Elin Watts and Jamie Lee have complicated lives. He, trying to manage his ADHD and strained relationship with his mum, and she, striving to be perfect enough to win her absent father back. When their divorced parents' new relationship forces the children to share a home, their lives intersect - and get even more complicated.... Continue Reading →

We couldn't wait to get our hands on this book, the second in Michelle Sloan's Animal Adventure Club series, which follows a quartet of wildlife-loving children and their exploits helping out at the local nature reserve. In The Baby Otter Rescue, floods are causing upheaval around Pittendooey and changing everyone's plans, but it is still... Continue Reading →

Stanley and Martha delight in finding the perfect presents for everyone, but they meet a big challenge when they decide to get a birthday gift for Len, the friendly ogre who has just moved in next door. The usual presents just don't seem to work, and this picture book wittily explores why not, as the... Continue Reading →

The Roaring Reads gang are long-time fans of sticker books, so we were keen to get started on Benedict Blathwayt's Sticker Atlas of Scotland, which proved an ideal next step for a slightly older child who still enjoys that format. The idea is to attach each sticker, which pictures a highlight of the region, to... Continue Reading →

When her father, Robert the Bruce, is crowned King of Scotland, 11-year-old Marjorie becomes a princess – a title that brings attention and danger from the outset. As the Scottish king's heir, Marjorie is an obvious target for the English monarch, Edward Longshanks. In this young adult novel, his forces capture her and seek to... Continue Reading →

Bobbie and her Granny share a love of the hills and the wildlife that surround their family farm, so they are thrilled when a golden eagle appears nearby. However, their enthusiasm is not shared by the local Duke and his gamekeeper, who see the eagles as a threat to the estate's income. When Granny's dog,... Continue Reading →

The Starlight Watchmaker may be physically slight, but this book is full of heart, with plenty of excitement crammed into its just-over-100 pages, and vividly-drawn characters who stay with you long after you have turned the last one. Set in an alien world, where survival depends on the light of the stars, this is the... Continue Reading →

With its bright, magaziney cover and promise of fun, factual content, Scotland's Animal Superstars has the feel of offering something fresh – and it was grabbed enthusiastically by our nearly seven-year-old the moment she spotted it. This collection of true-life tales about amazing Scottish animals is an accessible and enjoyable read, packed with photos and... Continue Reading →

The end of the summer term marks the end of an era for us, with the littlest Roaring Readers due to start primary school after the break. One of the things we will miss most about our pre-school afternoons together is fortnightly visits to the mobile library van. We live in fairly remote village in... Continue Reading →