Published by Walker Books

A novel by Patrick Ness, from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd.

A sad, but gripping tale of a boy called Conner, whose mum is suffering from a life threatening illness- cancer. Conner is visited frequently by a monstrous yew tree, who over time tells three different stories to which will soon unlock Conner’s inside feelings about his mum. As well as coping with a monster and his mum, Conner is getting bullied at school- can he survive with all of this together?
This book is a really great, heart string pulling story that leaves you on the edge of your seat- it’s amazing! Not only is it so good, but what really makes it special is where the original idea came from. Siobhan Dowd thought up the idea of the novel first, but as she was piecing the bits together she sadly passed away from cancer herself, aged only 47. However, Patrick Ness took on the difficulty of finishing the tale, and transformed it into this bestselling book! Alongside with awesome illustrations by artist Jim Kay, this book is a brilliant, lovely read. But, it’s so sad, so I would say you should read it when you’re over ten!

Georgia

Published by Sterling

Make way for Drake Doyle and his friend Nell Fossey, year 5 science detectives, ready to solve any puzzle! This book is a fab, funny and useful book for children, telling you all about science, but in a really fun format! Read this cute book as Doyle and Fossey solve four unique mysteries based around the wonders of science, it’s really good! Plus, as well as stories, at the end of every book you will find out how to make your own science lab, the do’s and don’ts of experiments, and awesome sites to check out.

The Case of the Gasping Garbage is the first book in the series, make sure to buy the other titles!

Georgia

Published by HarperCollins Children’s Books

Think of J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter, add some of Terry Pratchetts’ Discworld series, then you have this book – totally amazing!

Drake is just exploring in his new home’s garden when he comes across a shed where a magic secret is contained inside… Three horsemen of the apocalypse! Only to add to Drakes amazement, they have been waiting for him, because he is perfect to be the horseman of death.

The only problem is, that Drake is the 13^th Horseman of the apocalypse – can this all work out, or will it just end up turning into the end of the world?  Drake Finn may not be scared, but he sure will be when he finds out what’s in store for him!

Barry Hutchison, a new author, is great at adding hilarious comedy to an action packed book…One minute it’s the end of the world and it’s very dark, the next the characters have saved the day, leaving you laughing at their stupid antics. It’s such a great read and the pages turn themselves as you’re plunging into a world of Armageddon, danger and fun!  This is an awesome book for all lovers of Harry Potter, and it’s published on the 1^st of March so make sure you get a copy!

And, you can order your copy here.

Georgia

Manga Workshop!

Last Saturday in Ashburton Library, Croydon a brilliant manga author/ illustrator popped in to give a talk on manga for 11-19 year olds!
The workshop is for a club in the Croydon libraries called ‘My Voice’ – full of great activities all of the time for teenagers who live locally. We all started off by being introduced to Chie Kutsuwada, an awesome manga artist whose work includes ‘As you like it’ in the Manga Shakespeare series. Chie’s work is excellent and really stands out in the modern world of Manga!!!
So, we were introduced by some well known Japanese comics, and learnt about the differences between American, English and Japanese art.

It was really interesting to see how different so many things are, but you would hardly ever notice! We went on to Chie showing us how to draw a facial profile of a manga style face, which was really fun!
After some snacks we went back to work, finding top tips on features and what manga chibis are-they’re really cute kind of versions of normal manga! Chie Kutsuwada was a really good teacher-she guided us through and worked with us by showing us the answers to all of our questions.
Overall, the workshop was great, many thanks to Chie Kutsuwada and the people who attended, I had so much fun!

Georgia

Published by Templar Publishing

This new picture book is a really sweet and charming story, quick to read but makes you want to read it again and again and again! A father always dreamed to fly, and tries to make a pair of wings but it just isn’t working for him. His little boys name isn’t mentioned in the book, which is actually kind of strange! Anyway, it really saddened me that the father had to leave for the war.
The beautiful illustrations really portray the majority of the story well, because there is not actually that many words! Can the son follow in his father’s footsteps, but this time, fly FArTHER?
I think this is a great book, and I would definitely recommend it for all ages, grab a copy (soon to be in paperback too) Now!

Georgia

Published By Faber Kids

Arlene Phillips is extremely well known for being on the judging panel for So you think you can dance? And strictly come dancing. She’s celebrated for her choreography skills and her brilliant musicals. But now, she’s writing children’s books! They are really great reads, it might have been a bit young for me, but still- I really did love it!
Based on her daughter, Alana, (and her little sister Abi is actually her sister in real life!) this book is one in a cool new series based on dancing. Each book is focused on a different type of Modern dance, the first book being samba dancing. This book is the second in the series, and focuses on Street and hip hop dancing. Alana and her friend Meena are entering a school talent show with a waltz sequence, however, they are told by others that they’re too old fashioned! So Alana goes down to the magic Madame Coco’s costume shop. There, Alana puts on a street dance outfit, and is transported to Hollywood, with her favourite band! Can the moves she has learnt help Alana and Meena to jazz up their routine and win the competition? Read this great book to find out!
Also don’t forget that books 3, 4, 5 and 6 are already out, so read these afterwards too!

Georgia

Published by Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Vanessa Curtis is a quite new, brilliant author, who really connects with her character, Lilah May, and who loves rock music just like Vanessa! Vanessa used to play in ‘very loud’ rock bands!
Lilah is angry. VERY angry! Her brother seems lost to the world now, but from the day he went missing Lilah turned angry. She’s never stopped since. Her anger problems are only getting worse, causing her to nearly become excluded, not to mention that the only person that can understand her is her best mate, Bindi! It’s not going very well, and when your mum works as a clown, and your dad is a lion tamer, things aren’t exactly going to get any better! Can Lilah cope through her problematic life, and also try to forget about her missing brother- Jay???
This book is a fab new book, (published 2011) and is a great (albeit short) read for teens. It’s a really cool book and makes you wonder about people who are really in situations like Lilah Mays’, I love it! Don’t worry if you find that you get to the end and think… I really want to know what happens next! Because a second book is on its way-Lilah Mays Manic Days! Don’t miss it: I wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Georgia

Published by Splinter (New York).

SPOILER ALERT!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

Kelsey thought she would be helping out in a circus for the summer, not breaking a curse in India!
A tiger at a Circus, is actually the ancient prince Dihren, who is cursed as a tiger. When a man turns up to buy Dihren and to take Kelsey with him as a Carer, Kelseys world is thrown upside-down as she finds herself hunting down secrets in all the corners of India. However, Kelsey is somehow drawn to Dihren, He can turn into a man, for only 20 minutes a day, and Kelsey eventually falls in love…But will she manage? Breaking a 4 century old curse, and loving a lost prince of India? Can she keep her love safe, as well as her at the same time?
Find out in this brilliant, compelling novel, out now in hardback. It is part of a great new ‘Tiger Saga’ of which the second and third books are out now too…go and grab a copy now from your nearest bookstore! This book is fab in every way and leaves you stunned, laughing, crying, shocked, all in one page, I couldn’t tear myself away!

Georgia

Published by Simon & Schuster.

Tales from a not so fabulous life!

The second book in the series ‘The Dork Diaries’ This increasingly popular will never fail to make you crack up!
So, Nikki thinks she’s the biggest dork in the school, and things aren’t getting any better thanks to the bully Mackenzie. Mackenzie is a spoiled girl who will risk the Halloween Party just to make fun of Nikki!
Can Nikki cope with one mean girl, one ballet party, her crush Brandon, her middle school dance and be everywhere at once? It seems she can! Read this awesome book to find out how Nikki juggles with her totally random and hilarious life, watch her cringe at her best friends Halloween costumes, her dads dieting and more!
This is a great book set out as a journal, a girly version of ‘diary of a wimpy kid’. I would definitely recommend it to all girls who love to laugh! Also, don’t forget to check out Rachel Russell’s first book too-‘the dork diaries’!!!

Georgia

Published by Penguin.

Cathy Cassidy is the really great and popular author, who wrote Dizzy, Indigo blue and many more!

Her books are the perfect read for any girl, with an age range from 9 and up. Cathy likes to tour and go on book signings in her campervan, which is a real icon! With her campervan, Cathy travels around the U.K holding Festivals for her books, with extracts read by her, and lots of arts and crafts as well as music! She’s one of my favourite authors along with Jacqueline Wilson, and a few others. Here are some of her books…

Dizzy

“I never sleep, the night before my birthday…it’s the only day of the year I hear from her…”

Every year, on her birthday, dizzy receives a special parcel from her mum in the post. One year its a postcard, the next a dream-catcher, another year it was a ragdoll. Dizzys mum left when she was very small and Dizzy misses her like crazy! But this year theres no package, no postman. But something bigger, better and crazier turns up at the doorstep. This something will definatley put Dizzys world into a spin!

Dizzy is Cathys first book, and the kind of book that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time, and not put it down! I would definitely recommend it!

Indigo Blue

“I need a seriously brilliant daydream…because everything is far from ok…”

Indigo is living with her mum, Max, (Her stepdad), and baby misti. But one day after school mum comes with only Misti and whisks both girls away to a dingy old flat full of mould and creaking floorboards, where they live on biscuits and have to put up with a grumpy old neighbour. But even though Mum tries her best to hide it, she cant hide her reason for running away…

This story is a really heart-warming one, with lots of twists and turns and is all about friendship and hope… The perfect book!

Scarlett

Scarlett spells trouble! It’s not her fault that she always attracts the wrong kind of attention at school, but no-one seems to understand that. And mums had enough.

She is sent off to live with dad and his new family, in Ireland, And Scarlett is NOT happy about it! She cant believe that mum just dumped her like that! Scarlett misses her friends at school, but mum thinks its best that Scarlett stays away from them, especially since she got her tounge pierced…for a dare! But, things are starting to brighten up in that old village in Ireland, all because of the sweet local boy Kian…

This is a must read, for all girls! I was really able to put myself in the shoes of rebel scarlett, and I really saw her world through her eyes. Cathy Cassidy wrote a note in the front of the book, saying that it is a great read for somebody who has ever felt angry, lost or misunderstood. I couldn’t agree more! In this book you can read about somebody who is feeling exactly how you are if you feel any of the above, and it’s great to see how wonderful Cathy is at sorting out situations, even if they are fictitious!

Angel Cake

Anya used to dream of moving to Britain to start a brand new life. But as she sits in a school where nobody understands her, she dreams of Polish summer skies and the place where she once belonged…

A brilliant novel based on a real life girl, who had the privilege to meet Cathy! As based on a real Polish girl who moved to England, the fictitious Anya has moved with her family to the city of Liverpool in Britain. It’s so much different than Anya’s polish town of Krakow, and there’s different people too. As Anya tries to adjust into everyday English life, as well as her school, she sees the bad boy Dan, from her school, wearing angel wings! He’s your everyday cool kid, which every girl has a crush on, and Anya has fallen for him too after seeing the softer side of him out of school. Anya and Dan make friends, but can they keep their friendship when Dan actually turns out to be bad news….but when Anya’s with him it feels like heaven!

Yet another amazing book, By Cathy. Her power with words really makes this story special, and is so my favourite out of all of her books! Its great with lots of twists, and because the main character is based upon somebody who is actually real, it only makes the book even more unique! I love this book so much, and I’ve even got my copy signed…This book is the best!!!

Driftwood

Hannah and joey have been best friends forever-just the two of them…

Then havoc begins after the arrival of Joeys new foster brother, Paul! Read the gripping tale of Hannahs world being turned upside down, whilst Joey falls for Hannah’s brother, which means Joey and Hannah’s friendship is slowly drowning. Paul only becomes another part of the problem too, with the help of a stripy pink bike and kittens… can Hannah save her friend, not hurt her brothers feelings and be friends with Paul, all at the same time?

Read this exciting, edge of your seat book now! Cathy Cassidy is awesome at telling stories, and she’s just got a whole lot better-this is so funny, however, there is a serious part to the story too, which really leaves you not being able to put the book down. I was up all night reading this, just to make sure I knew everything would turn out right for Hannah and Joey!

Sundae Girl

Judes family are crazy, quirky, bizarre…her mum brings her plenty of problems and her dad thinks he’s Elvis!

Jude has one very mixed up life, Dad is an Elvis impersonator, and mum is pretty much nuts, just like her grandparents. All she has ever dreamed of is a perfectly normal life, just like everybody else…

Will it ever happen?  But, things can only get way more complicated when a mysterious blonde haired boy on rollerskates takes a fancy for Jude. He can never know how weird her family is though! Jude must strive to keep her school world, and her family life as distant as possible, but not everything is quite going to plan-just add in a ‘60’s style wedding, dads girlfriend, and an even crazier mum, mums ice-cream maker boyfriend, that cool boy on skates, and you have a recipe for disaster!

Another great book from the brilliant Cathy Cassidy, she never ever fails to make me laugh! Just like in every other book of hers, I feel so much like the main character and I end up feeling their emotions, it seems so real! Keep up the great work, Cathy!

Cherry Crush

Cherry Costello’s life is about to change forever…

Cherry and her dad used to live not so well, with lonlieness lingering around them because of the loss of Cherry’s mum. However, Cherry and her dads life is about to change forever, and for the better! They’re moving to Somerset, where a new mum and a big bunch of brand-new sisters await! Cherry can’t wait to meet her new family, and when she gets there, she finds out that her new mum runs a B&B in a gorgeous countryside.  As well as running the bed and breakfast, the family have started up a unique and new, exciting chocolate business! It’s so fun! Her new sisters are more than welcoming…well, all but one. Honey, one new sister, is not happy that her boyfriend Shay seems to like Cherry. Now, Honey is going to do everything to make sure Cherry doesn’t get near Shay. But its not her fault that she’s obsessed with him…even though it can destroy everything if she’s not careful!

This is the first book in Cathy Cassidys new series; The Chocolate Box Girls! In this new and highly addictive series, each stepsister has an exciting tale to tell. I think it’s great how Cathy has stitched together a new family, a new life for Cherry, and I thought it would only be a one-off book…but it isn’t! I’m so happy to know that the next book in the series is out: Marshmallow Skye, and I’ve already bought my (signed!) copy, ready to read. I just can’t wait to see what this awesome bunch of sisters get up to!!!

Keep reading my blog to see a review of Cathy’s next book, and many more!

Georgia