Book reviews by Patrick Sanders
Adventures in Time: Alexander the Great By Dominic Sandbrook
Alexander the Great By Dominic Sandbrook is a beautifully produced book. With its marvellous illustrations by Edward Bettison, it’s full of fascinating facts and valuable life lessons and, perhaps most important, it is hugely enjoyable to read.
By Rowan and Yew by Melissa Harrison
By Rowan and Yew by Melissa Harrison – the parallels with our disappearing environment are powerfully obvious and the reader is never in doubt that we have to work together to save the world that we share with nature.
The Bear Who Sailed the Ocean on an Iceberg by Emily Critchley
The Bear Who Sailed the Ocean on an Iceberg by Emily Critchley – the witty and playful use of language delivered mainly through Monty, and the humour that runs throughout the book will appeal to both young and adult readers.
Rita Wong and the Jade Mask by Mark Jones
Rita Wong and the Jade Mask by Mark Jones has a dreamlike, almost hypnotic quality that works brilliantly and the cover and illustrations by Seamus Jennings capture the shadowy mystery and warm humour beautifully. I read the book in two sittings.
When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari
When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari does much more than just describe people and locations; it examines deep human impulses. The failures of a systems-driven society that so often neglects and then ignores young people are laid bare.
Our Beautiful Game by Lou Kuenzler
Our Beautiful Game by Lou Kuenzler is about learning from and being inspired by others. It’s a gripping read full of fascinating facts and valuable life lessons. A hugely enjoyable book.
The Ash House by Angharad Walker
The Ash House by Angharad Walker is a great work of imagination that grips the reader from the first page. It is not an ‘easy read’ but it is refreshingly original and vividly powerful.
Antigua de Fortune of the High Seas by Anna Rainbow and Oli Hyatt
Antigua de Fortune of the High Seas by Anna Rainbow and Oli Hyatt explores themes of good and evil and love and hate and examines issues of gender and class expectations and family relationships and reconciliation. But most important of all the book is a great adventure story.
Song of the Far Isles by Nicholas Bowling
Song of the Far Isles by Nicholas Bowling is a marvellous book with a beautifully calm and satisfying conclusion to the story. Highly recommended for late Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 independent readers.
Sports Legends: 50 Inspiring People by Rick Broadbent
Sports Legends by Rick Broadbent. This great book is all about hearts, stomachs and feelings, drama, passion and joy. It is about learning from, and being inspired by others and invites you to confront your own doubts and prejudices.
Big Sky Mountain by Alex Milway
Big Sky Mountain by Alex Milway. The importance of peaceful co-existence with nature is delivered with humour and fun. The maps and illustrations add greatly to the overall reading experience in this great read-aloud for year 2.
Panda at the Door by Sarah Horne
Panda at the Door by Sarah Horne is a winning combination of traditional furry bear cosiness and smart technology and Cal’s childhood anxiety will strike a chord with many young readers.
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town – direct and spare, it examines deep human impulses: love, acceptance and security; and isolation, anger and instability. Accessible and easy to read, this is an ideal short story collection for Year 10 and 11.
The Magician’s Map by Mikki Lish and Kelly Ngai
The Magician’s Map – a recipe for magical mayhem that is genuinely thought-provoking and wonderfully imaginative. Highly ecommended for independent readers in upper KS2 and lower KS3.
White Fox in the Forest by Chen Jiatong
A tribute to Chen Jiatong’s great skill, White Fox in the Forest is a powerful story in which the animals achieve wisdom through their seeking and celebration of faith, kindness, love and courage.
Picklewitch & Jack and the Sea Wizard’s Secret by Claire Barker
Picklewitch & Jack reminds me what a magical place the seaside is, and how much I miss it. The plot storms along at a great pace with magic, great fun, an original storyline and playful use of language.
Thunderbolt by Wilbur Smith with Chris Wakling
Thunderbolt is a cleverly woven piece of page-turning adventure that will excite its KS2 and KS3 readers but also, hopefully, make them think critically about the world in which they are growing up.
By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison
By Ash, Oak and Thorn. Approach this book with your disbelief suspended and your imagination receptive and you will be welcomed, as I was, into the Wild World. Ideal for 9-12 year olds.
A Case of Grave Danger (The Violet Veil Mysteries) by Sophie Cleverly
A Case of Grave Danger. A gripping first person mystery with a strong female protagonist and high quality writing. Violet Veil is a character with the potential for many more adventures in this world and the next.
Robin Hood – Piracy, Paintballs and Zebras by Robert Muchamore
Robin Hood – Piracy, Paintballs and Zebras. Robert Muchamore is a master at keeping the action moving at a breakneck pace and describes incidents that will resonate with 10-13 year-olds.
The Awesome Power of Sleep by Nicola Morgan
The Awesome Power of Sleep is full of fascinating facts, hugely enjoyable to read and the science is presented in an entertaining way. A great resource for teenagers, secondary PSHE teachers and parents overseeing KS3, KS4 and KS5 home learning.
Darwin’s Dragons by Lindsay Galvin
Darwin’s Dragons is a marvellous tale that plunges the reader into Charles Darwin’s HMS Beagle voyage and adds a young boy’s wonder, imagination and bravery into the historical mix. This is a fantasy firmly grounded in historical fact and geographical realism.
