#MG Review: Time Travellers Adventure Calling by Sufiya Ahmed

Paperback middle grade book Time Travellers Adventure Calling by Sufiya Ahmed on a bookshelf in front of some other middle grade books.
Cover illustration by Alessia Trunfio, published by Little Tiger,
ISBN: 978-1788956598

The first in a new series of time-slip adventures, Time Travellers Adventure Calling, packs a lot of education and entertainment into just under 150 pages, making it an ideal read for children of 8 years old and above. In my experience, time travel adventures are usually very popular with primary school children and I love the way that Sufiya Ahmed has used this structure to provide a really positive story about the power of democracy.

This story starts with a school trip to the Houses of Parliament after Mia, Ayaan and Suhana have had their designs for their local MP’s Christmas card chosen as winning and runner up entries to his annual competition. Through the MP’s visit to their school assembly and their subsequent day out, readers are given a valuable lesson in civics in an accessible way to which they can easily relate. Despite their unpleasant and prejudiced headteacher, Mr Hayes, the three children are thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to explore the public areas of Westminster and learn about its history, when suddenly Suhana’s phone twists them through time to 1911. They arrive on 17th June, the date of the Coronation Procession of the Women’s Social and Political Union which was organised to demand votes for women.

As they negotiate the crowded streets, unexpected hazards and battle against the clock to ensure their return to the present day, the children forge a bond of friendship and meet some prominent figures from the suffragette and suffragist movements. With a Pakistani heritage herself, Suhana is both surprised and delighted to find women from South Asia participating in the demonstration. Through her reaction, readers can understand the importance of bringing to light the hidden voices and faces from history. Her curious and questioning attitude, which has elicited unjust and unkind responses from her headteacher, is shown to be important for correcting the absences in the historical record. I also enjoyed the way that historical protest for women’s emancipation was juxtaposed against the current Fridays for Future demonstrations. The theme of standing up in solidarity with important beliefs is nicely demonstrated by Mia and Ayaan, who react against Mr Hayes’ unfairness to make a tangible difference for Suhana.

There is some interesting factual detail on the women’s suffrage movement at the end of the book as well as biographical details on Lolita Roy and Princess Sophia Duleep Singh. I am certainly looking forward to the next Time Travellers adventure which is due to be published in October 2024. I think that this series is going to be very popular in primary schools, not just for presenting interesting historical facts in an engaging format but also for surfacing the idea that we should question the historical record for what has been omitted.

I am very grateful to Little Tiger for sending me a review copy of Time Travellers Adventure Calling in exchange for my honest opinion.

#MG Review: My Family and Other Romans by Marie Basting, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino

Paperback book My Family and Other Romans by Marie Basting with two Roman soldier Lego minifigures standing in front .
Cover art by Flavia Sorrentino, published by Chicken House
8 June 2023, ISBN: 9781911490951

Ancient Rome takes on pop culture in this very funny time-slip portal story for the middle grade audience. Marie Basting has blended historical research with humour to weave a plot with a wonderfully inclusive message.

Livi, or Silvia Fortuna Juno De Luca, lives with her father, Ben, in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall. The perfect setting for Dad and his merry band of Live-Action Role-Players (LARPers) to dress up in authentic historical costumes and re-enact the daily lives and battles of your average Roman citizen! Recently, the fantasy has gone one step further with the building of Rome Play, a replica Roman village, thanks to the prop-building skills of Kenzo, a professional special-effects maestro and Dad’s best friend. So much faith do these two have in their venture that Kenzo is skipping his chance to help at a nearby Harry Styles concert to be present for the opening mega role-play event weekend!

Dad’s mysterious disappearance as the grand opening approaches leads Livi through the polystyrene replica of The Arch of Constantine on a strangely misty evening and into the ‘welcoming’ arms of a long lost family! I don’t want to give away any more plot details for fear of spoiling the increasingly wondrous character reveals and plot twists, as Livi faces internal and external battles after learning the prophecy of her quest. Instead, I will tell you what appealed to me in this book and why I would highly recommend it for children of 8 years and above:

  • The design includes beautifully illustrated chapter headers by Flavia Sorrentino
  • There are Latin phrases (immediately translated into English) throughout
  • Historical Roman terms are emboldened in the text and explained in a glossary
  • The time-slip/portal structure makes history immediately relevant to real life
  • Short chapters and humour make the book an appealing read for the target audience
  • Through Livi’s extraordinary family an important message about diversity and acceptance is delivered.
  • It is a great example of presenting well-researched historical detail in a thoroughly entertaining story so that education is delivered by stealth.

I am only sorry that My Family and Other Romans has been sitting in my TBR stack for too many months due to work pressures squeezing my reading time in the latter half of 2023. I will be passing it on to a primary school library, where I hope that it will be greatly enjoyed by KS2 pupils.

I received my copy of My Family and Other Romans as a free gift from Chicken House following a Twitter giveaway organised by @ErinLynHamilton for which I am very grateful.

If you enjoy this book and want to dig deeper into Ancient Roman history through fiction, I highly recommend the entire series of The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence.

Picture Book Review: Mummy and Me by Lydia Bright and Jojo Clinch

Picture book Mummy and Me by Lydia Bright and Jojo Clinch features a mummy and baby elephant hugging, surrounded by fairy mice, a parrot, a pirate ship and a pot of colouring pencils.
Cover art by Jojo Clinch, published by Puffin an imprint of Penguin Random House, 1 February 2024, ISBN: 9780241605837

This lovely picture book is bursting with imagination, creativity and love, celebrating the ‘magic making days’ shared by mummy elephant and her daughter Etta. They are the ‘Terrific Team of Two’ making their own adventures through crafting, drawing and storytelling, bonded together with love despite their opposing personalities. As they illustrate a picture book adventure at the kitchen table their creative differences take them on an intriguing voyage which balances mum’s desire for peace and relaxation with Etta’s desire for action and excitement. I loved the way that these contrasting desires melded into a story which featured pirates and fairy mice, stormy seas and balloon-powered rescue.

The book has been written by author Lydia Bright as a celebration of single parent families and I liked the way that she sensitively touched on the child’s moment of wishing to be part of a large family but ultimately appreciating the amazing bond that she shares with her mother. I think that this will make a lovely addition to primary school and nursery classroom collections to reinforce the value of all forms of families. The glorious illustrations by Jojo Clinch perfectly complement the concept of a hand drawn story and provide a wealth of talking points to ensure shared enjoyment of this book between adult and child.

I am most grateful to Karen Stretch and Puffin Books for providing me with a review copy of Mummy and Me prior to publication on 1st February 2024.

#YA Review: One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain

A proof edition of a novel, One Last Breath by Ginny Myers Sain, standing on a mantlepiece.
Proof cover of One Last Breath, publisher Harper Collins, 7 March 2024, ISBN: 9780008626631

A claustrophobic, Young Adult thriller which plunges the reader into the depths of small town secrets and keeps you holding your breath to the very last page!

Eighteen year old Tru has lived in the stifling Florida town of Mount Orange all her life. The town has two claims to fame: its freshwater springs which draw summer visitors and free-divers, and its notoriety as the scene of the gruesome murders of two teenage girls 20 years prior to the start of the story. On the occasion of the unveiling of a memorial to Bailey and Celeste, the town is overflowing with true-crime podcasters and other out-of-towners, attracted by the macabre history.

We quickly realise that Tru feels some sense of connection to the murdered girls through the recounting of her disturbing dreams which appear to include memories of a night which occurred before she was born. However, we are left wondering whether the cause of these nightmares is related to the tragic hit and run death of her elder sister, Dani, and her guilt that somehow she was the cause of this. Her parents’ marriage has broken down, her mother spends evenings drinking to excess and her father rarely shows up for parental visits. The constant supports in her life are East, her childhood sweetheart, who in my opinion was the beating heart of this book; her next-door-neighbour, Jon Boy who is the editor of the local paper and her part-time employer; and hippy couple Dill and Derry who live out by the springs and provide a watchful eye over the swimmers and divers. Free-diving to lung-busting depths is Tru’s raison-d’être and as the summer heat intensifies, she pushes herself to dive deeper and deeper into the main well; the spot where Bailey’s body was found years earlier.

Into this scene breezes Rio, a teenage runaway to whom Tru is inexplicably drawn. Rio has apparently arrived to carry out her own investigation into the murders and despite the inconsistencies in her story, Tru wants to help her and begins to use her access to old files and evidence at the newspaper office to help with the sleuthing. The teens risk the natural predators of the steamy Florida night as well as the deadly intent of a murderer as they resurrect the cold case. The tension builds to suffocating levels as the girls are stalked by a potential serial killer, whilst their supernatural connection to the past and increasing attraction to each other become manifest. I raced through the twist and turns in the second half of this novel and think that it will appeal to anyone of 14/15 years and above who enjoys a psychological thriller. It should be said that the book does contain a content warning at the start: includes graphic descriptions of murder scenes, grief, violence and death. I am obviously much older than the target audience and enjoyed it, although I think that I would have been more comfortable in my youth reading this at 18 than at 14.

I am very grateful to Rory Codd at Harper Collins for providing me with a proof copy of One Last Breath prior to publication on 14th March 2024, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Picture Book Review: Misty Mole and the Eating Adventure by Dr. Yasmin El-Rouby and Ishy Walters

Front cover of a children's book, Misty Mole and the Eating Adventure by Dr. Yasmin El-Rouby illustrated by Ishy Walters.
Cover art by Ishy Walters, published by Neem Tree Press, 11 January 2024, ISBN: 978-1911107835

When Granny Mole arrives in the woodland to visit little Misty Mole, Mama becomes increasingly concerned about the quantity of sweet treats being consumed. A visit to Dr Ellie Eagle the eye doctor confirms that Granny definitely needs to eat healthy and nutritious food to preserve her health and eyesight. Thus begin a delightful journey in a hot air balloon to discover a rainbow of healthy foods that contain the vitamins and minerals we all require for good health.

I love this book, written in child-friendly but clear scientific language by Canadian eye doctor, Dr. Yasmin El-Rouby and sweetly illustrated by Ishy Walters. The benefits of the different vitamins are explained as Misty and Granny explore the foods which contain them. The importance of zinc and omega oils in keeping eyes, brains and bodies healthy is also covered and there are even recipes at the back for baking healthy snacks from vegetables, nuts and seeds. This is a great example of spreading key health literacy messages to children in an accessible format and I highly recommend Misty Mole and the Eating Adventure to schools, nurseries and public libraries as well as to parents and carers of early years children.

For more information on the important topic of children’s eye health, there is an interview with the author on the Neem Tree Press blog here.

I am most grateful to Neem Tree Press for providing me with a proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#MGHorror: Dread Wood by Jennifer Killick

Cover image by Tom Clohosy Cole, publisher Farshore, 31 March 2022,
ISBN: 9780755503711

This is the first book in a series of comedy/horror books aimed at the upper middle grade audience in which author Jennifer Killick expertly blends the tropes of the horror genre with perfectly observed tween dialogue and humour.

Saturday morning detention at Dread Wood High would not be an attractive prospect at any time, but when Angelo, Gus, Hallie and Naira are greeted by the relentlessly upbeat Mr Canton on this particular weekend, little do they know what lies in store for them. Within the first hour, Mr C has been dragged underground by an unimaginably terrifying foe, one of the school’s cute ‘well-being’ piglets has vanished, and Mrs Latchitt the caretaker’s wife has been observed taking cruel delight in dropping a chicken down a well! From here, a sense of foreboding builds to a crescendo as the four tweens have to bury their previous animosities and fight for their lives against rogue genetic scientists and their hideous mutant arachnids.

This book draws the reader in with its perfectly judged plotting in which the character’s personalities, hidden secrets and personal motivations are slowly revealed against the backdrop of slowly building peril. Each of the four children have grown up in circumstances which have shaped them and their actions, and the reader develops empathy in parallel with the other characters as these revelations are presented. They have each performed a nasty act against one other character, who we don’t meet until the end of the novel, and their realistation of the harm that they have caused and subsequent shame and desire to make amends is very well written.

From my perspective as a health librarian, always on the lookout for books which help bring health conditions into the conversation, I was very interested to find a young character portrayed here with a stoma. They way that Gus describes his physical healthcare needs with honesty and humour will, I am sure, be conducive to conversations around conditions of the digestive system and might provide positive encouragement to readers who have experienced, or know someone who has undergone this particular health intervention.

I am aware from fellow bloggers who work in schools that this book Dread Wood and subsequent titles in the series are hugely popular with readers aged 10 and above and I salute Jennifer Killick for crafting books which are so enticing and encourage children to read for pleasure.

I borrowed this book from Somerset Libraries and I encourage everyone to use your local public library for borrowing books, e-books and audiobooks as well as the many other activities that they provide.

#TheWriteReads Blog Tour: Betrothal & Betrayal by Janet McGiffin

Paperback book, Betrothal & Betrayal by Janet McGiffin, lit by fairy lights
Illustrated by Harry Pizzey, published by Scotland Street Press,
ISBN: 978-1-910895-788

Betrothal & Betrayal is the first novel in a four-part series, The Empress Irini series, which will be based on a real life figure from the Byzantine period of history. When I was offered the chance to participate in this online blog tour, I was delighted to take the opportunity to learn about a part of history of which I had very sketchy previous knowledge. As someone who pursued sciences at school, I didn’t have the opportunity to study history at O level and therefore I enjoy well researched historical fiction, to help fill in the gaps. The first positive comment I must make on the book is the usefulness of the two maps at the start, one of the Empire of the Romans of the East and one of Constantinople circa 770 AD. As the main character journeys through the eastern region of the Roman empire, I found myself frequently consulting these maps.

The author, Janet McGiffin, tells the parallel stories of two seventeen year old girls whose fates will become entwined by the end of the novel, and, I suspect, throughout the series. Most of the narrative in this introductory novel is told from the perspective of Thekla, a poor village girl who at the start of the story has been waiting for two years for the return of her intended husband, Myrizikos from one of the Emperor’s wars. When he again fails to show up for the wedding ceremony and her brothers tell her that he has been enlisted in the Emperor Constantine’s elite guard, the Imperial Tagmata, Thekla sets off on a perilous journey to Constantinople to track him down. This dangerous pursuit is more appealing to her than a forced marriage to the village’s ancient ‘bonescraper’, which is her father’s solution to finding her a husband. By a stroke of luck, Thekla is hired to take care of a wealthy elderly woman and manages to travel a large part of her journey in the company of the affluent family and a mysterious ‘monk’ Brother Elias. The perils of the road are always present however, and there are several occasions when Thekla has to wield her hunting knife to fend off unwanted attentions from aggressive men. The book pulls no punches about the treatment of women and girls during this period of history.

There is no doubt that much research has gone into the writing of this novel, which is filled with descriptions of the geography, buildings, food, clothing, religious practices and customs of the time. Thekla’s travels and her places of refuge along the way are presented in minute detail, I presume with the intention to allow readers to get to know her personality and motives for making the journey as well as immersion in the historical setting. I suspect that this style of writing might be more appealing to older readers than the majority of the YA market for whom this book is intended. The pace picks up after Irini, a beautiful girl from Athens, has been married to the son of Emperor Constantine. From this point, the intrigues of different factions within the court drive the narrative in the final third of the book. I found the character of Elias to be the most intriguing in the novel, he appears to be a spy or agent for someone in power and I will be interested to find out whether he influences the outcomes of some of the powerful historical figures portrayed here, as the series develops.

I am grateful to The Write Reads for inviting me to join this blog tour and to Scotland Street Press for providing me with a copy of Betrothal & Betrayal to review. Do check out the other reviews written by my fellow bloggers on the tour schedule.

Online book review tour schedule for Betrothal & Betrayal

#MG Review: Pirate Academy New Kid on Deck by Justin Somper, illustrated by Teo Skaffa

A proof copy of Pirate Academy with a coloured postcard showing the finished book's cover artwork, with two Lego minifigure pirates.
Cover artwork by Teo Skaffa, publisher Uclan Publishing,
7 March 2024, ISBN: 9781915235886

Buckle on your swords, pull on your leather boots, hoist the Jolly Roger and leap aboard this thrilling new middle grade adventure!

The year is 2507 and rising sea levels have ushered in a new golden age of piracy. The Pirate Federation controls the oceans and trains its youngsters at one of nine exclusive schools around the world. In this introductory book in what looks to be an exciting new series, we voyage to the Coral Sea Province location of the Pirate Academy and join the eleven-year-olds in Barracuda Class on a swashbuckling adventure. This book is buoyant with action, filled with clashing swords, competition and striving for mastery…and that’s just the activity in the Headcaptain’s study on parents’ day! Whilst the main child protagonists are the progeny of the fiercest and most successful pirates terrorising the oceans, and their teachers are also famous pirates, the Pirate Academy seems to be a civilised boarding school with a jolly appealing curriculum and strong friendships between the pupils.

However, below the surface, there are disturbances emerging in this carefully ordered society. Firstly, Jasmine Peacock’s parents’ ship which is usually the first to arrive for Captain’s Evening, has gone missing on the high seas. Then, Captain Raven Moon dramatically removes her son, Wing, from the Academy, telling his roommate Jacoby Blunt that “These are dangerous times to be a pirate”. Wing’s place amongst the Barracudas is taken by Neo Splice, who arrives in mysterious circumstances and arouses suspicion about his true identity. With rumours swirling of a spy at Pirate Academy and the emergence of The League of True Pirates, the aspiring youngsters need to call on all of their training and their bonds of friendship to swing into action and rescue their kidnapped classmates.

At just over 200 pages, with short chapters broken up with cartoon-style illustrations by Teo Skaffa, I am certain that Pirate Academy New Kid on Deck is destined to be a bit hit with readers of 8+. The story zips along at a terrific pace, the characters – both adult and child – are engaging and fun, and the plot keeps readers guessing until the very end to discover the first traitor at the Academy. With further books scheduled, the second is due to publish in August 2024, it’s time to enrol at Pirate Academy and learn what it takes to become a true pirate legend.

I am hugely grateful to Uclan Publishing and Antonia Wilkinson for sending me a proof copy of Pirate Academy New Kid on Deck ahead of publication on 7th March 2024.

Review: Granny Was a Buffer Girl by Berlie Doherty, artwork by Tamsin Rosewell

Cover of Granny Was a Buffer Girl by Berlie Doherty with artwork by Tamsin Rosewell. The cover features a scene of a terraced city street with hilly countryside visible in the background.
Cover art by Tamsin Rosewell, republished by Uclan,
ISBN: 9781915235817

Granny Was a Buffer Girl is a book which explores love, in all its forms, alongside the social history of an industrial city, through the remembrances of multiple generations of a single family. This book won the Carnegie Medal in 1986 and has been re-issued by Uclan publishing with a beautiful cover and atmospheric black and white chapter headings by Tamsin Rosewell. The artwork perfectly complements Berlie Doherty’s divine writing which brings the story to life with imagery firmly rooted in the natural and man-made landscape of Sheffield and the Derbyshire Peak District.

As eighteen year old Jess reluctantly prepares to depart her close-knit extended family, the relatives gather round for an evening’s farewell celebration. Re-kindling their memories of good times and hard times, love affairs and employment histories, a social history of the city of Sheffield through several generations is presented to the reader. This is a short book of only 130 pages, so words are not wasted and vignettes of happy and sad moments are drawn in enough detail to build a picture of the love that has sustained generations. I found the chapter which recounted the story of Danny, Jess’s older brother, born with a degenerative and life-limiting condition, to be incredibly poignant.

There was a reaction to one incident in the book which I found jarring and wondered if it would have been written in the same way if published today; I think it would make an interesting talking point if the book was to be discussed in a group reading setting. An elderly male friend of Jess’s grandad acts inappropriately towards her and she feels guilty for pushing him away. I think that this reveals the prevailing attitudes of the 1980s but today’s readers will applaud Jess for her initial reaction and hopefully feel that she should believe she did the right thing and that his behaviour was unacceptable, not hers.

I would suggest that this novella, which encourages the seizure of life’s opportunities, is suitable for mature readers of 11 years and above.

I am grateful to Uclan Publishing and Antonia Wilkinson PR for my review copy.

If you enjoy this book, do check out The Haunted Hills by Berlie Doherty, also illustrated by Tamsin Rosewell.

#The Write Reads #BlogTour: War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson

A blog tour banner for a young adult book War of the Wind by Victoria Williamson shows a boy a dog some wind turbines and the book cover.
Blog tour banner created by Noly for The_WriteReads

War of the Wind is an environmental thriller for a teen audience with positive representation of children with additional support needs, this book needs to be in every school!

This novel from Victoria Williamson, who has been rightly acclaimed for her previous middle grade books, is aimed at a teenage audience as it details the personal journey of fourteen year-old Max, who is struggling to come to terms with total hearing loss. From the opening pages which plunge the reader into the icy North Sea alongside Max during a terrible accident on his Dad’s trawler, you are drawn into his world of alienation; feeling great empathy with his character as you begin to realise the frustration and anger behind some of his unpleasantly challenging behaviours.

On a remote Scottish island where Max was once one of the cool gang, proud of his physical prowess and joining in with his mates when they teased the “specials” or “zoomers” as they unkindly label the children with additional learning needs, he is now one of those children. And he is not happy about it. I think that what Victoria Williamson does so well, is that she makes the reader inhabit a character who is scared, angry, frustrated and flawed. She paints Max as an absolutely believable teenager, he is not rendered as a saintly hero just because he is now deaf, but has carried his former prejudices with him into his new reality. Feeling that his parents have replaced him with perfect baby sister Sally, not understanding why his Dad seemingly can’t be bothered to communicate in writing and irritated that his mum is always too tired to sign accurately, Max lashes out at those who are trying to help him. The narrative delicately unfolds his growing relationships with three children who have been “othered” their entire lives: David who is a wheelchair user, Beanie who has Down’s Syndrome and Erin who was born deaf. His gradual acceptance into this community is not without its ups and downs, but as their isolation provides them with the singular opportunity to save their island community, their strengths come to the fore.

You see, this is not just “an issues” novel, it is in fact a fast-paced, technological thriller with a despicable scientific-military experiment at its core. The islanders have voted to allow three huge wind turbines to be installed just off the coast; disregarding the ugly new impostors on the rugged coastline and their resultant noise pollution in favour of the promise of long awaited wifi. As the blades start turning, the local wildlife bears the first impact but then Max begins to notice inexplicable and sinister changes in the behaviour of the majority of the island’s inhabitants. As Max, Erin, Beanie and David work together to disrupt the plans of ruthless scientist Doctor Ashwood, I found myself turning the pages quicker than a turbine blade on the stormiest Highland night!

I highly recommend this novel for all secondary school librarians, both for it’s entertainment value as a gripping thriller and for the empathy-inducing portrayal of children who are often overlooked or dismissed. In the author’s notes at the end, it is stated that the novel was reviewed by the British Deaf Association to ensure that it presented a sensitive portrayal of deaf characters. As an adult reader, I was hugely impressed with the narrative and will take away new learning for my inclusivity work as a health librarian. Additionally, the manipulation of a population by a person in power, to allow a change which is calculated to set neighbour against neighbour, could potentially lead to some interesting PHSE conversations.

War of the Wind was published on September 23rd 2022, which was International Day of Sign Language; 20% of author royalties are donated to the British Deaf Association. I am most grateful to Neem Tree Press for my gifted copy in return for my honest opinion and to @TheWriteReads for organising this blog tour, do check out the other reviews from bloggers on the tour schedule.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

You can read my reviews of some of Victoria’s other publications:

The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle

The Boy With the Butterfly Mind

The Whistlers in the Dark

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams

Norah’s Ark