Usborne Publishing

Always Angel represents those who are not always in the spotlight. Whittam gives a voice to her protagonist, Angel, who is living in foster care, and coping with her parent’s mental health problems. Whittam creates a genuine and sincere world in which Angel exists, and writes with flair to present authentic characters. While Angel struggles to hold onto her relationship with her mum, she also must confront toxic friendships, all while competing in the school-wide baking competition. While baking, Angel shines brightly, now all she has to do is avoid lunchtime detention!

This is a sequel to the immensely popular middle-grade fantasy The House with Chicken Legs, published in 2018, and combines the same winning team of author and illustrators. The plot of the original novel is synopsised in a short prologue, so a reader approaching the sequel won’t feel lost, though they will surely want to seek out the first volume.

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.

If you enjoy fairytales, mysteries, and fast-paced adventures, The Big Bad Wolf Murder is the perfect book to read.

This magical adventure follows Evie, Arthur and Cai on their journey to stop the evil Blackheart Man from ripping apart the barrier between the realm of the living and the dead. It is a journey of growth for the characters, highlighted by Evie learning to tap into her newly discovered magical powers along the way in order to try and stop Blackheart Man and save the island of Xaymaca from ruin.

Sabina’s first few weeks at her new school are nothing to brag about. With no friends, no social life, and no idea where to begin, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever fit in. That is until Sabina discovers she has awakened unexpected psychic powers through her meditation. But she quickly learns that discovering who you are is hard enough without the added pressure of magic.

Pia is passionate about animals and desperately wants to own a pet. However, her recently separated parents won’t even consider it. Determined, Pia finds other ways to bring animals into her life. She bonds with her new neighbour Hari over their shared love of dogs and volunteers to help train his unruly puppy Luna. Training Luna creates a rollicking ruckus, and readers will thoroughly enjoy the comic calamities that follow.

How Does My Body Work is a part of the long running series by Usborne Books in relation to early learning and body function. This particular edition is for children 4+ and approaches the subject with questions and answers relevant for curious kids.

Silver is an apt name for the heroine of this delightful story! Silver is ten years old with an alluring and sparkling personality; she also happens to live on a cruise ship with her mum and her group of grown-up friends. What Silver yearns for is a friend her own age and when she meets Yana, she thinks she’s found the perfect candidate, but the reader can see that Yana is not a nice friend. Silver endures embarrassment and humiliation in her desperate efforts to find a pal, while at the same time trying to track down the thief who’s pinched two fancy watches.

How far would you go to go viral? This is the question this book asks of the reader, as we get a peek into the close friendship of Alma Rose and Willow. They’re best friends who share a love of performing and a dream of being famous and adored. Even their different home lives don’t affect their friendship … too much. How do two teenagers negotiate two very different home lives? Will Willow discover Alma Rose’s secret? And will their friendship survive?