Am Reading - Cat Kid Comic Club

Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations

by Dav Pilkey

What they say: The Cat Kid Comic Club learns to collaborate in this creative, funny, and insightful graphic novel by Dav Pilkey, the author and illustrator of Dog Man. Excitement and imagination run wild as Naomi, Melvin, Poppy, Gilbert, Curly, and their siblings get back to making comics with originality and laughter. But wait -- have they cleaned their rooms yet?! 

After their chores, the rambunctious group presents even more amazing a thrilling ride in "Chubbs McSpiderbutt," an action-packed romp in "Frogzilla," reflective haikus in "In the Autumn Pond," a candy-coated mystery in "Mallo Cop," and much, much more. By working together, the baby frogs discover that small things can have a huge impact. 

In this innovative graphic novel series, award-winning author and illustrator Dav Pilkey employs a variety of techniques -- including origami, acrylic paints, colored pencils, photography, collage, gouache, watercolors, and more -- to capture the creative and joyful spirit of collaboration. The variety of art styles, paired with Pilkey's trademark storytelling and humor, inspires imagination and innovation for readers of all ages.

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Am Reading - The Do-Over

The Do-Over

by Lynn Painter

What they say: After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

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Treehouse Tales - Coming Soon

Treehouse Tales: too SILLY to be told ... UNTIL NOW!

by Andy Griffiths

What they say: A lot of stuff happens in our ever-expanding treehouse.

Not everything gets into the books.

These are some other things that happened to us…

International author-illustrator superstar duo Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton are back, and this time they've cooked up a hilarious book of 13 standalone stories to complement their beloved chapter book series. Surreal, funny and supremely silly—all with the spirit of the Treehouse.

More info at GR

New Release - Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!

Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!

by David Walliams

What they say: The new children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – an extraordinarily brilliant and rollicking mystery adventure illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross, and the sequel to the much-loved and bestselling Gangsta Granny.

Ben is getting used to life without his beloved granny. She was a cabbage enthusiast, a Scrabble partner… and an international jewel thief known as The Black Cat. Now, only the memory of their extraordinary adventure to steal the Crown Jewels lives on. Then something inexplicable happens. World-famous treasures are stolen in the dead of night and the clues point to none other than The Black Cat? But that’s impossible…?

Expect the unexpected in this wonderfully entertaining and laugh-out-loud adventure, which will have readers on the edge of their seats as they join Ben on his quest to unravel the mystery of the return of The Black Cat.

This first ever sequel from David Walliams will delight new fans, as well as the millions of readers that have loved Gangsta Granny.

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The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale - Spotlight

The Day I Fell Into a Fairytale

by Ben Miller

What they say: Following the breakout successes of The Night I Met Father Christmas and The Boy Who Made the World Disappear, get ready for the brilliant NEW novel from actor, comedian and bestselling author Ben Miller, perfect for fans of Matt Haig and David Baddiel! Featuring beautiful illustrations throughout from Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini.

Lana loves stories. Especially the ones she and her brother, Harrison, share in their make-believe games. But when Harrison decides he’s too grown-up to play with Lana she finds herself feeling lonely. Until something magical happens…

 

Hidden in the strange new supermarket in town, Lana discovers a portal to a fairytale world! But these aren’t the happy-ever-after fairytales that Lana knows, they are darker and more dangerous, and the characters need Lana’s help to defeat an evil witch. But she can’t do it alone. Can she convince Harrison to believe in stories again and journey to the world with her. . .  before it’s too late?

 

This is a story about stories, but it’s also about a brother and a sister finding their way back to each other through the power of imagination.

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Kay's Marvellous Medicine - Whatcha Reading Wednesday

Kay's Marvellous Medicine: A Gross and Gruesome History of the Human Body

by Adam Kay

What they say: The brand-new, hilarious book from bestselling, record-breaking author Adam Kay.

The olden days were pretty fun if you liked wearing chainmail or chopping people's heads off but there was one TINY LITTLE problem back then . . . doctors didn't have the slightest clue about how our bodies worked.

It's time to find out why Ancient Egyptians thought the brain was just a useless load of old stuffing that might as well be chucked in the bin, why teachers forced their pupils to smoke cigarettes, why hairdressers would cut off their customers' legs, and why people used to get paid for farting. (Unfortunately that's no longer a thing - sorry.)

You'll get answers to questions like:

Why did patients gargle with wee?

How did a doctor save people's lives using a washing machine, a can of beans and some old sausages?

What was the great stink? (No, it's not what doctors call your bum.)

If you're sure you're ready, then pop a peg on your nose (there was a lot of stinky pus back then), pull on your wellies (there was a lot of poo there too), wash your hands (because they certainly didn't) and explore this gross and gruesome history of the human body!

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Book Spotlight - The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous

The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous

by David Baddiel

What they say: Nothing extraordinary has ever happened to Billy Smith. In fact, every single thing about him is ordinary, including his name. But when a documentary crew turns up at Billy’s school to film the new TV series School Daze, everything changes.

Billy shouldn’t stand out: all the other kids are much more interesting than him. But when remixes of his boring class presentation go viral, Billy finds himself accidentally an overnight star. With his friends Bo and Rinor by his side, his life turns into a whirlwind of red carpets, TV shows, albums and even the possibility of meeting Sunshine De Marto – the coolest girl on the planet. But as everyone knows, fame comes with a price…

The Boy Who Got Accidentally Famous is an epically entertaining tale, brought to life with illustrations by the brilliant Steven Lenton, which asks the question – what if everyone suddenly knew your name…?

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Am Reading - Megamonster

Megamonster

by David Walliams

What they say: The new children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – a timeless adventure illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross.

On a volcanic island, in the middle of shark-infested waters, stands The Cruel School. The lessons are appalling, the school dinners are revolting and the teachers are terrifying – especially the mysterious Science teacher Doctor Doktur.

When Larker is sent to the school, she quickly realises something very odd is going on… something involving Doctor Doktur, a pair of strange spectacles, and a ‘Monsterfication Machine’. And ultimately she finds herself face to face with a real life Megamonster.

There seems to be no escape – but for Larker, nothing is impossible…

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Spotlight - Prom Theory

Prom Theory

by Ann LaBar

What they say: In this heartwarming and whip-smart YA spin on The Rosie Project, a teen girl is determined to prove that love, like all things, should be scientifically quantified…right?

Iris Oxtabee has managed to navigate the tricky world of unspoken social interactions by reading everything from neuroscience journals to Wikipedia articles. Science has helped her fit the puzzle pieces into an understandable whole, and she’s sure there’s nothing it can’t explain. Love, for example, is just chemistry.

Her best friend Seth, however, believes love is one of life’s beautiful and chaotic mysteries, without need for explanation. Iris isn’t one to back down from a challenge; she’s determined to prove love is really nothing more than hormones and external stimuli. After all, science has allowed humanity to understand more complex mysteries than that, and Iris excels at science.

The perfect way to test her theory? Get the popular and newly-single Theo Grant, who doesn’t even know Iris exists, to ask her to prom. With prom just two weeks away, Iris doesn’t have any time to waste, so she turns her keen empirical talents and laser-focus attention to testing her theory.

But will proving herself correct cause her friendship with Seth—and the tantalizing possibility for something more—to become the failed experiment? 

For more info head to GR!

Coming Soon - Dork Diaries: I Love Paris!

Dork Diaries: I Love Paris! 

by Rachel Renée Russell 

Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure - Dork Diaries #15

What they say: Nikki Maxwell deals with the trials and triumphs of middle school in this fifteenth installment of the #1 New York Timesbestselling Dork Diaries series!

Will Nikki Maxwell and her friends make it to Paris in this next installment of the blockbuster Dork Diaries series? 

OMG, oh la la! Join Nikki Maxwell and her BFFs as they jet off to Paris!

New release - Ten Tremendous Tales

The kindle edition of the 18th Tom Gates book is out now. 

Ten Tremendous Tales - Tom Gates #18

by Liz Pichon

What they say: The brand new bestseller from multi-million copy selling author and illustrator Liz Pichon. 

A laugh-out-loud, fully illustrated collection of stories starring Tom Gates and his friends, family and foes!

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Am Reading - The World's Worst Parents

The World's Worst Parents

by David Walliams

What they say: Millions of young readers have loved the World’s Worst Children tales and revelled in the World’s Worst Teachers with their delightfully dreadful deeds – now prepare for…THE WORLD’S WORST PARENTS! From the phenomenally bestselling David Walliams and illustrated in glorious colour by the artistic genius, Tony Ross.

Are you ready to meet the worst parents ever?

 

Sure, some parents are embarrassing – but they’re NOTHING on this lot. These ten tales of the world’s most spectacularly silly mums and deliriously daft dads will leave you rocking with laughter.

Pinch your nose for Peter Pong, the man with the stinkiest feet in the world… jump out of the way of Harriet Hurry, the fastest mum on two wheels… watch out for Monty Monopolize, the dad who takes all his kids’ toys… and oh no, it’s Supermum! Brandishing a toilet brush, a mop and a very bad homemade outfit…

 

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The Noisy Classroom Teaser

The Noisy Classroom
by Angela Shante and Illustrated by Alison Hawkins

Picture Book

Coming 5th May 2020

What they say: The first day of school is coming… and I’m going to be in the noisy class. Any class but the noisy class will do!

A young girl is about to enter the third grade, but this year she’s put into Ms. Johnson’s noisy class. Everything about the noisy class is odd. While all the other classes are quiet, Ms. Johnson sings and the kids chatter all day. The door is always closed, yet sounds from it can be heard in the hallway. With summer coming to an end and school starting, the girl realizes that soon she’ll be going to the noisy class. What will school be like now?

Featuring the honest and delightful humor of debut author Angela Shanté and the bold, graphic imagery of debut illustrator Alison Hawkins, The Noisy Classroom encourages those with first-day jitters to reevaluate a scary situation by looking at it from a different angle and to embrace how fun school can be, even in nontraditional ways.

Author Spotlight:

Angela Shanté is writer, poet, editor, and educator, with a Masters in Elementary Education and an MFA in Creative Writing. She has taught elementary school for ten years. In her own classroom, she believes in having fun, playing games, moving around, dancing, and enjoying the education experience, even if it occasionally gets loud. Angela lives Los Angeles, California.

Purchase here:

West Margin Press

Coming Soon - Thank You, Baked Potato

Thank You, Baked Potato

by Matt Lucas and illustrated by Scott Coello

What they say: Matt Lucas’s chart-storming charity song, ‘Thank You, Baked Potato’, is now a laugh-out-loud picture book – perfect for self-isolation storytime! 

All profits go to FeedNHS, providing hot meals for thousands of critical care workers in NHS hospitals across the UK.

“Wash your hands! Stay indoors! Only visit grocery stores!”

Stay safe, protect others AND support the NHS during lockdown … with help from one very wise Baked Potato!

Created by award-winning comedian Matt Lucas to raise money for FeedNHS, Thank You, Baked Potato is now a laugh-out-loud picture book, offering important guidance for all the family … plus plenty of self-isolation fun!

Order here!

More info:

thankyoubakedpotato and feednhs

Review - Slime

Slime

by David Walliams

What they say: The new children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – a fantastically funny tale illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross.

WELCOME TO THE ISLE OF MULCH…

This little island is home to a large number of horrible grown-ups. The school, the local park, the toy shop and even the island’s ice-cream van are all run by awful adults who like nothing more than making children miserable. And the island is owned by the most awful one of all – Aunt Greta Greed!

Something needs to be done about them.
But who could be brave enough?
Meet Ned – an extraordinary boy with a special power. 

SLIMEPOWER!

More info!

What I say: I'm a big kid when it comes to DW books! Every child I know seems to love playing with slime. DW has tapped into their minds and written another brilliantly mad, fun and hilarious story with Ned and Slime!

As with every DW book there is a deeper meaning, a sense of righting a wrong and championing the underdog and why not?! DW is always so on the mark with representation and diversity, he manages to confront issues but in a way children will comprehend and can dream they too can overcome adversity and be the hero of their own story. He also pokes fun at some of his own stereotypes - Raj the newsagent?!

I loved seeing Ned's and Jemima's relationship change as Ned finds his courage and has one heck of an adventure. Jemima becomes a better sister and Slime is well fab! Slime reminded me of a modern-day Mary Poppins (it makes sense when you read it).

The illustrations are fab and I'm looking out for a Walliamson dictionary - Keep up the the good work DW!

5 Stars in my Sky!

Whatcha Reading Wednesday - Slime

It's slime time!

Slime

by David Walliams

What they say: The new children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – a fantastically funny tale illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross.
WELCOME TO THE ISLE OF MULCH…


This little island is home to a large number of horrible grown-ups. The school, the local park, the toy shop and even the island’s ice-cream van are all run by awful adults who like nothing more than making children miserable. And the island is owned by the most awful one of all – Aunt Greta Greed!


Something needs to be done about them.


But who could be brave enough?


Meet Ned – an extraordinary boy with a special power. 

SLIMEPOWER!

More info!

Spotlight - Kid Normal and the Final Five

Aww...

Kid Normal and the Final Five

by Greg James and Chris Smith 

What they say: The epic conclusion to the awesome, award-winning, bestselling, super-charged KID NORMAL series by Greg James and Chris Smith. 

Murph Cooper is famous. and he's not happy about it.

Kid Normal and the Super Zeroes used to save the day in secret. But suddenly everyone knows who they are.

Oily villain Nicholas Knox has told the public that superheroes are dangerous. He wants to lock them all up and take over the world! *Cue evil cackling*

Murph must expose Knox's evil plan, or the world of heroes is doomed forever!

More info

Coming Soon - Slime

Ooh!!!

Slime
by David Walliams

What they say: The new children’s book from No. 1 bestselling author David Walliams – a fantastically funny tale illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross.

WELCOME TO THE ISLE OF MULCH…

This little island is home to a large number of horrible grown-ups. The school, the local park, the toy shop and even the island’s ice-cream van are all run by awful adults who like nothing more than making children miserable. And the island is owned by the most awful one of all – Aunt Greta Greed!

Something needs to be done about them.

But who could be brave enough?

Meet Ned – an extraordinary boy with a special power. SLIMEPOWER!

Pre-order!

Coming Soon - Tweet Cute

Tweet Cute 

by Emma Lord

What they say: A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected. 

More info

Spotlight - The Taylor TurboChaser

The Taylor TurboChaser

by David Baddiel

What they say: It’s the latest Brilliant Blockbuster from bestselling Baddiel! A non-stop thrill-ride adventure that will have readers young and old racing to the finishing line. The Taylor TurboChaser is a road-trip rollercoaster… with a twist.

 

At its heart is the unforgettable Amy Taylor. Amy loves cars, and dreams of being a driver. But there’s a major catch: her slow old wheelchair with its broken wheel. When Amy finally gets a new electric one, it’s exciting… at first.

 

But standard engines only have so much power. And that’s where Rahul comes in – Amy’s best friend and genius inventor. Soon Rahul turns a wheelchair into… a supercar!

 

And so the Taylor TurboChaser is born. But when it all goes suddenly wrong Amy is going to have to hit the road – and drive…

More info at GR!