Heather James's Blog, page 14

Picture This: In Every House, On Every Street

This picture book's release has come at a perfect time, since many of us are spending a lot more time in our homes than usual! 
Every house on every street is different. But every one is a special home in its own unique way, because of the joy and life that happens inside them. This story celebrates the brilliance of the everyday - from dancing around the kitchen to pulling silly faces in bathroom mirrors. Bedrooms aren't just for sleeping - they're for building giant castles and bedtime chats. Dining rooms are for playing pirates and hiding under the table. The individual rooms are never names, just referred to as 'this room' on each page, allowing readers to match the pages to spaces in their own homes. This cleverly reflects that one reader's 'front room' might be another family's 'lounge' or 'sitting room', and not every house has a separate room for eating dinner in.
Lili La Baleine's artwork is beautiful. There is joy, fun and family in every picture. At the end of the story there are fold out pages with a view into lots of different houses which exemplify that there is no one way to be a family. Each page is full of tiny details and there is lots to keep little eyes busy. 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending us a copy to review
In Every House, on Every Street is written by Jess Hitchman and illustrated by Lili La Baleine

Dragon Detective: School's Out

Stuck in a high-security boarding school, Holly really misses her friend Dirk. Her roommate has killed her pet mouse and a tracking device makes escaping the school impossible. Dirk, meanwhile, is trailing a professor who might be mixed up with the Kinghorns, and wishes his favourite accomplice was still in London to help.
When the two friends are reunited, they embark on a quest to save human and dragon kind before the world is shaken like never before. 
School's Out has a quick pace, with lots going on as the mystery unravels. It will appeal to a huge range of young readers and I can see it being a hit in primary school libraries when students go back. It would also make a great summer read for anyone who doesn't want to wait that long, and likes adventure, dragons or comedy. 
From the Tree Dragons speaking jumbled up English, to Petal Moses' autobiography there was plenty to giggle at throughout the second instalment in the Dragon Detective series. The side characters have been well thought out and provide lots of humour - especially the school staff. 
Once again, Holly and Dirk make a great team. Holly is brave and resourceful and isn't afraid to speak her mind, but she also looks out for characters like Callum, who claims to have been kidnapped by dragons.
School's Out was a lot of fun to read. Thank you so much Little Tiger for sending me a copy for review. 

Picture This: Beware! Ralfy Rabbit and the Secret Book Biter

What Ralfy loves most in the world is reading, but when he goes to the library for some peace and quiet away from his new baby brother, he discovers something terrible: someone is eating his books. Ralfy turns into a detective, questioning his family members and following the clues until he can find the culprit. 
Family dynamics change quite a bit when a new baby arrives, and this picture book is a great way to explore those changes. Ralfy's little brother is very noisy and at first Ralfy worries he won't be able to enjoy his books any more. But by the end of the story, Ralfy has discovered a new way to bond with his little brother and they are able to enjoy stories together.
The artwork is brilliant: bright, fun and engaging. My children gasped when we reached the page with the first half-eaten book and I really enjoyed all the puns in the book titles (my favourites were Rabunzel and Harry Hopper and the Chamber of Carrots). 
Thank you Bloomsbury for providing me with a digital copy for review. 
Beware! Ralfy Rabbit and the Secret Book Biter is written and illustrated by Emily MacKenzie

Empathy Day

Today is Empathy Day and, as the Empathy Lab perfectly states: "never has empathy and connection been more needed."
Empathy Lab want to encourage as many people as possible to #ReadForEmpathy to help us connect with others and create a world with more empathy. They have curated a wonderful collection of stories you can use to do this, which can be found here. Lots of my favourites are on this list, but today I'm going to post reviews of two of the Barrington Stoke titles featured. Barrington Stoke are a brilliant publisher who encourage empathy and understanding with all of their titles, in a format accessible to a wide range of readers.
It's a No-Money Day by Kate Milner is a picture book about a little girl and her mum who don't have enough money for the things many of us take for granted, and often use a food bank to get their food. It's a touching, poignant story which introduces children who have no awareness of poverty to what is an everyday reality for many children across the country. The little girl in the story is positive and hopeful, dreaming of a pet cat, cakes and her favourite cereal - things that lots of readers will get/have without giving them much thought. It is a book which would work well in schools ahead of a food bank collection. There are lots of conversations you can have both while and after reading.
The Great Telephone Mix Up is written by Sally Nicholls and illustrated by Sheena Dempsey. It is set in a village where mixed-up phone lines lead to people developing a greater understanding of what those around them are going through. New, unexpected connections are formed and many lives are changed for the better. A boy who is always getting into trouble for climbing finds a hobby that will allow him to do what he loves safely. A lady who runs most of the village events single-handedly gets help for the first time. An elderly lady has more visitors and makes new friends. The phone-line mix up brings everyone together in a story that will delight young readers and have them giggling throughout. 
 

Midnight's Twins

With fast paced action scenes and plenty of twists (including a few I didn't see coming!) Midnight's Twins was hard to put down. 
This novel has a fantastic concept with a world everyone will want to visit. The dream world, Annwn, is full of endless wonder and magic, from dolphins in the Thames to a castle hidden in St Paul's Cathedral. London was both familiar and utterly alien.
Midnight's Twins had an undercurrent of Hunger Games-worthy politics, where dangerous, influential figures are given a magical boost. As a result, Midnight's Twin also brilliant explores the danger of being different, or an outlier, in a world that is rapidly being told to distrust and fear you. Some of the most chilling scenes in this novel occurred in the real world, where the monsters were human inside and out. 
I was completely drawn in by Fern and Ollie's complicated, messy sibling relationship. There is so much character growth over the course of the novel for both twins, who realise there is more that brings them together than divides them. Both Fern and Ollie have to learn to navigate loneliness and friendship, and conquer the fears which accompany letting others in and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. 

Let's Get Silly! The Summer Reading Challenge 2020

Going to the library to get our Summer Reading Challenge stickers was one the highlights of our summer holiday last year. It was my daughter's first year taking part and she's very proud of her medal. We're very lucky to have a community-run library in our village and love making the most of it. This year's summer reading challenge will be rather different, but I'm so pleased we'll be able to get involved. 
Today, I wanted to celebrate some of my favourite silly children's stories: 
Oi Frog!I think the books in this series are the most-read picture books in our house. The rhyme scheme creates lots of comedy and the pictures are very funny too. 
Going to the VolcanoI borrowed this from the library and can still recite it off by heart when my kids are in need of a giggle. Head off with Jane-o to look at the Volcano, but be careful not to get too close...
Shh! We Have a PlanAnother one I can recite without the book to hand! This was one of the first stories my children started to join in with, and it always makes us laugh. This story is how not to catch a bird.
The One-Stop Story ShopA shop for stories, for when your adventure isn't going quite the way you'd planned...
Do Not Disturb the DragonsOne to pre-order now, ready for when it comes out at the beginning of July. Do Not Disturb the Dragons is a chapter book about princesses who want to break all the rules and become knights.

Join in with the Summer Reading Challenge fun on social media today by sharing your favourite silly stories. You can meet this year's Silly Squad below. 

Picture This: We're Going on a Treasure Hunt

I was unsure about requesting a digital ARC of this on NetGalley, but even without the flaps, this story was a hit with my children. We've loved the Easter and Christmas versions of this story and We're Going on a Treasure Hunt is just as much fun! 
Hughes' artwork is bright, adorable and engaging, and her bunnies made lovely pirates. When we finished reading, my children immediately asked if we could go on a treasure hunt of our own, so this is a story which creates lots of opportunities for imaginative play. I won't hesitate to buy this now that it's available in a physical format. 

Wonderscape

THE GAME IS ON. TRAVEL WITH WONDER.
When Arthur, Ren and Cecily investigate a mysterious explosion on their way to school, they find themselves trapped aboard The Principia – a scientific research ship sailing through hazardous waters, captained by one Isaac Newton.
Lost in the year 2473 in the Wonderscape, an epic in-reality adventure game, they must call on the help of some unlikely historical heroes, to play their way home before time runs out.
Travel with wonder into a gaming experience like no other. Wonderscape hooked me from the opening line. 
When Arthur, Ren and Cecily investigate a garden full of exploded gnomes, they are teleported through time and space into the middle of an in-reality adventure game where they come face to face with heroes from human history. 
Buy this now if your middle grade reader likes video games and adventure. In fact, buy it even if they don't, because Wonderscape is a brilliant novel that sucks you straight into the heart of the action and will be enjoyed by a huge range of readers. 
The concept of Wonderscape was superb. I loved all the subtly included STEM aspects through the puzzles, challenges and characters. The historical heroes were a really strong addition, with unlikely cross-time conversations and a few inspirational figures I hadn't heard of before. Bell's world was intricately developed and described in depth and detail. The reader is plunged headlong into an extreme video-game, escape-room scenario (perfect escapism for right now). I really hope the characters return to Wonderscape for another adventure; there are so many realms left to explore!
Children will love Bell's characters. Arthur, Ren and Cecily were very relatable - brave and kind, but also full of doubts and insecurities. Cloud, the time-travelling dog who acts as their guide, is another highlight. 
Thank you so much to Walker books for letting me review an eARC of Wonderscape. I really hope this isn't the last time I visit Bell's incredible world - I would especially love to see this book as a film.

Picture This: Don't Call Me Grumpycorn

Unicorns and space are two of my daughter's favourite things, so I knew this story would be a huge hit in our house!
Unicorn is off to space in search of the universe's most fabulous planet. He flies swiftly (and grumpily!) past planets of alien mermaids, narwhals and jellyfish, only landing when he finds one that is sparkly and purple. But Unicorn's fabulous discovery is already inhabited by other unicorns. Will he decide to live on a planet of others just like him? Or will he realise the most fabulous planet is with the friends he loves before they blast away forever?
Don't Call Me Grumpycorn is full of bright colours and tiny details. Unicorn's rocket is full of everything from doughnut machines and emergency biscuits. We spent ages pouring over it to find all of the hidden rainbow surprises, and it's only the first page!
We ordered this story on launch day after taking part in all of the brilliant activities McIntyre hosted on Twitter. From making unicorn headbands to designing our own planets, there was plenty to keep us busy (you can find all of the resources here). My daughter even won an illustration of herself and Grumpycorn, which we will treasure forever. 
Don't Call me Grumpycorn is a brilliant picture about friendship and adventure, which for unicorn-enthusiasts and space fans everywhere will love.

June

What I'm Reading:

I'm currently reading Cinderella is Dead and The Dragon Detective: School's Out. If you want to show your support for black authors this month, consider preordering Cinderella is Dead, I'm only 10% through so far but absolutely loving it. It's also a great book purchase for Pride Month. I'm planning to theme lots of my reading for Pride Month over the next few weeks (Wayward Son is still sitting unread on my shelf...) and also hopefully dipping into Make Your Myth Taker. The Court of Miracles comes out this month too, which I've been looking forward to reading since I first heard about it at the start of the year.

What I'm Writing:Last week was a huge push to get two very different stories ready for The Times/Chicken House and Madeleine Milburn Mentoring competitions. I also posted a new short story on Wattpad - another gender-reversed fairytale, this one The Prince and The Pea. I'm now diving back into WriteMentor edits, with some brilliant notes from my fantastic mentor, Marisa Noelle (who has a new book out today!) and I'm hoping to get back into my free-verse YA fantasy story on Wattpad which I've been neglecting for far too long. 

Coming up on my blog this month:

I have plenty of picture book reviews lined up for this month, including Don't Call Me Grumpycorn, In Every House on Every Street and a special post for the release of The Perfect Shelter. I will also be taking part in the blog tour for In My Dreams (which I can't wait to read when it arrives) and posting about some special Barrington Stokes stories for Empathy Day. I have reviews coming up for Wonderscape, Midnight's Twins, Here Lie the Secrets, and lots more! 
What are you reading for June? Are there any new releases your really excited about?