You could spend hours just gazing at this book's enticing endpapers - but it gets even better inside. Perfectly pitched to engage the youngest of wildlife-lovers, An Amazing Animal Atlas of Scotland is packed with facts that will fascinate and surprise readers - whatever their age. For example, did you know that limpet's teeth are... Continue Reading →
Review: Whit of Whiteleys Wood
This is the story of a little long-eared owl who longs to master the art of flying. Whit tries and tries, but when a practice flight goes badly wrong, she will need both practical help and encouragement from her friends Miss Mouse, Mole and Fox. A gently rhyming story filled with read-along words, endearing characters... Continue Reading →
Review: Snooze – a helpful guide for sleepy owls
The Roaring Reads gang definitely have room for improvement when it comes to bedtime, so we were looking forward to trying out Eilidh Muldoon's new picture book, Snooze, to find out if this 'helpful guide for sleepy owls' might have some hints to help us drift off. Snooze features a wide-eyed owl, whose efforts to... Continue Reading →
Review: After the War – from Auschwitz to Ambleside
In the concluding notes of After the War, Tom Palmer observes that this was a difficult book to write. It is a difficult book to read too - not for the language, which is as clear as you expect from this author and publisher - but because of the enormity of the events it explores... Continue Reading →
Review: One Button Benny and the Gigantic Catastrophe
The Roaring Reads gang are big fans of One Button Benny, so we were excited to learn that our favourite little robot was zing-zang-zooming back for another adventure. One Button Benny and the Gigantic Catastrophe finds Benny faced with a new emergency – the disappearance of his cat, Sparky, and all their friends' cats too.... Continue Reading →
Guest post: how hands-on heritage inspires Barbara Henderson’s stories
Barbara Henderson's novels offer young people an enticing window into the past, from the Highland Clearances to the Solway smuggling scene. Her new book, The Siege of Caerlaverock (read our review here) goes back even further - to the Middle Ages. We're delighted to welcome Barbara for this guest post, in which she reveals some... Continue Reading →
Review: the Siege of Caerlaverock
There are plenty of children's books set in a fantasy version of the Middle Ages - far fewer grounded in reality. Barbara Henderson's The Siege of Caerlaverock is an exception because it is inspired by real events - and it has all the more impact because of that. There may not be dragons, but there... Continue Reading →
Review: Sequin and Stitch
Sequin is bursting with pride in her mum, a seamstress whose work is worn by some of the world's biggest stars, so she is delighted when her mum is asked to make a wedding dress for a princess. But with the honour comes pressure, as mum focuses her efforts on the gown, leaving Sequin to... Continue Reading →