting Dressed! (All By Myself)
 
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Have you ever noticed that there are certain processes which a child needs to master but which cause quite a lot of grief along the way?  Most children are alright with one or two but stick on others - and they're the ones which parents come to dread each day.  Getting dressed is one of theseThe need for it isn't immediately obvious and - let's be honest - there's not a lot of fun in it is there?  Well - that might be about to change with a series of books from Debbie Foy which inject some fun into the processes.
+
|summary=One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. ''OH HELP ME PLEASE'' he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0750265817</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Charlotte Middleton
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=Christopher's Caterpillars
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Christopher Nibble, a charming little guinea pig, loves gardening with his friend Posie. When they find six munching caterpillars on their plants though they decide that they cannot stay and choose to keep them as pets instead. They make a list of the things that they think that the caterpillars will need such as woolly socks and mini hairbrushes. When they visit Mr Rosetti, who runs the local café, he puts them straight and suggests that they get some clean jars, juicy leaves, twigs, and make lids with holes in them instead. They now know exactly what to do in order to look after their new pets and they do – very carefully.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192732315</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Gerry Boland
 
|title=Marco Moves In (A Rather Remarkable Grizzly Bear)
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=
 
''It's not every day that a grizzly bear turns up on your doorstep.'' Yet, this is exactly what happens one night at Patrick'shouse. The grizzly bear, Marco, has escaped from the local zoo and is looking for somewhere to live. The entire town is on the lookout and a grizzly can be rather hard to hide. After a host of close calls, Patrick and Marco find the perfect place.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847172296</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee
 
|title=Elmer's First Counting Book
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's a lovely board book in the ''Elmer'' series and a lovely way of introducing the youngest readers to the patchwork elephant although there's only one of him and as this is a counting book he only gets to feature on the front and back covers and the first page.
+
|summary=Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down ''again''. The school bully Jayden,  together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842706306</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Alison Murray
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=Little Mouse
+
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary='Sometimes, when I am being very quiet and cuddly, my mummy calls me her little mouse'Although mostly, Little Mouse is anything but quiet, just as you would expect from a pre-school age child; she can waddle like a penguin, eat like a horse and splash like a whale in author Alison Murray's gorgeous wander through the daytime exploits of an imaginative little girl, who likes to turn the plainest of activities into something fun and adventurous, becoming her favourite animals en route.
+
|summary=This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big differenceIsobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408316331</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|author=Helen Stephens
 
|title=The Big Adventure of the Smalls
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Paul and Sally Small live in Small Hall; except Small Hall isn't very small… It's HUGE!  On one especially special night – the night of the Small Hall Grand Ball – Paul and Sally Small are having a peek at the guests arriving, when disaster strikes!  Paul's beloved bear, Mr Puddles, falls through the banisters and into the throng.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405254203</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|author=Tariq Kurd and Laura Robertson
 
|title=The Quest In A Vest (Gordon the Goblin)
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Gordon the Goblin is more than a little fed up because he is so small and not big and tough like all of the other goblins. They are all fearless hunters and go off on exciting adventures whilst Gordon is left behind. He decides that there is nothing else for it but to set out on his very own quest even though he feels very nervous at the thought of it. He approaches the chief goblin who laughs at him, before deciding to send him off to capture a dragon – not for one moment thinking that Gordon will succeed. It does look like an impossible feat especially as Gordon does lack strength and muscles. Maybe though, he will be able to use his brains and charm rather than relying on brute force. Will Gordon be able to find a dragon and actually persuade him that he wants to be captured and what will happen if he does?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1907762051</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Rachel Bright
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=Love Monster
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=At the start of this lovely book, the reader meets a red googly-eyed monster who is a 'bit funny looking to say the least'. Unfortunately for him, he lives in a world of cute looking things which only make his strange unorthodox looks more noticeable. He feels lonely when he sees that everyone loves the cute bunnies,  kittens and puppies who live close by but no one seems to love him. Rather than be downhearted though, he decides to set out to find someone who will love him.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007445466</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Bedford and Tor Freeman
 
|title=Babies Don't Bite
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Hegley the pony is excited.  His mummy is having a baby!  His friends, however, don't seem to share his excitement...their mums are all having babies too, but they know that babies just mean trouble!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444903527</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Gervase Phinn and Tony Ross
 
|title=Who Am I?
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When a funny little creature hatches out of an egg deep in the jungle, all alone, he sets off to try and discover who he is.  Wandering through the jungle he meets lots of different creatures and he asks each of them ''Who'' ''am'' ''I?'' but they are all mystified, able only to tell them who they are.  Will he ever meet another creature just like him?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392889</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rachel Mortimer and Liz Pichon
 
|title=Red Riding Hood and the Sweet Little Wolf
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary='Once upon a time there was a Big Bad Wolf who lived in the woods. Well. That's not quite true... Really, she was a Sweet Little Wolf who loved all things pretty and pink, especially fairy tales.'
 
 
 
From the very start of this wonderful book the reader discovers that not all wolves are big and bad and is introduced to the sweetest, mildest wolf that ever lived. The only problem is that her parents are big and bad and they want her to be exactly like them. This is why they send her out with a shopping list for dinner which along with the onions, potatoes and carrots includes 'one little girl (tender and juicy)'
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444900668</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Chris Judge
 
|title=The Great Explorer
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=I really enjoyed Chris Judge's first book, [[The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge|The Lonely Beast]] so I was excited to pick up his latest story.  This time we're following the story of a young boy called Tom.  His dad, a famous explorer, has gone missing at the North Pole and so Tom sets out to find him.  His adventurous, exciting journey sees him facing dangerous animals and the treacherous terrain.  Will he make it to find his dad?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394016</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Micah Player
 
|title=Chloe, Instead
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Molly imagined her little sister she thought she'd be someone just like her, but instead she got Chloe!  Molly loves to draw, Chloe loves to eat the crayons!  Molly loves books, and so does Chloe but in a rather more page-ripping way!  This lovely story looks at an older sibling trying to cope with her shattered expectations of what having a little sister would be like.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0811878651</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jonathan Emmett and Steve Cox
 
|title=The Treasure of Captain Claw
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=This is the story of what happens when two dogs, Oscar and Lily, are on holiday together and come across an old treasure map.  In their adventurous quest to find the treasure they are captured by pirates but they cleverly manage to outwit them in a way which leads to a laugh-out-loud conclusion to the story!
+
|summary= Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846167418</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Val McDermid and Arthur Robins
 
|title=My Granny is a Pirate
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It seems the pirate phase is something all small children go through at some point.  My daughter spent several months dressed as a pirate, completing her outfit with a knitted eye patch, which she asked my mum to knit for her, swiftly followed by a knitted parrot!  It is rather fun to run around shouting 'Arrrrrrrrrr me hearties!' actually, so I can see the appeal. Anyway, this story caters beautifully for all the little wannabe pirates out there and tells of one little boy's granny and her secret life story.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408309262</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|author=Giles Andreae and Vanessa Cabban
 
|title=There's a House Inside My Mummy
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The arrival of a new sibling can be a tricky time in any child's life, but this lovely book helps ease the way for a new baby and explains about pregnancy in a very easy, funny way that is perfect for sharing with toddlers.  The idea of there being a house inside mummy's tummy is a clever one, and instantly understandable by small children, and the loving family relationship that is depicted in the story is wonderful to see.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408315882</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023

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Review of

Murray and Bun by Adam Stower

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. 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 both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. 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… Full Review

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Review of

The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon by Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)

4star.jpg For Sharing

When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute. Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils. (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped. They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny. Full Review

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Review of

On the Beach: The Winter Visitor by Chris Green and Jenny Fionda

5star.jpg For Sharing

Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear. As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice. Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another. He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do? Full Review

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Review of

Let's Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice. He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother. She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends. At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be. Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different. Full Review

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Review of

The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult. One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it. Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it. Full Review

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Review of

The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

5star.jpg For Sharing

Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination. She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her. She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning. Full Review

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby. He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and wails. The sea offers to help. It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing hush, hush. Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly. The mermaids join in - la lou, la lay... And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes. Then a seagull shouts and we know exactly what's going to happen next. Full Review

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

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Philippa Pheasant was tired of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road. She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself. Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight. Full Review

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Review of

Leilong's Too Long! by Julia Liu and Bei Lynn

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Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes. Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck. It's perfect, isn't it? What could be a more fun way of going to school? There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up. The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore. Full Review

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Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

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I love a good board book! Bumblebee Grumblebee is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can play with words and make something quite different from each one. We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a balletphant. The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a fluffalo. The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a crynoceros (think about it!) The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a sm....... OK, let's not go there Some people are eating! Full Review

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Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

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It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much fun. A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:

It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand. Full Review

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Review of

Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare by Cordellya Smith

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When the world was made, the animals were given gifts. Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector. Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn. Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present and the future. Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well. He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle. You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see. Things are not always as they seem. I'll tell you how it came about. Full Review

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Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

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Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily. Full Review

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Review of

You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!) by Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik

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For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.


And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that she can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it! Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her Everybody Potties! series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: Everybody Toots! Full Review

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Review of

Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Seema Amjad

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Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! is the latest release in the Everybody Potties! series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you. . Full Review

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Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

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Meet Fred. Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started. Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes. Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky? Full Review

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Review of

No, No, No! by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.

No, No, No! is based around the simplest text imaginable.

No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.

That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside. Full Review

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Review of

The Farm Shop by Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic

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Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.

What will they buy? Full Review

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Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

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Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing. She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.

Her class had gone one rainy afternoon
When all the houses cowered in the gloom,
To the Maritime Museum.

Her imagination was fired. She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularly. One day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout. When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure. Full Review

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Review of

Little Gold Ted by Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha

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One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. OH HELP ME PLEASE he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth. Full Review

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Review of

Remy: A book about believing in yourself by Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal

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Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down again. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened. Full Review

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Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

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This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big difference. Isobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:

Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.

The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible. Full Review

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Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

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Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper! Full Review

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