MG Fiction Review: The Feathered Book by Charlie Nutbrown, illustrated by Ewa Beniak-Haremska

Cover image by Holly Ovenden, published September 2025 by Everything With Words, ISBN:978-1911427476

The Feathered Book is a magnificent middle grade debut by author Charlie Nutbrown, with internal illustrations by Ewa Beniak-Haremska. I fear that my words will not be able to do justice to the genius of this book, so I will start by saying that it is one of the best books I have read this year, it deserves to be a future classic, and if I had to deliver an elevator pitch I would describe it as The Wind in the Willows meets The Name of the Rose.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I adore detective fiction, and as a professional librarian, I also love books which feature a library. So, imagine my delight in discovering that the opening chapter is titled ‘The Impossible Crime’ and that it begins with two cloaked figures moving quietly through a silent, dark library. I was hooked from page one, and as the story of the intricately planned theft of the ancient and dangerous ‘Feathered Book’ and the subsequent unconventional detective work unfolded, I was torn between racing to turn the pages and wanting to read slowly to fully appreciated the author’s beautiful writing. For alongside a wonderfully plotted detective novel, Charlie Nutbrown has also created a fully-formed natural location amongst the islands and waterways of The Lake, and a gloriously labyrinthine library with its own legendary backstory, both of which are described in vibrant detail. Some of the descriptions of the landscape left me breathless, and metaphorically reaching for the dictionary; this is a definitely a book which can be enjoyed by anyone, no matter their age.

The final layer, which makes this book whimsical for adult readers and likely to be hugely engaging for child readers is that all of the characters are anthropomorphised animals. Now I must admit that this would not usually be my personal favourite genre, but here, the characterisation is so deftly drawn and the characters and situations so entertaining, that I absolutely loved it. The head librarian, Pecksniff is a wonderfully crotchety ancient squirrel, while the assistant librarian, Ticklepenny is a self-effacing dormouse. Monty the Fox, a debonair creature who we learn is prone to changing his occupation on a regular basis, has decided that he wants to follow in the detecting footsteps of his fictional idol, Professor Meerschaum, and enlists his long-suffering but loyal best friend, Nettle the rabbit, as his ‘Watson”. Together, their instinctive and serendipitous style of clue-chasing, will take the reader on a chase around The Lake, featuring daring encounters with pirates, master criminals and avaricious collectors of stolen treasures. Every chapter heading is lavishly decorated with a pencil sketch of the oak tree library, and there are gorgeous illustrations of the main characters throughout the book. I certainly hope that Monty decides to continue his detective work, and that this is the start of a series!

I cannot recommend The Feathered Book highly enough to school librarians, or to parents, carers or relatives who want to put a book into the hands of middle grade readers that will make their imaginations take flight. Suggested reading age 9+ but I would have read this to my own children as a bedtime story probably from age 7.

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to publisher Everything With Words for sending me a copy of The Feathered Book. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#NNFN: Tina The Dog Who Changed the World by Niall Harbison

Cover image by Happy Doggo and Shutterstock, Published by Farshore,
6 November 2025, ISBN: 978-0008798864

Tina The Dog Who Changed the World is a book which I am sure will delight many readers aged 9-years-old and above; it is a new child-friendly publication of a book, which was previously published for adults, to celebrate during National Non-fiction November. It provides a wonderful example of how one person’s passion and activism can make big change, which is a great message for children who can sometimes feel helpless in the face of the many challenges that the world currently faces.

The book combines the story of Niall Harbison, an Irish street dog rescuer who lives in Thailand, with the short biographical tales of some of the remarkably resilient street dogs that he has saved through his “Happy Doggo Land” organisation. There are both colour and black and white photos of Niall and the dogs whose stories are featured. The details of the conditions that lead Niall and his team to their rescues are quite harrowing and heart-breaking; some of the dogs have been kept on very short chains for years, some have been starved, some injured and all suffer from skin conditions, parasites etc. However, many of the dogs make full recoveries once they have received veterinary treatment and then been nursed back to full health at Happy Doggo Land. Some of the canines are adopted by people from all corners of the world and many of their stories can be followed on various social media platforms. Even those dogs who sadly don’t make it are given the love, dignity and care that they need to die in peaceful circumstances. The story of Tina, a golden retriever, who was found in a condition where she was close to death and carefully nursed so that she enjoyed 6 months of happy life with Niall, captured the hearts of many when shared online. After Tina died, Niall began raising funds to build a veterinary hospital at Happy Doggo Land, in her name. By the end of this book, the plans for the dog hospital have been drawn up for free by a New York architect, and the foundations have been laid.

It would appear that Tina the golden retriever really has melted hearts around the world, and through donations to Niall’s charity the lives of many, many street dogs in Thailand will be changed for the better. This is an inspirational and hopeful book for all readers, but I imagine it will hold special appeal for all who have a pet pooch at home.

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to publicist Hannah Penney and Farshore books for sending me a copy of Tina The Dog Who Changed the World. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#YA Review: A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once by Lucas Maxwell

Proof copy, to be published on 9 April 2026, Chicken House Books, ISBN: 978-1917171397

A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once is the debut novel written by award-winning school librarian Lucas Maxwell, it was the winner of the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction competition 2024, and is due for publication in spring 2026. For transparency, I should state that I have been in contact with the author via social media for the past 6 years because his generous sharing of school library ideas and resources provided inspiration to me in my previous library role. However, this prior contact has not biased my review for his extraordinary book.

Inspired by the author’s own childhood, growing up as a neurodivergent child in Nova Scotia, the fictional story of fourteen-year-old Elias is utterly heart-wrenching, completely compelling and ultimately hopeful. The immediacy of the writing transported me into a life which was so different to my own, providing real insight into the experience of a neurodivergent child living in an environment where everything is harsh; from the weather conditions to the attitudes and insults of the townsfolk. From the opening page, where Elias’s first person narrative tells you that his own father describes him as not being ‘all there in the head’, you realise that this boy is sadly misunderstood; his high intelligence is only recognised by those characters who care to take the time to get to know the unique way that his brain works.

Set during a winter when the snow and ice storms extend right through to April, Elias provides a unique perspective on a family which is being shattered like icicles hit with a baseball bat. Deep crevasses are being driven into the family unit by older brother Bo’s aggressive behaviour, caused by his descent into the local drug culture. Their parents are constantly arguing over how to deal with the wayward teenager, and Dad’s long hours at work and his profession as a policeman in a small town is not helpful to the family’s situation. Elias cannot fully grasp what is going on with the older brother that he adores, but knows that things need to be fixed and feels that it is his responsibility to bring his fractured family back together. His solution is to win the school talent contest with his repertoire of clever jokes, thinking that the free Pizza Hut meal, awarded to the winner, will glue his family back together.

In a short novel of just over 200 pages, Lucas Maxwell deftly explores human relationships, presenting his readers with a fascinating cast of characters each of whom are navigating their way through the missiles that life hurls at them. Elias is a character who will live long in my heart, with his single-minded determination to save his brother, regardless of the consequences for himself, and his ferocious and precise wit. Some of his snarky ripostes to those who belittled him made me laugh out loud, providing welcome relief during some of the tenser episodes of the story. I also loved the depiction of the extreme weather, which seemed to emphasise the ice-cold hearts of some of the unsavoury inhabitants of the town.

In my opinion, this YA novel is an essential for secondary school library collections and is also likely to appeal to many adult readers when it is published in April 2026.

I am very grateful to Lucas Maxwell and to Chicken House Books for sending me an uncorrected proof ahead of publication. It was my choice to write a review and all opinions are my own.

Blog Tour – Super Questers Mission: Rainforest Magic by Paul Ian Cross, illustrator Katarina Gasko

Front cover artwork by Katarina Gasko, published by QuestFriendz, 6 November 2025, ISBN: 978-9083294377

I am so thrilled to be invited to join the blog tour for the second SuperQuesters adventure, Mission: Rainforest Magic, written by Dr Paul Ian Cross and illustrated by Katarina Gasko. This book perfectly blends a fantasy adventure with a multiplicity of STEM content to excite primary school children about scientific learning.

The three friends, Bea, Leo and Lilli are pitching a tent in Auntie Bumble’s garden when they discover a distressed guinea pig, which seems to be suffering from an allergic reaction and possibly an infection. Before they have a chance to find out how their Aunt will treat the unwell animal, their SuperQuester amulets carry them away on a wave of magic, placing them in the exotic surroundings of Questland’s rainforest. Now in their superhero guises, Bea Bumble, Leo Zoom and Lillicorn meet Jamac, a magnificent jaguar, and take on a quest to find a cure for Puddle Waddle, a capybara who seems to be exhibiting the same symptoms as Popcorn the guinea pig. As their mission leads them through the rainforest, the SuperQuesters become aware of the healing properties of the diverse selection of plants, solve logic problems and learn to navigate like the jungle animals.

Like the earlier book in the series, Mission: Rainforest Magic has been very carefully researched and designed to be enjoyable, interactive and educational. It covers many STEM concepts which are taught in the primary school curriculum; I was very impressed this time, with a storyline that will make children think about how medicines can be developed from plants. Additionally, I was excited to find a page displaying a directional algorithm which all teachers or teaching assistants who deliver computing lessons using Bee-Bots will be familiar with. Reading this book adjacent to computing lessons would provide great consolidation of learning. Biological concepts are explained in child-friendly language, and the necessity of protecting the environment which might be capable of providing solutions to health challenges is made clear.

The illustrations throughout the book by Katarina Gasko, add greatly to its appeal and I am delighted that I have permission to share some of them with you in this post. A comprehensive glossary is provided, giving accessible explanations of scientific vocabulary. Finally, there are four activity suggestions at the end of the book, which could be performed at school or home to engage children in scientific experimentation. I highly recommend SuperQuesters Mission: Rainforest Magic to primary school librarians, teachers, parents and carers as a brilliant book to explore with young readers.

My thanks to the publishers, QuestFriendz, for sending me a review copy of this book. Do check out the other posts on the tour schedule.

#MGReview: Spy Fox and Agent Feathers by Dermot O’Leary, illustrated by Claire Powell

Cover art by Claire Powell, published by Hachette Children’s books,
12 September 2024, ISBN: 9781444976465

A wartime espionage thriller with a difference: join Charles Redfearn (master spy fox) and Gertrude Featherhorn (genius code-breaking chicken) on a secret rescue mission. Beware: with so many laugh-out-loud moments, you might not be able to read this middle grade novel without being detected by the enemy!

The action begins in June 1940, with Charles who has been working as a special agent for the British Special Animal Executive and his cousin Emmanuel (working as a saboteur for the French Animal Army) finding themselves on the beach at Dunkirk in the midst of the chaotic British military evacuation. After failing to get Emmanuel and his French animal colleagues away on board an evacuation ship, and disillusioned by the apparent might of the German army, Charles drops out of the war effort. However, three years later, he agrees to the animal prime minister’s request to take part in a highly dangerous mission in occupied France, which might give him the opportunity to rescue his cousin. But just how will he manage when his accomplice is a chicken? Is the greatest threat to a successful decoding of a top secret document going to be the fearsome German army, or a fox with a particular fondness for roast fowl with all the trimmings?

Young readers are likely to enjoy the thrilling exploits which combine peril with humour, while the animal characters enable some of the realities of war to be presented in an age-appropriate manner. The story is beautifully illustrated throughout with Claire Powell’s distinctive pen and ink style artwork, which captures the characters and the action perfectly. The illustrated format, alongside the short chapters, large font and overall length of under 150 pages, all combine to make this a book that children will be motivated to read independently. It will make an excellent addition to fictional reading choices to present to primary school children who are studying WWII topics; appealing to readers aged 7/8 and upwards. There are a few pages providing factual insights into some of the topics covered in the story including the Dunkirk evacuation and the wartime code-breaking activities at Bletchley Park.

Children who enjoy this anthropomorphic WWII spy adventure might also like The Umbrella Mouse by Anna Fargher (review here), or Mickey and the Animal Spies by Anne Miller (review here).

Disclaimer: I am grateful to publicist Lucy Clayton and Hachette Children’s Books for my review copy of Spy Fox and Agent Feathers. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.