Age 11
Chef Junior by Will Bartlett, Katie Dessinger, Paul Kimball, Abigail Langford & Anthony Spears
Chef Junior 100 Super Delicious Recipes by Kids for Kids! is a fabulous first cookery book which is written by children from the US and Canada. But the book doesn’t just include recipes, there’s also advice about shopping, kitchen equipment and cooking for people with allergies. We spent a lot of time in the kitchen during…
The House of One Hundred Clocks by A. M. Howell
The House of One Hundred Clocks is an atmospheric mystery set in Cambridge in 1905. It’s a real page turner which weaves 19th century clockwork and engineering, women’s equality and dealing with grief into the story. Heartache, family secrets and an intriguing cast of characters, including a parrot, become more intertwined throughout the book and…
The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame & Grahame Baker-Smith
We have just finished reading The Wind In The Willows, a classic story that I loved as a child. This new edition has a sturdy, gold embossed hardback cover and includes stunning illustrations by Grahame Baker-Smith. Introducing Mole, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad, this would make a fabulous present and introduce a new generation of…
HELLO, UNIVERSE by Erin Entrada Kelly
HELLO, UNIVERSE won the 2018 Newbery Medal, it’s a heartwarming adventure story with diverse characters and complicated relationships at its heart. Four middle grade students are thrown together when Bully Chet’s actions set off a chain of events that put Virgil’s life in danger. The story had us turning the pages to find out what…
KIDS CAN COOK Fun and yummy recipes for budding chefs by Esther Coombs
We’ve been spending more time in the kitchen lately and are really excited about Esther Coombs’ new book, Kids Can Cook. It’s a great book to introduce children to basic cooking and Esther has written and illustrated it in the same style as Plant, Sow, Make & Grow which has helped us learn about basic gardening.
Sequin and Stitch by Laura Dockrill & Sara Ogilvie
Sequin and Stitch is the story of nine year old Sequin who lives with her Mum and baby brother, Stitch, on the twelfth floor of Primrose Mansions. Sequin has a strong, heartwarming relationship with her mother but their lives are impacted by agoraphobia, mental illness, loss and bullying. It’s a compelling, poignant read with a…
Early Readers and Middle Grade books published in April 2020
There have been some fabulous books published during the lockdown period but sadly their authors and illustrators have not had the opportunity to promote their books in real life and have had to cancel book launches. We invited authors and illustrators to share news of their middle grade books published in April 2020 so that…
Middle Grade fiction published in March 2020
Many authors and illustrators have had to cancel book launches and no longer have the opportunity to promote their books in real life. We invited authors and illustrators to share news of their middle grade fiction published in March 2020 so that we could share them with you.
The House of Hidden Wonders by Sharon Gosling & Hannah Peck
The House of Hidden Wonders is an action packed mystery set in Victorian Edinburgh. We couldn’t put this book down, it’s a real page turner. We were absolutely fascinated by the story of three impoverished sisters and the mystery that they are thrown into when a ghost appears in their underground hideaway.
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild & Ruth Gervis
My first memory of Ballet Shoes is watching it on a Sunday evening as a child. I was completely drawn into the story of the Fossil sisters, three orphans growing up in London in the 1930s. Soon afterwards I read the book and loved it. Rereading it again as an adult was also wonderful, it…
