New books we love: July 2019
Here are the books we reviewed and loved a lot this month: for preschoolers up into the teens. Happy reading!
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An Otter Called Pebble
Author: Helen Peters Illustrator: Ellie Snowdon
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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An Otter Called Pebble
Author: Helen Peters Illustrator: Ellie Snowdon
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Friends Jasmine and Tom spot a baby otter alone on the riverbank and decide to help and name her Pebble. This heartwarming ta…
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Astro Girl
Author: Ken Wilson-Max
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
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Astro Girl
Author: Ken Wilson-Max
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
Astrid loves the stars and space, and wants to be an astronaut. A delightful and educational book for young readers intereste…
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BOOT: Small Robot Big Adventure
Author: Shane Hegarty Illustrator: Ben Mantle
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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BOOT: Small Robot Big Adventure
Author: Shane Hegarty Illustrator: Ben Mantle
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
The heartwarming story of Boot, a junkyard toy, will hook readers from page one. Shane Hegarty has a magic touch with words and ha…
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Brave Molly
Author: Brooke Boynton-Hughes
Interest level: 4-6
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Brave Molly
Author: Brooke Boynton-Hughes
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age:
In this (almost) wordless picture book, a young girl’s anxiety is brought to life in dark shadowy figures that follow her around.&…
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Can You See Me?
Author: Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Can You See Me?
Author: Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Starting secondary school is a daunting time for any 11 year old – and Natalia is no exception. This is a powerful, readable …
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Ceri & Deri: The Treasure Map
Author: Max Low
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
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Ceri & Deri: The Treasure Map
Author: Max Low
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
Ceri the Cat and her best friend Deri the Dog are on the hunt for treasure. Max Low’s illustrations are cartoony and comic an…
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Child of St Kilda
Author: Beth Waters
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Child of St Kilda
Author: Beth Waters
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Norman John Gillies was born on Hirta, the largest island making up St Kilda, in 1925: an isolated place to live, exposed to …
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Clem and Crab
Author: Fiona Lumbers
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
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Clem and Crab
Author: Fiona Lumbers
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
Clem loves going to the beach and tries hard to keep the coastline clean, but soon realises she needs the help and enthusiasm of h…
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Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure
Author: Fleur Hitchcock
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Clifftoppers: The Arrowhead Moor Adventure
Author: Fleur Hitchcock
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
This rip-roaring page turner about a group of strongminded young sleuths is reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five ser…
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Cloud Forest
Author: Victoria Turnbull
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 6+
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Cloud Forest
Author: Victoria Turnbull
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 6+
Victoria Turnbull’s visionary art in this book of few words is really the star of the show, depicting magical lands of soft imagin…
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Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson put Astronau...
Author: Helaine Becker Illustrator: Dow Phmiruk
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson put Astronau...
Author: Helaine Becker Illustrator: Dow Phmiruk
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
The fascinating story of Katherine Johnson, who yearned to know about numbers and the universe, and ended up calculating the fligh…
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Don't Go There
Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Hrefna Bragadottir
Interest level: 3-5
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Don't Go There
Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Hrefna Bragadottir
Interest level: 3-5
Reading age:
A little girl is excited when a Martian comes to play, but there's a problem - he's not toilet trained yet! Little ones will love …
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Don’t Make Me Cross
Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls Illustrator: Angie Rozelaar
Interest level: 2-5
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Don’t Make Me Cross
Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls Illustrator: Angie Rozelaar
Interest level: 2-5
Reading age:
Little Monster claims to be sweet, but is proving to be anything but! Children will love the naughty monster snatching p…
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Duck and Penguin Are Not Friends
Author: Julia Woolf
Interest level: 3-5
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Duck and Penguin Are Not Friends
Author: Julia Woolf
Interest level: 3-5
Reading age:
Maud and Betty are the best of friends, so it only stands to reason that their favourite toys will be, too – doesn't it?…
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Frockodile
Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Stephanie Laberis
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 6+
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Frockodile
Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Stephanie Laberis
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 6+
Cliff the crocodile discovers a slinky frock and some fabulous peals and heels, and feels divine in them! But when the hyenas…
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Just Read!
Author: Lori Degman Illustrator: Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
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Just Read!
Author: Lori Degman Illustrator: Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
There's so much fun to be had when you have a book... and you can enjoy stories anywhere! This wholehearted celebration of reading…
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Level Up!
Author: Tom Nicoll Illustrator: Anjan Sarkar
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Level Up!
Author: Tom Nicoll Illustrator: Anjan Sarkar
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
A fun and mildly scary virtual romp through a computer game packed with space paraphernalia and gadgetry. Entertaining black-and-w…
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Marta: Ultimate Football Heroes
Author: Charlotte Browne
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
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Marta: Ultimate Football Heroes
Author: Charlotte Browne
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
This biography showcases the srength of Brazilian footballer Marta, both on and off the pitch, and should be compulsory reading fo…
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McTavish Takes the Biscuit
Author: Meg Rosoff Illustrator: Grace Easton
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
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McTavish Takes the Biscuit
Author: Meg Rosoff Illustrator: Grace Easton
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
After McTavish, a rescue dog, whipped the Peachey family into shape, they’ve all become food fans. Even Pa Peachey is determined t…
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Nell and the Circus of Dreams
Author: Nell Gifford Illustrator: Briony May Smith
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
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Nell and the Circus of Dreams
Author: Nell Gifford Illustrator: Briony May Smith
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Nell finds a lost chick and cares for it, naming it Rosebud. One day, Rosebud is gone and Nell runs into the meadows looking for h…
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Owen and the Soldier
Author: Lisa Thompson Illustrator: Mike Lowery
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
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Owen and the Soldier
Author: Lisa Thompson Illustrator: Mike Lowery
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8+
A beautiful tale of a courageous young man who overcomes his fears when he finds an unlikely companion in a park statue. Complex i…
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Runaway Robot
Author: Frank Cottrell-Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Runaway Robot
Author: Frank Cottrell-Boyce Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Alfie has one hand; Eric has one leg. Can a small boy and a giant, police car-crushing robot ever be friends? And do bad things in…
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Somebody Swallowed Stanley
Author: Sarah Roberts Illustrator: Hannah Peck
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
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Somebody Swallowed Stanley
Author: Sarah Roberts Illustrator: Hannah Peck
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
Written by an animal behaviourist and environmental campaigner, this gentle tale subtly educates children about the damage a simpl…
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Summer Bird Blue
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Interest level: 13-18
Reading age: 10+
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Summer Bird Blue
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Interest level: 13-18
Reading age: 10+
Rumi struggles with loss and anger and ultimately finds her way back to the thing that gives her relief: music. A stunning and vis…
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The Middler
Author: Kirsty Applebaum
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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The Middler
Author: Kirsty Applebaum
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
In the town of Fennis Wick, there are two rules: eldests go to military camp when they turn 14, and you don’t talk to wanderers, l…
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The Missing Bookshop
Author: Katie Clapham Illustrator: Kirsti Beautyman
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
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The Missing Bookshop
Author: Katie Clapham Illustrator: Kirsti Beautyman
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
Katie Clapham's love of books and bookshops shines through in this absolutely delightful story, illustrated by the very talented K…
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The Nothing to See Here Hotel: Sea-ing is Believing
Author: Steven Butler Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 6+
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The Nothing to See Here Hotel: Sea-ing is Believing
Author: Steven Butler Illustrator: Steven Lenton
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 6+
A riotous rollercoaster of a read featuring fantastically weird magical creatures, a disgusting hotel menu and fiendishly wicked a…
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The Paper and Hearts Society
Author: Lucy Powrie
Interest level: 13-16
Reading age: 10+
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The Paper and Hearts Society
Author: Lucy Powrie
Interest level: 13-16
Reading age: 10+
Tabby hopes that moving to a new town will release her from the relentless bullying of her ex-best friend. This debut novel from a…
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The Unexpected Find
Author: Toby Ibbotson
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 10+
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The Unexpected Find
Author: Toby Ibbotson
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 10+
This intriguing novel weaves together the stories of three seemingly disparate characters to create a rich tapestry of mystery, my…
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Why Are There So Many Books about Bears?
Author: Kristina Stephenson
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 6+
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Why Are There So Many Books about Bears?
Author: Kristina Stephenson
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 6+
In the hallowed hall of Mollusc college, the animals with the most brilliant minds have come together to answer the impossible que…
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You’ve Been Werewolfed
Author: Tom McLaughlin
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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You’ve Been Werewolfed
Author: Tom McLaughlin
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Tyler can’t wait for the summer holidays to start, until she discovers she's been enrolled by her dad at Happyville Summer Camp. E…
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