Out today and here to save your sanity! If you, like us, are having a tough time of finding things to do that don't chew through your budget in record time, you NEED this book!

Given the chance, C would probably fill our house with snakes and lizards...

Catherine De Duve is an absolutely incredible inspiration to young would-be art fans who love discovering more about classic artists and amazing works of art...

We've often tweeted about books but we've not often had books tweet back at us. But this one does...

I think just about everyone reading this blog will have, at one point or another, owned an issue or perhaps an annual from The Beano Comic.

It seems incredible to think that the comic is coming up for its 80th Birthday, with the first issue arriving on newsagent shelves on 30th July 1938.

It's 2018 and the comic is still going strong, with a whole new generation of artists and authors bringing to life the Beano's enviable collection of miscreants, weirdos and downright cool characters.

Front and centre is Dennis the Menace, with his faithful hound Gnasher - and Dennis shows you some of his insider tricks to being a complete menace in the upcoming "Beano Book of Mischief, Mayhem and Fun" coming soon from Studio Press.

The book is chock full of brilliant makes and projects that'll definitely help you spend your summer getting up to no good (well, in a fairly lighthearted way!)

Construct all manner of amazing contraptions from pencil catapults, to pea shooters, play crazy tricks on hapless adults and don your black and red stripy jersey for japes and hijinks along with a ton of other Beano faves.

Danny shows you how to build a cool code so you and your friends can communicate in secrecy. No adults allowed!

It's a fantastic activity book and even though we've seen some of the ideas in other 'make' books, these are presented in a cool Beano-esque way.

Remember kids, safety first. Never aim any of these at animals or humans!

"The Beano Book of Mischief, Mayhem and Fun" is available from Studio Press.

The building fun doesn't stop there either, there's also a couple of corkingly brilliant project books from Studio Press.

Beano Builds Go Kart. Build your own mean machine!

"Beano Builds Go Kart" will help you realise your soapbox derby dreams with a mean machine of your own creation. (I actually remember getting into trouble as a kid for removing the wheels from my little sister's pram to build a go kart. Well, I thought she'd finished with it as she was walking at the time - how was I supposed to know they wanted to sell it :)

Karts not your thing? Well surely Dens are...

Forget playing Fortnite. Get out there and build your own fantastic den!

"Beano Builds: Secret Den" will help you create a secret lair all of your own. Love that these books are also produced in partnership with Save the Children. Bonus points for being cool AND being uber-helpful to a fantastic charity. AWESOME!

Sticking with the 80th birthday celebrations you may also want to grab the latest edition of The Beano Annual too!

The Beano Annual 2018. 80 years of keeping kids blissfully quiet for hours!

Oh and this was the first one I was bought! Yes, showing my age, I know!

Ah Biffo the Bear and Lord Snooty!

Celebrate a summer of awesome comic fun with The Beano! You know it makes sense!

I've often wondered whether poor C gets a rough deal, inheriting some of her music taste from her parents...

Here's a book that took me right back to my childhood, and also made both of us think how lucky we are to have green spaces around us nowadays...

Our Second Book of the Week this week corrects a huge oversight on our part. I can't believe we've never reviewed this book on the blog...!

Our first Book of the Week this week definitely isn't one for prim and proper princesses who love gadding around in taffeta ball gowns...

Hello and welcome to July's awesome book-packed Chapter Book Roundup. Strap yourselves in as we've got a massive stack of books to recommend to you. Hopefully the weather is still sunny where you are, but never mind if you're rain-bound and in a bit of a grump, there's plenty of variety here for everyone so let's kick off with something rather dark and spooky.

"Bone's Gift" by Angie Simbert follows the recent trend for spooky and dark middle grade adventures with the tale of 12 year old Bone.

Bone has an exceptional supernatural gift. She can sense the stories in everyday objects.

When she receives a note that says her mother's Gift killed her, Bone seeks to unravel the mysteries of her mother's death, the schisms in her family, and the Gifts themselves.

It's a tightly woven mystery that plays its cards pretty close to its chest from the outset, before twisting deliciously in on itself to deliver a breathtaking finale. We are hoping that this is just the first book in a series from Angie, it's really fantastic and original stuff with an exquisite coat of darkness about it.

"Bone's Gift" by Angie Simbert is out now, published by Highlights Publishing. 

Next we're catching up with Kristina Springer's effortlessly cool heroine, expert middle school matchmaker and yoga guru extraordinaire.

Yep, it's time for more fun with "Cici Reno: #MiddleSchoolMatchmaker".

Middle school is a test, but Cici has ALL the answers.
Following the adventures of young Finn, a fearless stunt double, the action moves firmly into the steamy jungles of Thailand as work begins on the new Rio Dinoni blockbuster movie.
Connie's story begins when she's sent to live with her aunt. She knows it's going to be one more place where she doesn't fit in. But soon she realises how wrong she is. The seaside town is full of adults and children who have strange links to creatures. It's the heart of the secret Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures, a group of people sworn to ensure that mythical beasts are kept safe.

Other than bending and hiding, his favourite thing to do is to go to Old Mr Mudge's junkyard and ride the horses, Lightning and Boadicea.

It's definitely better than going home to his drippy Aunt Violet, smelly Uncle Ted and evil cousin Kelly.

But when he (accidentally) runs away, he finds himself on an adventure to free his mum from prison- with the help of a lot of talking animals!

Filled with excitement, fun and far too much horse poo it's a hilarious and perfect summer read.
"Summertime Stories" by Enid Blyton is another stunning collection of her shorter tales, perfect for dipping into over the long summer holidays with 30 tales of adventure and excitement.

From picnics in the sunshine to daring outdoor adventures, celebrate the fun and magic of summertime with these fun-filled short stories.

We've long been champions of wordless picture books on the blog, and their power in turning around reluctant readers can't be denied...

It's never too soon to wean your little ones onto the genius books of Roald Dahl (and of course Quentin Blake)...

Cute Kitty! A fantastic idea for summer book worms!

What could be better than finding a shady nook to read a cool book in, with your Cuddly Reading Companion Kiki?

Sturdy book steady!

If pink's not your thing, how about a froggy companion instead?

Cor, it feels like it's been AGES since we had a really great monster book...

Here's a funny book with such a hilarious payoff that we just couldn't resist its charms...

Oh believe me, we really do feel for you parents, guardians, grandparents and carers who are now faced with a long hot summer of keeping your youngsters entertained. We've always found that during the quiet moments when C packs her bags for visiting her grandparents we always end up packing a book or two into her bag, as nothing passes the time than digging into a fantastic book or two.

So here's ten summery sunny smashers we'll definitely be reading this summer holiday.

Kicking off with a perfect upper-middle-grade / early YA  graphic novel that perfectly sums up the summer break.

"All Summer Long" by Hope Larson beautifully captures the bittersweet experience of spending summer without your besties, as we catch up with thirteen-year-old Bina whose usually meticulously planned "Fun List" of summer activities ends up blown out of the water thanks to her best friend.


Bina and Austin usually do everything together, but he's off to soccer camp for a month, and he's been acting kind of weird lately anyway (boys, tchoh!)


So it's up to Bina to see how much fun she can have on her own.


At first it's a lot of guitar playing, boredom, terrible English accents and bad TV, but things look up when she finds an unlikely companion in Austin's older sister, who enjoys music just as much as Bina.


But then Austin comes home from camp, and he's acting even weirder than when he left. How Bina and Austin rise above their growing pains and reestablish their friendship and respect for their differences makes for a touching and funny coming-of-age story.

"All Summer Long" by Hope Larson is out now, published by FirstSecond. 


From the sublime to the sublimely surreal and the awesome Shaun Tan's masterpiece "Rules of Summer".

Capturing the spirit of imagination and play, this is a glorious and weird exploration of the relationship between two siblings as they come up with a list of rules that touch on the adventures they have in a strange landscape filled with wonderful creatures - and danger!

It's impossible not to get completely wrapped up in Tan's bookworlds, as he inventively comes up with an amazing array of incidents and circumstances for his two boy characters to immerse themselves in.

Like all Shaun's books, it's a work of art in its own right and even if your little ones might be too young for the text, they'll absolutely love the art in this.

"The Rules of Summer" by Shaun Tan is out now, published by Hodder.

Summer wouldn't be summer without activity books, and there's nothing better than spending a few hours getting sticky with stickers.

Usborne's awesome "Sticker Dolly Dressing" range is just perfect and this holiday-themed edition is a bright and colourful book full of reusable sticker scenes.

Invent the perfect holiday outfit and scenario with a ton of brilliantly illustrated stickers and accessories for your characters as they spend long hot days lazing in the sun or splashing in the sea.

We've always loved these books as they're just so gorgeously produced and there's a huge range of them for both boys and girls.

"Sticker Dolly Dressing: Holiday" is out now, published by Usborne Publishing. 

More holiday picture book fun now, with something many many parents will identify with just before they've loaded up the car on their way to the family holiday this year...

"Fergus Barnaby Goes on Holiday" by David Barrow is a gloriously illustrated tale of a little bear who can't quite find all the things he needs to pack into his little suitcase as his family get ready for some summer fun.

All the things he needs to take with him - like his bucket and spade, his kite and his swimming goggles, are all out on loan to the various creatures he shares house space with.

Poor Fergus is exhausted before he's even started, as he has to dash up to the first, second and third floors to retrieve his holiday goodies.

He's not the only one with problems though, even when he's ready and packed - Dad is still a bit forgetful and he's forgotten possibly the most important thing of all (we'll leave you to find out just what - or rather who - that is!)

This is classic picture-book loveliness from David, with glorious illustrations, a fun theme and of course a funny twist too. It's a big lovely cuddly huge book for sprawling out on the floor with, and it's definitely been one of our favourite holiday-themed books.

"Fergus Barnaby Goes on Holiday" by David Barrow is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

Next, probably one of the most important 'holiday' books we've had the pleasure of reviewing on this humble blog.

"Tilly's At Home Holiday" by Gillian Hibbs is something that unexpectedly really spoke to us, and me in particular as a kid who didn't have many family holidays. In this book Tilly and her mum plan a vacation with a difference, they stay at home and spend time together doing a multitude of fun things.

For kids in a similar position, this book is utterly essential - not everyone gets to jet off to a fantastic sunny location over the summer but that doesn't mean that spending time with someone special can't make a holiday just as awesome.

"Tilly's At Home Holiday" by Gillian Hibbs is out now, published by Child's Play. 

We can't possibly miss out awesome chapter book reads from our summer reading list this year, so let's dig into five truly awesome and distinctly different summer reads.

"Bone Talk" by Candy Gourlay is out on the 2nd August, just in time to become your new favourite YA obsession from this enormously talented author.

It's a totally immersive and truly original summer read, beginning with a young would-be warrior about to embark on a rights-of-passage like no other.

Samkad dreams of becoming a mighty headhunter like his father, carrying his own weapons and etching tattoos across his chest to proclaim his greatness as a warrior.
Welcome to the sleepy island of Penfurzy, where nothing exciting ever really happens. OR DOES IT?
Set during the 19th century as the world began to fall under the spell and magic of many scientific discoveries you'll find yourself pulled back to Cambridge in 1860.
"The Book of Boy" by Catherine Gilbert Murdock is a truly epic and engrossing fantasy tale that kicks off with a brilliant map and features awesome black-and-white art by Ian Schoenherr throughout.

Boy has always been relegated to the outskirts of his small village. With a large hump on his back, a mysterious past, and a tendency to talk to animals, he is often mocked by others in his town - perhaps even feared - until the arrival of a shadowy pilgrim named Secondus.
Best friends always with a nose for adventure, Dave and Albrecht must go undercover to solve a mystery. They must disguise themselves as wizards to enter the notoriously secretive Wizarding Guild, in order to free their friends and stop the most evil wizard of them all - Terrence - who is the sort of baddie we just love to bits!

Our Chapter Book of the Week this week combines a ton of our favourite themes into an utterly essential summer read...

Our second Picture Book of the Week delivered such a whump to our hearts that we just can't stop thinking about it...