Month: October 2023

As we head into half-term for a well-earned week off, our thoughts turn to trick or treating and Halloween, so this week my theme is spooky books. I’m not a fan of horror and often need my cushion of comfort by my side when reading books designed to give safe scares, but these are well worth the nail biting…

For our youngest children, but brilliant for everyone, I’ve chosen Poultrygeist by Eric Geron and Pete Oswald.  A wry take on “Why did the chicken cross the road?” that gives a whole new meaning to “the Other Side”, and is perfect for opening discussions around peer pressure and integrity too.

It’s punny. It’s spooky. It’s a picture book that puts a fresh spin on an old joke and elevates chicken comedy to ghastly new levels. A little spring chicken crosses the road but quickly gets flattened under a semitruck. The barnyard beasts who’ve gone before break the news: now that Chicken’s fried—dispatched to the Other Side—Chicken has a job, an unwanted job, as a noisy troublemaking ghost. This fowl may be weak in the beak, but Chicken knows that scaring people isn’t nice. There is such a thing as a friendly ghost, after all—isn’t there? Loaded with laughs and shivers, this Halloween-ready treat features ghoulishly funny art by the illustrator of the #1 New York Times best-selling Bad Seed series. Let the haunting begin!

No chickens were harmed in the making of this book.

A World Full Of Spooky Stories by Angela McAlistair, illustrated by Madalina Andronic is the perfect collection of spooky stories from all over the world to help get you ready for Halloween.

Feel your pulse race and your skin tingle as you turn the pages of this spine-chilling anthology of spooky stories from around the world. Read all about the fearsome witch Baba Yaga, the serpent woman from Spain, the rescue of Tam Lin from the bewitching Queen of the Fairies, how Father Death gets caught in the Enchanted Apple Tree, and the water-dwelling Bunyip from Australia. Make sure you have your candle ready as it’s sure to be a long night… This gorgeous gift book is the perfect anthology for Halloween, or any time you want to be spooked!

Features stories from Germany, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Africa, Brazil, Japan, Australia, India, UK, Canada, France, China, Ireland, Syria, Korea, Sweden, Egypt, Iceland, New Zealand, Arabia, Spain, Tibet, Iran, Greece. The tales are expertly retold by Angela McAllister for spooky fun for the whole family and illustrated by Romanian born Madalina Andronic whose beautifully spooky images bring these stories to life before your very eyes.

Are you ready for story time with a spooky twist?

For Year 4 up, Goosebumps House Of Shivers: Scariest. Book. Ever. by R.L. Stein is the first in a brand new series that promises an all new line-up of incredible villains, with iconic monsters as you’ve never seen them before, whose antics are destined to make them every bit as beloved as Slappy.

When Billy and Betty are dropped off at their uncle’s, their parents leave before he’s even opened the door. When he tells them that he is the owner and protector of the scariest book ever, a book that if opened could unleash unbelievable horrors into the world, they really don’t know what to believe. And neither should you dear reader

Finally, for children who like spooks without quite so many scares, jump aboard The Train Of Dark Wonders By Alex Bell for a journey to strange and spectacular lands.

Following the death of her grandfather, Bess is handed the keys to his most prized possession – his Odditorium. She has always loved the strange and magical wonders within. But unless she can come up with a plan to draw in the crowds, she will have to close its doors for good.

When a mysterious train pulls into town heading for the Land of Halloween Sweets, it looks like this might be her chance to save the Odditorium. So Bess sneaks onboard. She is soon discovered by Beau the puppeteer, Louis the violinist and Maria the fire witch. Eager to prove herself useful, she offers to help them hunt for the rarest of all candies – the ghostly gobstopper. But beneath its sugary exterior, the land is more dangerous than it looks…

Happy reading and have a wonderful half-term!

This week celebrated International Food Day, and it is still Chocolate Week, so all of this week’s recommendations have a food theme…

I’m starting off with Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper, which is 25 year old!

“Deep in the woods, there’s an old white cabin with pumpkins in the garden.
There’s a good smell of soup and at night, with luck,
You might see a bag-piping Cat through the window and a Squirrel with a banjo,
And a small singing Duck.”

Cat, Duck and Squirrel spend their days making pumpkin soup. Cat slices, Squirrel stirs and Duck adds the salt. But, when Duck decides that he wants to stir the soup, they start to squabble.

A beloved, rhythmic story about the importance of friendship and sharing, stunningly illustrated in autumnal colours, this story is perfect to read aloud. And, even better, there are two more stories with Cat, Squirrel and Duck to enjoy!

Next, I’m staying with soup, but moving up to Year 5 and 6 with The Soup Movement by Ben Davis. A Coventry Inspiration Book Award Winning author, Ben is a genius when it comes to stories that will have you laughing out loud one minute and reaching for the tissues with a turn of the page.

To aid his recovery from a life-threatening illness Jordan and his family move out of the city for a healthy new start. Jordan’s getting enough funny looks as the new boy at school as it is, without his Mum giving him homemade soup every day for lunch! But when Jordan meets a homeless man called Harry, and gives him the soup, it is the start of an unlikely friendship. Soon the two of them begin giving soup to the other homeless people around town and when his sister shares their antics on Instagram the #SOUPMOVEMENT begins-they even make it on the news!

One of my favourite books ever, The Soup Movement is one that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. Jordan, Rio and Harry are each complex characters who grow and change as the story develops. And, if you’re a child of the 1980’s reading this, get ready to go dancing in the sand with Duran, Duran again.

Moving to non-fiction, and away from soup, we have How Many Ways Can You Cook An Egg? by Lizzie Mabbott, illustrated by Charlotte Dumortier.  From shopping to chopping, this recipe book is packed full of ideas and tips to get kids cooking in the kitchen.

This family cook book is a celebration of all things food – and the joy of eating. From global recipes, to tips on sourcing fresh ingredients, and how different foods can be prepared and enjoyed, this beautifully illustrated cook book is a visual feast and delight to the senses.

Learn how to make dumplings, apple turnovers, spiced fish fingers and other delicious dishes from around the world, with fun and encouraging text by award-winning cook Lizzie Mabbott. Fun artwork by Charlotte Dumortier brings each recipe to life.

How Many Ways Can You Cook An Egg? will excite and inspire young children to get involved in the whole cooking process, and bring families together at mealtimes.

And finally, we’re off on a fact filled sensory adventure in How Does Chocolate Taste On Everest? by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe, illustrated by Aaron Cushley.  Don’t get too comfortable. This isn’t the type of book you can snuggle up with under the covers. Not even close! You’re off on the expedition of a lifetime to experience the sights, sounds, smells, feelings and tastes of the world’s most extreme places.

Have you ever wondered what the buzz of the rainforest sounds like on a trek through the Amazon? Or how it would feel to experience the biting cold as you voyage across Antarctica? Or how about how chocolate would taste on Mount Everest? From every heart-bursting sight to tummy-lurching bite, this is a truly immersive round-the-world adventure, where YOU are the explorer.

Happy reading (and fooding)!

Yesterday was National Poetry Day, so I’m sharing some poetry books by the inimitable Michael Rosen for everyone to enjoy. From classics like We’re Going On A Bear Hunt and Little Rabbit Foo Foo, to the utterly hilarious Chocolate Cake, Michael Rosen has a huge catalogue of poetry and prose to find refuge in. Here are a few of my favourites, and a sneak peek at his latest picture book, told in verse, that will be in the shops from the end of October.

I’m going to start with A Great Big Cuddle, which is brings two of the biggest names in children’s publishing, Michael Rosen and Chris Riddell, together in this poetry collection to be enjoyed by the oldest grown-up and the youngest child.

The poems in A Great Big Cuddle fizz off the page with sound and rhythm, energy and laughter, as Rosen captures in the most remarkable way what it means to be very, very young. A child’s world with all its details and feelings – toys and games, animals and made-up creatures, likes and dislikes – is vividly conjured up in the most memorable, playful language, and Chris Riddell has produced some his most extraordinary pictures ever to bring this world to life.

Next, I’ve picked Even My Ears Are Smiling – a brilliant book of poems that are funny, thought-provoking and, as always with Michael’s work, immediately accessible and told through a child-centred voice.

The poems included are a mix of classic favourites and also many brand new poems. The cheeky, full-colour illustrations by much loved Babette Cole make the perfect partnership, and again, perfect for any age. These really will leave you smiling from ear to ear , with a spring in your step!

For older children, Michael Rosen’s Big Book Of Bad Things is a wonderfully exuberant yet poignant poetry collection.

Here are tales of childhood, from the horrors of being late for school, to making a raft, and going to a cafe, as well as poems to ponder – just think, how great would Satnav trousers be! Touching, light-hearted and funny, Michael’s poems will delight readers young and old.

And finally, lots of the books we read are told in verse, and so with Autumn trying it’s hardest to make an appearance, my last book this week (which hasn’t been released yet, but I was very lucky to be sent an early copy) is a stunning new picture book by Michael that is a hug in book form.

The Big Dreaming is an uplifting story, full of hope in the face of fears, floating on Daniel Egneus’s lustrous illustrations.

The Cold is coming, and it’s time for Big Bear and Little Bear to get ready for the Big Sleep: for bears sleep all winter long, and wake up in the spring. But Little Bear is worried. What if they run out of dreams during the Big Sleep?

And so, Little Bear sets out bravely to find enough dreams to see them through the long winter. On his journey, he discovers dreams of happiness; dreams of homecoming; and dreams of hope. But with the Cold approaching fast, will Little Bear make it back home in time for the Big Dreaming?