Somebody Stop Ivy Pocket is the sequel to the brilliant Anyone But Ivy Pocket, which was one of my stand-out books of last year. It’s not quite as brilliant, but that’s possibly because it’s the middle book in a trilogy, which is very hard to do well (unless you happen to be The Empire Strikes … More Somebody Stop Ivy Pocket – review
How Not To Be Weird by Dawn McNiff continues in her vein of ‘magical realism’ stories – where the power of belief is tested against real-world situations – and is a lovely heart-warming and encouraging read. Woody Trindle is starting secondary school and feels far too young and awkward. Woody’s father died when Woody was … More How Not To Be Weird – review
Since writing Electrigirl, I’ve become more and more into comics and superheroes (you might think I was into them before, and I was a bit, but now more so!) and so when I was offered a copy of FALLOUT by Gwenda Bond (what a fantastic name!), I practically snatched it out of the publicist’s hands…because … More Fallout – review
I hate recommended reading lists. You know the ones: 100 books to read before you die, 100 best children’s books of all time. I especially hate book lists for teenagers, because teenagers are as wildly different from each other as there are grains of sand on a beach. Having said all that, sometimes a book … More Crush – review
Anne Cassidy is a brilliant writer. Anyone who’s ever read Looking for JJ will know that – and her sequel, Finding Jennifer Jones, is equally wonderful. So when I was offered the chance to get my hands on her brand new Moth Girls, I jumped at it. Mandy is haunted by her past. Five years … More Moth Girls – review
I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan is a book I wouldn’t necessarily have picked up had it not been shoved into my hand on a visit to Piccadilly Press – and my goodness, I’m so glad it was. It’s one of those books that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go. We … More I’ll Be There – review
Joe All Alone, by Joanna Nadin, is written in such a strong voice that for the first half of the book I felt drawn to writing my review in the same style. It would, I felt, have been entering into the spirit of Joe, who is a boy who desperately wants to do the right … More Joe All Alone – review
I have spoken of my love for Lockwood & Co before. Let’s just now assume that I devour these books like Tunnocks teacakes, and that when I grow up I’d like to be able to write as well as Jonathan Stroud. The Hollow Boy is the third in the series, and we pick up pretty … More Lockwood & Co. The Hollow Boy – review
I’ve never reviewed a colouring book before. You know, of course, that colouring books for adults are HUGE at the moment (well, not literally, they’re usually sensibly-sized…oh dear, it’s been a long day. I need to unwind with some colouring…) and of course there are billions of colouring books for small children. But what about … More Notebook Doodles – review
The author of Jimmy’s War, Lynne Benton, had trouble getting this book published, so in the end she decided to publish it herself – and I’m so glad she did! Jimmy’s War is an engaging and exciting read, with a lovely central character and a great plot. I have to confess that I did struggle … More Jimmy’s War – review
Jo Cotterill 