Author & Illustrators
This new series from Jennifer Bell is a top recommendation for young readers aged 6-9 who enjoy a mix of mystery, adventure and silliness.
Buck and his rabbit sidekick, Ears, have been dubbed the worst pirates ever! So, they decide a career change is in order. Rebranding themselves as Pirate Detectives, they take on a high-stakes case for the mighty Captain Bloodfang: find the missing mermaid chef, or end up in the ship’s stew pot!
The story is a barrel of laughs. Readers will enjoy the mishaps of the hopeless but harmless crew, from a navigator who won’t swim to a porcupine who adds marshmallow to the end of his quills to protect his friends from being prickled. Sarah Horne’s energetic illustrations perfectly match the good clean humour of the story, making this a brilliant chapter book storytime pick for fun loving adventurers in Year 2 or 3.
A lovely book to use at storytime or to include in the book areas. Magicalia is a fiction novel, with a fantasy theme, interwoven in the storyline that holds your attention and creates that want to read more attitude.
The story becomes even more interesting with a flair of magic that happens when you are least expecting. It’s a fast-paced story of ordinary children plunged into a fantasy setting, a tale of kidnapping and bravery.
Have you ever imagined travelling through portals to new times and places?
In this novel, three unsuspecting teenagers, Arthur, Ren and Cecily, unexpectedly find themselves in a mysterious house. Suddenly one doorway disappears and another opens. In this fast-paced, exciting book, the three children slowly learn to trust and help each other, working as an unlikely team to solve different challenges in each of the realms in which they find themselves. The three children prove to be intriguing heroes. Each has their own flaws and insecurities but rise to the challenges, finding skills and strengths they didn’t know they had. It is good to have 2 more strong female role models to add to the growing list – but Arthur too proves that strength can be found in all children – even a scrawny boy in a second-hand school uniform.
I was hooked from the first chapter. The book reminds me of the fantasy adventure books I used to read as a child. But, the futuristic setting of the book has a strong injection of 25th century living with elements of computer games and some very weird and wonderful technological advances thrown in for good measure. The Wondercloaks, in particular, were an inspired invention. I’d love one of these fabric Wondercloaks which read your moods and project beautiful images both inside and outside!
There is little preamble and no lengthy descriptions in the book. The action begins very quickly and would work well to engage reluctant readers. Any book which begins with the line ‘It was early morning and Arthur was already running late for school when the gnomes exploded’ is set to be full of surprises! And it doesn’t disappoint as each realm the three travellers visit throws new challenges at them in the search for the man who can get them home.
This is an exciting and action-packed read that shows us the value of teamwork and persistence.
Reviewer: Emma Rogers
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
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Any other comments