National Year of Reading 2026: February

Book covers of all books I’ve read or listened to during February 2026

I’m “going all in” for the National Year of Reading 2026!

I’ve taken the pledge and so far have managed my minimum of 10 minutes reading every day. To be fair, I’ve probably read for at least 10 minutes every day for the majority of my life, so to add something extra to my reading routines this year, I am going to try to present a monthly round-up of books I’ve either read or listened to.

I haven’t managed quite so much reading this month because February has been rather busy with home renovations, hopefully I’ll manage to carve out some more reading time in March.

As you can see, my reading has spanned the range from illustrated books through to adult titles. Some of these books have been sent to me by publicists for review, some are my own purchases (in physical or e-book format) and some have been borrowed as audiobooks. You can find my reviews at the links below:

Physical Books

How to Speak and Be Heard by Sam Hutchinson, illustrated by Vicky Barker

Fairytale Fiasco: Hansel and Gretel and Fairytale Fiasco: Cinderella by Evgenia Golubeva and Myles McLeod

Will Shakespeare Mysteries: The Stinky Stolen Toenails by Kaz Penney, illustrated by Sammy Elgie

The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood: School Inspectors! by Sahrana Islam, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh

Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged by Eve Wersocki-Morris, illustrated by Honie Beam

Travels With Gannon & Wyatt: Ireland by Patti Wheeler and Keith Hemstreet

The Seeker and the Shade by Ellen Osborne

The Summer After the Night Before by Lisa Williamson

E-book

Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver (a bookclub choice) – a beautifully written novel set in a small town farming community in the Appalachians, with an environmental theme.

Audiobooks

Exit by Belinda Bauer – a surprisingly humorous murder mystery.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green – a deeply personal, profoundly moving and wonderfully imaginative collection of essays written by novelist John Green. Many of the essays speak of his struggles with mental health.

I borrowed audiobooks from the wonderful Somerset Libraries via the Borrowbox app.

Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books, and/or whether you have any special plans or activities for this National Year of Reading.

#MG Review – Travels With Gannon & Wyatt: Ireland by Patti Wheeler & Keith Hemstreet

Published by Claim Stake, 15 April 2026, ISBN: 978-1936284054

Travels With Gannon & Wyatt: Ireland is an interesting blend of non-fiction travel journal and adventure fiction, written for an upper middle grade readership, which is due to be published in the UK in April 2026. It features 15-year-old twins, Gannon & Wyatt, who travel around the world with their parents, exploring the local tourist attractions and also trying to learn as much as possible about the local culture of the countries they visit.

Travelling to the land of their ancestors, the boys and their parents start their Irish trip touring some of the famous landmarks; the Cliffs of Moher, Trinity College Library and Blarney Castle – where Gannon (who seems to be quite gregarious already) kisses the famous stone! The early part of the book provides descriptions and photos of the landscape, weather and sights, but the adventure really begins when the brothers go to spend a month working on a farm in County Kerry.

When farmer, Mr O’Leary, sets eyes on the teenagers, he does not expect them to last a week on Shamrock Farm, and initially the brothers clearly struggle with the hard manual work in the driving rain. However, the boys become invested in helping their host to save his farm from the pollution which is causing his crops and livestock to suffer. When they suspect that the environmental damage is being caused by the neighbouring industrial factory farm owned by the immensely rich and bullying Mr Moloney, Gannon and Wyatt decide to investigate. Collecting samples from the pools of livestock waste that are being flushed into the local river, and taking photos of the caged pigs, the boys put themselves in danger from the unscrupulous businessman, and have to make a hasty escape. Unfortunately, they subsequently get lost in the forest that separates the two farms, and free-spirited Gannon encounters some of Ireland’s mythical creatures. His scientifically-minded twin is determined to present his water samples to the environmental agency for analysis, but will the boys find their way out of the forest in time to save Mr O’Leary’s family farm?

This book is a quick read at under 170 pages and I think the travel journal style will make it appealing to children of 10 and above who like to learn about new places, enjoy a bit of adventure and are concerned about environmental and animal welfare issues. I think it would make an excellent addition to “Go All In” collections for the National Year of Reading, where we are encouraged to read books about the topics that interest us. This would certainly appeal to those who count travel amongst their hobbies. There are other books in this series, featuring locations from Greenland to Australia, and there is a website to explore, full of facts, photos and the background to these stories: Travels With Gannon and Wyatt website

Disclaimer: I am grateful to publicist Dannie Price for sending me a copy of Travels With Gannon & Wyatt: Ireland ahead of publication on 15 April 2026. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

Review: The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood – School Inspectors! by Farhana Islam, illustrated by Simran Diamond Singh

Cover art by Simran Diamond Singh, published by Farshore, 15 January 2026, ISBN: 9780008640019

SATs, School Inspectors and a very large spider – a combination to make young readers scream with laughter!

I raced through this book with a huge smile on my face, so happy was I to be back in the brilliantly observed world of Mina Mahmood and her best friends, Reema and Mobeen. This is the second book narrated by Year 6 pupil Mina (you can read my review of the first at this link: The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood – School Trip!) but you can definitely read and enjoy it as a standalone. This is, without doubt, a book that encourages reading for pleasure. It is filled with hilarious mishaps, the font has been carefully chosen for ease of reading, there is playful use of typography, plenty of white space around the text and fun illustrations throughout by Simran Diamond Singh.

The story begins as Mina’s Year 6 class put down their pencils when time runs out on the final SATs paper. The stress is over and it’s time for the pupils and their hardworking teacher, Miss Khan, to relax and enjoy the post-exam party bonanza; disco, pizza, extra playtime, ice-cream van visit and a trip to Fisbo’s Circus! Just as these amazing rewards for all of their hard work are in sight, they are suddenly snatched away by the dreaded phone call! An ice-cold shiver runs through the adults in the school, frantic tidying and book-marking commence, and instead of a party, Mina, Reema and Mobeen are selected to take the “government spies” on a tour of the school. The fate of Year 6’s visit to the circus hangs on the outcome of the inspection. What could possibly go wrong? Well let’s just say that it really was not a great day for a pet tarantula to be present in school, and perhaps the Early Years classroom was not the best choice for first stop on the tour!

It is so apparent from the acutely accurate portrayal of school life (especially during inspection day) that the author, Farhana Islam, is a primary school teacher. Every scene rings with authenticity and the laugh-out-loud misunderstandings that occur throughout the school day will be familiar to child readers. The friendship between Mina, Mobeen and Reema is heart-warming and genuine. I think that the story will be hugely appealing to all children of 8 years and above who will identify with the setting and enjoy the humour. Additionally, it will be especially meaningful to children from a British Bangladeshi background who can see themselves positively represented by the three main protagonists and their teacher.

If you are a primary school librarian or responsible for a book collection in a Key Stage 2 classroom, or a parent/caregiver looking for a book to encourage an 8-year-old to read, I highly recommend The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood – School Inspectors!

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Rory at Farshore for sending me a copy of this book. It was my choice to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#Review – Will Shakespeare Mysteries: The Stinky Stolen Toenails, written by Kaz Penney, illustrated by Sammy Elgie

Cover illustration by Sammy Elgie, publisher Andersen Press, 26 March 2026,
ISBN: 978-1839137594

The Stinky Stolen Toenails is the first book in a new junior detective series; the Will Shakespeare Mysteries. The story is aptly described by the publisher as Horrible Histories meets Loki! This book will be hugely appealing to children from 7/8 years of age, with its blend of zany humour, poo jokes and heavily illustrated style which blends artwork, doodle-style drawings and inventive text effects. It’s a great introduction to detective fiction, as well as providing a heap of Shakespeare-related information by stealth!

Set in Stratford-Upon-Avon, probably the most boring town in the entire world according to our narrator, this is the first person account of ten-year-old Will Shakespeare (with added notes by his best friend Tybalt) of his quest to become a PERSON-WHO-SOLVES-CRIMES! (Can our clever wordsmith think of a better way of describing his intended career?) The plot interweaves many allusions to the works of Shakespeare, with puns on names, and borrowed bits of narrative, which all add up to a funny and farcical detective story. Will and Tybalt find themselves in a race against time to save the Twelfth Night party hosted by Will’s parents. They can only achieve this by tracking down the stolen Moundsofgoo Treasure, thus enabling Ronaldo win Judy Catapult’s hand in marriage! And all the while, lurking in the background is the prospect of Will’s most dreaded chore…cleaning out the privy!

Author Kaz Penney has crafted a clever story, loaded with humour which I am sure will appeal to readers throughout key stage 2. The artwork and doodles by Sammy Elgie add greatly to the enjoyment of the book and I suspect that Tybalt’s sarcastic commentary will provide plenty of laughs. As the 2026 National Year of Reading progresses, I am sure that this a book which youngsters will choose to read for pleasure. If you are responsible for a school or classroom library, I think you will want to add the Will Shakespeare Mysteries to your bookshelves.

Disclaimer: I am grateful to Jade at Andersen Press for sending me a proof copy of this book ahead of publication. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#MG Review: Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged by Eve Wersocki-Morris, illustrated by Honie Beam

Cover illustration by Honie Beam, published by Little Tiger Press, 8 January 2026, ISBN: 978-1788957625

Atmospheric, entertaining and kinetic, the second book in the Clem Fatale series is pure reading enjoyment for middle grade children!

For those who have read the first book in the series (my review is here: Clem Fatale Has Been Betrayed) many familiar faces return to the scene. However, this story can also be enjoyed as a standalone, which I always think is a huge bonus for those children who rely on libraries to supply their reading for pleasure.

We join our main protagonists, Clem and her best friend Gilbert, on a hot summer’s day in the London of 1951. As they stroll through a London park, eating ice creams and talking excitedly about the forthcoming appearance of American sister act The Wade Sisters at the London Palladium, they are unceremoniously kidnapped, driven at speed through the London streets and dumped at the feet of Eddy Wade, the manager of his sisters’ act. It turns out that Eddy has heard of Clem’s exploits through the London underworld, and wants to hire her to investigate the sudden disappearance of Betty Wade and a cache of expensive jewellery. It takes a thief to catch a thief, but can Clem uncover a motive, sift out the red herrings and restore Betty to the act before opening night? It’s a race against time, and Clem ain’t no slouch, so buckle up for hair raising chases across the capital, enquiries at the crooks’ cinema of choice and showdowns in high class hotels!

As with the first novel, author Eve Wersocki-Morris, does a brilliant job of capturing the atmosphere of London’s West End Theatreland in a historical period not often encountered in children’s literature. I think that children will enjoy the subversive aspect of Clem belonging to a family of crooks but using the skills of her trade to help uncover a mystery. Her friendship with Gilbert is under scrutiny in this tale. He has been sent by his aristocratic father, to attend a Kensington day school: St Loquacious Institute for Little Lords, and Clem is scared of losing him to the new attractions of cricket and metalwork and school slang. Can their chalk and cheese friendship survive these new pressures? And can they both survive the attentions of London’s most secretive and deadly gangster, The Chameleon? Grab yourself a copy of this book and I guarantee that you won’t want to put it down until you have the answers!

I highly recommend Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged to primary school librarians, key stage 2 teachers and parents/carers of children aged 9 and above, who want to put a thoroughly enjoyable story into the hands of middle grade readers. There are some stylish, full-page, illustrations by Honie Beam throughout the story, the chapter headings are puns on old gangster movies, the chapters are short and action-packed, and the book is just over 220 pages in length. That’s entertainment!

Disclaimer: I am grateful to Little Tiger Press for sending me a review copy of this book. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

National Year of Reading 2026: January

Book covers of all books I’ve read or listened to during January 2026

I’m “going all in” for the National Year of Reading 2026!

One month in and I’m already several days late posting, hopefully I’ll improve my timeliness as the year moves on.

As you can see, my reading has spanned the range from picture books through to adult titles. The three picture books and the middle grade titles were all sent to me by publicists for review. You can find my reviews at the links below:

Picture books from Andersen Press

Escape from the Child Snatchers

The Experiment

Quill and the Last Generation

Lianna and the Hombit

The YA title, The Agency for Scandal, was one of my own purchases, which has sat on my shelf for far too long. It was a wonderfully escapist read.

I borrowed four audiobooks from the wonderful Somerset Libraries, one of which, Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult, is the January title for the bookclub I run for colleagues at my place of work. We will be discussing it this week and I am looking forward to hearing my colleagues’ insights on this Covid-themed book. Personally, I found it very moving and was quite astonished by the major twist in the story.

Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books, and/or whether you have any special plans or activities for this National Year of Reading.

#Non-Fiction Review: How to Speak and Be Heard! by Sam Hutchinson & Vicky Barker

Cover image by Vicky Barker, published by b small publishing, 5 February 2026, ISBN:978-1916851917

How To Speak and Be Heard! is an excellent learning resource for schools and homes, published by one of my favourite publishers of children’s non-fiction; b small publishing. This book provides an essential toolkit for developing the skills of oracy, and has been written with advice from the English Speaking Union, a charity which helps young people gain speaking and listening skills as well as cultural understanding. All of these skills are vital for thriving in today’s society and have been recently added to the curriculum in primary schools.

This timely guide begins with a clear explanation of the skills that contribute to an individual’s oracy: the ability to reason based on evidence; the ability to listen and respond; the ability to organise and prioritise ideas; and the way in which expression and delivery enhance communication. Many forms of communication are considered in this book: speech, sign language, communication devices, graphics, foreign languages and body language. The often overlooked skill of active listening is also highlighted as key to good oracy. For each of these concepts, concise advice is provided about how to strengthen one’s abilities, and I was impressed that the difficulty that some people face with making eye contact, was sympathetically discussed.

Throughout the book, information is provided in short blocks of text, speech bubbles, infographics and appropriate, understandable illustrations. These make the information very child-friendly and appealing to a young readership, and I think that many children aged 8 years and above will enjoy exploring this book independently. It will also be an excellent teaching resource for time-starved primary school teachers, for school librarians, and I think would also be useful to many parents and carers. Not only does it help children learn how to give a confident verbal presentation in a public space, for example, presenting some project work, or taking part in a debate, it is clear that the same skills will be useful when working on collaborative projects and negotiating any exchange of information or viewpoints.

If you are looking for a text to help children build skills and confidence in oracy, then this book is an essential purchase. It will be published on 5th February by b small publishing.

Disclaimer: I am grateful to Naomi at b small publishing for sending me a copy of How to Speak and Be Heard! in exchange for my honest opinion.

A few years ago, when I was working in a school prior to my move to a hospital library, I reviewed another excellent book from the same publisher: Question Everything! which I would also highly recommend to both primary and secondary schools.

#MG Review: Quill and the Last Generation by C.M. Lewis

Illustration by Maria Vidal, Publication date 29 January 2026, Macmillan Children’s,
ISBN: 978-1035060610

Quill and the Last Generation is a beautifully crafted, middle-grade, fantasy adventure, based on the Celtic myth of Arawn and Hafgan, the two giants who battle each year to change the seasons. Author, CM Lewis, weaves a tale which totally enraptured me. The characters, setting and pacing capture the reader’s full attention, with moments of high octane drama sprinkled through a thoughtful, other-wordly adventure. There are sufficient dragons, shape-shifters, warriors, and sword skills to satisfy those children who love some battlefield action in their fantasy adventures. However, what really set this story apart, for me, were the quiet, reflective passages where you see the growth of each of the young characters, which provided authentic personalities and balanced out the action.

The main protagonist, Quill, is a 12-year-old boy, who lives with his father and mother, but has always felt like an outsider in his small harbour town. He has one close friend, Jona, but is teased by the other children because his father is so overprotective of him. Quill and Jona, along with their school peers, are the last generation of children to have been born and they have never known summer as the world went cold the year they were born. Quill seems to have a strange power over birds, which are drawn to him wherever he goes. When a very persistent crow, suddenly turns into a warrior-like girl named Deryn, Quill learns something of his true destiny and sets sail (a particularly special sail, crafted by his father) for the underworld.

Quill has many missions ahead of him, not the least of which is to rescue the Light of the World before it is extinguished. He has allies in the form of his shape-shifting friends, a small band of loyal soldiers and a magical water-horse, but he has many skills to master and time is running out. When the going gets tough, Macsen, his mentor, shows him the courage that is required to continue fighting for what feels right in his heart, even when the battle already feels lost. When the appointed full-moon arrives, Quill must face Arawn in the Valley of Fates, to try to restore warmth and light to both the underworld and the overworld. Will his love for his new-found friends, Finn, Deryn, Eos and Erin, as well as those he has left behind in the overworld, be sufficient motivation for this peace-loving boy to fight his opponent? Can Quill find a secret strength to add to the sword and sail with which he is armed?

This is a truly majestic middle-grade novel and I will predict now that it will appear on literary prize shortlists for 2026 publications. CM Lewis is an outstanding writer and presents a perfect combination of action and emotion in a novel of approximately 250 pages. I read the book as an advanced electronic copy, which contained some unfinished illustrations (by Maria Vidal) in an anime style, and also a gorgeous map at the start. I highly recommend Quill and the Last Generation to school librarians at both primary and secondary schools, as well as parents/carers for children aged 9 years and above.

Disclaimer: I am grateful to Macmillan Children’s Books and NetGalley for granting me access to the e-ARC in advance of publication on 29 January 2025. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.

#TheWriteReads Blog Tour: Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy

Cover art by Laura Tolton, published by The Silver Key, 29 January 2026, ISBN: 978-1918324013

Lianna and the Hombit is a delightful fantasy novel for middle grade readers. It gave me vibes of some of the classic stories that I enjoyed as a child; The Little Princess and The Secret Garden in particular. Lianna is a 13-year-old orphan, who has been sent to live with her uncle, Judge Sambru in the bleak, cold, harbour town of Lowdar, a long sea voyage away from her former home in the balmy land of Robunda. Her first experience of her new environment is to find herself robbed of her dear Papa’s pocket watch, her most precious possession since his sudden death.

It is clear upon her arrival at the judge’s grand house that her appearance is unexpected and unwelcome. She is accommodated in a small, unheated, attic room, her only consolation being a small glass-like bird which emerges from her empty fireplace. Not only can the creature talk, she soon learns that it is a Hombit, sent to use its magical powers on a mission so secret that it does not yet know what it has been tasked to do. The developing friendship and deep bond of trust and mutual reliance between Lianna and the Hombit sits at the heart of this novel and provides the spark to drive Lianna through her trials.

She has many mysteries to unravel and faces them with courage and determination, whether she’s investigating the contents of her uncle’s library for clues to the family’s history, or diving into a ferocious sea to rescue a woman in distress. Lianna is desperate to unravel the secrets of her late father’s flight from Lowdar; the intriguing reports of jewel thefts from clients of the Sambru family’s business and the disappearance of her uncle’s fiancee, all of which appear to be linked in some way. Most pressingly, has her arrival in her father’s home town somehow caused the living rocks to awaken, and can she save herself and the town from a terrible fate?

I found this story to be thoroughly engaging, building in tension to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. I think that middle grade readers will empathise with Lianna and be enchanted by the Hombit, as they accompany them through their many challenges. The author brilliantly builds the forbidding atmosphere of the town, from the earliest pages I felt a real sense of menace from the harbour town, its inhabitants, and its surrounding seascape. I highly recommend it to primary school librarians and parents/caregivers for children aged 9 years and above who love to immerse themselves in mystery adventures with a spark of magic.

About the Author:
Valinora Troy is a children’s fantasy and horror writer from Ireland. She has a MA in Creative Writing, specialising in writing for children and young adults. She has acted as a panellist for the CYBILS awards in the middle grade speculative fiction category and served
as a Reading Ambassador for Louth Libraries. Her short stories for adults have appeared in numerous publications. She is the author of The Lucky Diamond trilogy, a middle grade children’s fantasy adventure series. In 2023 she was short-listed for the Staróg Prize. When not writing, she loves visiting schools and libraries to talk to children about books and writing.

You can find out more about Valinora’s books, as well as resources for schools, and sign up
to her newsletter on her website: Valinora Troy – Children’s Fantasy Writer

Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Valinora Troy for sending me a copy of Lianna and the Hombit in paperback format in exchange for my honest opinion, and to #TheWriteReads for organising the blog tour and providing images. Do check out the other blogposts on the promotional tour.

#MG Sci-Fi Review: The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

Cover image by Devin Elle Kurtz, published by Andersen Press 01 January 2026, ISBN: 978-1839137815

The Experiment is a page-turner of a sci-fi novel written for a middle grade readership but with themes which will interest older teen readers and adults too.

The main protagonist is a sixth-grade boy named Nathan, who lives with his parents in New York, where the three of them hide a very big secret; they are aliens, part of a network of families who have been sent to assimilate with humans as part of an experiment run by their ‘Kast’ leader, Hester. On the surface, Nathan appears to be a typical 12-year-old, he and his best friend Victor share a love of comic books and movie nights on the sofa with Victor’s extended family. However, at home, Nathan’s food intake is measured to the gram by his mother, she is constantly uploading his metabolic data for Hester’s attention, and she totally freaks out when he runs out of the special pink toothpaste with which he has to clean his teeth five times per day! The twelve alien families scattered across the United States have monthly online meetings to check on each other’s progress, and when Izzy (with whom Nathan has formed a strong bond) as well as several others from the cohort disappear, coinciding with Nathan growing a stripy tail, it looks as if their time on planet earth might be drawing to an end. Nathan and his parents are summoned back to the spacecraft known as ‘the Wagon’ where they witness the disturbing treatment of families who have ‘failed’ the experiment. With the help of his sentient tail, which Nathan has named Tuck, he begins to uncover a huge web of deceit which leads to deep questions about all of his family’s deeply held beliefs.

The clever structure of this book, with six parts counting down to the lift off of the Wagon, and very short chapters, makes it a compelling read. The book is only 270 pages in length, so perfectly manageable as an independent read for children aged 9 years and above. In addition to the gripping and increasingly tense unravelling of the mystery of Hester, the Wagon and the Kast, there is also a touching story at its heart of the very genuine friendship between Nathan and Victor, and what it means to be human. I liked the insights into the nature of scientific experimentation, and the concept of the researcher becoming so obsessed with their work that acceptable standards and ethics were ignored. I think that this could be used as the basis for interesting discussions in an upper primary or lower secondary school classroom setting. I highly recommend The Experiment as an excellent addition to primary and secondary school library collections, and as a gift for young fans of the sci-fi genre.

Disclaimer: I am most grateful to publicist Jade at Andersen Press for sending me a copy of The Experiment. It was my decision to write a review and all opinions are my own.