Cover art Steve Roberts/Joel Stewart, publisher Welbeck Chidren’s/Hachette, July 2023, ISBN: 978-1801300735
The Tangletree Mysteries are vibrant graphic novel style stories which are a perfect introduction to detective mysteries for newly confident readers of 6/7 years of age and which are likely to appeal to children throughout primary school. Each book contains two separate stories, each approximately 60 pages long, so they are an achievable read for those children who are looking to build their independent reading stamina. I am very impressed that publisher, Welbeck Children’s, an imprint of Hachette, has printed the text in the speech bubbles in lower case font rather than the upper case that is more usually found in graphic novels. I think that many children at the start of their independent reading journey will find this text easy to read. The full-colour, cartoon style pages are full of detail, feature a quirky cast of animal characters and are written and drawn with a great sense of playfulness by Steve Roberts and Joel Stewart.
The stories feature Peggy, a seemingly ordinary dog, who chases her ball into Tangletree Wood on her daily walks. As soon as she is under the shadow of the trees, she turns into a talented investigator and mystery-solver, who even has her own detective agency office deep within the woodland. Like all great fictional detectives, Peggy has a sidekick, in this case Stu the Shrew, who helps her sniff out the answers.
The first story, Slime Time, is almost too much for the sensitive snouts of our detecting duo. The occupants of Tangletree Wood are suddenly appearing to be sleepy, smelly and covered in nasty green slime! Peggy and Stu have to stay up all night and do some serious tracking to solve this mystery, which I found very amusing as it featured some unorthodox library practice! The second story, Mud Race, is another in which the woodland residents get extremely mucky. It is the day of the Annual Tangletree Race and, as usual Fiona and Clive are the odds-on favourites to take the title. However, with a new course ploughed through the wood by Hannah and her unreliable bulldozer, the race presents some extreme challenges. Could there be a surprise winner? And what is causing a threat to the competitors? Can Peggy and Stu save the day?
Disclaimer: I am grateful to Welbeck Children’s Publications and Antonia Wilkinson PR for sending me a copy of Tangletree Mysteries: Peggy and Stu Investigate! It was my choice to review the book and all opinions are my own.
I have received two glorious picture books in the past week, both due for publication on 29 August 2024, so I thought I would review them together for #PictureBookFriday!
Pearl and her Bunch by Momoko Abe
Cover art Momoto Abe, publisher Hachette Children’s, 29 August 2024, ISBN: 978-1408362938
This charming and warm picture book is written and illustrated by Momoko Abe, who was born in Japan and moved to the UK to study film making. Her illustrations are bold and vibrant and just seem to pulse with energy as they move the story-telling along. I was certainly not surprised to discover that Momoko Abe still works in the TV and film industry as well as creating picture books.
The story begins with Pearl introducing her huge family, The Grapes – a big bunch who are depicted playing all sorts of games on the kitchen counter and giving each other group hugs in the fruit bowl. However, one day Pearl’s world collapses into despair when she hears a young human say that there is a pea amongst the grapes, and Pearl realises that she is the pea! Although mama and papa grape tell her that they have loved her from the moment they found her alone under the toaster, Pearl runs away horrified at the thought that she doesn’t belong with her family. Thus begins an adventure in which Pearl discovers the true meaning of family.
I loved the way that this book cleverly and gently portrays all kinds of families, using fruit and vegetable characters, showing young readers that family members don’t have to look the same but it’s how they make you feel that is important. I think this would be a lovely story to share with pre-schoolers at home, or in nursery and early years settings.
My thanks to Hachette Children’s Group and Antonia Wilkinson PR for sending me a copy ahead of publication.
Colin’s Castle by Holly Swain
Cover art by Holly Swain, published by Farshore/Harper Collins, 29 August 2024, ISBN: 978-0008698126
Colin’s Castle is Holly Swain’s debut picture book as both author and illustrator, previously she has illustrated works by other authors. She has come up with a ‘quacker’ of a story about Colin a vegan vampire, who has found his perfect home, except that it contains a pesky and very persistent duck!
This is another picture book with boldly drawn illustrations which depict the hilarious tale of Colin trying every strategy that he can think of to banish the duck and I enjoyed the mixing of full page drawings, double page spreads and horizontal panels to drive the narrative forward. I think that young children will thoroughly enjoy watching the battle of wills between the vampire and his fowl rival! There is one particular page that I can imagine causing a lot of giggles, but I won’t ruin anyone’s fun by telling you more.
I think that Colin’s Castle will be a great addition to the Halloween collection in primary school libraries and classrooms, and is also likely to provide a lot of fun as a shared read between adults and children of 4+ in homes.
My thanks to Farshore/Harper Collins Children’s and Rory Codd for sending me a copy ahead of publication.
Disclaimer: both of these books were sent to me by publishers, it was my own choice to review the books and all opinions are my own.
Cover design: Ness Wood, publisher Guppy Books, publication date 10 October 2024, ISBN: 987-1916558331
It has taken me a few days to try to order my thoughts on Handle With Care, and I am still not sure that I can do justice to this outstanding novel by Louisa Reid but I have tried to summarise my reflections below.
I have never before read a Young Adult novel which begins in such a visceral manner; we are introduced to best friends Ashley and Ruby in their GCSE History lesson, and it rapidly becomes apparent that Ruby is not just “about to barf” but is actually in the third stage of labour. The author’s technique of presenting Ashley’s viewpoint in prose alternating with Ruby’s voice in verse, makes their contrasting narratives hit the reader’s head and heart like emotional heat-seeking missiles. The bewilderment and excruciating pain felt by Ruby, the chaos in the classroom compounded by a male teacher’s utter inadequacy to deal with the situation, contrasts with Ashley’s calm control and support for her best friend, despite her complete shock at the event. Ashley is from a family of four children and has witnessed the births of her two younger siblings, so she seems more competent in the moment than even the school nurse.
Throughout the rest of the novel, Ashley’s narrative provides the context and detail as the story unfolds, whereas Ruby’s world becomes completely focussed on her emotional state, which is so brilliantly expressed in verse. There are no chapters, but this switching of voice and style is utterly compelling and makes the book hard to put down. We learn that Ruby has always been the golden child of her year group, top performer in exams as well as star of the school productions. She is destined for academic success, driven to achieve by her high-earning-executive single mother. She lives in an affluent, gated community, where she has always welcomed Ashley and been incredibly generous to her, despite her ice-cold mother’s obvious disapproval of a lower social class friend. Ashley lives in a modest and noisy house, with hard-working parents who are supportive with their time and attention and have raised their family as devout Christians who still attend church as a family. Despite their different backgrounds the girls have been inseparable friends since primary school. However, the repercussions of the unexpected birth lead to fractured friendship and descent into serious mental health disorder, explored in the heart-breaking narrative. The story unfolds as organically as any biological process and I don’t want to say too much more about it for fear of ruining anyone’s enjoyment of reading it themselves.
As a YA novel, this story is intended for a readership of ages 14 and above, and Louisa Read perfectly captures the GCSE years of exam pressures, sleepovers with friends, after school extra-curricular activities and the malevolent effects of social media. The novel is bookended with the same quote from Frankenstein and I have to credit my home-for-the-holidays, student daughter for spotting an homage to An Inspector Calls towards the end. (We had an excellent conversation about the book after both reading it). I could quote so many powerful lines from the novel but will use the following in which Ruby’s understanding of Pride and Prejudice is used to great effect:
I try Jane Austen instead,
a love story I know so well
it’s stuck in my veins.
But she’s no better these days.
I wish she were here so I could tell her
that in the twenty-first century
boys don’t really care about your fine eyes.
They just care about getting your knickers off
and then pretending you’ve never met.
I want to tell her Wickham rules;
Mr Darcy is dead. page 208
I love the use of texts that many readers will be studying for their English GCSEs and which help them see these characters reflected in their own everyday experiences. I hope that it will make young people consider the importance of their friendships, the power that their words and actions can have, and think about why, as a society, we still seem to place responsibility on the female rather than the male in matters of sexual conduct. It is sad to realise that attitudes have not moved on so very much from Victorian morality playscripts. I would also encourage anyone working with teenagers and anyone who commissions health and social services, to read Handle With Care and reflect on the loneliness and confusion felt by so many young people, and the gaps between services into which it is so easy for those needing help to fall, especially those who cannot rely on family support. Their stories might not have the ultimate ending of Ruby’s but their potential to lead productive lives can surely be enhanced by better, more joined up care.
This novel has real emotional heft and is one that I highly recommend to all secondary school librarians and to public libraries to add to their health and wellbeing collections.
Disclaimer: I am grateful to Guppy Books and Lz Scott PR for sending me an ARC ahead of publication; it was my choice to review Handle With Care and all opinions are my own.
BlogTour image created by TheWriteReads in association with Neem Tree Press
I am delighted to join this blog tour, which marks the publication of Scareground in the United States this week. Do check out all the other posts on the tour schedule.
Although it is a year since I read Scareground, the characters, setting and narrative have remained in my head, such was the originality of the novel and my enjoyment in reading it. It is a great read for children aged 10+ who want to be spooked a bit, but the plot remains the right side of scary for an upper middle grade audience.
Here is the review that I first posted on this platform in August last year:
Are you ready for the unexpected? The extraordinary? The daring? Roll up, roll up! The Scareground is in town!
Nancy Crumpet is ready to seek the answers to her past! What is the meaning of the silver horse that marks her wrist and that she hides from the prying eyes of the world? Why do her loving, adoptive parents Ma and Pa Crumpet, whose bakery home is usually filled with warmth and openness, become evasive and embarrassed when she asks about her origins? And why have they, along with her only friend Arthur’s father, forbidden her from visiting the travelling fairground setting up in Oxleas Wood? Despite her guilt at betraying the trust and love that the Crumpets have always shown her, Nancy has a burning desire to know where she comes from, so ignoring the warning messages that the sky is sending, she sets out after dark with Arthur to visit Skelter Tombola’s Scareground!
This is a deliciously creepy tale for an upper middle grade readership. It gave me vibes of Rooftoppers crossed with The Night Circus, and I am sure will be greatly enjoyed by fans of Katherine Rundell, Emma Carroll and Jennifer Killick. The juxtaposition of baked-goods-metaphors in parallel with an ominous sense of foreboding works brilliantly to build a tense narrative. Angela Kecojevic’s writing is distinctive, filled with originality and sentences which demand to be re-read to fully appreciate the imagery they convey. She creates the setting of Victorian Greenwich with such clarity that from the opening pages, readers feel the thrill of Nancy’s rooftop view over the Thameside village and her sense that something unexpected has been blown in by the wind. Oh, I should probably mention that there is an excellent map of Victorian Greenwich in the endpapers (I could not find a credit for the artist in my ARC copy); the inclusion of a map always adds to my enjoyment of a book!
Characters spring to life, fully formed but begging readers to explore their back stories and motivations. From Ma and Pa Crumpet who bake all week and love to relax by reading books in front of the crackling fire on Sunday evenings, to the mysterious and sinister fairground impressario Skelter Tombola, readers will be enthralled. Nancy and Arthur’s friendship is touching and entirely believable and both characters undergo considerable growth throughout the narrative. I really don’t want to ruin anyone’s enjoyment by giving away too much of the plot but the magical ability to skyread, a phantom carousel, a sky ship, a profusion of black crows’ feathers and a horrible demon who seems to leave hideous black slugs in his wake will all send shivers down the spine! Scareground is certain to be popular with mature readers of 10+ as autumn approaches.
Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of Scareground by publisher Neem Tree Press. It was my decision to review the book and all opinions are my own.
Cover image by Nora Dåsnes, published by Farshore, 29 August 2024, ISBN: 978-0008653781
Save Our Forest! is a thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational graphic novel, written and illustrated by Norwegian author Nora Dåsnes. This is a stunning, full-colour edition, where the words and pictures are perfectly matched to tell the story of a group of school children fighting to save a wild space which means so much to them. This novel has a very contemporary feel, with parts of the narrative presented as screenshots of the social media and text messages between the young people themselves, and between them and their parents.
It is made clear from the beginning of the story that friends Bao, Tuva and Linnéa have spent many happy years playing in the forest area attached to their school. However, they are noticing that the changing weather is causing the stream to flow much more fiercely and the ground to become more boggy. Bao in particular shows her concern about climate change through her role on the school council, and when she hears that the School Principal, a City Councillor and the PTA representative want to raze the forest to build an extended car park, she is spurred into taking direct action and encouraging her friends and eventually their families to join her. The illustrations do a great job of portraying Tuva’s exasperation at some of the adults and children when she feels that they do not share her concern at the immediacy of the behaviour changes that need to take place. Placing the narrative in front of a remarkably wet season helps to underline that her concerns for the environment are not misplaced.
I also enjoyed the way that factual information about climate change and about activism was depicted in accessible, graphical form, making this book an ideal resource for classrooms as well as for home use. I would say that it is most appropriate for a readership aged 9 to 14. Finally, I must comment on the excellent translation from Norwegian to English by Lise Laerdal Bryn; you would never know from the text that this book had not been originally written in English.
Disclaimer: I am very grateful to Farshore Books for sending me a copy of Save Our Forest! ahead of publication on 29 August 2024. It was my decision to review this book and all opinions are my own.
If you are looking for a non-fiction companion to Save Our Forest! I recommend Drawn to Change the World, an anthology of biographies of young climate activists from diverse backgrounds which is also presented in graphic novel format.
Cover art by Andy Riley, published by Welbeck Children’s Books, August 2024, ISBN: 978-1801301510
“When the world’s scariest shark menaces the seas, the city needs a hero…”
Action Dude and the Massive Shark bubbles with entertainment for young readers and fans of the graphic novel format. Publishing on 15 August 2024, this is a perfect book for children aged 7 years and upwards to enjoy during their summer holidays, and I would also recommend it to primary school librarians and teachers to add to their graphic novel collections.
Action Dude is a nine-year-old boy, who together with his friends Ruby and Kay, dives in to rescue his seaside town from an invasion of giant, blue-spotted sea creatures. The comic interplay between Action Dude and the town officials is incredibly funny, laced with writer/illustrator Andy Riley’s wry wit. The clever blend of text and graphics brings the humour to life on the page as Action Dude seeks to persuade the mayor to allow him to intervene, despite Police Chief Nina’s objections. Unfortunately, Action Dude has a rather expensive habit of trashing the town’s rescue vehicles, so the adventure has to turn away from underwater exploration and take on a spy-sleuthing approach instead. The classic tropes of action-espoinage-adventure are combined into a thoroughly satisfying story which I am sure will have children laughing out loud as they race through the pages. Under all of the humour and action-thriller plotting, there is a lovely thread of family love and loyalty, as well as an environmental message.
One other idea that struck me as I read Action Dudeand the Massive Shark is that I suspect that the style of Andy Riley’s artwork, especially his human characters, will spur many youngsters on to try drawing and writing their own comic book stories. To help get started, there are plenty of activity ideas on the Action Dude website, including a gallery of children’s drawings.
Disclaimer: I am hugely grateful to Dom Kingston at Hachette Children’s Books for my gifted copy of Action Dude and the Massive Shark ahead of publication. I chose to review this book and all opinions are entirely my own.
Cover art by Camelia Pham, published by Magic Cat Publishing, 18 July 2024, ISBN: 978-1915569509
This stunning, hardback, non-fiction publication is an absolute “must-buy” for primary school libraries and key stage 2 classrooms and would make a wonderful gift for any young reader who is enthralled by the characters and stories portrayed in Greek myths; subjects of many popular MG fiction books. The author Honor Cargill-Martin must be one of the most talented young writers around, it seems that she can write marvellous fiction and non-fiction for both children and adults. Here she has presented her meticulous academic research in text which is engaging, educational and accessible for the intended young readership. I think she confirms a theory of mine that some people who are dyslexic have a superpower-level ability to present ideas with great clarity. The vibrant and distinctive illustrations throughout by Camelia Pham, add to the freshness with which ancient tales are portrayed in this anthology.
In her introduction, the author gives a concise explanation of the way that ancient myths were disseminated by: word of mouth, in song, and in artworks, and makes readers aware that this led to differing versions of the stories. She proceeds to explain that she has decided to highlight the female perspective of the tales included in the book, because throughout history a predominantly male view has been presented. I really wish such a book had been available when I was young, as it is only in recent years with adult historical fiction by writers such as Madeline Miller and Pat Barker that I have been made aware of the need to redress the bias. I am delighted that today’s children can now read about some of the most famous mythological characters from a new viewpoint.
We are treated to first person narrative accounts of key moments in the stories of:
Pandora – the first woman on earth, who opened a jar of chaos onto the world
Medusa – the powerful woman they called a monster
Medea – the clever sorceress who helped Jason obtain the Golden Fleece
Atalanta – the strong huntress who fought in the Calydonian boar hunt
Ariadne – the Cretan princess who helped crack the Labyrinth and stop the Minotaur
Helen – the queen of Sparta who found love on her own terms.
Penthesilea – the Amazonian warrior who led an army during the Trojan war
Circe – the mighty witch queen who would do anything to protect her island
Each narrative is retold over the space of 5-7 lavishly illustrated pages. The artwork by Camelia Pham takes inspiration from the classical artefacts of Ancient Greece but painted with a vibrant modern palette. Each of the women are given a voice to express their personalities, their ambitions and their dislike of the way they are treated by some but not all of the dominant male characters and gods in their myths. Speaking directly to the reader, the women are able to convey a great deal of information in a way that is easily digestible for readers – young and old – without the book ever resembling a stodgy textbook. There is a brief summary of each of the women’s trajectories after the key events in their stories and as a professional librarian, I was thrilled to see a bibliography which was broken down into primary and secondary sources. I am sure that classroom teachers will be hugely grateful for such a gorgeous resource to be used when teaching the Ancient Greek history topic. Additionally, She Speaks would make an excellent companion book for those children who love reading any of the multitude of popular middle grade fiction series which are based on the Greek myths.
Disclaimer: I am hugely grateful to Honor Cargill-Martin who sent me a gifted copy of She Speaks: The Women of Greek Myths in Their Own Words. It was my choice to review the book and opinions are entirely my own.
If you are interested in reading middle grade fiction written by Honor Cargill and her mother Perdita, do check out the Accidental Witch series. You can read my reviews of:
Cover art by David Parkins, published by Little Steps Publishing, Revised edition: 11 July 2024, ISBN: 978-1915641229
This biography of eighteenth century Royal Navy captain, Matthew Flinders, has recently been updated and re-issued to mark the re-burial of his remains in the family parish church in the village of Donington, Lincolnshire, the place of his birth in 1774. I am sure that there will be many readers who, like me, will be unfamiliar with his name but will be fascinated to learn the story of his circumnavigation of Australia, and his dedication to charting the coastline. Author, Ruth Taylor, has written for an upper middle grade audience and her words are given added depth by the illustrations and beautiful maps drawn by David Parkins.
In the modern world, we are all so used to having an app on our phone to help us navigate our journeys that it is good to be reminded of the intrepid individuals who charted unexplored territories in the previous centuries. Matthew Flinders was the son of a town apothecary in Lincolnshire and showed a flair for geometry at school. He read the book Robinson Crusoe in his youth and this inspired him to seek a career as a sailor rather than following in his father’s trade as he had been expected to do. After joining the Royal Navy at age 16, Matthew made his first voyage to Australia a year later. At that time, the instruments used to calculate a ship’s longitude and latitude relied on a sailor with an aptitude for geometry, and Matthew soon became known as a skilled navigator.
This book provides an incredibly detailed account of Matthew Flinders’ voyages, adventures and the hardships he faced, as he rose through the ranks of the navy whilst drawing maps and charts of the coastline of Australia and its surrounding islands. It appears that his notebooks and letters contained the same meticulous detail as his navigational charts, which author Ruth Taylor was able to use as a basis for this biography. I think that the parallel narrative of Flinders’ cat Trim will be particularly appealing to young readers of this biography. Trim was rescued from drowning as a kitten and was then treated as a member of the ship’s crew and was regularly written about in Flinders’ letters and journals, and I learnt that there are six statues in honour of this famous cat, dotted around the world.
The book does not shy away from describing the scale of the hardships faced by sailors during this historical period, with many illnesses caused by poor diet and the unhygienic living conditions aboard sailing ships, and the frequent drownings that occurred. The author provides readers with the sense of urgency that drove Captain Flinders, with a Eurocentric focus on the race to claim land on the new continent, between English, French and Dutch explorers. There is a mention of the fact that the indigenous people were not asked by the Europeans for permission to colonise their land and if this book was to be used in schools as part of geography and/or history projects, I would suggest also finding books which present the First Nations people’s perspective. There is a great range of teaching resources provided on the publisher’s website here. I think that The Cat and The Captain will be enjoyed by KS2 and even KS3 pupils who enjoy adventure and non-fiction texts.
Disclaimer: I am grateful to Little Steps Publishing who sent me a free copy of this book; it was my choice to write a review and all opinions are my own.
Cover image by Joe Todd-Stanton, published by UCLan Publishing, 4 July 2024, ISBN: 978-1915235961
The third adventure in the Wildsmith series begin with main protagonist Rowan hiding out with her dad and Mouse, the pegasus that she has fostered from a foal, on the remote Thornback Island. Those readers who have read Wildsmith: City of Secretswill remember that they had to flee their forest home to protect Mouse from the Estrian fighters who want to use magical creatures in their war against the people of Gallren. However, it is not long before Rowan and Mouse are on the move again, after the witches tell her that a herd of wild pegasi have been located and that Mouse’s mother is thought to be amongst them. Author, Liz Flanagan, draws out the complex feelings that Rowan experiences as she compares her own longing for her mother with the understanding that she must return her beloved, magical companion to his own mother.
After reuniting Mouse with his family, Rowan expects a straightforward voyage back to Thornback Island…but she is deflected by another adventure when an Estrian warship bears down on the ferry! This story packs an exciting range of action and characters into 160 pages: kidnap; shipwreck; friendship with a selkie; the sensory experience of a night as a sea creature; a dragon reunion and a heart-stopping battle on the ramparts of a castle. In the course of the excitement, Rowan forms new friendships with Isla Farshore of the selkie people and Leo Ravenwood, the son of the elected leader of Estria, whose mother wants to restore peace to their lands. I cannot speak highly enough of Liz Flanagan’s ability to blend adventure, the classic elements of the fantasy genre, a real feeling of yearning for family and the message that mistakes can be rectified and forgiven, into this novel. Her words are given added accessibility by Joe Todd-Stanton’s sweet illustrations.
Wildsmith: The Hidden Sea is an essential addition to school libraries, classrooms and to home book collections. The level of peril combined with exciting plot and interesting characters and magical creatures, makes it a story suitable as an independent read for those children who master reading early and those who at age 9-10 prefer to read a book with illustrated short chapters. I was delighted to see that the first book in this series, Wildsmith: Into the Dark Forest was recently awarded the UKLA award in the 7-10 category and described as a ‘perfect first chapter book’. I would comment that having now read the first three books, I consider this series to be a perfect introduction to the fantasy genre for young readers. Book Four is apparently due in the autumn!
Disclaimer: My thanks to Antonia Wilkinson and UCLan Publishing for sending me a free copy of Wildsmith: The Hidden Sea, which I chose to review, all opinions are my own.
ARC from Publisher: Nosy Crow, 12 September 2024, ISBN: 978-1805132257
Prepare for spine tingles mixed with hilarity intense enough to cause heads to roll; there’s a new book due from the master of middle grade mischief, Martin Howard!
Mallory Vayle is an orphan. Maggoty Skull is not your average bony-brain-receptacle. He is the 500-year-old, cursed, ever-so-slightly narcissistic, remains of a manservant, who delivers lines with the cheesy insincerity of a Saturday night TV personality! We meet Mallory at the graveside of her parents’ funeral, where she is disconcertingly joined by the ghosts of said parents, who deliver a wry commentary on the proceedings. Thus the scene is set for this “carnival of spookiness” in which the dark forces of the spirit world are blended with irreverent humour and a page-turning plot.
Mallory is whisked away from the rain-drenched cemetery by an Aunt of whom she has been unaware until this moment, much to the dismay of her mother’s ghost. Mallory’s own unease increases exponentially when Aunt Lilith’s carriage pulls up at Carrion Castle, a ruin which pulsates with malevolent spirits. Here she makes a quick succession of discoveries:
a secret passageway which leads her to Maggoty Skull
the evil shadow of Hellysh Spatzl, a necromancer who wants Mallory to restore her to life
that Aunt Lilith makes a meagre living from faking psychic abilities
that her ability to converse with ghosts is due to her own hidden powers of necromancy.
As Mallory grows into the extent of her powers, she struggles against her potential to do harm, summoning up her supernatural prowess at the crescendo of the story to put on a convincingly deceptive spectacle. The darkness in the story is continually lightened by Maggoty’s brand of toilet humour, which I think will appeal to readers in the 10-14 age bracket. The book is also stylishly illustrated throughout in black and white artwork by Pete Williamson.
With a high stakes plot, interesting character development and at times some astonishingly powerful imagery, this is a book which will prove to be a gripping read for upper middle-grade fans of the horror genre.
Cold wind hunted dead leaves down the cobbled alleys of Stabbings, hustling its prey into doorways where they panicked, whirling in dizzying circles. A few pressed themselves up against windows as if pleading to be let in, before tumbling and fluttering away into darkness, chased by the chilly blast. Page 139
I would recommend it for children aged 10 years and above, who enjoy the Dreadwood or Goosebumps series, however, I would suggest that very sensitive children might want to wait until they are slightly older before reading. There’s a twist at the end which promises a sequel and I’m sure that many readers will be very impatient for this!
Disclaimer: I am very grateful to publisher Nosy Crow for sending me an ARC of this book ahead of publication on 12 September 2024, in exchange for my honest opinion.
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