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Book cover for review: image shows a grand old manor house with a red front door and long windows. The windows directly above the door are lit up, while one on the bottom right is boarded up. The manor is surrounded by snow, and a line of shadowy tress stands behind it. Above the manor rises a full moon in a starry sky. This is all flanked by two leafless trees, one on each side, close to the viewer. In the branch of the left tree lies a white squirrel. Across the snow in front of the house is the title "The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor", and underneath the subtitle "A Christmas Mystery".

Written by Eva Frantz, illustrated by Elin Sandström (pub. Pushkin Press, 2023)

‘It’s her!’

The white thing disappeared too quickly for Flora to see what it was, but for a few horrible moments she thought she had seen a pale face peering in at her and whispering.

But the room was on the first floor, so surely no one could be peeking in up there?

Flora lingered in the doorway, dead still.

Did she dare go over to the window and look?

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Ravencave book cover, showing a landscape in dark blues and purples with a waterfall splashing into a pool of water in the centre.

Book Reviews

Ravencave | Book Review

March 30, 2023October 30, 2023 Kim

By Marcus Sedgwick (published by Barrington Stoke, 2023)

Eight hundred people, eight hundred families, just like ours, without enough money coming in, with no way of knowing how to survive.
I wonder how many of those eight hundred families are dealing with it by going on holiday and wandering over the empty Yorkshire hills, going to spread their granny’s ashes on the landscape.
A landscape full of ghosts, Mum says, though she hasn’t seen one.
And strangely, it turns out it’s not her who sees a ghost first.
It’s me.

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Book Reviews

The Blue Book of Nebo | Young Adult Book Review

February 27, 2023June 21, 2023 Kim

By Manon Steffan Ros (published by Firefly Press, 2022)

‘The Blue Book of Nebo,’ I smiled, taking the book from her. The pages were blank and wide, like a new day.

‘Eh?’ asked Mam.

‘Like The Black Book of Carmarthen, or The Red Book of Hergest. That’s how they did it in the olden days.’ I’d read about them in a book of Welsh history. ‘Important books that said something about our history. And now is a part of history, isn’t it?’

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The Haunting of Tyrese Walker review book cover

Book Reviews

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker | Young Adult Book Review

October 27, 2022October 30, 2023 Kim

By J.P. Rose (published by Andersen Press)

They began to walk back down the track but Tyrese glanced over his shoulder towards the trees on the mountainside. Even though it was hot and humid, he shivered, his skin tingling. Why couldn’t he shake off the feeling that something or…someone was watching him?

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Book Reviews

Libraries 4 Schools 2021 Review Round-Up 3

August 27, 2021April 2, 2024 Lynda

Looking for something to read this bank holiday weekend? We’ve got you covered, in our most recent review round-up! A great selection of books for older and younger readers, we’ve got something for everyone!

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