Book Review: Shevolution by Lou Treleaven

I am very proud - and very privileged - to be bringing you this blog post today as part of the Shevolution blog tour!

It has been a while (almost eight months, in fact) since I last shared a blog post or book review here. As a Year 6 teacher, I don't have as much free time to read and blog as I would like. I wrote and scheduled a few back in September, when the new school year started, but I have struggled to sit down and write things like this. I am trying to be better but I also need to be kind to myself. 

Anyway, today I am here to talk about this incredible new non-fiction book - Shevolution - and, as part of the blog tour, I am going to focus on one incredible woman from this book who deserves to be part of women's history.

Book Review: The Secret Ocean by Amy Grimes

I love a bright, colourful picture book, so when this landed through my letterbox - courtesy of Scholastic - I was incredibly excited. I knew from the moment that I opened it and saw the cover, this book was going to be a popular one with children of all ages - even my Year 6 class.

Ever since I took this book into my classroom, it has not been back on the shelf. It has just been passed from child to child. Every time someone goes to put it back, another pupil goes "Ooh, can I have that one now?" It's such a joy to see. 

Book Review: Cat on the Run (Episode 2: Cucumber Madness!) by Aaron Blabey

 

I have fallen in love with graphic novels and the first Cat on the Run book was part of that, so I am very excited to be bringing you the review of the second book in the series: Cat on the Run, Episode 2: Cucumber Madness!

Below, I've popped the trailer for the first book to give you a little insight into this great graphic novel.

 

Book Review: Worry Boots by Lisa Thompson & Aysha Awwad

With the start of the new school year creeping up for us here in the UK, I thought this was the perfect time to review this picture book which focuses on that first-day-at-school feeling.

This book - Worry Boots - is described as a "first-day-at-school picture book like no other" and "a gentle, encouraging book for parents to help their children" with school anxiety.

I'm Loving: WRD Magazines

It's obviously no secret that I love books, especially when it comes to books for younger readers - from picture books to YA. So imagine my excitement when I discovered there is an amazing magazine dedicated to sharing children's books!

WRD magazines are for children aged 8-13+ (these are spread across two separate magazines, which I will talk about in more detail later in the post). The company rebranded as WRD in 2013, after previously being known as tBkmag. They really are the best source of up-to-date releases and what is happening in the world of children's books. The magazines include interviews, special feature pieces and - my personal favourite - extracts from new releases so you can have a sneak peek at some new books.

Book Review: The Little Gardener's Handbook by Michael Holland & Maria Dek

I think it's clear to see by now that I love a children's picture book. Not even because I'm a teacher and love to share them in school with the children - I just think picture books are one of the greatest things on this planet.

Usually, I will reach for a fictional picture book, often with some kind of moral or message, but today I am going to be reviewing a lovely non-fiction picture book all about gardening.

So, let's look at The Little Gardener's Handbook: A Beginner's Guide to Gardening...

Book Review: Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom by Scott Morse

Now, this is a slightly different book for me to be reading and reviewing but I am very aware of the ever-growing popularity of graphic novels for younger readers. Over the past two years, I have really noticed a love of graphic novels growing in school. This has been especially noticeable in Years 5 and 6.  In fact, in the class I just finished the year with there were at least five children who spent the year working through my personal and school collection of graphic novels, swapping them amongst themselves when they'd read a good one and having a chat about them during our "book blather" sessions. Some of them even took them outside at lunchtime because they wanted to keep reading. I love that!

This new graphic novel, which was released two weeks ago, was kindly gifted to me by Scholastic.

This book was written and illustrated by the incredible Scott Morse. He has created other amazing books but I was amazed to find out he works as a story supervisor at Pixar. Scott Morse has worked on films including Ratatouille, Cars and - a personal favourite - Wall-E. He has also worked for Cartoon Network, Disney and Nickelodeon. What a resume!

So, let's take a look at this graphic novel: Magic Pickle and the Roots of Doom...

Book Review: My Body, My Rules by Nicki Esler Gill & Dasha Riley

I love an empowering, informative message portrayed through picture books for young children. It doesn't need to be heavy or too deep but it's great to see good values and behaviours demonstrated through the joy of reading.

Today, I am reviewing My Body, My Rules - a picture book that aims to introduce younger readers to body boundaries and consent in a lighter manner.

Book Review: A Boy Called Book by Vincent Ralph & Aaron Cushley

Yesterday was National Book Lovers Day, so I decided to delve into my TBR pile and find a book to review that felt like a good fit for this lovely day. Step forward, A Boy Called Book - a beautiful picture book with a lovely story and stunning illustrations.

Once there was a boy called Book...

Book Review: North and the Only One by Vashti Hardy

I am so excited to bring you this book review today, ahead of its anticipated release on 9th May. 

I have been a fan of Vashti Hardy's writing for some time now, having read the Brightstorm series, Wildspark and Crowfall. If you're after adventure and excitement in your middle-grade books, then these are the ones to pick up!

Today, I'm sharing Hardy's latest book: North and the Only One, which I was kindly gifted through the publisher, Scholastic.

Book Review: The World's First Rollercoaster and Other Amazing Inventions by Mike Barfield

Today, I bring you another book review but this time it's for a non-fiction children's book. Well, I say it's for children but I've learned so much from it! Read on to find out more...

Author Spotlight: Carlie Sorosiak

I've decided to start another new series on my blog called "Author Spotlight". I don't know how often I will do these posts as I don't want to set myself a time frame and force it. I'd rather write when I genuinely have a selection of books by a particular author to talk about.

This post will be all about the wonderful Carlie Sorosiak...

Book Review: Black Hole Cinema Club by Christopher Edge

I am so excited to bring you this book review today!

I received a copy of Black Hole Cinema Club by Christopher Edge in my latest Reading Rocks subscription box (I subscribe to the UKS2 box because I teach Year 6). I planned on buying this book anyway, as I loved Escape Room and The Jamie Drake Equation, but I was lucky enough to get it in my subscription box and get to read it sooner than I'd planned.

Book Wars: Dragons vs Unicorns

I'm trying to think of new blog ideas, especially when it comes to books. I have always wanted to do something where I recommend books that have a certain theme or characteristic, but wanted a more interesting way to do this rather than just saying, "Here are some books that all have [insert feature here]." There's nothing wrong with posts like that at all (plus, I'm sure I'll do some like that in the future) but I saw this idea in a book magazine, that came in my Reading Rocks subscription box last month, and knew I wanted to do something similar.