Fallen Star Stories

Today, I'm delighted to share my stop on the GRACE-ELLA WITCH CAMP BLOG TOUR! celebrating the arrival of the second book by Sharon Marie Jones; illustrated by Adriana J Puglisi. We met Grace-Ella in the first book, Grace-Ella: Spells for Beginners . Grace-Ella was just nine years, nine months and nine days old when she discovered her witchy powers. Bedwyr and Fflur, her very best friends are the only ones who know (apart from her parents, of course) who know she is a witch. Mr Whiskins, her black cat moved in on the same day and the Witches Councils sent her her 'must-have' items; a Witch Tablet with first spells and potions, her cauldron, her wand and the all-important Book of Rules.  And now, Grace-Ella has just received her invitation to join her very first Witch Camp! And we get to tag along. Now that is exciting! GRACE-ELLA: WITCH CAMP author: Sharon Marie Jones illustrator: Adriana J Puglisi Firefly Press (30 September 2019) ISBN: 97819131...

Welcome back to magical tales of Old Russia; of a time when Russia was divided into many parts called tsardoms, each ruled by a Tsar, filled with mystery and magic; stories and folklore. Some you may know; some may bear a striking resemblance of other tales you've heard; but all are here to fire your dreams and imagination and take you away to another time and place. It is with the utmost delight that I share with you the news: Koshka's Tales: Stories from Russia, after being out of print for over 20 years, has made its' wonderful way back to our shelves thanks to Graffeg Ltd. And it is just as perfect and wondrous as it was the first time round. KOSHKA'S TALES: Stories From Russia author/illustrator: James Mayhew Graffeg Ltd (24 October 2019) ISBN: 9781913134457 Tsar Saltan Saltanovich ruled a fine tsardom. His only sorrow was that he had no tsaritsa to sit beside him. So he traveled across the land in search of a woman worthy enough to wear the crow...

Have you been wanting to spend more time in the garden? I think we all should. Especially the children. One of the best gifts we can give to kids is an understanding of the natural world, how to grow our own food and a consciousness of how to be in the future. And with the current climate issues and environmental concerns, we all need to pay more attention to where our food is coming from. How much of the food we put on the  table comes from local sources? How much comes from our own back garden? If you wish it was much more, but don't know where to start, I have just the book for you! GIY's KNOW-IT-ALLMANAC authors: Michael Kelly and  Muireann Ní Chíobháin illustrator: Fatti Burke GIY Ireland (4 October 2019) ISBN: 9780993042621 Narrated by GIY's own gardener-in-chief Monty Sheddington Potts, this is an entertaining, highly amusing journey through the garden that lasts all year long (and for many years to come, I'd say.)  Fabulously illustrated b...

It has been over thirty years since a biography has appeared about the Victorian/Edwardian childrens' author, E. Nesbit. And now emerges an exceptional biography; one that will fascinate and delight those of us who have grown up (and passed along to young readers) such wondrous books as The Railway Children, The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet and (my personal favourite) Five Children and It. THE LIFE and LOVES of E. NESBIT author: Eleanor Fitzsimons Duckworth (17 October 2019) ISBN: 9780715651469 Edith Nesbit is known and loved as the creator of so many classic childrens' books. In fact, it has been said (with exceptional evidence) that she was the mother of modern childrens' literature and certainly the inventor of the childrens' adventure story format. These books have stood apart from her other writing in her long, prolific career and have stood the test of time as children today still revel in the exploits and personalities of her character...

IT'S...THE GHOULS OF HOWLFAIR BLOG TOUR! It was several months ago that I received a proof copy of The Ghouls of Howlfair by Nick Tomlinson and I have been chomping at the bit ever since. This book really fired my imagination and excitement for all things spooky and intriguing. Then, to see a published copy, with its' wonderful cover illustration by Kim Geyer that captures the eerie, unusual atmosphere of the entire book in one image was an extraordinary experience. With a publication date of 3rd of October, it is the perfect read for this month, when the veil between the worlds thins and releases all those things that go bump in the night! To let you in on the story; young local historian and investigator Molly Thompson is overly preoccupied with Howlfairs' deep and rich history filled with myths, legends and the supernatural. But while the modern-day residents no longer believe that the towns' ghouls actually exist, Molly is certain there is more than jus...

WELCOME TO THE MOTHER TONGUE BLOG TOUR! For the next two weeks, we will be celebrating the release of Mother Tongue by Patricia Forde, a new work of speculative fiction for young people that takes up the story of Letta, a young wordsmith and one of the few remaining survivors of an extreme environmental disaster.  In May 2015, we were introduced to a world after "the Melting" that saw little land left, and few people.We were introduced to the world of Ark, a ruthless leader named John Noa and our young heroine...and it was completely mesmerising; a book I simply couldn't put down and placed in the hands of more readers than I can remember.  The Wordsmith  by Patricia Forde (entitled  The List  in the US.) Over the last four years, while I have returned to  The Wordsmith  time and again, I have longed to return to that world; to discover what happened to Letta, to all of Ark in the time that passed. And now... there's  Mother Tong...