Heather James's Blog, page 7

Picture This: Amazing Animal Earth

Follow a little girl around the world as she learns about the animals beyond her own home. 
Amazing Animal Earth is a celebration of animals across the world's continents. It introduces young readers to creatures they may not have encountered before and their homes, and is a lovely way to learn about the world. 
This picture book is full of sweet, gentle artwork, with adorable animals and beautiful landscapes (I particularly liked the starry Australian sky and the snowy European wood). It's gentle rhyme scheme makes it a great bedtime story too. 

Thank you Little Steps publishing for sending me a copy to review. 
Amazing Animal Earth is written by Alessandra Yap and illustrated by Anastasia Popp

Picture This: My Grandma is 100

What do you buy someone who is turning 100? Will there be 100 guests at their party, or 100 candles on their cake?
When Grandma Edna turns 100 her great grandchild is full of questions, and wonders what the special day will be like. 
This story is a wonderful celebration of family, growing older and spending time together. It touches on some of the issues children might face when spending time with older relatives, such as hearing difficulties, but also the joy of having a large family who can come together in times of happiness. 
The illustrations are sweet and often funny (my son loved spotting the tree-eating dinosaur!)

Thank you Little Steps publishing for sending me a copy to review
My Grandma is 100 is written by Aimee Chan and illustrated by Angela Perrini

The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

Another amazing story from Lauren James, which kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.
The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker is incredibly tense, and I raced through it, desperate to know what would happen next. This story is full of twists and turns. It has a complicated, non linear plot which it was so fun to follow, and is something I've come to expect from a Lauren James book, after the time travel and distorted space time of previous novels I have read by her! So much thought and planning must go into her novels, and it really shows in the complexity and brilliance of the finished work. 
This story is made up of fantastic multiple POVs. I loved all the characters and was never disappointed when the viewpoint shifted, as everyone was so interesting. The friendship between the characters was very special, and I loved the found-family feel to this story. Harriet herself is a complex character who is often hard to like, but very understandable. James develops her really well.
The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker also explores death, the afterlife, and what makes us human. Fear, love and acceptance are all vital to the story's progression and the characters' growth. 
I also loved the setting - as a Warwick grad especially! I'm not sure this a story I'd want to read right before moving into student halls though. Although, if I was going to move into university accommodation that was already occupied, I'd want it to be by Rima and her friends! 

Picture This: Polly Profiterole's Little Town

A deliciously sweet treat in storybook form! 
Polly Profiterole is tired and fed up. Her pancake parlour is the only shop in her tiny town, which doesn't even have a school or a bank. So she cooks up a plan to create the sweetest town ever. Baked by Polly and constructed by her husband, Percy, chocolate chip churches and treacle tart toy shops are soon filling the town with joy. 
This is a lovely picture book which will amaze young readers and have them inventing food-filled towns of their own. It opens up a world of possibilities. 
The art work is adorable and really brings Polly's creations to life in a way. Clever littles details (such as the bank being made with lots of dough) will have adults giggling too. 

Thank you Little Steps Publishing for sending me a copy to review
Polly Profiterole's Little Town is written by Maggie May Gordon and illustrated by Margarita Levina

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know

Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know is full of twists, romance and art. Here are three reasons I think everyone should read it this summer:
1. Khayyam is a superb protagonist. She jumps off the page with every word. I loved her quick humour, sarcasm and her very relatable insecurities. She cares so much about Leila, and her story, ensuring that the reader can't help but care too. She also brilliantly analyses who gets remembered by history and why. She's a brilliant YA heroine I think teenagers will love.
2. One of my favourite things about Love, Hate & Other Filters were all the technical details about cinematography, that really reflected Maya's love for the subject. In Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know, Ahmed goes into the same level of immersive detail with art, poetry and literature. I don't know very much about art, so I love coming across artist and their works in literature as it encourages me to discover more about them. This story has had me googling Delacroix, digging out books with Byron poems in and wanting to read Dumas for the first time. I'm also keen to read some of the beautiful Persian poetry features in the novel. 
3. The setting is beautiful. Even in the height of Summer abandoned by the Parisians, Paris is a perfect story location - especially for one packed with swoonworthy romance (and very yummy cakes). My family and I had a long conversation afterwards about how much better Orangina tastes in the little glass bottles you can always buy in France, and the descriptions of the patisseries were mouthwatering!
If you like romance, dreamy locations, art or cake, you will love this story! 

Picture This: Now You See Me

This picture book prompted lots of excitement when it arrived, from its sparkly cover with 'invisible' lettering, to the bright pink chameleon at the top. We had to read it straight away (and then again immediately after!) 
Chameleon is a master of disguise and brilliant at blending in with his surroundings. He uses his special talent to play tricks on the other animals and avoid chores, but when the joke is on him, he realises it might be time to change his behaviour. 
My children had lots of fun searching for chameleon and frog on every page, and laughed at all of chameleon's naughty antics. This story has been cleverly designed, with lots of hidden, camouflaged details which makes it lots of fun to share. I can see this being very popular in classrooms or nurseries, with children eager to race to find the hidden characters. 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending me a copy of this book for review. 
Now You See Me, Now You Don't is written by Patricia Hegarty and illustrated by Jonny Lambert

Blog Tour: The Beast and the Bethany

Ebenezer is approaching his 512th birthday, although he looks remarkably young for his age. He lives a reclusive life of luxury, filled with the occasional odd purchase of rare parrots and trips to the zoo to gather food for the magical beast he keeps in his attic - the secret to his youth and wealth. But the beast has grown tired of his usual meals. He wants to try something new. Something much more difficult to get hold of. But when orphan Bethany moves in, Ebenezer and his beast discover they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

The Beast and the Bethany is a must read for fans of funny middle grade stories filled with dark twists. I was hooked from the very first page and devoured this story in one sitting, thanks to its superb voice and excellent characters.

I really liked both Bethany and Ebenezer, and I think children will too. Bethany acts without thinking and does some horrible (and hilarious) things. Ebenezer is selfish and thoughtless (and at times completely clueless!). 

There were so many lines and moments which made me laugh out loud. But despite the laughs and the gruesome scenarios, there were also touching moments, filled with character growth and friendship. 

My advanced copy only had a taste of Follath's artwork, and I'm really looking forward to being able to buy a finished copy to enjoy it properly, as the pictures which have been included are brilliant. 

I'm so pleased there are going to be more books with Bethany and Ebenezer - this is a great concept with fantastic characters, which readers will want to return to again and again. 

You can find out much more about The Beast and the Bethany by following all of the tour stops with The Write Reader blog tour. 

The Beast and the Bethany is written by Jack Meggitt-Phillips and illustrated by Isabelle Follath

When Secrets Set Sail

When Secrets Set Sail is a wonderful story of friendship, sisterhood, and finding where you belong. Brahmachari blends magic and reality to bring the past into the present. 

Ghosts and secrets collide when Immy is adopted by Usha's family. Both girls struggle to adjust to the new dynamic, and they're not helped by the presence of ghosts, long neglected bargains, and the threat of the closure of the community space they live above. If they are going to save their home and help their ghosts to move on, they will first have to learn to work together and trust each other. 

When Secrets Set Sail is beautifully written and filled with history, community and family. Immy and Usha's relationship is at the very heart of the novel and it was lovely to see them grow closer and accept each other. I especially loved their moments on the tandem bike! 

I really enjoyed this novel's exploration of history, particularly overlooked stories. I learnt a lot about a group of people I didn't previously know anything about and I will keep their stories with me long after the novel's final page. This story stresses the importance of passing stories down, to keep the past alive. 

Community, both its history and the way it brings us together and supports us, is another important theme within the novel. Immy and Usha learn a lot about how the way they live affects others. They discover the importance of honouring promises, and the way it can conflict with our own wants and desires. 

But, above all, When Secrets Set Sail is an uplifting story which will leave readers smiling, their hearts full. 

I was provided with an early copy of this novel to review on NetGalley

Picture This: Cities of the World

Travel the world in this beautifully designed picture book, visiting cities which span the globe, and learn lots of facts about them along the way. 
Sometimes, I know immediately that a picture book is going to be special. This was exactly the case with Cities of the World. I think it would be impossible to walk past this book in a shop without stopping for a closer look.
With its peep through design, Cities of the World is full of colour and detail. I especially love that it's pouring down in the London picture! 

There is so much to discuss on every page, this story will keep little ones entertained for a long time.
Cities of the World is packed full of facts, but you don't have to read all of them out on every reading, meaning this book can be slightly different every time you open it. My three-year-old asks what specific buildings or landmarks are, while my five-year-old likes to discuss what the people are doing.
This is a must-buy for inquisitive children, who want to learn more about the world they live in and the people and places to be found in it. 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending me a copy to review. 
Cities of the World is written by Becky Davies and illustrated by Josie Portillo

Here is the Beehive

This novel is superbly written. It is the first adult verse novel I've read and it definitely won't be the last. I've enjoyed Crossan's YA novels in the past and it was great to read a story with adult characters. 
Here is the Beehive is full of complicated characters, whose lives are messy and imperfect, but refreshingly real. There were so many moments where I wished I could speak to Ana - perhaps a result of the style it is written in, but also because she was so fleshed out. There's so much to talk about with her - she's a character you could study and write essays on. I could definitely write an essay on all my thoughts about her (the only reason I'm keeping this brief is because I was to avoid spoilers). I didn't agree with a lot of her actions, but I understood why she was making them and throughout the novel I desperately wanted her to heal and be happy.  She is a character I could discuss endlessly and I can't wait for more people to read this book so that I can. 
Crossan writes in first person but addresses Ana's partner, Connor, as 'you' throughout. This heightens the emotion within the verse and also assumes the reader already knows everything, which leads to some big surprises in the plot. I was never sure how or where Here is the Beehive was going to end. The final page brought me to tears. 
Crossan's attention to detail is brilliant. I loved the tiny character studies of figures in the background which brought the world vividly to life. Small moments have stuck with me long after I read the last page.
I was provided with an early copy of this novel to review on NetGalley