Twig is the last surviving apprentice of the great wizard Ripplemintz, which, as a job, is just as terrifying as it sounds. Oh Ripplemintz always means well, but for a wizard of such high regard he really does make an awful lot of mistakes. And who’s always left to clear them up? That’s right – Twig. So when Ripplemitz’s most powerful spell is let loose on the world, off Twig goes to catch it. And catch it he does, except… not quite in the way that he intended. Because, instead of catching it in an enchanted jar, Twig sort of… well… catches it in… HIMSELF.
The Accidental Wizard by Kimberly Pauley introduces the reluctant Wizard Twig, along with a menagerie of hilarious characters that captivate throughout. With more magical mayhem than you can shake a stick at, middle-grade readers will be quickly drawn into a world of riotous adventure, competing wizards, greedy citizens who all want their moment of magic and at it’s heart, an unlikely friendship between a wizard, a hag and a gnome (who has the best name – Glimfinkle!). I also particularly liked the chapter titles (for example ‘In Which Something Doesn’t Blow-Up’) and the proof copy I read had wonderful illustrations giving a taste of artwork to come by Jason Cockcroft. Reminiscent of classic magical adventures and bags of fun, The Accidental Wizard carves a well-deserved space for itself in this genre and I’m sure children will want to visit The Kingdoms again and again – ably guided by the lovely map at the beginning!
Wulfie is just like a puppy – fluffy and adorable. But unlike a puppy, he talks. And he’s purple. His favourite food is smelly socks. he can be small as a snail or big as a bear. He’s sweet and loyal and he’s Libby’s new best friend. Libby longs to star in the school play, and with Wulfie’s help she just might get a chance to outshine her big, bag step-brother, Rex.
Wulfie: Stage Fright by Lindsay J Sedgwick illustrated by Josephine Wolff is the first in a new series featuring a sweet female protagonist named Libby and the perfect best friend in Wulfie. It’s a charming story about families, friendship and being brave even when you’re afraid. Libby has a Cinderella-esque life with a horrid step-mother, even more horrid step-brother and an absent-minded father. So when her chance to shine in the school play comes, it’s Wulfie to the rescue! He makes everything better and although causes a little bit of trouble on the way, it’s Wulfie who helps her outsmart her mean step-brother who always wants to spoil things. You can always tell well-drawn characters when you really don’t like them (and when you do of course!) – Rex and his mother are truly horrid and you can’t wait for Libby to win the day! Fun and lively illustrations bring the action and diverse cast of characters to life. With just the right amount of mischief and lots of laughs Wulfie: Stage Fright is sure to delight young readers and have them cheering for an encore!
It’s the final stop on the blog tour for the first in a magical new middle-grade series, inspired by the Arabian Nights. Beautifully told and full of imagination, Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found by Aisha Bushby illustrated by Rachael Dean will transport you to a world of wonder!
We all have our stories. And if we feed them, some may grow all the way to the moon…..Magic has always been part of twelve-year old Amira’s life, even though her world frowns on it. When a mysterious storm begins to rage and Amira’s magical cat companion goes missing, she decides to set sail. An extraordinary adventure awaits – one that will change Amira’s life forever…..
Aisha lives on board a dhow with her sea witch mothers and her jinn, a magical cat called Namur. They only visit the land to make their living selling tonics in the souks and buy supplies. Amira has spent all her life at sea so when her mothers tell her she is old enough to go to the souk, she cannot wait. Amira’s magical ability – to read people’s emotions through her sense of smell – is somewhat overwhelmed as she navigates the stalls and helps her mother. Little does she know a chance encounter with a boy called Leo, who also has a jinn in the form of a magical goldfish, will start to unravel the mysteries Amira has been pondering. Not least why Namur, who usually only appears when Amira is angry, has been visible ever since a dangerous storm arrived on the Sahir Penninsula. So begins the most marvellous but dangerous adventure, leading Amira to discover the truth about her magic and rescue her beloved jinn.
Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found is a captivating tale, drawing you in to Amira’s world. Magic and mystery abounds with each page a discovery in itself, featuring beautiful descriptions, heartfelt emotions and fantastic characters. The use of emotions and how we deal with them is present throughout, shining a light on the importance of accepting how we feel. I loved the Arabian Nights-inspired narration and invitations to accompany Amira as she embarks on her quest to find her jinn and the truth she so desperately seeks. Each character has a story to tell, embedding a sense of myth throughout and the narrative cleverly intertwines these stories to create a tapestry of adventure. Accompanied by wonderful illustrations bringing Amira and her world to life, Moonchild will transport you to a place so full of enchantment you won’t want to leave!
With thanks to Egmont for sending me this book to review and inviting me to participate in this blog tour. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog tour!
Come and join a marvellous adventure in Return to Roar! Today is the final stop on the blog tour for this brilliant new book by Jenny MacLachlan and illustrated by Ben Mantle, taking us back to the Land of Roar with twins Rose and Arthur. It’s not always that a sequel is as good as the first in a series, but this one definitely is – you will not be disappointed! I’m delighted to share my review and even more excited to share a Q & A with author Jenny McLachlan!
Twins Rose and Arthur are so excited to be going back to Roar, their magical world of dragons, ninja wizards and anything else they can imagine! But then the twins receive a message from arch-enemy Crowky. WHAT’S IN THE BOX? The Box contains the things that scare the twins the most. If Crowky gets hold of it, he could use it to conjure up Rose and Arthur’s worst nightmares and destroy Roar….FOREVER.
In Return to Roar, Rose and Arthur are spending half term with their Grandad – at least that’s what their parents think! But Grandad knows better and he’s more than happy for the twins to ‘stay’ with him and travel back to Roar through the magic portal – the Z-bed in the attic! Little do they know, there’s an even bigger adventure than last time awaiting them – bigger than flying on dragons, catching unicorns and swimming with merfolk. Before they know it, Rose and Arthur are doing battle again with evil villain, a terrifying scarecrow called Crowky, who is determined to destroy Roar forever! Rose, Arthur and their friends, Wininja the wizard and Mitch the Mermaid must travel to The End and find The Box before Crowky – and a new fearsome villain – wreaks havoc on their imaginary world – and their home too!
Return to Roar is a storytelling delight, celebrating the wonder of imagination and the power of friendship. With great character development, brilliant new faces to meet and places to visit, along with some really heart-warming themes, it makes a fantastic sequel to Land of Roar (review here). Rose and Arthur have become closer now they’re a bit older and their support for each other – with a bit of healthy sibling rivalry – is great to see. The inhabitants of Roar are fantastic and make you want to join the fun. In amongst the adventure and excitement, there is a subtle theme of how to deal with bullies running through the narrative and some really wonderful moments of compassion and kindness. All in all, Return to Roar is a wonderful read, with brilliant illustrations throughout capturing the action. If I were you, I’d get your hands on a copy now – don’t miss your chance to visit Roar!
Jenny McLachlan was kind enough to share some insights into writing Return to Roar so read on to find out more!
How did you find travelling back to Roar?! Was it more difficult than the first visit?It was actually! I had no problem describing Roar and stepping back into Arthur’s shoes, and it was absolutely brilliant meeting Win and Grandad again, but there is quite a lot going on in the plot: Rose has a secret, the children go on a treasure hunt across Roar, and I introduce two new characters. It’s all go!
There’s some fantastic new places to visit and characters to meet in Return to Roar. What was your inspiration for them? ike ALrthur, I’m a big fan of Frozen Planet and this inspired The End. I’ve got a beautifully illustrated book that accompanied David Attenborough’s series and I spent a lot of time gazing at it! Mitch is inspired by lots of my favourite females: my daughters, my sister, my mum. She was probably the character that appeared most fully formed in my head. Some characters require a bit of work, others seem to have always existed. Mitch was just waiting to be written down. In fact, she was originally in The Land of Roar – I think I was very keen to include her! – but I took her out to save for the sequel.
Crowky is back and badder than ever – he makes a great villain and surely belongs in the children’s fiction villains’ hall of fame! Who is/are your favourite villain(s) in children’s fiction? I really love properly scary villains. I think my favourite villain in children’s fiction is probably Miss Trunchball. I took my daughters to watch the musical Matilda! when my youngest was only six. You should have seen her face when Miss Trunchball appeared! It was touch and go for a moment, and I wondered if we were going to have to make a speedy exit, but she wasn’t going anywhere! I found Moon-Face in The Far-Away Tree very scary, although I don’t think he was supposed to be. I wonder if he inspired Crowky…
I love Mitch the Mermaid – what a great character – (who also happens to have lots of tattoos)! If you were going to have any tattoos what would it be and why? Writing Return to Roar did involve a fair amount of tattoo Googling so I have given this some thought! I would have a beautiful fox somewhere I could always see it – my arm? I love foxes. I did wonder if I could ever get Mitch’s map tattoo . . . it’s quite big though. I don’t think I’m brave enough!
You draw on Rose’s experiences with her school friends – and you show real compassion in her actions right at the end. Why did you include this theme in the story and what do you hope readers will draw from it? I, like a lot of people, experienced some bullying at school. When it happens it’s absolutely terrifying. I can completely understand why it would scare Rose so much, and also why she would keep it a secret from Arthur. I really didn’t enjoy the first three years at secondary school. It felt like an unsafe place. Some days, I felt like Rose did when she was being chased by Hati. It’s very difficult to stand up to bullies. I didn’t want to offer a glib solution to Rose’s problems, but I did want her to, ultimately, triumph. If there is one thing I would like readers to draw from Rose’s experience it would be to start listening to that voice inside. The one that, when you know you are being spoken to unkindly, says, this isn’t right, and rather than keeping quiet about it, speaks out.
Thank you for participating and I cannot wait to read Book 3!
With thanks to Egmont for inviting me to participate in this blog tour and sending me this book to review. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the blog tour!
Could there be better moment to publish a picture so full of fun and flamboyance as well as a really important message about acceptance? Llama Glamarama by Simon James Green and illustrated by Garry Parsons published by Scholastic is a spectacular story that leaves you with a big smile on your face!
Today is my stop on the non-stop Llama Glamarama Dance Party Blog Tour! I’m sharing a POOL PARTY playlist from author Simon James Green and participating in the Dance Party Challenge. This is Simon’s debut in children’s picture books and it’s safe to say he’s on to a winner!
I first heard this story at the Scholastic Children’s Book preview event, pre-lockdown and it’s safe to say, it was a huge hit. As Simon read the book aloud, illustrator Garry Parsons drew along and Larry the llama came to life before our eyes. By day,Larry is a very well-behaved llama like all his llama friends; but by night a secret dancing superstar. Larry runs away not wanting to admit the thing he loves most in the world and reveal his true self. But thankfully, he finds a place where he can really be himself, and not only that, it helps him feel brave enough to tell the truth!
It’s impossible not to feel good after reading this story and fall in love with Larry, as he discovers that actually, it’s ok to want to dance and in fact, taking pride in who you are will help you be truly happy! Llama Glamarama is a book to be enjoyed over and again and also one that can open the door to conversations about acceptance and being just who you are.
So here’s my Dance Party Challenge:
1. What’s your favourite dance move? The Twist – Pulp Fiction style!
2. Favourite song to groove to? Pretty much any on this Dance Party Tour playlist!
3. Favourite song for a slow dance? A Rat Pack number
4. Ballet or hip-hop? Ballet (Noel Streatfeild anyone?!)
5. Jive or tango? Jive – I would LOVE to learn this dance
6. Flossing or flamenco? Flamenco (purely because of Baz Luhrman’s Strictly Ballroom!)
And here’s Simon James Green’s POOL PARTY playlist!
“Maybe Llama Glamarama will be a massive hit, and I’ll buy a villa in Spain with a pool, and call it Casa de Larry. Until that time, these water-themed songs would equally work if you don’t have a pool, but just a tepid bath. Splash, splosh and enjoy!”
Could there be better moment to publish a picture so full of fun and flamboyance as well as a really important message about acceptance? Llama Glamarama by Simon James Green and illustrated by Garry Parsons published by 
thebookactivist 