Thank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
I loved everything about this book, it was so weThank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
I loved everything about this book, it was so well thought out and created, I got absorbed into it instantly.
Ruthie lives in a very stressful home as her mom is a hoarder, anytime there’s something new she tries to give it away, to help someone else have it. She does it in secret not letting anyone know who gave it to them. I loved that she did that, she couldn’t change the situation, but as most of the stuff was new she was able to gift it to others that had a need for it.
I really liked Ruthie and Trey together, they were such a sweet couple, he was just a genuinely sweet guy who cared about her and wanted to make her smile (even if hers was awkward and weird at first). I liked that being around him gave her confidence, helped her not shy away from everyone and everything.
This book was so incredible, I really enjoyed it so much from the characters to the storyline. It dealt with mental health, the hoarding and effects it has on everyone involved. It dealt with medical conditions, hence Ruthie’s Vitiligo and her coming to terms with those changes. It had a sweet romance, complicated siblings relationship, and obviously some bullying by a jealous girl.
It’s a really detailed, realistic and entertaining verse book. It has so many elements and layers to the story and the characters that we meet within the story. I think it’s a perfect read for the teenage audience. ...more
Thank you so much to Jolly Fish Press / North Star Editions and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Bella’s life has turned upside down, changeThank you so much to Jolly Fish Press / North Star Editions and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Bella’s life has turned upside down, changed so much and now it’s changed again. After losing her mom everything became sad and difficult, now her dad is moving them to the coast to live in his childhood home, but she doesn’t want to leave, her life ad her memories of her mom behind.
This was so beautiful, it had so much heart to it and it really tugs on you whilst reading. Both Bella and her dad hadn’t been able to get through the loss of her mom, the way it was written really captured their pain, their sadness. It was delicately and beautifully crafted, making you really connect and feel everything with them.
The message in a bottle aspect was perfect, i knew myself who was sending them to her, but I loved how she connected to it right away, how she used the bottle to get her feelings out there and that the sender wanted to help her with her grief, it was so sweet.
This book is such a wonderful story, on grief, on how change is difficult when you’ve already had so much of it. On how to struggle to move through it so you can keep living. I really enjoyed reading this book, I also enjoyed that it was in an early readers style so it was easy to read for a younger audience, but packed in so much detail and story that you still can really connect and enjoy it. ...more
Thank you so much to Free Spirit Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Ezra hates when the storm arrives, he hopes it won’t, but it alThank you so much to Free Spirit Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Ezra hates when the storm arrives, he hopes it won’t, but it always does. When his dad starts drinking again. Ezra has to find ways to cope through the situation, until the storm finally passes through.
What an important book, addiction is such a big thing in this world, many children will experience something like this with a parent or family member. I really loved the care that was taken into telling this story it was handled really perfectly.
I loved that we saw Ezra’s methods of coping with the storm. From all the different activities he could do during that stormy time. I also really appreciated how the author showed what his dad was like when the storm had passed, it was an important thing to showcase, as these bad moments don’t generally last forever.
I loved the illustrations and seeing everything Ezra did, his games, his activities, what his dad was like. How he managed to pass the time during the dad’s storms. I liked how we saw the storm surrounding them all during those times too.
This book comes with so much information, advice and even places to go to if readers or family of readers are also in this situation themselves. It highlights such a delicate, important, but scary aspect of a lot of young children’s lives and I think this would be a really helpful resource for them, it written so wonderfully and is a great story, but also showcases an important topic. ...more
Thank you so much to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Ellie wakes up one day and is so overcome with anxiety she cannoThank you so much to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Ellie wakes up one day and is so overcome with anxiety she cannot go school, her anxiety keeps growing and growing, making life difficult for her and her family, and she’s missing everything at school. She wants to go back, but how she can she doesn’t know.
This was really well done, anxiety is such a horrible thing, it’s so overwhelming and can appear out of nowhere. It’s not something the recipient wants to have happen or to be feeling at all. This book really helped to explain it, to let the reader understand what it is, how I happens and what it can cause. Ellie has to go through and miss so much she wants to be part of within the book, she misses her friends, she misses learning and being top of her class. With guidance from professionals she uses her art to start expressing herself and hoping to find a way to get back to her regular life.
I really liked the way everything was shown and depicted, it was delicately done but very detailed. It shared what resources are available for children struggling with this and how to get them to find ways to battle against the struggles and the anxiety. This is a wonderful book for young readers, so many go through similar struggles and don’t know how to express what they are feeling, this book is one way they can figure out how.
I personally related to Ellie reading this, I actually struggled a lot with this when I was at a school, though I would be always going home through the day as I couldn’t cope anymore. Anxiety really affects you, makes your school work suffer, makes you start declining mentally in other ways. I didn’t have anything like this to help me, I actually didn’t have anything to help me in anyway to get through it, it would have been nice having books on mental health like this, so I’m really happy for young readers today that get these books to help them. ...more
Thank you so much to West 44 Books/ Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Grace loves space she dreams of touching the moonThank you so much to West 44 Books/ Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Grace loves space she dreams of touching the moon one day. Her dad is in the Vietnamese war, her mom is phased out worrying over him, her sister is a typical teenager. When she finds out there’s a space camp she is desperate to be part of it but after one thing after another goes wrong she has to figure out a plan fast.
This was stunning I loved it so much, for a start it’s inspiring especially for young readers who have similar ambitions to our protagonist, but also to girls in general that are constantly told girls can’t do this. Grace proves that yes girls can do anything they want to do, with the right support and help from people surrounding them.
I was so sad when she kept finding out she wasn’t going to camp, she was so excited and happy, but what happened was even better than the other camp anyway. It brought so many people together and helped to heal her family, gave her a new best friend and was so utterly wonderful.
I really enjoyed this verse book so much, I liked that it also had poems being told as though they were in Grace’s diary, which added an extra layer to the story. I enjoyed reading this so much and getting a wonderful historical book about space was great, I highly recommend. ...more
Thank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Araminta lives in a small religious town, her daThank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Araminta lives in a small religious town, her dad runs the church, her mother died due to the beliefs and she herself is about to join the Wailing Women group from the church. All so that she can win her punk rock music festival with her friends and get out of the town.
It was very creative, a whole world of a completely unique small town religion, with very niche view points that must be followed in a strict and certain way. I liked that we got the downside of this religion but also we saw our protagonist starting to understand it as time went by.
Araminta went through a lot within a short space of time, with her loss of her mom still relevant to her as she didn’t know fully what happened, her distant father who prefers the Church to her, her band and the contest they are desperate to win and the lengths she will go to ensure that. The creepiness of the Wailing Women group she joins to get inside information and lastly Douglass her best friend and love, they were so cute honestly.
This is a really great verse book, I think the story worked quite well in this format, with all the religious rules and the song lyrics. It fitted the theme and style so perfectly, the story is really interesting as it’s so multifaceted and you have a lot to explore in a short time frame. ...more
Thank you so much to Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Tamika didn’t get to go to Paris with her best friends for the suThank you so much to Jolly Fish Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Tamika didn’t get to go to Paris with her best friends for the summer. Soon her mom is whisking her off to Virginia to her great-aunts house, everyone says it’s haunted, that she trapped ghosts in painting. Tamika doesn’t believe in ghosts, until she sees the paintings move and must learn to understand them.
This was really unique and creative, I liked the idea of ghosts being trapped inside of the paintings and how each painting her aunt did held a ghost. It’s something I’ve not read about before and found it fascinating as a concept.
Tamika worked really hard not to believe because her mom didn’t, but she found she couldn’t shake her gift no matter how hard she tried too. I liked how eventually she and her new friend together tried to figure everything out, learning the intricacies of her aunts paintings and how and why the ghost and the doors are there.
It’s a great teen book, it’s easy enough to read, it’s gripping as you want to understand the art work, the ghosts, the gift of seeing and trapping them, how she’s going to save her aunt. It really makes you want to figure everything out as you read it....more
Maya wakes up feeling a chill, something bad happened in her dream but she doesn’t know exactly what. Her friends had the same dream and feeling, noneMaya wakes up feeling a chill, something bad happened in her dream but she doesn’t know exactly what. Her friends had the same dream and feeling, none of them know what it was. Then as the sub teacher gives them a creepy creative writing project and the new girl Winter joins the class, Maya can feel and is absorbed into each story read.
This was really creepy, like really creepy. Kids that want a good creepy horror this is certainly one for you. It will give you chills, you’ll be really absorbed into it and you’ll be trying to figure out exactly what is even happening to Maya throughout the story.
I loved that it had layers, it was like an inception, one thing into another into another whilst all happening simultaneously. It was really written so well and had the perfect amount of creep in it for the age range of this book. It also had illustrations included that added extra creepiness.p, I loved looking at them.
I really recommend this for anyone that enjoys a good creepy story, it’s easy to read, nice and short, but packs in so much information, so many twists, so many creepy stories written with layers, a character that will boggle your mind with her creepiness. A really great read, perfect for the wintery seasons. ...more
Blossom has lost both of her grandparents, her family is falling apart and she is worried she’ll lose her families flower stall too. Her whole life haBlossom has lost both of her grandparents, her family is falling apart and she is worried she’ll lose her families flower stall too. Her whole life has changed so drastically quick and she doesn’t like change at all.
This was really sad, so much had happened for her, her greaparents death, all the plants being moved to house and her mum and dad running the flowers stall, which made her mum angry and exhausted and then they fought all the time. It was a lot in a short time for a young child.
I think the way it was written was beautiful, it was perfectly written for the age demographic for this book. Family loss, big changes, parents fighting it’s all common things with families so I think it would be a really wonderful book for young readers to read it will help them if they are going through similar.
It’s also a really good story of changes and how they can affect everyone in a family, I really liked Blossom she was adorable and loved by everyone at the market. Her only real friend was her Tutu plant that kept her company all day reminding her of her Tutu. The illustrations were really sweet within the book and I liked seeing the market stalls come alive and the house full of plants within this book.
This is a very good, very sad, but very well written story of loss, change and dreams. It’s got a lot to offer and a great way of helping children in a similar situation but also just as a really wonderful story. ...more
Bruno and his mother are trying to escape as the Russians invade Germany, but his mother gets killed and he’s left to fend for himself. Making friendsBruno and his mother are trying to escape as the Russians invade Germany, but his mother gets killed and he’s left to fend for himself. Making friends with a dog the two trench forwards to find shelter and become friends with an Oma who cares for him. As the war ends he must go back out again as a refugee to find his grandparents.
This was incredibly sad and heartbreaking, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional journey this book would take me on. World War 2 stories are always sad it was an absolutely horrific event in history, but this book shows you a whole different side of it and it was so heartbreaking.
A very detailed and very well written story on how the war was for those still living in Germany during the war, how the war came to them too, how they were forced to pay the price for everything their leader had done to millions of innocent people after the war ended. How they became refugees and had to start over somewhere else or die. It’s such a sad story but it’s what happened and I’m glad a book like this is available for children, so they can understand more sides to the war.
Very educational, had really sweet illustrations throughout the book, very deep and emotional and a great resource for war studies as it’s a whole new section of the war, it’s easy to read and full of facts. ...more
The war is raging on, people are going without the most basic needs and on rations. Susan sees how upset her mum is every night and decides she wants The war is raging on, people are going without the most basic needs and on rations. Susan sees how upset her mum is every night and decides she wants to cheer her up with something sweet and surprising. She plans to find a banana but that’s a hard mission during the war.
This was really adorable, Susan was such a sweet little girl and wanted to make her mum smile again instead of seeing her crying. Her mission seemed like such a strange and impossible mission and I wasn’t sure how she was going to actually achieve it in a time like that, but enjoyed her trying to figure it all out.
I really liked this depiction, I also liked that we were talking about a part of the war you don’t usually get, I’ve not really known of any stories that had a solider in Africa so it was really interesting to have that be where her father was stationed during this story.
I loved looking at the illustrations on the pages, seeing the realities of the era shown. It was such a sad and scary time for everyone, but it was also starting to be a positive one as England was gaining an advantage in the war. I would have really liked an extra bit of fact file added to the story at the end, I always love when a book can add much more detail to enhance what the reader was learning about in the story. ...more
Kim gets asked out by the cutest boy in her school Jack, she and her best friend Milly spend a couple days prepping for it, from clothing to her look Kim gets asked out by the cutest boy in her school Jack, she and her best friend Milly spend a couple days prepping for it, from clothing to her look for the date. Then she finds a spot on her nose and cancels the date, Jack still unexpectedly shows up.
This was not good, my goodness it was written so badly, literally no descriptions, it was so basically written, at one point it simply said “she tried on tops” okay so what type of tops, set the scene, share more details let the reader actually know what is happening.
The story was okay, it certainly is for a teen audience, with it being about going on an exciting first date and being so excited about it. Doing all the prep and feeling dejected by a simple thing. I did find it was a bit over the top to make such an issue about a spot but I’m sure some teens are like that.
I certainly felt like this story could have given me a lot more, it could have had so much more detail and been a sweet first date story. The writing is just unfortunately lacking and feels unfinished, a shame really....more
So much devastation in such a short time, this was written so well I loved following this story as the fires erupted everywhere even to the places thaSo much devastation in such a short time, this was written so well I loved following this story as the fires erupted everywhere even to the places that people thought would be untouchable. It was really heartbreaking and so scary for our characters to be going through.
Oscar was our protagonist a farm boy who had lost his dad and now with his stepfather and his mama are moving to Chicago. But the drought had gone too long and so fires erupted everywhere, causing destruction and devastation to everyone. Oscar gets side tracked onto his own separate adventure trying to find his dad’s police badge, only to find two young children that needed his help.
I really enjoyed this book and was honestly so gripped within it, I loved that Oscar formed a close relationship with Jennie and Bruno instantly. He went there for one reason but found a better reason, I really liked following their journey and as they moved round the city seeing so many places in ablaze and having to try and figure out how to survive and find his mama.
A heartbreaking situation, an entire bustling city just torn down in a major fire that encompassed everything in its wake, It’s just so sad to think about. I loved all the additional facts provided by the author, it’s a great book for helping with teaching, it’s not only a great story, but is educational and full of facts. ...more
Thank you so much to West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
After Nate dies, Essie’s life isn’t the same anymore. Her parents fThank you so much to West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
After Nate dies, Essie’s life isn’t the same anymore. Her parents fight constantly until her mom moves out, her dad does nothing and Nate’s dog acts out. Essie still sees his ghost, feels when he’s there and hears him when she runs, she tries to get closer to his ghost and to him to figure out how he exactly died.
This was really good, I liked Essie and it was so sad how much she was forced to deal with after his death. Her entire life erupted, she and her parents couldn’t cope anymore, everything changed instantly. I really liked that she never gave up on her twin, she knew there was more to the story and she had to fight to get it out.
The way the story was told in a mysterious way was wonderful, I liked that you were given pieces and had to try to put the story together with Essie, I liked how she uncovered the truth bit by bit and ensured her brother’s death was solved so she could help him pass on and help her family heal.
This is a really gripping verse book, I was definitely hooked into the story, wanting all the answers myself and enjoying the very sad story as it unlocked more and more each chapter. ...more
Thank you so much to West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
This was nothing like I’d read before, nor did the story go the wayThank you so much to West 44 Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
This was nothing like I’d read before, nor did the story go the way I expected it was going to go. It was full of surprises and twists within the story. I honestly thought we would get more of the girls somehow connecting with each other but that didn’t happen, which was a shame.
The story was really unique and interesting, two dads and two daughters, both had rocky relationships, we got the story from both perspectives throughout seeing the events unfolding from each one of them. One on the lamb and the other chasing them, I did like the cat and mouse esc storyline it was very creative and how it was written by the daughters point of view, it added a lot of layers to what was happening with the story.
Olivia and Samantha our two protagonist were both so incredibly different, from how they styled themselves, to their life story, but I felt like they should have had a really grounding deep moment of connection, which we didn’t get. I really liked both girls and felt so sad that they’d both been roped into this dangerous drama both the dads were involved in. It was a pretty scary adventure honestly, but both girls were so grounded and calm and held it all together for their dads and even both helped them out.
This was a very unique verse book that I enjoyed reading, I did think the ending was abrupt and didn’t feel like the story had completed yet, but I really got hooked into the story and was enjoying the scary journey the girls were on with their fathers....more
Thank you so much to West 44 books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
What an absolutely incredible book for any child that is a gamer andThank you so much to West 44 books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
What an absolutely incredible book for any child that is a gamer and loves playing videos games like the characters in the book do. I am not a gamer at all, so I was very surprised when I was really enjoying this book. I wasn’t sure I would understand it or enjoy it, but I was wrong I did enjoy it and I understood pretty much all that was going on within the gamer world.
I really enjoyed that the characters were all so unique and different it added so much to the story and how they played the games together, sharing and highlighting each one’s best skills. I also really enjoyed how they went from not being an actual team to finding their grove together on what the best defences were and how to get that win for the whole team.
The characters were great, the connection they built together were great and the way they progress in the event was really fascinating. I loved that our protagonist went from being a recluse not really wanting or needing friends and then making them and being a great captain.
I can honestly say I really liked this, it was easy to get into, it was on a topic I didn’t know anything about, nor that gaming is now an e-sport and can compete with other schools. It was really so informative and made it even more fascinating to read as I was learnings I never thought about before nor knew about. A really great read that I know young readers will throughly enjoy....more
Thank you so much to Yorkshire Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Alex the owl loves to fly and dive, one day she sees a new mThank you so much to Yorkshire Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Alex the owl loves to fly and dive, one day she sees a new mouse family moving in and with a present in hand goes to make friends. She and Maya the mouse have such a fun day together but the next few days she doesn’t show up making Alex so sad. But Maya has her reasons.
This was so sweet and lovely honestly, I adored their friendship, seeing in the beautiful illustrations them playing together. I also loved that Alex was never angry just sad that Maya wasn’t coming to play, I loved that they still found ways to enjoy being together. It was such a sweet friendship.
This book also covers something you never see in books Crohn's disease, I really loved the way it was shared and told, it was done so beautifully and delicately. But also shared more information at the back of the book too.
This was honestly just adorable and beautiful and I loved meeting Maya and Alex, I think other readers will also enjoy these two friends, their story and enjoy the beautiful illustrations throughout. ...more
Thank you so much to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Noah is struggling with his parents fighting and separating and Thank you so much to Barrington Stoke and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
Noah is struggling with his parents fighting and separating and is constantly acting out, then he learns about a beautiful oak tree that is being chopped down, in a moment of quick thinking he packs a bag and heads off to live in the tree in the hope he can actually save it and save his parents marriage in the process.
I loved that the whole community backed him up, each one wanting to help to save the tree from destruction. It meant so much to literally everyone that knew about it and it’s so sad to think they wanted to cut it down. Noah took a stand by staying up in the tree and together with the community they fought it, I really loved that.
The story also covered parental separation and how it affects the child, it was so sad all he wanted was his mum and dad to stay together so they could be a happy family again. His behaviour changed as his parents wouldn’t stop arguing, which meant he was alone, no one wanted to be around him. He thought being a hero having his parents staying by his side he would put them back together again, it was honestly really sad.
A very good story that covered two important topics that are very relevant to what children are going through. I think readers will really enjoy the story, our hero boy saving an important piece of nature and having to learn to accept a parental separation even if it hurts to accept it. The book also comes with really great illustrations that I loved seeing all the different stages of development with the story. ...more
Thank you so much to Magination Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
It’s Isobel’s birthday and she has one wish to have a party withThank you so much to Magination Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.
It’s Isobel’s birthday and she has one wish to have a party with a piñata and a cake, but she soon finds out that it won’t be possible. She goes through the whole day realising everything was getting worse until she could hold her emotions in no more.
What a precious story, Isabel was so adorable she just had one big dream for her birthday. It was hard for her going through the day knowing that she wouldn’t get anything she dreamt of when she went home. She just got sadder and sadder which was so hard to read and see, especially when it’s her birthday.
I loved the illustrations they were really beautiful to look at, I also loved that though she didn’t notice anything, when you look at the pictures everyone in her family were doing things in secret for her, she just didn’t notice but as a reader you do.
This is a wonderful story on emotions, on how wonderful a family and community can be, on how things in life don’t always work out how you dreamt them to be. It’s a wonderful read and beautiful to look at. It also has so much extra information at the end which I love that inclusion to help further teach a reader or help guide them through a tough patch. ...more
Thank you so much to Magination Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read a review.
After their mom gets hurt she starts taking pills and can’t stop. Thank you so much to Magination Press and Netgalley for the ebook to read a review.
After their mom gets hurt she starts taking pills and can’t stop. The children’s lives change and become worse until their aunty comes to help them and their mom starts to get help for her addiction. Soon their lives are starting to come back together again.
This was powerful, emotional and so important. Addiction is a big thing that can happen to anyone at anytime, for any reason. I loved how the story tells this delicate difficult issue but tells it in a simple and beautiful way.
The children’s lives had changed so much it became a roller coaster for them, from when things first started to the girl becoming a carer at such a young age, having to figure out all the grown up jobs, then having to readjust with all the new things coming into her life.
I really appreciated how it was told, how it was handled and explained for a young audience. I loved that it showed a new friendship group, with the children joining a therapy group, seeing children they didn’t expect to have difficulties in their lives. The book had really sweet illustrations throughout which were great to look at, it also had lots of additional information provided which is such a great resource....more