Newest Confident Readers Reviews
The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly by Luis Sepulveda, Satoshi Kitamura and Margaret Sayers Peden (translator)
In the world of this book, danger brings people together, but adversity brings them together even more firmly. On the one hand we have Zorba, the big fat black cat, who was once swallowed by a pelican as a kitten, and now has been abandoned – well, temporarily, as his human child owner is away for a long time. But we also have a seagull, busy fishing when the alarm rings out and therefore left alone to be swamped by an oil slick. Trying to take her last flight, she crashlands on Zorba's balcony, and promptly delivers an egg – and with her dying breath procures the promise of the cat to look after the hatchling until Zorba can teach it to fly. But surely a lesson in flight from a cat is beyond even the binds of adversity? Full review...
Eeyore Loses a Tail (Winnie the Pooh Classics) by A A Milne and E H Shepard
Eeyore, the Old Grey Donkey stood in the thistly corner of the forest and thought about things. He was quite a philosopher in his own way, but his most profound thought occured when Winnie-the-Pooh came along and enquired as to how he was.
Not very how, he said. I don't seem to have felt at all how for a long time. Full review...
Nancy Parker's Diary of Detection by Julia Lee
Nancy is a bit of a dreamer. At fourteen years old she's happy to leave school (although she never quite mastered the fine art of spelling) and finds herself as a lowly housemaid to the very modern Mrs Bryce– a far cry from her plan to star in the movies, solve mysteries or even, if the worst comes to the worst, work in a shop that sells interesting things. Full review...
The Home-Made Cat Cafe (Poppy's Place) by Katrina Charman
Eleven year old Isla is cat crazy. She longs for a pet cat but her mum works as a veterinary nurse and has no desire to bring her work home with her. Luck, however, is on Isla's side when they find the cat sanctuary is full and Mum reluctantly agrees that unwanted cat – Poppy – can stay with them on a temporary basis. Only it turns out to be a little less than temporary and Poppy is soon joined by Roo, Benny and a litter of kittens. Isla's thrilled but she's going to have to do some quick thinking if she's going to persuade mum to let the cats stay. Full review...
Perijee & Me by Ross Montgomery
Forced to live on Middle Island with just her parents for company, Caitlin is lonely. The closest she's got to a friend is the grumpy fisherman, Frank, who takes her to school each day in his boat. But everything changes when Catlin finds a wriggling prawn on the beach and decides to keep it as a pet. Only it's not a prawn. It's soon the size and shape of a frog. By the next day it's the size and shape of a person and it keeps growing. And growing. What is it? Caitlin doesn't care – he's the friend she's always wanted. Full review...
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman
It was on September 10, 1987 that Michael's life changed greatly. It had once before then, when his parents get a letter, and will definitely change at least once after then. But it is the middle change that perhaps most takes Michael out of his comfort zone – the lad keen to play football, even on the boggiest of pitches, the lad with his loving parents and with his love for Stella Artois (worry not, that's the dog) is suddenly taken and turned on his head, becoming a different child in a much different life. Full review...
Animal Rescue: The Unwanted Puppy by Tina Nolan
Animal Magic is one of those places which just shouldn't be needed. It's an animal rescue centre and they take in abandoned, lost and neglected animals, nurse them back to health and then find good homes for them. It's run by Mark and Heidi Harrison (Heidi's a vet) along with their two children, Karl and Eva, who live at the rescue centre along with their parents. The centre has two rules - they never put any animal to sleep who has a chance of regaining health - and Karl and Eva are not to get the idea that they can keep any of the animals on a permanent basis. If they did the house would be overrun! Full review...
The Secret Life of Daisy Fitzjohn by Tania Unsworth
Daisy Fitzjohn lives with her mother in the crumbling but grand Brightwood Hall. The house is full of antiques and treasures and hoardings - because Daisy's mother does like to hoard - and Daisy is rarely at a loss for something to look at or investigate. Which is just as well, because Daisy has never gone outside the house and its grounds. We understand why Daisy's mother keeps her secluded - she's terrified of loss because of a family tragedy in her own childhood. Despite this, Daisy has a loving relationship with her mum and makes up for the isolation by developing friendships: with her pet rat, with the peacocks and rabbits in the gardens, and also with paintings and topiary and other creatures of her imagination, all in the knowledge that she's being kept safe from The Crazy that once ran in her family. Full review...
Knights of the Borrowed Dark by Dave Rudden
Denizen Hardwick has spent the last eleven years – since he was two – at Crosscaper orphanage. He knows nothing about his family and is, therefore, surprised when he's suddenly summoned to visit an Aunt he didn't know he had. This is, however, only the first of many surprises. Before he even arrives at his Aunt's house, Denizen's world is abruptly turned upside down as he's introduced to a hidden world of shadows and an unseen enemy in the form of the Tenebrae. He soon discovers he has hidden powers but is he prepared for the cost of using them? Is he prepared to join the Knights of the Borrowed Dark? Does he really have a choice? Full review...
We Are Giants by Amber Lee Dodd
Nine year old Sydney Goodrow is small for her age and she wants to stay that way. Her mum is only 124cm tall and her dad, when he was alive, wasn't much taller. Despite the challenges it can cause, Sydney knows that being little is special and that's why she tries hard with her regular 'shrinking exercises'. However, despite her best efforts, she can't help growing taller and growing up. Full review...
Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley
Eliza's family isn't as wealthy as it once was. And she is well aware that her duty is to marry well in order to repair the Camperdowne fortunes. To this end, Eliza is sent from her family home at Stoneton Castle to Trumpton Hall, to be educated in the ways of noble ladies. Here, she meets the infamous Katherine Howard while she too is still a young girl. And from there, it's on to the Tudor court of Henry VIII, who is currently married to Anne of Cleves. Full review...
Urban Outlaws Counterstrike by Peter Jay Black
Thought the previous three books in this excellent series were heart-stopping? Reckon there's no way the tension could be ratcheted up any higher? Well hang on tight, brave reader, because this book's going to make you forget to eat, sleep, do your homework and (unless you're very, very careful) breathe, even. It's epic! Full review...
Fame! (Dirty Bertie) by Alan MacDonald and David Roberts
Book eleventy-thump in this series, and there is still no let-up in the situations that Dirty Bertie can be clumsy in, have a naughty approach about, or be accident-prone throughout. And while these three short stories may not be everyday circumstances, they have a universal recognition for the very young target audience – probably the seven-to-tens. So we have Bertie successfully apply for a part in a TV presentation – only to find it crosses a line; we see him get taken fishing, only for him to be bored and therefore naughty (and therefore successful, of course); and we have him and his friends trying to play as Robin Hood, only to find the sharing-out bit that normally follows the robbing just that bit too hard… Full review...
The Nest (Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space) by Tom Huddlestone
The risk continues. Having faced great danger in their search for knowledge about their kidnapped, explorer parents, Milo and Lina are tracking a rebellious radio broadcast. But once again you can probably bet your life on their quest taking them into great danger, and in a mysterious world of bizarrely crashed spacecraft and wild life, danger is certainly around… Full review...
The Snare (Star Wars: Adventures in Wild Space) by Cavan Scott
Milo and Lina are used to haring around the universe, but never quite like this… They have seen their parents kidnapped by the Empire, in need of the adults' knowledge from exploring as scientists in the Wild Space area. They are hastening to the watery planet Thune to seek help, but unknown to them, they may be heading not so much away from the fire but towards a right frying-pan… Full review...
Beetle Boy by M G Leonard
When Darkus's dad disappears from a locked room in the Natural History Museum, everyone's desperate to discover what happened. However, when no clues are found, the police and the newspapers rapidly lose interest and Darkus is left to solve the mystery. Luckily, he has some very special friends to help him. Full review...
Jim Reaper Son of Grim by Rachel Delahaye
It's the age-old story. Boy (Jim) fancies older girl, in a distant, can't-talk-to-her-without-dribbling sort of way. Naturally, Jim won't discuss this with his best friend Will Maggot because by some evil twist of fate, the girl is Will's sister, and everybody knows sisters are definitely off limits. Not that Fiona's given him any encouragement: in fact the only time she speaks to either of them is when she's pointing out what losers they are. Full review...
The House at Pooh Corner by A A Milne and E H Shepard
The title of the book comes from the first story, in which Winnie and Piglet build a house at Pooh corner for Eeyore, but perhaps the most famous story in this second book is at chapter six, when the game of Pooh Sticks is invented. We also meet Tigger for the first time and as with the first book Winnie-the-Pooh each chapter is a short story in its own right, except for chapters eight and nine which have a degree of continuity as Owl's house is blown down in chapter eight and a new one is found for him at the Wolery in chapter nine. It's still not overly long even if you end up reading both as a bedtime story! Full review...
The Dog with No Name by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
Ella and Harry had been nagging their parents forever about getting a dog, but it wasn't until after the death of the goldfish and the Russian hamster, which they'd only seen five times because it was nocturnal, that their parents relented. Off they went to the dog rescue centre and after what seemed like ages and lots of red tape they had their very own dog. He'd not been in the centre long and had no name but the whole family fell for him and brought him home. Full review...
Polly and the Puffin by Jenny Colgan
Polly was in bed when there was LOUD bang from downstairs. It wasn't the storm which was raging outside. It wasn't a monster or an alien from outer space. It was a puffin who had crashed through the front door and he had a broken wing. Polly's mummy got the first aid kit out whilst Polly went to get the puffin some food and the next day they went to see the vet. By then Polly had decided that the puffin would be called Neil and the vet asked her if she would be able to look after Neil until his wing was better, on the strict understanding that he would then have to return to the wild. Full review...
Spring According to Humphrey by Betty G Birney
Spring, of all things, is a dead end. The class, given the homework task of finding signs of spring, are just failing and failing, what with the bad weather. And nobody can come up with any useful ideas for the class theme at the school's Family Fun Day, as being clowns has been nicked by someone else. How can a humble classroom pet hamster help everyone and everything – especially when he has been gazumped himself? For the very child tasked with looking after Humphrey for the weekend has been sent a package containing what is alleged to be a sign of spring – although to our hero the two tiny tadpoles in a tank look like two specks in gunk… Full review...
The Seriously Extraordinary Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp
Hello. I is very happy to be giving a positive verdict on a third adventure for Pig, who speaks Pig, his best friend Duck, who speaks Pig but in a Duck font, and their best friend Cow who speaks bad. This time the Chickens who was the evil ones is not hardly even mentioned, and the Cat that scared Pig and everyone else in his second book is barely thought of, but there is another bad character to make up for it. But first I is having to report that Pig and Cow and Duck are making a big trouble for themselves, which is causing them to try and save the day and by mistake making the bad character notice Cow. And when I tells you the big trouble happens because Cow tries to hide Cow on the Farmer's roof you will knows just what a silly diary this series is. Full review...
