Growing up

Milly McCarthy is back, and chaos is following closely behind! After previous disastrous attempts to find a hobby, Milly is enjoying her role on the local GAA team. When her coach retires, her dad steps in to make sure Milly doesn’t lose this outlet for all that energy we can feel pouring off the page. However, it soon becomes apparent that there is also a dire need for new team uniforms and equipment. The whole community comes together to find a solution, and with Halloween just around the corner, a haunted house fundraiser seems a perfect fit, with Milly helping to lead the charge.

This is a charming story about a little mouse called Silver who wants to find a quiet spot all to himself. There is too much activity in his burrow, which is packed with three generations of his family, so he sets off to find a safe hideaway where he can do absolutely nothing. It’s a timely reminder to parents, as well as children, that we all need a space where we can just sit and think. As Silver asks, how can you ever know what you really want to do if you can’t do a little bit of nothing?

The Not-So Great Escape is an excellent example of how there is always more behind titles. First assumptions had this reviewer imagining a funny adventure, a buddy comedy full of shenanigans, perfect for younger readers. This itself would have been highly enjoyable, but instead The Not-So Great Escape is a much more complex story.

Young Nigel isn’t the only one in the house who has overstepped the mark – donkey, tiger, mole, firefly and others are also facing the consequences of being a little bit naughty. Frog is on the Naughty Pad, shark is in the Naughty Cave and poor beetle finds himself somewhere particularly whiffy! But even Dad agrees that it’s hard to be good all the time …

Frank and Bert take a toy boat to a local pond in the hope of sailing it there. On this occasion the duo successfully gets their boat sailing, but alas – a frog gets on board! This story focuses on fears and coming to terms with them, as Bert is afraid of frogs and their movement and noise unsettle him. Facing the fear, a plan is concocted to get the boat back by making frog sounds to draw the frog away.

Sometimes, Hank can be a crank. In fact, Hank seems cranky more often than not – he has a reputation for it. And what’s worse, Hank’s cousin Frank is just a little sweetheart – everyone loves Frank! Hank has a feeling that Frank might not be as angelic as everyone thinks … but can he prove it?

In the deep, dark woods, there’s a small, lonely cottage. And in that cottage lives Fox. Alone. Which is perfectly fine, thank you very much. Fox doesn’t need anyone else to entertain him, or to look after him. There used to be someone … but Fox doesn’t talk about them.

Finding Her Edge is a wild ride of love, lies, family, and drama. It follows Adriana Russo, the sixteen-year-old heir to a skating dynasty, struggling under the strain of her father’s excessive spending and lavish lifestyle. With the family business on the line, they are all relying on Adriana’s sister Elisa to win gold at the Olympics; sponsorships and documentary deals have become their lifeline.

The birth of a new baby is a life-changing event for all the family, but in particular for older siblings as they must learn to adjust to a new routine, sharing parental attention and affection. Told from the perspective of the baby, Tagholm’s story is a realistic, yet positive account of life with a newborn, making a fitting picturebook to gift to a young child to prepare them for becoming a big brother or sister.

This final instalment in the Paper Dragons trilogy offers a satisfying conclusion to Zhi Ging’s quest. With the realm in peril from the greed-fueled ambitions of C’yo B’Ahon Ami, Zhi Ging and her friends must race to stop her from advancing self-serving plans and endangering others. At the same time, Zhi Ging must try to complete her transformation into a full Cyo B’Ahon, succeeding in challenges set by her teachers in Hok Woh.