A chance meeting, a power girl and a new school by various authors – children’s book reviews –

Age 9 plus:

The Last House in the Row

Lesley Parr and Richard Johnson

Amazing things can happen when you give people a chance! The unlikely friendship between a young girl and her eccentric neighbour takes centre stage in a moving and thought-provoking novella from former primary school teacher and bestselling author Lesley Parr.

The Last House in the Row – brought to vivid life by Richard Johnson’s emotive and atmospheric artwork, and published in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format – is packed with important message about the value of intergenerational relationships, as well as showcasing snippets of Welsh language in a setting inspired by the author’s childhood in Wales.

Hayley is annoyed that her beloved cat keeps sneaking off to the garden of the eccentric old lady across the street. Lillian, or Boo as Hayley calls her, lives in the last house in the row after the rest were knocked down years ago. Lillian hasn’t stepped outside her front door since. But thanks to an unexpected act of kindness, a surprising friendship develops between them, and Hayley learns the real reason behind the old lady’s reluctance to move. So when a misunderstanding threatens their friendship, can Hayley repair what has been damaged and help Lillian find her way out into the world again?

Inspired by two old ladies who lived near Parr when she was growing up, The Last House in the Row speaks loudly about how unexpectedly surprising people can prove to be, and how important it is to foster connections with your local community. Beautifully written and conceived, this is a book to savour long after the last page has turned.

(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £7.99)

Age 10 plus:

Rosie Frost: Ice on Fire

Geri Halliwell-Horner

Dive back into the extraordinary life of a heroic girl with a murder to solve, revenge on her mind, and more questions than she has answers for! Enjoy the thrilling mix of mystery, history, nature and girl power as former Spice Girl, songwriter and author Geri Halliwell-Horner returns to work her magic on the second hidden island adventure in her thrilling Rosie Frost series.

Suddenly orphaned and alone, Rosie was sent to the mysterious Bloodstone Island, home not only to the Heverbridge School for extraordinary teens but also a sanctuary for endangered species. And it was there that Rosie discovered that history can come to life in ways she never could have imagined.

On the brink of discovering who, or what, lies behind her mother’s death, Rosie is now beginning a new term at Heverbridge and Bloodstone is in turmoil. Mutant animals are on the loose, jealous classmates want to bring Rosie down, and, even worse, there is a black hole to deal with. Below the island’s surface, an everlasting star is growing in strength and it just may end them all. Then Rosie discovers the north side of the island, home to the alluring Imperium Palace... but is the palace one of scientific genius or deadly menace? While she fights to know the truth about her past – and her family’s ancient ties to Bloodstone – Rosie begins to wonder if the price for the truth may be too high. She must discover what she’s really made of as a fresh danger puts her new home – and all that she loves – at risk.

Youngsters will love returning to the dark and dangerous world of determined and big-hearted Rosie as she tackles life and her enemies head-on in an exhilarating adventure full of mystery, history, nature and girl power, and all set in a world where heroes are found in the most unexpected places!

(Scholastic, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus:

Zak Monroe is (Not) My Friend

Simon Packham

When life brings big changes, it isn’t always something that children can relish. Nobody knows this better than author Simon Packham whose novels like Silenced and Worrybot have been highly acclaimed by critics. Packham uses his own experiences of being bullied at school, and his daughter’s problems with anxiety, to pen resonant stories which explore feelings, friendships, and transition, whether that is a move to a new area or to secondary school.

In Zak Monroe is (Not) My Friend, we meet Sam who has been best friends with Cal, Fin and Jay for EVER. They are all about to move up to a new school together... it’s scary but exciting. But then he overhears them saying that they are not going to put him on their Friends Lists so Sam will be stuck in a different tutor group with a lot of kids he doesn’t know. Help! How can Sam convince them to change their minds? Can he keep on hiding his friendship with ‘weird’ new boy Zak Monroe? And what will happen when these two sides of Sam’s life collide?

Packham delivers a perfectly pitched, heartfelt and inspirational story for any child feeling a little bit lost in the face of a big change. With its exploration of friendship and self-confidence through the transition into secondary school, this book is ideal for young people dealing with self-doubt or next-step nerves, and is an entertaining and warmly wise addition to school and home bookshelves.

(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus:

Taking The Long Way Home

Jake Hope and Brian Fitzgerald

The power of the imagination takes two siblings on an extraordinary journey in a warm, witty and wonderfully inspiring picture book from author Jake Hope and illustrator Brian Fitzgerald. Young readers will love observing how using all of our five senses can transform an ordinary walk back from school into a super-sized adventure. Normally Zarah and her brother are collected from school by their dad who rushes them home taking every shortcut. But today, Uncle Jerome is collecting them, and he takes them on ‘the long way home.’ Reluctant to go further than necessary, the children complain at first but are soon caught up in amazing adventures, as their uncle gets them to use their senses to conjure up a world of fun and imagination. Birds become pterodactyls, ripples in the water become crocodiles... and they soon realise that the best adventures only happen on the long way home! Hope, a reading development and children’s book consultant, demonstrates to readers how entering into the spirit of play and adventure empowers the children, while each spread conveys the sense of an ongoing journey full of unexpected discoveries. Fun to read aloud and given life and energy by Fitzgerald’s colourful illustrations, this is the perfect story to inspire a love of the great outdoors.

(Scallywag Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus:

I Am Strong Just Being Me

Laura Dockrill and Kip Alizadeh

There are so many different ways to show how strong you are... and many of them are not what you might expect! Award-winning writer Laura Dockrill and illustrator and visual artists Kip Alizadeh touch readers’ hearts with this lyrical picture book exploring strength and its many guises. Is strong brave and fearless? Does it always win a fight? Does strong have a shouty voice? Is it always right? These are some of the questions that an inquisitive child called Bean asks Nanna one day while in the garden. From the power of silence to the strength of an embrace, the uplifting story offers an alternative to the stereotypes around strength, and encourages all children to believe that they can be strong in their own way. Add on Alizadeh’s beautifully evocative illustrations which celebrate the natural world and you have the perfect book to teach little ones to love themselves just as they are!

(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £12.99)

Age 2 plus:

Moon Girl

Thomas Docherty

Sometimes Leila is a little bit scared of the dark... but then she meets Moon Girl and discovers how wonderful the world is after the sun sets! If your little ones are wary of darkness and shadows, take them on a thrilling night-time adventure with award-winning author and illustrator Thomas Docherty. Leila loves bright colours but she isn’t so keen on the dark. That is until she meets Moon Girl who carries a brush and a paint-pot full of moonlight and together they go on a night-time adventure, painting moonlight in the darkness and discovering bats, cats, foxes and moths, and a town full of surprises. In this creative celebration of the night world, Docherty takes an imaginative approach and offers a reassuring exploration of life after dark, making it perfect for children who are afraid of the night. His beautifully illuminated illustrations have a wealth of detail to hold young readers’ attention as the hours of darkness become a thing of beauty, curiosity, and wonder.

(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99)