Synopsis:
Growing up in Redding, California, Megan discovered her calling chasing a ball on the school playground. Even if she didn’t always fit in at school, she was a star on the field—and her teammates thought so too. Her passion, skill and leadership took Team USA to Olympic Gold and a World Cup victory, while she continues to champion women’s and LGBTQ+ rights and representation in sports, in the US and across the world. This inspiring book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the US co-captain’s life. My thoughts: Another great addition to this fabulous series of mini-biographies that show children that there are many ways in which people make a difference. It is great to see a biography of a female athlete and an activist for equal rights, somebody who achieved a lot of success through her passion and hard work. Thank you to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you very much for Rachel for inviting me to participate in the blog tour for this exciting middle grade mystery. Synopsis: Lady in Red Pursuing the truth can be a dangerous game… School’s out for the summer, and Eye Spy Investigations have a new case - looking for Lady in Red, a lost masterpiece by Victorian painter, Gabriel Pascoe. The clock is ticking for Alex and Donna, because the artist’s house, Acacia Villa, where their friend Jake lives, is due to be demolished, and vital clues may be destroyed. And Alex has an additional problem: he is terrified of snakes, and Jake has a pet snake called Queenie… As the twins pursue their enquiries, they come up against the man who wants to demolish Acacia Villa. But Mr Mortimer is the godfather of their baby half-sister, Sophie, and criticising him could open up family rifts, which have only just healed. Then Queenie goes missing, setting in motion a disastrous train of events that will turn the search for Lady in Red into the twins’ most dangerous case yet. Today we have a Q and A session with Tessa Buckley, the author of the Eye Spy Series! How long have you been writing? I started writing my own stories almost as soon as I could read, but as I got older, life got in the way, and by the time I was working in my first job, the writing tailed off. It was really only when my children were in full time schooling that I decided to start again. It’s definitely easier to write books when you are older and have more life experience to draw on.. Do you write non-fiction as well as novels? Soon after my first child was born, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At the time, there were no treatments for the disease, but after I discovered the research that had been done on diet and MS, I changed my diet and improved my health dramatically. I then wrote a book about the benefits of nutritional therapy (The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book) and was lucky enough to find a publisher quite quickly. I now write a regular blog about food and MS, https://msandfood.org.as well as regular articles on the subject. What gave you the idea for the Eye Spy series? One day the voice of Alex, my teen detective, just popped into my head, and I heard him describe his life with his Nan, a school dinner lady, and his eccentric inventor father. It was only later that I realised that he and his twin sister, Donna, were inspired by memories of a brother and sister I knew when I was a child. It wasn’t difficult to choose a setting for the series either – a small seaside town - as I live in a seaside town myself, so it was familiar territory to me. What are your favourite hobbies? I do a lot of cooking, devising recipes for my blog, but I am also passionate about family history. I am hoping to write a book about my mother’s ancestors, a lot of whom ran successful coaching inns. I’m also researching my husband’s family, who have a very different background in mining, socialism, and trade union activism. What is it about writing that has given you the most enjoyment? When I am writing, I can escape into an imaginary world, just as I did as a child when I read Enid Blyton, or the Narnia stories. Today’s children are under a lot more pressure than my generation were, trying to navigate their way through a much more complex and uncertain world, and if my books can provide them with some enjoyable escapism in difficult times, then I will have achieved my goal. Purchase Links Lady in Red Amazon.co.uk paperback https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lady-Red-Tessa-Buckley/dp/1838591699/ Lady in Red Amazon.co.uk ebook https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lady-Red-Eye-Spy-3-ebook/dp/B081B54DPD Lady in Red Amazon.com ebook https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Red-Tessa-Buckley/dp/1838591699/ Lady in Red Ibooks https://books.apple.com/gb/book/lady-in-red/id1487451631?mt=11&app=itunes Lady in Red Matador bookstore https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/young-adult/lady-in-red/ About the author: Tessa Buckley was an inveterate scribbler as a child, and spent much of her time writing and illustrating stories. After studying Interior Design, she spent fifteen years working for architects and designers. She took up writing again after her young daughter complained that she couldn’t find enough adventure stories to read. This led, in 2016, to the publication of Eye Spy, the first in a series for 9-12 year olds about two teen detectives. There are now two more books in the series: Haunted, which was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2017,, and Lady in Red. She lives by the sea in Essex and recently completed an Open University arts degree. Social Media Links – Website: https://tessabuckleyauthor.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tessa-Buckley-Author- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4157057.Tessa_Buckley Thank you very much to Tessa for this guest post. Let's all wish Happy book-Birthday to Lady in Red!
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From the book blurb: Take a hike through alpine landscapes and snowy mountain peaks and discover Earth's diverse and delicate ecosystems. From the mighty Himalayas to the majestic Rockies, this book will take you on an amazing journey. See the different flora and fauna, learn about the diverse range of species and understand the importance of maintaining these beautiful, natural habitats. This lyrical picture book shines a light on our planet's fragile ecosystems, from the smallest creatures to the largest predators, gently covering important topics such as global warming and the impact of humans on the natural world My thoughts: Beautifully-illustrated and full of interesting facts, Mountains by Charlotte Guillain is fantastic resource for elementary school teachers introducing mountains as a natural habitat. I usually prefer photo illustrations but I loved the colours, artistic details and colour scheme of this book. It covers a range of topics: from making of a mountain( featuring the Himalayas, Iceland's volcanoes, the Alps, the Ands, the Rockies and the Rainbow mountains) to the animals that made them their home, including insects, birds and reptile alongside more familiar mammals. I really appreciated the author's note on the eco challenges mountains face nowadays, related to human activity and global climate changes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Words and Pictures/Quarto Group) for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Synopsis;
Human and goblin brothers Cole and Tinn are finding their way back to normal after their journey to the heart of the Oddmire. Normal, unfortunately, wants nothing to do with them. Fable, the daughter of the Queen of the Deep Dark, has her first true friends in the brothers. The Queen allows Fable to visit Tinn and Cole as long as she promises to stay quiet and out of sight—concealing herself and her magic from the townspeople of Endsborough. But when the trio discovers that humans are destroying the Wild Wood and the lives of its creatures for their own dark purposes, Fable cannot stay quiet. As the unspoken truce between the people of Endsborough and the inhabitants of the Wild Wood crumbles, violence escalates, threatening war and bringing Fable’s mother closer to the fulfillment of a deadly prophecy that could leave Fable a most Unready Queen. My thoughts: This was a fabulous sequel to the first part of the series where we met Cole and Tinn, human and goblin-changeling twin brothers. The Unready Queen focuses more on feisty, adventurous Fable, daughter of Raina,the Queen of the Deep Dark. Being half-fae, Fable has a much stronger magic, but she still needs to learn how to harness it and this is what Raina is focusing on in their lessons. Tinn is also stuggling with magic control and in particular his transformations. There is a lot of emphasis on character growth, friendship, tolerance and acceptance in this book. Wonderful adventures, new magical creatures, thought-provoking conflict in the centre of this story, The Unready Queen has so much to offer to young readers! Thank you to Algonquin Young Readers for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Cassie Rodrigues has always been close to her Mom who had a larger than life personality and adventurous spirit. Their trips to the beach were marvellous. Kim was a strong swimmer who was in love with the ocean and really enjoyed ice-cream and flying kites. She wanted to swim across the Channel one day and whatever this wonderful woman set her mind on was not impossible. Until she started forgetting things and feeling disoriented. She couldn't follow a conversation or drive safely. Something was seriously wrong. Cassie's Mom got diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's and everything in Cassie's life has changed. Cassie's Mom's doctor tried to explain the illness like this: 'Let's say you're trying to connect two pieces of paper together with glue. The pieces of paper are brain cells. On the spot where you need to attach them, there are patches of sand and dirt. And when you try to glue the papers, they don't stick.' Gradually, Kim is losing her memory and Cassie knows she is running out of time. The author did a wonderful job showing how difficult it was for Cassie to accept and keep accepting the changes every day. She is sad, and angry at the illness, not her Mom, who cannot take care of her the way other parents do. Cassie is an artistic child, but she seems unable to create, because everything is dwarfed by the enormity of what is happening to her mother. Cassie has always liked maths, numbers and patterns that help her make the sense of the world. Now she has to live with dark, scary, and unpredictable, like the fact that her Mom doesn't remember her name anymore. Cassie tries to use her art to help her Mom's brain find a way to her memories, which are still there, but are locked and inaccessible. Cassie is finding it difficult to explain her Mom's illness and the changes her family is going through to other people, even her best friend Bailey, so she is pushing everyone away, until people stop trying to talk to her and she is left alone. Cassie didn't mean to hurt Bailey's feelings, but the way back to rebuilding their friendship and opening up isn't easy. Bringing Bailey home to work on a school project helps Cassie immensely. Bailey helps her see her Mom as a whole person again. When Cassie's Dad says it is time to move Kim to a specialised facility, Cassie begs him to give her mother one last adventure, something that was on her bucket list. When he refuses even to consider it, Cassie decides to organise it herself (with a little help of Bailey and her older sister). This short middle-grade book is both powerful and poignant. It is about family, art, friendship, and dealing with changes. It is difficult for a child to see their parent slip away, and it is difficult for the spouse to have to make all the choices and take all responsibility that used to be shared. Sandy Stark-McGinnis wrote an incredibly beautiful and heart-breaking book about things that make us what we are. Thank you to Edelweiss and Bloomsbury for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Ryan Hart loves to spend time with her friends, loves to invent recipies, and has a lot on her mind—school, self-image, and family. Her dad finally has a new job, but money is tight. That means changes like selling their second car and moving into a new (old) house. But Ryan is a girl who knows how to make sunshine out of setbacks. Because Ryan is all about trying to see the best. Even when things aren’t all she would wish for—her brother is infuriating, her parents don’t understand, when her recipies don’t turn out right, and when the unexpected occurs—she can find a way forward, with wit and plenty of sunshine.
(From the book Blurb) My thoughts: Such a lovely book with a wonderful protagonist. Ryan Hart is a great friend, loyal and supportive. Her father's post-office got closed and he lost his job. Now he works nights and is often tired. There is also less money, no second car, and the whole family moves into a different, smaller house. It isn't easy to cope with these changes. Luckily, Ryan has her family to remind her that her biggest talent isn't cooking, although she is pretty good at inventing new dishes, her biggest talent is being nice to people. her grandmother keeps telling her that Ryan can wear her hair any way she wants, it's her choice, but it isn't why she is beautiful. Ryan is beautiful because she treats people kindly. Sometimes it comes easy, like noticing that a talented girl from her class is actually very nervous and insecure, and needs a bit of encouragement. Sometimes it takes more effort when Ryan realises she is being selfish or inconsiderate. The questions Ryan is grappling with are very relatable: coping with changes, especially when they are not exactly for better, trying hard and still not being able to do something, friendships and fitting in, an irritating older brother. Ryan shows remarkable optimism and great ability to turn negative into positive and kind. Highly recommended. Age 6-10. Thank you to Edelweiss and Bloomsbury Children's Books for the ARc provided in exchange for an honest opinion. ThisIn journal entries alternating between two timelines—before and after a tragic accident—this heartfelt coming-of-age story follows the year that changes one girl’s life forever. Before, Taylor Harper is finally popular, sitting with the cool kids at lunch, and maybe, just maybe, getting invited to the biggest, most exclusive party of the year. After, no one talks to her. Before, she’s friends with Brielle Branson, the coolest girl in school. After, Brielle has become a bully, and Taylor’s her favorite target. Before, home isn’t perfect, but at least her family is together. After, Mom won’t get out of bed, Dad won’t stop yelling, and Eli... Eli’s gone. Through everything, Taylor has her notebook, a diary of the year that one fatal accident tears her life apart. In entries alternating between the first and second semester of her eighth-grade year, she navigates joy and grief, gain and loss, hope and depression. How can Taylor pick up the pieces of what used to be her social life? How can her house ever feel like home again after everything that’s happened? And how can she move forward if she can’t stop looking back? (From the book blurb) My thoughts: This well-written and extremely touching book has two alternating timelines: before ('Fall') and after a tragic car accident ('Winter'). The narrative form of journal entries responding to writing prompts is unusual and allows you a direct access to Taylor's feelings and perceptions. Despite the tragedy marking Taylor being a rare occurence, the issues covered by this book are relatable: complex social relationships and murky waters of popularity/acceptance, friendships, families dealing with loss and changes, grief and many others. Taylor's story is extremely realistic and will remind you of drama and dilemmas that go with growing up and learning how to navigate this complicated world. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher (Imprint) for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. A group of gifted kids must band together to save their town and a fantasy world from horror-story monsters come to life in Sarah Cannon's imaginative middle-grade novel, Twist... Eli has a dream. He's going to be the next Stephen King, and he's just created his best monster yet! Neha has a secret. Her notebook is filled with drawings of a fantasy world called Forest Creeks, and it's become inhabited by wonderful imaginary creatures. But her new friends are in danger . . . Court has a gift, both for finding trouble and for stopping it. And when she accidentally ends up with one of Neha's drawings, she quickly realizes that the monsters raiding Forest Creeks are coming from Eli's stories. When these three creative kids come together, they accidentally create a doorway from Forest Creeks into the real world, and now every monster that Eli ever imagined has been unleashed upon their town! (From the book blurb) My thoughts: It was a lovely and engaging read with great characters and an interesting plot. Eli, Neha, and Court have different talents and special abilities, but all three of them are imaginative and observant children. Eli's talent lies in creating engaging, brilliantly-plotted horror stories with howling monsters and other scary creatures. Neha is a talented artist who has filled her notebook with houses and buildings of an imaginary little town Forest Creeks. Court has a gift of observing nature and helping out those in need. The unlikely trio combats monsters that creeped from Eli's unfinished stories into Neha's fantasy world and threaten to destroy all the wonderful creatures that inhabit it. Sarah Cannon captured the thrill of creating and sharing stories with your friends and trying to see unusual in the most ordinary things. I loved the way all her characters were diverse and unique in their own ways. Most of all, I liked the message of lending a helpful hand to those in need and having courage to face one's fears in order to defend the other. Thank you to Edelweiss and Feiwel Friends for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. From the blurb: In this beautiful story of kindness and empathy, loneliness and love, one creature finds that the help he needs is just a song and a sigh away.
Whale's beautiful song winds its way through the ocean, reaching the farthest of faraways. His song is one of happiness and hope, magic and wonder--and Whale's fellow sea creatures are calmed, cheered, and lulled by it. But though Whale sings his tender song day after day, night after night, Whale wonders why he has no song to fill his empty heart. So when he lets out a mournful sigh, the ocean carries it like a wish through its fathoms, bringing it to just the right place. Filled with stunning art and poetic language, this poignant story reminds us that being kind and helping a friend in need is sometimes the most beautiful thing of all. My thoughts: I loved the artwork in this gorgeous little book - its gentle watercolours give the story a dreamlike quality. The text is poetic, imaginative, and poignant- you will almost hear the whale's beautiful song and wonder what can help to fill his empty lonely heart. I won't retell the story- let its magic wonders on you page by page and enjoy immersing yourself and your child into this majestic world. Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Title: The Heart of a Whale Author: Anna Pignataro Publisher: Philomel Books Expected publication date: January 28th, 2020 Here's a marvelous picture book, charmingly written and beautifully illustrated, about the power of memory and the magic of friendship. Llewellyn, a little rabbit, is a collector. He gathers things in jars--ordinary things like buttercups, feathers, and heart-shaped stones. Then he meets another rabbit, Evelyn, and together they begin to collect extraordinary things--like rainbows, the sound of the ocean, and the wind just before snow falls. And, best of all, when they hold the jars and peer inside, they remember all the wonderful things they've seen and done. But one day, Evelyn has sad news: Her family is moving away. How can the two friends continue their magical collection--and their special friendship--from afar? (From the book blurb) My thoughts: Lovely story with gorgeous artwork (the sunset spread and the meteor shower are just amazing) about friends and beautiful moments we experience together. When the main character's friend moves to a new city, he is feeling sad and empty. Luckily, he discovers they can send each other packets and parcels and share new things they see and learn. It is possible to make new friends without forgetting the old ones. Beautiful, heart-warming message. Thank you to Edelweiss and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion. Expected Publication date: January 21, 2020 |
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