ELS librarian Samantha follows a one-eyed cat into the unknown in Anna Goodall's debut novel Maggie Blue and the Dark World. Maggie Blue is an outsider, both at home and at school. She lives with her eccentric aunt Esme, and has no friends other than the irascible Hoagy, a stray cat who can talk to … Continue reading Book review: Maggie Blue and the Dark World by Anna Goodall
Primary fiction
Keep those bright sparks shining bright!
To mark Children's Mental Health Week taking place 1-7 February 2021, ELS library assistant Sarah selects a range of picture books that offer comfort to young children and encourage positive conversations about mental health and wellbeing. Looking for a gentle and positive way to open a conversation with your children about mental health? Then look … Continue reading Keep those bright sparks shining bright!
Book review: The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency by L.D. Lapinski
ELS librarian Samantha reviews L.D. Lapinski's newly released middle-grade novel, The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency. When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right … Continue reading Book review: The StrangeWorlds Travel Agency by L.D. Lapinski
Book review: A Sprinkle of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison
ELS librarian Samantha finds the perfect lockdown distraction in Michelle Harrison's A Sprinkle of Sorcery, sequel to the bestselling A Pinch of Magic. The family curse has been lifted and the Widdershins sisters: Betty, Fliss and Charlie are free to leave the prison island of Crowstone. But when a mysterious girl arrives at the Poacher’s … Continue reading Book review: A Sprinkle of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison
Book review: The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
ELS librarian Sarah reviews her recent lockdown read, The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Set in The Philippines, Ami lives on Culion Island, where some of the inhabitants – including her mother – have leprosy. Ami loves her home, with its blue seas and tropical forests, but the arrival of … Continue reading Book review: The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
The timeless appeal of Berlie Doherty
There are so many excellent new authors of children’s fiction, but don’t forget those who have been around for a while – they have much to offer. Berlie Doherty has been writing books for children and young people for over three decades, with her next book Haunted Hills due to be published this summer. Her … Continue reading The timeless appeal of Berlie Doherty
Book review: The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
Vita set her jaw, and nodded at New York City in greeting, as a boxer greets an opponent before a fight.Fresh off the boat from England, Vita Marlowe has a job to do. Her beloved grandfather Jack has been cheated out of his home and possessions by a notorious conman with Mafia connections. Seeing Jack's … Continue reading Book review: The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
Book review: Swimming Against the Storm by Jess Butterworth
Our land is sinking. It's disappearing into the water. And no one knows how to save it.Twelve-year-old Eliza and her sister Avery have lived their entire lives in a small fishing village on the coast of Louisiana, growing up alongside turtles, pelicans and porpoises. But now, with sea levels rising, their home is at risk … Continue reading Book review: Swimming Against the Storm by Jess Butterworth
