Book Monitor - books from across the world

Engaging reads for children, from Books go Walkabout

A Demon’s  Touch By Rehan Khan

By

On March 31, 2022

In Hope Road Publishing, Featured children's book

Third Book in the series  of The Chronicles of Will Ryde and Awa Al-Jameel

An adventure that bridges mythical and historical worlds…

In this thrilling conclusion to the trilogy, all roads lead to Istanbul – and all who traverse those roads will be plagued by a demon’s touch… Set In the 16th Century, an English boy and Songhai girl work together on adventures that bridge the mythical and historical.

This is a brilliant book bringing adventure and history together in this intriguing part of the world

Istanbul 1593. Will Ryde and Awa Al- Jameel are members of the Ruzgär Unit, an elite team of solders and specialists around the world. They act on behalf of the supposedly mighty Ottoman Emperor, Sultan Murad III.

The Ruzgär unit inadvertently released an ancient demon during the events of the previous book, A King’s Armour. The demon now lurks within the bowels of the city coinciding with Sultan Murad III bringing friend and foe to Istanbul, to convene the world’s grandest trade fair.

How do Will and Awa even start to find their way through a city where streets have eyes and walls have ears? Can a demon so powerful emerge and make life impossible?

A stunning end to the Chronicles adventures and encompasses all aspects of adventure and character building in a moral vacuum.

Rehan Khan was born in London. An avid observer of history , he has always been intrigued by how ideas and information move from one civilisation to the next. A visiting professor at an international business school, Rehan Khan is the author of a Tudor Turk and A King’s Armour, and lives with his family in Dubai.

Hope Road Publishing promote new literary voices from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, bringing neglected voices from the margins to centre stage, with books for adults and young adults.

A great read for children aged 9-14 years or so…

Sue Martin – Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories across the world…

WATER

By

On March 25, 2022

In Otter-Barry Books, Featured children's book

Protect Freshwater to Save Our Earth

By Catherine Barr & illustrated by Christiane Engel

Protect freshwater to save life on earth…

A ground-breaking global introduction to water that includes sharing and protecting freshwater worldwide, Water is life! Freshwater bubbles, flows and floods with the most wonderful life on Earth – and all of us rely on it to stay alive. BUT today, because of pollution and climate change, it is becoming more and more difficult for people and animals to find the clean freshwater they need to survive. It’s time to act! 

Water tells the story of freshwater around the world. Discover the history of water, how the water cycle works, learn about the different kinds of water and about the amazing variety of wildlife that freshwater is home to. Then find out what happens to water because of climate change and global heating; the importance of clean water for health; the worldwide problem of water pollution and the devastating impact of water shortage on children’s lives and education. 

A glass of pure water is colourless but called blue water…

Catherine Barr challenges us to take action, to use water wisely and protect freshwater to save our planet. Catherine’s many books are witness to her skill in presenting information to children in a visual and bite sized text within the illustrations . From my experience in working within schools, this book is highly engaging and can be used as part of many areas of the curriculum to bring new knowledge to children. Each page has a  Face the Facts section to enable quick and speedy access to information.

Chrsitiane Engel, the illustrator has a wonderful style which will enable talking points on every page.

How to draw a caiman!

Otter-Barry Books have published this remarkable hardback edition into their new books for March 2022, and the quality of production and care to every detail will make it a great success.

Sue Martin Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories Across the World…

Women Who Led The Way

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On March 25, 2022

In Otter-Barry Books, Featured children's book

Great Explorers and Adventurers

By Mick Manning and Brita Granström

Diverse and inclusive range of explorers

Twenty-one amazing women explorers and adventurers from all over the world From Aud the Deep-Minded, an early voyager to Iceland, and Sacagawea who guided the Lewis and Clark expedition across the USA, to Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space and Arunima Sinha, the first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest, this book shows the incredible courage, determination and power of women explorers over the last 1200 years.

1788-1812, Shoshone Nation, USA, Guide & interpreter on Lewis and Clark Expedition


These women have led the way exploring lands, oceans, mountains, skies and space, but have also made pioneering discoveries in the fields of science, nature, archaeology, ecology and more.
The lives of these women, told as personal stories, are an inspiration to us all.

Great Explorers and Adventurers is packed with wonderful stories about women who have been at the forefront of great explorations and discoveries across the world and in time.

I was fascinated by the records in this book of so many women from the past who have now entered the historical records for heroism and courage. This book not only tells the story but provides intriguing text and engaging illustrations.

Mick Manning and Brit Granstrom are an award-winning duo with a plethora of non-fiction picture books to their credit, having written and illustrated over sixty books and numerous awards.

Otter-Barry Books is a unique independent publisher with a real flair for producing high quality and inspirational children’s books.

Women Who Led the Way, Great Explorers and Adventurers is an amazing book and I am looking forward to exploring all the women who did indeed lead the way.

Sue Martin

Stories Across the World…

Poetry Books from Otter-Barry Books

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On March 4, 2022

In Otter-Barry Books, Featured children's book, Poetry

Otter-Barry Books have a wonderful selection of poetry books and these two new publications are full of exciting poems to inspire and engage young readers.

Roger Steven’s is my favourite poet. You’ll love this collection. Baroness Floella Benjamin

Razz Ma Tazz The Poetry World of Roger Stevens; illustrated by Mike Smith

Once you open this book and start reading the poems you won’t put it down. From poems which are just too cool, like the Year 6 boys, to Shouting to the Ocean, which gives you the chance to just throw all your emotions in the ocean!
 ‘So if you’re hurt, upset or angry

Write down all you want to say

Then post it in the ocean

Watch your troubles float away’

Cool boys and Year Six Sisters to the Chicken School Timetable, Dad’s terrible dancing to Mum’s cunning treasure trail, plus the joy and fun of poetry. There is something for everyone in this paperback collection of poems.
With themes of Family, School, Pets, the Wild, Being a Poet and Personal Favourites, this is an outstanding, exuberant collection of the very best work from one of the best-loved poets writing today.

Roger Stevens is a very well known poet author, with lots of tips about writing poetry. The illustrations by Mike Smith are brilliant, showing each poem in its own unique way.

Wonderful images…and words too

The Universal Zoo by Neal Zetter and illustrated by Will Hughes

If you want to engage young children with poetry and fire their imagination this book is a must to have in the school or at home.

“Welcome!
Roll up!
Come on down
to the Universal Zoo.
Want to see amazing animals?
Buy a ticket, join the queue.”

Every creature has a place at the far end of Space, in the Universal Zoo.

Look out for the Shy Shimmereen, the snoozing Snoralotz, the Invisible Ballaboo Beast and the Ten-Legged, Swivel-Headed, Bushy-Bearded, Twirly-Tailed Horrox. Meet the Martian kids with two heads, and stare at the Enormous Egg. And if you think dragons don’t exist and dodos are extinct, then think again. But never, never, never feed the Gronk!

Beware of the Gronk!

A riot of imagination and fun, these poems also send a message about conservation and saving species.

Otter-Barry Books have a website full of information about their books and you can review many of the pages of poems, but the real best thing is to buy the books!!

Sue Martin Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories Across the world…

A World Full of Journeys and Migrations, by Martin Howard and illustrated by Christopher Corr

By

On February 16, 2022

In Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Featured children's book

The Movement of People and Ideas

If you are a traveller at heart, like me, this is the perfect book! It features over 50 incredible stories of human migration and how different cultures and ideas have spread through the world because of migration. What a positive attitude to people travelling across continents, what an amazing story through time of how peoples have travelled and continue to travel for the benefit of all people. This book hits right at the point where migration is integral to a better word and a better society.

“About 70,000 years ago a small tribe of human beings walked out of Africa and into the country we now call Yemen in the Middle East. With them was them was the mother who would become the grandmother to all humans outside of Africa.” Martin Howard.

Just one of many amazing facts that will keep you enthralled as you read through the book.

A World Full of Journeys and Migrations is illustrated in a wonderfully engaging style, each page in this large hardback book is packed with illustrations and text which draw you in to each and every page.

Two of my favourite pages are Chinatown and America’s New People. As with all the pages there are facts and information which will promote thought and enable further research.

Follow the trails

The sections on Migration of Modern Humans shows how we are just continuing the same pattern of travel, where and how we can.

Martin Howard, the author, lives in France, and has written many titles for both children and adults, including the Bad Dog’s Diary series and the Wickedest Witch.

Christopher Corr is an established author/illustrator whose books are renowned internationally. He studied at the Royal College of Art and now lives and worked in London as an artist and tutor at Goldsmith’s University

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books are the publishers, and A World Full of Journeys & Migrations is part of the beautifully published series called A World Full of…. Stories, Dickens Stories, Celebrations and Festivals.

A perfect book for any school, library or home, my copy is definitely staying with me so I can discover more about people spreading ideas around our planet and creating a better world.

Sue Martin Children’s Literary Specialist

Stories Across the World…

It’s Her Story – Amelia Earhart a Graphic Novel, by Kim Moldofsky and illustrated by Alan Brown

By

On February 10, 2022

In Sunbird Books, Featured children's book

Follow your dreams…

Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She piloted many record-breaking flights became an author, advised engineers, taught college students, and defended women’s rights. On her attempted flight solo around the world, she disappeared somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

This is such a great story and the graphic novel design is a perfect fit for Amelia’s story, which brings dreams for all children but especially girls, into reality. It demonstrates how Amelia, who was born in 1897, started work helping immigrant families, but at the same time flying whenever she had the chance. She gained a pilot’s license in 1921,after the First World War. She was enthralled with flying after she visited a Winter Air Tournament in Long Beach.

Amelia loved flying…

To find out more you need to read the book. I am really intrigued because I would have loved to learn to fly, and trials in 2 seater planes and microlights left me buzzing, but I never made it to be a pilot!!

Ah well, it still makes this book a wonderful book to read, which through the graphics, the story of Amelia Earhart is available to everyone, whatever level of reading.

Kim Moldofsky is the author and  it is beautifully illustrated by Alan Brown.

It’s Her Story is a series featuring amazing, inspirational women in graphic novel format, published by sunbird books, part of Phoenix International Publications. More titles available later this year.

Definitely worth purchasing and a really good book for children keen to follow their own dreams and to learn about others.

Sue Martin Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories across the world…

It’s Her Story  – Shirley Chisholm by Patrice Aggs and illustrated by Markia Jenai

By

On February 4, 2022

In Sunbird Books, Featured children's book

‘if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm, was the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress and campaigned for the rights of children and women in the USA.

She worked to improve the lives of children in need and was an outspoken champion of women’s rights. In 1972, she was the first Black person ever to seek the nomination of President of the United States from a major party. This is her story.

This graphic novel is a powerful and exceptionally interesting book, which packs a real punch in the story and the graphics which show just how hard it was for Shirley to find her way through all the rules and regulations. She made real changes which have improved the lives of many people.

Graphic novel series It’s her Story

The series is published by sunbird books, an imprint of Phoenix International Publications. The series covers a brilliant range of women, including Dolly Parton and Marie Curie.

Patrice Aggs is the author, she is an American illustrator and writer now living in the UK.

Markia Jenai  the illustrator is from Michigan and she is passionate about spread the beauty of diversity and culture.

In my work with literacy and the power of reading in schools this the series is a brilliant way into books for children. In Shirley Chisholm they have a way into history too and an understanding of how different lives can have such an effect on us all. They help us tell our own stories too.

Sue Martin

Stories Across the World

Poems Aloud by Joseph Coelho and illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett

By

On January 21, 2022

In The Book Monitor, BookMonitor, Books go Walkabout, Featured children's book, WideEyed Editions

Vibrant, colourful and a wonderful book of poems for reading aloud!

Tackle tongue twisters, confound your classmates with riddles, make your friends laugh and transform into a bowl of slime as you perform these poems. Build your confidence from the award-winning poet Joseph Coelho. This is the perfect book for confident children and shy readers alike. This brings the real fun of poetry to life for everybody.

The illustrations are brilliant, warm stylish and just make the words come alive.

One of my favourite poems in Poems Aloud is This Bear which is set over a double page and the bear is shown gazing into the pink sunset. He is an older bear and wandering quietly along.

This poem sounds best when read slowly take your time pause and breathe to add emphasis

‘This lumbering bear is old.

 This lumbering, bumbling bear has shuffled over rugged imagined mountains.

Urged his bulk slow and strong.

 Slow as geography.

Strong as tree growth

Through the forests of his mind.’

Joseph Coelho is an award-winning poet and performer from London. He has been long listed for the Carnegie children’s award. He won the 2015 CLPE CLiPPA poetry award with his debut poetry collection Werewolf Club Rules.

Watch this link from Edinburgh International Book Festival

Daniel Grey Barnett is an Australian illustrator and author living in Tasmania. He has illustrated for the New York Times, Sydney Opera House, The New Yorker. He brings a huge dimension of fun and engagement for this collection of poems for children.

The publishers are Wide Eyed, and they have a stunning portfolio of books for children.

Whether this book is for you at home or to use at school or nursery it is definitely one to buy. It will support reading and writing, and you will hear the words being remembered again and again.

Sue Martin Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories Across the World

Iceberg by Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft

By

On December 10, 2021

In Allen and Unwin, Featured children's book

Born in Spring and living a whole year…

“This world is not empty, nor ever still. Far from places we know, it feels everything we do.” Claire Saxby

Iceberg both inspires and creates deep thinking for children of all ages including older primary years.

‘This picture book is quite simply a visual and literary masterpiece. Its opening spread features spectacular spikes of colour, dramatic expanses and subtle details, including the shadow of an orca, the peek of a seal, and the track of penguins.

Turn the pages and the colours lighten slowly to reveal more of the iceberg until the sun fully reveals itself and the wildlife on and around the iceberg. The tone of the language playfully reflects this change. And soon we are below the water’s surface with a magnificent gatefold opening out to reveal the extraordinary panorama of activity under the sea.

 Antarctica is remote, forbidding, hostile and uninhabited by humans, yet this frozen continent is key to understanding how our world works, and our corresponding impact on Earth’s climate and ocean systems.

The author, Claire Saxby’s lyrical narrative combined with Jess Racklyeft’s detailed illustrations are sure to spark curiosity for Antarctica and its flora and fauna. As well as being an important natural laboratory, Antarctica provides the opportunity to educate children on the importance of protecting this fragile continent and its ecosystems.‘

Source: Tye Cattanach Education Consultant, Blogger and former children’s bookseller

Allen and Unwin are Australian publishers with global impact, Iceberg is available across the world.

There are a comprehensive set of Teacher Notes from Tye Cattanach, both enabling and inspirational. They have been formulated with Year 3 Australian Curriculum in mind, but the activities and resources shared here could easily be adapted to suit younger and older students alike in the National Curriculum in the UK or other global education systems.

Sue Martin – Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories across the world…

Spin to Survive Frozen Mountain by Emily Hawkins and R. Fresson

By

On November 12, 2021

In The Book Monitor, Books go Walkabout, Featured children's book, WideEyed Editions

Decide your destiny with a Pop out Fortune Spinner…

Find out your fate as you face peril after peril in a wild, rugged landscape. This game in a book takes you across mountains, through rivers and across snowy landscapes. A brilliant book in this new and unique Spin to Survive series.

You become lost in the mountains after an emergency landing. Among the snowy peaks, you are at risk from dangers including falling victim to hypothermia, being buried by an avalanche, or stumbling into a deep crevasse. In your backpack, you have a sleeping bag, a thermal roll-mat, a bottle of water, a bag of nuts, waterproof matches, a pair of binoculars, a camera, a first aid kit and an old survival journal belonging to your grandfather.

As you confront each life-threatening challenge in this adventure-filled game book, place the Survival Spinner found inside the cover of the book on one of the circles on your current page, and spin. The place where the spinner points when it stops tells you if you have survived, are still living but injured or that you have perished, with a corresponding page number to turn to for each fate.

Throughout, you will learn about real-life survival techniques, including how to:

  • Make a snow shelter
  • Build a fire
  • Survive a bear attack
  • Treat a wound
  • Use the sun and moon to navigate
  • Cross a frozen lake
Real Life Survivors…

Harrowing tales of real-life wilderness survivors provide glimmers of hope as you deal with the consequences of your choices. One bad decision could lead to disaster…

Frozen Mountain is the debut book in the exhilarating Spin to Survive series from Wide Eyed Publishers, part of Quarto Knows. Discover real-life survival tips and stories as you navigate your own perilous journey through the wilderness guided by your decisions and the removable Survival Spinner.

The author is Emily Hawkins and illustrator is R. Fresson. Each page is an experience and looks as if you have drawn the pages yourself in a travel journal. This will make a fantastic and inspiring book for Christmas for children around 9-11 years, whether ardent readers or adventure makers.

Sue Martin Children’s Literacy Specialist

Stories Across the World…

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