Freeze is the newest offering from Chris Priestley, recognised as a master of horror writing for children drawing in the weaving, building style of classic Gothic writers such as Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe rather than gore or shock tactic. These tales creep into you consciousness rather than jump scare you, and oh so … Continue reading Freeze- Chris Priestley
I’m delighted to be celebrating the publication fo The Bewitching of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes, a second adventure for our eponymous hero who we last saw Haunted, this time stepping into the supernatural world of witchcraft. The Bewitching of Aveline Jones is such an incredible and haunting book, chilling in the clever way that … Continue reading The Bewitching of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes
The most beautiful twin books came through my door last Saturday from O’Brien Press. Caitriona Sweeney’s dreamy watercolours swirl around a modern fairytale firmly orientated in Galway and available in Gaelic too. A Galway Fairytale or Síscéal Ó Ghaillimh tells the tale of Séan and Gráinne’s journey into Galway market to buy their mother a … Continue reading A Galway Fairytale/ Síscéal Ó Ghaillimh by Caitriona Sweeney
Blossom is Laura’s second collaboration with Sara Ogilvie for Barrington Stoke, and once again explores candidly the wobbly life of a young inner city child on the precipice of change. These snapshots of life, of real experiences told with honesty and innocence are truly a gift to any reader. Laura Dockrill’s writing reminds me of … Continue reading Blossom – Laura Dockrill & Sara Ogilvie
I missed out last year on The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes which was universally lauded for its glorious creepy Halloween setting and everyone agreed on not to read it at night! So when I purchased a copy last winter, I had originally planned to read it as part of a glorious spookfest this … Continue reading The Haunting of Aveline Jones – Phil Hickes
Keeper Of Secrets by Sarah J Dodd is a perfect wintery Christmassy read. It’s a book that I know I will be rereading year after year to reimmerse in the tale of Emily and Lotta the Lynx Kitten. But it also is a wonderfully thoughtful and quietly mind-shifting novel dealing with issues of grief, but … Continue reading Keeper of Secrets by Sarah J Dodd
No Man’s Land is a bitingly clever speculative fiction that flips the perspective of books like When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit which feature living under the rule of fascism and fleeing as a historical distant ‘other’, or those about a modern refugee children coming to Britain as a socio-cultural ‘other’ instead here in Joanna Nadin’s … Continue reading No Man’s Land- Joanna Nadin
