What Miss T Read

When a mysterious boy washes in with the tide, the citizens believe he is the Enemy - the god who drowned the whole word - come again to cause untold chaos.  Only Ellie, a fearless inventor living in a workshop crammed with curiosities, believes he's innocent.  But the Enemy can take possession of any human body, and the ruthless Inquisition are determined to destroy it forever.  To save the boy, Ellie must prove who he really is - even if that means revealing her own dangerous secret.  I'd heard a LOT of good things about this book before I finally bought myself a copy last month and with it being compared to His Dark Materials  it certainly has gained high praise indeed from authors, teachers and book bloggers alike. And I'm pleased to say it's very well-deserved.  The book is set in a dystopian-style future, where The City is the last remaining city in the world, following a flood which washed out (we presume) most of the human population. Now, the population live in

Aleja is a dreamer who longs for a life of magic and adventure. So when a mysterious ship arrives in her Spanish harbour city, crewed by a band of ruthless women, Aleja knows it's sailed right out of a legend. And it wants her.  But life aboard the Ship of Shadows is more than even she bargained for. It will take all of Aleja's strength and skill to gain the trust of her fellow pirates - and discover what they are risking everything to find ... I know what some of you may be thinking. Haven't you already reviewed The Ship of Shadows ? And you'd be right. I have (you can find last month's review here ) but when I heard about The Write Reads Blog Tour to help promote Maria's book I couldn't help but jump aboard. So here is review number two, with a little acrostic twist, because I'm a teacher. Plus, you know it must be good if I want to review it twice. S is for SEA.  It wouldn't be a book about pirates and ships without the sea. Throughout the book we

It's July already and I'm not quite sure how that happened. What with being in lockdown for 100+ days and not being in work every single day the last few months have flown by. This has been a bonus for my reading habits though as I've had much more time to spend reading I usually do! July is the start of everything going back to normal and back to the daily grind. Although there are only two weeks left of the school year and I can't quite believe that I will have to say goodbye to my lovely bunch so soon!   This month I plan on trying to maintain my reading level and fly through some books that I've been waiting to read for a while. I've limited myself to four on this list but I'm hoping I can complete a few more if I manage to speed through these. I can't wait to finally set foot back in a bookstore (I've still been avoiding non-essential shops for the moment) and the wonderful feeling you get from browsing through brand new books! A Monster Calls -

A ferocious storm is raging in Eerie-on-Sea. An ancient artefact filled with a wondrous light has washed up on the beach. And a mysterious hooded stranger has just checked into the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Herbie and Violet know that these events are connected - and that they must act fast to save the town. But their investigation may just lead them to the cold, dark bottom of the sea... Gargantis is Thomas Taylor's fantastic follow up to Malamander, where we were first introduced to our adventurous pair, Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma, and the mysterious seaside town of Eerie-on-Sea. Being a huge fan of Malamander it's an understatement to say I was excited to read Gargantis and it didn't disappoint. From the very start, just as in Malamander,  Herbert Lemon's quiet life as the Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious and sinister hooded man who entrusts him with a clockwork hermit crab. Add to that the arrival of a myster

“One day, on tearing off some old bark, I saw two rare beetles, and seized one in each hand; then I saw a third and new kind, which I could not bear to lose, so that I popped the one which I held in my right hand into my mouth.” At the age of 22 Charles Darwin clambered up the steps of HMS Beagle, armed with enough notepads to last him for several years and set sail on a journey of exploration that would change his life and how we view the entire world forever. When Darwin Sailed the Sea is a brilliant biographical look at the life of Charles Darwin. Presented through chronological chapters combined with illustrations by Sam Kalda, this is the perfect introduction to a man who changed the beliefs of the world with his discoveries.  The book is written in biographical format and starts with Darwin as a young boy, telling of his failures at school and his own desire to study divinity, not science (something which I was completely unaware of!). Each chapter is short and complemented by il

When Charlie's longed-for brother is born with a serious heart condition, Charlie's world is turned upside down. Upset and afraid, Charlie flees the hospital and makes for the ancient forest on the edge of town. There Charlie finds a boy floating face-down in the stream, injured, but alive. But when Charlie sets off back to the hospital to fetch help, it seems the forest has changed. It's become a place as strange and wild as the boy dressed in deerskins. For Charlie has unwittingly fled into the Stone Age, with no way to help the boy or return to the present day. Or is there? When Charlie's baby brother Dara is born with a heart condition, his reaction isn't quite what he expected. He surprises even himself by running off into the forest, too scared to hold his brother for the first time. As Charlie tries to hide from his own problems, another one arises, in the form of a boy floating in the stream before him - alive, but injured. Desperately searching for help, Ch

Yasmin Shah is a ten-year-old girl who is part of a big, noisy family and doesn’t ever speak. Levi is a rude, sassy toy llama, who talks A LOT and has come to wreak havoc in Yasmin’s life. Yasmin tries everything she can to escape Levi, but she can’t help being dragged along on his crazy antics – and every day brings a new surprise, whether that’s an erupting bin, a flying tuna fish, or a hat made from knickers. Life is never boring with Levi around – and could it be that he has a secret plan to help Yasmin find her voice? Llama Out Loud  is hilarious. And I say that as someone who doesn't often actually laugh out loud at children's books - I appreciate the humour but it just doesn't tickle me, y'know? But Llama Out Loud  tickled me, with Levi the Llama's constant quips and Yasmin's crazy family including her Ammi who JUSTCAN'THELPBUTSHOUTEVERYTHING. It's funny. Properly funny.  Llama out Loud follows Yasmin, a ten-year old girl who doesn't speak - t