Travel Books for Kids: review and giveaway

The Travel Book is one of Lonely Planet Kids new travel books for kids

I met my husband on holiday. We bonded over gluwein and ski-runs, and never looked back. Always forward, to the next trip. And we’ve had some great trips over the years. Dubai, the Maldives, California, Aspen, Cape Town and Turkey are just some of the places we’ve ventured. When children came along we stayed a little closer to home, but not for long. Our wanderlust and love of new experiences has us back out there now that the kids are a little older, and they’re proving themselves to be very enthusastic travel companions in their own rights. Lonely Planet introduces travel …

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Dog on Stilts: a book with a message for children

Dog on Stilts: a book with a message for children

Medium dog has a problem. At least, he thinks he has. You see, he’s just medium. Average, ordinary, normal. And that doesn’t suit him. He wants to be noticed. He wants to be liked. He wants to BE someone! Luckily, he thinks he has the solution, and embarks on a project that will see him walking taller than all the other dogs. But will it make him happy? Dog on Stilts A little dog with a big message for children Dog on Stilts is the second hardback children’s book by James Thorp and Angus McKinnon, of The Superhairies group. We …

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Book review The Giants and the Joneses by Julia Donaldson

It’s not often that a book inspires us to write a review, but twice recently The Bug has enjoyed a book enough that he has insisted on writing a blog post. He wrote recently about the latest graphic novel, Robotslayer, and as soon as we’d finished reading The Giants and the Joneses it was the first thing he wanted to do. Review – The Giants and The Joneses In a reversal of the standard Jack and the Beanstalk tale, Julia Donaldson describes how a land of giants live in fear of the small people (iggly plops). Until one day a …

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Book review: Middle School by James Patterson

Middle School, by James Patterson. Hi this is actually GG once again and I have to do a book review on a Sunday! I know that in some religions Sunday is a day of rest. Well, in our house that rule doesn’t apply. So, I’m going to write a book review about Middle school: My brother is a big fat liar!  Summary: Georgia Khatchadorian, Rafe’s little sister has started sixth grade and everyone is avoiding her because when Rafe was in that school  he was very naughty and he got told off a lot. But Georgia desperately needs some friends. …

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Hilarious childrens’ book: The Weasel Puffin Unicorn Baboon Pig Lobster Race! (review)

The Weasel Puffin Unicorn Baboon Pig Lobster Race Yes it really is as mad as it sounds. But then that’s the great thing about a book for kids, especially a book which appeals to boys. And girls, as it turns out. Seriously, when you’re 6 (or 9, as it turns out) what could be better than a pig using a chocolate submarine to cheat his way through a race? In fact, all the animals in this delightfully-illustrated children’s book find the most absurd ways to cheat their way to the finish. All except one. The Weasel Puffin Unicorn Baboon Pig …

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Why any book is a good book when you’re 6 – even one by a footballer

I heard a muffled protest this morning evanescing from Mummy’s room. Apparently the Bug had finished his new book, got up, dressed for school, and was itching to do a book review. Go figure. I snuck out to get my confiscated Kindle, and left them to it. Frankie’s Magic Football, by Frank Lampard Being honest, I’d heard Mummy say that she wasn’t going to bother writing about Frankie’s Magic Football. I could even tell you what she was thinking: it’s written by a footballer, how is that going to be any good? Plus the Bug is not really a fan of his …

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The loveliest book for children – but you’ll have to be quick!

We have the most beautiful children’s book in our house. When you read the words personalised children’s book you automatically think “Toy Story with my child and his three best mates names inserted strategically along the predicable narrative” but this is a story with a huge difference. For every child’s name, there is a different story. Lost My Name is a lovely story about a child who wakes up to find that the name on his door has gone, and with it, his memory of what his name is. He embarks on an adventure to find his name, meeting strange …

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I took the Savage Challenge. Will you?

Would we take the savage challenge and eat the grasshoppers?   Today sees the start of the Savage Challenge blogger book tour, and I’m delighted to kick off the challenge by telling you a little bit about both the tour, and the book which inspired it. Over the next 20 days, 20 fabulous bloggers will be setting you a #savagechallenge. Read on to discover the theme for today’s challenge. Discover the Savage World The book itself is the kind of read that children won’t notice they’re reading – even reluctant readers very quickly start to find themselves immersed in discovering …

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Children’s Book Week review: Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog

By Tom Watson. We hadn’t come across Stick Dog before seeing Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog. The narrator claims terrible drawing skills, but we think his stick caricatures add something to the slightly pre-teen humour you’ll find Stick Dog’s dialogue with his fellow strays (named to appeal to kids and make parents roll their eyes):  “We need to give the raccoon a name,” she said simply. “A name?” “Oh yeah, said Karen as if this was a perfectly logical thing to do. “If we’re going to have a nemesis who is trying to snatch what is rightfully ours, it …

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Children’s Book Week review: Why your kids will love Stranded

A book for children ages 7+ Jeff Probst. Heart that name before? You may in fact have seen Jeff on TV – he is the Emmy award-winning host of the US version of reality game show Survivor. Jeff – a father of 2 children aged around the same as GG and the Bug – has this year published the first two of his Stranded series children’s books, and we were lucky enough to receive copies for review. Stranded, by Jeff Probst As a Dad of 2 children the same age as GG and the Bug, Jeff was keen to write a …

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Children’s Book Week review: Barefoot Books

We’re in the middle of Children’s Book Week, and in solidarity with Save the Children’s Born to Read campaign we are posting a children’s book review every day. We started on Monday with a review of Skulduggery Pleasant, and today we’re pleased to bring you not one, but two books for different reading ages, from Barefoot Books. What are Barefoot Books? Barefoot books are beautifully illustrated books for children from ages 1 to 14. From picture books for the very young, through Independent Readers for those getting used to reading, and books that retell classic tales in original ways. The founders …

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Book review: Monty and Milli: the totally amazing magic trick

By Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes. Review by the Bug, aged 5. My brother is not one for practising his writing. But he has recently acquired the ability to read, and can be found most mornings, long before M&D’s alarm goes off, poring over his books. Even the promise of pain au chocolat elicits a groan of disobedience when he is asked to abandon his literature in favour of dressing and coming down for breakfast. Perhaps this new-found ability accounts for his urge to review Monty and Milli. We’ve had The Totally Amazing Magic Trick hanging around for months, with …

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Stitch Head: a Book Review

By Guy Bass At school I now have a blog of my own. We are currently being challenged to write proper posts on it, and not just message our friends. Yesterday I wrote Stitch Head: a Book Review. Mrs Feisty approved, although Mummy got into trouble for helping me put a link in there! 😳 Anyways, this is all my own work!  What was the story about? A mad professor named eramas made a creation called stitch head.now he must be brave to  his kidnapped master…  What bit did you like and why? I liked the bit when stitch head …

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Children’s book review: Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator

By Stuart Reid. Illustrated by Calvin Innes. Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator is the debut children’s book by Stuart Reid, a Scottish author who knows about the kind of humour children like. Whilst Mummy turned up her nose at the poo incident I describe below, I have to confess that it was my favourite section of the book! George witnesses some sinister goings on out of his bedroom window, and so begins a mystery that he must solve; false teeth and soggy teabags lead him on a mission to discover why his village is so miserable! Review: Gorgeous …

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Book Review: Magicalamity by Kate Saunders

As you know, I love to read. I will read anything and everything, but Magicalamity by Kate Saunders is the first book I brought to Mummy, asking for the sequel. I absolutely loved it, and so my book review page was conceived. Here is what I think, followed by what Mummy thought, of Magicalamity: Mummy says: What I take from GG’s synopsis is that she would very much like it if we all lived in fairyland! Tom awakes to discover that his Dad is in hiding on the run from the fairy equivalent of the Mafia, and his Mum has …

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