Written by Alan Windram

Illustrated by Olla Meyzinger

Hooray! It is the first day of the blog tour for Kevin the Orange, the latest wee beauty from Alan Windram and the magnificent Little Door Books, who have released another delightful glorious ball of quirkiness.

As you can see from the cover, Kevin is a lovely cheerful looking little orange. But he is not happy. He is feeling rather discontented with his lot and is beginning to wonder if life would be a bit more exciting if he was not orange. After consulting with his very wise friend, Brian the pear, Kevin sets off on a journey of self-discovery, setting about to see what life in different colours is like only to discover that being yourself is the most wonderful way to be.

Kevin the Orange is a gorgeous, enjoyable and funny picture book with a lovely message about being yourself and being happy in your own skin. The illustrations by Olla Meyzinger are stunning and add to the quirky feel of the book. (The Swimming pool of jolly grapes has to be my favourite!)

All in all this is another perfect picture book that will appeal to young readers and bed time story bookworms.

Thank you to Alan Windram at Little Door Books for the review copy.

It is my stop on the blogtour for the brilliantly creepy and delicious new book from one of my favourite authors, Victoria Williamson.

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams is set in a curious little town called Witchetty Hollow, a place where strange things are happening. Without a child being born to families who are not fabulously wealthy in over 100 years children are rented from Storkhouse Services. But with families struggling to pay for children they are delighted when some peculiar and sinister visitors arrive to open a new Daydream Delicatessen and sack-baby factory.

With the villagers desperate to trade whatever goods they have for daydreams from the pawnshop, they soon run out of money for the real children who are being reclaimed by Storkhouse Services.

When 11 year old Florizel meets sack-boy Burble, they set out to uncover the mysterious goings on and to save Witchetty Hollow from the evil daydream theives.

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams is a fabulously dark fantasy set in a gothic world of good and evil with a very Tim Burtonish feel to it.

There is a beautiful mix of charming and sinister characters that I absolutely loved with family and friendship ultimately being at it’s core.

The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams is a twisted, dark, gothic, dreamy delight. I absolutely loved it!

Today it is my slot on the blogtour for the next episode in the life of everyone’s favourite little robot hero, One Button Benny!

If you are unfamiliar with Benny he is an endearing little robot with a big red button on his tummy which is only to be pressed in an emergency. One Button Benny and the Dinosaur Dilemma is the third book in the series and this time we join Benny and his friends for their Friday night party. The party takes a turn for the worse as all of a sudden a deep hole opens up beneath them and they fall into the depths of the earth below. When a huge dinosaur emerges from the darkness, Benny knows it is time to press his big red button once again.

Benny is the most endearing little character and this is a beautiful, fun addition to the One Button Benny series. It is a story of friendship, kindness and understanding and it is completely charming. The story is perfectly complimented by the gorgeous illustrations of Chloe Holwill-Hunter and it would be a wonderful addition to the bookcase of wee ones. This is another enchanting tale, perfect for a snuggly bedtime story.

Today is my spot on the blog tour for Euro Spies, the new book from one of my favourite authors, Lindsay Littleson. Published by Cranachan it is a modern tale of espionage, adventure and friendship with a very European feel.

When Samia wins a sight-seeing trip to Europe she is full of excitement at the prospect of visiting places she had only read about. As Samia and her fellow prize winners, Ava and Frankie, board the Euro Metro it soon becomes clear that all is not what it seems and that this is no ordinary holiday. It turns out that their chaperone, Miss Watson, has brought them along as cover for a secret spying mission as they follow the clues left behind by her MI6 colleague.

The children are thrown into a world of secrets, adventure and cryptic clues as their holiday turns into a race across Europe as they try to avoid the sinister strangers who appear to be following their every move.

Euro Spies is an absolutely wonderful adventure story that is both entertaining and educational. There are ciphers and clues along the way for the reader to solve and it really makes you feel like you are a part of the story.

I absolutely loved all the information and clues about the different European countries. I learnt loads of facts as I’m sure anyone reading it will. I was particularly fascinated to discover which country is the tallest in the world!

The story would not be the same, however, were it not for the engaging and relatable characters. The developing friendship between the three children is an absolute joy and I was left smiling and laughing throughout. Frankie, in particular gave me plenty of chuckles and his genuine and relatable personality shines through.

Euro Spies would be an excellent book to read with a class who are doing work around a European topic. It introduces the reader to lots of information, while the search for clues make it a wonderfully fun adventure story.

I absolutely loved Euro Spies. It has everything! A cracking spy story with brilliant characters that takes you to some amazing locations while teaching you loads at the same time.

An absolute must read.

I am really excited to share my review of this absolutely beautiful picture book. Written by local writer, Lindsay Daniels, it is a story of self-belief and discovering yourself.

‘Why Am I Here?’ is a gorgeous, honest and fun conversation between Jack and his mum which tackles one the biggest questions of all, why are we here?

I loved the dynamic between mum and Jack, a relationship which is filled with joy and excitement, allowing Jack to explore his imagination and his potential. I also loved how mum makes time to join in with Jack’s games and they are able to simply have fun together.

This is a book about believing in yourself and having the courage to follow your dreams, whatever they may be, and a celebration of those people who help you on your journey through their love and and support.

The story is perfectly complimented by Amy Walton’s glorious illustrations and it is an ideal book for parents to share with their young children to inspire their imaginations and to prompt conversations.

A really lovely book!

Find out more by following Lindsay’s website and FB page.

https://lindsaysliterature.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/lindsaysliterature

It is my stop on the Rivet Boy blog tour and I could not be happier to share my review of this fabulous story. Scottish historical fiction is my favourite sort of book and with Rivet Boy Barbara Henderson has written another gem of a story.

Rivet Boy is centred around the construction of one of Scotland’s most recognisable and most impressive feats of engineering, The Forth Bridge and is told through the eyes of 12 year old John Nicol who manages to get himself a job on the site. It is a job that is full of danger as John quickly finds out.

Along with his new friend, Cora, and a wee squirrel companion that he names Rusty, we follow John as he navigates the challenges of his new job and the not altogether friendly colleagues he finds himself working with.

One of the great skills of writing historical fiction is being able to bring characters and settings to life and Barbara is an expert at this. Most of the story is based around real events and characters and it is beautifully told in a way that is honest, engaging and exciting.

Not long after I finished reading Rivet Boy I was driving over the Queensferry Crossing and as I looked over at the Forth Bridge I found it coming alive with the stories of those who worked on its construction. I genuinely haven’t been able to look at it in quite the same way since reading this book.

I always love a story with a library and a wonderful librarian. John spends much of his time visiting the Carnegie Library. It is a reminder of how libraries can provide a place of solitude, safety and peace and they should be treasured.

I cannot help but think what a fabulous book Rivet Boy would be to use with a mid/upper class in primary school. There is so much history there to discover with real people and locations. The abundance of opportunities it would provide to investigate history, STEM, artwork, literacy, drama .. the list could go on! One of the best school trips I ever went on was to the Three Bridges with a class and the learning experiences are immense.

Rivet Boy is another absolutely fabulous story from Barbara Henderson, again bringing history to life and bringing life to the Forth Bridge. A stunning success!

The Reluctant Rebel by Barbara Henderson, published by Luath Press

I am absolutely honoured to be kicking of the blog tour for The Reluctant Rebel today. First and foremost Barbara Henderson is one of my favourite authors who writes the most magnificent historical adventures set against a variety of Scottish backdrops. As you can imagine, therefore, I was beyond excited to get my hands on a copy of The Reluctant Rebel, a ‘Jacobite Adventure’. This is a time period where events are often studied in primary school but little MG fiction has been written in this era.

Read on to hear from Barbara about teaching the Jacobites in the classroom . Thank you Barbara for the guest post.

‘Jacobites in the Classroom

The targes and broadswords clash, thankfully in a controlled manner. The faces of my pupils, contorted in fear and rage, belie what is really going on – nothing but a slow-motion Jacobite battle, filmed by me, their drama teacher. Wooden props are all they have – but what these children lack in authentic appearance, they more than make up for with their imagination. 

In short, I love teaching the Jacobites. As a drama specialist in a primary school, I come across the topic annually and developed a bit of a fascination with the time period. Living just along the road from Culloden Battlefield, there was no excuse. I had to go and see for myself!

But as much as I read about the 1745 Rising and the iconic Bonnie Prince Charlie’s triumphant start, I became much more interested in what happened in the aftermath: Following the Battle of Culloden in April, the Prince fled – and spent months on the run across the Highlands and Islands, aided by an ever-changing cohort of guides and supporters. The government’s £30,000 reward went unclaimed. Instead, many in the Jacobite clans risked their lives all over again for their Prince. That, I decided, was where the story was. The result is The Reluctant Rebel – a Jacobite adventure for upper primary– and being a teacher, the classroom is never far from my thoughts. In collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland, I’ve created comprehensive teaching resources to accompany the book, ready to download from www.barbarahenderson.co.uk/resources. 

Hence, and without further ado, here are five ways to bring the Jacobites alive in your classroom:

1. Make a no-sew white cockade. The white cockade was a sign of support for the Stuarts on the throne and signified Jacobite sympathies. Simply cut two ribbons to around 17 cm length. Take a button (charity shops often have a collection of old ones) and thread a 10 cm wire through it. Now loop the ribbon, overlapping the edges, and scrunch together at the join to form a bow shape, twisting the wire around it once. Now repeat with the next length of ribbon securing all together by another twist of the wire. You can either trim the wire or use the remaining length to secure the white cockade to your bonnet/jacket. (Top tip: If your white ribbon is prone to fraying, you can pre-cut at home and run the edge over a candle to seal. Not recommended in a classroom setting, obviously!)

2. Freeze-frame Comic. Pupils should brainstorm the 10-12 main events in the Jacobite Risings, or alternatively, the main events in the novel The Reluctant Rebel. Once they are in the right order, pupils can be given minimal dressing up/props and a camera to take freeze-frame photographs of these key dramatic moments. Once printed, the photographs can be displayed with captions and speech bubbles. Don’t forget the sound effects either!

3. Bake Beremeal Bannocks. This was the staple diet for many Highland clans at the time of the the Jacobite rebellions. You’ll need: 2 cups of beremeal (from health food shops or online), 1 cup of plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, a pinch of salt, (1 tablespoon of sugar if desired). Mix thoroughly and add milk, water or buttermilk to make a stiff but soft dough. Roll out on a floured board and cut into 4 like a farl, to form the Bannocks. Cook on a hot, ungreased girdle 5 minutes or so each side until both sides are browned and the middle is cooked. Alternatively, bake in a hot oven. Practice will make perfect. Consume with copious amounts of butter and cheese, or jam!

4. Shadow Puppetry Battle of Culloden. All you need is a large picture frame or even a cereal box with a window cut out. Cover the frame with a thin light cloth or thin paper. Now cut your figures out from black card – only the shapes will be seen, so you can draw the outlines in pencil and cut around it without being too precise. I’d definitely cheat and trace silhouettes of Highlanders/Redcoats.  Shine a light source onto your screen from behind and gently hold your puppets against the screen from behind. This works best if you mount them on sticks using masking tape. There are loads of YouTube clips on how to do shadow puppetry. An atmospheric piece of music to accompany the puppetry with turn great into awesome!

5. Site visit. Nothing beats visiting the very places where the soil is steeped in stories. Here are some fab Jacobite sites to visit with your class. Some are even set up for virtual events, so it’s always worth checking: 

National Trust for Scotland, Culloden:https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/schools-and-learning-guide-to-culloden . The site of the last land battle on British soil where the Jacobites were defeated. The place has an excellent visitor centre, well laid out paths and a dedicated and lovely learning officer who could not be more helpful!

Glenfinnan: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glenfinnan-monument/planning-your-visit. Site of the beginning of the 1745 Rising where Bonnie Prince Charlie gathered the clans and marched south for the Cause. Another lovely visitor centre, beneath the viaduct featured in the Harry Potter films. If you hang around long enough, you will be able to see a steam train cross it.

Ruthven Barracks: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/ruthven-barracks/ .The defeated Jacobitesregrouped here after Culloden, awaiting their prince. Instead, they received instructions to go home. A really evocative ruin.

Battle of Prestonpans Jacobite Museum and Battlefield Visits:https://www.battleofprestonpans1745.org/school-visits/ . This new museum is currently only open to the public at weekends, meaning that volunteers can tailor their work to school groups during weekdays. It is a fantastic resource with big plans for the future too.’

Thanks again to Barbara for that brilliant piece about teaching about the Jacobites.

As a fan of Scottish historical fiction, an adventure set against the backdrop of the Jacobites was always going to be right up my street. The Reluctant Rebel tells the story of young stable boy, Archie MacDonald who , along with his cousin Meg, become caught up in the rebellion.

It is primarily an adventure story, one that is filled with drama and tension that hooks you in from the word go. I love the characters of Archie and Meg, their relationship and the dilemmas they are forced to face.

One of the talents that Barbara has is to hook the reader into a particular time period. The attention to detail ensures the reader is taken back in time with Archie and Meg and you feel that you are living the adventure with them

Quite simply, I loved The Reluctant Rebel. It is full of excitement, tension and pure adventure. It would be an brilliant book to accompany a Jacobites topic in the classroom or as a standalone read.

To find out more about Barbara please follow @scattyscribbler on Twitter.

Delighted to be a part of the blog tour for The Elephant Squad today!

As part of the blog tour, author Kerry Gibb is running a competition:

‘When a safe arrives in the school yurt, the children must think up a code that only they can know! Follow The Elephant Squad blog tour to discover the code! Each blogger will release one number and direct you to the next blog! Once you have the correct combination, email it to kerry@kerrygibb.com to unlock your entry into a competition to win a signed copy of The Elephant Squad with a limited edition bookmark. Good luck!’

Today’s number is 1! Check out Ben Harris and A Few to Read at https://afewtoread.blogspot.com/?m=1 for tomorrow’s number.

The Elephant Squad is a beautiful, hopeful tale about discovery and friendship and realising that, whatever your circumstances, you are never alone

Cleo feels different from other children. She never sees anyone out of school and never goes to the school disco that everyone talks about. At the end of each day she runs home to check on her mum, full of worry that she will be okay. With just Cleo and her mum at home, Cleo has had to take on the role of carer for her mum whose illness has increasingly led her to struggle with everyday tasks and rely on her wheelchair.

Cleo feels anxious, alone and under pressure.

That is until one day a visitor comes to speak to the school. Darryl explains that he is setting up a group for pupils who, for whatever reason, are caring for others at home. Through the group, Cleo discovers that there are others who are in a similar situation to her.

This is a story that is primarily about friendship and making connections. It is a beautiful, hopeful read that gives a voice to children who are young carers. It is written with warmth, humour and empathy and it is a hugely enjoyable book.

The Elephant Squad is a fabulous and important read. It reminds us that we never quite know what is going on in other people’s lives and what challenges they may be facing but, ultimately it reminds us that however we are feeling, we are never alone.

I absolutely loved it!

There is something very beautiful and powerful about an entire story told through verse. Manjeet Mann’s debut novel, Run Rebel, was one of my standout books of 2020 and I knew her follow up was bound to be something special. A tale of grief and hope it puts the spotlight on the plight of refugees and it is quite simply one of the most stunning things I have ever read.

The crossing is told from two different perspectives. Natalie is struggling to cope after the death of her mum. Her dad is feeling lost and her brother has found his outlet in a far-right gang. Swimming is her escape.

Sammy has fled from his life in Eritrea with the hope of making a new start in Europe but his journey as a refugee proves to be more terrifying and arduous than he ever could have imagined.

There stories become inextricably linked as they both battle to find hope in their lives and a better future.

The rhythm and the energy that beats between the two characters is absolutely magical. As the days count down there is a sense of foreboding of what is to come and a feeling of inevitability that is hard to shake off.

In The Crossing Manjeet has made sure that every single word counts and that every single line speaks to the soul. I have rarely read a book that I found so emotional, so thought-provoking and so powerful. I couldn’t put it down.

The Crossing skillfully explores themes of grief, hope, empathy and kindness in the most challenging of circumstances. It also forces the reader to challenge and reflect on their own beliefs and prejudices.

Overall, though, this is a story about humanity, courage and the future. The Crossing NEEDS to be in every high school library and every teenager and adult must read it. It is that important.