Category Archives: Children’s Books

BLOG TOUR – Timewaif & The Roman Road by Deborah Lyon

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Timewaif & The Roman Road by Deborah Lyon.

Here’s the blurb

Twelve-year-old Tim Wainwright, growing up on the west coast of Cumbria, struggles with his mum’s intense grief after the death of his dad and the constant taunting of village bullies. Only his best friend Annie brings any fun to his life.

Fleeing his tormentors after school one day, he finds a hidden cave in the sea cliffs. Once inside, Tim leaps through an enchanted hopscotch board to emerge into a very different Cumbria… two thousand years in the past.

This is an ancient land of Romans and Britons under the rule of Emperor Hadrian. Tim soon realises he must navigate a totally different culture, facing adventures which challenge not only his resilience and wits to the limit but even risk his very life.

Will he ever get back to his own time, his mum and Annie? And does he even really want to?

Join Tim on his rip-roaring adventure exploring Roman life in the wilds of ancient Britain, the first in the Timewaif series of historical novels set throughout the ages for children to enjoy.

Review

Timewaif & The Roman Road is aimed at the younger audience, around 9 – 11 years old but is a very fun read for an adult too. I love anything to do with the Romans and wanted to see if the author could bring some passion and excitement for the period for younger readers.

Focusing on that side first.. wow.. there’s some much detail packed in.. little nuggets of info to captivate the readers mind. I couldn’t help but feel if I’d had stories given to me when I was younger like this my love of history would be even stronger.. its just so effortlessly interesting and immersive.

The other thing I love about this time of genre aimed is typically they deal with some personal issues too, to help the younger mind see these things and hopefully help them process their won feelings. Timewaif & The Roman Road ticked that box beautifully. Tim the main character has some issues at home, his mother hasn’t been well and has had her own issues leaving Tim to kind of grow up himself. As we all know growing up isn’t always easy and we see Tim’s struggles

This was such a fun and entertaining read even though it’s aimed for a younger reader but even the struggles Tim faced were handled in a sensitive and thoughtful way making it even better for me, having two young kids myself… helps me remember how they might be feel in certain situations as we see things though different eyes.

Nice fun 5 star read!

My thanks go to the author, publisher and Zoé @ Zooloo’s Book Tours for having me on the tour!

Tempted yet?

Why not head to Goodreads or Amazon to find out more!

Who is Deborah Lyon?

Deborah Lyon has lived in Cumbria for nearly 20 years, having previously worked in London where she enjoyed a successful career in corporate communications. A lifelong lover of the Lake District, Deborah moved north to raise her blended family of four children by Windermere, where she lives with her husband, Gez, two golden retrievers, a Border terrier, and guinea pigs.

Her debut title, Lake District Unlocked, a children’s travel guide to Cumbria, was published in 2010. A graduate of Oxford University with a degree in English and French Literature, Deborah also holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Lancaster University. She draws inspiration from the region’s history and folklore, with the idea for Timewaif & The Roman Road sparked by an inscription on a Roman tombstone and a walk through a ruined felltop fort.

When she isn’t writing, Deborah runs a holiday-let business and enjoys exploring the landscapes that inspire her work, with over 170 Wainwright summits under her belt.

Where can you find them?

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/timewaifbooks/
Websitehttps://timewaif.com/

Why not follow the tour..

Book Birthday Blitz – Eye Spy by Tessa Buckley!

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Today it’s my pleasure to take part in the Book Birthday Blitz for Eye Spy by Tessa Buckley!

Here’s the blurb.

Over the course of ten days, the lives of thirteen-year-old Alex Macintyre and his twin sister Donna will change forever.

When Alex and Donna set up Eye Spy Investigations and start looking for a valuable missing dog, they soon have an interesting assortment of suspects. There is the mysterious man in the fur hat; a gang of bikers who hang out at the Starship Café; and Crazy Kath, the bag lady, who may know more than she’s letting on.

 But as they struggle to make sense of the evidence, the twins begin to uncover an even bigger mystery in their own family. As events spiral out of control, can Alex resolve a family crisis, save Donna from imminent danger, and return the missing dog to its rightful owner?

Review

My daughters are 9 now and Georgia especially is keen to start reading longer books that she can really spend some time to get in to. Eye Spy seemed to fit the bill!

The book follows Alex and Donna, twins who decide to set up their own investigation agency to look for a valuable dog.

What I loved from the off it’s not just a book about that adventure, there’s so much more depth. We learn more about the twins life and as a parent it resonated as I see my girls having their own adventures but at the same time they deal with the events life can throw at us.

Alex and Donna’s personal life isn’t all fine and dandy, as many children do they have to deal with being brought up by a single parent. What I felt was done really well was the depth given to the characters where you could understand the dynamics and things they might be dealing with without words being needed.. it’s all about the detail. Their father for example was a nice character—loving but aloof at the same time, particularly when he’s working on one of his numerous inventions but you can tell this is his way of dealing with things and I felt it’s a really nice way for young readers to learn about some difficult events that can happen in life and we all deal with things in different way…and also I loved the idea of the dad tinkering around.. makes me wish I was an inventor. No spoilers but there’s more to this than you know, and you quickly learn that Alex and Donna are going to want the truth.

Mixed with this personal development you have the case of the missing dog. The Twins quickly find a suspect, but have they stumbled on to something more than they can handle?

The tale moves at pace, is fun and exciting even from my point of view. The chapters are so engaging it was a real joy to read with Georgia.

Georgia really enjoyed the story, especially all the twists as she just never knew what was going to happen next.

It was the perfect read for both of us but she’s keen to read more.

Overall the word to describe this one is “Cosy” grab a hot chocolate (it’s bloody cold at the minute) curl up and enjoy the adventure.

5/5 Stars

My thanks go to Rachel @rararesources for having me on the tour, as well as the author and publisher for supplying an ARC to aid my review. As usual though… I’ve bought the book too. It’s a bargain!

Purchase Links

https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/young-children/eye-spy or Amazon

Author Bio:

Tessa Buckley was an inveterate scribbler as a child, and spent much of her time writing and illustrating stories. After spending fifteen years working for architects and interior designers. She took up writing again when her young daughter complained that she couldn’t find enough adventure stories to read. This led, in 2014, to the publication of  Eye Spy, the first in a series of detective stories for 9-12 year olds, designed to encourage reluctant readers. The second book in the series, Haunted, was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2017.  She lives with her husband and a large white cat called Pippa in a town on the Thames estuary, which inspired the seaside setting for the novels. She also writes about family history, which has been her passion for many years.

Website:  https://tessabuckleyauthor.com

Social Media Links –  

https://www.facebook.com/Tessa-Buckley-Author-101751741568714

Georgia’s 1st solo review!!! Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo!

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So Abi has done her first review on the blog… it’s time for Georgia to join in to!

Georgia has chosen to review Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo!

Here’s the blurb.

An exciting adventure from Britain s best-loved children s author and the man behind War Horse, Michael Morpurgo.

Gracie and her friend Daniel have always been warned to stay away from the Birdman and his side of the island. But then they find a message in the sand and discover the Birdman is not who they thought. They build up a lovely friendship with him, but when the children get stranded on Samson Island they don t know whether to believe the birdman s story that the island is cursed. Set on a remote island against the backdrop of World War I this story will captivate and delight young readers.

Former Children s Laureate and award-winning author of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo, again demonstrates why he is considered to be the master story teller with yet another of his beautifully crafted war stories for children.

Review

The main character of the story is called Gracie Jenkins. Her best friend was called Daniel. Gracie was born in Bryher, one of the isles of Scilly. At the start of the story Gracie’s dad was shouting ‘’YOU KEEP AWAY FROM THE BIRDMAN GRACIE’’.

EVERYONE Was scared of the birdman because he lived on Samson, there were rumours about the curse of Samson and that if you ever step foot there you would be cursed.

They find a message in the sand that changes everything. The birdman is not who they expected, and they start to spend more time with him.

The birdman is almost deaf so the create a form of sign language to talk with him.

Gracie soon learns a war has broken out and Gracie’s dad leaves as part of the war effort.

While Gracie’s dad is gone the birdman takes care of her. He gave Gracie and her mam bread and honey without her mam knowing the source.

When Gracie’s mam finds out she’s surprised.

There’s a bad man called Big Tim who wants to hurt the birdman because EVERYONE other than Gracie and her mam have always believed he’s bad.

Eventually he tells the children the secret of why the whales came, and why the whales must go back into the sea.

I loved the last paragraph and the idea that the old, ruined cottages are still there on Samson Island.

I just like adventure stories and Why the Whales Came certainly took me on a wild adventure.

I rate this 5/5 Stars

N.B Georgia has been reading this as part of her reading from school. The book hasn’t been too tough for her but definitely kept her on her toes with a few words she didn’t quite know. Credit where credit is due.. the author had her hooked.. kids are easily distracted but she was committed to the story!

To find out more head to Amazon or any good local book retailor!

Abi’s 1st solo review!!! Demon Dentist by David Walliams.

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So if you follow my socials you’ll know one of my kids is a huge fan of David Walliams, so today Abi is taking over the blog for her first solo review of Demon Dentist!

Here’s the blurb

The jaw-achingly funny novel from David Walliams, the number one bestselling author! Make your appointment if you dare…

Darkness had come to the town. Strange things were happening in the dead of night. Children would put a tooth under their pillow for the tooth fairy, but in the morning they would wake up to find… a dead slug; a live spider; hundreds of earwigs creeping and crawling beneath their pillow.
Evil was at work. But who or what was behind it…?

Review

Demon Dentist is a story about a boy and his dad. His dad is disabled and has a carer to help around the house.

Alfie is a kind and sweet boy but he does not like to brush his teeth!

One day at school the kids get introduced to the new dentist in town, and she showed them her toothpaste..which was toxic and burnt a hole in the ground!

Alfie tries to hide from the dentist as much as he can, one way of doing this is by visiting his friend.. Raj the local shop keeper.

Alfie and his best friend Zoe have a suspicious feeling about the new dentist in town.

Winnie the carer has decide it’s time for Alfie to finally visit the dentist and this is when the dentist shows her true colours!

Towards the end people start to see the truth and it’s time for the dentist to leave.. but it’s not going to be easy.

It’s hard not to spoil it but there’s a shocking ending when the dad shows up to save Alfie and his friends.

I liked everything.. there were a couple of words I didn’t understand, my dad helped me with them, but I understood the storyline easily.

I think the characters were very good and fun. My favourite characters were Winnie and the Demon Dentist.

I really like the illustrations too.

I would rate is 5 Stars!

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon or any good local book retailor!

BLOG TOUR – Bus Rhymes and Playtime by Sue Wickstead

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Bus Rhymes and Playtime by Sue Wickstead

Here’s the blurb.

Have you got your ticket ready?

Where shall we go today?

Why not jump on board the bus

– come along to sing and play.

So, take your seat as off we go.

What could happen along the way?

(Rhymes for Jay-Jay; Daisy; Sparky and Gloria too. Tickets with questions to answer as well as poems for storybooks)

Review.

Myself and my little one recently reviewed Daisy Daydream Bus Rhymes and Jokes from the same author so jumped at the chance to read this on too!

Bus Rhymes and Playtime follows the same fun format, it’s colourful, bright and cheerful. There’s fun little rhymes similar to the classics we all know but with new twists added to them that are easy for the children to pick up.

I felt the layout was very child friendly allowing young ones to take in bite size chunks of text and not be too overwhelmed. Sometimes it’s not easy to get your child to sit there and read page after page, but I find it much easy to get them onboard when asking for 1 or 2 rhymes.

I think the book is perfectly aimed for around the 5 – 6 age range and is super for those times you need your child to read to you. It’s also the perfect example of using your imagination and having a bit of play with words.

Bus Rhymes and Playtime ticks all the right boxes, it’s another story Georgia is hoping her school will pick up as she would love to see the littles ones at the school be given the chance to read this.

Easily a 5*

My thanks go to Sue Wickstead for providing a copy of this book for Georgia in return for my honest review, and to Rachel from http://www.rachelsrandomresources.com  for having me on the blog tour! 

Where can I get a copy –

https://suewickstead.co.uk/shop

amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bus-Rhymes-Playtime-Sue-Wickstead-ebook/dp/B0CBNLR7D3/

Amazon .com https://www.amazon.com/Bus-Rhymes-Playtime-Sue-Wickstead-ebook/dp/B0CBNLR7D3/

Waterstones https://www.waterstones.com/book/bus-rhymes-and-playtime/sue-wickstead/9781916392359

Barnes and noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bus-rhymes-and-playtime-sue-wickstead/1143774242?ean=9781916392359

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio –

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

Sue’s stories are inspired by her adventures with a Playbus as well as her experiences as a teacher.

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.

Social Media Links –

Web site : www.suewickstead.co.uk

Facebook: – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091634693677

Twitter https://twitter.com/JayJayBus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayjaybusbooks/

https://www.instagram.com/sue_wickstead/

BLOG TOUR – Daisy Daydream Bus Rhymes and Jokes by Sue Wickstead – REVIEW

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Today we are kicking of the Blog Tour for Daisy Daydream Bus Rhymes and Jokes by Sue Wickstead!

Keeping reading for a chance to  win a signed copy of  the Double-Decker Playbus Colouring Book too!

Here’s the 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.

(Who has her own story book)

Review

My two girls are now 8 year old and big fans of Sue Wickstead having read David’s Bin Day and David’s Bathtime Adventure.

Daisy Daydreams Bus Rhymes and Jokes is a fun collection of jokes and rhymes but the twist is they are all bus related..so those rhymes you’ve known since childhood have been tweaked in a fun way to fill this book full of fun.

I sat down with my two to discuss the book and from the off Georgia said if she saw this book on a book shelf she would buy it.. the colours, the playful fun looking bus, very eye catching.

When you open the book from the first page you easily get the feel for the book, jokes and rhymes neatly mixed but the pages never too cluttered.

Myself and girls particularly liked the jokes, each displayed in their own ticket!

You can tell a lot of thought has went into not only the rhymes and jokes but also the placement within the book, each page is packed with just the right amount of words for any young one to read without feeling too overwhelmed. As a parent I think this is quite nicely aimed for those young ones learning to read out loud, it’s easy to follow and broken up in small sections which is easier on the eye.

The girls also really enjoyed the authors own rhymes, not only do we get reimagined classics but we also get some brand new ones focused on the authors work which I feel just brings the series of books together nicely.

Credit where credit is due the author has put a lovely book together with the aid of Claire Shaw for the layout and Artful Doodlers for the illustrations..each part is done perfectly, so much so Georgia wants to get a copy to give to her school for other children to read.

Overall the kids really liked this fun little read, it’s quick and manages to keep a child’s attention. 4 – 8 year olds seems about the right age range for this book and if you’ve got a little one I reckon they will enjoy this one too!

It’s a 5* read from my two girls!

To find out more check out the links below!

https://suewickstead.co.uk/shop

www.suewickstead.co.uk

amazon.co.uk https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daisy-Daydream-Bus-Rhymes-Jokes/dp/0993073794/

Amazon .com https://www.amazon.com/Daisy-Daydream-Bus-Rhymes-Jokes/dp/0993073794/

Waterstones https://www.waterstones.com/book/daisy-daydream-bus-rhymes-and-jokes/sue-wickstead/9780993073793

Barnes and noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daisy-daydream-bus-rhymes-and-jokes-sue-wickstead/1132338099?ean=9780993073793

Why not follow the tour?

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.

Social Media Links –

Web site : www.suewickstead.co.uk

Facebook

Twitter (or X as it’s known now)

Instagram – Jay Jay Bus Books

Instagram – Sue Wickstead

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of  the Double-Decker Playbus Colouring Book. (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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494563/?

BLOG TOUR – A Magical Moonglow Sleepover by Jocelyn Porter

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Today is my turn on the blog tour for A Magical Moonglow Sleepover by Jocelyn Porter

Here’s the blurb

On the night of the sleepover, Marigold Moonglow revealed a secret that changed Katherine’s life completely. When Katherine found herself flying on a dragon with Charlie Broccoli, she considered that to be the least of her problems. Her friends had turned against her and Katherine was desperate to prove them wrong. “I’m still the same person you’ve always known,” she said.  But was she? Only time would tell. . .

Review

I’ve had a little help with reviewing this one from my 8 year old Georgia!

Katherine and her friends decide to have a little sleepover. The excitement is there from the off but even more so for Katherine.  Her friends might not believe her but she has a fairy godmother called Marigold!

She’s so excited as Marigold has made a promise to visit during the sleepover!!

True to her word Marigold arrives and the girls are transported on a journey to an enchanted carnival.. oh the sights they see.. no one would believe!

When one of the friends disappears she has to team up to search high and low.. the issue is the boy she teams up with isn’t someone she likes so can she set aside her dislike to find her friend?

Georgia really enjoyed the illustrations and the characters. It made her imagine her own adventure with her friends and it was lovely to see the spark in her imagination ignited.

For me I really enjoyed reading it with her, easy flowing and perfectly aimed made this a fun read. I loved that it showed a child dealing with emotions as sometimes Georgia struggles to feel normal at times but Katherine shows emotions are ok.

We used this book for our weekly reading taking it in turns to read to each other and it made for a wonderful relaxing night-time daddy-daughter time.

Georgia is a big fan of FullMedia Ltd and the books they publish and this is another great addition.. now she’s a fan of Jocelyn Porter too 😊

You’ve earned a 5/5 stars!

I would like to thank Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting us to take part in this tour along with the publisher and author.. a pleasure to read.

To find out more head to FullMeida Ltd or Goodreads!

Author Bio –

Jocelyn’s writing career began when she was asked to write a story for a preschool magazine. That story was the first of many. Jocelyn became the writer/editor of several preschool magazines and continued in that role for 15 years. Writing one new story every month, plus rhymes and activities was a tough gig, but very exhilarating. Time is the big difference between writing for a magazine and writing a book. You see your work on the supermarket shelves within a few weeks of completion. A book takes longer – a lot longer. Jocelyn has to be patient now – not something she’s good at. Before becoming a writer, Jocelyn worked in higher education as International Students Officer. It was a rewarding and interesting job even though she was on call 24/7. Jocelyn also trained as a counsellor and volunteered at drop-in centres. She never knew who would arrive for counselling and had to be prepared for anything. This work gave her insight into some of the darker corners of life. Motor sport was one of Jocelyn’s early loves, she had the spine-tingling thrill of taking part in a 24-hour national rally as navigator – those were the days when rallies were held on public roads! Jocelyn worked as an au pair in Paris in her teens. Having visited the city on a school trip, she fell in love with it, and always wanted to return. Jocelyn’s first book published by Full Media is The King Who Didn’t Like Snow, illustrated by Michael S Kane. Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure is her second book under Full Media and is illustrated by Leo Brown.

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/jmpbooks

Why not follow the tour?

BLOG TOUR – David’s Bathtime Adventure by Sue Wickstead

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Today we kick off the blog tour for David’s Bathtime Adventure by Sue Wickstead! Oh… and keep reading if you’d like to enter a little giveaway for a chance to win a Double-Decker Playbus colouring book with a 3D model for Daisy Daydream Bus!

Here’s the blurb

David loves his bath time!

As Mum fills the bath with water, David get himself ready for a swimming adventure.

With toys and his fishing gear, he certainly enjoys splashing around in the water.

(And making a mess!)

Where will his imagination take him?

Review.

This is my second adventure with the wonderfully named David.. I mean how could I not jump on the blog tour with such a strong name as David ha ha.

In David’s latest adventure it’s bath time! David once again uses that wonderful imagination of his to have a wonderful time.

Not every child loves bathtime so as a parent I found this a fun little book that may help children relax a little as she what fun they can have in the bath. I remember as a child you could get me out of the bath, I used to spend hours with my turtle figures and my daughter Georgia takes after daddy with a bunch of dinosaurs next to the bath.. these actually live next to daddy’s battleships but enough about that ha ha.

When asked what they liked about the book there was two things that stood out, they particularly liked the illustrations, especially when David uses his imagination, with the toys in a chest becoming the treasure he found.

They also really enjoyed the story itself and how David makes his own fun from any situation.  It’s fun, enjoyable and packed with energy!

My two are now eight and this book was perfect for them, length is perfect but it’s aimed so well that I could read it too them but also have them read it to me as part of their learning and reading at home

Sue Wickstead is now a firm favourite in our house with a wonderfully enjoyable tales of adventure and I’m excited to see what’s next!

5/5 Stars.

To find out more or to grab a copy why not head over to Amazon! or any other good retailor 🙂

My thanks go to the author, the publisher, NetGalley, and Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the blog tour! I received an ARC of the book so my kids could take part and they loved it. If you follow me on Instagram you can even see a picture of Georgia reading the book as soon as she got home from school 🙂

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio –

A work of the heart.

I am a Supply teacher working across Sussex and Surrey.

For over 20 years, alongside my teaching career, I worked with a Children’s Charity, a Playbus, which led me to write a photographic history book about it. (Bewbush Playbus.)

I have been telling stories about the bus which led me to writing the fictional tale.

‘Jay-Jay the Supersonic Bus’, came out in print in 2014.

The story has led to other children’s stories.

‘David’s Bathtime Adventure’, as well as my last book ‘David’s bin Day’, is a story about my comical little brother growing up and the games he liked to play.

There are more stories written and on their way. (All of my stories do have a bus in them somewhere.)

In my role as visiting Supply Teacher, I am able to share my stories.

I have also undertaken author visits both in schools as well as online, visited libraries for story time and events on request.

I have also used many of my books as a starting point for online learning with EYFSHome – providing ideas to support the books. (Both of the David stories were told as part of this which led to the writing of the books.)

Social Media Links – 

Website :- https://suewickstead.co.uk/davids-bin-day

Amazon.co.uk – http://bit.ly/JJKSupersonic

Amazon.com – http://amzn.to/2BxvU2l

Waterstones http://bit.ly/2wytDz5Waterstones

WHSmith http://bit.ly/2TtCr2I

Foyles – http://bit.ly/315DESrFoylesbooks

Barnes & Noble – http://bit.ly/2IgCKKjBandN

Book depository http://bit.ly/2Ax6VcZ

Now for the exciting part!!! The giveaway to Win a Double-Decker Playbus colouring book with a 3D model for Daisy Daydream Bus (Open to UK Only)

For a chance to win head over to Rafflecopter . If you’ve been to Rafflecopter before you’ll know how easy this is to enter 🙂 There’s multiple ways to earn an entry so why not give it a go!!

*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 Rachel’s Random Resources reserves 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 Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

BLOG TOUR Princess No Knots by Deborah Dillon & Matt Richards

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Princess No Knots by Deborah Dillon, Illustrated by Matt Richards.

Here’s the blurb.

Princess No Knots LOVES her long golden hair as much as she LOVES her bath time, but she does NOT love having it brushed. When her flowing locks end up in knots, the King tells her they will have to be cut and takes away her crown. Enter a world of determination, sprinkled with a small dose of magic, to find out if the strong-willed Princess finds a way to get back her crown, keep her name and save the hair she so loves. A must read rhyming picture book for any parent who struggles with the dreaded ‘hair wash’ night! Available on amazon.co.uk.

Review

Princess No Knots is a lovely little book about a Princess who absolutely hates to have her hair brushed.

She must quickly learn how to deal with her emotions to make sure she doesn’t loose her crown.. a Princess must look the part after all.

I read this with my two little girls and they loved it, they were engaged from first page to last.

The story itself is easy to follow and is paced nicely to enable younger children to read this themselves.

I enjoyed the message of the book and it helped me start a talk with my kids on how sometimes you have to do things you may not like but it gets it on the right level so they can fully understand why.

When asked the girls really wanted to tell everyone how lovely the illustrations are, although Georgia fully believes they aren’t anywhere near as good as her drawings ha. I apologise to the wonderful illustrator Matt Richards for that comment! ha

Georgia loved the book so much she has read it by herself a few more times independently which was lovely to see.

Overall Princess No Knots is a colourful and engaging read to support younger children as they learn in life.

Abi & Georgia rated this 5/5 stars!!

To find out more head to Goodreads or Amazon

My thanks go to the author and Rachel @rararesources for having me on the tour and for providing a copy of the book for the girls to read. They are more than excited to let some of their friends see this one 😊

Why not follow the tour?

Author Bio –

Deborah Dillon’s love of books, poems and story telling stems from her Granddad Jim who always used to make up stories at bedtime when she was young. Every story would take her to crazy worlds of adventure and friendship, each story sprinkled with a tiny bit of determination.

Since having children of her own Deborah has continued this family tradition but rather than keeping all the stories in her head, she decided to write them down. As her children were growing up she was inspired to write about whatever obstacles or challenges they, or their friends, faced then overcame.

Deborah is a firm believer that something magical happens when you read a book together.

Social Media Links –

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/deborah.dillon.56/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/deborah.dillon.56

Twitter – https://twitter.com/DeborahDillon01

BLOG TOUR – Monster Max and the Marmalade Ghost  by Robin Bennett, with illustrations by Tom Tinn-Disbury

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Today is my stop on the blog tour for Monster Max and the Marmalade Ghost  by Robin Bennett, with illustrations by Tom Tinn-Disbury.

Here’s the blurb

Max and Peregrine are volunteering at an old people’s home, when strange things start to happen: one resident is walking on the ceiling; one is riding their wheelchair through walls; and Reggie says his marmalade is haunted (although no one listens). Can Max and his friends work out what’s happening to protect his family and the local community? Things aren’t looking good – the Marmalade Ghost is turning into a gloopy Godzilla, Max falls out with his (joint) best friend, and then, just when it can’t get any worse, someone kidnaps Max’s cat, Frankenstein… will they meet a sticky end?

Time to ‘Protect and Do Good Stuff!’

Why not follow the tour?

Review

Monster Max and the Marmalade Ghost is a fun little tale which my two 7 year olds really enjoyed reading. Max has a very cool secret.. he can turn into Monster Max and use the powers gained to do good assisted by his faithful friend Peregrine! Which is exactly what they set out to do when it appears the marmalade in the old people’s home seems to be haunted!

The style of writing is easy to read with kids and the illustrations break up the tale nicely to allow the kids time to absorb the story without overloading them. The page count too helps, it’s a god length being over 100 pages but I broke it down and read the story over 3 nights, each nights the girls eager to see what would happen next.

There’s lots of humour added to give the kids a little laugh too, burps a plenty 😊

When asked what the girls enjoyed it was a resounding success for Max’s monster transformation! And they loved the illustrations.

It’s a fun little kids mystery adventure and my two loved following Max’s journey!

It’s 5/5 Stars from my two!!

To find our more head to Goodreads, Firefly Press or Amazon.

My thanks go to the author, Firefly Press for allowing me to review an ARC as part of the blog tour arranged by the wonderful Rachel @ Rachel’s Random Resources –@rararesources!

A copy has already been bought too.. The girls loved it!

Author Bio –

When Robin grew up he thought he wanted to be a cavalry officer until everyone else realised that putting him in charge of a tank was a very bad idea. He then became an assistant gravedigger in London. After that he had a career frantically starting business- es (everything from dog-sitting to cigars, tuition to translation)… until finally settling down to write improbable stories to keep his children from killing each other on long car journeys.

Social Media Links –

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