Children&#8217;s Books: Review Panel Round-Up

It is not unusual to be bequeathed a gift after the death of a close relative: a brooch, a watch, a painting perhaps. What is unusual is to be left your grandmother’s memories stored on a high-tech piece of equipment called a Memoriser. This is how Olive Jones and The Memory Thieves begins and this really does set the tone for a book full of surprising twists and turns.

Olive was never very close to Grandma Sylvie and so, after her grandmother’s death, is shocked to discover that the seemingly ordinary old lady who lived across the road in her seemingly ordinary bungalow was actually a spy working for the British Intelligence Service and that while her bungalow might have looked dull on the outside, the inside was anything but dull. Once Olive accesses Sylvie’s memories the action really steps up a pace. The Memoriser is stolen and the race is on not just to retrieve it but also to discover who had been the Mole working within the spy network. Gadgets and high-speed, driverless cars are now thrown into a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat adventure.

Olive is a sparky, imaginative girl who is often in trouble at school. Her daring approach to life stands her in good stead to tackle espionage and double-crossing. Olive cannot operate alone and one of the strengths of the story is how she puts her trust in her brother, Frankie, the polar opposite of herself. The loving care that the siblings have for one another adds an extra, charming dimension to a highly action-based story.

Olive Jones and The Memory Thief is fast-paced and gripping. It feels like a beginner’s guide to James Bond with its creative gadgets, unscrupulous spies and unexpected revelations! As all good spy stories should, this one ends with justice being served and wrongs being put right. The ending is perfect and allows hope for a new beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed Olive and The Memory Thieves and know that it would appeal to boys and girls alike.

Publisher: Hachette

Publication date: June 2022

2. The Map of Leaves

By Yarrow Townsend & Marie-Alice Harel

Reviewer: Claire Sleath

Chapter book (9+)

Yarrow Townsend tells a tale of adventure, interweaved with important messages of hope, survival and the future of our precious world. Throughout the story, Orla, our strong female lead, fights tirelessly to protect her precious world from a terrible sickness. Following the death of her mother, she lives alone, yet makes allies in the most unlikely of places.

As the characters fight to find a cure for the ‘sickness’, they travel along Inkwater, a place full of danger, which stands as a strong metaphor for the climate changes we face today. This is a great topic for discussion in an Upper KS2 class and can offer many writing ideas, targeted around protecting our environment.

Townsend has an incredible way of absorbing the main character and the reader with the plants and wildlife of her story. She tells a tale where the plants listen and, if you listen back, they will guide you. This element of the story really stood out to me and makes a poignant message about how precious our wildlife really is. Orla believes that ‘the whole world speaks back to you if you listen’.

The story is full of unique ideas. For example, each chapter begins with a plant name and its medicinal purposes, which link to her mother’s book of remedies. The tale has been cleverly put together with exciting action and beautiful wildlife descriptions (along with a few twists and turns). This book is one to be thoroughly enjoyed by lovers of the outdoors, which instils a message to do all you can to stand up for your beliefs and protect the future of our planet.

Publisher: Chicken House Books

Publication date: May 2022

3. Seed

by Caryl Lewis & George Ermos

Reviewer: Jane E

Chapter book (8+)

Marty lives with his Mum in a house that is shrinking daily. Not actually shrinking, it just feels that way. His Mum can’t bear to part with anything, so every bit of space in the house is filled from floor to ceiling. The only room not affected is Marty’s – if his Mum tries to put things there, he moves them back out as soon as she is sleeping, which she does a lot. There is just a narrow corridor left to pass through the house to the kitchen to cook tea and back to his Mum in her old armchair, where he would join her, sitting on a stack of newspapers.

By comparison, Marty’s Grandad owns very little but spends his days dreaming of his next invention that will make his fortune down at the allotment. Marty’s birthday tends to go by without mention, but Marty tries not to mind because he knows his Mum has a lot on and besides, with all the piles already in their house he doesn’t really care for more ‘stuff.’ Then one day, Marty’s Grandad gives him a present – a solitary seed that he claims could contain wonders.

Seed is a beautiful new story from author Caryl Lewis, her first venture as an English language children’s novel and hopefully not the last. Lewis sensitively introduces the character of Marty, whose father walked out on him at an early age, leaving him as a carer for his mother and relying on donations of second-hand clothes for his uniform. There’s also Marty’s new-found friend Gracie, who has her own share of problems on her mind – her parents have split, with Mum remarried with a new family and Dad working so hard to provide the perfect life that Gracie barely sees him, and then there is Gracie’s hearing loss and the worry of how that may impact her dream of being a dancer.

There is a lot going on in this book and more imaginative children are bound to love the sense of adventure this brings. From what seems a troubled beginning, the reader is left with a sense of love for all of the characters, and an aftertaste of the triumph of justice, hope for the future, a desire to take a step back and enjoy the simpler moments in life and a sense of the importance of following one’s dreams.

Publisher: Macmillan

Publication date: May 2022

4. On My Papa’s Shoulders

By: Niki Daly

Reviewer: Jane Rew

Picturebook (3+)

The back cover declares the story to be ‘a celebration of fathers everywhere’. The illustrations reinforce that: they convey a sense of modern Africa, while yet picturing scenes that happen in cities worldwide.

Similarly, the little boy who tells the story is every child; every boy or girl who enjoys the care and attention of different family members, valuing each one – Mama, Tata, Gogo and Papa – in different ways. Mama for helping to tie his shoe laces and her goodbye kiss; Gogo for allowing him to feed the wayside cats, for listening to him and for being gentle; Tata for going slowly and splashing in puddles. But it is from Papa’s shoulders that a small boy’s view of the world is transformed. From there you can see more and further. You feel tall and strong too. This is commuting in style! This is love – supportive, mutual, familial, simple.

This story will have wide appeal and may prompt conversations in Early Years and KS1 classrooms about journeys to school and daily routines. The text is concise and clear (which helps when reading aloud); the ink-and-watercolour illustrations lively and sensitive.

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books

Publication date: May 2022

5. Home is Where the Hive Is

By Claire Winslow & Vivian Mineker

Reviewer: Nia Talbot

Picturebook (3+)

Home Is Where the Hive Is is a beautifully illustrated book which marries a fictional story with factual information about nature. Beatrice – a scout bee – has to find a new home for the hive as their habitat is being destroyed. The area around their Big Tree Hive has already been developed and turned into high-rise buildings and, by the look of things, the Big Tree area will be next.

The story follows Beatrice as she looks for a new place to live and explores different possibilities for their long-term home. The new areas are all problematic for different reasons. Beatrice keeps looking until she finds a place of safety – a rooftop garden (which the bees name Big Sky Hive) with plenty of ‘tasty blossoms’ – with a newly constructed hive all ready for the swarm of bees. Beatrice heads back to the hive and gives the bees directions to their new home.

This book is a lovely story for children to explore independently and I’m sure that children will all notice different aspects of the illustrations or story that fascinate the most. In discussions with an adult, children will have a much clearer understanding of bees, the need to protect habitats and how to support them further. The last double page of the book gives a range of suggestions of how the children can help bees and other pollinating animals to ‘feel at home’ which will be perfect to explore and create in Early Years provision.

An enjoyable story for young children with a clear message about the plight of pollinating creatures.

Publisher: Sunbird Books

Publication date: Feb 2022

6. Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief

By David Owen

Reviewer: Kristen Hopwood

Chapter book (9+)

Alex Neptune lives in the seaside town of Haven Bay, which is rather unfortunate as he thinks the sea is trying to kill him. He is not allowed to go anywhere near the sea; his grandad has forbidden it. However, this only makes Alex’s fear of water worse. Zoey Wu is Alex’s best friend and an inventor. She does have a tendency to blow things up or set them on fire though…

One day, their new friend Anil Chatterjee finds an octopus that takes a liking to Alex and seems to be trying to communicate with him. A whole host of other seaside creatures start acting rather strangely as well: Pinch the seagull, a group of sea otters and an army of crabs. The water in Haven Bay has recently turned foul and the locals are determined to find out why. Does it have something to do with a strange new building called the Station? And why do the animals seem to want Alex to visit the abandoned aquarium?

It’s not long until the annual ‘Water Dragon ceremony’ which celebrates the local legend of a mythical creature called the Water Dragon that supposedly created the bay. Alex, Zoey and Anil find themselves investigating the mysterious goings-on and uncovering more than they bargained for.

I really enjoyed the eco-themes mixed with magic in this book – a great combination! The humour and development of friendship between the characters were enjoyable elements as well. The friendship dynamics are something that children most likely will relate to, with Alex and Zoey being best friends and Anil being a new friend that comes along. ‘Alex Neptune’ will be enjoyed by fans of ‘Malamander’ and other legend-based adventures. It would also make a good class read for children in Year 5 or 6 and could link to a topic that covers pollution or be a good starting point for writing their own legends.

Publisher: Usborne

Publication date: August 2022

7. The Clockwork Queen

By Peter Bunzl & Lia Visirin

Reviewer: Jo Clarke

Dyslexia-friendly short chapter book (8+)

Set in Russia, The Clockwork Queen might be a short story but it’s a powerful one.

Sophie Peshka is a chess prodigy having learned all that she knows from her beloved father, a chess grandmaster. When her father is imprisoned by Empress Catherine the Great, Sophie is left to fend for herself. She plays chess in the park and perfects her game, until one day she is invited to play against the mysterious automaton, The Clockwork Queen.

Sophie’s strategic skill is not just confined to chess; her quick, forward-thinking nature enables her to gain access to the Winter Palace, the location of her father’s prison.

Her adventure is both imaginative, captivating and heart-warming.
With off-white paper and a dyslexia-friendly font, publisher Barrington Stoke makes a compelling tale accessible to all. The illustrations help to secure the story in the reader’s imagination. The vocabulary used throughout the book is appropriately challenging, and despite its brevity, the story is in no way compromised.

Sophie is a character that readers will take into their hearts. Her love for her father and their mutual passion for chess is a real strength. Somewhat based on historical facts, the Clockwork Queen might inspire young readers to find out more about the Mechanical Turk, the inspiration for the story.

Publisher: Barrington Stoke

Publication date: June 2022

8. Sisters of the Mist

By Marlyn Spaaij

Reviewer: Carol Carter

Graphic Novel (9+)

Sisters Kyra, Margot and Janna are off for a wonderful innocent summer at their Grandma’s home in Frygea Forest – a summer of blanket forts, campfires and tree climbing. But after older sister Margot wanders into the forest and looks a Fog Fury in the eye, little do they know, that before the holiday is over, they will all be changed…

This is a story of both light and dark. Literally, in terms of the changing colour schemes as dark forces appear and recede, but also in terms of the challenges the sisters face. Frygea Forest is a mystical place, full of unusual creatures, some friendly and whimsical, such as the Root Goblins, Alfs and Wisps, and some malevolent –Hell Hound, Trolls and, most feared of all, the Fog Furies.

In the other-worldly forest, the dangers are dramatic – baby Janna becomes lost in the dark and Kyra gets sucked deep into the swamp and becomes trapped by Trolls. But back in the farmhouse, the more prosaic changes that face Margot as she enters puberty, as her body changes and as she grows away from her sisters, are more profound.

Sisters of the Mist is a stunning debut from Marlyn Spaaij, reminiscent, in both the graphic style, the themes and the emotional depth leavened with humour, of Raina Telgemeier’s work.

There is some mild language (butt, boobies) and older themes (specifically periods), which means Sisters of the Mist is only appropriate for the older end of Primary, and beyond. There are many children in the upper primary age group who will benefit from its central message and use of metaphors to explore puberty. As the book itself ends, ”Change can be very scary. And even though you’re afraid, sometimes you have to let your biggest fears come true. You’ll see afterwards, it’s not so scary. Not anymore”.

Publisher: Flying Eye Books

Publication date: April 2022

9. The White Phoenix

By Catherine Randall

Chapter book (9+)

It’s 1666. The country is under attack from the deadly plague and the fear of a French invasion. Lizzie and her family return to their bookshop in London, The White Phoenix, only to find that her father has died and that they must find a way to keep their beloved shop open. Lizzie’s mother has enlisted the help of her neighbour, Master Pendley. Yet not everyone wants to see them succeed and soon rumours and subterfuge are plaguing their very existence. 13-year-old Lizzie seems to be the only one that can see the truth but how will she ever prove it without putting her family and friends at greater risk?

This historical novel by Catherine Randall has found a feisty heroine in Lizzie. The story engages the reader from the off and the plot moves apace as we root for Lizzie to uncover the truth. The supporting characters in this story arrive fully formed and Master Pendley proves a wonderfully evil villain, over which goodness will ultimately prevail but not without plenty of drama first. This story deftly weaves in historical details about the plague, mob-violence and the Great Fire of London but not at the expense of a great story.

I really enjoyed this book (in fact I finished it in only 2 sittings as it’s a real page turner) and would love to see a sequel with Lizzie and Sam at its heart. While a historical novel, some of the themes still resonate today and would foster some great discussions, particularly about the role of women in 17th century England. It would provide a different offering for fans of Ally Sherrick and Emma Carroll, and a good option for upper KS2 children who love historical settings with good adventure too.

Publisher: The Book Guild

Publication date: August 2020

10. The Good Turn

By Sharna Jackson

Reviewer: Carol Carter

Chapter book (7+)

Like Sharna Jackson’s previous High-Rise Mysteries series, and many classic children’s book staples, The Good Turn revolves around a group of children taking it upon themselves to investigate a local enigma. While the High-Rise series is set in a city centre tower block with murders as the central puzzles, The Good Turn is set in low-rise Luton with a lower-stakes issue: what is going on in the dilapidated factory beyond the housing estate? This makes the story both suitable for slightly younger children (Year 3+) and more relatable for us Midlands residents.

Our central character, Josephine, definitely feels her own “main character energy” as her whirlwind of ideas and vivacity draws her friends, new girl Margot and spiky Wesley, into her plan: to start her own version of the Girl Scouts, called the Copseys after the cul-de-sac in which they all live. There are many badges to be earned by helping local residents (whether they want the help or not) and demonstrating bravery by camping in the wasteland at the end of Wesley’s garden. But when they discover evidence of people living in the factory they are faced with a whole new set of challenges, not least who to tell and how to gain their trust.

While the surface plot is classic rip-roaring fun, many deeper elements are explored through the backstory of the factory squatters (the Windrush Generation) and the three children’s families (illness, caring responsibilities, new siblings, absent parents).

For me, the best feature of the writing is the realistic relationships drawn between the children. Each child has a very distinct voice and personality, and the connections between them cover the full gamut of friendship: teasing, adventure, support, and love but also bickering, jealousy and resentment. I hope The Good Turn has sequels planned as there is much more for Copseys to explore in their town, their families and within themselves.

Publisher: Puffin

Publication date: April 2022