After a pretty disastrous reading effort in April (for which I still need to write a post) I managed to get my reading back on track despite May being almost as busy at work and at home.
My one adult book was the 700-page The Heart’s Invisible Furies, which was my bookclub title. I found this book quite heart-breaking on many levels, but it was also filled with humour and unexpected acts of kindness.
A Flood of Memories by Nadia Mikhail is a wonderful YA novel, which I have actually added to the international author collection that we are building at the hospital library where I work. I think that the mental health themes explored, as well as the insights into another culture, will make it a popular choice.
Sammy Versus the Smartphone by Victoria Williamson and Birdlands by Anthony McGowan are brilliant middle grade novels for the Year 6/Year 7 transition, very different in content but both written by authors who are at the top of their craft.
SuperQuesters Mission: Desert Danger by Paul Ian Cross is an excellent STEM-themed, illustrated story for primary school children, covering many aspects of the STEM curriculum in an engaging manner.
Extending my STEM reading this month, the brilliant non-fiction title How to Build a Chocolate Bridge by Roma Agrawal provides clear explanations of engineering concepts alongside practical experiments which can be tried out at home or in the classroom.
I am super grateful to the publicists and publishers who sent me all of the children’s books covered in this post (they are all acknowledged in the reviews which you will find through the links). These books will all be included in a pre-summer-holiday giveaway that I am organising at work, so that hospital colleagues can come and collect a book for their child to read over the summer.
Cover image by Dan Leyton, published by Bonnier Books, 9 October 2025, ISBN: 978-1789469028
As the red smoke clears from the celebrations in North London and the football world catches a breath before the World Cup kicks off, I have taken the opportunity to read Ultimate Football Heroes 2026, a book which I won in an Advent giveaway organised by lovely Heather at Reading Rocks.
I remember the Ultimate Football series being hugely popular when I ran a school library, there was always a waiting list which often included the children who might be considered ‘reluctant readers’ so I was pre-disposed to like this book. The first noticeable change in this title compared to the collection that I built up six years ago, is the inclusion of the women’s game in this new addition, which I am sure will extend the prospective readership even further. The first two main sections of the book summarise the 2024-2025 season in the English Premiership and the Women’s Super League title races through the lens of the key strikers in each of those competitions. The narrative non-fiction style chapters, which provide mini commentaries on the matches played by the main title contenders are filled with action and facts. This style will keep children who love a good story hooked, and provide ample data for those children who love to absorb facts.
The book also includes a number of shorter sections, featuring the stars, managers and key moments from both the men’s and the women’s games:
A multitude of ‘Top 5’ features
Reviews of the season in the major European leagues
Reviews of the different European club cup competitions
A summary of the Women’s Euros 2025, which saw England successfully defend their title
A quiz and other activities at the end of the book
Personally, I was delighted to see that super striker Alessia Russo and ‘Starboy’ Bukayo Saka featured heavily throughout, but I am sure that supporters of all teams will find plenty to enjoy in this book. I would highly recommend it to all young football fans, it is a guaranteed hit for school library collections and a great title to encourage sporty children to ‘Go All In’ with reading. I will be adding my copy of Ultimate Football Heroes 2026 to a pre-summer-holiday book giveaway that I am organising at the hospital library where I work, and I hope the young recipeint will enjoy it as much as I did.
Disclaimer: Once again, my thanks to Heather at Reading Rocks for picking my name from a giveaway competition for this book. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
Publisher: Guppy Books, 11th June 2026, ISBN: 978-1916558748
A Flood of Memories is an immersive Young Adult novel from prize-winning author Nadia Mikail. Set in the Sarawak region of her native Malaysia, it combines a story of regional devastation caused by flooding with a deeply emotional exploration of personal trauma. The story ebbs and flows between the personal and the geographical, the past and the present, in a beautifully constructed, third person narrative.
Eighteen-year-old Leila is studying for her A-levels and also interning at a new media company in Kuala Lumpur when she is summoned home by her widowed mother (Mak) to help out in her childhood kampung as Mak and her grandparents, Nek Pan and Nek Pot prepare for destructive floods during monsoon season. Her boss who originates from the same region is happy for her to return home, encouraging her to film eye-witness footage of the floods, but it is clear that something personal makes Leila dread the home-coming. Initially there are hints that the death of her father (Pak), to whom Leila bore such a close resemblance in her features and her personality, is the reason behind her overwhelming sense of dread as she returns home. However, as the story reveals the emotional undercurrents of Leila’s mental state, a tale of emotional control, emotional and physical abuse and alcoholism is laid bare.
The author handles this narrative with great skill; switching between the flashbacks to Pak’s bullying and harsh demands that Leila stick to his plan of top ranking academic achievements, and the ever-rising water levels which threaten to wash away domestic existence in the kampung. Pak’s bitterness at his own life circumstances lead to heavier use of alcohol and we witness the corroding force of his anger towards his wife and the daughter whom he claims to love above all else. Many complex emotions are interrogated: Leila’s anxiety that she might end up judgemental, bullying and abusive like her father, her difficulty in understanding why her mother won’t leave him and her inability to talk to her close friend Poppy or her grandparents about what happens behind the closed doors of what seems to be a prosperous household. The gradual healing process catalysed by the unconditional kindness and understanding of Arthur, a boy whom she has known since schooldays and who provides steady and kind support to many neighbours during the floods, offers the prospect of hope and reassurance that Leila’s chosen career of journalism is every bit as worthwhile as her father’s plan was.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Flood of Memories, the setting is unique in my reading experience, and I found that the scattering of Malay words throughout added to the sense of place. It’s a person-centred story but also cleverly explores the geographical, political and climate-related influences on ecologically destructive events. I would highly recommend this book to secondary school, sixth-form college and further education librarians, or anyone aged 15 years and above, wanting to diversify their reading material.
Disclaimer: I am very grateful to publicist Liz Scott and Guppy Publishing for sending me an advanced proof copy of A Flood of Memories ahead of publication on 11th June 2026. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
I am a great believer in learning by doing, and this fantastic STEM-themed book not only has a title that will capture children’s attention, but is filled with practical ideas to engage the learning of engineering principles. This is the second children’s non-fiction title that I have read which has been authored by Roma Agrawal, and I love the way that this prize-winning structural engineer is able to make complex engineering accessible for anyone.
The book begins by describing why specific materials need to be chosen for manufacturing different products or for building certain structures. The author then explains the physics concepts behind engineering in child-friendly language, starting with bridge building. There is then a fascinating challenge set – to build a bridge with a chocolate bar, and after testing the strength of the bridge, children are then encouraged to reinforce melted chocolate with gummy laces, reflecting the way that concrete is reinforced with steel. I know that when my children were at primary school they worked on a bridge-building project as part of the science curriculum, and I imagine that this book will give teachers an exciting new perspective on teaching this topic. The engineering does not stop with bridges. Rockets, insulation, trumpets, pianos, bubbles, plastic and skyscrapers are all explored, both with facts and practical experiments which can be performed at school or in the home. There are also spreads covering scientists and engineers who made surprising or accidental discoveries and a look at materials being developed now to tackle challenges of the future, such as degradable plastics.
There are so many aspects of this book that I loved. Firstly, the information is presented in small accessible panels on full colour pages (where there is always a good contrast between text and background colours) and therefore easily digestible. The illustrations by Robert Sae-Heng are distinctive and always add to the understanding of the facts or principles being described. I loved the emphasis on learning from mistakes, which helps children to feel able to experiment freely, without the anxiety that they might get it wrong. I think that Roma Agrawal has an amazing ability to explain the principles of her complex profession in terms and with examples that can be understood by anyone.
How to Build a Chocolate Bridge is a book which I would recommend to teachers, librarians, parents and caregivers of all primary school children. With the long summer holidays approaching, there are ideas here for activities that could entertain and educate young brains, and perhaps inspire future scientists and engineers.
Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Damilola Akinkunmi at Hachette Children’s Books for sending me a free copy of this book. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
Cover image Katarina Gasko, published by QuestFriendz, 7 May 2026, ISBN: 9789083294346
Mission: Desert Danger is the third book in the SuperQuesters series, and maintains the high quality of the previous titles, serving a perfect blend of excitement and STEM content to a primary school readership.
Best friends Leo, Lilli and Bea are enjoying a trip to the beach, where sandcastle-building turns into a mini engineering opportunity for Lilli! After finding a message in a bottle, which combines hieroglyphics with a plea for help, the trio are rapidly whisked away to Questland and transform into their alter-egos; Leo Zoom, Lillicorn and Bea Bumble. They find themselves on the bank of a dried up river where they meet Arid, a desert sprite, whose brother Rainveil the water sprite has gone missing. The mystery of Rainveil’s disappearance is explained by Skitter, a scarab beetle, who witnessed the kidnap by a treasure-seeking archaeologist, Professor Vivienne Vortec. It appears that she is ruthless in her pursuit of a cursed treasure which has been hidden away in a sunken temple, and is happy to destroy the local ecological system in her greedy quest. The SuperQuesters have a clear mission ahead, but can they use their STEM skills to save the ecosystem in this corner of Questland?
I think that children will love the interactive nature of this story, where they can join the SuperQuesters in trying to decode messages, debug algorithms to find the most efficient route whilst learning about ecosystems, gears and chemistry. There are four brilliantly engaging STEM activities at the end of the book, which only require resources that can be found at home or in a classroom. The highly engaging illustrated style of this book, and the smart, likeable main characters who transform into the kind of protagonists that might be found in a video game, all add to the appeal for a primary school readership. As someone who studied for a science degree many, many years ago, I love the fact that Dr Paul Ian Cross has produced this brilliant series to encourage the next generation of scientists. I cannot wait to see which corner of QuestLand the SuperQuesters will visit in their next adventure.
Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book and invited to join the blog tour by publisher QuestFriendz. All opinions are my own.
Do check out the thoughts of other librarians and teachers who have written reviews for the blog tour.
Cover image by Kasia Fryza, published by Post Wave, 7 May 2026, ISBN: 978-1836271215
The Mole and the Mound (and the House Underground) is a charming, quirky, rhyming story, which takes a familiar narrative and presents it in a unique and engaging style.
Mole is busy digging and designing his grand home underground while his bird and animal friends all brag that their homes are superior. Bird weaves a fine nest and has a great view; Beaver has a house on the waterfront; and Bee’s hive is designer bright. All that can be seen of Mole’s house is an untidy mound of mud, who on earth would want to live there? However, when a fierce storm leaves destruction in its wake, the animals soon learn that appearances can be deceiving.
The rhyming text by Will Hamilton-Davies tells the story with humour and kindness. I think that young children will enjoy the repetition of Mole’s “Scoop, wiggle, wiggle” refrain and will relish joining in with their adult reading companion each time the book is shared. The illustrations by Kasia Fryza are very distinctive and bold. I particularly loved the cross sections of Mole’s underground home, and the cute little snail that young readers are encouraged to find on each spread. The artwork and text complement each other perfectly, resulting in a book that I recommend to parents, caregivers, grandparents, teachers and librarians to share with pre-school and early years children.
Disclaimer: I am grateful to publicist Antonia Wilkinson and publisher Post Wave for sending me a copy of The Mole and the Mound (and the House Underground). It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
Cover design by Elise Carmichael, published by Tiny Tree, 26 March 2026, ISBN: 978-0722360026
Sammy Versus the Smartphone could not be a more timely publication as the debate around children’s access to smartphones takes centre stage in national and international conversations. This new fictional title from award-winning author, Victoria Williamson, paints a vivid picture of the way that smartphone use can insinuate its way into every aspect of family life, with negative consequences.
Sammy is in her final year at primary school, and like many other children, has been promised a smartphone for her 11th birthday in preparation for the move to secondary school. Her parents have also been persuaded to buy the holographic interface upgrade (Hollis), so that Sammy’s phone features a ‘cooler’, airbrushed, glamorous image of Sammy, who until this point has been a star footballer, happy to live in sports clothing with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Now, she wants to fit in with the on-trend girls at school, and learn to post the selfies that they all believe will make them popular when they move onto secondary school. When a mean comment from JayBoy5 about her thighs appears under one of her photos, this is the message she obsesses over, rather than the many positive reactions that her photos receive. We see the change in Sammy’s life as she decides to start cutting back on food, thus losing the energy, focus and passion that she previously had for football and subsequently losing good friendships along the way. When her two step-siblings move in with Sammy’s family we witness the breakdown of personal communication as another upgrade is purchased to supposedly make family communications more streamlined by taking everything online and basically handing control to a virtual assistant.
I really liked the way that the author showed that despite starting out on a smartphone journey with the best intentions, it can be very easy to become totally distracted by the constant alerts pinging on our smart devices. She cleverly incorporates entries into Sammy’s secret (paper-based) diary to show that Sammy herself is aware of the negative impact of the new phone on her life, even as she is swept up in its messaging and craving the instant gratification from likes and comments. Issues such as online bullying, peer pressure and the danger of online predators are dealt with in an age-appropriate manner, as is the way that the tech companies subtly encourage constant upgrades which many families feel pressured to buy even when they struggle to afford them. As with every book that I’ve read by Victoria Williamson, the characterisation and portrayal of both home and school life is spot-on; I think that many young readers will find situations that they recognise in this story. I hope that reading and discussing the story might encourage constructive discussion of how to use smartphones for their many positive purposes, and how to regulate some of the more addictive behaviour that they can encourage. In my opinion, this is a book that needs to be in every school and I would also recommend it to parents of children at the top end of primary school to perhaps share as a joint read.
Disclaimer: I am grateful to Victoria Williamson and publisher Tiny Tree who sent me a copy of Sammy Versus the Smartphone. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
This Young Adult trilogy absolutely charmed me, and I only wish that they had been available when one of my own children was ready to move on from MG favourites like the Ruby Redfort series, the Sinclair Mysteries and Murder Most Unladylike but did not want to read the “issues-heavy” YA that seemed to be prevalent at the time. The Agency for Scandal series mixes the thrills of female spies working under the cover of their Victorian era high society personas, with achingly romantic storylines which stay on the “clean” side of romance and therefore suit those readers who are taking their first steps into relationship fiction or (like me) are older than the intended audience but perhaps want to read a purely escapist romance. I have to say that I was enraptured with each of these titles and found them an absolute delight to read, featuring strong female characters, charming men and some well-drawn, loathsome villains.
The Agency for Scandal is the first in the series. The main protagonist is Isabella Stanhope (known as Izzy), who lives in straightened circumstances in the family’s formerly grand, London home, with a bedridden mother and one remaining servant. Izzy is so protective of her mother’s delicate state of health that she has not shared the knowledge that the death of Mr Stanhope left them with no money to maintain their high society lifestyle. His only legacy to Izzy was to have shared with her the locksmithing skills which he pursued as a hobby, but on which she now relies to put food on the table. Thanks to her close friends, Izzy is still able to attend society events, and is quickly recruited into The Aviary, a secret network of women who use their unique talents to help other women who find themselves in any kind of trouble.
Izzy is soon working on a case, investigating a seriously cruel example of gaslighting by a man who holds a position of considerable power in society. The interactions between the different members of The Aviary’s charm of spies is both fun and inspiring, showing that there are no limits to what women can achieve when they work together. They also can rely on some seriously honourable men, one of whom is Max, the Duke of Roxton, on whom Izzy has had a distant crush since first meeting him at a ball. Their relationship is swoony and idyllic, with Max being portrayed as an absolute gentleman, who is deeply respectful of Izzy’s wishes and admiring of her courage and independence. I found the story to be an absolute page-turner, and at the end of a long working day it was a totally pleasurable read.
The Agency for Scandal was my own purchase, on the recommendation of many of my favourite book bloggers, it sat on my bookshelf for far too long, but as soon as I had finished it I was fortunately able to read the next two books in the series!
Book two is A Season for Scandal in which we meet the capable, determined and innovative florist Marigold Bloom on the day that her fiancé breaks off their engagement because he thinks she doesn’t match his ridiculous standards of ‘ladylike’ behaviour, and his sleazy father promptly propositions her! Determined to save the family business that she has worked so hard to build up, Marigold takes herself to the best place to solve any problem…the library. There she makes quite an impression on Oliver Lockhart (who appeared in book 1 of the series) and he sends her to The Aviary, where Mrs Finch and her charm of agents are quick to offer help and subsequently recruit Mari to participate in an undercover mission.
Her role involves spending a lot of time in the company of devastatingly handsome, but gruff and anti-social Oliver Lockhart. The mission takes them to Paris, where hearts pound, and not just when in pursuit of a pair of scoundrels. Laura Wood writes so beautifully that I could not bear to put this book down. Her blend of clean romance and crime-solving adventure is populated by well-rounded characters, whose story arcs are engaging and entertaining. I would recommend this book to anyone aged 12/13+. I borrowed a copy of A Season for Scandal from my public library.
The third book is A Game of Scandal, in which the main protagonist is Felicity Vane, the younger sister of Max Vane, the Duke of Roxton. Felicity is a brilliant and largely self-taught mathematician, whose ambition is to enrol at university to study mathematics, in direct opposition to her mother’s plans to marry her off to another aristocrat during her first social season. Despairing that Max, who is overly protective of his little sister, will take their mother’s viewpoint, Felicity decides that she will use her mathematical brain to generate the funding to enrol at university through gambling! Thus she visits the Lucky Penny, a gambling den in Whitechapel, which has become popular with the high society crowd. After an evening of amassing a considerable sum of money through card counting and probability calculations, suspicions are aroused about cheating and Felicity is taken to the co-owner of the Lucky Penny…the gorgeously handsome and piratical Ash.
Electricity crackles between them, but their tête-à-tête is crashed by Izzy, who is working on a mission for the Aviary and spying on another client of the Lucky Penny, the mysterious Edward Laing. Inevitably, Felicity becomes a part of the Aviary’s charm of spies and is swept up in a game of cat and mouse with a ruthless foe, while her heart takes a gamble of its own. This is an unputdownable, high stakes adventure which also surfaces insights into the pioneers who paved the way for women’s university education (for which I, and I am sure many other readers, will be grateful). As with the other books in the series, the writing flows so smoothly that you are just carried along on a cracking, escapist adventure. It is a romance which I would categorise under the ‘clean teen’ label, so I would recommend to secondary school librarians and parents/caregivers of early teenagers and YA readers. I borrowed a copy of A Game of Scandal from my local public library.
I would highly recommend this series to secondary school librarians, sixth form college librarians and parents/carers of teen readers who wish to provide their young readers with an exciting historical adventure. Although each book builds a story around a character met in a previous adventure, they could be read as standalones in any order, which is important for readers whose main access to books is through the library. If your teenager loved the Enola Holmes films, I think that they will thoroughly enjoy these books.
Cover image by Keith Robinson, published by Rock the Boat, 14 May 2026, ISBN: 978-1836431800
Three birds, an adventure fraught with danger, one very special book!
I finished reading Birdlands, the new novel from Carnegie-winning author Anthony McGowan, a week ago. Despite trying to pull my thoughts into order since then, I really do not think that my words can do it justice. Below the surface of this pacy animal adventure, there is a story so profound that it brings a lump to my throat each time I think about it. I am many years older than the intended middle grade readership and I suspect that this is a book which will be enjoyed by many young readers who will initially delight in the thrilling and perilous journey, and perhaps as they grow older, revisit the book and appreciate the deeper themes. It is one of those books that lodges so deeply in your heart that you want to encourage everyone to read it and to see it passed down through generations.
The story begins with a young boy, Jordie, throwing his cheese sandwich towards three scrawny birds on a station platform and from that moment we fully enter the lives of the bird protagonists. Herman was once a leader of crows, and maintains an air of authority despite his broken wing. Beaky is a jackdaw who finds it difficult to feed due to his twisted beak, leaving him half-starved and with no muscle strength for flying. Pidge is afraid to fly after experiencing a traumatic event in the air, and now hobbles around on badly damaged and painful feet. When their prize of bread and cheese is cruelly snatched away by more agile birds, Herman tells Beaky and Pidge of the paradise known as ‘dump’ where food is plentiful and birds are watched over by angels. Despite scepticism from Beaky and Pidge, the three birds set off walking towards the setting sun in search of this haven and their journey is recounted with wry humour, beautiful descriptions of the landscape and pinpoint detail of the fine balance between predator and prey.
I cannot do justice in this review to the exquisitely written quest that unfolds. Not only is the story infused with a real love of the natural world and acute observation of bird behaviour, but the developing bond of comradeship between the three birds is a joy to read. It is a story that reminds us that all life, no matter how small, or how damaged, is precious, and that courage and togetherness are essential to overcoming difficulties. There are also occasional greyscale illustrations by Keith Robinson and every chapter is headed by his artwork. This is a short book, just under 200 pages in length, and not a single word is wasted. I loved the circularity of the story and the way that the emotional impact never became sentimental. As I said at the start, I think this is a very special book indeed. I think that it would be a wonderful book to read aloud to Year 6/Year 7 children, and I would strongly encourage all school librarians to add it to their collections.
Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of Birdlands by publicist Dannie Price and Rock The Boat ahead of publication on 14 May 2026. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
Artwork by Julien Arnal, published by Post Wave, 30 April 2026, ISBN: 978-1836271208
Mabel and Merryglow: The Spark is an astonishingly beautiful, graphic-novel style picture book, originally published in French and now translated by Charis Ainslie and published by PostWave in English. I have to describe this book as an absolute work of art, every single panel contains gorgeously detailed illustrations of the forest habitat and the colour choices bring to life the emotion which is described in the sparse text. The end papers alone express the level of careful thought that has been applied to this story, although they both contain the map of the story’s landscape, the different colour palettes and names of the locations visually summarise the story arc.
Mabel is a tortoise who suffers from nyctophobia – extreme fear of the dark. She is so terrified that she cannot even bring herself to hide inside her shell because it is dark in there! Sadly for Mabel, she is made to feel even worse by her family’s lack of empathy, and plods through every day simply dreading the night ahead. The night time scenes are rendered in purples and blues with clever use of silhouettes to portray Mabel’s fears. Then one day a travelling firefly appears in the forest, introducing itself as Merryglow and sparking a friendship that leads to a rapid improvement in Mabel’s quality of life.
This is a gorgeous tale about the importance of friendship to light up a life, which I think will appeal to children throughout primary school and which contains so much to enjoy in the artwork that it will likely be read repeatedly. Apparently, this is the first book in a series; I will certainly look forward to reading further adventures of this adorable duo.
Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Post Wave Publishing for sending me a copy of this lovely hardback book ahead of publication on 30 April 2026. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.
V'sViewfromtheBookshelves 