The Secret Staircase (Brambly Hedge) by Jill Barklem
Primrose and Wilfred have a poem to rehearse as part of the mouse community's midwinter celebrations, but nowhere to practice, until they are shunted up to an attic. But once there chance discoveries lead them to find a new world that they could hardly have imagined – luxurious rooms carved into the upper reaches of the oak tree, where nobody has gone for years… Full review...
Alice Through the Looking Glass by Emma Chichester Clark
As a child, I found the Alice stories weird and a bit dark. Helena Bonham Carter in book form, perhaps. Not for everyone, no matter how many times the word Classic was bandied around, identifying them as a Very Good Thing that everyone should have read. If this was your experience of the original Lewis Carroll, then put those thoughts to one side for a moment and let me tell you about this book. It’s the original story, re-told and re-illustrated, and what a difference it makes. Full review...
Mr Wuffles by David Wiesner
Mr Wuffles (a name I cannot help but imagine being said in a Chinese American accent) is a feline. Not a kitty. Definitely not a pussy. Barely even a cat, he’s so fierce. Look at him glaring out at you from the cover. He looks like trouble, not so much in a cheeky, mischievous way but in a dirty, rotten scoundrel one. Mr Wuffles’ owner clearly does not know her pet very well. She offers him a typical, pet store toy but he simply turns up his nose at it and stalks off. Full review...
Horrid Henry's Christmas Play ( Horrid Henry Early Reader) by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
Horrid Henry is one of those characters that parents either love or hate. Some parents feel Henry sets a very bad example - and at times he does, but what child doesn't love a bad example? Other parents love Henry simply because their children love him. Horrid Henry Books not only help children learn to read, they encourage them to read for pleasure, and children who read for pleasure invariably become better readers. Full review...
The Dragonsitter's Castle by Josh Lacey and Garry Parsons
When Edward finds his Uncle Morton's dragons at the door, he is quite happy to take a shift at dragon sitting, along with his little sister Emily. His parents however are far less happy, and the fact that they are recently divorced only makes things more complicated. It seems that the dragons visit was completely unplanned, and the adults are completely unprepared for the event. The story is told in letters from Eddie to his Uncle, the former detailing the dragons' latest escapade, and the latter writing about one delay after the other. Eddie's mother is getting ready to go away on a yoga retreat and Dad's new girlfriend says absolutely no dragons. What are the children to do? Dad finally gives in, taking the dragons and children to the castle he is renovating in the hopes of striking it rich. Needless to say nothing goes to plan where dragons are involved and the grown ups are in for quite a few problems, but things work out quite well from the children's point of view. Full review...
Twit by Steve Cole
If I asked you to name a clever animal, you’d quite likely choose an owl. After all, they are known to be the wisest of birds, aren’t they? There’s one exception to that rule, though. Meet Twit. He’s rather cute with his big round eyes, and he’s polite and kind… but he’s not very wise. Full review...
Bob Books First by Bobby Lynn Maslen and John Maslen
As a home educator, this simple set of books is one of the most essential educational items I own. I've ended up buying 4 sets, as one was given away to a family in desperate straights, one was water damaged, and most recently a few books out of the last set have disappeared. It is the one thing I just can not manage without, so even though I'm sure they'll turn up eventually, I simply can not wait and ordered a fourth set. I have literally invested hundreds of pounds in phonics programmes, and I have some wonderful resources, but as simple as these books are, they are the one set I can not manage without. They break everything down into such simple terms that even the youngest child can easily get a grasp of how to use phonics to decode new words. It is not even necessary for the child to know their alphabet first, although I would recommend waiting until the child not only knows their alphabet, but also can recognise basic shapes and patterns, knows text is read from left to right, and can recognise a couple of words in print, such as their own name. It is possible to teach a very young child, even as young as two or three to read a few of these books, but it really is best to achieve some degree of reading readiness first. Full review...
The First Third Wish (Little Gems) by Ian Beck
This is a lovely story of a lost wish. Cobweb has bungled her very first assignment, losing the third wish meant for a kindly woodcutter. She managed to replace it with a spare, but her job will not be complete until the missing wish is found and returned. It seems a lost wish is very dangerous indeed as it gives the finder an unlimited supply of wishes - and not all people are careful what they wish for. As luck would have it though, the wish has found its way just to the place where it most needed, where it will result in a true happily ever after, not only for the young man who finds it, but for many others as well. Full review...
My Friend's a Gris-Kwok (Little Gems) by Malorie Blackman and Andy Rowland
When Mike discovers that his best friend Alex is a Gris Kwok or shape shifter it looks like they are in for some real fun. Not only can Alex change into any creature he wants, he can change anyone touching him as well. There are only three hitches. The first is that Alex can only change three times a day. The second is that his sister has the same powers. The third is that Alex is babysitting and if you think babysitting ordinary siblings is difficult just wait until you see all the mischief a shape shifting toddler can get into. Full review...
Alphabet (My First Bob Books) by Sue Hendra and John R Maslen
BOB Books are designed to teach children to read through phonics. I do own several different phonics programmes, and this is one of the best. I feel it is comparable to Hooked On Phonics at a fraction of the price. Another advantage to these books is that you do not need to buy the whole programme in one go. You can buy each set as you need it, and most sets will take at least one term to complete. Full review...
Toucan Can by Juliette MacIver and Sarah Davis
If you’ve ever wondered what a toucan can do, this book will tell you. The answer, in a nutshell, is EVERYTHING!. Some are typical things – dancing and singing and sliding and swinging. Some are more random – banging a frying pan, doing the cancan. But they all look like a lot of fun, and the question remains: can you do what Toucan can? I bet, I bet, I bet you can! Full review...
Smart Read Easy by Margaret Henderson Smith
Reading has always been one of my great pleasures and it's one which has been passed down in my family. It's the key to so much: without an easy grasp of the skill employment opportunities are limited, there's always going to be social embarrassment lurking around the corner and there's the loss of so much fun and enjoyment. It's well over half a century since I learned to read and in that time I've seen numerous schemes for teaching children to read come and go, some discredited, some no longer fashionable. It's always struck me though that no one system will work for all children; reading will click for some using one method, some another and occasionally what's needed is a combination just to slot all the bits of the jigsaw into place. Full review...
The Christmas Carrot by Allan Plenderleith
It’s Christmas time, and there’s every reason to be afraid, at least if you’re a carrot. While everyone else is getting excited about the season, the Christmas carrot is dreading it. He’s about to go under the knife and emerge as a side dish on the family dinner table tomorrow. Gulp! Luckily Billy has other ideas, and seizes him from the kitchen where his dad (a nice touch…it’s not just mums who cook) had been about to prepare him. Outside they go, heading for Billy’s snowman who is missing one small feature… a nose! It’s a last minute save from the chopping board, but the Christmas carrot is still not happy with this career change, because it’s, y’know, rather cold out here. And so his adventure continues. Full review...
Too Many Hats (My First Reader) by Hilda Offen
It can be difficult, sometimes, to find a good story that an emerging reader can try to read themselves. I know some of the books my daughter has brought home from school to read have had the most boring plots ever! This is an example of a good early reader however. It's a funny story about princesses and hats and a cat. Full review...
Things You Never Knew About Dinosaurs by Giles Paley-Phillips and Liz Pichon
The idea of a dinosaur on a trampoline or playing football is just plain silly. After all, everyone knows dinosaurs died out yonks ago…didn’t they?
Nope.
No, they did not. Full review...
Elmer and the Whales by David McKee
Elmer and Wilbur are spending some time with Grandpa Eldo, something lots of children will identify with. He tells them that in his youth, this was the time of year he’d go down to the coast for some Whale watching and, well, that sounds like a marvellous idea, so Elmer and Wilbur decide to try it for themselves. But it turns out there’s more to Grandpa Eldo’s story than he’s telling them, and Elmer and Wilbur soon find themselves on a wild adventure. Full review...
Dixie O'Day in the Fast Lane by Shirley Hughes and Clara Vulliamy
The first collaboration by award winning children’s author Shirley Hughes and her illustrator/author daughter Clara Vulliamy has been eagerly anticipated for some time and this gorgeous little book more than meets expectations. In the first of a new series we meet Dixie, a car-loving dog who is always ready for adventure and Percy his smaller and slightly more cautious friend. Together the two chums enter an all-day race in Dixie’s car and are determined that they will win first prize. However, first they discover that they will be up against Dixie’s arch rival Lou-Ella, then all manner of mishaps cause them problems and the race does not go smoothly for our heroes. Can Dixie save the day? Full review...
George's Dragon Goes to School by Claire Freedman and Russell Julian
I would have been useless during Take your pet to school week. The goldfish who lived with us for short moments of my life (and the entirety of their short lives) wouldn’t have been very portable and even if they had, they’d have been a bit boring, swimming in circles mouthing 'o-o-o' . I would have been immensely jealous of anyone who brought in a lively puppy or a cute snuffly bunny rabbit. As a bit of a trophy whore even at a young age, I would have been very sad that I wasn’t really in the running for the Best Pet cup. Full review...
Blood and Guts and Rats' Tail Pizza by Vivian French and Chris Fisher
Despite a revolting menu with dishes like slug and snail stew or rats' tail pizzas, Billy Bone's café was usually packed at lunchtime. Perhaps because there was no other place to eat. All of their customers were male, because neither Billy Bones, nor his assistant Hank liked girls at all. A large sign in the window proclaimed Absolutely No Girls! But one day the customers disappeared - and what was worse, Hank soon discovered their customers had all been stolen by girls. The girls were very large, green and hairy but they were girls nonetheless, and their traveling cake shop had enticed all of Billy Bone's customers away. Full review...
ABC and Do by Lee Singh and Karen Wall
Being able to recognise letters is an essential aspect of emergent literacy. I know so many parents and children who feel that being able to sing their ABC's is the same as knowing the alphabet. It isn't. A child must be able to recognise the letter forms, in upper and lower cases, identify them by name and understand the sound or phoneme made by each. Learning the alphabet is something that most children will need some help with at home. No matter how good the school your child attends, it is impossible for a teacher to give each child the individual attention required to master this subject easily, and failure to do so often leads to lifelong difficulties in literacy. Full review...
Space Pirates: Stowaway by Jim Ladd
It's a weird place where Sam lives. The planet P-Sezov 8 is just a nothingness in the middle of nowhere, and is home only to his scientist parents and a whole spaceport full of bickering, nasty pirates. Both groups only use the place as a departure point for more interesting things elsewhere, his exploring parents leaving Sam with his computerised tutor. But when he gets word they are stranded on a fully gold world the pirates would be interested in, Sam must muscle in with the worst of them and try and help. Full review...
Mary's Hair by Eoin Colfer
Mary hates her hair. It has black bits and brown bits, curly bits and straight bits and Mary feels that it looks very much like a bush. Her Daddy says if you don't like something, you should change it (instead of whining about it to your parents when they want to relax with a cup of tea). Mary's Daddy, like many others, should watch what he says to children. Mary follows his advice with hilarious results. First she cuts her hair, but when that doesn't go to plan she decides to dye it. She has learned something from the whole hair cutting experience though, this time she plans to try the dye out on someone else first. Full review...
My Funny Family on Holiday by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish
Mattie Butterfield and her family are going on holiday to Cornwall and as ever for Mattie there's lots for her to worry about. What if they lost one of them on the train to Cornwall? What if someone fell over the edge of the cliff? What if... As usual Mattie can think of all sorts of things which could go wrong and it looks as though her worst fears are going to be realised when the family manages to leave Jellico the dog on the station platform. It's a long journey to the south - eight hours on the train and then another hour on the bus to get them to the campsite, but after a couple of days they've all settled into a relaxed way of life. Mattie makes friends with a local boy too - although strangely enough no one else can see him. Full review...
My Funny Family by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish
Mattie Butterfield is a worrier. Well, it's not surprising with a family like hers - something always seems to be going wrong. Or if it doesn't go wrong then it very easily might. She gets upset that the tomato seeds which she and Lucinda have planted at school won't thrive because they're in the cold, dark cupboard and they're all wet. Lucinda's parents don't seem to like each other very much and it might be that they're going to get divorced. What would happen if Mattie's parents stopped liking each other? Why does grandma seem not to like the Butterfield children very much? You see, when you think about it, there's lots to worry about. And Mattie is particularly worried about why Mum has been to the doctor. Full review...
Cheesemares by Ross Collins
Every time Hal eats cheese he has terrible nightmares. Hal's mother suggests drastic measures - no more cheese before bed. Hal loves his cheese though so he sets off on a quest for clues to solve the Case of the Cheesemares. He is accompanied by his canine sidekick, Rufus. He stumbles upon his first clue very quickly. All of the cheese that has been giving him bad dreams has come from Contessa Von Udderstein's (not at all evil) House of Cheese in Bovina. Hal follows the trail to a spooky castle ruled by the evil Contessa Von Udderstein, a very mad cow who looks quite a bit like a bovine version of Cruella De Ville. The irate cow wants revenge on humans for stealing their milk for years (it's a good thing no one mentioned hamburgers or roast beef) Hal and Rufus must escape from the clutches of the mad cattle and make cheese safe to eat again. It's a good thing cows don't have hands to clutch with. Full review...
Mr Birdsnest and the House Next Door by Julia Donaldson and Hannah Shaw
I love Julia Donaldson's books for younger children. Everyone loves The Gruffalo and Tyrannosaurus Drip is still one of our favourites, but as the children have grown, these books have been read less frequently. I have to admit, I've missed them. Mr Birdsnest and the House Next Door gives us a chance to enjoy this brilliant author for just a little while longer. This is fun story, told in the first person, so we never know the name of the main character. We do know she is lively active young girl, perhaps with an active imagination. I would guess her to be about 10 years old with an equally active and inquisitive younger brother named Elmo. Full review...
My Zoo by Rod Campbell
My children have always been drawn to Rod Campbell's simple but appealing illustrations, so I was delighted to have a chance to review this book, even though my boys are now older than the expected age range. This is a very simple book. There are fifteen large die cut animals on a pastel coloured background. The illustrations have a unique quality to them that I can only describe as Rod Campbell. The animals all have friendly appearance, and a kind of gentleness to them. The front view of each animal has only the animal's name in bold black print. When you turn the page, there is a single sentence about the animal in smaller print. With a very young baby, the parent can read only the animals name, perhaps adding the sound for each animal. As the child grows older, the parents can begin reading the extra line on each animal. The fact the animals are larger than usual in these pictures, and on sturdy pages that are perfect for little hands, means this book would be ideal for babies as young as six months. I feel this would make a lovely first book for young child. As much as we loved Dear Zoo, I feel this book is even better for infants. Full review...
Kurt Gets Truckloads by Erlend Loe
Meet Kurt. He's a dockyard truck-driver, with a wife and three children, and more dreams than money. The family has travelled before, but might not be able to in future, as there is just not the budget. Funnily enough, just the day after talking about what having a huge amount of money would do for and to Kurt, he gets a windfall. And then the problems start… Full review...