Our Chapter Book of the Week this week is a series that's already well established. We're kicking ourselves that we haven't come across "The Hounds of Penhallow Hall" before now...

We have some very interesting conversations at home around books...

As our favourite season Autumn comes in with a whisper of falling leaves, here's an utterly glorious book for your little ones celebrating the life of a tree...

The third brilliant "Angela Nicely" book - "Angela Nicely, Supertar!" was very well received at home. Charlotte's turning into a mini version of me, juggling several chapter books at once - but we really liked "Superstar!" as it gives us not one, not two but three Angela Nicely tales to read. Angela Nicely, for those who haven't 'met' her yet, is a little girl who at first appearances might look like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but is actually a bit of a minx. She's not content to brush her hair, or play with girly dolls - though she is partial to a stunning dress, to be fair. Angela lives life to the full and in these three stories, she often ends up accidentally causing mischief and mayhem!

Angela wants to enter a talent contest using her amazing new-found powers of hypnotism. She also wants to enjoy the great outdoors on a nature ramble that goes disastrously wrong. Finally Angela is determined to show the boys how to play football properly in these three awesome adventures.

She's such a great character for girls, her natural curiosity and energy fizz away. Hugely entertaining, so much so that Charlotte's going in for a second read-through!

Charlotte's best bit: Angela's fabulous winning goal! Right in the back of the net!

Daddy's Favourite bit: Rib-tickling and entertaining, Charlotte absolutely loved this and the other Angela Nicely books. Move over Dirty Bertie, the girls are taking over!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Stripes Publishing / Little Tiger Press

It's Maisie Hitchins Blog Tour Time! We've already introduced you to Holly Webb's brilliant new girl detective Maisie Hitchins. We scurried away with a copy of the first book and have been chipping away at it over the space of a week or so (we love reading chapter books but it does take us a wee while to get through them compared to picture books, I'm sure you'll understand!)

We've been drawn to Maisie Hitchins for so many reasons. Of course one of the main reasons is Holly's knack of coming up with scintillating characters and settings that just grab our attention (in this case, setting a girl detective story in victorian times is like catnip for Charlotte!)

We love the design and feel of the books, they're early chapter books but are lovingly illustrated throughout with awesome black and white drawings by Marion Lindsay.

Most of all though we're back to the writing - and the stories which are page-turningly addictive and have us clamouring for more now we've polished off the first.

So what happens in "Maisie Hitchins - The Case of the Stolen Sixpence"? We won't spoil things for you too much but of course as the first novel you're introduced to Maisie herself, who lives in a boarding house with her grandmother and a housemaid. Maisie thrills to the adventures of Gilbert Carrington, the famous detective as he solves huge complex cases in his own inimitable style. Maisie feels that they have a common link, a knack for observation and solving mysteries - and before long Maisie is drawn into a case (or two) of her very own.

At the start of this thrilling adventure, she meets her sidekick Eddie the puppy, who she rescues from a sack thrown into the canal. Maisie and Eddie become inseparable, and Maisie vows to solve the mystery of who would do such a cruel thing to a dear little wonky-eared puppy like Eddie.

But Maisie is soon drawn into another case, the titular "Case of the Stolen Sixpence" when a butcher boy who tussles with Eddie over a string of sausages, is wrongly accused of theft and sacked on the spot. Maisie feels guilty for George's dismissal and knows that he was not the guilty culprit. But she has to prove it!

To say that Charlotte is now Maisie's biggest fan is a bit of an understatement. Normally we struggle to engage with chapter books because my impatient little miss hasn't quite got used to the relatively longer experience of reading and reviewing chapter books. The ones that make it through our fine-meshed net though are the ones that she engages with from the very start, and that was definitely the case with this first Maisie Hitchins adventure.

As the story reaches a brilliant climax, we were already eyeing the two other Maisie Hitchins books that Stripes were kind enough to send us, and also wondering when the other books we haven't yet got were due to be published as we'll be picking them up as soon as they hit the shelves.

If your little girl or boy love a thrilling detective adventure, and love the idea of a girl detective series taking its cues from the brilliance of the Sherlock Holmes stories but setting out its table in a child-friendly and wholly immersive way, you really need to get to know Maisie Hitchins, we've a feeling you'll become huge fans like we already are.


Charlotte's best bit: There's a wonderfully bittersweet moment with Eddie and his mum that is Holly's favourite bit as well as Charlotte's. Have tissues ready!

Daddy's Favourite bit: The first book introduces a fabulous cast of characters and wraps you in the atmosphere of Victorian times, with many a mystery afoot. Love the subtle nods to Sherlock Holmes novels. A book that has really caught Charlotte's attention and spurred her imagination in wonderful ways. 

(Kindly sent to us for review by Little Tiger Press)

Holly Webb's gorgeous snowy stories have become well-loved books for us, but when we found out that Holly had been burning the pencil at both ends to write a fantastic series of books based on a victorian girl detective, we couldn't resist finding out more.

Meet Maisie Hitchins, a plucky girl with flame red hair and green eyes, who is curious and inquisitive. Along with her sidekick Eddie (a rather frenetic and energetic little dog) they embark on a series of adventures and mysteries - starting with the first book in the series, "The Case of the Stolen Sixpence"

Maisie Hitchins - The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb

Today is publishing day for book one, but we've been fortunate enough to take a look at two more books in the series too!

Maisie Hitchins - The Case of the Secret Tunnel by Holly Webb (Release Date: 6th May 2014)

Maisie Hitchins - The Case of the Feathered Mask (Release date: 6th May 2014

One of the things we find hard is to find really great books that have adventure, excitement and mystery in them - but have strong 'girl' appeal. Though the Maisie Hitchins books work equally well for girls and boys, it's a series that has instantly caught Charlotte's attention (and will probably fill our bedtime reading slot for quite some time to come!) A perfect combination of setting (Anything "Victorian" is always a huge hit with Charlotte), an air of mystery and supernatural suspense, and more than a nod to fabulous detective mysteries like Sherlock Holmes make this a truly unmissable series for our very own little girl detective! Fantastic covers and illustrations by Marion Lindsay (we love love LOVE the house drawing at the start of each tale) really make this series a brilliant transition for children who are moving on from picture books into early chapter readers.

Two more books in the Maisie Hitchins series, "The Case of the Missing Emerald" and "The Case of the Phantom Cat" will closely follow.

We'll be catching up with Holly really soon on the blog and will keep you up to date with all things Maisie, rest assured!


Charlotte's best bit: So far we're reading through "The Case of the Stolen Sixpence" and it's instantly grabbed Charlotte's attention and peaked her curiosity. Fabulous stuff!

Daddy's Favourite bit: A fantastic character, a brilliant setting, tons of atmosphere and suspense, Maisie is set to become an instant hit with girls and boys who love a detective mystery or two.

(Maisie Hitchins books kindly supplied to us for preview by Stripes Publishing. Look out for full reviews soon!)

We absolutely adored Holly Webb's "The Snow Bear" last Christmas, a fabulous and atmospheric snowy book to read a chapter from every night in the run up to the yuletide season. This year Holly has again come up trumps with an equally atmospheric and wonderful story, let's meet "The Reindeer Girl".

Set in the snowy landscapes of Norway, a young girl, Lotta, goes to stay with her Grandmother - who lives amongst the tribes of Reindeer herders. Lotta is introduced to their ways and customs, and of course the utterly beautiful reindeer that are a vital staple for food and transport amongst the folk who look after them.

When a baby reindeer goes missing, it's up to Lotta to embark on a perilous adventure to find the reindeer before the cold claims it. Can Lotta follow in the footsteps of her forefathers and learn their ways?

This is a book to snuggle up with as the cold weather sets in, and the dark nights return. The book is aimed at older children than Charlotte but it's been lovely to dip into, soaking up that wonderful wintry yuletide atmosphere and also learning a lot more about the indigenous tribes who tend deer using ancient methods, even to this day.
A fabulous stocking filler that's sure to be a huge christmassy hit!

Charlotte's best bit: Imagining what it must feel like to be pulled along in a sled by reindeer!

Daddy's Favourite bit: There's some great explanations of the terms and customs that reindeer tribes use, and some fabulous information to use to put together more investigations and activities into those tribes and how they lived / live today.

(Kindly sent to us for review by Stripes / Little Tiger)

Oh she may look sweet to you but is she "nicely" by nature as well as name?

You may have already 'met' Angela Nicely. She's Bertie's would-be paramour in the Dirty Bertie "Kiss" book (and it's rather nice to see the nose-picking little man cropping up in this book in cameo form).

Angela Nicely looks pretty in pink, and very sweet but don't be fooled. Is she as nice as she seems or does she have a naughty streak a mile long?

In this first book from a new series by Alan Macdonald and David Roberts, set in the book universe as Dirty Bertie we find out that not all little girls are made of sugar and spice and all things nice, as we enjoy Angela's antics at school, at home and on (shudder) a spa weekend! EEEK!

Early chapter readers are something we're beginning to look at more, as Charlotte gets older she starts to like 'meatier' books with more words than pictures. Though it's great to see that Angela Nicely is nicely (!) illustrated by David Roberts throughout (we believe in early chapter readers with fab illustrations, so huge thumbs up here!)

Though you'd imagine the book would be an instant win for girls, it's actually a good read for both girls and boys as Angela firmly establishes herself in the same mould as many, many legendary 'bad girl' characters before her - like Marmalade Atkins, Minnie the Minx and Beryl the Peril.

We haven't quite polished this one off yet but watch out for Angela Nicely, she's destined to nudge Dirty Bertie aside in her bid for top billing, mark our words!

"Angela Nicely" from Alan Macdonald and David Roberts, published by Stripes Publishing (Little Tiger Press) is available from 5th August from all good booksellers.