3 Book Reviews for Reading Together or Younger Independent Readers. (Sent by Matador)

I'm sent a lot of books for review, and I'm ridiculously behind with Young Fiction because, as you may have seen, the Coronavirus is taking up my time. I took a break today and had a look at 3 recent releases which are ideal for reading together, or for children aged around 6+ to read alone. 

The 3 fully illustrated picture story books are all self-published and sent to me by Matador for review - and they are all really good, with bold illustrations, modern style and lots to talk about... 

There's No Place Like... Written by Greta Mitchell and Illustrated by Alice Haskell.

This is a lovely little tale about a big robot which space-loving youngsters might recognise. The Curiosity Rover is sent on a mission to Mars. He is lonely out there and although he is busy doing science, he really wants to find the Opportunity Rover, so that he has a friend.

The Sapphire Society by L.C. Sarll Young Fiction Review (sent by Matador).

The latest young fiction book sent to me for review by Matador is The Sapphire Society. A blend of modern day and fantasy set in the Faroe Islands, where it seems the water might be hiding more secrets than we could ever dream of...

The story revolves around 12 year old Savannah, who moves to the Faroe Islands with her family, to live in her Grandmother's old cottage. While moving her mother finds an old dull sapphire necklace that had belonged to her own mother, and gives it to Savannah.

There are clearly mysteries on the island and Savannah very quickly befriends local lad Rich, son of the wealthy businessman Mr Froodroy. She also meets a woman known by the children as The Doomed Widow. The Doomed Widow is Doreen, whose husband was lost at sea several years beforehand.

Spring New Release Children's Books For Reading Together (sent by Matador)

I try and promote self-published books when I can. and here are 3 children's books for younger readers which I've been sent to look at by Matador Publishing.

Joey, Wyatt And Kamryn and Fat Cat And The Chocolate Sandwich are all suitable for reading together and for newer independent readers to practise reading with support.

Joey is a plane who lives in a hangar on the island of Guernsey with two other planes, Dash and Dornie. He is an old plane and news comes he's no longer able to fly and is going to be decommissioned. For Joey this means a move to a children's play barn, where he is strung from the roof.

Charlie Palmer Says by Beverly Bowry (Young Fiction 9+) Sent for review.

Today's book review is Charlie Palmer Says, which has been sent to me by Matador Self-Publishing for review. Suitable for young readers aged around 9+, this is a book about 10 year old Nathan and his ghost... And it's a great little story that I really enjoyed!

There's a little peril, and one of the characters is a ghost who was murdered, but it's all sensitively done and not what you'd refer to as 'sad' particularly.

When young Nathan takes his metal detector out into the garden, he discovers it causes a ghost to become visible. The ghost is called Charlie and claims he was murdered by a neighbour a few years ago, and that Nathan is now in danger too.

Nathan's parents go away for a weekend and leave grown up big sister Thea in charge, along with her boyfriend Rob. They not only have to look after Nathan, but his step-sister Hattie too. I like all of these characters a lot. They aren't stereotyped, they're pretty normal, pretty cool, and all get along really well. It creates an atmosphere you kind of wish you could join in with.

Children's Book Reviews: Story Books For Younger Children (sent by Matador)

Matador Publishing work with self-published authors. Four of the recently released paperback children's books that they've sent me for review have a common theme looking at, and celebrating, difference, so I've put them all together in one post.

These are all nicely illustrated picture books suitable for reading together with children from a very young age, or for independent readers aged around 5-6+ to tackle alone.

Ellen Lives On by Lynda Haddock Young Adult Fiction Review (Sent by Matador).

Ellen Lives On is a young adult novel by Lynda Haddock which opens with the loss of a parent to suicide. This is a positive and empowering book, which offers real support to young people in the same situation, but obviously it has darker moments and for some readers it may be a hard read at first.

Ellen is 15 and returns home from school to find her front door blocked and no response from her mother inside. She calls on her neighbours for help, they ring the police, and her life stops. Just like that.

Instantly reading this book, it's obvious the author Lynda Haddock understands. She explains very well the confusion and dream-like state you enter. The way you are no longer in control and life happens to you. Everything you expected is turned on it's head and the plans you had made for years just don't count any more.

The police are in charge of your home, social workers and other people you barely know direct you. Strangers know who you are and express their sympathy for you in the street. And when you are told it'll never be the same again, it really won't.

Frogs, Fairies and Dodos 3 Children's Book Reviews Age 4-8 (sent by Matador)

Matador are the children's division of Troubador Press and they regularly send us books to take a look at. I usually cover books for older children, but these are 3 shorter fiction books which are especially suitable for beginner readers in Early Years and Key Stage 1 infants, aged around 4-8.

Pickles' Purrfect Plan by Carolyn Young Children's Book Review (sent by Matador)

Pickles' Purrfect Plan is a rhyming book for younger children and we've been sent a copy to review by Matador Books. Written by Carolyn Young and illustrated by Jo Blakeley, it tells the story of Wizard, Witch and Pickles the cat, who live together in a cottage in the woods.

I wouldn't usually cover books for children younger than my own, but I'm impressed with Pickles' Purrfect Plan. The story is sweet, the illustrations are excellent and the rhyming format works very well.

Pickles, Witch and Wizard live a humble life in their cottage in the woods. One day a storm comes and the cottage is damaged. They search the house, but don't have the money to pay for repairs.

Pickles has a plan to help them and once they go to bed, he springs into action - with more than a little help...

A Stone Called Fred by S.M.Locke Young Adult Fiction (Sent by Matador for review)

A Stone Called Fred is written by S.M.Locke and has been sent to us by publisher Matador for review. A relatively light-hearted fiction book for teenagers and young adult readers, the focus of the story is Jack, who one day awakes to find a mystery object on his kitchen table. The object often appears as an ordinary stone, but Jack spots it glowing, sometimes it buzzes and it definitely has some pretty fantastical properties.

This is a Twilight Zone style shorter story that I'm sure Roald Dahl would have been happy to include in any series of Tales Of The Unexpected. I loved it.

Jack discovers that by touching the stone he can become invisible and even when he leaves it at home, somehow it will appear nearby, as if it is following and keeping an eye on him. Other people can touch the stone without any effect, so Jack feels it's special to him and even names it. Fred.

Jack's neighbours find the whole thing really amusing and aren't sure if he hasn't just had a bump to the head. His girlfriend is a journalist and has been away with work, but when she comes home, Jack has to try and persuade her that Fred really isn't just a large pebble.

The Clock People:Clockwork Chronicles by Mark Roland Langdale Young Fiction review (Sent by Matador Press).

The Clock People: Clockwork Chronicles is Mark Roland Langdale's 5th book. A children's fantasy story written in a very distinctive style, which makes you feel that you are being told the story by an elderly and eccentric narrator.

The book centres on The Clock People. They aren't entirely sure who they are, but stories and legends tell of giants living in a wider world beyond their imagining, and small people who live inside clocks.

Charlie Green And The Knights Of The Round Table Review Age 9+ (sent by Matador Books)

Charlie Green And The Knights Of The Round Table is the third book in the Charlie Green series by children's author and real life pilot Martyn Blunden, and it was sent to us for review by Matador Children's Press.

With 336 pages this is a thick book and although the language is suitable for independent readers aged around 8+, you will probably need to be a couple of years older to follow the storylines. Truth meets fiction meets myth and then rewrites everything as we discover the 'true' story of what happened to King Arthur and Guinevere...

Charlie is your average 11 year old, he's friendly, kind-hearted and loves his family. He's also the sort of boy who can't resist anything interesting and at the beginning of Charlie Green and the Knights of the Round Table we find him on a school trip, capturing the attention of museum employee Mr Bernard Pugh.

The Grumpy Gnome's Garden by Della Jane Hales Children's Book Review

The Grumpy Gnome's Garden by Dell's Jayne Hales is my latest review for Matador Books. A more traditional children's tale, it stars The Grumpy Gnome and his housemate, The Little Fairy.

Although The Grumpy Gnome's Garden is suitable for independent readers aged around 6+, I actually think this book works better for reading together and is ideal for bedtime with younger children who enjoy fairy stories.

The author wanted to encourage children to see the enjoyment and reward that comes with gardening, and the friends build a beautiful garden together. They grow flowers and vegetables and herbs, and working together as a team create something very special to them both, which also benefits the animals, birds and insects.

The Price Of Magic by Gavin Neale Young Fiction Age 9+ (Sent for review)

The latest children's book I've been sent to review by Matador is The Price Of Magic by Gavin Neale. A good old-fashioned fantasy with battles and fairies and elves, swordsmanship and guardians. It also stars a feisty young lady called Abby, who is no stranger to this bizarre and magical world as she had to rescue her mother from it a couple of years ago.

Backstory is provided, so although The Price Of Magic is a sequel, it is also a standalone story. Abby and her neighbour Thomas are being looked after by two elderly ladies, Daphne and Nora, while their parents work. It all seems very ordinary until the surprise arrival of Erykah, the Queen of the Land of the Fairy, and Bryonny, her Pixie Chief ally.

Daphne and Nora are in fact witches and Guardians Of The Peace Accord between dimensions, they just pose as ordinary elderly ladies. War is threatened, the gap between the Fairy Realm and our Earth has been breached. Thomas is kidnapped and it is up to Abby to rescue him, but her guardians are very reluctant to let her become involved in the impending war.

New Release Matador Children's Books About Animals (Review)

Mainstream books can be great, but they can also simply be popular because they have a lot of money for advertising. It's easy to miss real gems amongst the mountains of titles available, and so whenever I have chance I like to review books from smaller publishers and self-published books. Here are 3 shorter books for children from Matador Press.

My boys and I snuggled up and looked at them, because even at 8 and 9, sometimes it's nice to read a book together...

Flat Squirrel by Fiona Faith Ross. Children's Chapter Book Review

One of the latest releases from Matador Children's Books is Flat Squirrel by established author Fiona Faith Ross. The Flat Squirrel of the title is called Duggan, and he's a flying squirrel. Duggan and the other animals all face the usual struggle for survival, especially concerning finding food.

Duggan lives nearby a busy road, and lost his Mum there in a tragic accident which he remembers all too well. He needs to cross in search of more food though, and once over, he spends time with a new bunch of animals who are tentative friends, prepared to share what they have, but always a little wary of the others.

Although the characters are animals, this isn't 'babyish' and I imagine it in a similar animated style to 'Over The Hedge' or another modern movie. The storyline is modern and even though I haven't ever seen a Flying Squirrel in real life, I can picture the scenes easily in my mind. This is in no small part due to the excellent illustrations by Fraser May. Black and white line drawings, they are very well done and remind us that we are talking about real animals, especially when they are in human environments.

The Price Of Magic by Gavin Neale Young Fiction Review for Matador (Age 9+)

The Price Of Magic is the second book from Gavin Neale and features reliable old-fashioned good versus evil, with swords and kings and children who have been dropped into a world entirely unlike their usual reality.

This is fantasy in the style of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe mixed with The Lord Of The Rings and given a dash of later years Harry Potter. Dwarves, elves, fairies and magic come together with a very special young hero, and save the world.

The Boy Who Imagined... And Found He Could Draw Young Fiction Review

The Boy Who Imagined... And Found He Could Draw by Ann and Fred Onymouse is a very quirky book for readers aged around 7+, but older children will take away much more from reading it. I can't decide if this is the most truthful piece of social commentary I've read in years, or a children's book which is just a bit weird? It's impossible to tell.

The book revolves around a young boy called Vapi, or Van Gogh Pablo Picasso Salvador Dali if you want to give him his full name. Clearly his parents are artistic types and have high hopes for Vapi. He doesn't feel he can draw and avoids it as much as he can. Vapi is a sensitive boy and is pulled out of school by his parents to be home-schooled for a while, but that doesn't really go to plan and he returns to school.

Vapi's school is quite bizarre. The teaching staff are harsh and unwilling to stand up to bullies within the school or protect Vapi, who soon learns to keep his comments flattering and his head down.

The Time Travellers Club by Mark Roland Langdale: Young Adult Fiction Book Review

My latest children's book review is more for the older, young adult, age group. The Time Travellers Club by Mark Roland Langdale is published by Matador Press and tells the tale of Benjamin Digby Esq., Time Traveller.

The first thing I have to say about this book is "Wow". The Time Travellers Club is a wild foray into the mind of the author. I honestly have never read a more rambling book in my life. There are 3 times as many similes and asides as there is storyline, and there are so many references that a young reader is going to struggle to understand or recognise even half of them. For me it's full of nostalgia. I actually was one of only 7 people who turned up to see Furniture do a pub gig in Nottingham back in 1989, the last thing I expected would be to see them namechecked in a book in 2018.

Our hero Benjamin Digby wants to travel through time. Not only that, but he also wishes to collect the best scientists and inventors as he goes, creating the most extraordinary Time Travellers Club. If he perfects his time travel machine, he can go wherever he wants.

Stargazey World by Christine Dawe Book Review (age 8+)

Stargazey World is a crazy, wild ride of a book. It is full of everything that you can imagine - or that the main character Sheena can imagine anyway. A fiction book for children aged around 8+, everything starts ordinarily enough with a trip down to Cornwall for her cousin's wedding.

Sheena has naturally green, untamed hair and is teased by bullies because of it. She isn't exactly academic and struggles to pay attention in school, so the teachers find her a challenge too. She escapes into her imagination maybe a little too often, but in the unfamiliar setting in Cornwall, sharing a bunk bed for the first time and staying with relatives she barely knows, her imagination runs riot.

Miss Winter's Demise by Paul Minton, Children's Poetry Book Review (7+)

Miss Winter's Demise And Other Crimes Against Poetry is a new release from Matador press. A light-hearted collection of comic verse by Paul Minton, ideal for independent readers aged around 7-8 + and great for more reluctant readers who might be daunted by huge pages full of text.

As you might have guessed these poems are funny and very much what children like to hear and read, they're also often a little bit dark, in that Roald Dahl way, with deaths and disasters befalling some of the more unfortunate characters in the book. Including of course the poor Miss Winter.