BookOfMonth

Bedtime stories with a kick…!

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo tells the stories of 100 extraordinary women who have achieved amazing things. From Amelia Earhart to Michelle Obama, Cleopatra to Malala Yousafzai, Elizabeth I to Serena Williams, each  each entry is beautifully illustrated by one of 60 artists from all over the world. Published on the back of a crowd funding campaign to address a perceived lack of female role models in children’s literature, this as an essential for every school library. It’s a great gift book too. An inspiration for any girl…

A brilliant follow up to the first Cogheart adventure. Robert is now living with Lily and her father and their mechanical friends at Brackenbridge.  When infamous escapologist Jack Door breaks out from Pentonville Prison to reclaim the precious Moonlocket, Robert discovers the truth about his long lost mother and the family he never knew he had.

This is as fast paced as the first adventure, with Robert and Lily chasing around the country fighting villains and trying to find the Moonlocket. The characters are extremely likeable and the plot is as exciting as it gets. You don’t need to have read Cogheart to enjoy this book as the back story is developed nicely. Action packed and full of drama! Another winner from Peter Bunzl.

Our Book of the Month for April is “Eleven” by Tom Rogers. Based on the 9/11 bombings of the Twin Towers in New York, this is a fast paced, compelling novel for 11 to 13 years olds.

Alex has always wanted to be a hero and he’s always wanted a dog. When Alex finds a stray dog on his eleventh birthday, he convinces himself that his four legged friend is here to stay. But Radar already has a home and there are bigger events taking place around them that day. Events which will have far reaching consequences.

Told within the time frame of one fateful day, Eleven is a story about bullies, heroes, hope and friendship. A great book to read aloud to your class and one of the few novels which deals well with the subject matter.

Our Book of the Month for March is Storm Walker by Mike Revell. An action, adventure story with a dystopian parallel world, this book is all about finding the hero inside yourself.

Owen Smith is worried about his Dad. Since his mother died, his Dad has turned to drink and given up on his writing. Owen persuades him to go to see a Counsellor, who encourages his Dad to take up writing again. And that’s when strange things start to happen to Owen. He wakes up in another world where the Darkness threatens to destroy everyone and everything in it’s path. Owen realises that he has somehow become part of his Dad’s story and only he can help his Dad to reach the end of his book…

The teenage authorial voice is spot on for an eleven year old boy and the fast paced storyline makes you want to keep reading. The books also looks at how grief impacts on a father and son relationship. A great read for 9 to 12 year olds.

This is Mike’s second novel, his first being Stonebird which is a must read. We were lucky enough to have Mike visit us for World Book day earlier this month. Mike is currently working on his third novel so watch this space…

This month we are recommending Cogheart by Peter Bunzl. It follows the story of Lily, whose inventor father is missing, presumed dead after an airship crash. What secrets was her father keeping and why are others so determined to find them out? Helped by Robert, the local clockmaker’s son, and her mechanical fox Malkin, Lily sets out to discover the truth behind her father’s disappearance. But danger and treachery lurk among the shadowy streets of Victorian London and Lily discovers something about her father that will change her life forever.

This is a fast paced fantasy adventure, perfect for 10 to 13 year olds. We loved it from the start, right through to it’s gripping climax.  An absolutely magical debut novel. We can’t wait for his next book…

Cogheart is available to read on our e-platform at https://knowsleysls.wheelers.co/

Click on the link to hear Peter talking about Cogheart and how some of his favourite books inspired him Watch here