New Books we love: October 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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100 First Words: With BIG Flaps to Lift!
Author: Edward Underwood
Interest level: 1-3
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100 First Words: With BIG Flaps to Lift!
Author: Edward Underwood
Interest level: 1-3
Reading age:
When toddlers are just starting to talk and learn new words, books like 100 First Words are invaluable. A bright and col…
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Akissi: Tales of Mischief
Author: Marguerite Abouet Illustrator: Mathieu Sapin Translator: Judith Taboy and Marie Bédrune
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
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Akissi: Tales of Mischief
Author: Marguerite Abouet Illustrator: Mathieu Sapin Translator: Judith Taboy and Marie Bédrune
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
Akissi is a ball of energy who doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble. But she always eventually gets caught! A fun and colourful…
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Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse
Author: Jennifer Killick
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Alex Sparrow and the Zumbie Apocalypse
Author: Jennifer Killick
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
A bonkers story of unlikely superheroes, an evil genius, a zombified keep fit class and a very angry octopus.
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Animal Homes: A Lift the Flap Book of Discovery
Author: Libby Walden Illustrator: Clover Robin
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 6+
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Animal Homes: A Lift the Flap Book of Discovery
Author: Libby Walden Illustrator: Clover Robin
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 6+
When we’re out and about, we probably walk past all manner of animal homes without even knowing it. A cute and charming board book…
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Charlie Turns Into a T-Rex
Author: Sam Copeland
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Charlie Turns Into a T-Rex
Author: Sam Copeland
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Charlie is back, and still trying his best to avoid changing into animals. He soon realises that the true power of his abilities i…
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Dr Maggie's Grand Tour of the Solar System
Author: Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock Illustrator: Chelen Écija
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Dr Maggie's Grand Tour of the Solar System
Author: Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock Illustrator: Chelen Écija
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
Space scientist Dr Maggie invites readers to join her on a grand space tour using their imaginations. This fantastic, imagina…
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Kids Fight Plastic
Author: Martin Dorey Illustrator: Tim Weeson
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 8+
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Kids Fight Plastic
Author: Martin Dorey Illustrator: Tim Weeson
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 8+
By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Kids Fight Plastic presents powerful facts about how oceans a…
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Kites
Author: Simon Mole Illustrator: Oamul Lu
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
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Kites
Author: Simon Mole Illustrator: Oamul Lu
Interest level: 4-6
Reading age: 5+
A gentle story and very pretty book that would make a perfect present for anyone moving house, school, or even job! The text …
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Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue
Author: Paula Harrison Illustrator: Jenny Lovlie
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
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Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue
Author: Paula Harrison Illustrator: Jenny Lovlie
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 6+
Kitty’s mum is a superhero with cat powers, and Kitty wants to be just like her. Kitty's night-time adventures feature a cast of l…
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Mark and Shark: Detectiving and Stuff
Author: John Dougherty Illustrator: Katie Abey
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
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Mark and Shark: Detectiving and Stuff
Author: John Dougherty Illustrator: Katie Abey
Interest level: 6-8
Reading age: 7+
Mark and his best friend Shark run a detective agency, although they’ve not yet been offered any cases to solve. Luckily, they als…
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My Family and Other Ghosts
Author: Lou Kuenzler Illustrator: Steve Brown
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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My Family and Other Ghosts
Author: Lou Kuenzler Illustrator: Steve Brown
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
With nail-biting excitement as well as laugh-out-loud moments, children will be queuing up to check in to the haunted hotel, Grave…
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Pick a Pumpkin
Author: Patricia Toht Illustrator: Jarvis
Interest level: 2-5
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Pick a Pumpkin
Author: Patricia Toht Illustrator: Jarvis
Interest level: 2-5
Reading age:
Fans of Jarvis’ gorgeous illustrations won’t be able to resist this seasonal treat that celebrates all things Halloween and plays …
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Pie in the Sky
Author: Remy Lai
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Pie in the Sky
Author: Remy Lai
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Illustrated throughout, this heartfelt story contains so much: a family coping with bereavement, the alienation of moving somewher…
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Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the S...
Author: Teresa Robeson Illustrator: Rebecca Huang
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 5+
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Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the S...
Author: Teresa Robeson Illustrator: Rebecca Huang
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 5+
This fascinating non-fiction picture book explores the life of an inspirational woman who overcame race and gender barriers to bec…
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Rebel Dogs! Heroic Tales of Trusty Hounds
Author: Kimberlie Hamilton Illustrator: Various
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Rebel Dogs! Heroic Tales of Trusty Hounds
Author: Kimberlie Hamilton Illustrator: Various
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
This enjoyable collection of true stories about remarkable dogs from around the world focuses on 30 hounds, each with their own as…
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Red Red Red
Author: Polly Dunbar
Interest level: 2-4
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Red Red Red
Author: Polly Dunbar
Interest level: 2-4
Reading age:
This is a funny and relatable picture book about tantrums for parents and carers, who know all too well how little things can esca…
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Shadow
Author: Lucy Christopher Illustrator: Anastasia Suvorova
Interest level: 3-5
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Shadow
Author: Lucy Christopher Illustrator: Anastasia Suvorova
Interest level: 3-5
Reading age:
This dark story will appeal to older children who like its atmospheric illustration. It is a good book to share and talk thro…
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Small in the City
Author: Sydney Smith
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
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Small in the City
Author: Sydney Smith
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
The streetwise kid telling Sydney Smith’s atmospheric story has some advice for fellow kids negotiating a big, noisy city. A …
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Some Places More Than Others
Author: Renée Watson
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Some Places More Than Others
Author: Renée Watson
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
Amara desperately wants a trip to New York for her birthday, to meet her dad’s family and see where he grew up and she can’t under…
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Somebody Give This Heart a Pen
Author: Sophia Thakur
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
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Somebody Give This Heart a Pen
Author: Sophia Thakur
Interest level: 12+
Reading age: 12+
An internationally acclaimed performance poet and YouTube phenomenon, Thakur writes with passion and conviction about everyday lif…
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Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story
Author: E L Norry Illustrator: Alette Straathof (cover art)
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 10+
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Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story
Author: E L Norry Illustrator: Alette Straathof (cover art)
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 10+
Twelve-year-old Ted discovers he has roots in the circus and must join his father’s company for the first time to discover his own…
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Strange But True: 10 of the World’s Greatest Mysteries Ex...
Author: Kathryn Hulick Illustrator: Gordy Wright
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Strange But True: 10 of the World’s Greatest Mysteries Ex...
Author: Kathryn Hulick Illustrator: Gordy Wright
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
There are many strange mysteries with the reputation of being unexplained. But could a scientific explanation help us underst…
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The Book of Dust 2: The Secret Commonwealth
Author: Philip Pullman Illustrator: Chris Wormell
Interest level: 14+
Reading age: 11+
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The Book of Dust 2: The Secret Commonwealth
Author: Philip Pullman Illustrator: Chris Wormell
Interest level: 14+
Reading age: 11+
The Secret Commonwealth is a deeper, darker beast than the previous His Dark Materials trilogy. Some brilliant and excitingly tens…
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The Little Island
Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls Illustrator: Robert Starling
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
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The Little Island
Author: Smriti Prasadam-Halls Illustrator: Robert Starling
Interest level: 4-8
Reading age: 5+
The message here is that compassion for others and strength in togetherness is what makes us thrive. The Little Island m…
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The Little Mermaid
Author: Geraldine McCaughrean Illustrator: Laura Barrett
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 7+
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The Little Mermaid
Author: Geraldine McCaughrean Illustrator: Laura Barrett
Interest level: 5-8
Reading age: 7+
McCaughrean has written an alternative happy ending to Hans Christian Andersen’s tragic and bloody tale, so while this stunningly …
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The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh
Author: Supriya Kelkar Illustrator: Alea Marley
Interest level: 3-7
Reading age: 5+
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The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh
Author: Supriya Kelkar Illustrator: Alea Marley
Interest level: 3-7
Reading age: 5+
This touching picture book explores common themes of everyday insecurities, such as moving home, starting a new school and dealing…
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The Switching Hour
Author: Damaris Young
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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The Switching Hour
Author: Damaris Young
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Courage, determination and friendship abound in this spine-tingling fantasy adventure. A gripping read, which will prompt readers …
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The Velvet Fox
Author: Catherine Fisher
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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The Velvet Fox
Author: Catherine Fisher
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
A creepy and unsettling tale of faerie folk, revenge and a sinister soft toy, set in the Victorian era.
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There’s a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom
Author: James Sellick with a foreword by Emma Thompson Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
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There’s a Rang-Tan in My Bedroom
Author: James Sellick with a foreword by Emma Thompson Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Interest level: 4-7
Reading age: 5+
A cute but rather badly behaved little orangutan has appeared in a little girl’s bedroom. Rang-Tan explains that there are humans …
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Tunnel of Bones
Author: Victoria Schwab
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Tunnel of Bones
Author: Victoria Schwab
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
A claustrophobic, supernatural adventure set in the creepy, underground Catacombs of Paris where the bones (and ghosts?) of hundre…
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Under Earth
Author: Ellen Renner
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 10+
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Under Earth
Author: Ellen Renner
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 10+
Following on from the final scenes of the first book in the Storm Witch series, Under Earth sees Storm learning mor…
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