Sometimes when I hand over a book for 'the boss' to review, I'm never sure whether she's going to take to it or not.

But with "Love on the Main Stage" by S.A Domingo, she was in just the right mood for a summery and romantic novel with a beating pulse of musicality at its heart.

Nova is a girl who loves music and writing her own songs, and right now she's having the most amazing summer of her life. Going from music festival to music festival along with her parents who run a food truck, Nova falls completely in love with the music - but also Sam, a cute American boy who wants to be a musician just like her.

It feels like a fleeting romance, but guess who shows up at the next festival. Sam! But he's a secretive chap, so why can't Nova get him to open up about himself more? And how does Sam have backstage access to the VIP areas at the festival?

C absolutely ate this up, I think as much as writers everywhere are gearing up to write their own 'definitive' lockdown novels, more than anything else what young readers want is a slice of positive and joyful storytelling with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. Essentially something that's going to make you long for the days when we'll all be able to go to festivals again and soak up that amazing atmosphere, and maybe meet that special someone there too?

We've raved about the previous two volumes of "Heartstoppers" by Alice Oseman, and the story shows no signs of veering off the road with Volume 3 now available.

It's been out for a while but we're only just playing catchup on the blog with the latest instalment of the story of two boys who meet, become friends and then fall head over heels in love with each other.

Charlie and Nick are now officially boyfriends, and Charlie is now feeling brave enough to come out to his mum - but coming out isn't just a one-shot thing. Everyone will find out about Charlie and Nick sooner rather than later, and there's a school trip to Paris to navigate too!

Alice deftly demonstrates the ups and downs of a budding relationship - and the amazing feeling when someone's really there for you through thick and thin, and is prepared to put as much on the line for you as you are for them.

Alice's storytelling and illustrations make this instantly compelling for any gender or sexual preference, purely because she puts such a whomping great big beating heart into her story, and makes her characters believable, grounded and of course just as vulnerable as anyone you'd meet in your own life.



She also touches on other tricky subjects such as self-harm and eating disorders, as we see a more vulnerable and fragile side of Charlie emerging as the story develops.

As we mentioned with the previous volumes, what Alice manages more successfully than any other aspect of Charlie and Nick's Story (and it's not all 100% perfect. Some plot elements feel a bit weirdly ham-fisted and distant in the way she deals with them) is what it feels like for anyone who's falling in love for the first time,  regardless of who they are. Even old farts like me will be taken straight back to the heady days of their youth, remembering a summer when a crush turned into something far more. That inescapable feeling that suddenly the world you live in would be unbearable without the object of your desire in it. Boy does she ever nail that beautifully in this series.

Notes for parents: Strong language and adult themes so worth a read before you let younger tweenagers loose on it (though personally I am pretty sure most 12 year olds would've heard riper language in their playground at school long before they hit Year 7).

Sum this graphic novel up in a sentence: Dealing with the trickier hues and tones when a relationship starts to get serious, this is perfect for tweens and teens who have a zillion and one questions and issues of their own, wrapped up in a really solidly readable love story.

"Heartstoppers Volume 3" by Alice Oseman is available now, published by Hachette (Kindly supplied for review). 

Now the new School term is truly under way, kids might be finding the going gets tougher as time goes by.

These four books are brilliant for helping you increase your brain power, or to help you organise your time a bit better, or just to help you achieve a greater sense of well being about your own body image.

Digging in first with the brilliant "Top Class Quiz Book" to accompany the CBBC Series hosted by Susan Calman, put your grey matter to the test in a set of tricky questions from the show's top quizmasters.

If you think you're the class brainbox, now's your chance to prove it with questions covering a ton of different and diverse subjects from science to pop culture, to songs through to general knowledge.

Brilliantly presented, and perfect to try out on your friends too!

"Top Class Quiz Book" is out now, published by Hachette. 

For older kids there's the awesome "Body Brilliant" by Nicola Morgan.

This book aims to improve your own opinion of your body, promoting self-help and wellbeing exercises as well as a positive outlook on life, to improve everything from your diet to your own self esteem.

It's not as preachy as other books, and talks to kids on a level that they will understand - and not feel lectured at by. Nicola's expertise covers many subjects and the book is full of brilliant advice about a time in your life when everything seems completely crazy and confusing.

"Body Brilliant" by Nicola Morgan is out now, published by Hachette.



Staying with teen health, and coming from the author of "Mad Girl" is "You Got This: A Fabulously Fearless Guide to Being You" by Bryony Gordon.

Teens will love the tone of this one, showing that you have all the superpowers you need to show the world who you are, and be happy in your own skin - with tons of advice and simple ways to make positive changes that can last throughout your teens and beyond.

Again, a book that feels non-preachy or finger-waggy, Bryony uses her own life experiences to demonstrate that you're never as weird, fat, skinny, ugly, beautiful, crazy or daft as you think you are - and that many problems just build up in your mind and can easily be addressed through simple and easy to follow advice.

"You Got This" by Bryony Gordon is out now, published by Wren and Rook. 

Finally one for journal fans amongst you...

"The You Are Awesome Journal" is more than just a secret place to record your inner thoughts, Matthew Syed's brilliantly presented self-help journal will help you write down simple ideas and tips to organise your time a bit better, so you don't feel quite so overwhelmed and bogged down at the start of a new school year.

Help improve your own self-confidence and belief in yourself through simple exercises. Write and doodle your ideas, and keep them all together in this fab book.

"The You Are Awesome Journal" by Matthew Syed is out now, published by Wren and Rook. 

(All books kindly supplied for review). 

We're tucking into a bumper selection of superb Christmas-themed books, courtesy of Hodder / Hachette.

There's definitely something for everyone in our bumper sack of goodies, young and old so let's start off with a favourite character making a seasonal return.

Dave (the slightly grumpy but hilarious cat) is back in "Dave's Christmas Cracker" by Sue Hendra and Lee Wildish.

Amazingly, Dave's usual dour demeanour disappears around December because Dave really truly loves Christmas. He loves tinsel, decorations but most of all Dave loves all the wonderful christmas fare on offer - particularly brussels sprouts! And we all know what lots of sprouts makes, don't we kids?

"Dave's Christmas Cracker" by Sue Hendra and Lee Wildish is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

Next, a rather audacious and ambitious scheme...

Two kids come up with a cunning plan in "How To Catch Santa" by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish (who seems to be a very busy fella illustrating quite a few awesome christmas books this year!)

Wait until Christmas eve, that's the most opportune time to lay a trap to catch old St Nick. Scatter carrots on your windowsill to lure in Rudolph. Maybe fill a letter with glitter, so you can follow Santa's trail once he's read it.

Something tells us though that Santa is more elusive than you might think, so perhaps the best bet is to tuck in early on Christmas Eve with a story, and see if you can hear the distant tinkle of sleighbells, or perhaps even a muffled "Ho Ho Ho!"

"How To Catch Santa" by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

A dog is definitely not for christmas, but for life - and in a fantastic new adventure for Charlie and Lola, we can't wait to meet "A Dog With Nice Ears" by Lauren Child.

Lola would really, really, truly honestly love a pet dog - and she's never short of imaginary pets to fill the aching void of not having her own pet.

But as big brother Charlie patiently explains, dogs take a lot of work, a lot of walking and lots and lots of looking after.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to try something smaller?

"A Small Dog!" says Lola "But with nice ears, of course!"

This is another whimsical and fun book for tiny teenies, and though C is a bit old for the Charlie and Lola books now, she still absolutely adores them (mostly because Lauren's storytelling and art never disappoints).

"A Dog With Nice Ears (Charlie and Lola)" by Lauren Child is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

Switching gears for a fabulous middle grade book that's destined to become one of the most celebrated books of the year...

"There May Be a Castle" by Piers Torday is one of those books that's just SO GOOD that you'll wish you'd written it yourself.

On a frozen Christmas Eve, Mouse Mallory and his family set off across a snow-white valley to visit his grandparents.

They never arrive.

As the wheels skid off the icy road, Mouse is thrown from the car. When he wakes, he finds himself in a magical landscape, with only a talkative sheep and a very bossy horse for company.

And they tell him: this is your story now.

So begins Mouse's extraordinary quest through a world of wonder. A world of monsters, minstrels, dangerous knights and mysterious wizards; a world of terrifying danger but also more excitement than Mouse has ever known.

All to find a castle, somewhere, beyond.

But why is Mouse looking for a castle? As thoughts of his family back at the car begin to surface, Mouse realises this might be the most important journey he will ever make ...

This is a novel about love and death. It's about the power of stories to change the way we view the world - and it's about the power of a child to change their own world. Emotionally arresting but ultimately uplifting, this is a remarkable novel for our time.