What happens when Oliver Twist meets Harry Potter?

I’ve always loved the boarding school scenario from my first adventures at Mallory Towers to Hogwarts so I was excited to visit Crookhaven – a secret school for crooks. Given the plethora of boarding school books out there, I know it’s not easy to create a unique world and the tropes can be overdone, but this series totally nails it.

  • Secret boarding school ✔️
  • Quirky lessons ✔️
  • Fun challenges ✔️
  • Loveable rogues ✔️
  • Robin Hood ethics ✔️

This series had me reading under the covers in the middle of the night. I haven’t done that since I was ten! I literally couldn’t put it down. When is book 3 coming out? I need it now!

It does lean on some scenes from Hogwarts – e.g. there is a river crossing with the first years (“crooklings”) to get to the school and a sorting ceremony into houses – but it is really well done. Good messages on teamwork and kindness, as well as the importance of practising skills (in fact it was nice to see this applied to lessons as I always tell students that writing is a skill and you can get better at it if you practice, just like you can get better at football if you practice).

My only complaint about the books is that there are a few references to playing/ walking on railway lines and this is NOT OK. I really don’t see why this is included – it’s not critical to the plot, and certainly not something we should in any way encourage.

Blurb: Crookhaven series

Book 1: The school for thieves

The first book in the ‘criminally good’ Crookhaven series, the secret school where students are taught to do wrong, so that one day, they can put the world to rights.

“So this is really a school for criminals.” It was meant as a question, though it came out more as an accusation.

“We are so much more than that,” Caspian said, sitting in a plush leather chair and gesturing for Gabriel to sit in a similar one across the table. “We are a home for the forgotten, a sanctuary for the lost and … yes, a training ground for the greatest crooks of the future.”

13-year-old Gabriel is a brilliant pickpocket, a skill which he uses to keep his often empty belly not quite so empty. And then one day, he’s caught.

But instead of being arrested, he is invited by the mysterious Caspian Crook to attend Crookhaven – a school for thieves. At Crookhaven, students are trained in lock-picking, forgery and ‘crim-nastics’, all with the intention of doing good out in the world, by conning the bad and giving back to the innocent.

But … can you ever really trust a thief?

With a school wide competition to be crowned Top Crook and many mysteries to uncover, Gabriel’s first year at Crookhaven will be one to remember… 

Book 2: The forgotten maze

It’s Gabriel’s second year at Crookhaven School for Thieves. And with a tricky Break-In challenge to the teacher’s section of the library to attempt, plus a new class called Reclamation, his Miscreant year is already off to a busy start. 

Then Gabriel and his friends learn about Maravel’s Maze. Hidden deep beneath the lake, forgotten about by the school, it’s a labyrinth of obstacles. Each tests a crook-related skill – and all are nearly impossible. 

But the impossible has never stopped Gabriel’s crew before, especially not when there’s something at the heart of the maze that they all desperately want…

#crookhavenschoolforthieves #netgalley

Bus book stop time (again!)

I remember play buses from my childhood so I’ve always had a soft spot for the play bus book series (Jay-Jay and his friends) by Sue Wickstead and have featured several of them over the years.

Sue is in my local writing group and is a primary school teacher as well as an author. Her latest book, Daisy Daydream Bus Rhymes and Jokes, is slightly different as although it refers to the real Daisy Daydream bus JJK 261, it is a collection (obviously, given the title) of bus themed rhymes and jokes rather than a story. I was pleased to see a page on the history still included though.

Sue’s writing style is usually more text dense than a traditional picture book, making them read aloud stories rather than independent reads, but given this is in short snippets so a young bus fan can dip into it themselves. As for the jokes – well, I particularly loved this one

What is red, runs on wheels, and eats grass?
A bus – I lied about the grass!

Blurb

Some well known nursery rhymes, rewritten, with a bus twist. Come and sing along and share a bus joke too. A special collection for Daisy Daydream

Author Bio

Sue Wickstead lives in West Sussex, UK and writes children’s picture story books. 

Her stories relate to both her experiences as a teacher as well as her play-work adventures with a bus.

The Playbus was a real double-decker bus full of toys, arts and crafts, as well as a lot of fun to play on. Sue wrote a photographic social history book about the project which led to her story telling and her writing. All of Sue’s books do have a bus included in them somewhere. Daisy Daydream was the bus that Sue painted and the start of her Playbus and writing journey. 

When not writing Sue builds models with Lego (especially for her grandson), she loves spending quality time with her young grandson and enjoys creating models to share with him on his visits. 

Her grandson features in the book ‘Barty Barton; the bear that was loved too much’ which was published in 2020. He also helps his Nanny Sue to sing along with a few of the rhymes sue has written.

Many of Sue’s books have been entered and shortlisted in ‘The Wishing Shelf Book Awards’, the book ‘A Spooky Tale’ was a silver medal winner in 2019. The story was written with her class in school. 

Championing Change: A must-read Book for fighting racism and prejudice

If you’ve seen my activity book, The Fashion Fix, you’ll know I’m passionate about incorporating sustainability into my clothing choices whilst my mindfulness books, BElieve in YOUrself and Be More You, provide a science-led approach to mindfulness. So it’s not going to surprise anyone that one of my mantras is how making lots of these small changes all add up. And today, I’m excited to be sharing an an educational/ activity book on this theme that I REALLY wish I’d written: Everyday Action, Everyday Change by Natalie and Naomi Evans published by Hachette. This book focuses on helping readers identify and address racism and prejudice, and it’s both absolutely brilliant and (sadly) still very necessary.

Book cover for Everyday action, everyday change

The challenge with a book like this which tackles big, important topics (race, religion, gender, equality/ equity, sexual orientation) is to make it fun and non-preachy. Mission accomplished. As well as addressing each topic clearly and fairly, there are questions to ask yourself, a handy glossary at the end, and useful links to further reference materials.

This is a must have for every home, and every school library. I’m going to finish with a quote from the end of the book: 

“We are so proud of you for reading this book, for thinking about and writing down the everyday action plans and for doing the everyday mindsets, and we are so proud of you for being YOU! And remember,ber: be compassionate and kind to others, be kind to yourself, be OK with getting things wrong and keep learning from others, especially those who have different lived experiences to you. Together we can all be CHANGEMAKERS.”

Everyday action, Everyday change

Blurb

Making changes that help make the world a fairer place can feel overwhelming.

Where do you even start? Well . . .

Small actions really can make a big difference!

In this inspiring guide, changemakers, sisters and founders of Everyday Racism, Natalie and Naomi Evans, give readers empowering advice for dealing with the issues we see, hear about and face every day, from racism and sexism to homophobia and ableism, providing you with achievable everyday actions to create change!

Tips for practising positive everyday mindsets and self-care before things get stressful make this a go-to book for feeling informed, positive and motivated too.

Join us on our journey to creating sustainable change, one small step at a time.

#EverydayActionEverydayChange #NetGalley

A picture book about swingers?

OK. I confess I’m finally watching the “Benidorm” TV series so when I saw this, I may have accidentally misread the book title as “Swingers Island Band” and thought of Donald and Jacqueline. Thankfully, on closer inspection, this is “The Palm Tree Swingers Island Band”, with perhaps just an unfortunate font layout?

Anyway, with that cleared up, I loved the bright energetic cover, and the illustrations throughout are equally strong.

This is a simple picture book for young children which provides a good introduction to some more unusual musical instruments – harmonica, trombone, and harp – as well as some singing terminology like “soprano”, which makes it a perfect start to a music session encouraging children to explore different instruments and sounds, and play as a group.

I loved the line “You didn’t have to be there, you could hear it all at home” (and can imagine chaos in the classroom as we try to recreate the story) but was disappointed to discover the final message was the band was famous. Music should be about fun not fame, and certainly not when you’re 3. But I don’t suppose the young readers will notice that.

Blurb

Take a tiger, an orangutan, an elephant, an eagle, a rhino, a dragon, a spider, and a turtle. Mix with music till loud – you might want to stand back.

About the author

Lily Lawson is a poet and fiction writer living in the UK. She has poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction published in anthologies and online in addition to her poetry books.

Through their eyes: Interview with the author of a picture book on Down Syndrome

Hey there. Today, I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with a powerhouse mother who has written a heartwarming picture book, Jana’s brightly coloured socks, pouring her heart and soul into raising awareness about Down syndrome.

You know, as an author we’re always told to “write what you know,” and Sally’s personal experience is what makes this book special. So over to Sally Fetouh for the inspiring story behind her book.

Two years ago, I visited my daughter’s preschool to read a book about Down syndrome to her classroom, as a way to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day. Little did I know that the whole experience would spark the idea for my picture book, which is based on my daughter, Jana, who has Down syndrome. 

‘Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks’ is a story that celebrates friendship, differences, inclusivity, acceptance, and kindness, all emphasising the importance of having a sense of fun. When young Jana learns a new milestone – how to put on her socks on her own – her parents gift her a drawer full of brightly coloured socks. She wears them everywhere she goes, and when she shows her favourite pair to her friends at school, everyone wants a pair too. Jana gets an idea of sharing a pair with one of her friends every day until she has none left. This calls for a sock parade at school, that culminates with a beautiful surprise of a big box filled with balloons and socks just for Jana, gifted to her by her school friends. The message at the end in the midst of the carnival-like atmosphere is that it is okay to be different because that is what makes the world a fun and fantastic place to be.

Jana’s condition and diagnosis came as a complete surprise to us at birth. Down syndrome is a condition that happens at conception when an extra chromosome forms in the 21st chromosome in every cell in the baby’s body. There is no rhyme or reason to it and no one knows why this happens, but it is a naturally occurring phenomenon that has occurred for thousands of years. I read a post on social media recently that likened the condition to a four-leaf clover that is found in nature amongst other three-leaf clovers. No one knows why these four-leaf clovers exist, but some people consider them lucky! In a way that is how we think of Jana. We are lucky to have her in our lives. We had not had much exposure into the world of disabilities before Jana was born. There was much fear and ignorance at the time for us. We did not know what to expect nor what it all meant. We feared how society and the community would receive her, apprehensive about what school would be like for her. Six years later, we cannot imagine life being any other way, despite the challenges. The positives far outweigh any of the fears, most of which we found to be baseless.

Thinking back to that day when I visited the preschool, I remember the children being so engaged, interested, and curious. My heart was overflowing with emotion when I left, and that feeling stayed with me for days after. I was extremely touched by how open the children were, not just to something they knew nothing about in the condition called Down syndrome, but mostly to how they saw my daughter as a person. They saw past her label, past her diagnosis, and were genuinely trying to understand why she was a little different to them. They wanted to know how to be her friend. It was like a warm embrace, and a ray of hope for the future. 

There were several factors that motivated me to write the story. One was to provide a snapshot into what living with Down syndrome is like, showcasing the fun, quirky and carefree elements. I wanted children with Down syndrome to be able to see themselves represented in literature, but Down syndrome was deliberately not explicitly mentioned in the story to allow for anyone, whether they have a disability or not, to connect with the character. The message is that it is okay to be different and that all children want is to be treated the same as their peers, to have friends, learn and have fun. Finally, I wanted to convey a positive experience in the importance of celebrating milestones and achievements, no matter how small, because despite the nature of the journey, there is always something to celebrate.

Blurb

Cheerful text and whimsical illustrations bring alive this heart-warming story of kindness and inclusion featuring a character with Down syndrome.

When young Jana receives heaps of beautiful socks from her parents after learning how to put on socks all by herself, she can’t wait to show her friends at school. They are always kind and patient with Jana when they play together. Jana decides to share a pair of her new socks with each and every friend. This calls for a school sock parade! All of the children had so much fun showing off their colourful socks together that they gave a very special and huge gift for their kind and generous friend, Jana, a box of more socks!

Author Sally Fetouh was inspired to write this touching story by her own daughter who has Down syndrome, feeling it was important for her and other children like her to be able to see themselves in literature. Two years ago, after reading a different story about a girl with Down syndrome to her daughter’s preschool class, Sally says, “The children were so engaged in the story and asked questions. They were very accepting and loving of their friend—my daughter. I left with a heart overflowing with emotion and that inspired me to write my story.”

About the author

Writing is very much a part of who author Sally Fetouh is as a human being. As a child, writing was a way for her to express herself and all of the stories and ideas she had in her head. Now, as an adult, she has been inspired to write a beautiful story of kindness and friendship, Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks, a heart-warming picture book loosely based on her daughter who has Down syndrome.

It was important to Sally that her daughter and other children like her were able to see themselves represented in literature. The idea came to Sally when she visited her daughter’s preschool to read a story about a girl with Down syndrome. The loving, accepting, and inquisitive responses from her daughter’s classmates inspired her to write a story reflecting these caring friendships.

Sally believes a great book is one that has impactful characters and a story that provides a new experience or perspective to the reader that stays with them long after the book is closed. She hopes that her young readers with disabilities or those who are different in some way will be able to relate to the main character and see a little bit of themselves, while also aiming for other readers to gain insight into the world of Down syndrome and the importance and impact of kindness and friendship. 

When she isn’t writing thought-provoking children’s books, Sally works as a lawyer and a photographer. She enjoys being in nature, hiking, and horse riding. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia. Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks is her debut picture book.