Blog tour: First Term at Fernside by Sheena Wilkinson (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

  September 2024, The O'Brien Press, 288 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from The O'Brien Press

 Robin can’t wait to be back at Fernside boarding school. But for her younger cousin Linnet the first term at Fernside is a bit of a nightmare. And she needs Robin’s help with every little thing.

When the adorable puppy Rudy disappears, can the girls stay out of trouble long enough to solve the mystery?

Nayu's thoughts

There are never enough school stories in the world of literature. Ever! I feel that's important to note before I state the rest of the paragraph: most school stories start at the first term, which mostly is first year of secondary school (aka high school, I think. Maybe middle school - I'm English and was at school in the 90's) Fernside? It starts higher up the school and one of the main protagonists isn't even the new girl!!! This is a novel formula to me for school stories and I lapped it up in a few hours. Initially I didn't like Robin a lot, she is fairly sensible and confident, and is used to school life. Linnet (not Lynette, matron!) is not an Enid Blyton Gwen. Linnet has never been to school, has a lot of anxiety and absolutely is not used to a busy schedule. As Robin's cousin, both students and teachers alike expect Linnet to be shown the ropes by Robin. Robin dislikes this, she just wants to get on with her comfy school life and not dry the tears and be exasperated by her younger family member.

Needless to say the chalk and cheese duo take time to get used to each other. Linnet says whatever she feels like saying - she isn't rude on purpose but she simply doesn't know that sometimes keeping quiet is tactful. Somewhere it is said she is emotionally immature and this is true. The milk incident was not her fault, and made me feel sorry for her as she tries to stand up for herself, but isn't always listened to. All her odd ways which mark her as unlike the other girls wind up being the reason a mystery gets solved by the end of the book. Unlike a certain Gwendoline Mary Lacey Linnet is not totally spoilt. She is highly intelligent, and sees things the other girls miss. I was rooting for Linnet's growth from page one, I loved every tentative step she took at Fernside, with the usual class bully getting punished finally for all her taunting, inclusiveness with one girl needing crutches permanently due to illness. I loved it's set in the 1920s, a time without mobile phones that had it's issues, for sure, but is a school era I love in books as it seems so innocent.

Okay so skipping out of school early, exploring the attic area and other out of bounds places isn't an innocent act, but Linnet had good reason for all of those and everything does work out in the end. My only issue is having to wait until the next book as I want more of Linnet coming out of her shell. I doubt she will ever enjoy games, but her learning to knit (or crochet, both were talked about at the same time and I can't recall which it was) was charming. There were moments when the recent war were brought up and were hard to read for the involved characters, but it made it realistic. I loved how cook and matron were both formidable characters, but some teachers like Madame were less strict in how they handled the girls. This is truly cozy school tale, one I'll re-read a lot. It's a real pleasure to be the final stop on this tour, make sure you check out the other stops! You can never go wrong with an O'Brien book.

Find out more on Sheena's website. 

Suggested read

Equally good is another O'Brien school tale out earlier this year, The Tower Ghost by Natasha Mac a'Bhaird and Lauren O'Neill (Children's, 9 years +, 10E/10E)

 

What I read in August 2024

August has been a busy reading month for me, I joined my local library to get mostly audiobooks easily but I'm reading a few ebooks too (not loving it on my phone though). I also joined Kindle Unlimited. I ummed and ahhed for a few days, but it has so many genres I love (especially urban fantasy) that I decided to try it and so far it's working really well. It's similar price to if I wanted to go use my local library with family taking me so it makes sense for me. Let's see what I've read! 

 The Summer I Saved the Wild by Rachel Faturoti, Children's, Middle Grade, very good
It was a bit too much save the planet for me but the overall tale was enjoyable. Review here

 

 Vern and Lettuce by Sarah McIntyre, Children's, Graphic novel, 7 years +, excellent
A hilarious animal friendship duo have a lot of fun together. Review here.

 

 Pirate Academy by Justin Somper, Children's, Middle Grade, reread, excellent
Book 2 is more exciting and drama filled than book 1 in this sea adventure series. Review here.

 

 A Gift of Grace by Amy Cliptson, Audiobook, Amish romance, relisten, excellent
First in a beautiful Amish bakery series that I relisten to at least twice a year 

 

A Promise of Hope by Amy Clipston, Audiobook, Amish romance, relisten, excellent
The focus on God and family is always interesting

 A Place of Peace by Amy Clipston, Audiobook, Amish romance, relisten, excellent
A true comfort read

 

 Meet Me At Wisteria Cottage by Teresa F Morgan, Romance, reread, excellent
Maddy has a cat, and together they find shelter in their initially unpleasant neighbour's life due to a fire that was not an accident.

 Heart's Sentinel by P J Schnyder, Romance, Reread, excellent
This shapeshifter tale is heartwarming as MacKenzie learns to be both cat and human. Review here

 

Vox by Christine Dulcher, Dystopian, Thriller, very good
Scary future where in America women's voices are reduced to just 100 words, jobs aren't allowed and much worse in this thriller.

 

 The Girl in Seat 2B by Diana Wilkinson, Thriller, very good
Lots of fake living in this tale

 

 Raz Beri by Matt Stephens, Children's, Middle Grade, excellent,
Life in a wheelchair isn't easy but Billy learns to stand up for himself. Review here

 Touch and Feel: Farm by Spring Street, Children's, Board Book, Picture book, very good
Several animals have various parts in soft material for young ones to investigate. Review here.

 

 Are You Small? by Mo Willems, Children's, Picture book, Non-fiction, excellent
Many small things are investigated in this book. Review here.

 Contest by Matthew Reilly, Audiobook, relisten, excellent
The 1st book by the now award winning thriller author, a father and daughter end up in an alien competition to the death

 Sara's Dream Role by Holly Webb, Children's, Middle Grade, excellent
Being at drama school with a drama resistant family is hard on Sara. 

 

 Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, Classic literature, very good
Finally a Jane Austen I understood mostly, but didn't like the end as the character I liked, Elinor, didn't end up with who I wanted. This wasn't the edition I had but I love the cover.

 Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie, Urban Fantasy, excellent
A new to me series which is so addictive, has a good balance of drama and humour (a cover I don't like)

 

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie, Urban Fantasy, excellent
2nd in the compelling series that I can't stop reading (cover is so-so)

 Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie, Urban Fantasy, excellent
Life is a bit darker for Tori, but she has the best sidekicks and friends

 Demon Magic and a Martini by Annette Marie, Urban Fantasy, excellent
Tori continues to lead a magic filled life, much to her brother's disgust. 

 

 The Alchemist and an Amaretto by Annette Marie, Urban Fantasy, excellent
So much major drama in this installment I was taken by surprise a lot.

Review: Are You Small? by Mo Willems (Children's, Picture book, Non-fiction, 10/10E)

 July 2024, Union Square Kids, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from Union Square Co

Are YOU small?

A little question sends readers on a BIG adventure to see the smallest of the small. From an average-size kid . . . to a cookie crumb . . . to a water molecule . . . all the way down to a single quark, readers discover that size is a matter of perspectiv

Nayu's thoughts

This was the second book from a publisher for young readers (I requested the books to be randomised) and it is so cute! the back cover has a ruler on the side to provide context for what is small. Each page (except the first) has an image of the previous page's creature/item walking away, allowing space for the next object. It states the object that is small, but how the object is equally big at the same time. 

There are lots of questions for young inquisitive minds, with a comparison chart at the end to give an idea of how small all the tiny things discussed actually are. The colours are bold in their own way but not super bright, which makes a nice change from similar books. Don't get me wrong, I love bright colours, but colours can be more muted and still stand out. I'm sure readers will be able to identify other small objects, and may start measuring some if they have a tape measure to hand. 

Suggested read

More scientific facts can be found in The Greatest Show On Earth by Mini Grey (Children's, Non-fiction, 9/10E)

 

Book blog tour: Raz Beri by Matt Stephens (Children's, 9 years +, 10/10E)

 

29th August 2024, Firefly Press,  173 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Summary from Firefly Press

 Billy has cerebral palsy and he’s had enough of his classmates treating him differently. But then Mia arrives and announces a school visit from her uncle: a famous footballer. Maybe being a star footballer in front of his classmates will help Billy prove to his class that he can be just like them. But when even the famous footballer turns out to be just as bad as the school bullies, Billy begins to realise that perhaps he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone but himself.

Nayu's thoughts

It's an honour to be the first stop on this blog tour for Matt's newest book, Raz Beri. Beneath my review there is a special post from Matt talking about why he wrote Billy's tale. 

While I never watch football of any kind, for some unknown reason I enjoy reading football themed stories. Growing up at school I was bullied a little for my chronic illness, although I'd never heard the slur raspberry ripple (meaning cripple) before Raz Beri, so I instantly related to the premise of Billy's tale. A very good friend of my has cerebal palsy so I know a lot about Billy's condition too. Billy definitely suffers a lot. I hate how cruel children can be, and how low a person can feel when bullied. 

I enjoyed watching Billy slowly (ever so slowly at some points) learn to be more assertive. His pet dog bears the brunt of his experimentation which was amusing, and the catalyst is new girl Mia who is very connected to football. The twist to her plot point was unexpected and very much had me on tenderhooks. She is not a shy wallflower, quite gobby but being a wheelchair user means Billy has company in games. She isn't always friendly to Billy, but she forces him to change his life for the better. 

 I was utterly appalled by how Billy was treated by some of the teachers - unacceptable is an understatement to what they said and did. I feel their behaviour both validated and increased the bullying Billy received. I'd have maybe expected that when I was a child in the 80s and 90s, but the 2020s? No way. I sincerely hope that is not happening anywhere in the country. I'm not getting started on footballer Danny Cash, he is scum in my view, with an appalling attitude that I'm glad was brought into the spotlight and forced to change. 

The reason for the change was a combination of Billy and Mia's teamwork, after he gets hit in the face with a football. I could understand why the publicity wanted to smooth things over, but I'm glad Billy developed backbone and made his & dozens of other people's voices heard very publicly at a football match. It was a genius form of retaliation, not at all violent and it got the message across. 

Suggested read

If you like football check out this ball themed poetry book  Give Us a Goal by Paul Cookson (Children's, Non-Fiction, Poetry, 8/10)

 

Author guest blog post by Matt Stephens

Why I wrote Raz Beri  

I find it really hard to say why I write anything. It’s a cliché but the best work always seems to write itself. I feel almost like a cypher, having little or no idea what my pen will scribble next. Sometimes my motivation only becomes clear to me after the writing.

It’s easy though to identify the germ of the idea behind Raz Beri. Some years ago at Ashton Gate, home of Bristol City FC, a City player lost his temper at a refereeing decision, picked up the ball and hammered it into the crowd. Wholly predictably, the ball hit a child in the face causing her to need hospital treatment. There was a storm of local outrage and both player and club had to do some major PR work to smooth things over.

The story ended there but it lodged itself in my brain and that mysterious thing called “the back burner” clearly got to work. What if this had happened at a high-profile club? What if the player was a major star? What if the incident had been watched by millions on national television? What if the child had been a wheelchair user? What if, what if…?

I sat down with a pen and paper (yes, I always start with a pen and paper) and the story began to write itself. Chapter followed chapter and I began to realise I was writing a book! My planning really is that sketchy. Different narrative arcs began to weave themselves together. Diversity became a crucial theme, with regards to both disability and race.

The journeys that we go on is a central theme of Raz Beri. The main protagonists, Billy and Mia, are young teens, developing as people. They learn resilience. Billy learns he has a strength he never knew about. The main adult character, Danny Cash, is on a journey of his own. For much of the story, he is the epitome of the arrogant, entitled Premier League footballer. The inspirational actions of Billy and Mia force him to reconsider his values and his lifestyle. He learns he is capable of humility and empathy. Attributes he has been hiding very well for years. The point is, we must never stop learning. The day we do, we are in trouble and, more importantly, are those around us.

And my motivation for writing Raz Beri? I’m not sure yet. Ask me in a year’s time.

Review: Touch and Feel: Farm by Spring Street (Children's, Board book, 9/10E)

 July 2024, Boxer Books, 10 pages, Board Book, Review copy

Summary from Union Square and Co

Touch and feel the farm animals in this stylish, design-led board book. Introducing textures and providing the child with a tactile reading experience, this book explores a cow, a sheep, a rooster, a dog, and a duckling. Beautifully produced, with contemporary artwork, can you spot these animals in the world around you?

Nayu's thoughts

Simple board books are essential for early reading skills, as they provide great opportunities to intearct with young children. The images are simple and clear without fussy backgrounds so young eyes can easily focus on them. The pages are thick, perfect to withstand any sticky hands! Each animal has a part to feel with different textures. 

The only downside is some of the parts feel quite small compared to other touch and feel books. I know little hands are small, and less coverage makes it easier to keep the book not too thick in width, but I had expected the duckling wing to be bigger. This is a very minor niggle in what is otherwise a solid read. The text says each animal's sounds and asks to feel the relevant part on it's body. 

Suggested read 

If farm animals are enjoyed, older readers may like to read a pig's diary The Seriously Extraordinary Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

What I played in July 2024

So as not to make super long posts, and for anyone who isn't interested in gaming, I'm doing my what I played gaming post separate to my what I read post. Hope you enjoy it! 

 

Constantly enjoying hoop of the week and the daily hoops in Stitch on Nintendo Switch

 

Getting a Disney fix from Disney Magical World on my Nintendo 3DS XL 

Enjoyed familiar favourite songs in Hatsune Miku Project Mirai on my Nintendo 3DS XL

 

Finished the cute find the cat in Hidden Cats in Paris on Nintendo Switch

Finished Fae Farm, whose DLC wasn't my fave aspect on Nintendo Switch

The black and white short game A Winding Path was a fun few hours that I finished in two sessions on Nintendo Switch. 

 

Started the time management cleaning game Hotel Hustle with raccoons as the protagonist on Nintendo Switch 

 Started a point and click adventure, First Time in Paris on Nintendo Switch. Visited Paris as a teen, didn't like it that much. The game is fun though.

 

 Started Mary Skelter 2, a first person dungeon crawler horror with cute graphics but scary premise. Played the other 2 games in the trilogy, this one is new and is being played before the 1st game as oddly that's how it's meant to be. All on Nintendo Switch, by a fave company Idea Factory

 

Finished a cute farming game, Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town which had me zipping about on a bike the later part of the game on Nintendo Switch

 

 Continued the calmer farming DLC to Eastward: Octopia on Nintendo Switch (pic generic stock image not my personal farm)

 

 Since I finished one farming sim I started another, Story of Seasons Doraemon Friends of the Great Kingdom. In the very early stages of this Nintendo Switch game. 

What I read in July 2024

I unfortunately do not have the energy to review every book I read or every game I play. I frequently say stuff on Twitter, but that's about it. I feel it would be nice to get back into the habit of monthly reads' plays so at least you know what I've been reading and gaming. So let's begin with the books! The games will be in a separate post

Due to being tired and unwell more than normal I didn't read a lot this month and that's ok

The Abandonned Empress by Yuna and Ina, Korean Manga, Excellent

The fact each page is full colour has me so happy! Trying not to be killed in her reincarnated life, this little Empress is smart, has the most beautiful clothes and a tale that I'm intrigued by and wish I could afford more than one book every 1-2 months. 

AdelAIDE by Melinda Salisbury, Young Adult, Dyslexia Friendly, Teen, Excellent 

And people wonder I don't like AI! this is edge of the seat reading. Review here.

 

 Peter Pan by J M Barrie, Classic Literaure, Okay 

Peter is the villain - he kills pirates! Literally! Glad I read it but won't reread. Review here.

 

Pirate Academy #1 New Kid on Deck by Justin Somper, Children's, 7 years +, Excellent

Adored Justin's Vampireate series, check out my review here.

Sunshine At the Cornish Bakery by Sarah Hope, Romance, Very good 

Who doesn't love a bakery themed read? Yes it made me want pastries a lot. But was a sweet romance. 

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts, Thriller, Audiobook, very good

1st ever Nora Roberts book, long but extremely clever with plot twists. Looking forward to the other books I have of hers.