Following her parents' divorce, teenager Maaryah has to leave her lavish lifestyle behind in Dubai and start a new life in Essex. She experiences a whole new exciting world of house parties and boys but also encounters racism and the isolating reality of being the only hijabi in a massive school.

This has a good plot with an engaging main character, whose authentic voice comes through strongly, and her struggles will be relatable to many young people. This could work well for discussion in teen book groups although it's quite long. Definitely worth having a copy

Reviewed by Natalie Wise on 15th April 2025

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A simple heartfelt poem with beautiful and expressive illustrations.  A wonderful read and perfect for sharing to inspire an appreciation of nature and trees and the important things in life.  It's a powerful and enjoyable book and would fit well in picture book, poetry or nature collections.  A great addition to library shelves.

Reviewed by Emma McElwee on 10th April 2025

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A fun filled story that will have children guessing what or who will appear next! A good lesson for Nana and Gramps to learn too!  Sometimes we are all just too involved in the little things in life and miss the bigger picture! The colourful and bold illustrations add charm to this story. Worth including in picture book collections.

Reviewed by Dawn Franklin on 9th April 2025

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A wonderful picture book with fabulous illustrations and hilarious text!  It gives the impression of being a non-fiction title until it reaches the fish!  The writer clearly has a grudge against fish and at the end of the book, the reader understands why!  It's vibrant and enjoyable and great for sharing.  The pages are bright and full of humour.  A perfect story to bring a smile to the grumpiest of faces.  A great read!

Reviewed by Emma McElwee on 2nd April 2025

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A lovely book with wonderful illustrations and lots of information about animals and their nests and dens.  It's written like a picture book and takes the reader on a memorable journey, discovering who lives in a hive, a tunnel and lots of other interesting places.  The animals talk in first person about their homes and the eye-catching illustrations bring them all to life.  It's memorable and enjoyable, a real treat to share and great to capture the imaginations of children.

Reviewed by Emma McElwee on 26th March 2025

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A funny, bright and colourful graphic that's perfect for younger children.  The characters are suitably silly and the plot is amusing: there is a mystery to solve when the wobbly rainbow announces a surprise behind the uncertain curtain!  The reader knows that everyone is going to press the button that they are not supposed to press!  It's lovely stuff for this age group and makes the reader laugh out loud.  Let's all gaze at the clouds of joy and eat fruit strings!  

Reviewed by Emma McElwee on 26th March 2025

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A delightful and unpredictable comedy that touches on the familiar frustrations of work obsessed parents, summer holiday ennui, grown-ups not listening, and the classic childhood experience of buying a broken robot from a mad scientist at a car boot sale and accidentally bringing it to life by feeding it coffee. A giddy, engaging read that's sure to please.

Reviewed by Lucy Forrester on 24th March 2025

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A more hopeful and uplifting tone in this new title from Anthony McGowan in contrast to some of his previous books such as Lark. Kyle has to stay with his slightly odd grandad one afternoon, and is introduced to the beck - the stream - near his house. It had been polluted and ugly, but was now thriving and as Kyle learns more about the wildlife in the beck, and his relationship with his grandad blossoms, he finds a new love and appreciation for the natural world.

There are some great flashes of humour - look out for grandad's Elvis impersonator wig! Friendships are made, relationships forged and made stronger, and when the beck is threatened by a potential new warehouse development, Kyle finds inner strength to stand up for what he believes is right. It's a quick read, but there's a lot of depth and the potential for discussion and thoughtful book chat is high, which would make is an ideal class read. Very good.

Reviewed by Lucy McConnell on 21st March 2025

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A sweet and funny read and the growing friendship between the girl and the monster is a delight. Accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, with lots of details to look at - and the choice of paper for the monster is a funny touch! With letters flying back and forth between the two this would also be good for literacy. A great book for any library

Reviewed by Natalie Wise on 19th March 2025

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This book loses nothing from being the second in a series, or from the fact it's in verse. The characters are well drawn despite the limited word count, and the plot is well thought through, and provides layers for the reader to engage with. While it focuses on the story of a child and the racial separation of the time, it layers feminism, friendship, slavery, family and song throughout.

The atmosphere is tangible and it delivers the same level of enrapture as the author tells it with, when performing poetry. 

Reviewed by Alison Tarrant on 13th March 2025

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This short novel delivers more than most titles of this length and for this age range. It captures the fun and mess of which pets bring, alongside the chaos, but without watering down the responsibility needed to look after an animal. 

The plot zips along and the cast of characters are well drawn, resulting in an engaging read even for those who may not read easily. The main character develops well and the cast of animals ranges from ferrets to rats to a goat! 

A lively and enjoyable read. 

Reviewed by Alison Tarrant on 13th March 2025

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A fabulous insight into the Ancient Egyptians with excellent photos and illustrations.  The layout is appealing and the text is short and concise, enabling the reader to discover interesting facts whilst browsing.  Egyptologist, Joann Fletcher, brings history to life.  It's bright, informative and mesmerising.  The production is solid and the cover is eye-catching.  It's a great resource for libraries and schools.  

Reviewed by Emma McElwee on 12th March 2025

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This is the second book by Clara Kumagai, after the highly acclaimed Catfish Rolling, and it does not disappoint. The story is split between two timelines, which is handled extraordinarily well, with clear distinction between them until they meld into one another. There are strong characters in both timelines, who each go against some of the expectations from their social context. It’s nice to see strong male and female characters in the same book, and the friendships are well drawn in both storylines. The friendships and love interests, particularly in the modern setting, are refreshingly unproblematic, and will help readers picture a healthy relationship.

It’s a highly atmospheric book, which will captivate readers. I could barely put it down and it stayed with me long after the final page. It’s a highly original book which deserves a strong following.

Reviewed by Peters team on 6th March 2025

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This book shows what a great information book can do. It pulls the reader in and reveals information as gifts to be treasured; absorption of the facts happens easily as the act of reading is so pleasurable and engaging. 

This book covers big topics - from before the Big Bang to the end of the Dinosaurs - but it's broken down into manageable chunks and makes good use of the double page spreads. The comic strip elements are well done, and avoid the tiny text and over-crowding that some books of this format have. Alongside, there are small illustrations which add humour and illustrate key ideas. 

A fantastic book whose readership will reach well beyond those already interested in the subject.

Reviewed by Alison Tarrant on 28th February 2025

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Pamela Butchart does it again, with this tale of money struggles.  A topic which can be toe-curling to discuss is transformed into a tale showing the importance of friends, asking for and offering help, and being open with those in our lives. The cast is pleasingly diverse without it being made a point of, and the main characters are likeable, if not always making the same decisions as the reader - thereby generating amusing tension. 

A heart-warming book full of "Oh no!" laugh out loud moments. 

Reviewed by Alison Tarrant on 28th February 2025

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