When the Twits meet Rincewind

Robin Bennett has actually created my dream comedy author combination – Roald Dahl and Terry Pratchett.

Welcome to “The Hairy Hand”. According to my astonishing memory recall, OK, according to Wikipedia, this was on the Chicken House long list in 2013.

And Septimus was previously called Octavius. It’s interesting that the name changed as I’m a huge fan of the Septimus Heap series (by Angie Sage) and did find the name a little confusing, and the two characters look annoyingly identical in my mind.

Whatever, the history, I can’t believe I had to wait five years for it to be published!

Poor Septimus has parents who are EXACTLY like The Twits, while he’s a young Rincewind. What could possibly go wrong? For good measure, add a mysterious uncle, a box with a hairy hand, and a secret book. Of course, the answer is everything. And it does.

I confess I’m puzzled that the blurb describes it as scary – it’s really not – so don’t let that put any more nervous readers off. It’s a funny adventure with some (mostly accidental) magic thrown in.

What a great way to start 2019. This is a great fun read for 8-12 year olds. There’s probably a very funny joke about five hairy hands, but that just sounds weirds, so five stars.

The blurb

A scary adventure for 8 -12 year olds, full of jokes, magical familiars and a Dickensian cast. When Septimus inherits a magical, treasure-finding Hairy Hand from his uncle, life suddenly becomes a lot more exciting – and dangerous!

Author Bio

Robin Bennett is an author and entrepreneur who has written several books for children, adults, and everything in between. Listed in the Who’s Who of British Business Excellence at 29, his 2016 documentary “Fantastic Britain”, about the British obsession with fantasy and folklore, won best foreign feature at the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards, and his first book for young adults, Picus the Thief, won the Writer’s News Indie Published Book of the Year Award in 2012.

Twitter – https://twitter.com/MonsterBooksRaw

Purchase Links

Amazon – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hairy-Hand-Robin-Bennett/dp/1999884442

Life lessons in space

Time for a middle grade book review … and how could I not be drawn to this absolutely stunning cover? I’d put the poster up in my room any day!

Voluntary alien abduction is an extreme running away from home scenario. It’s written as a series of emails, so gives a narrow first person perspective – this has pros and cons as I actually had sympathy for the single mum. Esme veers between sulky teenager, well-meaning friend, and naive child – I won’t say she reminds me of any of my nieces! I’d have liked more insights into the problems at home to support her decision to leave, but once she starts school in Kratos the story kicks into gear and from then on I raced through it.

Several themes are raised in the story. Family and friendship, regardless of background, is central to the story. Animal rights are also cleverly explored. Serious environmental threads on global warming/ cooling and mining/ diminishing natural resources were hinted at and I really hoped they were going to be developed further.

Overall, it’s a fun read for the younger end of middle grade (7-9) raising some good topics for further discussion in an accessible way.

Giveaway – Win 2 x #galaxygirl Mugs and a signed copy of #galaxygirl (UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

I really want these mugs!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494167/?

Blurb

You hate school. Your family is beyond annoying. Your only friend comes from a different planet, and she’s about to leave.

What’s a girl to do?

Fed up with life on Earth, Esme stows away on the spaceship taking Stella back to Planet Kratos.

So begins Esme’s adventure into a world beyond the stars. A world of strange creatures, thrilling journeys, heroic rescues and instant fame.

Oh, and school. Lots of school.

Along the way she discovers that friends may be greener on the other side, but they still can’t be trusted.

Millions and billions of light years away from Earth, she sets in motion a plan to escape. Unfortunately for her, they aren’t about to let their prize exhibit leave anytime soon…

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/galaxygirl-Bev-Smith/dp/1999311507

US – https://www.amazon.com/galaxygirl-Bev-Smith/dp/1999311507

Author Bio

Bev Smith has been a secondary school teacher, saleswoman, waitress, wages clerk, youth worker and holiday park entertainments manager. She has scuba dived the Barrier Reef, lived in a village in Namibia, worked for a charity in Thailand, flown over Victoria Falls and paddled in the sea at Bournemouth.

Having single-parented her three daughters, she’s been ferociously playing catch up with this writing lark. She recently completed a Masters in Writing for Children at Winchester University. #galaxygirl is her debut middle-grade book.

Social Media Links

https://twitter.com/BevSmith612

https://www.facebook.com/bevbooks/

Exclusive! Check out this unseen sketch from the new Untamed book …

So we’re almost at the end of the blog tour for the launch of the fourth book in the Untamed series, Destroyed, and I have a real treat for you. Having illustrated Eternal Seas myself, I’m always interested in how the author imagined their characters so I am HUGELY excited to be able to share this exclusive character drawing from Madeline Dyer of Seven (the main character) and her dog …

Wait for it …

Keep scrolling …

OK I can’t wait any longer! Here you go …

How cute is that dog with his wonky ears?

Blurb

Seven Sarr, the most powerful human in the world, is alive–and she’s on the run from her enemy. With the Dream Land gone, the Gods and Goddesses dead, and the Untamed’s number of Seers at a record low, Seven knows she must attempt to control the Lost Souls–including the most volatile and dangerous spirits–if her people are to have a chance at beating the Enhanced Ones once and for all. But when the Enhanced impose a new threat and Corin’s life is at stake, Seven must make her hardest choice: save the man she loves and let her people perish, or allow Corin’s death so the Untamed can survive.

Locked into a tight countdown to her own demise and solitary entrapment within a torturous realm, Seven must make her decision quickly. Her Seer powers are the strongest, and her death will end the War of Humanity once and for all.

When the new morning dawns, the world as she knew it will be gone. What–and who–will be left behind is up to Seven. Will her love shape the future of the world?

Here is the Amazon link for the book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Destroyed-Untamed-Book-Madeline-Dyer-ebook/dp/B07GQTFYV7/

Author Bio

Madeline Dyer lives on a farm in the southwest of England, where she hangs out with her Shetland ponies and writes young adult books—sometimes, at the same time. She holds a BA Honors degree in English from the University of Exeter, and several presses have published her fiction. Madeline has a strong love for anything dystopian, ghostly, or paranormal, and she can frequently be found exploring wild places. At least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes.

How to boost your child’s emotional intelligence with journalling

Journalling can be an effective tool for exploring your emotions – it can help you put things in perspective, understand and process your feelings, and focus on positives. At this time of year, the stationery shops are overflowing with gorgeous diaries. I can’t resist a fresh notebook for a fresh new year, even if I mainly use it to make lists.

But keeping a diary doesn’t appeal to every child, so prompts are a really useful tool. I was shown The Happy Self Journal at an event and totally fell in love with it. It’s beautifully packaged, comes with some free stickers (who doesn’t love a sticker!), and it’s a fab bright yellow colour with a good strong cover. Those aren’t the important points though …

Firstly, it’s gender neutral. If we’re avoiding stereotyping girls and boys emotions, thats obviously important.
Secondly, you don’t have to work through it chronologically like a diary. It’s like a colouring book – flick through and the child can pick whatever activity that appeals. I guess if you wanted them to explore a particular theme, you could point out a few pages.
Thirdly, of course, it’s not overwhelming in quantity – just a few sentences is all that it takes so its also good for reluctant writers.

It says its aimed at 6-12 year olds, but I’d probably narrow that to a core of 7-10 year olds. If you’d like to check it out, here’s the link https://happyselfjournal.com

I’m thrilled to have a copy to giveaway – just comment and share this post on Twitter tagging @lexi_rees and @HappySelf_. Competition is only open in the UK. Closing date 30 November 2018.

Do bugs wear shoes? Book review

This is a brilliant book for the curious young non-fiction fan. The bright colours and eye-catching and appealing layouts are spot on for 4-7 year olds, so although the blurb pitches this for ages 6-10, I think it’s a great joint read for younger kids and at only 33 pages of content it’s just the right length.

There’s a great selection of random facts that we just HAVE to know the answer to, like Can bugs dance? and Are there bugs in Antarctica? Warning – this will raise a lot of additional questions from young readers so be prepared to do more research! Helpfully, the book includes a list of further resources, and some free worksheets.

Since I never miss an opportunity for stealth education, this seems a great time to do some bug counting in the garden or on a walk. Check out this blog on other easy STEM activities for youngsters.

The blurb

A colorful, fun-filled book packed with answers to all your silliest bug questions!
Learn what happens when a bug goes to space, to school, and to the gym. Find out if bugs have feelings like people do. Discover robot bugs, dancing bugs, bugs that poop and so much more!
Filled with illustrations, photographs and interactive videos, Do Bugs Wear Shoes will have kids laughing and learning as they discover awe-inspiring facts about the insect world. This beautifully designed book is organized into colorful two-page spreads that each focus on a different question, making it easy and fun to read for children and big kids alike.

BOOK EXTRAS include videos and printable worksheets for extended learning. Great for educators and at-home learning.

PLUS, vote on the world’s most beautiful bug!

Recommended for ages 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and up.

Don’t miss out on the chance to bug out!

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Do-Bugs-Wear-Shoes-Questions-ebook/dp/B07HVT9W73

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Do-Bugs-Wear-Shoes-Questions-ebook/dp/B07HVT9W73

Author Bio –

Two Umbrellas is an educational publishing company that fuses education and storytelling. We offer books and activities to help parents and educators empower tomorrow’s leaders.

Our founders, Anthony Puttee and Addie Broussard, love to travel. Anthony’s favorite trip was to Antarctica and he has included some of his personal photos in this book. Addie has traveled solo around the world. While in Portugal, she encountered a unique insect, which inspired a children’s book called The Beedog, which was published in 2018. The idea for Do Bugs Wear Shoescame from a playful team meeting on a rooftop in Mexico.