It’s been a hectic February in the Roaring Reads house, and we haven’t managed to keep up with the flurry of brilliant new Scottish (and Scottishish) kids books that have descended, like sparkly snowflakes!
But today (February 29) is a magical bonus day, so we are taking the chance to round up some of the new releases that we enjoyed – and because it’s ‘leap day’ each review is just 29 words long.
The Highland Falcon Thief: A fast-paced train drama with the perfect blend of excitement, mystery and fun. Hal and Lenny are plucky, endearing heroes and we’d love to board another train with them. (by MG Leonard and Sam Sedgman, MacMillan)
William Wallace: the battle for Scotland: The latest in a thoughtful series about great Scots’ lives, this richly-illustrated picture book gives children a bite-size insight into William Wallace’s role at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. (ill Teresa Martinez, Kelpies)
Evernight: Take shades of Harry Potter and Northern Lights, add complex young characters and a spell-bottle-full of Mackenzie’s world-building genius, and stir, for a story that is darkly, deliciously compelling. (by Ross MacKenzie, Andersen)
Stories from around the World: Many of these stories are familiar, but the re-tellings feel fresh, and the background is fascinating – we hadn’t known that Thumbelina was from Denmark or Sinbad from Persia. (by Maisie Chan, Scholastic)
Hello Scottish Animals: The youngest Roaring Readers were delighted with this colourful wildlife guide, with language so simple they could read it for themselves. Giggles all round when the last ‘animal’ appeared! (by Kate McLelland, Kelpies – out March 20th)
The Pure Heart: The settings in this chilling debut are beautifully drawn, especially Iseabail’s St Kilda home, but there are shocks in store for the initially-innocent heroine. Sent shivers down my spine. (by Trudi Tweedie, Chicken House)
Roaring Reads 