New books we love: November 2019
Here are the books we reviewed and loved this month. Happy reading!
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A Sea of Stories
Author: Sylvia Bishop Illustrator: Paddy Donnelly
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 7+
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A Sea of Stories
Author: Sylvia Bishop Illustrator: Paddy Donnelly
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 7+
Roo loves staying with her grandfather in his cottage by the sea and enjoys listening to his wonderful stories. A touching tale ab…
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Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country
Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Mouni Feddag
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country
Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Mouni Feddag
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
A perfect book for young children interested in their cultural heritage or for those with a passion for travel and geography, this…
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Be More Bernard
Author: Simon Philip Illustrator: Kate Hindley
Interest level: 3-5
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Be More Bernard
Author: Simon Philip Illustrator: Kate Hindley
Interest level: 3-5
Reading age:
Bernard has decided that he's not going to be like all the other bunnies any more. His dreams are altogether more... disco! T…
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Beyond Platform 13
Author: Sibeal Pounder (from an original idea by Eva Ibbotson) Illustrator: Beatriz Castro
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Beyond Platform 13
Author: Sibeal Pounder (from an original idea by Eva Ibbotson) Illustrator: Beatriz Castro
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
This thrilling adventure is a sequel to Eva Ibbotson's The Secret of Platform 13, but the reading experience will not be…
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Binky's Time to Fly
Author: Sharmila Collins Illustrator: Carolina Rabei
Interest level: 3-5
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Binky's Time to Fly
Author: Sharmila Collins Illustrator: Carolina Rabei
Interest level: 3-5
Reading age:
When Binky the butterfly emerges from his cocoon, he discovers his wings aren't the same as those of his friends - will he be able…
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Cats React to Science Facts
Author: Izzi Howell
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Cats React to Science Facts
Author: Izzi Howell
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Izzi Howell's genius book combines genuinely astonishing scientific facts with hilarious and cute cat pictures: a perfect book for…
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Claire: Justice Ninja
Author: Joe Brady Illustrator: Kate Ashwin
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Claire: Justice Ninja
Author: Joe Brady Illustrator: Kate Ashwin
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
This fun graphic novel has 12 relatable short stories for young readers to enjoy, with a young hero who intends to right the …
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Freddie’s Amazing Bakery: The Great Raspberry Mix-Up
Author: Harriet Whitehorn Illustrator: Alex G Griffiths
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
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Freddie’s Amazing Bakery: The Great Raspberry Mix-Up
Author: Harriet Whitehorn Illustrator: Alex G Griffiths
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 6+
An illustrated first chapter book, featuring a baking competition that seems strangely familiar but has one particularly desperate…
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Frostheart
Author: Jamie Littler
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Frostheart
Author: Jamie Littler
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
This inventive story is helped along by vivid illustrations that conjure up a world populated by yetis and monsters that live unde…
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Handa's Noisy Night
Author: Eileen Browne
Interest level: 2-5
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Handa's Noisy Night
Author: Eileen Browne
Interest level: 2-5
Reading age:
This is a lovely addition to the classic Handa stories, which are beloved by so many. In this, Handa is allowed spend the ni…
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Harriet Versus the Galaxy
Author: Samantha Baines Illustrator: Jessica Flores
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Harriet Versus the Galaxy
Author: Samantha Baines Illustrator: Jessica Flores
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
When Harriet is hunting for her hearing aid under the bed, the last thing she expects to find is an alien. Soon, she is working al…
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Here Comes Lolo
Author: Niki Daly
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 5+
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Here Comes Lolo
Author: Niki Daly
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 5+
Set in South Africa, this charming collection of four short stories about the everyday adventures of a young girl has broad appeal…
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High Five to the Hero
Author: Vita Murrow Illustrator: Julia Bereciartu
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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High Five to the Hero
Author: Vita Murrow Illustrator: Julia Bereciartu
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
What if heroes weren't always the strong and silent type? Vita Murrow brings the stars from some of our favourite stories into the…
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Hilda and the Mountain King
Author: Luke Pearson
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Hilda and the Mountain King
Author: Luke Pearson
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Hilda is turned into a troll child and must venture into the Hall of the Mountain King on a quest to become human again in the six…
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How the Stars Came to Be
Author: Poonam Mistry
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
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How the Stars Came to Be
Author: Poonam Mistry
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
This enchanting contemporary folk tale about how the stars were made is exquisitely illustrated, beautifully combining colour, sha…
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It’s a No-Money Day
Author: Kate Milner
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
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It’s a No-Money Day
Author: Kate Milner
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
This moving picture book about a family’s visit to the food bank is a sensitive exploration of how it may feel to live below the p…
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Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention
Author: Pip Jones Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
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Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention
Author: Pip Jones Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
Izzy Gizmo and her companion Fixer have been invited to compete for the Genius Guild Badge... but the other competitors have used …
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Kevin's Great Escape
Author: Philip Reeve Illustrator: Sarah McIntyre
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
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Kevin's Great Escape
Author: Philip Reeve Illustrator: Sarah McIntyre
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
The second brilliant adventure featuring the exploits of Kevin the flying pony - this time, pop star Misty Twiglet wants to buy hi…
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Mr Gumpy's Rhino
Author: John Burningham
Interest level: 4-5
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Mr Gumpy's Rhino
Author: John Burningham
Interest level: 4-5
Reading age:
Mr Gumpy is off on an another adventure, rescuing a rhino who has lost its parents. A gentle conversation starter about conservati…
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Nibbles: The Monster Hunt
Author: Emma Yarlett
Interest level: 3-6
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Nibbles: The Monster Hunt
Author: Emma Yarlett
Interest level: 3-6
Reading age:
A boy sits contentedly reading books when Nibbles the monster whizzes in and causes havoc by munching his way through the boy’s be…
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On Sleepy Hill
Author: Patricia Hegarty Illustrator: Xuan Le
Interest level: 0-3
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On Sleepy Hill
Author: Patricia Hegarty Illustrator: Xuan Le
Interest level: 0-3
Reading age:
The animals of Sleepy Hill are saying goodnight, because it's time for bed! A beautiful, soothing story perfect for snuggling up w…
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Plastic Sucks! You Can Make a Difference
Author: Dougie Poynter
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Plastic Sucks! You Can Make a Difference
Author: Dougie Poynter
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Plastic is one of the problems of our age, but what can we do about reducing how much we use? There’s a great mix here, from …
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Pumpkin Heads
Author: Rainbow Rowell Illustrator: Faith Erin Hicks
Interest level: 12-16
Reading age: 10+
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Pumpkin Heads
Author: Rainbow Rowell Illustrator: Faith Erin Hicks
Interest level: 12-16
Reading age: 10+
A story of friendship and romance told in a funny and inclusive graphic novel that celebrates the joy and diversity of Halloween t…
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Queer Heroes
Author: Arabelle Sicardi Illustrator: Sarah Tanat-Jones
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Queer Heroes
Author: Arabelle Sicardi Illustrator: Sarah Tanat-Jones
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
This wonderful celebration of a wide range of LGBTQ+ heroes - both famous and less well-known - is a beautiful book and highlights…
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Skeleton Keys: The Unimaginary Friend
Author: Guy Bass Illustrator: Pete Williamson
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 6+
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Skeleton Keys: The Unimaginary Friend
Author: Guy Bass Illustrator: Pete Williamson
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 6+
Full of mystery and adventure, Skeleton Keys will stretch vocabularies and imaginations. Children will love the outlandi…
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The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Interest level: 14+
Reading age: 14+
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The Boy in the Black Suit
Author: Jason Reynolds
Interest level: 14+
Reading age: 14+
When Matt’s mum tragically dies from cancer, it feels like all the joy is sucked out of his life. Then he meets a girl called Love…
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The Cloud Horse Chronicles: Guardians of Magic
Author: Chris Riddell
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Cloud Horse Chronicles: Guardians of Magic
Author: Chris Riddell
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
The first in a wildly imaginative fantasy series, in which three brave youngsters join forces against those trying to destroy anci…
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The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
A wild quest sends Bronte through a magical, whimsical world. Slowly, she discovers how high the stakes are. This book really…
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The Golden Cage
Author: Anna Castagnoli Illustrator: Carll Cneut Translator: Laura Watkinson
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
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The Golden Cage
Author: Anna Castagnoli Illustrator: Carll Cneut Translator: Laura Watkinson
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
A spoilt princess sends her servants far and wide to bring her the most beautiful, impossible birds - but what will happen when sh…
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The Misadventures of Frederick
Author: Ben Manley Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 7+
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The Misadventures of Frederick
Author: Ben Manley Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 7+
Emily is playing in the forest when she sees a boy watching her from a grand house. She invites him to play, but his mother refuse…
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The Secret of the Tattered Shoes
Author: Jackie Morris Illustrator: Ehsan Abdollahi
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
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The Secret of the Tattered Shoes
Author: Jackie Morris Illustrator: Ehsan Abdollahi
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Jackie Morris' retelling of the classic fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses is accompanied by Ehsan Abdollahi's tra…
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The Star Outside My Window
Author: Onjali Q Raúf
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Star Outside My Window
Author: Onjali Q Raúf
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
A heartbreaking but sensitively-told story of domestic abuse, loss and friendship from the author behind The Boy at the Back of th…
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The Time of Green Magic
Author: Hilary McKay
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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The Time of Green Magic
Author: Hilary McKay
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Moving house is the last thing Abi needs. She has enough stress with her two annoying stepbrothers. What's more, odd things start …
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The Train to Impossible Places: The Great Brain Robbery
Author: P G Bell Illustrator: Flavia Sorrentino
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Train to Impossible Places: The Great Brain Robbery
Author: P G Bell Illustrator: Flavia Sorrentino
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 8+
The second in a series of fun fantasy adventures, set in a troll world where the scientific rules that govern our universe do not …
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The Tzar’s Curious Runaways
Author: Robin Scott-Elliot
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Tzar’s Curious Runaways
Author: Robin Scott-Elliot
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
This is a magical tale that immediately scoops up the unsuspecting reader to propel them on a breath-catching journey across snow-…
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What is the Moon?
Author: Katie Daynes Illustrator: Marta Álvarez Miguéns
Interest level: 2-5
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What is the Moon?
Author: Katie Daynes Illustrator: Marta Álvarez Miguéns
Interest level: 2-5
Reading age:
Budding astronauts can find out all about the moon in this interactive, lift-the-flap board book. The book is simple and playful f…
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