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Thursday, 28 May 2020

ReadItDaddy's Chapter Book Roundup - May 2020

Posted by ReadItDaddy at May 28, 2020 Labels:
Welcome, welcome to our May Chapter Book Roundup where we're once again bringing you a gorgeous selection of chapter books to keep things ticking over while you're in lockdown. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and there's no better time to tuck yourself into your favourite book nook in the garden and enjoy some sunshine and stunning kidlit.

We're kicking off with the fabulous "Roxy and Jones: The Great Fairytale Cover Up" by Angela Woolfe.

Deftly splicing together the contemporary tale of two kick-ass gals with a world where fairytales are real, and characters we know and love are woven into this fab mix of adventure and excitement bringing together the familiar and unfamiliar!

Roxy Humberdinck is half sister to Hansel and Gretel (yes, THOSE kids who are expert at defeating nasty old witches) and Jones (who is more better known by her other monicker, Cinderella). Both girls have a natural curiosity and want to find out more about their world and their weird families, and the tales told to them in childhood which are now becoming all too real.
A superb mix of classic fairy tales and brilliant bang-up-to-date mighty girl stuff which we absolutely loved!

"Roxy and Jones" by Angela Woolfe is out now, published by Walker Books. 

Sticking with Fairy Tales for a moment for a whole new version of a well loved classic, a superb gift edition of Pinocchio...

We all know the classic story but it's brought to life better than ever thanks to this glorious range from HarperCollins and Minalima Classics. 

Originally published in 1883, The Adventures of Pinocchio is one of the best known and beloved children s classics. Written by Italian political satirist Carlo Collodi, it is the story of Geppetto, a poor puppeteer who uses an enchanted piece of wood to carve a marionette boy he calls Pinocchio.

The impish Pinocchio does not want to be a puppet; he yearns to become a real boy. Soon, his curiosity, mischievousness, and naivete lead him away from his father s shop and into a series of perilous encounters with vicious puppet masters, cunning animals, and other magical characters. Along this perilous journey, the magical puppet learns how much turmoil, heart, and hard work it takes to become a real boy. With a nose that grows larger with each lie he tells, Pinocchio has become an enduring icon in children s literature, and now his story is brilliantly reimagined in this stunning gift edition.

There are tons of interactive sections in the book, even featuring the little wooden fella himself (complete with his 'fibbing' nose).

There's also a fabulous papercraft theatre to re-enact scenes from the story. We're huge fans of Pinocchio and this is easily one of the most impressive versions we've seen yet. 

"The Adventures of Pinocchio" by Carlo Collodi with fantastic illustrations from Minalima is out now, published by Harper360 / HarperDesign. 

One for animal lovers next and a real heartwarming tale, just the sort of thing we need right now. 

"Saving Winslow" by Sharon Creech introduces animal-loving Louie. 

Louie doesn't have the best of luck when it comes to nurturing small animals - not even lightning bugs, worms or goldfish. 

So when his father brings home a sickly newborn little donkey, he's determined to save him. 

Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to brother Gus, who has just left home. Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie's quirky new friend, Nora. 

But as the bond with Winslow grows, surprising events prove that this fragile donkey - and Louie - are stronger than anyone could have imagined.

A superb tale about believing in yourself, and finding your inner strength with the help of your besties, "Saving Winslow" by Sharon Creech is out now, published by Guppy Books. 

More awesome storytelling reinforcing the importance of friendships and working together now, in "Hello Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly. 

This is the tale of four interconnecting friendships between two boys and two girls, that begins as a nasty prank backfires and leaves one friend stuck at the bottom of a well with only a pet guinea pig for company. 

Poor Virgil is well and truly stuck, so it's up to his friends Valencia, Kaori and Chet to try and save him from his nasty predicament. 

The four will use their own unique skills, their strong bond and a bit of luck and bravery to see their quest through to the end. 

Deliciously realistic characterisations and loads of life-affirming lessons to learn in a story that feels instantly classic, like a modern-day "Stand By Me". 

"Hello Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly is out now, published by HarperCollins Children's Books. 

What exactly IS the currency of cool? Steven Camden has a theory in his new book, "My Big Mouth" with illustrations from Scott Garrett.

10 year old Jay's life is turned upside down when his dad leaves. Why did he go? Where exactly has he gone? Jay needs to find answers, but he becomes embroiled in a world of his own making, as his little white fibs turn into gigantic huge whopping great big lies. 

Soon Jay's storytelling places him right at the centre of attention amongst his friends, but this newfounded spotlight may become unwanted sooner rather than later as Jay's fibs begin to unravel, and the real story of Dad's departure comes to light. 

It takes an unlikely ally to sort Jay's life out, but could he be any less grateful?

Brilliantly observed and cleverly written with a fantastic sense of humour, Steven Camden is definitely one to watch. Look out Jeff Kinney and David Walliams, he's coming for your crown!

"My Big Mouth" by Steven Camden and Scott Garrett is out now, published by Macmillan Children's Books. 

Normally we're used to reading stories about sibling rivalry but in the fabulous "The Key To Finding Jack" by Ewa Jozefkowicz, Flick actually loves her older brother loads - and loves solving puzzles with him.

But Jack is ready for his gap year, travelling to deepest darkest Peru in search of fortune and glory, and Flick doesn't want him to go. 

Soon Flick's worries are justified as tragedy strikes, and Jack disappears when an earthquake strikes the region where he was last seen. The whole family are at the end of their tethers, Flick more than anything else, and this plucky twelve year old decides to try and solve the mystery of her brother's disappearance, and the meaning of the strange key and gold chain, and mysterious note that she finds in Jack's room.

A brilliant adventure woven with Inca gold and deep steamy jungles, instantly feeling fresh and original for kids who love their stories with a bit more excitement. 

"The Key to Finding Jack" by Ewa Jozefkowicz is out on 4th June 2020, published by Zephyr Books. 
Next up, a new book from an author who specialises in introducing a bit of mechanised chaos into middle grade, and you know how we feel about that!

We're crazy about "Audrey Orr and the Robot Rage" by Jenny Moore, following on from her equally awesome "Agent Starling: Operation Baked Beans" which came out last year.

This time, young lass Audrey is devastated when her parents win a cruise to Norway. Audrey has to stay in school while her parents indulge themselves with a luxury holiday. How fair is that?

Audrey's forced to stay at home with her Grandad who soon ends up involving Audrey in a strange mystery that may require a modicum of brainpower, and some robotic help so Audrey can be in two places at once.

Audrey creates an awesome robotic twin, but will she be able to stop her new best metallic buddy from going on the rampage? You know how twitchy robots can be!

Stunning stuff again from Jenny!

"Audrey Orr and the Robot Rage" by Jenny Moore is out now, published by Maverick. 
One last book this month, and it's the return of a rather hapless but brilliantly funny wizard in "Fred: Wizard in Trouble" - Book 2 in the Fred series from Simon Philip with fantastic artwork by blog fave Sheena Dempsey.

Fred may look ordinary, but sometimes people who look ordinary turn out to be not very ordinary at all. You see Fred is a wizard, or rather he's training to be one - but the big problem is that Fred is absolutely TERRIBLE at Magic. Oh dear!

Now he's training with the amazing Merlin, hoping to transform from the worst wizard around to a magical marvel - but the pressure is on as Merlin expects the very best from his pupils. 

But when an ancient magical book is stolen and Merlin goes missing, Fred discovers that sometimes magic isn't the answer and that he has other talents that can help him solve the mystery that's got everyone else stumped!

Brilliant fun, entertaining and with plenty of giggles and mishaps, it's an excellent second book in the series so don't forget to check out "Wizard in Training" as well!

"Fred: Wizard in Trouble" by Simon Philip and Sheena Dempsey is out now, published by Simon and Schuster

(all books kindly supplied for review).