Kid’s Picks
Picture Books
Tidy. Emily Gravett
This is a fresh and funny story by Emily Gravett, who was twice the winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal. The rhythmic, rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud and the illustrations are vibrant with some very comic details. Pete the badger decides to tidy up the forest with disastrous results. A message of environmental preservation is presented in this light- hearted and humorous picture book for young children.
What to do with a Box. Jane Yolen & Chris Sheban.
How many imaginary adventures can you have when you play in a plain old brown cardboard box? Jane Yolen tells us in this story using simple rhyming text that reads like poetry. The clever and imaginative illustrations are created using cardboard-esque art.
The text and illustrations combine beautifully in this imaginative and fun picture book.
Fiction 7-9
Mango & Bambang: The Not-a-Pig. Polly Faber & Clara Vulliamy
A charming collection of four beautifully-illustrated stories. Mango lives with her very busy papa at the top of a very tall building in a very busy city. Bambang and Mango meet in the city where Bambang, a tapir, is lost and very frightened. So begins an unlikely friendship, filled with adventures, and of course, plenty of banana pancakes. This is a hard-cover, early chapter book perfect for new readers.
Secret Agent Mummy: Hieroglyphs of Horror. Steve Cole.
The third book in this very funny new series has fun and action on every page. It is illustrated in black and white and filled with real facts about ancient Egypt. In this adventure main character, Niall Rivers and his friend, the strange ancient mummy detective, meet up with a bunch of snap-happy crocodiles, some spooky magic symbols, and a power-mad Ancient Egyptian god. The eccentric characters and engaging plot of Secret Agent Mummy will be enjoyed by all fans of Steve Cole.
Fiction 10+
My Life with the Liars. Caela Carter
Zylynn is used to dressing in white and living in constant light. She is living in the Light. Then she is somewhere else, in a house with a family where there are so many things and colours. Gradually she learns more about life outside in the Darkness, amongst Liars. Then Zylynn runs away, back to the Compound where she discovers more about the Liars.
The Person Controller. David Baddiel
Twins Fred and Ellie love their computer games. But their new game controller works on real people. Fred and Ellie enjoy using the power to climb trees, rescue the cat and fight the school bullies. The controller is used to get Fred into the school soccer team. But when it is thrown away does Fred have the skills to help win the big match?