Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
Side by side on the sand sat two eggs. With a crack and a rip, the brothers hatch, and out comes a bird and a ...crocodile! But they can't be brothers - can they?
REVIEW:
A quirky and unusual story brought to the young reader as two unlikely friends find themselves in a unique situation that allows them to grow together. It’s unusual, it has some great illustrations and demonstrates that whilst people may be different, similarities can allow everyone to become friends. Add to this some bright colours, great use of prose which when backed with the authors unique storytelling style really brings this title together on so many levels.
A truly wonderful read and one that I really can’t wait to share with my nephews.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
Busy Hen has five little chicks to look after while making sure number six - still an egg- stays warm. The last thing she needs is hairy, scary Fox sniffing about. She is frantic when the other birds warn her that her chicks are in danger, but her five little chicks are a lot braver than she realises! The rollicking rhythmic text is rammed with catchy refrains that beg to be shouted out. Children will love the repeated action words and thinking of new ways to act them out.
REVIEW:
Six Little Chicks, some farm animals and a crafty fox in this wonderful story by Jez Alborough. It has some wonderful rhyming language, some great refrains and of course illustrations that match the storytelling style beautifully. Add to this some smart thinking, different animals banding together and a wonderful outcome all in, and this is a story that many people will enjoy reading time and again to their children. Don’t be surprised if this becomes a firm favourite and of course remember to encourage your Young Reader to join in to get the most from it.
Release Date: 02/02/12
BOOK BLURB:
Born into the mysterious world of an ancient alchemical order, Donna has always been aware of the dark feud that exists between the alchemists and the fey. Her own mother - bound by a dark Faerie curse - has been confined to a hospital bed for as long as she can remember ...But now there is a chance to release her, and Donna will stop at nothing until she is free. Armed with her own brand of powerful magic, Donna must face the fearsome Wood Queen in order to save her mother. But in the Ironwood - a place that haunts Donna's dreams - there is far greater and more dangerous magic already at work...
REVIEW:
I loved Karen’s original novel, The Iron Witch, so when I heard that the second title was coming out I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. After all if she continued to world build and draw the reader in the way she had in the first book, it was going to be a series that was hard to miss. However on the downside, if she hadn’t done her work and let the title down a little due to pressure, it could damage her career.
What unfurls within is a story that allows Donna to grow emotionally as well as physically with twists and turns that allow the world to not only breathe but work its way deeper into the readers unconsciousness. Add to this solid prose, great descriptives and of course an author whose writing style guides rather than forces the path. All in a cracking story and one that really will establish Karen to the Young Adult world. Magic.
Release Date: 01/03/12
BOOK BLURB:
It's not easy being the only day girl at Turlingham Academy: Sophie misses out on all the midnight feasts and late night gossip. And when new girl Katy turns up it feels like she's bewitching all of Sophie's friends! Katy's no witch, but there is a witch at Turlingham. Katy comes from a long line of witch hunters whose job is to stop evil magic. Sophie is going to help her - anything to get Katy out of her life and get things back to normal. But what she discovers means nothing will ever be normal again!
REVIEW:
When real life is hard, readers love the chance to escape into a good book, so when I read about this title coming from Atom I felt that it was worth a punt. It has a world to which the reader will be familiar (school) but with some subtle difference and as such it’s a tale that will help them deal with some of their own struggles such as maintaining friendships and focusing on the positive aspects that will help them reinforce their own sense of identity.
Its decent, it has a cracking lead character and when you add to the mix an author who like to keep things moving along at their own pace, it’s a story that will appeal to the reading age to which it pertains. Add to this some wonderful twists and development in characters emotionally and it’s a title that really did hit the spot. Magical.
Release Date: 01/03/12
