“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss
The Thief Who Sang Storms by Sophie Anderson
The Island of Morovia is shaped like a broken heart. The humans live on one side of the island, and the alkonosts – the bird-people – live on the other, but it wasn’t always this way. Linnet wishes she could sing magic like the alkonists, but magic is forbidden and she has been banished with her father to the Mournful Swamp. However, when her father is captured for taking a precious jewel, Linnet must set out on a treacherous journey, where she learns how to be brave, and discovers something that could save her father, and heal the broken heart of her island once more.
With themes of grief, trust and love, this is a timely adventure about coming together when the world seems irrevocably divided. Paperback, Usborne, £7.99
Furthermoor by Darren Simpson
The real world is a hostile place for twelve-year-old Bren, his schooldays stalked by vicious bully, Shaun, and his family life fractured at home. Ever since his sister Evie died in an accident, Bren’s only safe space is Furthermoor, an imagined world of mechanised trees and clockwork animals, where Evie is still alive. In Furthermoor, no one can hurt Bren…until the mysterious Featherly arrives. Now Bren is forced to confront his deepest fears and decide if his place in the real world is worth fighting for. Can he stand up against the bully, and find the inner strength to move forward in his life, beyond grief and loss?
An unforgettable coming-of-age story about courage, friendship and finding your voice. Paperback, Usborne, £7.99
The Book Family Robinson by Jonathan Emmet
This is a funny clever story promoting a love of reading. When the book-loving Robinsons are shipwrecked on a treasure island, they gather up their soggy books and research how to survive. Then pirates arrive, and once again, the Robinsons are saved by stories in their books. There are some wonderful diverse characters and the vivid illustrations by Sam Caldwell are full of quirky details for young children to spot. A highly recommended picturebook. Paperback, Templar, £6.99. Buy now from www.nottinghambooks.co.uk