Category: Reviews

chapterbooks, Reviews

Fabulous reviews for Four on the Run and Four All At Sea

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We are delighted that Sophie Masson and Cheryl Orsini’s delightful duo of chapter books, Four on the Run and Four All At Sea, have just received a pair of lovely reviews from Matt Wilson at his excellent blog, A Word About Books.

Here are extracts from each of the reviews:

Four on the Run: Desperate times call for desperate measures and these four plucky and spirited wheeled friends are determined to do whatever needs to be done…..Sophie Masson’s funny, charming and original adventure story about four friends who just happen to have wheels is a great early chapter book….The story races through its seven chapters and features black and white illustrations from Cheryl Orsini. With lots of excitement, a little bit of peril and bags of friendship and heart, Four on the Run will be a hit with vehicle loving children.

Four All At Sea: It’s far from smooth sailing for Flash, Lady, Fergie and Maxie as the four ‘wheelie’ good friends find themselves in all sorts of bother in their second adventure together….Bags of fun, mayhem and close scrapes are in store in this fast-moving and delightful early chapter book that will be a hit with children who love vehicles and adventures….The exciting storyline and fabulous illustrations will keep young children hooked and with seven short chapters it is the perfect book to read over the course of a week.

You can read the whole reviews here and here.

authors, New releases, Picture books, Reviews

First reviews for The Magic Ball of String!

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In its first week of publication, there’s been two great reviews already for The Magic Ball of String, one on Read Plus, the other in Margaret Hamilton’s fabulous Pinerolo Newsletter.

Here’s the full review in the October edition of the Pinerolo Newsletter:

THE MAGIC BALL OF STRING by Chelsea Hardi & Olya Badulina (Richmond). Remarkably, this charming fairy tale was written by a 7-year-old Australian girl. The illustrations, in traditional fairy
tale style were done by an illustrator who lives in Finland. A fascinating collaboration.

And here’s an extract from the Read Plus review:

Recommended. The front cover will draw any young girl into the story immediately, with the beautiful princess upon the white horse, and the castle in the background. The illustrations throughout the book capture all the subtleties of the story.This Australian, seven-year-old, author has done an amazing job at storytelling. Being aware of this fact may encourage other budding storytellers out there, knowing that if someone else can do it, they can too.

You can read the whole Read Plus review here.

chapterbooks, New releases, Reviews

Lovely first review for Four All At Sea

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The first review for Four All At Sea has just been published, on Kids Book Review, and it’s great! Here’s a short extract:

In Four All at Sea, the personification of the characters and the objects that surround them, steer the story through dialogue and point of view with humour.

Flash, Fergie, Lady and Maxie have tasted success after living on the farm in unintended neglect. Now, with shiny new paintwork that matches their stardom, they are travelling for the first time overseas on a ship with their owner Mrs Brown, to film their first movie with Peachey Productions.

You can read the whole review here. It’s by Anastasia Gonis, who also reviewed Four On The Run last year.

authors, Books, Eagle Books, middle-grade fiction, New releases, Reviews

First review for Charlie Chaplin: The Usual Suspect

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Charlie Chaplin: The Usual Suspect, by Phoebe McArthur, has just received its first review, in Read Plus, with the reviewer, Carolyn Hull, recommending the novel. Here’s a short extract:

This book has been written in the style of a Trixie Belden mystery – a young girl who can solve problems and crimes with only the help of other kids. It will appeal to young readers who love a mystery story...

You can read the whole review here.

authors, Books, Junior fiction, Reviews

Fil and Harry reviewed on Buzz Words

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Another lovely review for Fil and Harry: this time by Dannielle Viera, on the Buzz Words site. Here’s a short extract:

Award-winning author Jenny Blackford has delivered a delightful junior fiction novel suitable for kids aged seven to ten. The friendship headaches that Fil suffers from are common in this age group, so youngsters will immediately feel empathy for the troubled protagonist. And who doesn’t love the idea of owning a talking cat? …..Kristin Devine’s images are exceptionally detailed, which encourages young readers to pause and ponder what is happening in the story.

You can read the whole review here.

illustration by Kristin Devine.
authors, Books, Illustrators, Junior fiction, New releases, Reviews

Great new review of Fil and Harry

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Very pleasing to read a great new review of Fil and Harry on the ReadPlus site! Here’s a short extract:

The third person narration is light and breezy. Humour laces the storyline.  We feel for Fil; we worry about her problems. We think we know where she is going wrong with her friendship choices. We love the way her family rally around her. There is a tangle in the story which any young child would recognise. Harry the magical cat has a solution and the ending is very satisfying. The pencil sketches scattered throughout the story are soft and comforting. Stars and cat paw prints accompany the text.  This is a delightful little book. 

You can read the full review here.

illustration by Kristin Devine
Announcements, authors, Illustrators, Junior fiction, Reviews

Lovely advance review for Fil and Harry

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We are delighted to announce that there was a lovely advance review, by Lian Hingee of Readings, of Fil and Harry in this week’s edition of the Weekly Book Newsletter (Books+Publishing). Here’s an extract from the review:

Written by Jenny Blackford, whose debut book The Girl in the Mirror won the 2020 Davitt Award for Best Children’s Crime Novel, Fil & Harry also includes whimsical illustrations by Kristin Devine…..It is a gentle novel with short, accessible chapters and some excellent vocabulary-building words for emerging readers to discover. It’s perfect for readers aged seven and up.

Congratulations to Jenny and Kristin! It’s a great start for the novel’s reception.

Fil and Harry will be released on May 3.