Punching the Air

By Ibi Zoboi & Dr Yusef Salaam This book tells the story of a 16 year old American boy called Amal Shahid. He is black and Muslim and his name means ‘Hope’. One night he is involved in an incident in a local neighbourhood. When the case goes to court he is treated as an

Noor-Un-Nissa Inayat Khan (My Story)

By Sufiya Ahmed I was inspired to read this book after finishing The Lion above the Door by Onjali Q Rauf which discusses some of the less well-known people of colour who played an important part in the allies victory of World War two. This book is part of the ‘My Story’ series which is

We Sang Across the Sea: The Empire Windrush and Me

By Benjamin Zephaniah / illustrated by Onyinye Iwu In 2020 I read Baroness Benjamin’s brilliant picture book Coming to England. It was so interesting to learn about her family’s journey to the UK and about other people like her who sailed to England on the Empire Windrush. When I learned that Benjamin Zephaniah had written

The Island That Didn’t Exist

By Joe Wilson This is me of the books shortlisted in my school’s annual competition – the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award. I enjoyed this modern adventure story as a change from my usual historical fiction. The story begins with main character Rixon who is 12 years old. His normal life suddenly changes when he discovers

Long Walk to Freedom: Illustrated Children’s edition

Author: Nelson Mandela & Abridged by: Chris Van Wyk Illustrator: Paddy Bouma We bought this book during Black History Month so that I could learn more about one of the most well known and influential figures from black history. It tells the incredible story of his life and achievements. He experienced the unfair treatment that

Room 13

By Robert Swindells This is a spooky horror story specially written for children that will be enjoyed by many kids aged 9-13. The story is about a group of children going on a school trip to the seaside town of Whitby in North-east England. Whitby is the place which inspired Abram Stoker’s novel Dracula so

Street Child

By Berlie Doherty We have been learning about the Victorian times at school this term. I have read a few non-fiction books about the time (see here) but we read this book as our class novel, The book tells the story of an orphan called Jim Jarvis who as living and working in London in

Be Wild, Little One

By Olivia Hope & Illustrated by Daniel Egnéus Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury Children’s Books for allowing me to preview a copy. I read this with one of my little brothers. He is full of energy and mischief and he loves animals and playing outside in the fresh air. He really enjoyed this brightly

Kensuke’s Kingdom

By Michael Morpurgo A special guest review by JD (age 12) The story begins with an 11 year old boy called Micheal and his family (Mum, Dad, and pet dog Stella Artois the Alsatian). When Dad is made redundant, he uses the money to buy a boat called Peggy Sue and the family decide to

The Journey

By Francesca Sanna This beautifully illustrated book is based on the stories of real people who had to leave their homes to find safety in other countries. The story is told by a young child. Their country has been affected by war. After their father is killed, the family are frightened. They have to make