BOOKSTORE

Illusion Justyn Edwards (Walker, £7.99)

One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth - Nicola Davies / Jenni Desmond (Walker Hb, £12.99) This is an absolutely fascinating book. We know that the time changes as you go round the world, when it is midnight in Britain it will be other times on other continents. If you’ve ever wondered what time it is in another country this book shows how that works. Two girls lying in bed in Greenwich in London at one minute to midnight travel round the world to see what time it is at the same moment and what is happening. Starting watching polar bears in the Arctic Circle where it is 1am encountering other wonderful animals as they go through Zambia, India, China, Philippines, Australia during the morning to Antarctica where it is 12 noon then other countries through the afternoon until they are back in Greenwich as the new day begins. All enhanced with big, bold illustrations.

Otters vs Badgers - Anya Glazer (Oxford, £6.99) The Otters and Badgers live on either side of the river, but they don’t like each other. They can’t even share the river, so they decided it was best they each kept to their own side and never cross over. Unintentionally an Otter called Francie was about to change all that. She was an excellent baker and spent all her time dreaming up new recipes and searching for new ingredients. One day, without her realising, she picked S berries from the badgers side of the river. Angrily the badgers chased her back to her side and an argument ensued, but while it did, one badger had tasted one of Francie’s muffins and wanted more. Soon both Otters and Badgers were enjoying her new berry cookies, but that just caused another row, which she certainly didn’t want. Is the way to an animals’ heart through their stomach? Can meek and mild Francie unite everyone? Find out in this charming picture book with lovely illustrations and a cookie recipe.

I like reading a variety of styles of books. Sometimes I just want to sit back and enjoy a story, other times I like to get more involved, There are some very funny stories here mixed with some more thought provoking ones and a couple that could put your problem solving skills to the test. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have. The Magnificent Moon Hare Sue Monroe (Award, £6.99) S PJ Petulant is a princess who expects to get her own way because she usually does, and lives up to her name if she doesn’t. This time her parents think her demand for a dragon is too much, but PJ knows how to make them give in to her demands and wears them down. Of course, once she gets Sandra (her name for the dragon even though he’s male) she loses interest and the servants who are left after Sandra’s eating spree are left to look after him. PJ moves on to her next want - the Moon Hare. An impossible want... until he turns up looking for adventure. His arrival is timely as the King has been kidnapped and Moon Hare is just the person to rescue him, or he is in his own mind. What results is utter chaos full of misunderstandings. Can a bossy princess, a moody dragon and kleptomaniac Moon Hare rescue a sulky King? This is a really funny, nonsensical story with madcap characters, large print and plenty of illustrations.

Flick has been chosen to compete in a new television show to become the successor to the world famous magician, Great Fox. But she has a far more personal reason for being there. Her father has disappeared after the Great Fox stole his incredible trick and Flick aims to get it back hoping it will make her father return. It isn’t going to be as simple as she’d hoped. Flick isn’t the only one with an ulterior motive. Not surprisingly, with magicians involved there is a lot of misdirection and trickery to uncover. Unscrupulous people who will stop at nothing to get what they want put her and people she cares about in danger. With Charlie’s help she is able to solve the puzzles, but will it be enough? This is a intriguing story with plenty of puzzles for you to work out and some interesting solutions to tricks (does the Magic Circle know?) There is plenty of suspense and some heart stopping moments to keep you gripped, it certainly had me hooked. See how you fare working out the clues.

Debbie

All around Bustletown: Nightime Routraut Susanne Berner (Prestel Hb, £9.99) Bustletown is a very busy place, even when it gets dark. As Cara and John go for a stroll we follow them through the town and see what everyone is getting up to as they pass by, indoors and out. Noisy neighbour, cats meeting, a library sleepover and even a burglary, or two. There is so much to see and stories to work out and discuss in this appealing book all told in detailed illustrations without words. You discover more details every time you return to it. A perfect introduction to books for beginner readers and a way to entice reluctant ones.

Seed Caryl Lewis (Macmillan, £7.99) Marty’s house is full, but not in a good way. His mother is a hoarder who can’t bear to throw anything away and finds it hard to leave the house. Marty tries to look after her, but it is hard and his life isn’t made any easier by the bullies at school. The only real joy in his life is time spent with his grandad on his allotment. Things start to look up when he meets Gracie who doesn’t let her lack of hearing hold her back. Both children have a dream Has Anyone Seen Archie Ebbs? - Simon Packham (Firefly, £7.99) which they are not sure they can fulfil. Grandad gives Marty a Archie is happy with good friends and a nice home life until they lose the home and are put special seed for his birthday telling him to nurture it and wait to in one grotty room in temporary housing, Manton House. Too ashamed to tell anyone, Archie see what happens when it grows. The seed grows into a plant distances himself from everyone so they won’t find out, which makes him very lonely. Unable that keeps getting bigger, fuelled by peoples’ dreams. Grandad to sleep he wanders down to the laundry room and meets Zofia. She says she is in his class, has an exciting plan for it leading to a big adventure, but will but he doesn’t recognise her. This doesn’t surprise her, in fact she’s more surprised that he can they be able to pull it off? This is an uplifting story full of hope see her now as she is invisible to everyone except her family and has been since they moved with a few surprises. It shows what you can achieve if you put to Manton House. She says Archie will probably become invisible as well which he thinks is your mind to it and what can be achieved when people work ridiculous..... until he does! This is distressing together. until money collected for a class party goes missing and Archie and Zofia decide to use their invisibility to find the culprit, saving the party and someone wrongly accused, but it isn’t as easy as they’d hoped. This is an absorbing story that shows how quickly things can change. It will make you think twice about noticing what is happening to others and how you judge them. The Treasure Under the Jam Factory- Chrissie Sains (Walker, £6.99) Everything is going well for Scooter and his family. Their newly extended Jam Factory incorporating the neighbouring building is about to reopen with a grand ceremony and Scooter will at last be able to reveal he is the brains behind it all. Until their ruthless ex-neighbour, Daffy Dodgy reappears and reveals she has tricked them and still owns the factory. She plans to run it herself with all their improvements unless they buy it back. This seems hopeless until Cat turns up with news her Uncle Perry has discovered there is treasure under the factory and she has half the treasure map. Surprisingly Scooter has found the other half - if he can find the treasure his problems are over. Cat is happy to help, as is Fizzbee, his alien friend and even Daffy sees how it will benefit her to help, but it is far from easy. The person who hid the treasure has set many traps and puzzles to make it difficult to get and Perry is willing to use any underhand trick to get it for himself. There is lots of fun and excitement in this second book of the series, as well as surprises showing people really can change. The story is helped along by lots of very funny illustrations. S